Friday

February 9, 2001

Dessert things that I did not eat.

The talking scales tell the story.

"You weigh 171 pounds." That was the verdict skinny boy FFP got.

"You weigh 179 pounds." That was the verdict pig-face, yours truly, got. Ugh. Argh. No more pure sugar heart candies, cheesecake, wine.

"Nothing but black coffee and cigarettes for the next two weeks." That's a quote (as I remember it) from Three Bewildered People in the Night. One of the best low budget movies I've ever seen for the record. Because it really had a point. Which was, you ask? Which was that art doesn't have a thing to do with who declares themselves an artist. Art is what moves you and others and it just happens.

How did I get off on that. Oh, yeah. The quote. I'm not real positive of the exact quote. But I'm sure it can't be checked because it would be hard to find a copy of this flick. The movie data base knows about it but has no further info except that readers gave it a score of five. A dog pile search yielded one little page in French with a still. So I didn't dream it. I think we saw it in some film festival, probably a AGLIF (Austin Gay and Lesbian Festival).

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Work. There were certain frustrations. I best not mention them here.

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A friend is leaving my company. We've been friends since 1977 or something. Worked together two different places for more than half that time. Moving on is good for people sometimes, but I'll miss her and lots of other people will, too. Lunch at Ella's. Eight women. To say goodbye or really just 'so long...we will see you for lunch and stuff.'

In the afternoon we have cake and other desserts in her honor. She trusted the goddess Serendipity in her testing and said this flying wooden woman was the goddess herself. We had it reproduced on a cake. They can print on sugar with food coloring ink. That is very cool. I had one thin little cookie. No cake. No Blue Bell. No Krispy Kremes. I'll still be fat tomorrow, of course.

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Ballet. We saw three short pieces. Three different choreographers. I liked parts of all three. Very adventurous, two of them were. I suddenly started thinking about an interesting (to me) work thing and scribbling in my program about it at one of the intermissions.

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There's something about Friday night that I both love and hate. When I retire from the working life, will these stupid arbitrary associations disappear? I doubt it. The rest of the world knows when it's Friday night. The restaurants get crowded, certain events happen. But I'd like to try untying myself from these concerns. And drifting free of schedules for some days. Spending more time doing what the weather and the mood dictated. The temperature is dropping out there. An 8AM dog walk will be chilly. But there were a couple of beautiful days earlier in the week. Inside working during these, I have to take whatever I can get when Saturday comes.

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