AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 23, 2005 — Home again and time to face the music. The world isn't all rosy, there are unpleasant things to think of doing.

I get up and think I'll go to water aerobics with Dad so I bet he'll be going and put on my bathing suit. But he calls and says he was somewhat the worse for wear after his doctor visit and isn't going. He also says that he has to have some kind of urinary tract XRay tomorrow at ten. He's a little confused about where it is. We work that out with the Internet.

I put on my workout clothes. It is balmy. No problem wearing shorts and a TShirt outside. I stop on my way in and explain to the class that Dad isn't feeling well. They say he came on Monday. I go inside and ride the bike and do some lower back and ab stuff to get the kinks out. Then I go home.

There are so many little things to get back in order. Laundry, putting away luggage, putting the gadgets back where they belong. Chargers in my little charging area, phone earpiece in the car, ditto spare glasses. Things gradually fall back into place. We went through a lot of mail and newspapers last night but that is ongoing today. Eventually all the New York info will go back into the box and into the closet. And other things will take their place cluttering the floor.

We have tickets to a basketball game but we skip it and watch TV and eat some fish and salad FFP bought while replenishing groceries. There is a little letdown being home.