To be clear, I hate King’s politics but love his writing. I’ve read most of his books, my favorite being The Stand.
So, to explain the title of this post: Nothing is something because without nothing, you would not appreciate the something in your life. My yesterday was a great example of that. Even by my low standards, it was a nothing day. They call it a “tropical depression” for a reason, I guess. Suffice to say, because of the rain, I never left the house until beer o’clock. As I departed the neighborhood under the protection of an umbrella, a passing trike driver asked if I wanted a ride. Usually, I walk into town, but this time I accepted the offer. The driver asked me where I was going, and I responded honestly, “It Doesn’t Matter.” He knew the way. The Hash barhop was scheduled to begin at five p.m., and I arrived thirty minutes early. The rain continued, and by six, only a handful of hardy Subic Hashers were in attendance, so the barhop plan was canceled.
Swan and I did a nightcap at Green Room, then called it a night.
Some other tidbits from yesterday: I had a total of 4079 steps, by far the lowest of the year. My “sleep score” as measured by Fitbit was 52 for the second day in a row. That’s rated ‘poor’.
I don’t remember much about my sleep cycle, but last night there was a song I don’t remember playing over and over in my head. And then I’d awake from some dream fragment, and my brain insisted on analyzing it for hidden meaning. Plus, I have to get up and pee every hour or so, so that doesn’t help a good night’s sleep.
It’s not all bad news; my blood pressure this morning was 119/75. My average over the past ten days is 128/73. Anything under 130 I consider a good indicator, given my high blood pressure history.
I’ve scheduled an appointment with the pulmonary doctor on Thursday. Coincidentally, it was exactly one year ago that I saw her for the first time. Back then, I was having difficulty breathing, and my blood oxygen levels were in the dangerously low range (I checked just now, and I’m at a healthy 98). I’ve not used my oxygen tank or nebulizer for months, and I’m happy about that. So, why the appointment? I’m still hacking up phlegm, and I’ve noticed that hill climbs are getting a tad more tiring lately. I’m hoping to keep from deteriorating to where I was last year or at least get some reassurance that I’ve got nothing to be concerned about. Other than old age.
I’ve been reading a weekly blog about Thailand called StickmanBangkok for several years now. I was sad to see his post this morning saying that he is giving it up to focus on his life in New Zealand (Stick moved back to the homeland five years ago). Even though I rarely visit Thailand these days (I like Vietnam better now), it was good to read about what is happening there. Stick also includes links to local news stories, and these two caught my eye today:
Elderly American falls to death in Pattaya. He was 72 years old and jumped from the roof of his apartment building. I guess I’m technically elderly too, but that ain’t the way I want to go
BLIND GERMAN MAN UNAWARE OF THAI WIFE’S DEATH INSIDE THEIR HOME. The German man was 69 (they didn’t call him elderly, at least), and he was waiting for his wife to come home from her taxi driving job. Turns out, she had hung herself. She was his only means of support, so he is especially fucked now.
So, I’ll take my nothing day over what those two had to deal with. And by golly, I can even turn a nothing day into a post here at LTG. You are welcome!
Speaking of LTG posts, back in August 2014, I made a visa run to Osaka, Japan, and wrote a play-by-play account of the experience. Those were the days!
Today’s YouTube video is from another new vlogger I found. Here she offers her insights on the “poverty trap” that keeps Filipinos poor. Obviously, I’m no expert, but I have seen some of this in my time here. The video is only five minutes long, so it’s an easy watch. Make sure the cc captions are on, though, because she throws out some Tagalog phrases now and then.
Lame is as lame does:
It’s another Hash Monday, and today we celebrate the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers’ 32nd Anniversary. There are three trail options: 12K, 7K, and 5K. I was thinking of the midrange option, which involves being transported to Gordon Heights in Olongapo City, then a trek up, over, and back down the Kalaklan Ridge. I saw the map and was a little concerned about the steep descent, and asked the Hare about it. He told me the up is a killer and suggested I’d be wise to stick to the short trail. Well, if the Hare says it, it must be so. 5K for me it is! At least the sun is shining again today, and I’ll find out if something really is better than nothing.
