WANING GIBBOUS

Hot chilipeppers are something I like. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, however, when two dozen drunken yutzes are attempting to karaoke them, no. I'd rather have my eyes plucked out with red hot tongs. My compadre is of the same mind. So we headed elsewhere. We had already struck out regarding the beer place ("closed for maintenance"), and the staff at the burger joint were still dizzy from the crazed metal chair assault last night.

Our usual last stop of the night has been discovered by more yuppies and a passle of goonish local types. We may have to call it a miss more often than not henceforth.
We still go there for old times sake. The current owner is nice.

We ended up at a place I know relatively well. It used to close at nine, when Junior's wife would drive by in the stationwagon to take his drunken rear home. It's on the third owner since those days, and better run than before. Cleaner and saner too.

In my younger years I liked a bit of insanity. Now I prefer somewhat more temperance and rational behaviour in my surroundings. San Francisco is further from obliging than ever.

A mellow Virginia in a fat billiard briar earlier, while listening to distant shouting. From three blocks away the ruckus on Broadway near the clubs is almost negligible, and the stupid people rarely come this far into the neighborhood after dark. But one can hear them distinctly when they are less than two blocks away. Young white marketing and sales department types are, on the whole, very loud.

Three days ago the moon was quite lovely. Tonight it wasn't quite so spectacular, waning gibbous, but still nice. Rugby-ball shaped. No clouds. Probably the last pleasant weather before the storm rolls in. So people were out getting their thing on and their steam off.

The reason I didn't draw a moon in the illustration above is because it was not visible from where I smoked my pipe. Wrong angle, too many buildings.

We'll probably end up at that final place again soon. It's saner, calmer, and brighter, and they have both Guiness (on tap) and Jameson's whiskey. I, of course, had a cup of tea.

No problems sleeping because of the caffeine, but an hour or so before dawn I'll probably have to get up to pee. That usually happens.



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