The Visible Woman...July 4, 2003

It took months for it to happen, but days do run together now and holidays and weekends mean less. Last year I worked on July 4. I was in UK, of course, where our nation's independence is not celebrated.

So, the real difference in the day's feel was FFP sleeping in. We all got up by 8am, though, and FFP rescued the newspapers just as the rain started. It was raining hard, too.

Soon I was enmeshed in Wimby and my computers, though. Listening to Radio Wimbledon on the WEB and with the real-time scoreboard on the computer and the (delayed) ESPN coverage playing. Yeah, two different audios going.

At first, in retirement, I was surprised that I didn't pay closer attention to big tennis events. I've made up for that this Wimby. I haven't hung on every bit of coverage, live and replay. But I've seen and paid attention to a lot of it. Not that I'll remember who won in a few months. But right now I know who is in the finals and some of the people who competed.

Anyway, yeah it rained. Here, but not at Wimby. I wasn't planning on blowing anything up or having a cookout. So it didn't bother me. We are invited to observe some fireworks from a downtown office building. But that will be inside, won't it? So if the fireworks aren't a go, no loss, I think. Party with some friends and watch the storm.

It doesn't rain for that, though. I see a few people I haven't seen in a very long time. There is a spectacular sunset. You can stand out on the rooftop. Some nice folk music. The most surprising thing is that the best music was from a lady lawyer. The judge raised some money for her race. The fireworks rang out. We could see clogged streets below.

Never the ones to unnecessarily put ourselves out in traffic, we went to the FS bar and settled in to greet friends and listen to music. A grand display of fireworks outside celebrated a wedding. When we left, the streets were more empty if less than calm.

Spirits were undampened. Especially mine. We needed the rain. And it held off for the moments we wanted to be outside. And it rained when I needed an excuse not to be outside working on cleaning up sheds and pots and old hoses.

Friday, July 4, 2003

A Journal from Austin, Texas. A Project of LBFFP Stealth Publishing.
food	reading	writing	time	exercise	health and mood

Uncle Sam postcard...for sale on ebay	damp fireworks Not feeling much like a holiday. Except FFP slept late. It took months for it to happen, but days do run together now and holidays and weekends mean less. Last year I worked on July 4. I was in UK, of course, where our nation's independence is not celebrated. So, the real difference in the day's feel was FFP sleeping in. We all got up by 8am, though, and FFP rescued the newspapers just as the rain started. It was raining hard, too. Soon I was enmeshed in Wimby and my computers, though. Listening to Radio Wimbledon on the WEB and with the real-time scoreboard on the computer and the (delayed) ESPN coverage playing. Yeah, two different audios going. At first, in retirement, I was surprised that I didn't pay closer attention to big tennis events. I've made up for that this Wimby. I haven't hung on every bit of coverage, live and replay. But I've seen and paid attention to a lot of it. Not that I'll remember who won in a few months. But right now I know who is in the finals and some of the people who competed. Anyway, yeah it rained. Here, but not at Wimby. I wasn't planning on blowing anything up or having a cookout. So it didn't bother me. We are invited to observe some fireworks from a downtown office building. But that will be inside, won't it? So if the fireworks aren't a go, no loss, I think. Party with some friends and watch the storm. It doesn't rain for that, though. I see a few people I haven't seen in a very long time. There is a spectacular sunset. You can stand out on the rooftop. Some nice folk music. The most surprising thing is that the best music was from a lady lawyer. The judge raised some money for her race. The fireworks rang out. We could see clogged streets below. Never the ones to unnecessarily put ourselves out in traffic, we went to the FS bar and settled in to greet friends and listen to music. A grand display of fireworks outside celebrated a wedding. When we left, the streets were more empty if less than calm. Spirits were undampened. Especially mine. We needed the rain. And it held off for the moments we wanted to be outside. And it rained when I needed an excuse not to be outside working on cleaning up sheds and pots and old hoses.
JUST TYPING Holidays. Mean more. If you work. And if you bother to celebrate.
		Food Diary. A grapefruit. Three slices of turkey bacon. A few chips, some cheese and hot sauce with green onions. A banana. A beer with a lot of foam (keg Bud Light)...maybe 10 ounces. A small white wine. Too mini chicken tacos, some guacamole, pico de gallo, a couple of quarters of quesadilla, a carrot. A coffee with 1/2 shot Kahlua and 1/2 shot Amaretto. A small glass of sherry.
		Time flies.... I can sit in my office and eat away hours with tennis going and my different windows supporting my journal and an occasional WEB foray. Not to mention stopping to read something. At parties and at bars, even with people to talk to and music to listen to...I often think it would be nice to have something to read. One does spend a lot of time 'wasted' at social events.

		Reading. Courting Danger by Alice Marble. Finished this one today. If even half of this book is true, it is incredible.
		Distracted by...well, everything.
		Exercise Biking to nowhere for fifteen minutes. Upper body (shoulders, chest, back) exercises and ab work. Twenty minutes on bike.
	.	I feel good. And strong. But I think to continue losing weight I may have to, um, actually watch what I eat! Well, no, not just watch. Find something to reduce. Quit or cut down on alchohol?