I have that small set of storage shelves due to arrive today for the bedroom. We make progress one day at a time, one month at a time and one year at a time. These are tasks that often take but minutes, some few take hours, you'd think getting around to them in a month or a year would be, well, slothful, careless even. You'd think.

Later. A walk over by the lake to get out the door and then on a bus downtown for a cup of coffee. That was the impetus. A cup of coffee. Sometimes it doesn't take much to get me going, sometimes it takes more, but coffee was enough this morning.

Getting off the bus there was a group of chalk occupy people setting out another mural, putting down the outline numbers, all of them working from a design printed out on a grid. So a couple of pictures wondering why the ladder truck was parked nearby on the corner with two of the crew standing and commenting on their progress. I wonder if you can use a fire hose to wash chalk off a plaza? You can see where the mind goes when you've lived here for a while.

A cup of coffee out in front of the bagel shop in the City Center, a walk back by the chalkupy folks working away, a walk the rest of the way up Broadway to Grand to wait on a bus. A good morning, a bit cold, so I'd set out in a sweater, but became warmer as I was walking, so the bus more because walking was making it too warm than anything else.

Returning to the apartment I found the two small floor standing shelves I mentioned had arrived in a box, but the magazine side table for the bed I was expecting on Wednesday was also sitting right beside it, so I've spent the last three hours assembling them and setting them up in the bedroom. Not really all that difficult, but it took some time.

The small floor standing shelving units? Well, they're close to what I was thinking they might be when I ordered them. The camera bags I wanted to store did fit on their shelves, but just. Probably not my best purchase, but then they weren't expensive and they look OK. So good. I'll say good and make a mental note for the next one I may buy.

The combination bedside magazine rack and table is nicer, looks good, went together well, stands now beside the bed with magazines in the top two slots and wanting a nice lamp to finish it off. Well, a decent lamp that works. I suspect we'll do something about that tomorrow at a local furniture store by the theater that's in the middle of a going out of business sale. That or another click on the image and they'll send it to you online.

Evening. A Swedish thing set in the late eighteenth century police procedural that I've seen before and really, really don't need to see again was playing at six, so I practiced along with the News Hour which I'd already listened to earlier at three. I missed a good part of it while assembling the table and shelves, but repeating the News Hour is not the most successful story to tell while ending an afternoon.

Are you running out of steam? Again?

Well, I'm a little surprised at how long it's taken me to memorize this week's riff. Yes, I have it memorized and can go through it one note after another, but then I'll space out and forget. Not often, less and less often, as we go through it again and again, but I think I've been kidding myself about how long it takes to get this stuff down. You learn with time, it's just some of us take more time than others.

To bed early (in the new and improved bedroom!). Pretty exciting stuff for a Monday, I'd say. Again.