The sun rises behind the buildings east of where I live this time of year, so I need to walk all the way to First Street if I want to see the sun on the horizon.
2023-10-21 09:41
Category: News
2023-10-20 07:24
Even while I was sick, I still had to walk the dog. I cut back just a bit—when I was at my sickest, I took her for just three walks a day. Now that I’m mostly better I’m back to five or six walks per day, although the mileage is still a bit shy of what it was before I got sick.
I appreciate the less spectacular dawn skies just like the more dramatic ones.
Sick. Mostly better. Diagnosis!
About three weeks ago I developed a fever and moderate flu-like symptoms. It felt like a virus, so I mostly just treated it liked one—sleeping extra, drinking extra fluids—and waited to get better.
It was kind of frustrating, because it just went on and on. For a brief period there in the middle of week two, it got a bit more exciting: I starting having trouble finding words. (I sounded exactly like my dad when his dementia made it impossible for him to say stuff. Pretty scary.) At about the same time I started suffering from double vision.
At the prompting of my mom and brother, I went to the emergency room for the word difficulty. They did a whole workup for a possible stroke: CT scan, chest x-ray, and and MRI.
I was not having a stroke.
Once I was released from the emergency room I made a follow-up with my regular doctor, who was kind of groping for possibilities, and put in an order for a few tests. The blood was draw on Monday, and today I got the results: positive for West Nile virus.
The related illness, West Nile Fever, does sound exactly like what I had. (That’s actually kind of a scary link. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to have any of the longer-term consequences. I was just sick for three weeks.)
Anyway, I think I’m on the mend. I’m resuming normal activity as each thing seems okay. It’s taking a while feel up to swordfighting, but I think I can finally do everything else on my usual list.
2023-09-29 12:07
Jackie has an Illuminated Brew Works Weird Studies. Isn’t that a lovely Cthulhu illustration? I’m drinking a Triptych Dank Meme.
At Black Dog bbq.
2023-09-27 13:09
Jackie has two band-aids, having gotten both a flu shot and an RSV shot. (Covid shot delayed another couple of months, since she had Covid in August.) In the foreground, Ashley is showing proper care. #dogsofmastodon #vaccinesofmastodon
2023-09-27 09:53
According to my Oura ring, my readiness has been declining for days now. Doubtful about the ring’s guess—that I wasn’t getting enough recovery in—I largely ignored its advice to take it easy. But after a crappy run yesterday, and another crappy readiness score, I’m taking today as a rest day.
2023-09-26 13:14
I grabbed this image and sent it to my brother @stevendbrewer, saying “I guess I don’t need to get to Yellowstone now.”
Then Winfield Village sent me this text:
UREGENT MESSAGE FROM ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER A main water line into the property has broken and a boil order is in effect until 5:30 pm.
2023-09-24 06:41
Yesterday’s equinox sunrise.
2023-09-23 11:19
Ashley found a ball. #dogsofmastodon
Dawn gallery
Walking Ashley gets me out around dawn every morning, giving me a chance to get a dawn photo most days. I kind of enjoy the mix of spectacular ones along with the more pedestrian ones. Here’s a few from the days leading up to the equinox:
