Monday. Got to bed again at a decent hour, up at seven instead of six (a much more sensible time to get up), back to the apartment by eight-thirty and then off to the pulmonary doctor's appointment at nine-thirty, following up with a Protime blood test at the hospital afterward just up the street. My reading had been too high last week at the one month test and they wanted to test me again after making an adjustment. Not unusual, but it happens once or twice a year, not sure why. You don't want your blood blood thinner to be pushing your numbers off the chart, not at my age, not at any age, so I get the tests.

The lungs are much improved by the way, something I've been noticing. Which is good. I have been feeling better, looking back on these last couple of years now as dark old days. It's impossible to tell from reading what anyone else's physical state might really be, I can't really gauge my own say six months ago by reading the entries, but believe me, better is better. Driving home from breakfast brought this home: the head clear, the reflexes fine, no issues with the vision, no hint of anything else. Again, this is good. You're never sure what's for now and what may be forever.

Off to Occupy at noon to see what happened this morning. They cleaned them out at day break, the news saying a thousand police and supplementary forces involved. What would you guess? A million dollar operation? Half million? Who knows? Still, makes the photography a little easier, this every day thing has been wearing me out, although I'm now considering following up with other marches and demonstrations as they may occur. If this thing is to have any effect they have to carry on, this tent thing has been good to get people aware, get them talking, but tents don't a country change. But we'll see as we take photographs.

Later. OK, maybe best the Occupy encampment is gone. I'm tired and I'm not happy with the color or the photographs themselves, maybe need to spend some time to see if I can still shoot a picture. Maybe calibrate the camera and the monitor just to, you know, see if having put it off for so long really matters. Noon hours on bright sunny days suck. Maybe see if these UV/IR filters I've been using have been aiding and abetting the mess.

Still, we got some photographs, a mocha coffee and a raspberry shortcake cookie in the Rotunda building in the middle, a bus halfway back home to hop off and photograph the Occupy people in front of the Veterans Memorial building learning the people out front are, in fact, veterans, although I noticed the three tents they'd pitched yesterday are gone. Back now at the apartment feeling pretty good. There are things to do, things on the way to play with when they arrive at the end of the week. A good, if most probably long, week ahead.

Need to finish the pictures I took yesterday, start on the pictures I took today, sit here a bit longer in front of the fan, pick up the guitar later and continue with this week's lesson. I told you it was going to be a long week, so best to get started.

Later still. OK, the photographs from yesterday are done, not nearly as many pictures of signs and tents, more of people and faces. So I'm relatively happy with them, one or two turned out quite well. I'll get to the photographs I took today later, there's no more than one section involved and even then I'll be stretching, but it's the last day of this City Hall encampment and I want to finish it off. Unless it isn't. Finished. From my own very selfish standpoint, not having to do with the direction or the concerns of the movement itself, I hope it's finished or I'll find myself out there again. (hup! hup!)

I see the nation's affairs are in good hands with staunch citizens such as yourself, only participating when the sun is shining and it doesn't get in the way of your Korean soaps.

Such are the habits of men.

Evening. Finished and posted the one section of photographs I took this noon hour, nice to have them done. A Korean soap in an hour and then time on the guitar to finish the evening. I need that time on the guitar. I always need that time on the guitar, just ask my instructor.

Any of your guitar babble actually relate to the truth?

I have no idea. I've never really asked anyone who's learned to play how long it was before they were able to navigate the frets with any degree of skill. It goes slowly, but it does go. Am I practicing enough? The instructor says so, anything over five hours a week and I think I'm doing more like eight or ten. Then again, who knows? I have another year to go before I ask myself this particular question, otherwise I'll spout nonsense and enjoy myself.