Detours

Perhaps something beyond exhaustion had me yesterday ─ some manner of reaction or even systemic invasion? Even my joints were especially sore; and at one point the middle finger of my right hand cramped with the annoying effect of my finger deviating dramatically to the right, almost as if broken.

I had to work at using my other hand to keep forcing the errant digit to where it belonged.

Was it as much as 10 p.m. when I finally got to bed last evening? Whatever the case, as usual of late, I found myself awake enough at 12:08 a.m. to be checking the time; and although I lay there for several minutes in the depth of relaxation, I decided to just get up and leisurely ready for my five-mile+ walk.

I felt quite okay, surprisingly. It was around 12:30 a.m. when my younger brother shut down the T.V. and came upstairs to his bedroom for the night, so I had remained within my closed bedroom until he was shut up into his.

My wife knew I was up, but she did not approach me (we have separate adjacent bedrooms).

Supposedly it was 7.5° Celsius (45.5° F.) hereabouts, according to my online check.

I think that only my youngest stepson was home downstairs, but he was in the boys' den area at his computer, so he knew nothing of my doings.

By the time I was set to go, my fully clothed weight proved to be just about a disappointing 192 pounds ─ up by about four pounds from early Saturday a.m., if I am recollecting aright.

It was 1:04 a.m. by the time I was outside and on my way. I had intended to take my umbrella, but I forgot. However, it was only raining in lightest fashion ─ barely more than sprinkling. Nevertheless, everything was of course wet.

When I stopped at the elementary school playground three of four blocks from here for six sets of pull-ups and chin-ups, I had to do my best to wipe a jungle gym monkey bar dry enough to use, but that was fairly vain because the almost spraying rain continued.

And so I only managed four and then two pull-ups in the first two sets, my grip slipping so badly by that first fourth pull-up that it was all I could manage to hold on for. Then I did three and two chin-ups in the next two sets; and I finished with two pull-ups between two gymnastics-style rings in the final two sets, and I held the final pull-up at full elevation for a 20-count.

The usual 11 slow full-range push-ups in a declined posture on a cement ramp completed my exercise stop.

After I continued with my five-mile+ walk, about a mile from home my cellphone began ringing. Thinking that it might actually be my wife, I dropped everything to answer it, but then saw that it was only my 1:30 a.m. alarm that I had neglected to cancel.

Notwithstanding, this was a good thing, for it impressed upon me just how much earlier than usual I had gotten away. I was just about a mile from home already at the time that I would have been rising had I not gotten up as early as I did ─ this was actually quite a beautiful realization.

And it was to pay off around two miles into my walk.

As I trekked along the forested side of 100th Avenue from 140th Street to 148th Street (Google Map), I saw somebody I was certain was walking in my direction, so I crossed to the opposite side of the avenue to avoid contact.

But I quickly realized that the figure might actually be heading in the direction I was also going, which meant that he was not moving very fast if I had so suddenly come upon him. And this led me to conclude that it might be Charles ("Stickman").

This suspicion no sooner occurred than the figure also crossed 100th Avenue to the mouth of 144th Street, and just seemed to be lingering there. I also noticed that he was more or less performing manoeuvres with what appeared was most likely a pole ─ Charles always bears one.

I had no intention of becoming delayed in an unwanted conversation, nor to be feeling compelled to offer the homeless chap a few dollars, so I crossed back to the forested side of 100th Avenue and cautiously proceeded, and then remembered that there is a trail basically paralleling 100th Avenue that comes out directly across from 144th Street. I could travel unnoticed to that point, for it occurred to me that Charles ─ if indeed it was he ─ may have noticed someone (me) approaching and was purposefully waiting for some society, or else was just curious to see who it was.

Upon reaching that point across from 144th Street, I stealthily ensured that nobody was still hanging about the intersection before I resumed the sidewalk. I had no sooner begun using it than a short distance ahead I saw the figure cross 100th Avenue to Green Timbers Access (Google Map) ─ he had been travelling the sidewalk on the opposite side of the highway. That particular stretch of sidewalk is for the most part well removed from the highway and largely obscured by trees all the way to 148th Street.

