September 28, 2014

This week I played in class and Ian called me an eccentric, which filled me with joy. On his recommendation, and following his example, I am trying to take up morning practice sessions (7-9am, usually). It is amazing how much you can get done in those hours, before things get rolling and people begin bothering you and distracting you. Those are precious hours, like gold.

I went on an expedition to Potrero Hill yesterday, but I am highly annoyed because my camera had a fit in the middle of the trip and decided to start taking only white, blurry pictures, no matter what setting I used or what I pointed it at. I hope it goes back to normal soon, or you may be deprived of pictures until I can get it fixed. At any rate, here is the story, with about half the pictures I wished to take.

I walked through the Design District, which isn't particularly attractive (it's called that because of all the art and design schools in the area) and found some weird things.

Looks like two trees to me, but alright...

Huh? Huh?? HUH???

Hey Dad, new design idea.

Some readers will find this funny, and others won't. It's cool either way, but the fact that I took the photograph should indicate which way I lean.

Does anyone realize how redundant this is? Seriously - what does ATM stand for? "Automated Teller Machine". Right - so, "Automated Teller Machine Machine"???? What the freak?? How does that make ANY sense WHATsoever?? Drives me nuts!!

I had to plug up and down many steep hills in the sweaty sun. At one point I got fed up and sat down on a tree-root halfway up the hill and got out a book. Later I found a park with tennis courts and some nice wildspace and I found a place to lie down and watch the clean blue sky and multimillionleaved trees in gently rustling shades of green. Tree-branches are rarely still. Even if the air is still where you are, up high there might still be a breeze.

I walked through a big low-income housing area with lots of ugly blocky compounds and trash everywhere. Made me very grateful for the apartment I live in. I toiled up Potrero Hill and down the other side, where the houses are much more attractive, expensive and nicely laid out. I saw the old hospital up close for the first time - a massive brick campus which looks far more stately and imposing than the "modern" wing they're in the process of building.

Side note: I have been reading a book by one Mary Roach, about space and astronauts and the science of living in space. There was a chapter on space vomiting, a few more chapters on the horrible things that can happen to your body in zero gravity and in excess gravity (7, 8 or 30 Gs), a chapter on zero-gravity intercourse, and several truckloads of enormously interesting spacey specifics about how NASA uses cadavers for crash tests, about the physical and psychological effects of being in space, the problem of elimination in zero gravity, and the inventive ways scientists try to reduce fuel costs (edible clothing, edible fuel tank, rocket wings, etc). Some of these facts are not publishable on a public-domain website, at least not according to my high standards (ha), so email me if you want details. Roach has written several other books including one about the science of human corpses. I am going to try to find that one too. There are just so many INTERESTING things to FIND OUT about EVERYTHING! I want to find out all the interesting things in the world.

- Antisocial Violinist