Friday. Another clear no clouds morning, the sun bright, breakfast and the papers at the usual place, the day ahead, the weekend coming. To Harrington's last night setting out at five, arriving before six, back to Oakland after eight feeling just fine, my two Guinness enough for the evening without in any way clouding the next day. Hey.. Or something like that. Life on the P.C. - goodie two shoes side of this fantasy existence, how unutterably more pedestrian than earlier lives lived at a more torrid pace.

What was that about?

For someone who says his head is clear (along with the sky, the conscience and the water) it is reasonably opaque. Some editing, I think, making this rejoinder meaningless. Much of what I say is meaningless, but fun enough for all of that..

Later. A bus down to Jack London Square and a walk through the area concentrating again on doors. I mentioned I was somewhat surprised I was using the low end of the 24 - 120mm lens as much as I was and maybe it was because I'd gone on my door kick just about the time the lens arrived. Today I took the 24 - 120mm, but mounted on a DX2s camera, which multiplies the range by 1.5, the 24 - 120 becoming 36 - 180mm, thinking that extra 60mm on the high end should be interesting while walking around and about. I didn't miss any shots this morning because I could no longer get down to 24mm, but I came close. I came close. For doors you evidently need wide angle, the wider the better, although you then do have to put up with a certain amount of image distortion. There are technical aspects to this stuff.

And then I thought (I know, I'm slow, but I get there eventually) I do have a full frame 14 - 24mm lens which I haven't used all that much since I got it last year along with the then new full frame D3. So let's go to Jack London again with it on the D3 and see what we can get. Many of the doors are blocked by cars parked fairly closely in front of them and the only way to get a photograph sans car is by using something really wide such as the 14 - 24. So I'll do that later today or early tomorrow. Pretty exciting stuff for a Friday around here I'd say.

Otherwise it's one in the afternoon, some guitar practice on the horizon, the day clear and the temperature just fine. By my standards. I'm into a bit cooler, even now that I'm a skinny dude. Cooler is cooler.

Later still. A walk down and around the Grand Lake theater area looking for something to eat. There was much to choose from, little that appealed. Still, a good walk, a picture or two of the fall leaves, one this morning, one this afternoon, a cup of coffee and a muffin of some kind at my morning restaurant. I was thinking afterward that I probably ate it because I didn't really know what it was. Nothing special or odd about it, just one of those cupcake shaped things that could have been made out of anything, so I gave it a try. A walk then back home, sitting for a bit by the lake , ready now to play some guitar. (hup! hup!)

Later again. Progress on the chords. I'll go at them again later when the fingertips ease back a bit. A good sign, stinging fingertips. Means you're putting in the necessary time required to learn this stuff. Progress gets your blood up, makes sitting down and picking up the guitar much easier. I've also been sneaking in some time learning the Beatles In My Life. A simple enough melody for someone who knows how to play, but I find even I can play it recognizably if I practice it enough. That's the rub, of course. It works, as many things eventually work, if you practice them enough.

Oh, and more doors. We like our doors. As you may have noticed.