Rubber and Glue

 "Whatchya doing over there Jack?"
"Studying."
"Studying what."
"Um...Yes?"

At the moment I'm just recovering after the big clean.  All this furniture doesn't move it's self and making sure all the hardware is still in working order takes more time than you'd think. 
But also, studying.  
I've got the script outline done and as fara s the book goes it's a matter of settling on which story.   My story?  A fantasy story?  A sci-fi story?   a horror story?  
I dunno.
I've been feeling very swashbuckler of late. 
At the very least I'll finish the other two musketeers duels.  
I already know how tea time goes I'm just finishing the choreography.  
The question on that front is:  What's for lunch?


At the moment though, recovery and study .  
Catching up on and reviewing the most current astrological models. 
Checking in on battery technology as I revisit some of the designs I've been playing with. 
That's the trick isn't it?  
I can design all the cool tech in the world but without a way to power them then it's just a bunch of shiny paper weights.  

Which is where I find myself in designing a sustainable, low repair, home electrical system. 
Wind works as long as the wind is blowing. 
As long as the sun is shining. 
Geo thermal works, if you have a source to tap into. 
But three solutions keep coming back to me. 
Water and Weight. 

Using waste water to power turbines. 
But that introduces more breakdown points into the water systems. 

Using weights and exercise bikes  to create supplemental energy. 
Imagine that instead of riding an exercise bike just for health while someone screams at you in a group call; the peddling is charging your phone, warming the water heater,  powering the t.v.  and getting you healthy.  

All this workout equipment is so backwards. 


Catching up on modern chemistry and adjusting my projections to reflect current market conditions. 

"That telling the future thing?"
"It's not..."

Think about it like this. 
Every day a person needs food, water, and to poop. 
Sometimes because of situation or emergency one or more of those things may happen more or less often. 
But they still have to happen. 
Now, scale this up from a person to a neighborhood, to a city, to a country, to a state, to a nation, to a globe.  
It's not telling the future. 
It's just watching what's being eaten, seeing where the water if flowing, and then figuring out where the shit is going to land. 
It's not a magic trick, or a miracle, or any other such nonsense.   
I've got a hundred and a half very uncouth ways of wrapping that statement up. 

"What are we going to do tonight Brain."
"Same thing we do every other night..."

~~~~
"You haven't done a story time in a long while Jack."
"I know."
"Why not?"
"The big sad."
"Oh?"
"Yeah."
"Then don't be sad."
"Ah."
"Hadn't tried that yet?"
"Ha."
"I'm serious."
"All the world is a stage, and we but players on it."
"Is that a fortnite thing?"
"Sure."
"You seem tired."
"Yeah."
~~~

The Glasgow Kiss and the Irish Goodbye. 
When I was younger I didn't know how to leave. 
As I've gotten older I give out a lot fewer kisses. 
 

Splitting Hairs

"Thought you said you were done dusting there Jack."
"I did finish dusting. But there's also vacuuming and repairs to do."
~~

Fun fact : Vacuuming isn't just about sucking up the dust.  The high pitched wine of the motor that animals hate so much is for a good reason.  That sound, in most vacuums, is at a vibrational frequency that shatters small egg shells. 
Particularly those of pests.  
So remember kids. 
Do your daily sonic attacks to keep the bed bugs away!
The dust clean up is just a bonus.

~~~

It took 5 years to pull this little office together to the point of being able to sit and write again. 
Yeah.  
It's been a minute. 
But I'm glad to say that even as things have come together my notebooks have new pages drying with more already outlined.  
Not to mention the compositions. 
Budget proposal is done. 
Just have to finish filing and updating licenses.
 
