I do feel much better. Interesting to see how different you feel by comparison. You forget, when you're running under whatever it is that has you in its clutches, how it felt before the weasels started scratching inside the walls. I think I'll find a way to get to someplace at least a little different than the lake across the street and take a couple of pictures. Nothing too ambitious, but all this hup! hup! crap is indeed heart felt and I'm looking forward to the coming weekend, week, month, summer, millennium. I am.

Later. Ten-thirty in the morning, back from a walk along the lake followed by a bus ride downtown and then another on to Jack London, pretty much deserted before nine in the morning. A check at the Bed, Bath & Beyond to see if they had votive candles. They didn't, not by the gross, so we'll order them again online. The price is right online. Back now at the apartment feeling fine, the sinus-upper palate aching, but everything else in reasonably good shape in that I don't seem to be hearing from them at the moment. Silent and out of sight.

A blood pressure reading: 99 over 69. Hmm. We'll see how it looks tomorrow morning. Low enough to inflate a desire for a nap. But no fuss, we're on top of this. We'll get it worked out.

One or two pictures along the lake. Nothing to send on to National Geographic, but nice enough to feel reasonably good about given my slothful approach. A picture or two down in Jack London, but nothing special popping up in front of the lens. Just a good picture mood without being overzealous. One shot at the farmer's market along 9th, forgetting today was its day until I arrived.

Later still. Another early afternoon walk along the lake and then on around on Lakeshore, stopping on the way back at the ice cream shop. We haven't had our ice cream yet today. Sitting on one of the benches by the lake this lady happened to walk by, seeing her only as she passed and taking the picture, obviously, from the back. Incredible shoes. Off the wall totally unsuited for walking shoes that I'd have complemented her on had I noticed her sooner. Had I been younger there would have been more than just the shoes in play, but I'm not, and so we're talking as the photographer, art as life.

You're into, um, shoes?

Not so much shoes as how they relate to an overall image. Art comes in many forms and the more interesting forms often come from interesting minds poking into places most people never go. Then again, sometimes, even with an outright copy of whatever fashion is current, it can lead to interesting places.

Are you rationalizing just noting and photographing an attractive woman? You do take your share of their pictures.

I hope not. Still, if that were all is was, nothing wrong with that either here or there in Oakland.

So, home now on a nice day, the PBS News Hour playing in the background. The first Friday of the month Art Murmur is scheduled to start later over on Telegraph beyond Broadway, which I may attend, which I may not attend. Probably not. Two decent walks, I probably won't be up for three. The blood pressure is now up to just under 120 over 80, by the way, so we'll see if it holds through the morning. Juggle, juggle. Life in the fast lane.

Evening. I'm suddenly feeling a little quiet on my low blood pressure theory of ongoing naps. Feeling some of the same symptoms - dry mouth, the day going slower - I ended up lying down just after four and sleeping soundly until after six. OK. Feel better now. Nothing in those two hours too over the top. The two long walks? Wore me out? I don't think so. They weren't all that long. Still, still. Feel pretty good after. Hup and all that. Here in Oakland.

I did have some DVD's arrive from Netflix. I think we'll make do with them, pick a few notes on the guitar and then turn in.