Until It Does
Wednesday. There was a local MoveOn.org demonstration against off shore drilling and the BP mess over in the Temescal district last night that started at seven, so I drove over to Telegraph and 48th Street to both participate and take photographs. The woman who owned the hair salon at that corner had evidently decided to participate at the last minute and still had one hundred and fifty people sign up on Facebook. I don't think there were one hundred and fifty people there, but I took some pictures, stayed for about and hour and taught myself a couple of lessons, one of which is to shoot my particular kind of photographs and don't worry about bending my style to some perceived need of the event. In other words do portraits, leave the pictures of the crowds to others. Altogether worth the time and energy, I thought.
Back now from breakfast, overcast, they're saying sun later and that's good. A thoroughly grey morning, don't want to have it last throughout the day, some sun later would be nice. Time now to pick up that guitar and do that first scale again to get the fingers in shape. They feel fine this morning, only ache when I press them, so I probably didn't practice long enough last night. I think they're supposed to hurt. Pain is gain, right? Here in the good old U.S.? We can fix that. I was serious about being serious for these coming three months. Was and am. Then a walk, I think, before returning to practice again. (Hup! Hup!)
Later. OK, snap a 135mm lens on a camera and head out the door, thinking I wish I'd had the 135 or the equivalent last night, next time I'll be prepared. What this particular lens would lend to the morning, who knows, but that's the way it's done. Pick a camera, pick a lens, see what you see (this morning) in 135mm perspective.
Walked by the lake, took a picture, walked farther on and caught a bus heading back toward the downtown. Got off the bus at Broadway thinking maybe I'd drop by Bakesale Betty's and try their strawberry shortcake, as I'd had a light breakfast and was somewhat hungry. Walked right on by. It's odd to be hungry and still find it hard to think of anything I'd like to eat that wouldn't be, you know, an effort. Strawberry shortcake an effort? Locally famous shortcake at that? I wonder what that surgeon really did down there in my stomach?
A cup of coffee out on the patio at Peet's. I say a cup of coffee. A small cup cut with a bit of non fat milk of which I'm usually able to drink about half. Coffee is not on my list of favorites either, although I'm able to drink a large mug and then a refill over breakfast. More than a small cup, anyway. A walk then through the City Center taking a picture of a band setting up to play at noon. From what little I heard they were good, the lady on the left with a big voice. The bass player didn't seem to be having trouble fingering his instrument. I suspect this is not his first time playing in public or the first time he's picked up an instrument.
What to say? It's approaching one, the sky remains overcast and I'm tired, having stayed up late working on the pictures I took at the MoveOn.org event last night. Maybe I'm depressed over the election results. Marcy Winograd, running for Congress against a Blue Dog incumbent Democrat here in California, was defeated by the incumbent. I don't regret the money I contributed to the Winograd campaign. I wish it could have been more.
Same with Lincoln running to keep her Senate seat in Arkansas. Owned by the banks. At least the unions and the ten million dollars they contributed to her challenger gave her a reality check. Unfortunately the reality is that Arkansas prefers their Senators to take the banks' money and vote to kill reform. Then again, “what else is new?” would be the logical response.
Sour grapes?
It's not over yet. It's not looking good, but then it never looks good until it does.
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