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Here In Oakland

Art & Life


   



June 9, 2015

The Morning

Tuesday. Who knows how the shot of whiskey may have helped in getting to sleep last night, but to sleep I did get without having been tempted to pour myself a second. Change does occur. Over time. I guess.

Anyway, up with the alarm to get up and get ready to head out to breakfast, but without the Times or the Tribune as they again hadn't arrived on time. I thought they'd solved that problem. Just a (very thin) Chronicle to keep us entertained as we waited for breakfast while reading, the kitchen doesn't start serving until seven-thirty, some thirty to forty-five minutes after I usually arrive.

And so while waiting fifteen extra minutes for the papers to arrive I used the situation to talk myself into driving to breakfast and back, putting a half hour on the parking meter to avoid a ticket. None of this really relates, one to the other, but can be used to rationalize whatever you want (I've found) if you don't ask too many questions.

All of which means.

That the day has started without two of the papers (which never did arrive), that we drove rather than walked to breakfast and that we have a haircut appointment coming up later at eleven. None of which, one must suspect, really matters in the scheme of things.

Later. The weather people are saying overcast with periods of sun, up in the high seventies today with sixty percent humidity. It feels like the humidity is higher and brings back memories of humid summers in New York. You don't want weather that recalls memories of humid summers in New York.

A ten-thirty bus downtown to go by the ATM and then on to my haircut appointment in the City Center, the NextBus app on my phone saying the bus, usually due to arrive at ten thirty-three, was running twenty minutes late. Fortunately the NextBus app was wrong or I'd have had to suddenly become more inventive if I didn't want to miss the appointment.

So the bus to the ATM, then walking on to the City Center, taking a couple of pictures of the Latham Square area on the way, but hurrying by so as not to be late. Which was too bad as there was quite a bit more activity (it seemed) then than there was when I returned.

The haircut and a commiseration about getting older and slower, then out across Broadway to pick up a prescription refill at the pharmacy (I was surprised it was ready) and then on to the Rotunda building to have an apple square, two Biscotti's and coffee before heading up to the third floor on the elevator and the outside window to photograph their construction progress.

I usually don't run into anyone on the stairs, but today a building maintenance worker came along and warned me they were changing the door lock setup on the stairs in the next couple of days and once enabled I wouldn't be able to leave the stairwell without a key.

A key? So much, I would assume, for pictures from a stairwell window in the Rotunda building. Really glad I didn't have to learn about their new policy by trying (a now locked) door and finding it wouldn't open.

More pictures and then a bus home, we'll take a look at the apartment house construction site later after the noon hour. Humid, warm, tired. I'm starting to better understand Ms. K's obsession with living in Alaska and the painting she kept of a Laplander looking out over the Finnish tundra in winter.

Later still. The sinus thing that's been bugging me all day seems to have retreated a bit, maybe the pain meds (an extra 50mg to increase their effect - I have no idea if it really increases the effect), maybe because it's late afternoon and that's what happens around here in the late afternoons: the head gets better. Still, better is better, best to appreciate its arrival and stop complaining.

A walk over to the apartment house construction site to take pictures, one lone workman visible up on one of the interior walls. No complaints. If I can bitch about humidity and temperature slowing me down on the way to a haircut appointment, they can take all the time they need out of the heat and sun. He said. Babbling. Why did I even write that?

Anyway, pictures, the day still overcast although the temperature is better. Nothing on television, one of the few other than public television stations I can receive plays nothing but various C.S.I. series programs and I can't stand them.

You're bitching again.

Worse yet, my bitching gets under my own skin and turns up the volume.

Evening. The mid to late afternoon came together nicely, it seems, and I was able to sit down and process today's pictures. Always a good sign the head has straightened itself out and is now pointed in a good direction when I can sit down and process the pictures.

Having had that one shot of whiskey last night and then gotten what I'm thinking was a good night's sleep, should I try again this evening? Well, whatever the truth (it helps or it doesn't) we'll make a rationalization clear headed decision later. I'm guessing we will do the deed and bitch about it discuss the outcome in the morning.

The photo up top was taken at the San Francisco 2015 Carnaval Parade with a Nikon D4s mounted with a 70-200mm f 2.8 VR II Nikkor lens.


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