Wednesday, October 16, 2024

     In the dark I first hear the sounds of the 5a.m. airplanes overhead. Then the sound of a car driving by the house.  At 7 the bugle music from the Army Presidio, the first of three bugle calls each day. During the daytime, the weekly garbage trucks, the street cleaning truck, the constructions workers trucks.  I recognize the mail delivery van. The high school, a block away, sounds of kids talking, bells, announcements, cars, ebb and flow of school life.  I hear the sounds but not the words. Dogs and sea lions barking. Always the distant sounds of highway traffic.

     I start reading, ENIGMA OF CHINA, by Qui Xiaolong.  The 10^th of the twelve detective stories set in modern Shanghai. Comfort reading. I have voted and now am tired of hearing about the campaigns.

     I dog sit the old fluffy dog for a couple of hours. This dog does not bark or bite. This is a stubborn smart dog who can read my mind. I don’t give out treats. The dog mostly stares at me or sleeps.  Sometimes she is at the screen door watching the birds.

     The California tax people have surrendered, and returned my money. None of their documents are signed. They are announcements of actions taken or threatened. I suspect I am communicating with an AI machine. But they returned my money. I guess I still almost understand how government works.