The Visible Woman...September 6, 2003

To understand and enjoy people you have to spend time with them. Each person has something to teach you...but you have to be present and listen.

I socialized. A lunch and shopping tour to visit a little with SuRu. A dinner with a couple of friends followed by a visit with many friends and acquaintances in a bar. We know so many people that it's a trick to keep up with them all.

So...most of the day, except for sitting in front of this computer and watching some U.S. Open tennis, I was socializing. Talking to people about what they do and love and what they don't want to do and about their adventures.

SuRu and I shopped at Fry's. We didn't buy anything. Fry's has a way of overtaking your desire to buy with confusion. SuRu almost bought a phone and a battery, looked at TVs, computers, shredders and a few other things. We used their restrooms and got some free water in the cafe. It was exhausting. We went to Container Store. She thought she was going to buy shelving but it turned out that the choices were kind of dizzying and she just took the booklet home. I bought two boxes of a size I needed rather than hunt for them.

So we spent three hours together having lunch and shopping...and bought two boxes.

But we did some good friend talking. You know. Trying ideas on each other.

In the evening we did a 'night on the town' for a couple. The woman bought it in a auction for charity. Yes, they auctioned off a 'night on the town' with us and people actually bid on it. We took them to Fonda San Miguel for drinks and apps, to Zoot for dinner with wine from our cellar and to Four Seasons for nightcaps and music. The evening lasted from six until after one in the morning. We talked about work and vacations, the gent's photography hobby...he had some pictures hanging in Zoot. We talked about food and wine and exercise. We talked about arts groups we are involved with.

It was fun. To know people, understand them, get that 'one special thing' from them...you have to spend time. Almost everyone has something to teach you. You have to have time to listen to them to find it.

Saturday, September 6, 2003

A Journal from Austin, Texas. A Project of LBFFP Stealth Publishing.
food	reading	writing	time	exercise	health and mood

a tiny porch	being sociable To understand and enjoy people you have to spend time with them. Each person has something to teach you...but you have to be present and listen. I socialized. A lunch and shopping tour to visit a little with SuRu. A dinner with a couple of friends followed by a visit with many friends and acquaintances in a bar. We know so many people that it's a trick to keep up with them all. So...most of the day, except for sitting in front of this computer and watching some U.S. Open tennis, I was socializing. Talking to people about what they do and love and what they don't want to do and about their adventures. SuRu and I shopped at Fry's. We didn't buy anything. Fry's has a way of overtaking your desire to buy with confusion. SuRu almost bought a phone and a battery, looked at TVs, computers, shredders and a few other things. We used their restrooms and got some free water in the cafe. It was exhausting. We went to Container Store. She thought she was going to buy shelving but it turned out that the choices were kind of dizzying and she just took the booklet home. I bought two boxes of a size I needed rather than hunt for them. So we spent three hours together having lunch and shopping...and bought two boxes. But we did some good friend talking. You know. Trying ideas on each other. In the evening we did a 'night on the town' for a couple. The woman bought it in a auction for charity. Yes, they auctioned off a 'night on the town' with us and people actually bid on it. We took them to Fonda San Miguel for drinks and apps, to Zoot for dinner with wine from our cellar and to Four Seasons for nightcaps and music. The evening lasted from six until after one in the morning. We talked about work and vacations, the gent's photography hobby...he had some pictures hanging in Zoot. We talked about food and wine and exercise. We talked about arts groups we are involved with. It was fun. To know people, understand them, get that 'one special thing' from them...you have to spend time. Almost everyone has something to teach you. You have to have time to listen to them to find it.
JUST TYPING You can have more free time. If you don't socialize. I think we socialize over meals. Because we have to eat. We nourish ourselves. With food. And nourish our need to know. To converse. To fill ourselves with ideas. And friends.
		Food Diary. *About 11am* cup of gazpacho, half a Reuben sandwich and half an order of fries *About 4:30pm* a little cheese and some carrots. About 6:30pm to 9:30pm [Fonda San Miguel then Zoot] Margarita some ceviche some friend calamare a couple of salpicon and napolitos tostidas chilled vichysoisse with hatch chiles sweetbreads with risotto half of a cheese and fruit plate with toasts large roll with butter 1/4 bottle white wine 1/4 bottle Red Wine About 9:30pm [bar at Four Seasons hotel] two dry vermouth with rocks Keeping this food diary has made me hyper-aware of what I eat. I have no problem rememebering what I eat any more. I occasionally try to forget the drinks and the bread and butter. But I am much more aware than when I didn't try to write it donw. I have been avoiding coffee while eating and have been drinking lots more water and less coffee. The food at Zoot was exceedingly yummy. Fonda, too, of course. But those sweetbreads rocked. Yea, Mike Hall.
		Time flies.... In the afternoon, prior to the early evening engagement, I sat in my chair and watched tennis and read and dozed a little. I wanted to just keep doing that but I was glad I went out. Shopping in the afternoon was very time-consuming and frustrating but spending time with a friend made it OK.

		Reading. Still reading a collection of The New Yorker Profiles. I'm also listening to an abridged version of Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter on tapes in the car Read a bit of newspaper and Wired magazine.
		nada
		Exercise Forty minutes on the recumbent bike.
		I had this nagging back ache today, but it was worse yesterday. From driving, I think. My mood was good. Introspective.