The Visible Woman...November 6, 2003

Visiting older relatives with my dad gives me pause to put things in perspective.

What will I be in twenty years? Twenty-five? Thirty-two? In twenty years I will be as old as the woman I interviewed for West Austin News. She seems to be bright and alert and strong. Dad's cousin who we visited today was having her 79th birthday. Her mind was alert but her body was failing her. Dad has his moments. He is thirty-two years older than I. I could only wish to be able to drive and walk and enjoy and remember at that age.

The way I figure it: we don't think it will happen to us, then it does. Tonight I saw young people smoking. They think they can do it. With impunity. Of course, I drink. And eat improperly.

But if I'd at my best now...shouldn't I enjoy it. Will I be looking out the window at a car I can't drive? In my case it would be a standard shift Honda instead of a big Cadillac, but wouldn't it be the same?

. the duck is open "Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying light." Dylan Thomas	as we age Visiting older relatives with my dad gives me pause to put things in perspective. What will I be in twenty years? Twenty-five? Thirty-two? In twenty years I will be as old as the woman I interviewed for West Austin News. She seems to be bright and alert and strong. Dad's cousin who we visited today was having her 79th birthday. Her mind was alert but her body was failing her. Dad has his moments. He is thirty-two years older than I. I could only wish to be able to drive and walk and enjoy and remember at that age. The way I figure it: we don't think it will happen to us, then it does. Tonight I saw young people smoking. They think they can do it. With impunity. Of course, I drink. And eat improperly. But if I'd at my best now...shouldn't I enjoy it. Will I be looking out the window at a car I can't drive? In my case it would be a standard shift Honda instead of a big Cadillac, but wouldn't it be the same?
JUST TYPING You think it won't happen. That your body won't change. You won't age. Decline. Shrink. Break. But...you will. You will look in the mirror and find yourself old. You will fall and fall. Maybe you won't know what's happening. Which is sad. Maybe you will know what's happening. Which is also sad.
		Food Diary. *breakfast* a big sausage roll and a donut twist lunch [Dodging Duck Brewhaus] medium-sized philly cheese steak with homemade potato chips and sips of beer from a tasting I shared with Dad *snacks* who needs 'em when you eat like this...actually I had about half of a sweet soda dinner [Starlite] romaine salad, parmesan chips duck breast and confit on a potato thing bread pudding 1/2 bottle Pinot coffee with Kalua and Amaretto Today I didn't - eat the whipped cream on the bread pudding - finish the soda
		Time flies.... I am up early and get a shower and I check the backups (heck, I watch the Internet one run from my main PC). I post yesterday's journal and fool around on the computer. We take FFP's car to the shop and Dad and I take off to Boerne in his van. I drive there and back and listen to Dad and his cousin talk. When we get home ther was much to discuss with the building but no deals in writing we would consider, I ran to West Austin News to get some copies for FFP. This turned out to be a real CF, but that's too long a story. We had to pick FFP's car up and then I just thought 'what the heck.' Let's go out, have a nice meal. And we had a nice one indeed. Starlite Restaurant served up a nice salad, one of the the tastiest and most innovative duck dishes I've ever eaten, a good Pinot and a delightful bread pudding. We were walking out at a reasonable hour when we saw a gal we knew and we ended up on the patio in the cold, drinking a night cap.

		Reading. I drove, I ate...but I didn't read. riParis in Mind ed. by Jennifer Lee Daybook, The Journal of an Artist by Anne Truitt.
		this and only this
		Exercise zip Hey...you have to take off once in a while!
	. .	119/69 70 I felt physically strong and alert this morning, early. I really feel pretty good all day.
	It's a Tangled Web we weave...these days of our lives.	One year ago "My eighty-six-year-old dad was on a ladder today. Sigh." Two years ago "I get the cereal and fruit breakfast because, you know, you can cut a banana with a plastic knife." An Interesting Link This is a fantastic brew pub and they have great food. Even the potato chips are homemade. It's called the Dodging Duck Brewhaus for reeasons that will be obvious as you approach Boerne, Texas on Highway 46 and see the duck crossing sign which didn't look exactly like this one but I found this one for sale online.