Friday: Third workout of the week. I found a bicep curl machine that I like and now I can't pick up my cats without groaning. Also, I found a trainer should I grow bored with my current routine. He was a real nice kid who showed me how to use the new machine and stayed with me watching me use it for a few minutes until he was sure I was doing it right, all while being positive without being condescending. Quite a difference from the fellow who gave us our three free sessions when Virginia and I joined the gym.

Ate like a wild thing at Joe's Diner and regretted it later because I felt so heavy and logey. But we take every houseguest to Joe's since it's so yummy and such a classic diner. Afterwards, we watched Totoro to introduce Jim to a different kind of classic. He has been posted to far-flung diplomatic locations such as Botswana, Nigeria, and Moscow so he's missed two years here, one year there of popular culture. We stayed up late talking about U.S. foreign politics, African rebellions, and what kind of vitamins we take now that we're old.

Saturday: A day with my co-workers being treated to lunch and a play. The Cheesecake Factory has incredible food in obscene portions, and I must go back there every week of my life to try each and every dessert. My new favorite restaurant. Too bad it's in Macy's which means parking is chancy. No matter, it's worth negotiating the depths of an outrageously priced parking garage just to taste their shrimp scampi and hot fudge brownie ice cream sandwich.

After that we all walked over to the Orpheum and saw Aida (the musical, not the opera). I was ravished by the staging and lighting. I liked the music though sometimes the Elton John-ness was a bit much. Several of the songs are stuck in my head which is always a sign that I'm going to have to get the soundtrack. All the leads were tremendous, and I cried a little bit at the end. I love the tragic ending and the implication of a happier reincarnation. I guess I can see why it didn't do really well on Broadway, but I thought it was a nifty retelling of the Aida story.

That evening Jim rented Trekkies which made me laugh so hard I nearly hurt myself. It's a 1998 documentary of Star Trek fans, the real life version of Galaxy Quest. The three of us are science fiction fans, of course, so we recognised the strata of fan types: the 14 year old know-it-all who used big words but wasn't always sure of their pronounciation, the middle aged female worshippers of the male actors, the goofy, badly socialized adults for whom one particular tv show or movie embodies a life philosophy, and the ordinary folks who enjoy a wide variety of fantasy and science fiction. The guy in Minneapolis who made himself a working version of Captain Christopher Pike's "life support vehicle" (which looked like a cross between a Dalek and a washing machine) and drove it to Radio Shack to get some parts for the phasers he was making had us in tears from the absurdity because it was winter in Minneapolis so he put on a touk. All of the actors interviewed seemed alternately baffled and touched by Star Trek fandom. Oh, man, our world and welcome to it.

Sunday: Got up late, read the papers, went to the Hong Kong Flower Lounge for dim sum. It was really good dim sum. I'm thrilled to discover this because when we had dinner there once it was a lousy experience. The HKFL is a lot closer to us than the other two dim sum places we like so I've found all but one of my favorite kind of food in a nearby location. Now if only we could find a Szechuan or Hunan restaurant within walking distance I would be totally happy. Alas, I still find Chef Chu's in Los Altos and Su Hong's in Menlo Park the best Chinese food around, and both of those are more than 30 miles from my house now.

Now Jim and John are out having beer with some of the San Francisco fans while I do laundry, play with the Sims (I'm not very good at it, I wish someone would come over and coach me), water my garden (but not fertilize, I'm just too tired to do anything after all this socializing on top of working and looking at dogs and cleaning the house), and try not to worry about how much I've eaten this weekend. I really want to keep those 10 pounds off, but I've been indulgent. It's salads instead of sandwichs for me this next week, along with getting back to doing sit-ups. Maybe I should try doing the sit-ups at the beginning of the workout instead of the end when they tend to make my stomach cramp.

Tomorrow I need to spend time on my therapy homework. I'm still not out of the woods with the panic attacks, but I'm certainly better than I was. Tuesday, I will buy a piece of estate jewelry that I thought I missed the opportunity to purchase because my money took so long to show up. It's a bracelet from the 20's with Art Deco design (though they called it Moderne at the time, Art Deco is a later term) and stunning handwork. I don't know if it's platinum or white gold, the jeweler is going to give it an acid bath to find out. Either way, I plan to never take it off. I'll have the shiniest wrist at the gym, I can tell you that.

Wednesday I sell back my Biology, Oceanography, and Anthropology books and buy fall's textbooks if they're in yet. Thursday nothing at all happens, thank god. Friday, more friends come to town. At some point we have to go to Lowe's and get wire fencing, then put it up. I think I'll go have a little nap. Considering how much I need to slow down my life it just isn't in the cards this month.

Past Life The Index Next Incarnation