~~~
"Whoa?  Compositions?" 
"Yeah, don't you compose when you write?" 
"Compose what?"
"The music."
"...."
"That goes with the words?"
"...."
"The beat and rhythm?"
"...."
"Wait?   You just write words?  Like, you don't compose them like a symphony before hand?" 
"...."
"Plan the pauses? 
"...."
"Read it out loud to make sure it flows correctly?"
"...."
"When you type the words it's not like the first time playing a song that's been stuck in your head for an embarrassingly long time?"
"...."
"I'm starting to feel like the crazy one."

~~~~

A lot of legends have fallen over the past couple of years. 

Sometimes people tell you to never meet your heroes. 
Then there's the heroes you'll never get to meet. 

I find the latter to be far worse.
Because there are real people out there the way Mr. Rogers was on T.V. 
I've had the privilege of meeting some of them.
And I'll tell you. 
I never trusted it. 
Well.
Not until met Ms. Frizzle anyways. 

I was used to Southern Kindness. 
Don't know what I'm talking about?
Oh?  Bless Your Heart.

So I always assumed that was what kindness was.
And when I met Ms. Frizzle my first thought was. 
"What the actual hell did I do to piss this lady off?"

But then as we worked together I realized she pissed adults, well most adults, off the same way I did. 
Ms. Frizzle talked to children like adults and adults like children. 
It set the tone for when people entered Frizzles domain. 

~~~~


"New projects huh?  Any juicy details you can share?"
"Um.  Updating contracts and social media E.U.L.A. with A.I. provisions to protect artists and their work."
"So you're working with A.I.?"
"I'm exploring A.I.s possibilities for weather and traffic modeling."
"What's the hold up?"
"Privacy concerns and exploit response protocols."
"Exploit Response Protocol? Sounds scary."
"Well, I don't want a repeat of Grok.   Or to see peoples personal information sold and exploited without their consent or knowledge.  You know, like Meta and Facebook where in trouble for a little while back before the E.U. slammed the consumer protections dick on the table. And...you know...sometimes it just means 'Unplug the damn thing before it finishes installing!!' " 
"Speaking of, how do you feel about age verification."
"Yes in spaces that are marketed to and frequented by minors.  No to adult spaces.  Basically the opposite of how it is now." 
"How exactly does that work?"
"Well, students/kids have their school networks that can verify a yes/no question to their accounts.  If an adult wants access/to interact with children's spaces.  Parents, guardians, educators, medical professionals.  Then I think their age and credentials should be verified. 
Which is already the standard for professionals in those spaces.  I'm just saying we formalize it."
"And you'd just let kids run amok in adult spaces without verification." 
"I'm saying that for the purposes of privacy once a person becomes an adult their credentials should be encrypted and only require verification for medical, financial, or professional reasons."
"What?"
"Basically think about it like this.  Anon accounts wouldn't be allowed in spaces for minors."
 Bro.  Kids need spaces they feel like is their own that they can explore and shape.  And digital spaces are just that.  The only thing that keeps them from being so is the fellas in the unmarked white vans selling candy. Stranger danger bro."
"So the kids would just have free reign."
"Na dude, they'd be like little stealth riders." 
"You're starting to use a lot of...slang."
"Um...think like...admin level but not?   Like they can access the networks, explore them, but to them it's like walking through a ghost town for the most part.  Only able to see verified accounts they're permitted to see.  Like, admins.  Or say, it's a site for horror films but the minor has a pass for a project to post to the forums or attend a live stream. Or maybe being like "oh shit! It's Ms. Rachel!"
