Friday. Didn't get to sleep last night until close to midnight, a bit speedy and jumpy (old guy speedy and jumpy, young guy relatively laid back, at the most maybe tapping his foot), but got up this morning with the alarm clear headed, getting off to breakfast like a shot. Well, like something. Maybe not a shot.

Back now at the apartment at eight, the St. Stupid's Day Parade (it is April Fool's Day, after all) taking place in San Francisco later at noon. That means I get out of here by ten, so there's a day's shooting ahead. The paper said it was a record setting eighty-three degrees here in Oakland yesterday, a similar temperature today, so I guess we're off into a California summer (just like that).

The big decision for the day? Whether to bring a D2Xs camera with a 70-200mm lens, giving me a full 300mm at the smaller sensor size or a D3s with a 70-200mm lens, giving me 200mm at the larger film camera sensor size. And whether to wear a t-shirt and a light jacket or t-shirt, long sleeved shirt and light jacket when I go out. Considerable angst in these decisions, let me tell you. Here in Oakland. Heading toward summer.

I think you've taken that about as far as it should ever go.

Maybe I'm just celebrating feeling pretty close to normal on a Friday morning after a crappy Thursday, a possibly interesting April Fool's day ahead.

Later. A bus downtown to pick up a monthly bus pass, learning in the process last month's pass is good for the first three days of the new month, something it might have been nice to know these last three years. No big deal, but I've gone out of my way to get a pass more than once before the old one ran out, no longer have to worry about that overly much. Such is life. My life, anyway.

A train to San Francisco and Justin Herman Plaza in front of the Ferry building, arrive earlier than I probably should. Had a cup of coffee out at a table near the plaza, took a picture or two just to pop the shutter I think. Brought the D3s with the 70-200mm lens after thinking about it, will probably go through the same calculation the next time I go out on a shoot. Tomorrow, come to think of it. The pull over turtleneck I selected was probably overly warm. A t-shirt would have been perfect.

There were more photographers around some forty-five minutes before people started arriving, but arrive they did on a work day Friday and I was able to shoot a decent number of pictures. One or two stood out, but I'm not sure, after running some fifty of them through Photoshop, if they're really all that good. Some will turn out better over time than I think, some will, well, with time we'll find out. Get a better handle on them. Learn. Like that.

Back now at the apartment, the various muscles that were stretched now under control, feeling pretty good. The double vision thing going to the city and sitting out at the table drinking coffee, but it cleared up and all has been swell for the last number of hours. Not unusual, this thing in the late mornings, but I've gone over this before. Relating it to the doctors doesn't seem to give them an “aha!” moment, so I guess it doesn't mean much. Predictable, though, if there's a use in that.

Time for come guitar, I think. Don't want to let that go. We've been making good time these last couple of days, I want to continue, I do. (hup! hup!)

Later still. Oh, hell. The Oakland Art Murmur is tonight. I'm still tired from this afternoon, but I think I'll head out and photograph it.