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.

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

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

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.

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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