my journal: various subjects, opinionating, CW at times
The title explains itself.
If you're interested in the ramblings of a middle-aged man with chronic conditions who, at times, sees things a little too clearly for his own good, then read on.
Sometimes I get political, but it won't be all the time.
I don't mind comments in general but if you're going to differ with what I write, that's fine--as long as you can explain your position clearly & reasonably. Rants, shouting & general incoherence will be ignored or flagged, depending on the situation. Try to remember that not everyone else in this world holds your beliefs.
Every so often I may post art or snapshots of projects I'm working on.
If you're still interested after reading all the above, great. (I do wonder at how much time you have on your hands, though)
This afternoon I hauled out the old steel workhorse, cleaned & lubed the chain, pumped the tires, the rode to Publix to get my prescriptions. The prices are ungodly now...it's phucking ridiculous. Didn't buy groceries...
...but I did ride there & back. After getting home & situated I checked the time: 9:25 p.m. I did it all in less time than I thought. I didn't hurry back to my apartment, either. On top of that, I finally have some cheese. Three different kinds, too. 😁 Omelettes & scrambles will taste good for the next couple weeks.
@slowdecline48 cheese makes just about everything better doesn't it? But holy *** going to the grocery store is freaking depressing
So Wednesday & Thursday I worked on the cane project--almost done now--& Friday I rode to Publix & back, in somewhat less time than expected. Probably because I hauled a.s.s when I rode from my apartment to the green overpriced supermarket.
Saturday, I paid for my insanity.
By this Sunday morning, I've dealt with the bill itself but still have interest to pay down. If you're older &/or do physical work often, you'll know exactly what I mean.
Thank you, @VictoriaLove7 ...for the upvotes.
If I believed in a god, I'd have to conclude that one of the ways he punishes people is by making them stay up all night with the runs. 💩💦
(Also if I believed in such a god, I would never worship him. He wouldn't deserve my respect, let alone veneration)
I tried to become a morning person...really I did. Seemed like I had a chance during the parcel search, finding one & the closing of the deal. But with the weather as it is now, well...
(I went to bed early & was awakened by the wind blowing my seat-bucket off the patio. Couldn't get it because the rain was starting. I said "phukit", poured myself the usual glass of water, then had oatmeal & coffee & got to work on processing a few art pieces for my online gallery (in a communal platform))
Guess I'll always be 85+% nocturnal. That's just me. ...it will make all the work on the land that much more difficult. You can't keep the neighbors up at night no matter where you are.
Now I must sleep...
@slowdecline48 Boy that would freak people out if they saw that on the highway 😅
Sorry the weather's been so lousy for you and a flare up on top of it. I hope you feel better soon
@mytwistedsoul 😂 Yeah. This platform has some interesting GIF options.
@slowdecline48 😂 Some of them are pretty interesting! I forget what I had typed into the search but the results I got were not at all what I was expecting! 👀
Some random verse.
When I composed* the above verse, I was quite sleep-deprived.
Yesterday afternoon I rode to the library to return that DIY book I photocopied pgs from--in pouring rain. Does that sound dumb? Well I had no choice. When did I leave my place?...I don't recall. The sky was still light, if you call gray & overcast "light". 😒
Went to the Dairy Queen nearby to get something to eat & wait for the storm to pass. The 🌧️ lightened up a bit but was still steady...then turned into a downpour right after the onset of night. All I could think was "Jeezus on f***ing toast, man"...*smh* Good thing I know the tied-plastic-bag-over-the-seat trick.
Finally it let up maybe an hour before the DQ was to close...still raining as I rode home, but slowly. (The rain was slow & I was too, until I ran outta patience at around the last quarter-mile)
Now there's slight pain in the front of my shoulders, my neck is bleh & of course my butt feels tender. But I don't mind. Standard cyclist soreness. Pain is fine as long as it's a result of some kind of achievement. If I can keep this up regularly, callouses will grow over my "sit bones"...that would be great. To paraphrase Don Corleone: women & children can afford to be soft. Men cannot.
*if that's a suitable word for how I came up with it... A less polite but more honest term might be "pulled out of my dazed a.s.s".
