AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 29, 2005 — There were a lot of reasons for it. Starting with waking up about seven and then going back to bed. Or rather staying in bed. FFP and the dog had been up. The dog had her food, FFP got the papers, maybe had coffee. Anyway, we all went back to bed and sleep and were there until nine.

Could have gotten a jump on the day anyway, of course. Could have dashed to the gym and, having that out of the way, gotten several hours of purposeful activity done. But really, what's the fun in that?

FFP suggested going to Aranda's. Which we did. I had a pork taco, a tongue taco, guacamole, a flour tortilla, chips and salsa with a bunch of black coffee and water. FFP had migas and coffee. (The bill was $12.85, by the way. This place is so cheap.) Of course, I was stuffed since I wasn't even hungry to start with.

FFP feels the need to wander about a little, doing some errands. We take some shirts to the laundry, put his business bills in the mail and go to BookStop. I buy a couple of bargain children's books and FFP buys a copy of a design magazine. When we get home, I still feel stuffed. I do a few things on my computer. I see a guy with a loaded backpack plus another canvas bag writing something out of an IPod book on his hand. A homeless IPod user or just a typical Austin techoslacker?

It is early afternoon when I'm in the gym. I do an OK workout, though. Not great but not bad. Over forty minutes on the recumbent. Some situps. Seven sets of weight work. Five hard minutes on the rower. I read the Günter Grass book on the bike and between sets of stuff. A guy wanders by while I'm behind a pillar by the windows reading a paragraph or two while resting between sets with the weights. "Are you hiding there reading?" he asks. It's this guy Scott. I knew he was in the gym because I'd heard him talking to someone else a few mintues before. I smile. "Yes," I say simply. I am sort of. Hiding behind the pillar to get out of the way of others with my weights. I need a new workout, I think, but I like some of the results I've gotten from this program and want to preserve that. Need to meet with a trainer, probably. I definitely need to do something about my weight, which is trying to inch up. (Imagine that: candy, donuts, friend things, beer, soda. That'll do it.)

I get home and I do a little organization and study. I shower and groom. I set up the DVR to record stuff. I have some leftover sauteed catfish, some green onions and some mustard wasabi sauce. I eat a piece of that danged cherry pie FFP bought.

We have tickets to the Elton John and Tim Rice Aida as performed by Austin's Zach Scott theater. We get down there in plenty of time. We read our books while waiting for the performance. It is a great show. Tremendous singing and great costumes and interesting stage setting. We both agree it's a good show.

At home we try to watch some recorded shows but end up falling asleep here and there. I read a bit of the papers.

A friend has asked for advice on network wiring. Her issue is pretty simple: she has a one output router I gave her. She needs to plug another machine (a work laptop) in easily. She's kind of interested in wireless. I decide to donate my wireless antenna, which I almost never use to the cause along with the hub it's hooked to. I spent some time today gathering up the stuff I need to take to her house to execute on that strategy. It really tidies up one corner of my desk.