Roly-Poly

The "Roly-Poly" I speak of is more properly called a "Sow Bug" or even MORE properly called Porcellio scaber.  This specific species is the smaller of two organisms commonly called a "Roly-Poly".  The common name is for obvious reasons relating to its behavioral posture under certain environmental pressures.  Porcellio scaber, the species I am most familiar with... is much smaller (perhaps 0.5 cm) than the larger species Armadillidium vulgare which looks rather similar but can grow over an inch in length (2.54 cm).  

Even though I did a helluva lot this weekend, truthfully... I wanted to be like the above roly-poly, and would have rather stayed curled up in bed the whole weekend long.

Two factors that occured on Friday were major factors in my wanting to sleep away the entirety of the weekend:

1.  The "two dots" I received.  Because my efforts last week with the salcyclic acid were very effective in removing much of the deep, heavy callous on my heel (due to running).... this time, the "two dots" I received from the "foot dude" (my new moniker for him) actually began to exert some definitive influence..... the small area covered by the two dots became quite swollen, VERY painful to stand on, and I could feel it doing "stuff" there even when I was not standing on my foot.  I believe this is what the "food dude" was thinking would have happened the last time, where the dot had minimal effect.  However, with my heel VERY, VERY painful to stand upon, I did not want to do anything other than lounge in bed. I limped around all weekend, even with my softest sneakers.

2.  As I had already planned, this past Friday I (and my wife also) received our new variant Covid vaccine and this year's Flu vaccine.  Surprisingly, I did not feel much this time after these injections on Friday, nor on Saturday morning.  However, by Saturday afternoon... I was almost "out for the count".  At Mass on Saturday, I had the focus and attention span of a gnat who had consumed 4 espressos.  

So, what did I do this weekend?  A whole helluva lot (at least for my "condition")... not in chronological order:

1.  Mass

2.  Visited my Mother-In-Law with my wife

3.  Worked as an "actor" of sorts at a simulation that was being held for a Community Action Group's "In-Service",  An "in-service" may not be the right word, as it is a word usually used by teachers about outside-of-classroom educational experiences teachers get to have.  But it is in the same sort of vein, but for folks in this Community Action Group.  It was a simulation for them to learn more about what it was like to live at/near poverty.

4.  Went shopping to a dollar store in the town where the simulation was held to try to find budget vanilla and hazelnut coffee syrups (no luck, but we had found it there LAST YEAR at this time).

5.  Went swimming once.... thinking it might make me feel better.... as I was having a fever, and would feel alternatively hot and cold much of yesterday afternoon.  The water DID help, and it seemed to help me feel more homeostatic in terms of temperature.

The above is really not a whole helluva lot, I know.  But, it WAS quite a bit for how rough I was feeling. 

* * * * *

An in-person friend who reads here but never comments..... sadly, I do not get many comments at all.... asked me:

"You haven't written about your pipes in quite a while.  What's up with that?" he stated.

I wasn't really sure how to respond.  So I was kind of evasive, or perhaps "dismissive" is the better word.  So, I will try to reason it out here:

• Part of me isn't really sure what to write about them anymore.  I still miss them.  I still think about time every day.  I still have dreams about smoking my pipes, or have dreams of memories when I was smoking my pipes.  Folks likey get tired of hearing this. 
• Part of me thought that by not writing about my pipes and pipe tobaccos that it would perhaps decrease my interest, decrease my desire for them.  That has NOT happened.
• As you know, the damn foot has thrown me for a loop in many ways.  One HUGE way is that it has caused me to FAIL at reaching my 50 mile (~80 km) running goal each of the last 2 weeks.  I had never failed in my 50 mile goal each week since I established the damn goal very nearly 5 years ago.  This failure is difficult.  It makes me doubt a lot of my abilities to set and accomplish goals.
• I have mostly been going to the Retiree's Cigar Group.  I missed two Thursdays due to being extraordinarily busy with work and with my damn foot.  The camaraderie is very, very pleasant.  I am feeling more and more a part of the group.  Being in the group IS a very good thing.  I have had a cigar each time I do go.  The cigars are "nice" overall.  But the cigars are for the most part, forgettable, albeit expensive. 
• I am still thinking I may indulge in a single pipe at the Retiree's Cigar Group when it is the closest Thursday to my dad's 101st birthday in November.  I think it would be "ok" to do so.  But, at the same time.... I have NEVER seen a single patron of that shop EVER be a pipe smoker, nor have I EVER seen anyone (other than me) glance at their rather minor pipe tobacco and pipe collection.  But, this place really is NOT a pipe place.  So, even though I may still force myself near my Dad's birthday, I am tending to doubt I would ever regularly enjoy a pipe there.  I would feel rather too conspicuous.  I would feel "outside".  I would feel "pushy".  Cigars are this place's (and these guy's) "thing".    I think, though, the friendship will keep me going there.  
  

Guess the above is all I can write for today.

PipeTobacco