Tuesday. An enjoyable evening last night, got involved in setting up a couple of small strobe lights and doing some self portraits, not sure why. The living room is more crowded with the light stands, tripod and such, let me tell you. I was surprised when I saw it was eleven and went to bed, sleeping solidly until the alarm went off at six-thirty. Still, up easily enough, to breakfast by six-thirty to read the papers over a waffle with a sliced banana on top, back now with the sky clear and the sun bright. My, my. A good morning, my bucko, you should have no complaints. And I don't.

A good baseball game last night, I may go to San Francisco tomorrow to photograph the Giants returning home parade. And then again, maybe not. There's the Dia de los Muertos parade in San Francisco at seven. I've been thinking of shooting it, although it's election day and I usually like to stay home and listen to the returns. We'll see. See how I rationalize whatever it is I end up doing. Usually I know when I say I'm not sure, but right now I'm not sure and really don't know which way I'll go. San Francisco in the Mission district though, after dark. Well.

Later. Doing laundry. Four loads in the wash resulting in two loads in the drier. Two washing machines, one drier, so we're talking two and a half hours. Takes an hour to dry two loads. So the morning has been spent pulling my hair out over this Roxio burner software and thinking dark thoughts. In between noticing the really nice day outside and suggesting I lighten up. Better to spend the day light. In the light. Eyes bright. (Hup! Hup!)

Election day. My vote was mailed Saturday. I think I'll listen to the Democracy Now internet feed or Al Jazeera. No need to hear what our main stream media has to say about any of it, better to get an outside view. I'm to the point I watch RT (Russia Today) occasionally. They really hammer our Mideast operations and it makes me wince, getting this from a media controlled authoritarian state, but they're generally pretty if nastily (IMHO) accurate. Our media never examines our own government propaganda when it comes to foreign “wars” and, for that matter, most everything else involving the government. Not an authoritarian model here in America, the land of the free, but an equally effective way to control your press and manage the message.

Now, is that enough to understand I'm a San Francisco Bay Area resident, have been for years? I would think. Nothing unusual in these opinions around here. Still, Al Jazeera after all. Democracy Now. Someone will undoubtedly alert Homeland Security. “Homeland Security”. Sounds like a name you'd find in Orwell's presentient little novel.

They are trying to keep us safe, you know.

Yup. Good folks. It's just you have to watch them, particularly the guys in charge. Closely. Not a radical thought. The Founders were hip to it. We're hip to it when we apply it to other countries, just we don't apply it here at home. Kind of like the teachings of Jesus. He's great, but don't actually try to push any of His Crap in day to day life. I mean “do not kill”. Give me a break. You'll be classified a weirdo better kept in the basement, not allowed to speak. (Hup! Hup!)

Later still. Laundry done, it's one, time for a walk.

My thought was a bus downtown, but it was late, so I walked to the morning breakfast place for a BLT with avocado on sourdough toast, fries (a small portion) and iced tea. Actually my waitress brought the iced tea with the menu when she noticed me sitting outside on the patio. I'm afraid I've become much too predictable. A picture through the door of the restaurant seating area taken from my table, another picture because it was in front of my face, and then a walk back to the apartment taking the odd shot as I walked along the sidewalk. Many election posters. Many, many election posters in the windows of every shop.

So, across the street and up the hill, but not before taking a picture of the usual tree, we must not flag in our efforts, home now thinking I'm pooped and wouldn't it be nicer to sit here listening to the returns rather than going to the city and shooting pictures in the Mission district? I suspect it would. Feeling a bit buzzed - No way to translate that, something to do with the new pills? Can't tell yet. - so we'll stay inside.

And practice the guitar. I realize I have my lesson tomorrow morning just before the welcome home parade for the Giants starts. Such is the memory. Such is life.