"You think kids are going to follows those rules."
"Na, but they might if we trust them."
"Trust kids to not get into trouble"
"Man, kids are going to get into trouble.  That's just what they do. Just show them how to make good trouble."
"Good trouble?"
"Oh man..."

~~~

On a positive note. 
The busted hand is nearly back to 100%.   
Still needs strength and mobility training for the...well...the whole arm. 
 Not being able to use your hand properly for nearly 8 months takes a toll on the ol strength and dexterity.   
But I was able to get all of the tangles brushed out and all of the hair ties in without my hand cramping!
There were a lot of tangles too. 
No one around to help me out with that this time around.
But 5 full ties before hitting split ends. 
Top's getting a little thin though.

Stay Safe

As we know it.

 Okay. 

Let's break it down for a moment. 

The commonality amongst both the Iran situation and the Palestinian Situation. 

Pardon the language, but it is apt.

Israel trying to push the Palestinian people out of the area and the U.S. swinging dick. 

Which.  
Is not because land is scare. 
But sustainable land is scarce.  
Fishing regions, farmable regions, herdable regions. 
You need all three. 
And viable routs to remove excesses and bring in scarcities. 
Imports and Exports

And since we do live in 2026 A.D. and not 2026 B.C. it might be time to start writing a new play book. 
I mean.
Depending on your calendar this is supposed to be the end of Chapter 1 and the start of Chapter 2. 
Crazy I know, it's almost like they're numbered that way. 

My solution isn't a single state or a two state solution. 
But rather a counseling situation. 

So.  
Take the E.U. model of trade, travel, and support and overlay that on the Mediterranean region. 
Like a regional government.  

Will there be some overlap.  
Yes. 
But it would be a separate entity from N.A.T.O making Moscow happy. 
Would have representatives from multiple regions with distinctly different views on governance but all agree that freely flowing food, water, and travel in and out of the region is a goal. 
I don't think the U.N. was the wrong idea.   

I think it was just too big of an idea.

Too many pots on the stove and too many cooks trying to spice things their way. 
 
So.  
Base regional responsibilities...
Oof, can't not with the branding it seems.
...on geographical isolations and limitations. 
Not arbitrary lines in the sand.  
Ask anyone who lives near a desert what a line in the sand means after the seasons have changed. 

Keep the U.N.  largely as is and utilize it as the trade floor for the world stock exchange. But instead of focusing on speculative finances and made up currencies they deal in commodities only. 
Food, Fuel, Finished products. 
To support the creation of smaller regional infrastructure management comities.

The heaviest burden on any governing body is the building and management of infrastructure.
Energy, Agriculture, Emergency Services. 
So. 
Alleviate this burden for the smallest, mass produce for the largest, and focus on rehabilitation over reconstruction whenever possible. 
Rehabilitation takes much longer that reconstruction. 
But.
If the waters do rise?
Imagine saving Venice instead of watching it sink. 
Imagine turning New York, New Orleans, and all the other New cities on coasts destined for submersion and planning for it.  
Planning to live, or at least work and farm, underwater. 
I mean, we want to go to space right? 
My vote?
Turn New Orleans into Atlantis now.  So the next time the Levies break it's because we didn't need them anymore.

