Dialing Up Tuesday Tidbits

 Here are a few tidbits this early March morning. I reserve the right to develop any or all of these into full blog posts at a later date—or not. We'll see.

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We were delighted to have my sister, Carol, and my brother-in-law, Mike, visit with us this weekend. It had been about a decade since the last time they were here. We've seen them in Michigan and Florida, but it's rare for them to visit here.

There was a lot of conversation and laughter. We consumed mass quantities, watched some movies, and visited Brunswick and Jekyll Island.

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My record of job success has been much less than that of most of my family. Others have achieved greater standing and better pay. Sometimes, this makes me feel inferior. But then I feel proud that so many I have helped raise and support have done well. I have some really good boys, and I am super proud of everything they have achieved.

I could have done more in my career, but it would have cost time to be with family, participate in theatre, and enjoy life. The bottom line is that with careful money management, we have done very well. It's true we don't have second homes and lavish vacations, but we have done most of what we wanted to do.  

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I dreaded my Thursday appointment with my physician's assistant. I'm at the age where you're not really sure what you're going to find out, But it went better than I expected, and I have no new crises to deal with. The best part? A medical intern looked at me first, and I commented on my blood pressure that it wasn't bad for someone 68. He left, and when he returned with the PA, the PA said, "Man, you look good. You don't look like you're anywhere near 68!" 

That was the first time I had ever heard anything like that. I about wept for joy.

I'm used to Alison being complicated because of how young she looks (and justifiably so), but me? Never.  

I will take it and put it in my Compliment Treasure Box.

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The "When will they ever wake up?" news about Trump continues to be mixed. Per the Supreme Court, states must keep an insurrectionist on the ballot. Also, the Supreme Court is slow-walking the absolute immunity case, which may delay the federal trials until next year.

What all this means is that we can't expect the courts and justice to bail us out.  We the people are going to have to end this madness by voting against Trump in the Novembe election  Only a thundering beat down at the polls will eliminate this threat.

Are we up to the task?

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Benjamin is back from Sweden and may see us this weekend. He is happy but tired. If I get any pictures, I'll be sure to share them.

Sincerely,

T. M. Strait

Blog Only Special

 No pictures.  No promotion.  I will just post this to my blog. It may help give me a gauge of what my true numbers are.

HEATH; Last check my blood pressure and blood glucose were not too bad, at least for a lazy fat man. My periodic knee and foot pain have been under control for most of the year.  It unfortunately been replaced with what I think is sciatica pain, a big pain in the ass that sometimes is also in my upper and power right leg. We're working on things to help, but it's been months now.  It hurts but most people are less aware of it because it doesn't affect my walking as much as the knee/foot pain did.  I also have more of what I will euphemistically call "stomach issues", sometimes aggravated by lactose, or maybe also medication I'm taking.  Hard to say, but I'm also working on that.

WRITING: It's not good.  Still hard to get in the rhythm.  I'm not giving up.  

BENJERMAN:  He continues to recover from his broken femur, now using a cane and driving on his own.  We think it might only be a couple of weeks and he'll be ready to resume his job in Warner Robins.  He has secured a first-floor apartment, and it will be ready for him to occupy.

GRANDCHILD: I am thrilled that we were able to visit for a week, and am looking forward to returning when we can.

WORK: Yeah. I don't work.  But I am interested in opportunities that will help build up our travel fund so we can visit family more.  So, maybe I'll figure out something soon.

CHURCH: I love our church.  I'm less thrilled being their Treasurer, but it's all part of my service/tithe I guess.  It's great watching our church defy the trend of shrinking churches.  No, we'll never be a mega-church, but we are serving a great need - we are inclusive, including being welcoming to Progressive Christians such as myself.

THEATRE:  Haven't done a play since Harvey (October 22), but I'm getting the bug again, and I'm thinking of trying out for CLue this Spring.

TV: Most recently watched Dead Ringers series on Prime with Alison- left me confused and kind of grossed out by the surgeries it graphically showed. I'm watching Twisted Metal on Peacock which I guess is based on a video game?  It's not too bad, with science fiction/apocalypse elements that I like. I also am keeping up with weekly episodes of Invasion on Apple+ - it's a little like the HG Wells novel, and sort of not.  I like it - there is a realistic approach to the story that I appreciate.

COMICS: Not much to say here.  I continue to read Superman and Family as much as I can.

I could write about politics, but that would make this way too long.  I still extend my standing offer - if you once liked Trump and have now turned on him - I would love to hear from you.  Please help brighten up this sometimes very dark world.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

August Arrives Early and Saves the Day

Atrium Medical Center.

It's the second-largest hospital in Georgia, with Grady Hospital in Atlanta being the largest.

It's in Macon, Georgia. You know...the small town of 157,000 that Jason Aldean grew up in. In fact, near the hospital, there is a small road or path or crosswalk that is called Jason Aldean Way. Seriously. The number of people employed by the hospital alone is 4,600 - more than the total population of REAL small towns.

With a hospital that large, you're going to have some bureaucracy. Not everyone is going to be speaking from the same page at the same time. We had to run through some contradictions even just to see Benjamin (read the blog story Benjamin Takes A Break). He's here...he's not here...you can't see him - he's in observation...whoops...he is here...and you can see him. Different people, different answers.

This is not to be overly critical of the hospital. People can be well-meaning and kind and still not have the best information or the means and speed to help.

