Tuesday. Up with the alarm, to breakfast and back on an overcast morning this Tuesday in July. A couple of possibilities for photographs on the list, we'll see if we get it together and go: the one at noon in downtown Oakland, probably a no-brainer as it's local and I can fit in the whooping cough vaccination after, and Mr. S's band is playing out in Orinda later this evening, less predictable, although I've been remiss in not having made one of their concerts now in too long.

Oh, and guitar. We have a lesson tomorrow and there are things I haven't quite mastered. Learned. Mastery is not yet on the table. Mastery is a number of steps beyond anything I'm doing now. Believe me. I know you do.

Later. A bus downtown to walk to the City Center for a cup of coffee before heading to the Federal building where Barbara Lee has her Congressional offices, the thought to photograph a meeting of Moveon.org people who were gathering to thank her for voting against cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Not likely to produce exciting photographs, not that I'm looking for exciting photographs (of course), a single camera with me this time mounted with the 24-70mm lens. I'd have brought the 70-200mm if I were more serious.

As I was sitting comfortably outside in the landscaped entrance area on a wooden bench under the trees, people began to assemble toward noon. One of the uniformed security people came over to talk with a woman in the group, evidently telling her they weren't allowed to assemble on the building grounds, but needed to move to the sidewalk at the entrance. OK.

One of the guards noticed me taking pictures and came over to say I wasn't allowed to take pictures of security personnel, had I taken any pictures of him? I thought for a second and said, yes, he was probably in one of them, but not his face, indicating with a gesture I wasn't associated with any of the international terrorist organizations, home grown Islamophobic groups or other similar crazies likely to cause a fuss (and make him miss lunch). He was OK with that.

There were, I don't know, forty people finally gathered on the sidewalk. A couple of speeches, the main one the reading of a letter that had been sent to Barbara Lee thanking her for voting against the various Republican bills, one or two more extemporaneous speeches by others who had something to say, some comments made on Obama and the way he's been so willing to cave on Social Security and Medicare. These are progressives after all. I took some pictures- nothing too original, nothing that stood out - and split. No complaints. Worth the trip.

A walk then to Rite Aid for the whooping cough vaccination. It took a while for them to prepare, clear it with the insurance companies and such, but I got the shot, paid them $25 and picked up the free ice cream cone they'd been advertising on the way out. What the hell, $25 for an ice cream cone, whooping cough (one hopes) immunity an added plus.

A walk and then a bus back to the apartment, stopping at the convenience store for another ice cream cone (comfort food after the needle: I'm allowed). A brief lie down to listen to the radio, up now with the news droning on television in the background thinking in terms of picking up the guitar. I spent maybe fifteen minutes playing this morning, I have much yet to do in order to catch up (hup! hup!). And I will. But after another nap.

Later still. So, some guitar and then the nap, drifting off listening to the radio. There may have been a slight ocular migraine somewhere in there, I suspect there was, but all I noticed was the conversation on the radio suddenly making no sense whatsoever and a dry mouth. Sure signs, but again, light weight, up now at six wondering if I should drive or BART to Orinda to hear the band. Hmm. I'm thinking not. Sushi? Probably not. More guitar? Yes, but keep it to another half hour. We're still a little scrambled here in the Home Land.