Wednesday. Well, you know, life. I has its ups and downs. After sushi and sake last night I was watching my Korean soap when the world dropped through the looking glass. No need to describe it, but, knowing things had gotten thoroughly out of hand I managed to turn everything off and get to bed before nine, up this morning feeling rocky after six.

To breakfast and back in the usual routine, but thinking maybe I'd skip my guitar lesson (this would be the first lesson of my second year of lessons and the first I've missed). An email from my instructor awaited me when I returned saying he may have to flake out this morning to pick up a roommate at the hospital who'd been in a car accident last night. Kismet (or something). I responded to say not to worry, I was under the weather anyway, let's put it off for the week.

One aspect of the police clearing out the Occupy people yesterday was the presence of helicopters overhead, just one when I was there in the morning taking pictures. There were at least two late in the afternoon, they are quite loud and it was easy and somewhat annoying to hear them, so I assumed something was happening with their increased presence at City Hall. Evidently a group of a hundred or so Occupy people had attempted to retake the camp Hall and there'd been tear gas, arrests and the closing of the relevant section of Broadway. So maybe we're going to go downtown again later this afternoon, after say a good long nap.

I thought you were feeling poorly?

I am, but not because of the flu or such, but more because I'm getting old and less able to take the strain of running around all day every day. That and the ocular migraines. Hard to say which: the sinuses-upper palate thing, the ocular migraines or the advancing age. I hope it's not advancing age, not much I can do about advancing age other than to go along with it (the longer, the better). It comes, I know it comes, but not yet please. Pretty please.

Later. So, out the door and downtown after taking an extra dose of the pain meds to see if it wouldn't help. Feel pretty good now, hope it wasn't just the meds that made the difference. The way this thing goes you can be hobbling along in the morning and skipping along in the afternoon. So I went downtown and took some pictures.

And you skipped your guitar lesson?

I skipped my guitar lesson. We'll leave it at that. Penitence will be a good practice session later this afternoon.

There weren't many people in front of the barricades at Fourteenth Street and Broadway, almost more press than Occupy people. Interesting to see how this is currently being played in the press and will be played in the press from here on out. The feeling I get is there's no commonly held position held by the wider public yet on how much local pain should be allowed when you're talking about people making a political statement. Well, they're dirty and they poop a lot seems to be the current justification used by those who would shut them down, dirty and poopy or not. The Founders had opinions on that.

Reading a poll in the Times this morning they said that a significant majority of Americans not only no longer trust their government, they believe it has indeed been absorbed by corporate interests and that the middle class is shrinking down to irrelevance. This along with a story about the cost of college, student loan debt and how people without wealth may no longer be able to afford a college education. Strange times one might say. But then I'm pontificating again.

Later still. A run through the photographs taken today. I picked and modified (I hope for the better, I've been wondering about that lately) well over the number needed for a section, but we'll see how it goes. Right now I think I'd best play some guitar, make up for the mess I made of the morning.

Evening. OK, Houston, we have more pictures up. Although I feel pretty good, I have no plan to go downtown later to see about this rumor they're going to try to take the Plaza back. I'm too old for that. And chicken. And maybe smart. We lose it as we get older, but we've not lost our smarts quite that far yet. I hope. I'm not sure that's something you notice when you cross that line.

So, a Korean soap later, more guitar, another good night's sleep. We'll shoot more pictures tomorrow, but just before or just after lunch, so I can have my coffee and raspberry shortcake cookie at some point while I'm shooting, maybe have another one of those most edible Genji chicken salads.