Pennsylvania

Today was hazy.
I slept in until 10. I bought a coffee and a muffin from the bakery at the end of the street and took it to the park. I read a chapter and a bit of "White Teeth". I gave Aletta her birthday present when I got home and then her and Simon went out for a bit. While they were gone Gabriel approached me and said that Simon had 'ordered' a Mariachi band to play for Aletta as a surprise. I'm terrible at surprises and Gabriel said that Simon said that he and Aletta would come home and then Gabriel and I would have to distract Aletta while the band set-up in her room. We were all convinced this was a bad idea and instead, the band came first and set-up and then Aletta and Simon would return from their walk. It was a really great present and the band, a three piece, sounded great. At one point though, I wasn't sure if we were enjoying the music or somehow exploiting a culture. We may have been doing both; I definitely enjoyed it.
I hung out around the apartment most of the afternoon, eating toast and drinking tea and reading. I watched "The Deer Hunter" (1978). It was 3 hours long, emphasis on the 'long' part. I thought it was really good though, I mostly liked the parts in that took place in America. I really identify with factory workers, and their steel-toed lives. Maybe it's somehow because of my dad. There's something about that persona though, like Jack Nicholson in "Five Easy Pieces" (1970) or even in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) . I'm almost in a way, envious. Maybe I'm just being maudlin though...
I made hamburger and potatoes and peas for dinner. I had a couple beer after dinner and didn't do much before going to bed.
I watched the trailer for the Ladyhawk documentary.
This is a picture of 'graffiti' near Schlesisches Tor;