AUSTIN, Texas, Apr. 1, 2005 — I think I might sleep in a bit. But Dad calls me at 7:30. Nothing is really wrong. He's just disappointed that his back doesn't feel perfect, I think. I'm starting to realize he's never had any bad pain and is, well, kind of wimpy about it. He mentions that he wants me to buy him a gallon of milk. He says he is capable of driving to the store but he doesn't want to lift a gallon of milk. I don't make the case for buying smaller containers. I need to go over there and see how he is doing anyway. But first...I need some exercise. I go to the gym and do a bit.

Dad calls me while I'm getting cleaned up after my workout. He says he went to church and got some of the food from the senior activity day but didn't stay to play games. I go over there, stopping at a Randall's for a gallon of milk. When I get to his house, he is eating his food he brought home. He says he doesn't hurt as bad. I do a few things for him...carrying clothes out of the laundry room and such.

I go home. I actually have some time to do something around the house. What I choose to do is work on the family budget, entering March expenses from checkbook and credit cards and receipts and notes. By the time I've done that and discussed it with Forrest, it is time to eat a snack and go to a green room party before the ballet.

We meet and greet people and have a little wine and food. Then the ballet. A ballet about the Holocaust is unthinkable to some. But, art often represents painful stuff. The ballet is seventy-five intermissionless minutes. It covers the arc from the 'family of man' to one person's happy family and friends and relationships and the interruption of that life with the horror of marginalization, segregation and then imprisionment, humiliation, being surrounded with death and then being liberated and making a new life. Stephen Mills based the story in so far as there is story not metaphor on one survivor's life. And that person, Naomi Warren, is watching the ballet. It's amazing. Is her life less important than the pope's? Not to me.

We stay for Q&A which draws a huge crowd this night. Then backstage we talk to friends, patrons, staff and dancers.

Home. It's late. It isn't long before we sleep. This was the most serious I've felt on April Fool's day in a long time.