But I will credit Atrum for this...both the emergency room and his recovery room had one nurse who seemed to be as much a patient advocate, much more than just somebody to take vitals and bring bedpans.

I didn't catch the name of the guy in the ER, but he was kind and funny and helped address the needs of Benjamin and his confused and worried parental units. He kept us informed and helped bring the right people to tell us what was going on.

Then, we were moved to the main part of the hospital, where he would be taken for surgery and brought back to recover.

It was July 29th. And that's when the miracle occurred. She came in and signed her name on a whiteboard in the room. She wrote her name, August, and her contact number.

Never in my life have I seen a nurse as kind and as attentive. She explained everything that was going on. She brought Benjamin whatever he needed, and even Alison and myself.  

Most importantly, as Alison and I would hear different things from different people, she would cut through the red tape and get us the needed answers. 

The hospital was a labyrinth to get around. We asked how to get to a nearby Dominos, and she walked us through the hospital maze to the street where Dominos was at. 

I don't know if Atrium has really structured their staff to include an ally/advocate, but if they have, my hats off to them - it's the best thing I've ever seen a hospital do.

If they haven't - then you need to do so. August arrived early and saved the day.

Our healthcare system is a mess - expensive and inefficient, terribly hard on anyone not swimming in money and/or superior health insurance. Having caring human beings advocating for patients would at least mitigate some of the rough edges.

Let August lead the way.

 

Benjamin Takes A Break

 

It was the last day of his internship. Benjamin had done fantastic, and they would transition him into a full-time job as soon as his college transcripts (including internship) and diploma were complete and he could arrange housing in the area.

But first - to celebrate! On the afternoon of that last day, all the interns came out to play a massive game of...PAINTBALL! Benjamin was excited! He got his paint gun, got in place, and geared up for the start.

It starts! Benjamin takes off!

And trips. Falling in such a way that some items in his cargo pants pockets jam into his leg, causing inscrutable pain. He can't get back up.

At first, they thought it might be an ankle sprain or a heat cramp. Whatever it was, he can't get up. The supervisor decides to call an ambulance and take him to the hospital. As it turns out, that may have been a lrg-saving decision.

The supervisor calls Alison. We are eating a delicious Greek lunch in Jacksonville after getting her Subaru serviced. She tells us what happened and that he has been sent to the hospital. We decided to go to Warner Robins. We are an hour and a half away from home and two and a half more hours after that to get to Warmer Robins.

When we get to the hospital in Warner Robins, we are told he's not there anymore. He's been sent to the Atrium Medical Center in Macon. When we get there, we are told we can't see him because he is in an "observation area" and can't see him until he gets an ER room.

This is incredibly frustrating. We are about to lose it, when we get a call from a good friend of Benjamin's friends, who is IN THE ER ROOM with Benjamin. We get that straightened out and get back to see him.

And that is when we see the picture above.

Benjamin has broken his femur. One of the toughest bones in the human body, and my son has managed to snap it in two.

While in the ER, they drill a hole just below the knee so they can use the contraption above to stretch his leg correctly in preparation for surgery in the morning. The surgery would place a metal rod bringing the femur back together.

At about 3 in the morning, they moved him into a room in the central part of the hospital to help prep him for surgery. All three of us get very little sleep.

The surgery, around 7:30 in the morning, was successful. Not that Momma and Daddy didn't have a stressful time waiting.

This picture was taken a day after surgery. He has managed to get in a chair. You can see the bandage around his knee. And he's wearing skidproof socks.

He recovered enough to take home late Monday, and we now have him recovering at home. On Tuesday, he started physical therapy with our good friend Audrey Jernigan, and he continues to improve. However, the whole process may take six to eight weeks.

Thankfully, his employer has placed him on injury leave, and a job will await him when he recovers. I am very grateful to them for this and their quick action when he was hurt.

One of the things I am glad Benjamin inherited from me was my sense of humor. Despite his pain, he continued to make jokes and help others laugh. In that spirit, here's a post-surgery picture of his foot.

As Bruse Banner would say - "You don't want to get me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry."

Sporadic Re-Entry: Wednesday Wanderings

 

These are many evenings after Alison and the little dogs go to bed, Cocoa Bear stares at me. She knows if she keeps it up, I might give her snacks.

Ok, there's no maybe to it. I give her snacks. She has her cognitive treats, a joint health treat, and some soft chew dog treats. Look, she's fifteen. I'll feed her whatever she wants.

She had a rough go about a month ago - barely able to walk, very disoriented. But she is much better now with the vet's help and our love and care. Yes, she's old. Yes, she gets confused. Yes, she moves slowly and takes long naps. But she's a good dog, likes to be with me, and eats well.

UPDATE ON BOOK SALES:

I got my check! After OHC's commission, I took home a whopping $39.75! Don't laugh. That's $39.75 more than I made last year!

I need to reorder more copies of my books so I can do it again. If you are interested in my books, please check Amazon. Most are available for no charge if you use Amazon Kindle Unlimited. I know I will never get rich doing it, but it is fun to have readers.

Wish me luck in reorganizing my life to write more.

UPDATE ON BENJAMIN

Benjamin is in the 6th week of his 6-week internship with Warner Robins Air Force base. He has garnered a full-time position after the internship is over. He'll have to transition from dorm housing to an apartment by July 28th. We helped him look some last weekend, but he still needs to secure a place. Sometimes, as parents of a young adult, you have to learn to step back and let them find their own way. It ain't easy.

