Thursday. A good, not bad, not great, night's sleep. Up with the alarm, to breakfast and back before eight. I have a Protime (blood thinner test) to get today, I'm late on that, maybe do the laundry too, I'm always late on that, but otherwise the day is clear. Feels good for the day to be clear of commitments.

They're saying the high sixties today in Oakland after the overcast has burned off. Sounds good to me. We shall hup, hup our way to more pictures and quotidian drivel. Life is good, albeit a bit more unsettlingly simple than one's expectations from following the media. No trips to Rio, no assignations with the potential Ms. Right.

You worry about that? A banal existence?

I occasionally ask myself that question. So far I'm not sure how this is going. There are many things you can do in this world, many options available if I were but pursue them: should I be out there after something obvious and important to everyone else that I seem to be altogether missing? Probably, but tomorrow. We'll think about it tomorrow, today I have laundry to get done.

Later. A walk out and over to the lake before nine, the sun now coming out, the morning light very nice. A walk covering ground I've covered every day now for a very long time, yet the eye seemed alive to its surroundings. The different light? The fact I needed two or three photographs for that project I've been working on? A bird that happened to be sitting along the side of the lake giving me the eye? Two birds? Hard to say.

A walk then back toward the bus stop thinking I'd catch a bus and then another to get that blood test, but missed the bus by a minute as it picked up a passenger at the stop across the street from where I was waiting for the light to change. OK, I'd been having to work on this idea of heading over for the blood test anyway, I can easily do it later. No way around it, got to get it done, but not right this minute (which would be much too sensible).

I think a quick nap is now in order. Still early but I suspect I could doze off for a bit, give the day a little lift.

Later still. So, a thirty minute nap (good) and then a bus downtown to have a raspberry cookie and a small cup of coffee at the Rotunda building. I figured I'd take the bus all the way downtown, have the cookie - let me tell you, they are very good, these raspberry cookies - followed by a walk by a small park that's been developed near the Fox theater where they recently installed the first of a group of sculptures of famous historic figures called the “Remember Them” monument and then catch that second bus to get the blood test. Surprised myself. Ambitious for a Thursday.

Hopped the bus, got the cookie and the coffee, found the small park (parklette?) near the Fox, took pictures, walked on then down to Grand on Broadway to catch that second bus. I'd been thinking, once I'd gotten the blood drawn, that I'd walk along a section of the lake and take more of the pictures I need for my project. Waiting on the bus not overly long, but not seeing it come, I said the hell with it and walked over to the lake and then along the lake shore to take my pictures. Tomorrow is now the plan, before I go to breakfast. That's probably the best, get it done early, I've successfully done this many times in the past.

Are you rationalizing here, kidding yourself?

Of course. Not unlike doing the laundry I'd think.

So, back before one, somewhat tired from all the walking, but feeling pretty good. Another nap?

Later afternoon. Another short nap. No apologies, they're rather nice, these naps. Inexpensive, don't take long, give a nice punch to the day. Doctors recommend them. Worked then on the photographs for the lake project I've been diddling with, may turn out, may not, either way I'll post a link here whether I put them up on artandlife or not.

Haven't looked at the guitar yet. I got my time in yesterday after the lesson, we'll see how it goes today. Barre chords, my man, are the main flavor for the week. The Stones Satisfaction, gotta get the chords down for Satisfaction to keep my head above water. The day has been good, the laundry has yet to be done although I suspect it will meet its fate tomorrow. I'm not out of things to wear, we never go that far, but tomorrow would be good. After breakfast, after the blood test, after my nap. Wouldn't want to sleep while the washers were running. Certainly not.