My guitar lesson at noon, I'm confident, given the amount of practice I've gotten in this week, but you never know. I'm not at my best when playing the guitar under pressure.

Pressure?

A little bit. Again, something I'm guessing from the piano and then clarinet lessons of my youth. I didn't take to them as one might have hoped. Then again, toting a piano around would have made life a bit more complex if I'd stayed with the piano, best I'd started with a guitar or, better, a violin. I've always had a soft spot for the violin as I suspect it mimics the voice so well.

Later. A brief walk down by the lake taking a couple of pictures to return soon after to tune the guitar and then take about an hour's nap before setting out again for the lesson. Tired, but less so, feeling better after the nap. Naps are good, we've decided (at some point back when we were three).

The lesson went well enough, so on to the next. More time on Cinnamon Girl for the coming week as well as another blues riff to master. So good.

I dropped by the morning café for a sandwich, ice cream and coffee, getting the entire sandwich down this time, no taking a half back to have for dinner. I suspect, given the condition of the larder, that second half was dinner.

Back now on a sunny afternoon, the morning overcast having broken up before I headed out for the lesson. Feels good, maybe a walk later, maybe not, nice to be in a place in life where it doesn't really seem to matter.

Later still. A walk down the hill to have sushi and sake and, well, back now feeling pretty good. I can feel the sake, but just, it seems to have had little effect given the effect other sojourns to the sushi factory have had in the past. What the hell.

Not sure why. Wasn't particularly hungry, but I was up for pushing up against the envelope, I guess. We're talking maybe two alcoholic drinks, nothing in the scheme of history, not sure why I even think about it. We'll take it easy tomorrow and prepare for the long weekend, long in the sense I intend to photograph the J-Pop Festival both days and on each day for as long as I can. There's also the Oakland Chinatown Street Fest this weekend and I've photographed it in the past, but with less luck and fewer pictures than I've managed at J-Pop. So we'll be sure J-Pop is taken care of and tack on what we can from China Fest if the fates are with us and we manage to attend.

Sounds rational. Is rational the way to find good pictures when you venture forth?

I suspect, if leads to better pictures. Sometimes, anyway. Don't you think?

I'm the subconscious Self. Thinking isn't the way I deal with the world. I happen in your gut.

Right now it's sushi and sake in my gut. You're acting up because it's usually ice cream.