Monday. Watched the Korean soap starting at ten again last night, to bed just after eleven, up with the alarm without complaint at five forty-five. To breakfast and the papers, barely finishing the papers by eight, home now to prepare for the neurologist's appointment down south of here in Mountain View. A fair drive from here, Mountain View, over an hour. I want to space these appointments further apart if these symptoms don't get worse. I think. I'm tired of tests. I'm tired of pills. And ills.

I did mention I've been having the feeling whatever's been going on over these last several years is slowly winding down. I could easily be mistaken, not unusual in this life. They're still nothing to sneeze about, but I've been thinking they probably don't mark the beginning of the big “E” end. We have our end coming, could happen with any of the usual “you don't wake up in the morning” suspects, but I'm guessing it probably won't be due to these particular manifestations. Which means we need to think a bit longer term in the days to follow.

I'm travelling north to the family party later this week, need to get the act together. One of the cousin's sons is getting married in L.A. not long after, the date hasn't been set yet or, more likely, they've decided, but it hasn't been announced. I'd like to attend and maybe, if it turns out it's coming up soon, think in terms of ducking out on the party this weekend and substituting the wedding when it arrives. I'm obviously fighting the thought so I'll talk with my sister to see what she's thinking about. All this excitement and it's only a Monday.

Later. An uneventful drive from overcast Oakland to sun breaking through the clouds Mountain View, the session with the neurologist a recapping of earlier visits, nothing new, nothing to do, an uneventful drive back. Best for drives to be uneventful, I'm not suggesting otherwise. Perhaps best not to tempt the gods by thoughtlessly babbling about driving.

Uneventful?

Double vision for the first twenty or so miles, but I no longer consider it “eventful”. Keeps me to the far right lane and under the limit. The police pass me, I don't pass them.

For whatever reason a walk when I got home down to the usual place for an artichoke quiche (not bad) and coffee, some slight hint of sun, the clouds obviously close to clearing to a sunny later afternoon. The weather people said something about partly cloudy today, although the day so far has been nothing but high off the ocean overcast.

A full blown run through from start to finish of the entire guitar lesson is now the plan. (hup! yes!) I've played it in bits and pieces this week, over and over, just two or three chords - back and forth, back and forth - something I talk about often enough. Why not just go straight through the lesson as outlined, why the fight? Whatever reason, we're two days from zero hour now, and I need to get serious. More serious. I'm still not quite sure why I get scattered about this unless that's the way everyone practices. They may. Note to note to note, chord to chord to chord, over and over and over, through the day and into the night.

Later still. An hour and a half on the guitar with the news mumbling in the background, a decent linear run through at least half the lesson. We'll do another hour plus on the second half and see if we can't tie it up in a prettier ribbon than I was able to manage the last time. Listening to some of the masters play on a recording is like listening to a radio message from Mars. They seem to just touch the strings and the sound (what a sound!) comes out clean and right. My, my. We live and learn, but slowly, one grudging chord at a time.

I did put together another page for the Oakland Miscellaneous section on artandlife. I'm ambivalent about them, but then I'm usually ambivalent. I thought, well, I'll replace one or two, two or three, with some that are better. Do I really want to use the pigeon for the main pic? And then I think, well, I like them. So the hell with it. It's what I've been shooting. It's my site/sight.