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I have my suspicion why the woman behind the store counter asked for ID today after ringing up my non-alcoholic beers. Later, I drank a few while reconfiguring my desk from standing to sitting position. Some things you stand, but other things you ain’t gotta stand for.

A clutter covered Ikea wood and metal desk with several hats and face masks atop it, a blue padded rolling office chair, a FitDesk exercise bike and a Korg electric piano with a couple of guitars balanced precariously atop it in the corner of a living room Saturday, November 12, 2022 in San Pablo, California

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I stare at screens and windows all day, but my simplest daily use display never gets attention until something as simple as a battery runs down and needs replacement, requiring the purchase of a precision screwdriver with a set of adjustable heads, and some in-person help.

A male employee wearing light blue jeans, a black sweatshirt, an orange utility apron, a gold wedding band on his left hand's ring finger, a wide cardboard ring of tape around his wrist and a confident attitude kneels in front of a small flat surface covered with a fluorescent yellow plastic surface. In front of him are a set of keys, an opened package of two wristwatch sized 2032 size batteries, an unscrewed two button fob, and three tiny screws stuck gently to a strategically placed wad of tape. It's Friday afternoon, November 11, 2022 in El Cerrito, California, in aisle 12, full of hand tools like wrenches, pliers, regular screwdrivers and measuring tape.

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Caring for someone or something isn’t always supposed to be easy. When you minister to their needs, sometimes you sign up to go above and beyond the call of duty. You pick the right moment to say something or, more often, hold your tongue. Here endeth the reminder to self.

A tiny brilliant sliver of sun shoots low through a canopy of leaves as seen from below a tree Thursday, November 10, 2022 in a parking lot in San Pablo, California

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Sometimes I’m too certain about how to respond to things to change my mind or be as flexible or as responsive as I could be. I’ve paid for that in the past, and will pay for it in future in some respects. If it was only my pride, and then as simple as a little humility.

A white Tesla sits parked in a darkened Whole Foods parking lot Wednesday, November 9, 2022 in Walnut Creek, California. The Tesla's custom license plate says "I'm blond" but all one word.

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We saw some sun for an hour between rainstorms, so we walked around the civic center past city hall. Even on election day, it was pretty quiet. Tonight we wait for polls to close, for some kind of consensus to emerge from counted ballots in boxes not far from these flags.

Three flagpoles flying the San Pablo city, California state and United States flags at full staff stand tall Tuesday, November 8, 2022 outside city hall in San Pablo, California. There are lots of clouds still in a blue sky in between today's wet weather, and the sidewalk outside city hall is still rain wet asking the building's northwest facing shady side.

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The only ways I’m able to get insight into, or a deeper understanding of anything I’ve ever tried were to ask questions, read, treat it like a game: less abstract and theoretical, more physical and practical. Even then, it’s only understanding, neither success nor victory.

A glance upward from my balcony at tall clouds with dull gray undersides and at least one light meringue colored still sunlit peak in a light blue sky with soft but strong chilly winds around 4:40 pm Monday, November 7, 2022 in San Pablo, California

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There’s a perfectly good stairwell steps from our place’s front door. I haven’t thought once about taking my guitar down to the bottom and testing out its resonant properties to see what kind of echo I can capture while practicing. It might make for a fruitful experiment.

A third floor stair landing with thin black metal internal railings and bare wooden handrails along walls inside a three floor apartment building, illuminated in part but a large southwest facing window, and seen from the top floor looking down into shadowy landings below, as seen Sunday, November 6, 2022 in San Pablo, California

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The only exemption the future offers will be for those who act as if no one will be exempt. One may pray or plan, but the future usually laughs at them both. This means it is better to do what is right and necessary, lean into what is just and sustainable, and be watchful.

A close-up but not quite macro shot of double pickups next to a saddle bridge on a shiny red vertically aimed Hamer Slammer electric guitar with a set of medium light strings coming over the bridge and over the pickups.

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Out of the blue, mom called. We got caught up about her friends’ surprise visit to my place a few weeks ago, gift ideas for others, talk about our routines and testing out our sending pictures. Hearing her reminds me admiration isn’t only a feeling, but works better as an action.


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The contractor who renovated our condo days before we moved in last year stopped by, taking in ideas for more upgrades and weighing what license our HOA may grant to carry them out, before letting me help install the curtains I’d tried and badly fumbled fingered on my own.

set of navy blue Ikea curtains against a pale gray painted wall. The curtains hang from a thin black metal telescoping rod mounted onto black wall mounted brackets over a quarter circle shaped window. Beside the window and curtains sits a well used rope wound and carpet covered three level cat tree.
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