AUSTIN, Texas, November 18, 2005 — I got up once and went back to bed. I was dreaming. One of those confusing dreams where you need to get dressed, go to the bathroom, can't find your stuff, can't find the right room. I was awakened by the phone. I realized it was after eight. FFP was gone to the gym, I suppose. It was someone calling for him. I got up, of course, and got dressed for the gym and fooled around with e-mail organizing my social life and such. I had a few cups of coffee. I called my dad. I corresponded with our Thanksgiving host about stuff to bring.

FFP came back. He had been to the gym and also bought groceries.

"Someone was pulling out of the driveway. That wasn't you?" He said.

"Nope."

"What did you buy?" I asked.

"The usual staples. Green onions, of course."

I got up too late. It's after ten and I haven't started accomplishing anything. I haven't even made the bed. My nose is drippy from the cold. (I have the heat on against the cold but real low. I hate heated air.) And yet...I'm in a lot better mood than yesterday, I think. I hope.

So I made bed and went to the gym. I just did a half hour on the recumbent bike and two reps on a machine for my lats. Normally such a wimpy workout would depress me. Not today. I went to Lamme's and bought a bunch of Texas Chewies on sale. I went home and decided to go to Costco to get a book I'd seen there for my sister for her birthday. I hadn't anticipated the traffic being quite that bad both on the street and in the store. The pre-Thanksgiving weekend rush, I suppose. Normally the traffic would depress me. Not today. They didn't have the book or, at least, I couldn't find it. Normally that would depress me. Not today. I decided on something else for her birthday, thought up a card to make for her, too. I bought stuff to take to Dallas for Thanksgiving snacks, some chips for us, some decongestants and cough and cold drugs, a giant bag of Peppermints to replish our supply, a calendar for my dad for Christmas, and some barbequed pulled pork. Normally shopping the big box would depress me and I'd feel like I'd wasted the over ninety dollars I'd spent. Not today. I'm in a good mood about it all.

I got home and ate a bit of leftover General Tso's chicken, some Soy Crisps I just bought, a Clementine (part of FFP's 'staples' that he bought today) and drank a V8. Normally I'm depressed about my weird diet, but not today. I felt energized.

Figuring to either capitalize on this improved mood or dampen it a bit, I decided to work on going through the stuff I drug out of the garage the other day and seeing what I can ship off and/or give away. I realized that one batch of Legos had been given to me by a mother whose child had outgrown them. I'd dumped them with those I'd collected for fun and the ones I'd gotten for a Christmas project for kids at my old job and with a bunch of Lego ornament remnants from decorating a tree one year entirely with Legos and Bendable Posable Christmas figures. Going through all those little pieces was interesting because some little creations not described in any official Lego plan remained intact and reflected the kid who'd made them. Mixed in were parts from other toys and a red marble. All the mini figures seemed to be missing a pinscher-like hand or have separated legs or head. I happily sorted this stuff for passing on to my niece's boys for a while. Some of these had gotten dusty before I'd stored them away and I had to clean them up a bit. The dust excited my allergy, but I didn't care. I'm just in a good mood. Nothing can dampen it.

Then I got ready to go to see an Austin Cabaret Theater show. The shows have found a new home in a new space at the Mansion at Judge's Hill. It's a great space. We had dinner before (a buffet of salad and apps and desserts and a grill outside for meats and vegetables). The mini-crab cakes had a pecan crust and were delicious. The lamb chops likewise delicious with a wine mushroom sauce. We drank some basic wine that was included, had a few bites of dessert. We sat at an eight top so we met two new people (chatty lawyer and quiet girlfriend) and were joined by a local real estate friend of our and her date and a couple of lady lawyers (one of whom we also knew and who knew chatty lawyer from some common firm). The show was a riveting walk through musical theater with Lee Roy Reams. I confess that I'd never heard of him. But he had worked with the greats and he had a great show with a dabble of dancing, some great vocal interpretations, a few dead-on imitations of leading ladies and famous gents and a bunch of history of famous Broadway and Las Vegas shows. A very, very enjoyable show. Our seats were great and the tables weren't crowded together and the food and service was pretty good. Compared to our February experience at Feinstein's at the Regency...well New York eat your heart out!

We are home and abed soon after. A nice day. A good mood. For no apparent reason.