Later. A bus ride downtown to Roy's, a couple of Guinness over a discussion of art and life and the benefits inherent in hot water and brandy on a cold afternoon in Oakland (Roy was out of coffee), a walk back home (missed that damned bus again, but then I was happy enough to have gotten my walking in) just as the News Hour was starting on public TV. Wow. Public TV. How old fart predictable. But still, a day gone well, the head clear, the attitude good, the step sprightly. When's the last time I've set out on a walk with a sprightly step, here in Oakland?

An after breakfast walk earlier down the way to the bank and the post office, a walk back by the lake where I took a single picture. How many times have I photographed that tree? How many more times before I get it right? Another photograph at Roy's screwing up the camera settings thinking I was shooting at f 1.4 when I was, indeed, shooting at f 14, the ISO set all the way up to 8,000. A decent picture, some noise when you look at the individual pixels, but interesting in any case. I've shot a few at ISO 12,400, up there where the nose starts to bleed, so it didn't teach me anything, but nice to see it get the image even with an error. I guess.

You don't sound overly enthusiastic, my bucko.

Actually, as I mentioned, it's been a good day and I'm pumped. As pumped as you get, I suspect, at my age. But we'll leave that. I'm babbling. No need for babble after but two Guinness. Roy, of Roy's, by the way, is a big Fox News, Glen Beck, has a copy of Sarah Palin's book on display behind his bar guy and I suspect we have different ideas on most things political. Still, the man owns a '66 El Camino in close to perfect condition. How can you come down too hard on a man who appreciates the '66 El Camino? We'll keep the politics under the covers, share a little anger where we have some overlap, although it's not easy to sit there talking art and life with the Fox propaganda machine grinding away in the background. Still, it's good to see how people with other thoughts on the issues (do not mention either Al Gore or Hillary Clinton without spitting) discuss them amongst themselves in an excellent (OK, I'm not so good with the cigarette smoking either, but they seem to keep it to a minimum) bar serving good Guinness. Does that make sense? Not good to make sense these days, I suspect, if you're talking politics.