UPDATE ON THE LIBRARY

Alison and I have grown to love our local libraries very much! We participate in two book clubs, the Mystery Book Club and the True Crime Book Club. It's a great joy to be discussing books with fellow readers. And we often go off-topic! Some people read the hard copy, some use e-readers, some use audio, some watch a related program, and some just bluff. It's all good!

Alison goes up to a knitting/crochet group once a week. I read children's stories at the Pierce County Library. I love reading aloud to people, especially children.  I do female-voiced characters sometimes. I guess I can get away with it because I'm not in drag. Drag StoryTime may not be my thang as a performer, but believe me, I got no problem with it.

Another new great thing about the Library is that they have added access to the Kanopy streaming service. I'll post a blog soon about how absolutely awesome that is!

UPDATE ON GRACE EPISCOPAL

We have a priest in charge now, contracted for the next seven months (or six - I'm not sure). He is Father Donald Holland, who is a friend and a Waycross resident.

My favorite thing to do in church is read the Lector's reading and/or Prayers of the People. Reading aloud - it's what I enjoy most.

My desire to be involved with the church ebbs and flows. Right now, I am more at an ebb. I have less enthusiasm about it right now. Maybe soon, the feeling will come back.

UPDATE ON THE TRUMPOCALYPSE

One of the things that I've learned in the True Crime Book Club is how long even the most obvious killers take to come to trial. The most recent we read took six years for an arrest and another three years to go to trial.

What does that mean? My hope is that Trump would have completed trials and verdicts before the Presidential Campaign got into swing.  

Those hopes are dashed. It has been so slow to get indictments, and then you find out it will be months or even years before the trial, even under the best circumstances. Right now, all we're seeing is why wealth and privilege rule all in our society. Trump's major tactic is to obfuscate, lie, draw attention to others, and most of all - delay, delay, delay! And his plan is working.

If only conservatives would turn on him instead of trying to shuffle the last deck chairs on the Titanic.

But I've hoped for that for almost eight years now. I guess it's not gonna happen. I guess they'll just turn a federal (or state) prison into a White House.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Wonderful World of Soccer Weekend!

 

What a great birthday weekend!  We celebrated by attending a game of our favorite team - Atlanta United.

We used to see one or two games a year using my son Doug's season tickets, but alas, Doug has moved to the Catskills and can no longer attend regularly.

We were able to pick up two great seats in the secondary market.  They were in a section for Delta Sky Miles members.  We had our own food services and restrooms.  We ate a delicious brisket sandwich in a dining area before the game.

We came early, so we could greet the players coming into the stadium.  Alison was near the front and could touch hands with at least a half-dozen players.  She commented good luck to them, as those players did quite well in the game, including Tyler Wolff, who helped score a decisive goal.

Yes, we saw our favorite team win, beating DC United 3 to 1!

I'm not sure if I've ever attended a game where they lost.  They might want us to attend more often!

Also, we met our working boy, Benjamin, for lunch in Macon.  He's only one week in, but he is doing very, very well.  The odds of this turning into a regular job after the internship period are very, very good.

We're proud of our team!

We're proud of our boy!

And I'm happy to have a joyous birthday weekend!

Also:  the topper is my 14-month-old granddaughter sent me some Snickerdoodle cookies (she may have had some help preparing them, but that's just a guess).  They were extra delicious.  And I got to read her a story on my birthday!

Woot!  Woot!

The Graduate!

Well, he did it!

Benjamin Strait is now a college graduate! Four years at Georgia College & State University!

He graduated Cum Laude, which meant he had a grade point average of 3.60 or higher! Only three students in Computer Science graduated Cum Laude or better, and he was one of them!

It wasn't all peaches and cream. Like other students, he went through the pandemic, when many classes were online and many student activities were curtailed. Nevertheless, he developed many friendships in college and online through his Dungeons and Dragons group.  He visited with one of his friends, Eddie, in Sweden for about a month. So Benjamin is now more well-traveled than his parents. He made other friends while in Sweden, and I know he'll want to go back.

Not every Professor was charming or helpful, but Benjamin learned to adjust to different personalities and do his best.

He was an active participant in Georgia College Episcopal Campus Ministry.  It helped provide camaraderie and spiritual guidance.

Benjamin will start his internship with Warner Robins Air Force Base this summer. After that, it could develop into a full-time job.

Yes, Warner Robins seems far away, but it is a distance we've grown used to. It doesn't seem quite so bad as my oldest son is in California, and my middle son is in New York.

Of course, there's nothing to say for sure that Benjamin will settle in Warner Robins. Mom and Dad will just have to handle it when that day comes.

Congratulations, Benjamin! We love you so very much!

 

It's Back!

 

Once again, I'm having trouble spending much time at my desktop. 

This time, however, it's not my feet or knees.

Now, it's the back.

I'm not complaining...just letting you know a part of why my blogging is limited.

This is unusual. Most of the time, I have low-grade back pain, but it's at a nuisance level and not a restrictive level. Once in a while, I'll have a back spasm that's usually over in a few minutes.

But this? Chronic back pain that lasts for days and days? That hasn't happened for years.

I can't say for sure what caused it, but the most likely suspect was spending too much desk time on Monday, August 8th, preparing for a class I had that night that required a lot of reading and watching videos.

