Everything was going sort of okay until I tried to get out of bed. Belvedere’s noggin was going one way, mine was going another, and they collided hard enough to knock us both down. Even now, 14 hours later, I can still feel where our heads met each other. I wasn’t good for the rest of the day. My balance is still off. I almost fell forward putting the food in the dogs’ bowls. This is 100% a side effect of the chemo, but it’s also one of the side effects that may never go away.
G had a better day. He’s been saving up his money for months and was finally able to purchase a Meta Quest 2 VR headset. Setting it up took a while, but once he had it going he was having all kinds of fun. Is there a chance this is going to be a problem? Yes. He isn’t aware of who/what is around him when he’s wearing the headset. The best move is to announce which side of him you’re on. Unfortunately, the animals can’t do that. I’m waiting for a cat to become an unintended victim of a wayward step.
Watching the kids as they eagerly anticipate the arrival of packages is almost as much fun as Christmas. The excitement isn’t about the surprise factor because they know what they’re getting. The joy is centered around the fulfillment of desire, seeing something for which they’ve worked come to realization. I hope they are able to keep that joy their entire lives.
Temperatures have dropped again this morning. Taking the dogs out required layering coats. Of course, the pups don’t understand why I can’t just hop out of bed and open the back door. They get antsy waiting for me to get dressed and the more I have to wear the more anxious they become. And why am I, and so many other older people, obsessed with the weather? I asked the internet but there’s no scientific conclusion. There are moderately entertaining guesses here, here, and here, but I wouldn’t put too much weight on their accuracy. I find it interesting, though, that the thing we teased my father about is now the same thing I do each morning.
Apparently, we now have to worry about the safety of our water. Newsweek reported yesterday that water systems around the US are being hit by cyberattacks that threaten the safety of the nation’s drinking water. While water companies would presumably have time to warn people about the quality of water, there are plenty of problems with this situation and no one seems to have a firm grasp as to how to handle them. Water utilities are, at best, controlled by local municipalities. At worst, such as in Indy, they’ve been privatized by companies who have a profit obligation above the need for safety. Since boiling the water usually makes it safe to drink, I’m sticking to coffee for now.
Have you noticed how many critical world leaders are a lot older than I am? Not only is the US president and the opposition leader in the 80s, Russia’s Putin is 71, King Charles is seventy-something, and German chancellor Olaf Scholz is 65. Okay, 65 isn’t that old, but the other guys are at an age where the line between wisdom and tottering old fool is dangerously thin. We are entrusting our lives and our well-being to these idiots. You’d think the people of the world would be a lot more selective, but the systems are stacked against us. The Brits don’t really have a choice at all.
ABC News is reporting that the US has finally submitted a proposal to the UN for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza based on hostage release. I fail to understand why a cease-fire is being so difficult to pass. How can countries not be in favor of a cease-fire for any reason other than the selfish gain coming from the war? Of course, even if the UN passes the damn thing, it doesn’t have the power to enforce it. Israel will continue to do whatever the fuck it wants to do and the US Congress will continue to support them even as the rest of the world screams foul. This, among other things, is why the US is no longer in the top 20 happiest countries on earth. We keep making stupid choices.
Finally, I’ve talked all week about Comic Con being in Indy this weekend. Yes, that means thousands of strangely dressed people are heading downtown for three days starting tomorrow. You know what else, though? Indy is also hosting the first two rounds of March Madness. That means thousands of basketball fans descending on the same downtown area. Oh, and the Indiana National Guard is hosting a gun and knife show. I’m sure there’s no way those three things could collide horribly. And I’m just supposed to let my 14-year-old roam free down there with only her boyfriend for protection? I’m not going to tell her she can’t go, but this Dad is looking for ways to beef up her security. If you have any reasonable solutions, let me know.
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