So how is the day looking? Breakfast at the usual place, Ms. Emmy now solid for another year, a beverage early this afternoon with the usual crew. Reading the papers this morning I came across a story about backyard garden model railroaders meeting in Denver. A thousand or so attendees, many of them my age and older, who've been spending their waking hours building scale model railroads complete with buildings and bridges and such in their backyard gardens. As I once was a model railroader I understand their affliction and so my thinking wandered to (what else) photography and some of these web experiments. Maybe the energy is here now to actually do something about them. Or is this not a novel thought, something I haven't expressed here a hundred times?

Think a thousand times, you twit!

True, but I can see it coming. In another millennium. Or more.

Still, late yesterday afternoon for example, at a point where there was nothing I hadn't done or read on the web and nothing else to distract me on television, I began cleaning up one of the few counter areas in the kitchen, something that's been needed since I moved in. It isn't finished, but it's looking better. The thought has occurred (even though many thoughts occur without coming to fruition) I might finish the project this afternoon.

Finishing something like this is to me a sign of impending change and change is what is, I'm afraid, needed. Big change. We say we like change (idiots and gurus, anyway), but if weren't for the fact times do come in life when we really do need it (the seven year itch that eventually drives you to scratching) we'd avoid it altogether and forever. I'd avoid it altogether and forever, this from someone who's made radical changes more than once in this existence. So portents and signs are popping up more and more often, counters and being cleaned, fingers are being pointed at me from dark looking cloud formations and small children are running at the sight of me on the streets, so I'm thinking of sacrificing something (say a speed light) on one of these dark nights to help it happen.

Sacrificing a speed light sounds pretty serious.

It does, now, doesn't it.

Later. Three hours in a nice cool bar talking art and life, the only element of friction the playing in the background of Fox News on two television screens. Three Guinness, a packet of potato chips and beer nuts to ease the afternoon along. You could play this story as a plus or you could play it as a minus according to your mood and background, but today it was a decent way to spend an afternoon. Gets you out of the house, allows you an opportunity to take a couple of pictures (without particular strain or effort). On a Wednesday. In Oakland.

Oh, and that counter space still needing attention in the kitchen. It's not yet evening, the head will be clearer in another hour, maybe we'll see progress there and mention it here in the morning.