Busy?

I am busy. Five days a week I get up for a morning activity at my club. MWF is water aerobics. We welcomed the instructor back from jury duty today. I would rather have more freedom from a structured class. But I am appreciating this class while my dad can participate. Today he put his hands up on the diving board and hoisted himself up at bit. Like a much younger man. So I'd rather not have a class MWF. But I'm glad I do. If that makes sense. Tuesday and Thursday I've committed to playing tennis unless something really comes up to interfere or it rains, of course. I'm not crazy about commitment but I love to play and this gets me out there and my companions are fun. Right now I'm playing most Wednesday nights, too.

I'm trying to get in shape. I would say back in shape but I'm not sure I was ever there. The water aerobics and tennis won't do it so I have to do some riding on the recumbent bike and some ab work and weights. It never feels like I do enough. Last night I walked the neighborhood with my friend SuRu and her dog. My dog isn't a match for the rest of us any more. Sad.

It is the busy time for film reviewers for the Austin Film Festival. The festival is in October. Deadlines loom, films pile up. We are first round screeners. Get the flicks seen by someone. We also go to screener's meetings...we started last Monday.

I've been trying to stay on top of our financial life. Every day I make entries into the budget, check accounts, enter checks into the budget or my dad's account (we pay a lot of his bills out of a fund he contributes every month).

I've been trying to blog a bit and keep up a little private journal. FFP and I are together keeping up the Austin, Texas Daily Photo Site which has been fun.

And the downsizing! I've been going through old boxes of 'archives and souvenirs.' Finding letters from friends and old letters I wrote to my aunts who are dead now (they saved them all) makes me sad and glad at the same time. It's very tedious going through all these pieces of paper and trying to figure out what to do with each thing. I feel I must read the stuff before deciding its fate.

I have a couple of committee meetings this week and another commitment or two. I've never had a problem staying busy in retirement.

I'm Still Here

I had a little setback over the weekend. It was supposed to be a weekend of catching up on things and enjoying the nice weather. You can read about the upset Saturday brought over on my Journal of Unintended Consequences.

We had a nice weekend nevertheless. Nothing was planned for Saturday. That turned out to be a good thing. Thursday's adventures on South Congress and downtown were fun. (I took the picture after dropping off my tax stuff to the CPA on Thursday in SoCo.) And we had a nice Friday. My dad and I made it to water aerobics (good for Dad) and I managed a pretty good workout after that. I had lunch with Dad and a friend and my friend and I went computer equipment shopping afterwards without buying anything. Always good. Friday night was a really pleasant event with fun people to talk to and good apps and good wine to taste.

And yesterday we were treated to hearing a world class string quartet play in someone's living room followed by a reception where we met some new and interesting people and had some nice apps. That was so old school elegant. It almost made me feel bad coming home to watch mindless television.

Today for the second week in a row I'm going to turn over a new leaf and be more productive. Only problem is that I've already wasted most of the morning and I haven't even gotten a workout.

Nothing Festive About It

Yesterday I was beginning to feel caught up in a non-stop festive sugar plum fairy and birth of the Savior and season of light and Santa fest. Yesterday I wore my red blazer. I went to a reception prior to the matinee performance of Ballet Austin's "Nutcracker" (I'll actually attend the performance Friday night.) The green room was done up with silvery decorations and oversized candy decor from the traveling show. They served hot cider. Nothing more seasonal than that.

I picked up my father and he was wearing a garish Christmas tie. We went to a friend's house where there was wine and a groaning table of food and people singing and playing piano. There was a Hannukah song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and such and even a sing-a-long of carols.

Today is shaping up as much more ordinary. Maybe I'll forget the season, the reason, the whole bit for a day. I went to water aerobics at the club pool because my dad was up for it. (That's the class equipment on the pool deck.) This is something we do year-round, weather-permitting, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I exercised a little in the gym afterwards. Our club is really decorated for the holidays, but not in the gym. I didn't go upstairs where there are trees and garlands and candy houses. Dining is closed on Monday anyway.

I'm going to venture out to Costco and I suppose that will be a reminder of the holiday. They are selling giant inflatable yard decorations for one thing. I'm after pretty mundane stuff, though. Shampoo and Cheerios and Ensure. The latter for my in-laws. I may try to score a calendar or something for my mother-in-law as a present. And I'm buying some bubbly for gifts.

But this evening I think I'll watch videos and read about wars and disease and generally put the season aside. Although I might, just might, decide to decorate the inside of the house a little. Or not.