AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26, 2005 — I knew when I went to bed that I was going to go to the water aerobics with my dad this morning. I knew it when I woke up around six, too. I thought of getting up then and when FFP turned on the light after he'd gotten up, had coffee and papers, fed the dog (who got back in bed with me). But it was quiet (FFP was at the gym) when I woke with a start after eight. Well, I'd go but be late. They start at 8:15 on Wednesdays. I knew that I wouldn't make it on time and my head was spinning from dreams I couldn't exactly remember. I rushed around, letting the dog out, going to the bathroom, getting into my bathing suit, getting other gym stuff together. Back to find my book, remembering to set the DVR to

tape tennis, get a cup of coffee, rushing off forgetting the book after all. I wasn't the last one to make it to class. In the pool I remembered that the dream had been about me trying to invent better exercise machines and public transportation. The last one to make it to class was a woman who is always oh so exquisitely busy leading a life with as little purpose as my own. Her daughter just had twins. She told that story as well as the story of her trip to New Orleans and a basketball game. My dad was just finishing a long and not all that funny joke when I got in the pool so this jabber is probably a relief to the other class members.

After the class, I get some coffee and change to shorts and T-Shirt and ride the recumbent bike a little looking at some magazines that have nothing it seems but ads and reading the book that goes with the French tapes I'm listening to the car.

I only rode twenty minutes. Went home and saw my dad going down the street in the opposite direction. He was in search of a leg of lamb and maybe is headed back to Cooper's to pick one up if they could bone it for him. Don't know. (Later he says he went to Central Market and got one. His friend will cook it. She invited us over, too, but we couldn't agree on a schedule.) When I get home FFP is headed out for an errand and then off to a board meeting. I'm still a little weird from oversleeping. I check my mail, write to the person who is picking up the weaving books (eight people replied to my offer!) and write an e-mail to my young friend the singer about his WEB site. I update my journal and poof it's 11:20!

It's not like I have anything else I have to do. But I should do something useful or educational.

I eat and shower and all that stuff and Forrest comes home but leaves again for an interview. I go to his office and sort through financial statements, working on my spreadsheets. I also sort through a bunch of possibilities for stocks to buy to replace the one we sold. The phone rings with some regularity. A client, someone selling group health insurance, the bookkeeper just to chat, someone wanting me to sub in tennis for them (although I've already agreed to sub for someone else), my dad. I also download updates to virus definitions for the bookkeeper's machine.

Forrest comes home from his interview. I optimize a picture he took for the newspaper and start watching some Australian Open Tennis and he comes down and we both change and go to a preview party for a new gourmet takeout in the neighborhood.

It's hard to tell how the place will be when it opens. Tonight Parallel looks like a gift shop with snacks in a hip hotel. They will have wine, beer, coffee and fresh food to take out. And a gift shop. And a counter with wifi access. They open next week. You could walk from our house. (But, of course, we didn't.)

At home I finish watching some tennis and we watch various other things including CSI: New York. We watch Dogville on a DVD from Netflix in between other things. It is a good movie, I think. But hard to watch in spots. Also this disk is hinky and will suddenly pauce and skip to another chapter. At least, I think it's the disk. Player hasn't done this on any other. Well, I'd been wanting to see this one. Wow. I thought the minimal, theater-like props enhanced the movie rather than detracting. The movie is about power. Giving it, taking it, loving it, hating it. ‹spoiler›There is an unmistakable moral message but the guy who most wants to be a moral philospher gets shot in the head and kind of deserves it. ‹/spoiler›

I snack and I read all the day's papers. Supposedly, these shows are creating an interest in science for young people. Well, I think they also give us a false impression of the ability of the police to solve crimes and solve them quickly. (Except for Cold Case but even there they solve the old ones quickly in the present!) I switch back to tennis briefly but then we go to sleep. I leave it recording. There isn't time to watch everything I record!