Thursday, September 17th:
I took the 1 downtown, intending to study at the Mechanics’ Library for my class that evening. The first problem I worked on was a “spot the mistakes” type, the sort of newspaper puzzle I skip because I know I’ll never find all (however many) errors and just end up frustrated. I skipped to the algebraic and balance-sheet problems before returning.
I could feel my mind growing dull, so I finished up the problem on which I was working and hurried over to the Commonwealth Club to hear Christopher Buckley speak on his new book, Supreme Courtship. He is extraordinarily well-spoken, although I do wonder if he sometimes finds it hard to avoid the shadow of his father – he quoted him thrice in the course of his speech. The protagonist and antagonist of the novel inadvertently resemble Obama and Palin – the Palin analogy, in particular, couldn’t have been deliberate. I didn’t stay for the signing – I was being cautious with my available funds, especially since my bank was being particularly unhelpful with an ID problem – and returned to my studies.
I bought some analysis paper at Patrick & Co., because I did not want to have to type up everything for my homework. I ended up staring at it. I realized that I knew its use in theory, but I am so digitized that I’d never actually used special accounting paper despite spending a good deal of my time doing the very same tasks for which the paper was designed!
Later on, as I was walking to the Embarcadero Tully’s to use their wi-fi (the Mechanics’ Library has a one-hour limit), I came across a most extraordinary sign at the corner of Market and Front. A small plaque, embedded in the paving at the Market side of the corner, did not mark the scene of some sordid deed along the Barbary Trail, but asserted loudly and aggressively that the owners of the building also owned (part of?) the corner. I know that businesses often block off sections of sidewalk for construction purposes, but this proprietary claim seemed unduly aggressive.
After the class, which was interrupted by many questions about the current financial debacle, had ended, I traipsed back to the bus stop, where I met Addie, who attends Grace. We had a nice talk about Proposition H and legalizing gay marriage.