Remembering one of my favorites, Keith Whitley, who departed this life at thirty-four years old.
Turns out, she had hung herself.
D’oh! Spot the error!
Remembering one of my favorites, Keith Whitley, who departed this life at thirty-four years old.
I couldn’t help but notice the manner of his departure as seen at the link. Talk about “serving as a warning to others.”
Sorry to hear about your sleep quality and the canceled bar hop. Good luck with the lung-doc appointment. Can they do a treadmill test and measure your vital capacity? Oh, wait—you’ve got one of those spirometers, right? Wash it out and… heh… give it a blow. And give those numbers to your doc.
re: that video
Have you ever watched Indian videos where the guy or gal switches constantly back and forth between English and Hindi or Punjabi? This lady reminded me of that. Her intended audience is Filipino. Another thought: what she says about the connection between poverty and short-sightedness makes sense. But as she also points out, it’s not just exercises in bad financial judgment that keep people poor: poverty corrals one into a scarcity mindset, making everything about survival… except when it’s time to borrow money so as not to look bad in front of friends and relatives. It really is a vortex, but something has to be done to break the cycle. Otherwise, you end up like my buddy Tom’s in-laws, always grubbing for money whenever Tom visits the Philippines.
Re: Stephen King books
Also like them. About a year ago, finally read the Dark Tower series, all 3000+ pages of it. Some of the books were better than others, and I thought that the ending was somewhat “meh”, but overall a good read.
Re: wooden eye joke
Reminded me of the one wooden eye joke that I know. (Though I guess now I know two).
This boy goes to his school dance and he is really self conscious because he has a wooden eye. No one wants to dance with him and he is felling pretty down. He spots a female classmate, and she is in the same situation. She has a harelip and is being ignored by everybody. He gathers up his courage and goes up to her to ask her to dance.
“Would you like to dance?”
“Wouldn’t I !! Wouldn’t I !!” she says with excitement.
he responds “Harelip! Harelip!!!”
re: Keith Whitley
one in a line of musicians who had a “til death do we part” relationship with alcohol and drugs
One other comment
Been a semi regular reader of Stickman also. I thought he always had some interesting stuff. Once he went back to NZ, he mentioned pretty frequently that it was difficult to crank out a weekly column from overseas.
The only thing constant in life is change.
Brain, yes, Stick and his unique insights will be missed. And that’s what he said, just too difficult to keep it up without actually being there. Maybe they’ll find someone to replace him, but I doubt it.
Stephen King has a distinctive writer’s voice, but even the best miss the mark sometimes. I think his earlier stuff was better, but maybe I had a different perspective back then. I still can recite this (writing this from memory now):
“The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them — words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.”
(Okay, I got it mostly right, but wanted to share it exactly like King wrote it, so I did a cut and paste.)
I like your one-eye joke better than the one I posted Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, it is sad to see someone lose their life in such a foolish way. Not that I’m one to talk. I was a lot wilder in my younger years but I got lucky and never OD’d or killed myself doing something stupid while drugged up or intoxicated.
Kevin, Hmm. If I had to re-write that sentence now after thinking about it, I’d say, “Turns out she hanged herself.” Is that better?
I’m left wondering if Whitley committed suicide by alcohol intentionally. What a wasted life.
Yeah, I’ll ask the doc about doing some lung capacity tests, assuming they are available at the local hospital.
Between a corrupt government and a culture ingrained with poverty, it’s going to be hard for the people to find an escape from the cycle. This is a country rich in natural resources, it’s sad the economy is not booming. I feel for Tom and have heard that scenario from others. When you are perceived as being a rich foreigner, people begging for handouts is a fact of life around here. I still get besieged by beggar bargirls I’m barely acquainted with, but I’ve gotten much better at ignoring them.
“Turns out she hanged herself.” Is that better?
Yes. As the saying goes: Men and clothes are hung; criminals are hanged.