Yesterday was so boring I didn't even write anything about it. Nothing much happened. I took some packages to FedEx and found a some stuff I dropped off at Tom's (he didn't answer the door) and got back here and messed around with things. I had the office and bathroom cleaned in time, Ken came by on time, I got my check, and I sold Ken some stuff for $100 so I got an extra check for that.
Ken told me to not put the checks in the bank until Friday because he had to transfer some money into the account and besides, he had to pay a water bill (less than $200) etc. I promised I'd wait until Friday. This probably has more to do with Ken's awful money-management skills than anything else.
I also did a load of laundry, so how's that for boring?
I got up today with plenty of time to clean up and give myself a haircut, and was at the temple for the shakuhachi club meeting 20 minutes early. I found a bench along the side of the building that was out of the sun and actually a pretty nice place to sit and practice or warm up anyway. I was looking down on the garden and could see the two ladies who come to every meeting, crossing the street. I blew a few more notes and then joined them, going inside.
It was the two ladies, Kevin Who Bought My Trumpet, the guy from Palo Alto, and Rinban of course. And it was the usual fun, but awful-sounding shakuhachi club meeting. Rinban had us working on one piece and then decided it was too advanced, then started in on another piece, that I think is too advanced for all of us, including him!
We wound up playing what was started the session with, Nori No Miyama. At least through brute-force repetition, we kind of know what we're doing there, and that's the problem with this. On the "too advanced" pieces, we ought to be working on just the first line, and really we ought to be working on simpler stuff.
As we were leaving, one of the ladies gave Kevin and myself a couple of little gifts, as Rinban and them had been to Japan and seen all kinds of neat things, and they'd brought back "omiyage" or small gifts, obligatory in Japanese society if you go on a trip or vacation. We got little Japanese candies "You're only getting a couple because they're so sweet!" and a little envelope with something in it - this turned out to be a very nice little mechanical pencil.
Apparently the next big Jodo Shinshu Buddhist convention will be in 2026 in Hawaii. There will be thousands of people attending that one. At least I won't have to travel far.
I checked out the "night market" that's near Gordon Biersch on Taylor and it was ... ehhh, not that interesting to me. There were food trucks but lines to 'em all, and booths with artwork and stuff like that, and a bit of a crowd. So I just rode back here.
The warmer weather is bringing out the zombies, and their undead dogs too. I had to wait for a zombie with its zombie pit bull went past before leaving here. The zombie was actually on a bike, which zombies remember enough from their human-time to know how to ride, but it gets comical when it comes to taking care of the thing. The tires seem first to go, and you see zombies riding around on tire-less rims.
I had to pass yet another zombie-and-zombiedog pair on Old Bayshore, fortunately the zomb' was busy messing around with a car somehow and called the dog back before it ran into traffic.
Then on my way back, in the dark now, I had to wait for a light at Old Bayshore and 10th and came shuffling along a zombie holding a cardboard box with something in it. A fresh human head, maybe? The zombie seemed pretty happy with its treasure, and this one was further along, carrying with it the characteristic odor of rot, of a thing that properly should be 6 feet under. It seemed not to notice me even as it got uncomfortably close, and when the light changed I sped away.
I'd had a chance to mention in the meeting today that my plan is to leave for Hawaii in September of 2024, but I have decided that if it gets bad enough that I feel I need to carry the Glock with me on my errands, then it's time to pull the plug and get the hell out of here.
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