Fortunately, it didn't stop me from helping Benjamin move into his college apartment. It was painful, but I got through it. We had A LOT of help from church family - Dan Strickland and his mother, Linda, who also brought Benjamin some furniture and household supplies, and the Holland family (Donald and Brandy Holland, and daughter Lilli - their oldest daughter, Carli, had moved into the dorms the day before). As they say - "many hands make light work." Which is better than the other saying - "many feet make stinky wine."

The only change in my back condition is that earlier, it seemed the pain would be at its worst when I tried to get out of bed or after sitting for a while, and standing or moving reduced the pain. Unfortunately, starting yesterday, that's no longer true. Pain can accelerate even during/after walking.

Last night I went to my first play practice for Harvey. There was pain, but I think I hid it well. It didn't really hit me too bad until the drive home.

Well, I better not go on too long. I need to get over this because...my grass is growing again. I'm going to have to mow, starting tomorrow or Thursday.

Be patient! I'll do my best to stay in touch, my blog buddies!

T. M. Strait

Stockholm Swedrome

 

Benjamin's in Sweden!

Yep.  My 21-year-old baby boy is in the middle of a one-month visit to Sweden!  Except dips into Canada with us, it's his first visit to a foreign country.

I would love to show you dramatic pictures of Stockholm and the Swedish countryside, but that's not the pictures we're getting back. Instead, the picture above indicates where he's spending the most time - the Dragon's Lair, a gaming shop where they can play Magic and D&D*. 

I don't think he's having too many language issues.  Many speak Swenglish, a combination of English and Swedish.  The signage is often in English as well.  If not, his Swedish friends help him translate.

Benjamin also spends time eating.  This, I believe, is an entrance to one of those restaurants.

And what else would he get there but...Swedish meatballs!

Benjamin is not alone there.  Here are some of his Swedish friends.  He is staying at the home of his friend, Eddie, and Eddie's family.  Eddie is the blond on the left (?).  Yes, some Swedes are blond.  Is that a big surprise?

This is another restaurant.  It almost looks like something out of an amusement park.  Or Dave & Busters.  

We're glad Benjamin is having a great time.  He should be back a couple of days before returning to Milledgeville for his last year of college.

After that, who knows?  He'll have a degree that might allow him to work wherever he wants.

And the way things are going in this country, it's almost understandable if he leaves.  That is not what Mama and Dad would like.  We know he won't stay in Blackshear, but some places he's considering now seem so far away.

But, what we really want, is for him to be happy.

That's the important thing.

Genuine Wednesday Wanderings

 What the hay. Let's start off today's blog with a stolen joke.

We do have an abundance of Hunters in the area.  Hunter may be the new Bubba.

Benjamin's name is somewhat rarer, although there were at least a couple others in his public school grade.  It gets even rarer, though, because many shorten to Ben, or even (gulp) Benji.

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We are in the thick of a warm, wet summer.  I haven't seen projections for the next two months, but I'm guessing it will be hotter with less rain.  That has been the trend in recent years.

I don't think we've had a day yet where the high temp has been over 100.  Those days may be yet to come.

Unlike many here in Southeast Georgia, we don't want to go SOUTH for summer vacation (Florida, Caribbean, Cancun). Instead, we like to go north, where it might be cooler. Had we done that this year - boy! Would we have been fooled!  The Pacific Northwest, a favorite spot to think about, recently had temperatures soaring into the 110s!  Another area we like, British Columbia, got hot enough to cook the shellfish on its shores!

There may be no escape now from the effects of global warming and climate change.

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Despite my best efforts to change, the rhythms of writing continue to elude me.

As I age, my goals and focus shift.  Yes, I would like to phase out my accounting career, but I am less sure about what takes its place.  I am trying to come to terms with my lack of success as a creative talent and am slowly learning to find joy in simpler things - life, family, church.  

That missing gap, where I need to earn a certain income range to properly contribute to the family's well-being, continues to only be filled by my part-time accounting career.  I may need to be happy just doing that.  I may need to learn to accommodate it, at least for now.

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I'm not sure why the filibuster is needed.  The Senate is already heavily weighted towards smaller populations, highly conservative states. 

The whole idea that one party will ever have 60 votes, enough to stop a filibuster, is a fantasy.  It is also a fantasy that the Republican Party will ever compromise and work with the Democratic Party on anything significant.

If the filibuster was used rarely and done by Senators holding the floor (ala Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), I might favor it.  But it is used as a default position to end any legislation.  And we have too many problems in this country for the Senate to be trapped in permanent paralysis.

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Maybe we'll see Black Widow this weekend.  If so, it will be my first time back in the movie theatre since January 2020, when we saw Doctor Doolittle.

I still am queasy about COVID-19.  There are so many unvaccinated in our area, and cases are starting to rise again.

Please get vaccinated for the sake of yourself, and for your family and friends.

Let's git-er-done, America.  We can lick this thing if we all work together.

Good Cookies!

Our church, Grace Episcopal, recently held a cookie decorating taught by the talented Papani Saini.

Our family participated. It overwhelming shows where the artistic talents lie.

Spoiler Alert:

It is not with me.

Tom's Cookies

I got an A for creativity and a D- for execution.  OK, it'd not do much creativity as I didn't follow the rules.  Patrick was actually supposed to be a kaleidoscope of colors, as you'll see from Alison and Benjamin.  