 
~~~~


I mean, that's my plan.  
I think I even have a map I did back during Katrina on my days off. 
Something to focus on since being at work meant trying to get a very panicked, angry, and traumatized public from point A to point B. without freaking anyone out.
So I just pretended I had all the money in the world and asked myself what I would do with it. 
And that's what I'd do with it. 
Underwater development and planning, update regional infrastructure starting with the smallest towns abandoned factory neighborhoods, rebuild them to support new industries and to act as emergency over flow for regions hit by a disaster. 

"Oh no, I'm so sorry your trailer was lost in the storm."
"It's okay, I got to stay in Old Detroit and washed dishes at a dinner theater while things were rebuilt." 

~~~~

I mean...I think I still have my physical files from that far back, but yeesh, that's been a minute.
That design might have been shredded with the tax paperwork.  But, man, to re-do a project like that with modern mapping instead of what I was able to find on the limited internet of the day and copy from my rand mc-Neily. 
 
Oh man...giving away my library....my collection of maps probably hurt the worst. 
Curated and updated annually. 
But, now we have gps in our pockets so I don't need a whole backpack just for maps and phone books. Smaller towns phone books were usually only the size of a comic book and having emergency numbers and knowing if there was a grocery store or mechanic helped plan stops.  
I'd always rather get out and stretch where the work shop is because if there's an issue I've only gotta push the car a few feet instead of a few miles. 
Slow roads over highways any time I can. 
More fun to drive, safer for the cargo, and an extra pair of eyes where there usually isn't a pair. 
I can't be everywhere, but I can be somewhere.

Like doctors without boarders but for things like running water and farming rights for land, sea, and air. 
We can't overhunt herd animals otherwise we'll end up in situations like the American dust bowl of the 1930's or the starvation of the Savannah in the 1980s.  But we also need to feed the people.  
So. 
2 birds, 1 stone. 
Hunting enthusiasts can get...
here's that language again.
...get their rocks off. 
 People are fed, large scale herds can do what they do for the eco systems, the meat produced is ethically sourced, and it designates and protects existing natural habitats for food production without over developing the land and destroying the natural eco systems.  

I know.
I Know. 
I'm a genius. 
Solving the worlds problems one simple solution at a time. 
Yes.  
I am white jesus. 

"Uh...sir...what are you going to do when they find out you're just copying the way it was being done before the colonists showed up, but with star trek stuff?"
"Shhh....smile for the cameras and keep up the soft shoe until we get this all done." 
"The....the uh...mic is hot...they heard all of that."
"Aw fuck."
 "Jigs up!"
" Cheese it!"
 "Mystery Inc is on the Case!"
"Good one!"
"Let's go!"

Quiet Morning

 Watching the sun rise on the last day of Ramadan...assuming I was given the right date.
I look around and count my blessings. 

1. Is the sunrise it's self. 
2. The relative safety that has gotten me to the sunrise.
3. The memories of those that have helped me arrive at this sunrise. 


Around noon I'll put a couple of sodas in the fridge to chill for this evening. 
And try to remember the lessons of the year.

1. Rehabilitation is hard work.
2. Rebuilding harder.
3. The harder the work, the more rewarding.

As the night sky settles over the land I'll enjoy a simple meal with my soda. 
And set my intentions for the future.
1. Continue repairing my tools. 
2.  Make sure all of my paper work is up to date.
3. Finish a script, a book, and the playlist. 

Stay Safe out there.

Tea and crumpets batman

The real world has a way of happening. 
~
"So you think you'd handle things differently?"
"Well, for starters I wouldn't have pulled out of a nuclear treaty without having another one ready to sign."
"So you would have pulled the U.S. out of the treaty with Iran?"
"I would have a better nuclear treaty drawn up and ready to propose to U.N. quietly get everyone on board with it then as a signing ceremony tear up the old agreements as the new one is signed."
"You're trying to police the worlds nuclear arsenal?"
"One thing that everyone except the willfully ignorant will admit is that the electrical infrastructure needs updating.  On commercial and governmental levels the cleanest large scale power source is nuclear energy. Until some other form of magic rock is found that's what we have.  Yes, like with any other industrial scale infrastructure disasters and mishandled waste can be incredibly detrimental to surrounding housing and ecosystems. But that's why, side by side with large scale plants being powered up I'm laying down the grounds for a self sufficiency initiative to integrate renewable infrastructure on a small scale." 
"Sounds expensive."
"Infrastructure projects usually are, but as a nation, we're over due for one."
"What do you mean?
"The early 1700's saw the establishment of major water trade ports, the early1800's rail infrastructure, the early 1900's automotive and electrical infrastructure with the late 1900's focused on air and data transmission.  We're in the digital age, it's time for true governmental scale adoption of digital rights standards instead of leaving these standards up to businesses motivated by profit margins with little to no guard rails for public safety.
My proposal is for humanities 2000's project we establish, if not cities on the moon, telescopes for looking further out and being known as the generation that was able to truly make slavery a thing of the past.  By looking out we're better able to see what's coming from the stars, by giving humanity a project to work together on it gives us all a common goal rather than focusing on who's got the bigger beat stick.   The way I'm trying to look at nuclear energy is the same way to look at fertilizer for a field. When you use fertilizer it can help bring health to your plants, to grow larger, faster, and more bountiful. 
