Parking near a BART entrance I walked through the City Center at the tail end of their Christmas tree lighting ceremony. I read that in the paper this morning, but at the time I thought, well, whatever's happening it seems to have drawn a fair number of people. A picture on BART, of course, on the way over. Same with walking to Harrison's, the city alight, the air crisp, everyone, what, bright eyed and bushy tailed? Sounds a bit formulaic. Who knows how people were feeling: it was cold, time for a beverage at an Irish bar.

Home by ten. I pulled into the local seven-eleven look alike and picked up an ice cream sandwich on the way home, downloaded whatever pictures I'd taken and went to bed by eleven. Up at nine. Yes, nine. With a bit of a head. As I said, overboard, but not that much overboard. It's the season. I was jolly. The photographs? Some nice ones, but I really didn't test the limits of the camera. Which I don't regret. Guinness and camera testing are not necessarily good companions, the one can jostle the arm of the other and that's not good.

So I am back from breakfast near noon, a long breakfast over the papers, the sun out, the air cold and I am ready for whatever's coming (after a nap designed to properly placate the head and the sinuses and the palate). There's a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Jack London Square later this afternoon, maybe an opportunity for pictures, and the Oakland Holiday Parade is tomorrow. Excitement, excitement in December. I can almost feel the wind whipping past my ears. Or are those the voices? Sometimes it's the voices.

Later. A two hour or so nap, so maybe I went further overboard last night than I thought. I think I'll skip the tree lighting at Jack London Square and take it easy for the rest of the day. I ran out of my pain meds last night, the refill has yet to arrive, so I'll just stay low, keep cool and bide my time. I'm doing the Holiday Parade tomorrow no matter my condition. We are, after all, a photo-something or other and have standards - Hup! Hup! - that can't be derailed by a little Guinness.