I'm starting this post with some Truth.
Yesterday a Noble American ended his life in the best possible, most American way, by driving his car to the "Rainbow Bridge" border crossing with Canada, flooring it, getting the damned thing airborne and not just a little, and crashing into a guard kiosk or something and dying in a massive ball of flame. For extra points, his passenger died also.
This is an example of someone dying doing something they loved.
It was bad enough, it was initially suspected to be an act of terrorism. Once cooler heads prevailed, it was revealed to indeed be an act of terrorism, but the OK kind.
In the US, it's like living in a low-medium level of warfare, where being killed or at least injured in car accidents is completely normalized.
I woke up around 5 or so, had practiced last night, mainly working out songs which in all fairness is easier on the shakuhachi than on the trumpet, even if the sound isn't as clear.
My headache was giving me grief and I thought I'd gotten rid of the thing by going "low carb" in my eating and dropping some weight. I haven't weighed myself but I know I've dropped some because of my appearance. I'm also not getting swollen lower legs like I used to.
So I would say my health has been on the upswing, but as I've finally gotten around to filling the blood pressure meter with batteries and using it, I seem to have high blood pressure. Was it higher before, when I was fatter and having more swelling of my lower legs?
I have "stage II" high blood pressure, based on the readings I've taken yesterday and today. Was it worse before? Without lots of data points I won't be able to determine the trend.
I had my coffee (I might have to quit that) and nuts and thought about things to do, if anything. I finally decided at 9:30PM that I'd do something that's been in the back of my mind for a long time, to go up to the casino and try the Thursday prime rib dinner for $20.
So I hopped on my bike and as I'd just rounded the curve that I guess denotes where Bayshore magically becomes Zanker, my pedaling ground to a sudden halt and it sounded like I'd run over maybe a piece of a shopping cart. I got off the bike and got the flashlight out and it was one of those little flat like they use to show where a water line runs, consisting of the flag of course and a piece of wire not much thinning than a bicycle spoke. That had gotten all tangled up in the dereilleur and gears, and the bike would roll but could not be pedaled at all.
I walked it back, and got out a large Channel Lok pliers and tried to straighten it out and it's not going to be that easy. So right now I have a bike that rolls but can't be pedaled.
I still have 5 boxes that have to go to FedEx, making a pretty heavy load. Tomorrow's "Black Friday" and I have no idea if my bank will be open, or the bike shop, or anything. Thanksgiving holiday is one where normally, I just assume everything is closed for the full 4 days. Instead I'll have to get the packages to FedEx somehow, plus the sooner I can get the bike into the shop the sooner it can get fixed so I'll have to call the bike shop and see if they're open first, then walk the bike out to the light rail which will take me to Diridon Station then I can walk it over, then hop the bus over to the bank (have to call them too to see if they're open) and deposit my pay check, then get back home.
This means I'll be bike-less over the weekend too. Lots of walking and public transport. At least public transport is an option and I can take my bike on the light rail. At least I have plenty of food stocked up here so I don't have to go to any restaurants. At least I have a cash-stash because working in tech as I do, I never know if I'm going to have a dry spell of not being paid for a while.
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