If you use too much fertilizer you contaminate the ground water around the fields.
Fertilizer will also feed the weeds and invasive plants if not managed properly. 
Fertilizer is highly combustible if handled in unsafely."
"What does any of this have to do with what's going on in Iran."
"I'm sayin if these two old men trying to carver their name in history or so dead set on reversing time for diplomacy and  and stability in the region by nearly 60 years then we might as well try to solve the issue that stemmed the whole 'but they have bombs' bullshit. 
 'It's not polite to point honey, especially when your mouth is full.' " 
"I didn't know you did voices."
"Oh...uh...yeah...so...umm...my point is that the big kids with the big bombs all agree to the same oversight committee. Not made up by people who have the bombs but by people who the bombs were tested on. Regardless of their national allegiances they're the most qualified to speak on their effects and be driven to see those things not happen to others."
"But most of the testing was done on inhabited islands."
"Uninhabited by who?  Do you think you keep your garden where you sleep.  And by uninhabited islands do you mean the tribal lands surrounding the Los Alamos testing grounds or the uninhabited Japanese archipelago? Because I'm fairly certain that's very famously not an uninhabited island."
"So...you'd agree to this committees oversight to the U.S. nuclear arsenal?"
"Absolutely, and if it took an executive order for that to happen I would issue one."
"I thought you said you wouldn't issue executive orders while President." 

"Here is my reasoning: and I will provide my reasoning for any time I were to exercise that power.   Executive orders are a wartime power and the only war left is the Nuclear one.  Everything else is just byproducts of the friction created by that war. 
Hunger, solved, save for distribution which is interrupted by conflicts sparking off of the Nuclear war. The race to hoard resources?  With renewables for common usages and the ability to quickly deploy large scale power stations in emergencies relatively hoarding becomes relatively moot unless you count a nuclear war.
People being, lest we forget, a part of nature no matter how hard some people try to believe themselves above it. People need the ability to move, to travel, to migrate freely.  It's a biological imperative on a level beyond ourselves.  Call it God, or gods, or simple animal instinct, it is a drive that everyone feels at some point in their life. And the only thing that limits that for humans isn't will or ability but... conflict.  Sparked by the Nuclear war.  So if it came to an assured and guaranteed nuclear armistice for global security I absolutely would sign an executive order giving such a committee oversight of the nuclear stockpile."

"So you'd give away the nukes?"
"I'd get people to stop pissing on each others boots long enough to look up. 
 Here's the thing.
  If a meteor.
  Or a piece of trash from, at this point, literally 100 years ago lands somewhere populated. 
Then some jack off with a paranoid cult get's froggy and decides to "shoot back" because they were too busy cleaning piss off of their boots to notice it was raining 'fire and brimstone'" 
"So you're doomsday prepping?"
"I have two mottos I live by.  
'Leave things better than the way you found them'
'Plan for the worst, hope for the best and you'll never be unprepared.'

"We're a little off topic here. What does this have to do with the situation in Iran?"
"I just wanted to illustrate my philosophy before I explain how I would have reacted to this whole situation is that I wouldn't have been in it to begin with, but since we are I would come at it from a point of accountability. 
Regardless of who did what, when, or where.  Even if it was aliens, I'd have the CIA do forensic analysis of the situation, have u.s. forces in the region offer emergency aid and evacuation of the area, then instruct the F.B.I and the Department of Labor to secure work and places to stay for the short term and plans for either permanent relocation or returning when it's safe and if returning if they want to return before or after reconstruction."
"And if it was a U.S. asset that caused the collateral damage?"
"One, there is no such thing as collateral damage. My heartfelt condolences go out to every family affected by this tragedy."
"Even the Terrorists?"
"Especially the 'terrorists'.
Because either they truly felt the only path forward was through one of destruction.  Possibly they were opportunists seeking to monopolize on the chaos.  Or maybe truly innocent people caught in a hopeless situation. Or an innocent bystander with nothing at stake but proximity.
All are true in these situations and it is heart breaking. It is why it has taken me so long to find these words even though they change little from happening to happening.
 Which ever truth comes to light while the dead are laid to rest, someone's loved one was lost.  Be it that day or years before that took them down such a path.  I make no judgment on the dead, only their effects on the living.  
So to answer the question; I don't think I would have been in the situation the current administration finds it's self in. And if I were having to deal with such a mess I'd offer assistance and if it was declined I'd respect that decision."

"No thoughts and prayers?"
"I offer assistance and accountability. 
And if neither are needed I offer my wish for good winds and clean rains."  

Sit down for a minute dude!

 Cleaning done.
It's always such a strange and cathartic thing.  

I'm not talking about making the bed or wiping down the counter, or running the vacuum. 
I'm talking about. 
Dusting shelves, cleaning figures, redoing all of the displays. 

Moving furniture to;
 sweep and disinfect the floors and base boards.
Check clothes, blankets, and fabrics for mouse or moth chewings. 


