Miscellaneous update

Well, the weather has finally warmed up for more than a couple of days in a row.  It looks like summer might finally be strong enough to hold off winter's dying gasps.  I mean... it's mid-May in the Deep South.  It should have been like this a month ago.  *sigh*

I've begun a woodworking project and a metalworking project.  I've bought several tools recently, thanks to my Trump Bux, and I'm going to try to make some things that aren't too crude or ugly to just throw away in disgust when I'm finished.  I'm not a craftsman by any means, so it will be a challenge.  *fingers crossed*

I heard an owl last night.  It was a Barred Owl, a common species in this region.  It was pretty cool.  I don't get to hear owls hoot very often.  Now if only I could train him to eat some of the buzzards that plague the neighborhood...

I had a weird dream recently.  I was in an enormous building, sort of like an airport concourse, except the inside looked more like a castle, or maybe like the great hall of Moria from The Lord of the Rings.  I was running to gather my stuff in order to save it from being destroyed, because Godzilla was on the way.  Yes, that Godzilla.  I ran back the way I came with my stuff in my arms--I don't remember what that "stuff" was--with the thumps of the monster's footsteps shaking the place like the T. Rex in Jurassic Park.  Once I made it to safety, the scene shifted, Godzilla vanished, and then I had to deal with zombies.  I had to wrestle a few of the zombies in order to break free, and then I was on the run again.  Like I said... weird.

Got a new pair of boots.  First new boots in about a quarter century.  I'd forgotten how stiff new boots could be, so for the next several months, I'll probably wear them whenever I go anywhere in order to break them in.  They're handsome, though, and I like them a lot.  They have that wonderful new-leather smell.

That's all for now.  Y'all be careful out there, what with the virus and all.

Stealin' summer

The temperature dropped ten degrees this afternoon in about two hours.  There was no rain today, just a lot of wind.  It feels like winter is making a comeback.

It's May.  It's not supposed to be like this.  *shakes fist at cloud*

A new draft is conceived

I've started the first draft of book 5, Wheel of Fire.

I should have started this a while ago.  I meant to.  But my toe abscess happened, and then this virus nonsense swept us all up into a froth, and I've simply been too distracted to focus.

Today's the day, though.  The beginning has begun.  I've got 500 or so words down.

The novella I've been working on is now on the back burner.  I'll get back to it after this first draft is done.

Venturing out

I had an eventful Monday.  I actually went places.

The credit union's lobby was closed due to the virus, but they had the drive-through tellers going.  The connection was choppy--like a stream over poor bandwidth--but I got my Trump Bux check deposited.  Lol...

The post office was open as usual.  Most people there were in masks.  I also wore a mask and gloves which I discarded on my way out.  The gloves, not the mask.  I kept the mask.

Home Depot was open, but they were controlling the number of people in the store at any one time.  The entrance was roped off like a line at an amusement park.  No one was in line, though, so I guess I beat the crowd.  About half the folks there were in masks.  Maybe less.  The checkout lines had taped-off areas of the floor telling us where to stand and whatnot, though there were few enough people so that it didn't really matter.

I didn't see any corona zombies.  No riots or fights for toilet paper.  No crazed scolds whining about people being out.  It was an eventful day just due to the fact that I was out and around strangers, but it was uneventful by pre-plague standards.

Oh, by the way... I watched the movie Contagion the other day for the first time.  The parallels are a bit eerie.

Already a difference

My toe abscess sidelined me for about six weeks.  As a result of being more sedentary than usual, my legs atrophied a bit.

About a week ago, I went for my first walk around the block since before the abscess.  After the first minute or so, I was breathing hard and my legs felt tight.  A few minutes later, though, my breathing settled down and my legs loosened up.

I've gone for a couple more walks around the block since then.  I already feel stronger and looser.  It doesn't take much exercise to make a noticeable difference.

My hope is that I can finish 2020 in better shape than that in which I began it.

Adventures in plumbing

I cleaned out my sink pipes today.  The sink was draining slowly, so it was time.  I have to do this every once in a blue moon.  For whatever reason, the sludge builds up.  That's all it is, too: sludge.  There's almost no hair.  I make an effort to keep hair and beard trimmings out of the sink.

It's disgusting, but at least the sink drains a little better now.  Still not as fast as it should.  But that's life, I guess.

In other news, no Trump bucks for me yet.  I talked to my accountant, and she said I'd be getting a check in the mail.  So we'll see.

Finally wore real shoes again

I wore real shoes again today for the first time in about a month and a half.  Ever since I realized my toe was infected, I've been either going barefoot or sticking to slippers or flip-flops.  My abscess, though still discolored and slightly swollen, hasn't officially been infected for a while now, and it seems to be gradually getting back to normal.  I'm cautiously declaring it "healed," at least for practical purposes.

When all you've been wearing for the past several weeks is stuff with hard flat soles, you notice the change when you put tennis shoes on and walk around a little.  It's like walking on cushions.  It felt great.

I did some yard work, and that felt even better.  I've been cooped up and somewhat immobile, and I finally got to do something productive and physical.  When I finished, I came inside feeling like a million bucks.

Now I just need to polish off this first draft of a short story I'm working on.  I've got a little more gas in my tank, so maybe I can knock this thing out quickly.