Saturday. Woke up this morning before the alarm by fifteen minutes. Not something I want to do in the future, but the day has started, I'm back after my usual breakfast routine well before eight, more the fact I don't have a Times to read on Saturdays than arriving there early. A clear sunny morning, a Lao Festival later today in San Francisco, the day pretty much planned.

I mailed the bills I needed to mail yesterday, put together the negatives I've been promising, need to go out and get a proper padded envelope to mail them. All the oversized envelopes I have around here and I don't have this one. Which I'll do before I head out to San Francisco. Oh, and my monthly Protime test results were right on target, no need to bleed to death over a paper cut. It all seems to be coming together, I think, out here in the vast wheat fields of Oakland.

Later. The good intentions of fools and photographers do come around and bite us once in a while. I suspect I should have stayed home this day, although I'm sure the back will straighten out in another hour or so while we do our guitar practice.

I walked down to the local UPS store located not far down the street to buy a large envelope this morning after about an hour's nap. The web site said they opened at nine, but they were closed. OK, a walk back then in the opposite direction to the Post Office to stand in line to buy envelopes, one for today and a couple more to lay away for tomorrows.

Good, a walk back to the apartment to bundle up the negatives for Ms. P, a walk back to the post office to mail the damned things. My, my, what a line there was waiting at the post office. Still, it's done, now what about the Lao Festival being held in San Francisco this late morning and afternoon?

I made the last second decision to go when I stayed on the bus as it passed by my stop, got off downtown, got on BART and found the festival near the San Francisco City Hall in the U.N. Plaza area. OK. I'd decided to go light for this one, no backpack with a camera with a long lens inside, just the D3s with the 24-120mm. Lightweight, easy to carry, the optics not up to the 24-70mm and the 70-200mm combination, but adequate for something I was so close to blowing off altogether.

To cut it short I walked around once or twice, took maybe a half a dozen less than wonderful pictures, got back on BART, got off at 19th Street and walked down to Bakesale Betty's where I had a strawberry shortcake and a glass of water. When one's back is hurting one goes after comfort food and strawberry shortcake gives me comfort.

A bus home now after two. As I said, some time on the guitar, I think, I seem to favor it when I have a back that's hurting, and then, who knows? Maybe sushi later with a bit of sake. Slide into the evening, charge my batteries for the How Weird Street Faire tomorrow.

Later still. I suppose this is a good idea, a trip down to my sushi place for what I now call the usual fare. I rather like it, and I had a large hot sake followed by a small additional hot sake this evening. Back now at the apartment feeling fine, although I could have gone out to a store and acquired a similar buzz for less than five dollars. The sushi and sake set me back many more times than five dollars.

Good healthful food is a good excuse, unless they're lying about the mercury content. And you know they're lying about the mercury content. Not a new thought. We'll assume we're not going to live into the very far distant future and it's best to take whatever we may still have with us. Leave before that last month's rent is due (the old folks home rent is due), drifting out on a sake with various accoutrements.

There's a T.V. program, another one of these set in ancient times Korean soaps that comes on just before ten I've been watching, so maybe we'll not get to bed at a decent hour. Up before six though - hup! hup! - whatever our failings we're consistent.