~~~~
The Warrior Mouse
~
Last winter a little family of mice had taken up residency in a little corner of shelf behind some boxes and used the carpet like fabric from some old suite jackets I'd thrifted for a weekend of Frank cosplays to climb from floor to ceiling. (Still need to let those out in the shoulders). 
I was able to get all of them out into the field to either find a warm bit of hay to curl up in or nature take it's way.  
But then there was one.  
I couldn't catch the little guy. 
I had to chase him from one end of the house to the other.
Wiley and smart the little warrior used glue traps as parkour hurdles.  
I finally had the little dude cornered, removed the suitcases and shoe boxes so there was no where for them to hide.  Instead of freezing or make another neo like escape from the broom they ran strait up the broom handle and leapt claws first directly at my face.
(You stun them with the broom bristles and snag em before they get their bearings.) 
I caught the fearless fighter inches from my face.  
We looked at each other for a long, long moment before put him out in the field. 
I hope I didn't hurt him when I caught him, because I'd like to think that little warrior is one the crows watched and cheered for as he carved a path through the tall grass.
~
~~~~

Turning the mattresses. 
Changing out the wardrobe for the season.
Rerunning cables and checking batteries for damage or corrosion. 
Cleaning the coats and outerwear

~~~~
Luckily I got all of the dusting done before the cold snap hit so I've been breathing easy, which is nice.  Let me tell ya dude.   
I told bros at the game shop the reason I hired them is because it was too dusty around here to do any real open heart surgery on a system and the filtration system on this case is so good dude.  Heat dissipation combined with airflow that keeps about 90% of the dust off of the components. One of the hard drives crapped out, luckily the one I was using to store massive online games incase someone needed a pickup player.
It's still under warranty and I think I can get it out with just a screw and a couple of clips.
Well, pretty sure, since I checked under the back plate while cleaning. 

~~~~

Planning shopping trips and budgets for the year. 

~~~~~

"You budget your whole year in advance?"
"Yeah.  Don't you?"
"No."
"Look, I know I need to make a minimum amount to pay rent, bills, and groceries in that order.  
So that money's already spent on pay day, so I know how much I need to make in net take home each month."
"Net take home?"
"The amount after paying taxes and transportation costs. 
Before 45 took office I could get a weeks worth of groceries for $1000 fresh $40, spend $20 on canned goods and non perishables for storage, and $20 for cleaning supplies with $20 left over for gas.  (Never let your car get under 1/2 tank if you can avoid it, it's bad for the fuel pump to run at low fuel for too long.) 
Now for a full grocery run?  it's $100 for a fresh groceries, $50 for cleaning supplies...canned goods when I can afford them, but usually spending $100 or more for less, and fuel...it almost feels malicious at this point."
"Is that why we don't go to the theater anymore?"
"That's exactly why we don't go to the theater anymore."

~~~~

Ordering replacement parts and consumables. 

