Inoculated, Immunized, Vaccinated...

…and needled in the left arm with Pfizer.

Left arm a wee bit sore, but otherwise, no problem. Shot at 8:15 A.M., in Janesville, in the middle of a raging snowstorm. But, quite a crowd of old folks that early and with that weather. Vaccination is a complex operation and here it was very well organized. Mercy Health system is now providing a shot a minute for its patients at two locations in southern Wisconsin.

Iceboat Work

Canting the runners inward so they are not splayed out when under load.

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Quite a complex project involving measurement, substrate removal, epoxy, and, ultimately, precise alignment. Luckily, lots of help. (N.B. the guy with the gray hair and no mittens is not Bernie.) Thanks to Renee for the photos.

Nighthawks

I have long been drawn to Edward Hopper’s surprisingly attractive portrait of urban loneliness, almost wishing to sit in, with burger and a milkshake, and being part of the conversation.

(I can’t take credit for the Photoshopping, unfortunately.)

(I can’t take credit for the Photoshopping, unfortunately.)

Also, can’t wait to actually go to a pub.

A Great Day

Glued to the tube, and drawing solace from it.

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I think recent events are actually conspiring in support of the U.S.of A. Once again able to feel pride.

Just before noon (eastern time) Bob Habes and I were texting real-time, and counting down the seconds to a better future.

Extreme wind (and cold) ripping through this part of the country today, but overcome by the warm feeling of good things to come.

The Clouds Are Lifting

It may be snowing here, but the clouds are lifting all across the land.

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I remember reading, on the advice of my father, the Thurber essay “If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox.”

Of course Grant wasn’t drunk except in the story, and he did not surrender to the confederacy. But Thurber anticipated Trump.
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… here in the United States we come now to the end of a four-year experiment to answer the question: What would happen if we were led by the worst of us? What if we searched the land and plucked out literally the most repugnant human being we could find, a walking collection of character flaws, and put him in charge? What damage would he do, and what version of America would be left in his wake?

Not a Bad Routine…

…as long as a good book is part of it.

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American beech tree

So, after naps, it’s out somewhere for a long dog walk. Then back home, and dinner prep. Next a half an hour or so of tooting my own horn (key of b-flat). Then time to feed the dog and pour a cocktail. When Pax is done with his chow we all retire to the breezeway, the fake woodstove fires up, and Pax chews his bully-stick while I do a blog. (The two operations have remarkable similarities.) Time passes and then dinner is served (often accompanied by CNN on the laptop), after which Pax goes briefly to the backyard, and then we all retire to the living room and an episode of something via Apple TV, Prime, or Netflix. (We are now watching Lupin.) When the episode finishes I grab my book, a wee bit of cheese, and a few pretzels, and move to someplace less comfortable to read. Currently a Donna Leon book (#27) that I somehow missed when reading the whole wonderful series.

Without the book as a digestif, the whole routine would collapse. There is no frigate like a book.

The Road Less Traveled

A kind of continuous snow-mist all day, but no accumulation. Madhouse at the bird feeder. Long dog walk through the empty campus.

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We need a public square with a common set of facts. We also need to agree that elections are the best way to choose political leaders, and that some elections are won and some are lost. A society in which, if you win an election it is valid but if you lose an election it is rigged (and you win anyway), is called a dictatorship. I, for one, prefer to live in a democracy.