FOG CAUSES FITS

When I woke up on Tuesday the fog was thick enough to cut it with a knife. Much much later it had disappeared. My late lunch in Chinatown was entirely fog-free, but not nut free. And it was probably a good thing I hadn't carried that knife around. There is enough madness on the streets of San Francisco that we don't need an armed irate Dutchman yelling at some random bozo to cut that out.


Besides, I'm pretty good at side-stepping loonies.
Rather than stumbling over them asleep.

Chap sleeping at the bus stop, half in the gutter. Didn't wake up when the driver tootled the horn, which is why the bus stopped three feet from the curb. A frowsty snoring gentleman near a half-eaten take-out meal. Old lady dozing in a doorway. And an insensate fellow sprawled across the pavement from the building to the parking zone.

Mind you, there were plenty of crazy people who were wide awake, erratic, and vocal. If you live in San Francisco you become adept at avoiding eye contact, attempts at imparting opinions, and a direct ambulatory line with stumbling people.

There are creatures stumbling through the San Francisco fog. A lack of visiblity is not these people's problem. Maybe they're just short on caffeine? Still, if they can't go in a reasonably straight line and refrain from conversation with non-existent friends and relatives while they ambulate, you step aside well before they draw abreast. They might be confused tourists.
But most likely not.

There are more of them at night. Liquor has something to do with that. In any case, I shall not tell them about the bags of tea in my left coat pocket, because heaven knows I do not wish to help them wake up. Smoking a pipe outside at night can sometimes be an adventure.

Avoid the dip in the pavement. Also avoid the dip on the pavement.
We really must do something about our sidewalks.



Burger place, beer hall, karaoke bar. It was saner and quieter indoors than it often has been. The bookseller has no more dentistry scheduled for the next five weeks, and he is very much looking forward to not having people in his mouth for the duration.

Last pub crawl until January.
Because of the holidays.



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