~~~
"Consumables?"
"Glue, tape, sand paper.  Ya know, stuff in the tool box that's only good for a handful of projects."
"Glass cleaner and air fresheners."
"Yeah, you got it."
"Why do you buy this expensive stuff?"
"I buy the stuff that last the longest. And that is usually more expensive than the cheap stuff."
"The cheap stuff?"
"Um...like the toy version of something.   Something that will teach you how it works but only really works if you're careful."
~~~


Then recovering.  
Which is where I'm at now. 

Can never seem to get through a cleaning without stubbing a toe or something. 
Going to have to be more careful, or find someone to give me a hand in case I turtle.
A little mantra I have to remind myself as I get older. 

Good news is I seem to still have decent balance, though I need to do some more ankle strengthening exercises. 
Going to need to do some more weight training to keep my strength up, furniture moving went considerably easier than I expected.  Certainly more easily than last year.
So with the exception of not practicing the gravity hammer as much as I would have I liked I at least hit my fitness goal for flexibility and cardio this last year, so yay!

Going to need a trainer at some point to keep me motivated 'cause it's easy to get wrapped up in a project and forget to exercise for a day or two.  
When I was younger, not as much of as an issue.  Just get up, stretch, and good to go.  
Now it's like "fuck, need my cane just to stand up"
So the exercise has become much more necessary but as long as I keep stretching and wiggling I should be solid.

Anyways, back to work,  I have some notes to go over and a few papers to update with the current data sets. 

Planet Money here I come!

Like Water

 "Hollywood often has a way of blowing things out of proportion."
"What do you mean Mrs. Fletcher?"
"Well, remember when old man Johnson's tuna nets were torn into by the school of sharks that got caught in the shallows a few summers back?"
"Aye."
"Then they made that dreadful movie Jaws about a runaway shark?"
"Poor girl."
"Aye."

~~~

"Dusting sure takes awhile Jack."
"It used to only take about 10 or 15 minutes."
"What changed?"
"I got older and slower and there's a lot more than Bumblebee and a few books on the shelf now."
"You call that a few books?"
"Oh, you saw the old library?"
"Yeah....that was not 'a few books'?"
"You want to know the crazy part?"
"Yes?"
"Those where just the Book Marks."
"Shut the fuck up."
"True Story."

~~~~

white t-shirts and cold beer
t-shirts to see if I was leaking.
Cold beer to ease the creaking. 

~~~~

Four more days man.

~~~
"Why do we wait to eat?"
"Because there are those that can not."
"Why can't they?"
"Because there are those that have to."
"Why do they have to?"
"Because life is funny sometimes."
"And sad sometimes."
"Indeed."
~~~~

There is one thing that all of the wise men and wise women agree on. 
"Look to the stars and watch where you walk."

"Everything between is the world."

"Genius is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration...."  Or some such. 
"He forgot to factor in the blood and tears."
"What do you think perspiration means lad?" 

"They're all full of shit." 

~~~~~

Almost done.
Floors are swept and baseboards wiped down. 
Now it's just putting the furniture back and re running the cabling to make sure there haven't been any nibbles.  
Which, so far so good. 
The exciting part. 
For me at least.
Is that I'm finally getting things settled in the way I imagined them when I first walked into the room. 
But...
Life being do what life being do recovery was a little slower than I'd hoped.
That's the funny thing about age. 
The thing that young people don't think about and older people often regret.  
When you're young is how you shape your health. 
Not fitting into arbitrary beauty standards, but shaping yourself for the life you hope for. 

~~~~

Strength.
Stamina.
Acuity. 
Awareness. 
Luck. 

Luck is the one you can't shape, but you can stack in your favor the longer you play.
The first and fourth you start with in abundance and grow rapidly but ultimately decline over time.
The Second and Third start weak and grow slowly but decay slower than the first and fourth.

Background - Affects Strength, Stamina, and Luck and is fixed at character creation
Education - Affects all 4 and is allocated into actions per turn.
Age - Affects all 5 and is applied over time.

"I'm going to use a background point to perform this action with an Awareness check?"
"Roll with a Luck and Stamina modifier."
"15 so...40 in total." 
"The air feels heavy and you're slightly dizzy. Like you've been underwater to long."
"Hey...uh...guys..."


Anyways.  
That's how I'd create/run/write the games.


What's Luck represent?
A hoagie when you're running on empty.
Damn dude. 


~~~

"Go eat Jack, you can't think if you don't fuel the machine."
"hrm"