A window has opened. I don't know when it will close, but when it closes I will have made a decision to continue on, probably return to work at the newspaper, but something will have had to have changed. On the other hand, I may go through the window.

I didn't go through the window recently, or tried to, because an acquaintance called one morning. Mind you, I don't get phone calls anymore. I've stopped carrying a cellphone around unless there is some expectation of needing to contact people. And no one's called me in more than 3 weeks.

I was awake but not up yet, and was surprised to see ET's name on my ringing cellphone. I don't know if it was a dream I had, but I had some recall of ET calling me saying she was taking a day off from work and asking if I wanted to do a music exchange.

I answered the phone and she said she called in sick because she had a headache earlier, but now was alright and wondered if I wanted to go see the Tibet exhibit at the National Palace Museum. Still a bit groggy, I thought, "Not music exchange?".

We had mentioned the Tibet exhibit the last time we met up more than a month ago, and I had actually already gone and seen it without her because I had no reason to believe us going together was going to happen.

I initially hedged, but then remembered I'm the one who is supposed to agree to do something whenever asked, but I wouldn't be the one to ask. So I said yes, we went, one more day averted. Uncanny.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 5:04 p.m. - National Palace Museum.

At the end of the day, it could've been just as well she hadn't called. It may have been uncanny that she happened to call just that day, but that's not nearly an ounce as uncanny as where all the factors in my life have currently left me.

AUGUST 6, 3:55 p.m. - Climbing up to Yangmingshan Nat'l Park from the southeast off Zhishan Rd. 至善路.

4:25 p.m. - South-southwest-ish at the mountain ranges south of Taipei. Shinkong Mitsukoshi building next to Taipei Main Station visible to the right.

4:36 p.m. - Mountaintop telecom satellite dishes.

4:40 p.m. - I didn't ride up to here, but am looking back at from where I came.

5:07 p.m. - Southeast-ish view from Yangmingshan with Taipei 101 barely visible around the center.