@slowdecline48 I was just thinking about you lol. Wondering how you were feeling and if the rain had stopped. How are things going at your property - aside from the bad weather and the flare-ups? No pressure to answer though lol
I appreciate the thoughts, Twisty. As for the rest...
...wish I had a boat. Even an aluminum 12-footer with an outboard would do.
Another few days of this nonsense & all the streets will be underwater.
@slowdecline48 Oh man that sucks! Seems like the weather likes to work against us when we have plans doesn't it? Hopefully it stops soon. I know you're kind of working on a timeline especially with your apartment 😕
So I left the Arts & Crafts forum weeks ago. No regrets. Tonight something else occurred to me, now that my head isn't hurting as much...
Should I shut down the hobby journal & leave that forum?
I hardly ever post anything in there anymore...rarely go to the forum itself anymore. As soon as the Arts & Crafts forum was put up, it stole the Hobby Zone's thunder. And these days most of my creative work gets posted elsewhere in any case. (No, I will not post a link to it. I keep my life compartmented. It's better for peace of mind)
If I ever post any more art in CupsLand, it seems like this journal would be the best place for it. My stuff in the HZ forum doesn't get much attention now.
What do you think?
@slowdecline48
I think it would be great to keep the one in hobby zone too, and write here to express anything in your mind. I remember someone awesome said that our mind is not a notepad, so write down anything that make us feel restless or any thought we have
After staying awake for most of Saturday night into Sunday morning, I slept...woke up briefly, twice. Finally I wake up & need to drain the bladder, much of my head pain was gone, I'm awake...& now it's just after 9:45 in the evening.
🤦🏼♂️
This kind of nonsense won't do once I'm on my land. For at least the first year--most likely, two--daylight will be the only light source I have most of the time.
How do I join the day people? I have to, now...out of necessity.
@slowdecline48 Tbh it's hard. Especially when there are days when health issues are acting up. Cause who can plan for those?
[CW: politics; my honest opinion (which often needs a warning label by itself)]
Activists are annoying. I mean all of 'em, regardless of their political or religious bent.
Activists as a class are a perpetual irritant, sometimes a disruptive force &, with rare exceptions, not conducive to maintaining social order or to any kind of progress. In most cases, society would do fine without them.
I've seen them in action for many different causes over the years: anti-abortion, pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro-gun, pro/anti-freedom of speech, etc. I was one myself, before I outgrew it & learned a bit more about how the world works. So I have a pretty good idea of their motives. Many of them just want to raise a row before the TV cameras (or cell phone cameras) & virtue-signal to their fellow tribecritters. Much activism is really atavism, as well as an exercise in narcissism--singular and collective alike. Those who are serious about their pet cause are, without exception, fanatics. Even if the cause they're marching & chanting for is a decent one, to the extent that they achieve their goals, it is always at the expense of all other sectors of society. Fanaticism brings a host of problems with it, as even a casual glance at the track record of the 19th through the current centuries proves. If fanatics engage in peaceful activism, there is always the possibility that they will tip over into straight-up terrorism & chaos.
The above has always been true. A more recent development is that activism has become a racket. If you play it right, you can rake in some serious cash as an activist. Just ask the former leader of Black Lives Matter (not to mention its current high-ranking officials), or Shaun King. He's been whipping up his constituency against America, Israel, white people &--at times--Jews in general for a few years now; he's also taken in hundred$ of thousand$$ in donations. One of his charitable organizations piled up a six-figure amount before it was abruptly dismantled. Do you wonder where all that money went?...
Yes, activism is nice work if you can get it. And if you have a sufficient lack of moral scruples. If you can substitute dedication to a cause for an actual conscience, then you'll probably succeed.
Don't get the wrong idea: I am not saying that modern society is perfect the way it is. There are always aspects that need improvement, & injustices should certainly be rectified. I don't think any of us would argue against that. But activists, as a group, cause more problems than they solve most of the time. Indeed, most activists never give any thought to feasible solutions for the issues they rail against. They want everything changed right now. But social change is only beneficial when it is done carefully, slowly, with observation & after sufficient forethought.