Here it is, just past the middle of November already.   It seems as if the year is collecting momentum to an almost break-neck speed as we approach the end of one year and the beginning of the next one.    Once again, I feel as if I am a 33 1/3 RPM person in a 78 RPM world,    In any case, all I can do is keep plodding along as best as I can and try not to get so bogged down in the fatigue and depression that I do nothing except provide a warm place for the cats to sleep.   I am pretty sure they would argue with this decision (Tristan is settled down on my chest, even as I speak, “helping” me type this entry), but, cats are not the center of reality.

     I cannot express how relieved I am that the Presidential Election has finally come and been resolved.   The onslaught of advertising centered on proving how good “our” guy is, and how close to a Demon from Hell the other guy is tires me and ceases to be interesting about 30 seconds into the process.    The fallout from it, though, continues on.   We have people filing petitions with the White House, calling for the secession of states from the Union.   I have to say to these people that perhaps it would be a good idea for you to spend a bit more time studying the Constitution.   To save you time, though, a petition to the White House is not going to get any legs for a state leaving the Union.   The only way for that to happen is for you and your ilk to take up arms in rebellion, and, set up your own government.   Now, I have not read through all the petitions, but, the few that I have checked out have some things in common.  First off, in several cases, they were created by people who were not citizens of the state in question.   Secondly, of all the names on the petition that have addresses attached to them, a vast majority of the names are citizens of OTHER states.  Thirdly, even if this were a viable course of action,  such a petition should require the signatures of a majority of the citizens of the state, not the few hundred to few thousand that are actually adding their voices to this foolishness.   So, to those folks that are serious about this…I would suggest that a far more effecive course of action would be to move to another country and set up residence there.

   We have deniers who still claim that the election was rigged or, miscounted, or just wrong, because President Obama was returned to a second term.   To them, I say get over it.   President Obama was re-elected because, even though he was unable to follow through on several important promises made in his 2008 campaign,  the actions he is taking are moving America towards a better place for all of us.   It is true that the unemployment numbers are still too high.  However, they are getting smaller every month, because of the support that the White House is pushing to businesses.    While no one likes the idea of higher taxes, it is a fact that America’s financial situation is not good, and the only way to “fix” the problem is to cut spending and raise taxes.   Willy Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, replied “Because that is where the money is”.   Over the past couple of decades, America’s society has become increasingly stratified, with a thin layer of the Super-Rich, and, a vast percentage of the population slipping into, or closer to, the poverty level.   I recall seeing a report recently that said that over the past 30 years, the income of the upper 1% or so has been multiplied by a factor of 750, while the average worker’s salary has gone up only 5%.   I can relate to that, because, as an independent consultant, my rates have not changed at all in the last 20 years.   I have tried to crank them up a bit, but, that has proven to be unproductive.   Yet, in those 20 years, the cost of fuel has gone from $0.50/$0.75/gallon to close to $4.00/gallon.  Milk has increased in price from $1.00/gallon to $5.78/gallon.   Copper wire has gone from $89/1000 feet to $300/1000 feet.  But…I digress a bit.  The bottom line is that while President Obama may not be perfect, or have the perfect answers to the problem, he DOES have some very good plans that will help America in the long run.

     On a more positive note, the construction on the Octagon house is reaching a point that, whith some trim work done, we will be avle to move into it and live there.   While I greatly appreciate the kindness of my friend and landlord for the (relatively inexpensive) use of a house, I cannot express how glad I will be to move out of the Rental and into the Octagon.   ONe of the stressful things about the past few years has been the fact that I have had to live the life of a renter.   Some people are owners, some people are renters, and, it is difficult for the one to be the other.   It may be a small thing, but, for five years now I have been unable to relax in my own bathtub and soak in a good, hot bath.   That is a hard thing to give up.    With luck though, by the end of the year, we will be in it.

      One of the issues that has delayed the work on the Octagon has been my physical condition.   Since the Hep. C flared up, I have had a daily struggle with fatigue.   While it is better than it has been, I am reluctantly beginning to agree with the G.I. doctor, who has said it is going to be ny constant companion for the rest of my life.   As a recent example, I sat down to write this after spending a fairly short time in the kitchen, getting a rice pudding in the oven, to take to a friend’s house for dinner tonight.   That small amount of effort, which, a few years ago, would not have slowed me down at all, left me tired enough that I had to just sit and catch my breath for a few minutes before typing on this.   It is, to put it mildly, very frustrating.   The fact that, intellectually, I know it could be worse, does not help that much, I am sorry to say.   In any case, the physical issues, and the depression issues made WORSE by them, have made it quite a bit harder to get work done up at the Octagon.  I know that once I am living there, though, it will be better, because I will have ways of relaxing a bit, in between periods of work, so, I should be more productive.    I have, though been progressing a few things, which brings up an amusing story. Violetta, who is a “rescue kitty” who lives up at the Octagon, and, has pretty much adopted all of us (including Jose and Rocindo, the guys working on the details of construction), is a very interactive and talkative creature.   The other day I was up in the common area of the Octagon, working on re-soldering the leaded glass in the door to the small pantry.  I do not know what had happened to it before the door came to us, but, there were a bunch of joints that had been broken, and, the glass in one of the panels was quite bowed out.  Well, I had the door laying flat on a couple of saw-horses, so I could remove the panel without too much hassle.   Violetta, who likes to hang out with folks that are working up there, wandered around and, when she decided I was not going to pet her for a bit, took a position on a chair cushion over near the door.  Well, after a bit, she hopped down, and, came over to nearby me, and started talking loudly.   I started to pet her, but, she backed away, and went running over to the pillow.   I went back to working on the window, since I thought she was not that interested in attention.  Well, she did it again, with the same cycle happening.   It was on the third time that I finally caught on.   She wanted me to get her closer to the action so she could see what was happening!   I retrieved the pillow, and set it on the door.  She hopped up, and settled in, and watched quietly for the remaining hour or so that I worked on the window!   They are very communicative little animals, I have to say.

     One other facet of this time of year has been the weather.   I wonder if we are going to have a colder than usual winter this year, here in East Tennessee, because it just seems like we are having below average temperatures stringing along just now.   The weather, with the exception of being a bit chilly, is actually very nice, with clear skies, and, very Fall-like conditions.   I have not made it out all that often recently, but, when I have it has been worthwhile.    The leaves in the Smokies were quite colorful this year, so, a couple of weeks or so ago, when my younger sister and family were up, we hiked around in the Smokies a bit, and, did enjoy the patches of color.

     Speaking of items of nature and such, a bit ago, the Taurid Meteor Shower visited the Earth, and, this year, it was an unusually strong show.  I did manage to get out and watch the skies for a bit  and over the period of an hour, saw 15 or 20 streaks of light.   This weekend (Nov 16-18) the Leonids are coming through, and, while I did not manage to get out there last night, I may try and see what I can see tonight.

      Alas,  the alarm on the stove has gone off, indicating that it is time to check on the Rice Puddings I have in there…so…for the moment, have a DelightFul Thanksgiving!

      Dave