USA is supposed to be a red state/blue state division based on the 2020 election. So I had a blue dot in Nebraska and a red dot in Maine.  I also tried to show Georgia as a sea of blue in an ocean of red.

Alison's Cookies

Here’s the cookies Alison decorated as part of Grace’s cookie decorating class. She received much higher grades than I did. And deservedly so!

Benjamin's Cookies

 From the cookie decorating class, these are the cookies my son Benjamin done did. You will see these cookies no more. He done et them all.

He did not keep Hope alive.

Let the Parade Pass You By

 

It was Benjamin's birthday weekend.

And for his birthday (now 20 - no more teenagers!) he likes to go to Chamblin Bookmine.  I am a bookstore connoisseur, and for my money, the Bookmine is as good or better than any bookstore I've been in, including the Strand in NYC and Powell Books in Portland, Oregon (this is especially true for used books).  Masks are required, and it's not very crowded, so social distancing is easy.

To get to Chamblin in Jacksonville, we travel a road that takes us past the town of Callahan. We had to detour around the town of Callahan because they had a Christmas Parade.  

Yes, for real.  A Christmas Parade, in the middle of the most virulent part of the Pandemic.  A parade where masks were few and far between,  A parade where social distancing was non-existent.

I glimpsed the main drag of the parade, and it was packed.  Thousands crammed together, and all I could think of was a Hieronymous Bosch painting, displaying the horrors of the apocalypse.

In the picture above, two of the paraders have masks on - well, costumes, at any rate.  Few, if any, are detectable in the crowd.

Here is another crowd shot.  Shriners in their funny little vehicles.  And, they're maskless, of course.  As is the vast majority of the packed crowd.

An unmasked 97-year-old veteran rides a bike through the parade.  I admire him.  I admire his service.  I pray that he stays safe. I'm not positive, but I think he may have a mask below his chin.  Perhaps he put it on when people got closer.

Kudos to the girl in front with the candy bucket, who is wearing a mask, and the one person in the audience I could see wearing a mask (you could play Where's Mask-O and see if you could find it too).

No, I did not take these pictures.  I stole from the interwebs, using Callahan Christmas Parade 2020.

And no, this isn't the only Christmas Parade going on around here.  Blackshear had theirs last night. Waycross will have theirs on December 12th.

There are events all over.  Some done safely, others not.  There are plans for an ice skating rink (yeah - South Georgia and ice skating - try not to think about it too much).

And yes, outdoor events, particularly if masked and not too crowded, are safer than indoor events.

But indoor events are going on too. Some area churches have complete disregard for public safety.

If God is telling you to not wear a mask and behave as if there is no Pandemic and that your personal liberty to live and worship as you please is paramount, disregarding the safety and well-being of others - I hate to break it to you - but THAT AIN"T GOD TALKING TO YOU.  You have seriously got your spiritual wires crossed up.

For those of you who still care to protect themselves and others - don't give up!  Let this parade pass you by, and take care of yourself and your loved ones.  

Just because everyone else is behaving like a self-centered lunatic doesn't mean you have to join in.

Wear a mask.  Socially distance.  You don't have to be a hermit. Use caution, and give a damn about others. That's all we're asking.

Taking a Knee Wednesday Wanderings

 

There's my Boss-A-Man, ready to make my day better.  Always my pal.  Especially on those days when I don't go to work.

Interesting experiment here.  Usually, when I retrieve photos from my phone, I post them to Facebook and then save them to my desktop to use them here. I post them to Facebook only to me, so the only way you see them is through my blog.

I didn't do that this time.  I posted the photo to everyone.  It will be interesting to see how many likes and comments the photo by itself gets compared to the blog story.  I think I know which one is going to win.

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Personal health kvetch:  knee pain had receded but is now back with a vengeance.  Everything is painful - standing, sitting, walking, laying down.  I'm back to using Voldemort (Voltaren); maybe that will help in a few days.  I hate seeing a doctor, particularly during the COVID times, but I may not have a choice.

Y'all probably hope I do so I can quit kvetching about it.

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I have been reading the Sally Field book In Pieces, and I am up to the Gidget years.  She has always been a secret crush of mine and has remained beautiful and bright throughout the years.  Her trauma as a child is greater than I thought it was, showing you don't always know what people are going through.

No steaming service is showing Gidget, except for some episodes posted on YouTube.

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I really want to turn my back on Trump, but he and others are not making it very easy.  His delusional rants that he won are coming across more and more insane, and it makes me worry about those who are willing to go along with him.  He is doing one last grift before he leaves, squeezing millions out of his supporters that will help guarantee his lifestyle when he leaves office.  If he leaves office.

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Benjamin is closing up his last week of school, which he is doing from home.  He has a final today and a couple more later this week.  

It has been a strange college experience for Benjamin.  His social skills were really sharpening before COVID,  and I hope he can return to that sometime next year.

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I stumbled into a conversation I did not want to pursue, lest it gets me into trouble. I said something about a change in relationship with a fast food place in association with Benjamin's college food service, and that it was COVID related, and a person hearing this started on how COVID protocols were making a lot of stupid things happen. a lot of unnecessary restrictions (I guess that's what they meant).  

I did not pursue it. But it was a reminder that I live around many people who do not take COVID seriously and think that the restrictions imposed are worse than the pandemic.

