Lot’s going on but not lots of posting. As I noted before I want to do helpful stuff on this blog. This post is selfish helpful. It’s helping me just think out loud.
Cycling w Friend/s == Sanity (for me at least)
Yes, it’s been a tough year for everyone in some different way. For me, it’s mainly the social aspect. I recognize that I am extremely fortunate (spoiled?) in many ways. I work from home in an industry unaffected (or that benefitted really) by the pandemic financially. I’m in good health, have health care, some financial reserves etc. If anything I’ve looked for some way to help others and struggled to find meaningful ways. I’ve made some donations and tried where I’m able, but am always looking for better ways to help/serve.
For many years though, I’ve struggled to have friends I do things socially with. I was just really starting to establish a good cadre of friends, people to do stuff with (mainly outdoors/adventuring). Then came Covid. A few trips have been scratched and when I try to schedule time off, I mostly end up scratching it as I don’t have anything planned.
I did establsih a regular riding schedule/pattern with a friend. It kind of evloved organcally. The consistency and blessing of riding with a friend have been a tremendous help to me through the last several months. It’s something we can do ‘distanced’. Mainly (well, only really), we’ve been mountain biking together. As I look back, that combination has been my regular outlet to help maintain sanity through much of the late Spring til now. $X months to go still. Have to figure out the winter now I guess.
Chickens are Cool Pets
They are a bit of initial work and my wife and kids deserve most of the credit for that period, but they’re pretty low maintenance overall and they shoot eggs out their basckside, which is pretty awesome (and tasty, nutritious etc.). The image above is of our “quarantine chickens”. We got them like the second day of the schools’ “soft closing” in our area as baby chicks. I try not to think of the cost per egg thus far (and ongoing) and just enjoy them.
Time off Twitter is Good
I’ve found myself getting spun up on Twitter being more cooped up (that saying makes so much more sense when you have chickens BTW) at home. So, I just finished my 3rd or 4th self-imposed Twitter timeout. It helps improve my mood. I see the wisdom (for me at least) in a social media fast. I’m considering how I can strike a better balance moving forward.
I went on Twitter briefly today as my self-imposed time had concluded as of 2 days ago. It was kind of like when I spent a week with Boy Scouts at a high adventure camp. As part of that experience, we had to leave behind cell phones, watches etc. (digital cameras were allowed). I recall loathing the idea of turning my phone back on and putting my watch back on my wrist. Having lived on our own island for most of a week and being on ‘island time’ was nice. Leaving that back for the grind was hard. Putting Twitter back in my routine is kind of like that. But I don’t have to. In fact, this brings me to my next point …
Trump Positive for Covid
Yeah, random thoughts, but this is what is currently happening and I just need to get this thought out with others. Instead of a crass tweet about it, I decided to come over here and write about it along with some of these other random thoughts. Almost no one (or maybe no one but me and some bots) will read this. Also, there’s no comments on this, so unless you know how/where to reach me … we don’t discuss (and potentially argue about) it.
It’s all over the news today. You won’t likely land on this page via a search. Even if you do, there’s nothing really informative here, just my random thoughts about it. The thing that [maybe] concerns me a little about it is how I feel about it. It boils down to these thoughts (about potential outcomes) for me at the moment …
a) I don’t hope that he dies from it, but as I think about that potential eventuality, I just kind of go “meh”. It troubles me a little that I do that, but I’ve got to be honest about it too. I can’t seem to muster any concern or sympathy in this scenario. Again, I don’t hope for a fatal outcome, but no tears would be shed in that case. Some relief would be had honestly as it would hopefully lessen some of the rancor and contention in our country … hopefully!
b) If it affects his ability to campaign etc. such that he loses even bigger than the predictions, cool! I’m done with having a White House resident that just stirs the pot and doesn’t seem to do much else. I recognize he may have some legit accomplishments, but I just see pot stirring.
c) If he has a momment of clarity and conscience because Covid kicks his butt thoroughly, that’s a small win I think. Can’t say I realistically expect that though. He’s gone around flaunting it in the face of information/warnings to the contrary. “It is what it is” as the saying goes.
d) Worst case scenario in my mind? He rebounds from it, gains some mass sympathy or whatever and wins the election. Don’t really know that I can take another 4 years like the last 4. Worst is the potential of seeing this crisis through or the potential train wreck of how he would handle the next crisis.
That’s all Folks
At least for now. Hopefully I’ll have something more helpful later, assuming anyone reads this.