We got up early and followed through on the plans made some eight hours earlier. We went to Crema to get out of the house and out of the routine. She worked on setting up her Bullet Journal to start in May, and I worked on a review and revision of Chapter One. It's going well. I aim to have it finished by Wednesday and am well on track to come in early. There is no "done," nor will there be until I have a complete body of work that will be subjected to more than my limited ability to judge. Still, one step at a time… and meeting a goal equates to a step in the right direction. After a couple of cups and an hour or so, we returned home in a meandering manner. We have always loved the seedy, run-down vibe of the Flamingo Motel directly across the street from Crema. It has a classic neon sign and a run-down exterior with a one-way driveway leading past a tiny office before traveling down a narrow corridor of parking spots to the left and 4-up segments of rooms in the two-story building on the right. It looks like something straight out of a Tarantino film. Recycled books is still there, too, yet further along the Alameda, new developments start to appear. Such is and always will be the case. Everything changes; we only witness a brief moment of it happening, yet it did before and will long after we're no longer here to lament it. Ironically, what we see as something being lost was the new thing at some point, replacing a historical spot beloved by a prior generation. Anyway, sorry, rambling man. Jen and I were talking about Anita clearing out the pantry, and I ended up just taking the initiative and doing it. It went quickly, and within an hour, we found several things to give away, discard, or relocate. We also installed the awning above Tommy's room window- it wasn't easy but Jen helped manage it. It took three return trips to make a few adjustments until I felt proud of my work. It also, hopefully, will be effective. I am ending the day at Jikoji, where I was asked to stay and help cover having someone onsite while the road work is done. I'll be here until Thursday.