That's insane.

First, this area never really shut down.*  It's always been snotty and defiant here. And to me, it's the major reason we still have to deal with COVID for months instead of weeks. The people here do the bare minimum they're required to do (if that), thinking the restrictions are silly and inhibitive.

How much do we have to suffer because people don't take this seriously?

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I should write more, but I do know it hurts to sit too long at the desk.  So, I'll call it a wander, and hopefully, move on to more coherent topics later.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

* Having a first implies there is a second and maybe more.  Alas, there is not.  I should fix it, but that is a thought process that is just too much for me this morning.

Sunset Over Beaufort Wednesday Wanderings

This was last week. We took a short mini-vacation in Beaufort, South Carolina.  This is the view of the sunset from the deck of our vrbo rental.  Vrbo stands for vacation rentals by owner.  I don't think it's completely independent.  Somewhere there is a big corporation making some money - shared advertising resources, maybe?

Anyway, it was a great time.  The place we stayed in was very nice and relatively secluded.  The town was quaint, not super crowded, and all the stores and masks required signs, which everyone followed without fuss or muss.  There were no contradictory snotty signs that said this was store was not going to 'inforce"* the city ordinance, as I have seen in both Waycross and Milledgeville.  I didn't even see the waiver of liability signs that tell customers that they can't sue if they come into your establishment and get sick as a result.

It's a shame when you feel safer on vacation than you do at home.

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How are you, Tom?  Thanks for asking.  I continue to have knee and foot pains, but their severity has been reduced.  If I'm cautious, I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

I'm using a medicine/salve called Voldemort**, and I put marijuana*** on my foot (until I runned out- now I'm going to go back to my dealer****).

I think I've figured out that my condition is aggravated when I sit too long in certain positions.  This would explain why it happens more on vacation, where I have long car rides or plane trips.  

I don't think it was the car trip to Beaufort - that was less than three hours away. I think it was the five days glued to the desktop waiting for the election results to come in.  I really wanted to be there when Trump officially lost the election.  Ironically, it happened when I had finally given up and had gone out for a short walk.  

If only I had interrupted for more short walks, I wouldn't be as messed up as I am.

For the whole election chronicle, please see my whole series entitled "Sort of a Live Blog."

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I won't dwell more on the election here, as I have plenty of other blog stories about it.  Suffice to say, it has consumed me this month.

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The Michigan Wolverines are terrible this year.  And...so what?  This is not the year for records and championships.  This is the year for just praying that the students, staff, and others involved remain safe. Should Harbaugh be replaced?  Not something to deal with this year.  The students need continuity now more than anything else.  I have a feeling Harbaugh will find another opportunity at season's end, and Michigan will be spared having to outright fire him.

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COVID-19 spread and destruction are worse than ever right now. They warned us that if we did not get a handle on it by now, that it would rage in the Fall.  It was ignored in many areas, and lo and behold, it is now raging out of control.

It has been demonstrated over and over, in different states and other countries, that mask-wearing, social distancing, testing, and contact tracing can bring this under control.  In some cases, lockdowns may be necessary.  

This is not an issue of personal liberty.  This is an issue of personal responsibility, of giving a damn about your fellow man.  I am so disgusted by those who've turned it into a political issue.

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I am reading Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov, a play set in rural Russia.  It's in the public domain, so I'm thinking of updating to recent times and place it in South Georgia, with the goal of it being performed by a local theatre group.  

What I need to do is find an editable PDF version that will allow me to make changes.  To rewrite it from scratch might take me forever.

And I don't know if I want to sit forever in front of this computer to do it.  Not after what I've been through this last week. Viva la get up and stretch my legs more frequently.  Hopefully, I've learned my lesson.

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Benjamin should be home early next week!  He still will have a couple of finals after Thanksgiving, but those will be online, which he can take at home. Then he'll be home until mid-January.

There was an outbreak at his college earlier in the semester, but that settled down after the College President threatened to crack down on those who were going off-campus for large parties. Benjamin has been super careful since Day One.

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Well, I won't bore you anymore.  For those who keep up with my blog, I appreciate you more than you know.  I'd share my writings even if it was just me and you and a dog named Boo, but it's nice to have reading friends.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

* seriously, a business in the area proudly displayed a sign that spelled enforcement as inforcement.

**Voltaren - sorry, it's not as funny as calling it Voldemort.

***Before I'm reported, I'm talking about a Hemp rub.

****by dealer, I mean Amazon.

The Birds Show Up: Keeping Your Distance 31

Benjamin likes watching birds.

I don't know how that happened, but there it is.

He is known in his online gaming groups as the Bird Facts Guy. At random moments, his characters will insert a bird fact into the conversation. 

So, given that, it was a no brainer that when we decided to have a bird feeder and birdbath, to provide a distraction from our growing garden on the other side of the house, that we put up by the window to Benjamin's study.  Now he can look out his window, while seated at his game-playing desk, and see the birds that visit the feeder and bath.

Is it working for our garden?  Maybe.  So far, our tomatoes have not been attacked.  At this point, however, they have not sufficiently ripened to be tempting.

Our yard and garden look better than it ever has.  Maybe we can avoid ostracization level neglect, which we usually border on.  I still am not enamored with the way our lawn looks -  I'm not a yard person.

