long stories short

This nasty-looking thing is a flu virus. I was fighting one most of Friday and all day Saturday.

Long story short: I won; the virus lost. I was running a slight fever both nights, drinking gallons of water and eating chicken soup. The thing never settled in my lungs, and I was fine and back to what passes for normal around here by yesterday.

I feel really good about this. Not only did I dodge what I've heard is a very painful, often weeks-long episode of illness, I was able to do it because the general state of my health (as opposed to the state of my various diseases) is excellent, thanks to a diligent yoga practice and regular cardio workouts, a gift to me from the ladies at Pulmonary Rehab at Jefferson Hospital in Pt. Townsend.

And also, I would add, due to the intercession of someone who insisted I get a flu shot back in late October-early November. I'm sure that helped too.

Yesterday, being Sunday, I decided it would be a good day to go catch the boat to Seattle for supplies. I found Seattle little changed from my three-years sojourn there, and quite unattractive. It used to be greener than it is, and has declined into gray lumps spread on some low hills, with streets mostly deserted on account of the cold.

I read Jim Kunstler's analysis of life on earth and predictions for the coming year first thing this morning. It's long and comprehensive, covering the planet's surface and all the economic activity happening on it, and the long story short is we're screwed.

We've been experiencing systemic collapse for the past seven years, and we can expect it to continue and grow worse. That's just common sense.

It's not like there's nothing we could do to prepare for the what's ahead. Trouble is, the people in charge are trying to hang onto the past, at a time when what we need are leaders who are looking at the future, rather than running away
from it.