AUSTIN, Texas, August 3, 2005 — I'm out of the moment and into the looking ahead mode again. Because I'm starting to do a little planning for my trip to Cape Town. Because we are talking to a friend who would advise on the longest of term financial things...what happens to anything you have left when you die. Because I go back and forth from 'sorting and remembering' to 'planning and plotting' modes on a regular basis.

I didn't want to get up but I did want to get some exercise before we went to lunch. FFP roused me out around 7:30, saying the Internet wasn't working and the technician said to 'boot the router.' I didn't think they meant the router

and the lights looked right on the modem, but I booted the modem. I called back. The guy said he'd talked to someone on our account and said to boot the router. Well, OK, I said. I booted the router. That worked. Probably they had a problem during the night that goofed up handing out IP addresses or something and everyone's routers needed booting. Anyway, that resolved I did a few things on the computer and got off to the gym. FFP and I took separate cars. I stopped to talk to the ladies doing water aerobics. They were wondering when and if Dad might be able to do it again. The ladder to get in and out of the deep end is the barrier. We wondered if he could make his way across the pool from the steps.

I got on the recumbent bike with my pile of newspaper. I stayed on fifty minutes plus but never got finished with yesterday's Science Times and Health & Fitness section of yesterday's The New York Times. It's a skinny section but packed with fascinating stuff. And I am, of course, a notorious slow reader. I did a few weight things for the chest and triceps and then went home. I was thinking, though, "I have to do better. I have to get in really good shape before I go on my trip to Cape Town." Being in good shape helps when one is traveling, I find. I want to be in really good shape to hold up to the long airplane rides. Sounds silly but I believe it works. Well, I didn't do enough toady.

I get home, shower, dress. We are going to have lunch at the Four Seasons but FFP is not wearing a tie. I am amazed. He's really retired.

We go down to the FS after a bit, leave our car with the valet and go to the restaurant. We have a nice (free) meal while a banker from a trust department talks about corporate trustees and wills and investments. He's our friend and it's all very helpful and instructive. We are going to tweak our will a little soon. And, of course, I plan to live for another forty years or so.

When we get back from lunch, I decide to go get an ink cartridge for an inkjet I have downstairs. It's the only printer I have downstairs so it is inconvenient a little bit to print as I have to go upstairs to the other inkjet or laser printer. I am not willing to go to Fry's or Office Depot but if the camera store has them that will work. I go over there (Precision Camera) and get the cartridges (I need the color one but I get a B&W, too). See today I'm planning ahead. I don't even have anything to print today.

I install the cartridge when I get home and run a test print. I print out a joke someone sent my Dad after cleaning the heads and running that.

I have over two hours before my next obligation: dinner. So I decide to read and look at some film fest fare. The first feature I view is a complex psychological thriller of the Blood Simple genre. The second is a blood and guts assassination of drug lords cum innocent kids flick that I have seen before. But where? Maybe last year in reviewing films for the festival? It's so hard to keep up.

Then it's time for dinner. We meet our friends at Fonda. Of course, we have to meet and greet a bunch of other people we know including a bunch of the wait people, the owner, other folks. Both of our friends have recently gotten new jobs. One starts Friday. We have a good old time talkng about everything. And drinking. Looking ahead to when they have settled into these jobs and things are different in their lives. I have a margarita, wine, a sherry after the meal. Fonda is crowded this Wednesday evening. Good for them.

And Home. It's only 9:30. Time to do some more reading and film review. I finish watching the movie I've already seen and start another which is not very engaging. We go to sleep. Looking ahead to tomorrow we have another hard day of retirement: a luncheon and maybe going to some art galleries in the evening. Better sleep to keep up with that schedule.