Well, here I am at the end of another boring weekend. Nothing new to report from the previous two days, but I did have a bit of excitement today.

I finally got so bored that I had to leave the house, so I started looking for reasons - I was thinking about going kayaking, but couldn't find anyone interested and didn't feel like going myself, so I abandoned that. About 6, however, I started to get a little hungry and decided that it was as good a time as any to go down to the harbor and have some fish and chips at Ivar's. If you're ever there, I'll attest that the cajun fish and chips and a Coke really hits the spot, though I think $9.50 is a bit excessive considering what you get. I guess you have to pay for the location, though.

So, while I was sitting on the pier eating my fish and watching the world go by, a ferry pulled into Colman dock, just the next pier down from me. I didn't have anything better to do, so I figured I'd ferry on over to Bainbridge Island (about a 35-minute trip), check out what's there, and ferry back. I really wanted to get out of the house, you see. So, I purchased my ticket, whiled away 20 minutes in the ferry terminal reading "The Innocents Abroad," Mark Twain's European travelogue, and trying to ignore the various odors emitted by the ferry terminal and its passengers, and eventually boarded the ferry. I spend the next 35 minutes admiring various views of the sunset over the mountains, the moon over the city, and various other things that, were I not alone, would have caused me to "Oooh" or "Ahhh" audibly to the person next to me.

I arrived at Bainbridge Island a little chilly, but happy about the journey, and walked into Bainbridge Island city center. Well, I don't know if they move the city on weekends or if I didn't find the city center proper, but for 9PM on a Monday, the place was utterly deserted. I had hoped to find a cup of coffee or a cookie or something and read some more before getting back on the ferry. Alas. So, I went back to the ferry terminal, and read there on the gangplank until the next ferry arrived, and then ferried back to the city. Lots more oohs and ahhs would have been muttered, and a cup of cocoa from the hot drinks vending machine on the ferry actually proved to hit the spot quite nicely, exceeding expectations.

Once back in the city, I was faced with a nearly insurmountable 2-block incline to get back to a bus stop, so I took the obvious alternative, a ten-block detour that, while five times as long, was only slightly inclined the whole way. Plus, the detour had the side effect of allowing me to see what the crazies were up to this fine Monday, which I always like.

My, but the crazies were out in full force. The first struck as I was walking up 1st Avenue, between Union and University streets. A homeless man, thick matted beard and all, approached a pay-phone booth and began to examine the various leavings on the top of it. There were at least 2 fountain soda cups, an empty 40oz, and a pint of milk. To my astonishment, the man instantly reached for the milk, examined it carefully (both tactually and olfactorily), and presumably judged it safe, because he then drank whatever remnants were in the carton. Now, I understand being in need, and thirsty, and crazy; however, if I come to a point in my life where drinking things left on phone kiosks is no longer out of play, I will still maintain a staunch stance on leftover dairy - no milk. Anyway, I gagged a little in empathy, and moved on down the street.

As I was walking to my bus stop at 3rd and Pine, I heard quite a commotion coming from somewhere just up the hill. As I arrived at the top, I saw, across the street, about 5 young gentleman outside the McDonald's across the street, exchanging heated discourse and occasionally punching each other in the teeth. As this progressed, jackets and hats were shed, and then the two groups proceeded to beat the shit out of each other for about five minutes. After this was done, the groups began to retreat, reclaiming their jackets and hats, but then the discussion started up again - more words exchanged, jackets and hats shed, once again, onto the sidewalk outside the McDonald's, but, surprisingly, as the combatants approached each other and seemed about to erupt again, they shook hands and walked away amicably, collecting jackets and hats as they went. The reconciliation might've been related to the fact that three police cars arrived about 10 seconds after it happened, but it might not've. In any case, I couldn't ask for any better entertainment while waiting for the bus.

Shortly thereafter the bus arrived, depositing me back home, where now I think I'll go to bed.

At least I got *something* done today.