It’s been quite some time since posting anything of any consequence, so it seems like a good opportunity to correct that with a bullet-pointed post about what’s been happening of late:

• 2024 started with a return to being highly motivated to properly take care of myself and to working back down to my ideal weight. Lots of factors contributed to this: my blood pressure, cholesterol numbers, sciatica issues, too many clothes didn’t fit or were too snug, and, frankly, the fact that I was less than 10 pounds under my all-time peak weight. Given that he severity of the all the factors were driven by being obesely overweight, it was an ideal time for another downhill run on the weight rollercoaster. Thus far, I’m off to my usual great start, having lost nine pounds in a little over two weeks. I’m getting too old to continue taking off dozens of pounds and then turnaround and allow them to return yet again. Figuring out how to maintain once back at my ideal weight (once I get there) is a puzzle that I really need to permanently solve this time around.
• Sally and I recently started watching The Gilded Age and are absolutely enjoying it. Given my sociopolitical bent, many of the characters are people that I’d want nothing to do with in real life. However, this is fiction, so I’m absolutely happy to watch people in possession of stupid money treat their standings in society and the business world as blood sport. The show also does a wonderful job of reminding us that the robber barons of that time at least knew how to show off their stupid money in the details of the buildings they built and the charities they funded, rather than simply hoard it Smaug-like.
• On a related note, we have decided that when we make our next trip to NYC – which will be at the end of April – the J.P. Morgan library is absolutely should be on the itinerary. I visited it when I lived up there 25 years ago but don’t recall much about it. It feels like a trip there is absolutely in order after finishing up The Gilded Age.
• Finally, when the day started, I was entertaining some ideas about getting out of the house after work today. Other than shoveling snow yesterday morning, I actually haven’t left the house since late afternoon Saturday. However, it’s just too damn cold out there. I just can’t bring myself to leave the house when it’s 25° outside. Instead, it’s going to be a few hours of reading and watching TV until Sally gets home from work this evening.