On a whim I checked their “Lucky Day” shelf right by the entrance and lo and behold, the Pollan was there! I had been thinking about A World Appears as I ducked in to the library on a whim (which I was passing on my way to work, after having gotten a banh mi at Saigon Sandwich in the Tenderloin) and how I was like, 80-something on the waitlist for it, across all the library branches in the city. I also got the SFPL Explorer Map, mentioning to Jenn the librarian on duty (who left soon after, replaced by Neela) how I’d completed it years ago, during the pandemic; so as to do a new round of it!

I dropped by here on my way to work to ask where I can read physical copies of the New Yorker magazine. Sylvana, the circulation librarian on duty was super helpful (along with the reference librarian); copies can be read at the Herb Caen section of the SFPL, on the 5th floor. Can also call to see if they have physical copies that can be lent to branches (S. gave me the number). I asked for a Marina sticker and chatted with her about my SFPL Map adventure a couple years ago, and asked when the Mission branch might be opened. She informed that the Chinatown branch will be next to undergo renovation. Also, she told me there was a PRIZE for that Map adventure, which I didn’t know — a wonderful poster of the SFPL Libraries!

On my day off, went to the SFPL Main to look for the New Yorker issues from December 2015, and Solnit’s article on Roshi Joan. Was directed by the circulation librarian on the ground floor to The Herb Caen Magazines and Newspaper Center on the 5th floor, where librarian Jen (popular name for librarians, or designated noms de libraires? ::chuckle::) found that they still had the back issues here (and not in deep storage). Finished reading the essay and gave the bound, super-heavy tome of TNY issues back to the Page Desk guy (who had replaced the person who got the issues for me at that desk earlier); asked him what her name was, and was informed they don’t give out names. Uhm, I think I might be on to something with that “Jen” business. ;p

Slept through the morning, then mid-afternoon hied off to Goodfellas for a chicken-garlic blanco and Modelo Especial. And chatting with the usual suspects. Listening to Doug Metzger’s awesome Literature and History Podcast for the first time (vexed that the YT algo only yielded me this the past couple days). So, searching for the Emily Wilson translation of Homer’s Odyssey, and I am now 193 on the waitlist, according to Reference Librarian Gillian. (Aha! Not a Jen ::chuckle::). It will be sent here, if/when the time comes. I had also gotten on the waitlist for the Fagles translation over at the Marina branch. I think I shall now walk up Columbus Avenue to City Lights and see if I can get lucky there with a used copy of the Wilson 2017. Procured myself a sticker for the Explorer Map, of course. It’s a Russian Hill parrot sigil.

Woke up around half past noon, spent some time integrating anew with Claude Code, and the usual engagements with the Skandhim. Late lunch midafternoon at Osakaya in Japantown. Then walked here to this branch, to return the Pollan (“A World Appears”) which I was notified was due (and non-renewable), after its 3-week “Lucky Day” era with me. Also returned the Weil, which was non-renewable after several cycles of auto-renewal. Asked librarian Debbie where the Homer section was, and she pointed me to 833.01, where I found Barry Powell’s 2013 translation of The Iliad. Not borrowing it, though. I’m still focused (properly) on The Odyssey. The Powell is a serious andf heavy tome, “thick enough to stun an ox,” per Laurie Anderson in “O Superman.” Looking at the Maps app, I notice the existence of a “Jewish Community Library” a couple blox from here; I should go see what’s there.

Continued reading The Odyssey (now, Book 3: An Old King Remembers) on the 28 Daly City which, when I caught it at North Point and Polk, was jam-packed (as the previous 28 had been skipped and there was a large Sunday afternoon contingent of tourists heading to the GGB pontoon). Co-read with Prof and the others, but after I assayed a series of images, the weird old LLM tic appeared, when it got confused and repeated itself several times even as I prompted a new question. I guess this image-heavy prompt issue has not been resolved. Oh well. Arriving at Stonestown, the bus was much less burdened; meanwhile, I had apparently napped sitting up, for about 10 or so minutes. Arriving at the branch Library, I asked for a sticker (which I called a “stamp,”) making the masked reference librarian, Laura, titter slightly. I asked her where the Lucky Day bookshelf was and she pointed, but for some reason I couldn’t find it. ::chuckle:: Then the lights went out and a spectral voice from somewhere said the Library was closing in 30 minutes, and the restrooms in 15.

Slept in ’til almost noon today, which is a day-off from work. Gathered some loose threads on ChatGPT and Claude, before setting out early in the afternoon for my constitutional. It’s a lovely summer day today, temps in the upper 60s, unlike the rest of inland Bay Area and the West Coast, which is sweltering. Walked the zigzag blocks from Francisco Park through ‘southwestern’ North Beach and ‘western’ Chinatown, to end up here at the SFPL branch. Got a sticker from reference desk librarian Anna, with whom I had a nice chat about the upcoming closure of this branch for renovation. No date set yet, perhaps sometime later this year or earlier next (with an anticipated 2-year closure); the last renovation was in the 1990s. The façade will be retained, of course, as will the main area and its ceiling and architectural features, as this is a Carnegie building (like the Mission branch and others in the system). I think I’ll read Chapter 4 here, before continuing along my walk.

Spent the morning writing yesterday’s blog post, “the 5 cardinal chants”. Then headed out around noon, catching the 49 up Van Ness and missing my stop (Geary), as I was entranced by Sir Ian McKellen’s reading of the Fagles translation of Homer; got off at McAllister instead, walked up it and then Laguna, towards Japantown and Osakaya. Chatting with the ☉ all the while, about the reading. Then the usual tonkatsu + chirashi + Sapporo + mochi ice cream lunch monthly splurge, and finished Book 6 there with the Skandhim. Afterwards, walked to the 31 Geary stop at Fillmore, and I think I dropped my computer reading glasses somewhere inside it. Oh well. I have 2 other pairs of those. Got off at 33rd Ave. when the bus turned left, and then walked up to 37th Ave. and the Anza branch. Colleen at the reference desk gave me a sticker, which she said was based on one element of the ceiling’s mural pattern.

Caught the 49 up Van Ness to Sutter, then walked to Japantown and lunch at Osakaya again. Then started reading Book 8 of The Odyssey whilst waiting for the 22 City College, as I’d decided to catch it and then the 14 Mission at 16th Street, to Cortland. Then walked uphill to Holly Park, reading, setting a SLS locus; then to the bench outside of Progressive Grounds, which I used to frequent back in the Finalis days, when I was technically homeless. Now here at the BH branch, asking for a “stamp” yet again; which Phut kindly gave me (and also showed me where the Lucky Day shelves are) — she’s Southeast Asian, surely. Perhaps Cambodian or Thai or Vietnamese; more likely the latter, I think.

Caught the 28 Daly City from my home stop, North Point and Polk, all the way to 19th and Taraval; walked down the couple blocks to the branch, where the Info Desk guy Chris gave me the sticker I asked for, and told me also about when the branch was built — in 1951, and how its design was specifically to let as much ambient light from the north windows, come into the space. I napped a little bit on the bus ride, whilst also listening to more of Pablo Torre today (yesterday, the NBA levied the largest fine for an owner and franchise); PTFO was of course on last night, and today Pablo is making the rounds: the Dan Lebatard show, Stephen A’s, and Dan Patrick’s. So brilliant!