It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn’t care who knew it.

It seemed like a nice neighborhood to have bad habits in.

I'm an occasional drinker, the kind of guy who goes out for a beer and wakes up in Singapore with a full beard.