1) I got up at 5 AM - oh yes, I did! - and made it to Craig's by 6:05 AM to view the royal wedding. And it was wonderful to see Mass. Ave. devoid of rush-hour traffic.
2) And it was wonderful to enjoy the pageantry of the wedding at the home of my best friend with four of his friends, who all wore fascinators. There was a lot of witty badinage, none of which I can remember now - as effervescent and inconsequential as champagne bubbles.
3) Then into town on the Silver Line, witnessing Washington Street change from spacous urban thoroughfare to narrow downtown lane. I paused for a cup of coffee in Downtown Crossing and finished reading Double Indemnity. It's quite different from the movie.
4) Masssssssssssssage. How much baggage would I have to unpack to get rid of that persistent knot under my right shoulder blade?
5) Back in Downtown Crossing, I committed Acts of Retail, picking up a new seersucker suit and two pairs of shoes, and then spending a ridiculous amount of time at ye Bryttle Bykke Shop looking for something to read during lunch. Nothing caught my fancy, not even Simon Sebag Montefiore's huge Stalin bio The Court of the Red Tsar (which I do want to read, having read his history of the Romanov dynasty), until I turned to the Mystery section (which I never do at ye Bryttle). And there I found it: Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, by Yunte Huang. Remember back when I had the flu about six weeks ago? Toward the end of that gray episode I started watching all the Charlie Chan movies starring Warner Oland. This book is a perfect followup.
6) Mexican food for lunch, then home with the bulk of my purchases and an umbrella.
7) I had to leave the house almost immediately to do some food shopping. When I got back it was about 4:30. I started to write a column and realized I needed a NAP. One hour later, I had what I needed.
8) Mother called while I was washing the dishes. To my surprise and delight, she had picked up on my encouragement and watched the royal wedding, too! Talking about the wedding and comparing notes was one of the best parts of my day.
9) Finished that column (not as pleased with it as I'd hoped, but done is better than good), posted it, and wrapped myself up in a blanket, ready for sleep after a day of happy experiences.