AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 13, 2006 — I know. You think I lead the good life. Me, too.

But other people: have homes perching on Town Lake with lots more square feet than ours; are building homes with square feet in the five figures (yes as in 10,000 plus); regularly go on skiing vacations; take private jets; have 5,000 bottle wine cellars; consider buying a Maserati and have a Cadillac dealer pressing a new car on them to 'drive around and try'; look amused when we talk about downsizing into a thousand or twelve hundred square feet.

Just so you know.

But I had a great day. Beautiful outside although I didn't take much advantage of it. But I had a nice workout. I poked around with household chores I actually enjoy.

And I had a wonderful meal at a great restaurant and some nice wines including a 1990 Cos d'Estournel and a Dominus and a Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares Burgundy. I had foie gras and beef tenderloin. Delicious. And I shared a lovely cheese plate for dessert.

The wines were compliments of someone on that next rung of the good life ladder.

It's nice to talk to people who live on that next rung. Because it doesn't seem all that much better. Not really. Especially if they share some of their wine.