AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 27, 2005 — Last night I discussed The Gates with a couple of people and I told them I could give them a link to the journal if they wanted to see some pictures and read what I thought and I had those twin feelings. The one where you want people to come here and see what you are thinking and the other where you hope no one shows up.

Which leads me to my Haloscan comments log which is what generates over to the left of here the line, at least as I write this, 'Comment (0)'.

Yeah, no one really comments much even when I just use one group of comments for a whole month. Now I did get an e-mail from someone who lives here in Austin (but whom I don't know personally) while I was in New York. She commented that I slept through her son running by my house during the marathon. And when I checked Haloscan I saw that I had missed a comment back in October (missing it came from having a group for each day and being inattentive). I commented on the soprano in an opera performance at UT. I really liked her. Somehow she found the comment. Amazing.

My plan for the day was a bit disrupted. Not that it was much of a plan. At 7:25, while I was executing on the first part of it (sleep in a bit) my dad called. That was ominous but it was just that his built-in refrigerator in the kitchen went out. I told him I doubted I could do anything on Sunday. He has a spare frig in the utility room. But FFP tried to call someone and they acted like they would come. I went to Dad's to sit and wait while he and my sister went to church. Well...when they called again they mentioned that they wanted an extra $75 to even come out (fix or not) on a Sunday. We declined and set something up for tomorrow morning.

So at noon...after sitting and reading the paper and watching TV at my dad's...I went to the gym. I rode the bike a long time. I did some sit-ups and this other thing for my abs (the plank). Then I went home and showered. I'd told Dad and my sister to come over in 'the afternoon.' I figured ths could mean any time but that Dad would probably take a nap. I worked on a few things, started laundry, had a breakfast and lunch combined: some leftover chicken, a little dry cereal, a banana.

They came over around five and we turned on the Independent Spirit awards and I played a game of Super Scrabble with my sister. About the time the pre-Oscars came on, I made some nachos for us and FFP fixed himself a sandwich and chili and we watched the Oscars. I had a couple of drinks. A Jack and water and a German beer if you must know. Dad faded about 9:30. FFP and I picked up and moved to the bedroom and I folded our laundry and managed to watch the rest of the Oscars. Million Dollar Baby best movie? Huh. I predicted a lot of the awards but I really agreed with Jamie Foxx and Hillary Swank (yes, even though I didn't like the movie that much). I had really seen quite a few of the movies. Retirement is good in that way...more time to pursue trivial things like movies.

I pick at a movie on DVD (Bright Young Things) and one on the DVR that seems to have a lot of people in it. I finish reading The New York Times. Not exactly how I planned the day but really in the end pretty close. A workout, play a game with my sis, watch the Oscars.