Thinning the Herd

X (formerly Twitter): Bethany Cherisse

My younger brother was home no later than 7:06 p.m. last evening, but I was here at my bedside computer. My bedroom door was ajar, but we had no communication. He was probably stewed.

Likely it was around 9:45 p.m. at minimum before I went to bed, my cellphone alarm set for 1:30 a.m. to get me up for my planned five-mile+ walk.

I did not sleep well at all, and for the first time this year experienced oppressive nighttime heat such that I contemplated activating my ceiling fan, but did not.

Fortunately after my alarm chimed, I seemed to normalize well enough.

My wife had come home at some point following her latter day of working at the Thai restaurant where she is employed part time. She had gone to bed for the night, but her youngest son was still sitting up at his computer in the boys' den area.

I likely managed to sneak away undetected. It was by then 2:30 a.m., and my fully clothed weight was 189 pounds.

I felt haler than usual, and walked with vigour in the coolish night air.

When I got to the elementary school playground three or so blocks from here, I removed my jacket ─ I have only done that once previously this year. Undoubtedly that liberty from its restriction helped see me performing above what has been normal for me of late.

Using a dry jungle gym monkey bar, my repetitions on the two sets of pull-ups and then two of chin-ups were 6-2-3-2, after which I transferred over to a pair of gymnastics-style rings for two further sets of pull-ups of two very high repetitions apiece ─ and I probably held the final of those pull-ups for a 25-count.

The dozen slow, full-range, decline push-ups that I finished with were an effort, but comfortably handled.

Perhaps I should not have adopted the vigorous pace I led off with on my walk. As strong as I felt overall, I was to eventually grow lame in my lower left leg and foot, and had my last 1½ or so miles reduced in pace as I strove with this disability that so often sets in of late.

It was 4:36 a.m. by the time I was back home. My youngest stepson was still up, and I caught his notice, and then chided in mock disapproval at his waste of the night: "My, my, my!"

I don't recall when I finally returned to bed, but it was likely well past 6 a.m. And I believe that it may have been after 9 a.m. when I later rose for the morning.

I joined my younger brother for some T.V. around 9:30 a.m.

Putting our Android TV Box to work, I led us off with six minutes (6:36) of nonsense published earlier today to Rumble's WTFLouie channel: Reese Report British Royals and the Reptilians 22-Mar-2024.

I then tried a 1⅓-hour (1:22:18) video that I did not realize had been published two months back to Rumble's Stopthe Crime channel: Into The Parabnormal 675 Ep. #675: THINNING THE HERD w/ Brad Olsen.

Fortunately my brother deemed the topic to be "old news", so I happily cancelled out of it after five or so minutes.

My next choice was very interesting at 49 minutes (49:15), and had been uploaded August 9, 2016, to YouTube's Real Stories channel: My Husband Snatched Our Two Daughters: A Mother's Fight | Real Stories Full-Length Documentary.

Snatched is the true crime story of Liverpool mother Alison Lalic, who is living through every parent's nightmare. Since her husband disappeared with their two young daughters six years ago, she hasn't seen or heard from them. In desperation she turns to 'child-snatcher' Donya al-Nahi, a British housewife who has gained a reputation for recovering children kidnapped overseas where the British law is powerless to help.

It was not the ending we hoped to enjoy.

After that we just watched a few random YouTube videos via the SmartTube app, and then my brother sought some bed rest.

My wife was not yet up; and since I was undergoing my Sabbath fast and could not have a meal, I wasted no time in seeking further sleep. It had been difficult for me to get up when I did earlier mid-morning.

It may have been nigh 2:30 p.m. when I roused. I correctly suspected that my wife would have to work again in the latter afternoon, so I ventured downstairs in case she had aught to apprise me of.

That was a mistake. Yesterday she took back $500 that she had recently repaid to me. This time, she hoped I had $200 to 'lend' her. Well, I did not ─ all I had in cash were $180, so that sufficed.

This is so downcasting. I feel like I am the only one of us struggling to surmount our debt.

I had noticed that my brother's girlfriend Bev had phoned, so I correctly surmised that this must be the Saturday in which she was to submit another fortnightly online E.I. claim. I phoned her back, and we got this done ─ the process only take a few minutes, so she doesn't have to be present with me.

She doesn't own a computer or have the Internet.

My wife left on her fairly long drive to work around 3:25 - 3:30 p.m. And since the day was sunny, but for some occasional thin cloud, I decided to sun out in the backyard, probably very nearly matching yesterday's 72 minutes (if I am remembering correctly).

The sunning is definitely showing, and I am looking pretty darned good!

Around 7:30 p.m. I weighed myself as my fast drew nearer to its conclusion. Stripped naked, it is possible that I might have hit 176 pounds, but my impression was that I was nearer 175 pounds.

Apart from water, all I have consumed since quite early last evening have been two cups of unsweetened black instant coffee.

I intend to rise at 4 a.m. tomorrow, and by around 6 a.m. be away on a five-mile+ walk that will include some grocery shopping at Save-On-Foods when I am about ¾ of a mile from home on the return, so I will not be sitting up with my brother watching T.V. with him once he gets home this evening.

By the way, maybe a block away from here, a church grounds is the venue for a so-called annual Greek Food Festival here in Surrey. I would love to have a feed of wonderfully spiced and tenderly delicious roasted lamb, but I am at a loss as to how to take advantage in the 10 days (June 7-16) that the event will be active.

I expect that I will not set foot on their premises. Much of that is of course due to my finances.

As darkness began to develop around here, I decided to kill some time by involving myself with an episode of Twin Peaks that was to have featured Alicia Witt, whom I adore.

Her sole episode of appearance was season two's premiere ("May the Giant Be with You").

I succeeded in finding a working link through our Android TV Box, and proceeded to watch and wait until it seemed dark enough to eat. Then I began doing that, wondering if maybe I had been misled about Alicia's episode, for the show seemed to have come close to having run out and still there was no sign of her.

And then I saw my brother arriving home, so I shut everything down and gathered up my supper and came upstairs here to my bedroom where I shut myself in. Then I located an online source for the episode ─ which I then saw was 1½ hours (1:34:12). I would not have become involved with the episode had I initially known. I was only about halfway through it.

Finally Alicia's appearance arrived just after the one-hour and 18-minute mark. To be honest, it was anti-climactic. At most Alicia was 15 years old, but her character seemed more like 10 ─ maybe 12 at best.

I could tell from the opening credits that actress Mädchen Amick had a major role ─ I think she's remarkably hot as Betty Cooper's mom on Riverdale ─ but darned if anyone on the show reminded me of her in the least. So maybe she just didn't have any substance in this episode?

Anyway, should you wish to sample the episode, I watched it on my computer at this M4uHD.net link.

Following my supper, I also had a can of Cariboo Malt (8% alcohol), and finished it at the episode's conclusion.

I must say, my bedroom seems sweltering now that I am cooped up in it. Already it is 12:20 a.m., so I am going to set my ceiling fan in operation and soon get to bed.

Incidentally, I picked up what may be too very large mosquito bites at the back of my right rib cage ─ the bastards. Probably whilst I was sunning this afternoon.