But at this point across from Green Timbers Access, it comes nearest to the avenue to allow pedestrians to use a street light in order to cross. The "Access" allows people to achieve trails and Green Timbers Lake.

So now this guy had crossed over to my side of the avenue again, forcing me to seek the side he had forsaken. It was almost like he was intentionally seeking to coincide with me.

He appeared to have disappeared into the darkness of Green Timbers Access, so I hurried along and passed by the spot where the sidewalk most closely aligned with the avenue, determined to get beyond there in case the figure was lingering just out of vision and saw me.

Perhaps he did, but I quickly enough was again removed from the avenue and obscured by trees, and so I was safe ─ I travelled all the way to 148th Street where I made my usual right turn. There was no sign of anyone coming along 100th Avenue, so perhaps whomever it was had ventured into the forest along a trail. I do not know just where "my" Charles has his camp, but I do know that there is someone who has a hidden camp somewhere between Green Timbers Access and 148th Street along that forest side of the avenue.

Is it Charles? I have no idea.

Anyway, that was my delaying experience. Even so, I was back home by 3 a.m., by which time the rain had noticeably intensified.

Because I was back home so early, I had it in mind to deliver some of the brochures I had been given yesterday when my brother drove me to the Recall Rachna Singh Campaign headquarters where I signed the petition. But I had no idea that the stack was as large as it was! I think my brother must have also taken some from the headquarters and subsequently added them to my stack.

My thinking was to only deliver some here in the cul-de-sac we live in, and maybe to some other homes, and then deliver more some other night ─ the petition can be signed up to and including January 28.

But one of our neighbours decided to show up and park and just sit in the vehicle with its lights on and engine running. I swear that this was the case for 10 minutes before I gave up and spent time here at my computer. A half hour later I checked again ─ and now another member of the same damned household had shown up in his very large work van and was also just parked with the bloody thing running. The first vehicle had left again.

I was furious ─ why the hell was I being screwed around with like this?!

I again gave up waiting out the damned fool, so I headed out anyway and bypassed the cul-de-sac, going to a nearby avenue and starting some deliveries there. Basically, I began walking around the block, working my way back here. And then when I was maybe halfway back, it occurred to me that the stack of brochures had dramatically diminished, for I had brought all of them.

Yes, I was gone well over a half hour, I am sure. But by the time I had gotten back to our cul-de-sac, I no longer had enough for all of the homes here ─ in fact, I had just four. So I distributed those, and my good deed was completed ─ I did not have this obligation hanging over me any longer.

It was 5:30 a.m. by the time I got back to bed, for I needed to spend time here at my computer winding down from the outing. I felt good about myself, though.

My morning began shortly after 8 a.m., even though I would have appreciated remaining in bed longer. My brother was likely already watching T.V. ─ and he was.

When he surrendered it to me so that I could put our Android TV Box to work, I led us off with Odessa Orlewicz's hour-long (1:01:56) show from two days ago: Take Your Dollars Away From The Cabal! Co-Hosted By Wayne of What's Up Canada.

It's TIME to DEFUND THE CABAL Blackrock & Vanguard! It's a NEW YEAR so patriots let's commit to take our dollars away from these parasites! I have ALREADY 🙂. https://switchaway.com/liberty (then scroll down to see more.)

Help yourself while helping your own community.

https://switchaway.com/liberty

My brother did not enjoy what he perceived was naught but a long commercial, and I confess that I saw little of apparent merit. But I held fast and let the interview run out.

Oh, Lord ─ time has run away on me and it is now approaching midnight.

I wanted to get out for an evening walk instead of a wee a.m. venture, but I just could not generate the vigour. I even tuned in an early evening Christmas movie and had two cans of Cariboo Malt (8% alcohol) and a shot of Kraken Black Spiced Rum (47% alcohol) which finally fired me up, but I absolutely stupidly involved myself in a stupid FreeCell game that I just could not win, and it consumed so damned much of my evening before I finally conquered it.

By then my brother had long been home.

And now I think my wife is home.

I am going to suspend this post. I have an alcohol-inspired plan in mind.