Humming a Rant

Tea: Chrysanthemum (herbal) with honey

Music: Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms"

Time: Night.

The rain has set in again. Great sheets of it.

That means water in the garage and the basement -- and the ankle, which has been getting better, is slightly more tweaky for the change in barometric pressure.

But you know what? This helps make the day better.

It's complicated, I know. Shutting down the brand would cause all sorts of people to lose their jobs -- auto workers, salespeople, etc.

But you know what? Most of me doesn't care. These gigantic compensationmobiles (and yes, I do mean compensation in that area) are a big part of the reason we're paying $4 for gas. I wouldn't be sad at all to see them go away. (And if the posturers who drive them want to go with, I wouldn't mourn too much.)

Getting the gas guzzlers off the road is only part of a long-term solution, though. Driving less and taking mass transit more is another part.

Another part, although no one in any position of power has the guts to do it, is to tell OPEC nations that the price of the food they buy from us is now directly tied to the price of oil they sell us. We can buy bikes and take the bus; can they grow wheat in sand?

Didn't think so.

"Break," Noun and Verb

Tea: Vanilla Lapsang

Music: King Crimson, "Sleepless" (Tony Levin Remix)

Time: Night.

Verb first.

The weirdest thing happened today. (Okay, not the weirdest thing. That would require pistachio pudding, a piano-playing gibbon and a hibachi.)

Still, it was weird.

It's as though my right leg -- and only my right leg -- broke a fever today. Sweaty, clammy, drained, the whole nine yards. Guess the tendinitis had an infection behind it. Here's hoping it's going bye-bye, if not already gone.

I tried to get some work done, after finally getting out of bed after noon. I had a tiny bit of success, but I've found focus and energy hard to maintain.

So I'm taking a noun-style break, for at least a few hours tonight. I'll read some of "Lilith" by George MacDonald (having thoroughly enjoyed "Phantastes," as you might recall), and try to get some sleep.

Then, tomorrow, I'll be back to trying to catch a different sort of break -- or, better yet, helping to make it happen.

Happy with what I Have to be Happy with

Tea: Blood Orange with Honey

Music: Dain Estes, "Before We Met I Knew Your Face"

Time: Night.

Another two-day combo post, sorry. The ankle's still screwed up, which means I'm spending a lot of time on my back with my leg elevated. Lousy blogging position, that.

But ... I've heard that when one is grumpy about something, that's the best time to be grateful for the good things. So, here are my three gratitudes for the moment:

1. I still have the power to get vertical, even if it hurts;

2. My hands still work;

3. Ice and aspirin. (Yes, that's four out of three. Got a problem with that?)

More later. I'm off to be back on my back.

What's Japanese for "Ow" ...?

Tea: Christmas

Music: Tom Lehrer, "The Masochism Tango"

Time: Evening.

Sorry, y'all, this post is standing for yesterday's and today's. My ankle hurts like crazy, so I've been (a) keeping off of it and (b) keeping it elevated for the last couple of days. (Yes, I'm also doing the ice and compression parts of "RICE" -- those just aren't as much fun as sitting in a recliner watching cheesy monster movies.)

So far I've watched "The Son of Kong" and "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack." "Gorgo" is next. After that, I should probably head back to Japan for something with Anguirus (or Angilas, if you will).

Why him?

Because he's a giant Ankylosaurus. Get it? Ankle-o-sore-us?

I kill myself sometimes ...

Cup XX: If I Had a Million Dollars, I Would Buy a Lot of Kleenex

Tea: Blood Orange, ginger added, with honey (but no Dijon ketchup)

Music: Barenaked Ladies, "If I Had $1,000,000"

Time: Afternoon

Stupid allergies. My head's all full of junk, and tonight's First Friday. Can't miss that. Well, I could. But I'd miss the art -- even if there's not likely to be a Picasso (or a Garfunkel) on hand --and the chance to make contacts.

I'm turning into a schmoozer. Oh, well.

And on top of things, my tendinitis is back for its semiannual visit. Left heel, this time. So I'm using the tea to wash down a couple of ibuprofen, too.

Here's hoping everything kicks in by the time I head down to the Crossroads. If not, I'll be easy to spot (or hear) from a couple of blocks away. Just watch for the limping, listen for the sniffling. But if everything goes right, I'll be unstuffed and fully bipedal. In which case, you'll just have to look for the mismatched socks.

Today's creepy story, selected in haste because the annoyingly law-abiding junior daughter needs the computer for homework. (Doesn't she know Friday afternoons are for slacking?)

M.R. James, "The Mezzotint"