Friday. Yesterday afternoon evidently held some energy for me as I set up the small strobe lights and the Pocket Wizards, including the new camera mounted model that arrived last week, to begin learning how to use them. The rather harsh light evidenced in the photo above is not what we're looking for, but it's a stake in the ground. Before I could set up a second pass I got a call from Mr. E saying he was on the road heading toward the Grand Lake theater to meet Ms. R to see Unknown, did I want to tag along? Well, sure. Why not? Sounds like a good idea. So he swung by and picked me up.

A decent dinner at the Thai restaurant near the theater, Mr. E picking up my dinner and theater ticket to celebrate the birthday Tuesday (unexpected and nice), the movie halfway interesting. The plot logically incomprehensible, but working at some level emotionally as a decent slam, bang, what in the hell is going on action flick. No complaints. I'd read more than a few reviews (following the news as I do) and I'd been thinking of seeing it, maybe ordering it later when available through Netflix. Does that seem complicated enough? Does one over analyze even one's movie choices? One certainly does.

Back by ten, to sleep, up at six. Well, slightly after six listening to the news of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and now heading across the Pacific. We're due for a big one here, have been for some time, and hearing of an 8.9 earthquake anywhere (8.9 on the logarithmic scale is incomprehensibly large) made me look at what I had stacked up along the apartment walls.

A big one here at night would bring two metal book cases down across my bed. Probably not good, not good at all. I have in the past made allowances for earthquakes and the bookcases, bolting them to the walls, but I suspect that was then and I won't get it together to do it again. Unless the pictures that come out of Japan are as horrible as they probably are. But another morning, another set of thoughts. Good luck, Japan. Those nuclear reactors and such. Surviving here in the modern world.

Dry mouth at the moment, by the way, making me recall I had a dry mouth last night in the theater coupled with a very brief, almost not noticed, ocular migraine episode as I was watching the movie. I was following the plot with no problem - wham, bang and such - but there was a moment when I looked at my jacket as I sat there and wondered if it really was my jacket or my shirt? Had I left the jacket at the restaurant? This lasted maybe a minute or so and I realized it was an “incident” as we were leaving. An odd merging of self with the world. Such is life out on the edges.

Let's see, to breakfast and back on a clear morning, the sun out. Up at six, as mentioned, listening to the news about the earthquake. One small mention in the Oakland Tribune this morning, neither the Chronicle or the Times publishing late enough to pick it up. Home now with a dry mouth. Some guitar for the moment, I would think. Try more of those self portraits this afternoon. Fiddle with the lights. Good times ahead.

Later. Looking at the video of that quake off the coast of Japan it looks even nastier than I thought and I was thinking it was probably pretty nasty this morning heading to breakfast. I hope none of our old fellow workers or their families were involved. Silly thing to say probably, but still. It does make for a connection, even if it's a small connection, the pictures of the port damage in the Kobe quake coming to mind. Sympathy and support from one earthquake country to another. Who ultimately cares about motive?

A bus downtown and then a walk about halfway back before catching another bus. I wasn't working all that hard in getting my head in gear, my eyes turned around, so the walk was boring and I took no pictures, my head and imagination the issue, not the route. Maybe a short trip somewhere is needed. Well, a short trip somewhere is always needed, I just don't take it. Them. Here in Oakland.

Guitar now I think. And maybe a nap.

Later still. OK, a little more guitar and I'll be well ahead of my performances for these last few weeks. Another self portrait or two. There are basic adjustments to the light intensity and placement that have to be made, but I'm finally getting them in place. You read a blog here, a book there and eventually (some of us take a little longer than others) it starts to sink in. We're in the middle of sinking in.

Evening approaches. We'll see how it goes from here.