AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 1, 2006 — I managed to keep myself busy getting the house in shape for the party today. I actually enjoyed it. We had worried about the third table and then realized that we just needed to move one out of a room that was covered with books (imagine that?). It is a 48 inch round which we bought at a charity auction for some forgotten reason. But that meant finding another round tablecloth. I decided to solve that by buying two cheap polyester ones which I of course had to press because they were folded up in the packaging. And because I'd switched the third tablecloth from ecru to white I had to press some more white napkins. And while I was at it, I pressed our cocktail napkins. Someone gave us a set with 'P' on some and 'B' on others. It always impresses me unduly when people have cocktail napkins that aren't paper.

Since we have thirteen guests I had to scare up some other ones and found a set that hadn't been used.

While I was ironing...I found I was (gulp) kind of enjoying it.

And I found this incredibly sad. And yet hopeful. There is hope in being easily entertained.