Adventure?

I need to get that Protime (blood test) done and over with this morning, I'm running almost a week late as the last result was too low and they were concerned: make a change in the dose and get another in a week. It's been more like two weeks. I should be worried, I suppose, but I'm not sure how worried. The blood is too thick? A stroke is the downside, but how downside? The blood is too thin? I'll bleed to death from a paper cut? I do get the tests, I'm not crazy, but I'm, you know, not completely strict in the matter. The confidence of idiots.

And - oh no! - the plastic watch band on my nice relatively new (as in a couple of years old) watch has broken. The watch itself is made out of titanium, bought after seeing an ad in the New York Times, and not at all expensive (we'll leave the million dial and button models to the youngsters) with nice, easy to read without being gross, numbers. These eyes, after all, are still functional. Oh, and it keeps time.

And?

And I discover I'm another (old guy) who is accustomed to checking a watch. Pulling out the cell isn't as comfortable. It takes time and effort and, half the time, the cell is sitting on a living room table instead of in my pocket. I don't keep my cell on my person in the apartment. My brother-in-law's little dance with a brain tumor years ago, developing just where he'd clasped his own cell so many times to his ear while working, makes me keep a certain distance. Anecdotal evidence, but something you ponder if you've been paying even the least bit of attention.

So, anyway, that's the day ahead: full of adventure. We'll wrap all this up by noon, but then that's about as much adventure in a day as any sane period would care to handle.

Later. A bus to Broadway and then a walk to the hospital for the blood test. Back on a bus to Grand and then another bus over to the morning café for ice cream and lemonade. A stop between buses to sit at a table by the Christ The Light Cathedral fountain, taking one or two pictures. I hadn't realized the guy was aware I was taking his photograph. This happens.

We've decided to take the rest of the day easy. I'd checked online with the watch company and found they sell replacement watch bands for my model, so one is on the way and I won't have to go searching through watch stores for the right color-size-model. Life is good, if a bit expensive. They don't lose money on their watch band sales.

So home now. The head at the beginning of the trip to the hospital was a little jittery, the head clear, but some of the usual double vision along with an aching upper palate and such, but that now too is gone and I'm feeling, well, ready for errands, but maybe in the afternoons from here on out. And maybe stop babbling on here as I'm done (one would hope) with the news of today's excitement.

Evening. A good set of sessions on the guitar so far in the afternoon and the six o'clock Italian police procedural wasn't something I'm willing to watch. So my guess is more guitar.

I read a note on Facebook by someone in the Richmond area north of here. Evidently there's been an explosion at the Chevron refinery and there's a fire and plume of smoke they're saying needs to be avoided, asking people to shut all doors, windows and such, turn off any air conditioners or fans and to tape their doors. OK. Tape the doors. That has my attention. A walk outside. Yes, in the distance I can see some ugly looking grey stuff, but I'm facing south and Richmond is north of here, can't really get a good look.

We're far enough away it's probably not something to think too much about, but what the hell, the doors and windows are closed. Modern living. I guess I'm happy not to be living in Richmond or San Pablo or anyplace north at the moment, the winds coming from the south.

More guitar, I guess, with the local news going in the background.