Alison's work schedule has resumed normality, so maybe this attention will wan.  My schedule is somewhat relaxed, and I'll probably only be working about half the hours that I was.  The extended tax deadline means I can't miss whole weeks like I desire, but it's getting better.  Benjamin is home all the time.  There is some hope that he will have some summer job soon, but we'll see.

The whole state is acting like the coronavirus is a thing of the past.  IT IS NOT.  And the way we are behaving is making it more dangerous than ever.

I am 100,000% supportive of the peaceful protests that are going on around the country, but I can't help but worry about it might be doing to the spread of the disease.  I won't say anything else in this post about the protests and Trump's vicious and stupid response, but I will be writing more on it in subsequent posts.

Speaking of subsequent posts, my view numbers are cratering.  For those of you who think it's because I dare to be political - think again.  Those are my posts that get the most views.  One of my least viewed posts of recent years is - Story Time With Mr. Tom #2.  Also low are these gardening and bird posts.

Now I'm faced with being forced into a new blogger by late June.  I'm not sure whether my over 2,000 posts (written over ten years) will follow with it.  I don't know if I have the energy to start over.

No, I don't make money from this blog.  Yes, I love to write.  I just have to decide if it is the most effective use of my writing time.


That decision is up in the air.  Like the birds.


Oy.  Maybe that kind of analogy is why my views are crashing.

Bird Feeder of Mass Distraction: Keeping Your Distance 27

We've put up a bird feeder on the side of the house opposite our garden.  Part of the reason we did this was to distract birds from the garden and give them another place to go.

Look, I don't know how well this is going to work.  It's a theory, ok?

Another part of it is that it is set up just outside Benjamin's Study window.  Benjamin likes birds.  When he plays online role-playing games, he's known as the bird facts guy, sprinkling his conversation with random bird facts.

So, we thought it might be something he would enjoy.

He has seen birds, but often he has to bang on the window to frighten away squirrels.  Yeah.  We're working on how to avoid that.  

I like birds ok.  I'm not enamored with them.  They're kinda like flying reptiles to me.  Some are pretty to look at.  Some just seem mean as hell.

Benjamin has at least one picture on his phone of the birds using the feeder and birdbath.  But he is still in bed as I write this, so I haven't ben able to get the picture yet.

That's ok.  I can use it the next time I have a bird feeder story.

Another series I can use on my blog!  Ka-ching!*


*sorry to imply that my blog makes me money.  It does not.  Like everything else I do creatively, it earns me between jack and squat.

The Last Outing: Keeping Your Distance 6

When we knew Benjamin was coming home for his Spring Break, we planned for one day to be an outing to St. Simons.

Little did we know that Benjamin's Spring Break would last two weeks, and then stay at home to learn online.  The earliest he'll have classes again in Milledgeville is mid-August.

We decided to go on our outing anyways but do it as carefully as possible.

We went to Fort Frederica.  It was the first time for all of us.  There was virtually no one there.  A ranger greeted from a distance, was friendly, and pointed to a map we could take on our self-guided tour.

We had wide-open spaces, reading the different signs talking about houses and structures that used to be there, but were now just shell foundations and a little bit of fireplace.

The picture of Alison and me is in front of the only structure that is there, a storehouse/fort near the river.  You may think I'm heavyset, and yes, I am.  But I am 25 pounds lighter than I was two and a half months ago, so I'm working on it.


We also went to a grocery store, Harris Teeter, which is more upscale than grocery stores in our home area.  We kept our distance and bought a few things, some fancy brand chips and snacks, and possibly the most valuable find of all - Kleenex. 

We got one of our favorites, Southern Soul BBQ, standing in a queue where there was some distance between people.  Only three people were let in at a time.

We took our food to a picnic table at the pier.  Of the dozen or so picnic tables, there were only two or three in use, and we weren't close to anyone.  The food - BBQ sandwiches, french fries, and fried green beans, was delicious, but probably not very good for my diet plan.

We walked down the pier, not getting close to anyone.  The weather was beautiful.  There were more people than we expected, but we could still keep our distance. 

Benjamin and Alison stand in the trees near the library (which was closed).

We did not go to the beach.  We saw an area where people go to the beach, and it was crowded with cars.

Later that afternoon, the beaches were officially closed.

Maybe we shouldn't have oughta done this trip.  But we kept our distance, did it in the morning through about 1 PM, and all in all were more distant from people than we were at work or in our own grocery store.

So, we're back settled in at Blackshear, making the dogs think this is the new normal to have everyone home.

Yes, Benjamin is home now for a long stretch.  Alison will be home more, too, as sadly, the school lunch delivery program has been suspended.  We have a case in Pierce County now. 

Me?  The "retired" guy?  No, I'm still going to work. Not all the time - about 25 hours or so a week.  I'm not sure that will stop.

I pray all is well with you and yours. 

Bossy Tuesday Tidbits

Yep.  Love to stay home and write today, but my bossy schedule determines otherwise.  Sorry, Boss-A-Man.  I will need to go into work at least some today.

Party Weekend!

Both Doug and Benjamin were home for the weekend!  We had a great time just hanging out with each other.  Brought in Surchero's to eat (a local burrito place with assembly similarities to Chipolte and Subway) and watched the movie Knives Out, a clever little mystery/thriller. 

