Reading: John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Woman

Listening: "Come to the Cabaret"--where do these songs come from?

Viewing: Clean laundry

Moving: A nice walk to my doctor, plus abs, plus I joined the Y

Learning: Nothing about cooking

11 January 2000: Happy Birthday SEM!

Accomplishments:

• I saw the doctor whom I chose as my new HMO's gatekeeper. This year I chose Aetna instead of Kaiser. I prefer volcanos to dictators. She's going to refer me to an ophthalmologist.
• Afterward I took the #1 instead of the #83 back to downtown. It's very circuitous but I saw interesting houses (and some wretchedly poor neighborhoods) and it's good for me to get out of my usual circuit and see something new in this city.

(I shall usually schedule appointments either earlier or later in the afternoon; her office is a short walk away from a stop on my regular bus route. That's why I chose her: a female who was geographically convenient.)

• I joined the Y. It's quite near my office and I can go on my lunch hour, which historically has been the time I most reliably work out.
• I bought (and sent!) my mother a birthday card. It's yellow and lined, as if on tablet paper. It says on the outside, "It's your birthday! I bought you a card!" and on the inside, "And this is the inside!" and if you happen to turn it over, "Here's the back!" The real temptation (which was another accomplishment to overcome) was to draw an arrow at the bottom of the card to indicate that the reader should turn it over, as if she is too dim-witted to figure that out for herself. When, very rarely, my mother's letters last for more than one side of a page, she draws that arrow for me. Damn.
• Four loads of laundry are washed and either hanging up or waiting to be folded. I felt guilty about not doing the laundry last night but if I had it--that part which I either hang in the shower or drape over a drying rack--never would have dried because of the spongy carpet.
• I called my father and Sheryl back. Sheryl left voicemail this weekend saying she was really enjoying The Shellseekers. Of course she is.
• I started to reread The Shellseekers. Wait, that's not an accomplishment.
• I made my own dinner. It was edible.
• However, Blake thinks I haven't worked at all toward the day's most important accomplishment, plenteous petting of his head. I am going to retire to the couch, ignore the unfolded laundry, take with me The Shellseekers, The French Lieutenant's Woman, a glass of water, and a bowl of cherries, and attend to his pleasure

A non-accomplishment: I forgot to call SEM for his birthday.