Personal Health

Still staying on track!  Making progress in losing weight and lowering blood pressure and glucose readings.  I slipped a little this weekend with the boys, but not as much as I feared.  My sweet tooth has disappeared, and I fill up faster than I used to.  I thought that I would crave sweets a lot on this dietary change, but I do not.  My largest cravings center around cheeseburgers and sandwiches.

MLS starts!

We got a new 4K TV and were able to watch the Atlanta United season opener with Doug.  Game looked awesome.  Atlanta won, but in doing soon, they may have won the battle but lost the war.  Their superstar player, Josef Martinez, was injured in the game.  We found out later it was a torn ACL and that he may be out six to nine months. 

Super Tuesday:  The Democratic Establishment Strikes Back!

The Democratic Party establishment, the Corporate Democrat Empire, is coalescing to oppose the last of the Jedi Knights, Bernie Sanders.  Joe Biden wins his first primary in 32 years of running for President, and suddenly it's like the race is over.  And everyone seems to be forgetting that the ideal candidate (our Princess Leia) is waiting in the wings.  What the heck, people.


Well, I would love to write more, but this time of year is tough to write or even get the mental space to think about WHAT to write.  As I'm between novels, I really am trying to squeeze out a good short story idea, one that might break into a science fiction magazine, and I am having no luck.

Anyhoo, have a great day!  Heck, have a SUPER TUESDAY!

T, M, Strait

Reduced Range Tuesday Tidbits

Let's start with a completely unrelated, dissociative, and unseasonal photo.

It's still winter here, but who would know with current highs in the low 80s?

My experiment with no longer posting The Strait Line on my main Facebook feed continues.  Numbers are down but not as horribly as I feared.  That means, with rare exceptions, people were either not seeing them or ignoring them.  I know.  Hoping people will view and read anything may be unfair and too much to ask for nowadays.

Nevertheless, I persist.

Personal Health

I have been attempting, since the first of the year, to modify my diet and increase my exercise.  The primary goal is to prevent the prescribing of Metformin. 

I am recording everything I eat, accounting spreadsheet-style that accounts for several critical nutritional categories,  including calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars, and sodium.  I am trying to get fiber to be 20% or greater of carbohydrate calories (e.g., if I have daily 100 grams carbohydrates, I should have a minimum of 20 grams fiber).  I also record any blood pressure, glucose, or weight readings.

Results?  My weight is going down, blood pressure is going down, and I have yet to make progress on glucose levels.  That last is very frustrating to me, but I don't intend to give up.  If I have to take Metformin, I don't want it to have been without a battle to avoid it.

At the Movies

The Oscars have been announced, and as usual, I have only seen one out of the nine movies nominated.  That's thanks to a guy's afternoon last Friday where Dean Crane and Chris Starling and I saw 1917.  I liked it.  It was like pretty much one long take without cutaways or significant time jumps unless the main character was asleep or knocked out.  World War I was a huge event that shaped the world and our lives, and it has largely been forgotten by most. 

I hope to see some of the other films nominated, but it may take a while.  I will see The Joker, although I am uncertain of how I feel about it.  Joker is a villain and a horrible, psychotic character.  I don't know how I feel about a movie that may make him sympathetic. I also look forward to seeing Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

BenJerMan

He continues to thrive at Georgia College.  He got all A's his first semester.  At present, he has no roommate, as Vapor Man has gone elsewhere.  He may be assigned a new one, but so far, it's just him.  We may have to pay more money if one is not found.  Sounds fair, right?

That's about all I want to cover this time out.  With over 2,000 posts, the one thing you can be sure of - they'll be more later!

The End of Christmas

According to my Episcopalian calendar, Epiphany was yesterday, and that brings the Christmas season officially to a close.

We took our outdoor display down Sunday, but it may be a while before we put away all the indoor stuff.  That's okay.  We're in no rush.  We don't mind the reminders of the season.

The picture above is of a display we have that sits on top of a blanket chest.  They're hard to make out, but the creatures there below are mostly dogs.  When it's not Christmas, Alison puts a small step ladder on the chest, and it turns into the Isle of dogs.  It's pretty cool.  I'll have to show you a picture sometime.

It was a nice Christmas break, spending time with our son, Benjamin.  He is back up at college now, ready for the challenge of a new semester.  He may also have a new roommate.  We're still waiting on word about that.

I'm heading into a busier season for my work.  I'm going to hang onto as much time off as I can for as long as I can.  I would love to get an established routine rather than each week being different.

That consistency may help me with my writing,  I will be starting the second round of edits for The Extra Credit Club.  My big new writing project will be the second volume of The History of the Trap.  If I can fit it in, I also want to do some shorter fiction to submit to fiction magazines and to resume my audio dreams.

I have health challenges I need to focus on.  I have three months to see if I can reform myself enough to avoid starting metformin.  I don't want to be diabetic.  It makes me feel like such a failure and a loser.  If I'm going to have to be, I want it to at least know that I did what I could to change myself.

As far as current events go, the world has turned darker.  The Australian wildfires have claimed some one billion animals.  Our ignorant, racist President has lit the fuse to a war that could consume us all.

There will be a trial in the Senate.  It will most likely be a sham, as Senator McConnell controls it.  At its conclusion, the Con in Chief will do a victory dance and claim exoneration.  But, hopefully, more people will know.  More will understand.  Hey, I'm trying to be optimistic here.

 Anyhoo...

It's now officially out of season, but what the hey, I'm out of control...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!