Update: still feeling fine. No other symptoms. Worked out as normal. Nothing to worry about, it would seem.

[Tentacles grow out of back]

Neat!

Sometimes when I get stressed I half-imagine spiky, blade-like appendages bursting from my back. It's more of a feeling than an image. 

Today has been busy. Spikes, activate! Prickle powers, go! Jabby stabbies, erupt!

Hmm...doesn't seem to work on command. 

Woo! Still feeling pretty well during the targeted re-writing of my mRNA. I was a little less energetic yesterday. I walked for an hour, not my usual two. Maybe it's a reaction to the vaccine. Maybe I didn't sleep well the night before. Maybe I'm just lazy. 

I'll try again today. See how I feel. My legs do feel ever-so-slightly sore, almost a restlessness. 

What else am I feeling...is it hope? That soon I'll be able to strut around with my vaccination card tucked into the brim of my hat like those old-tymey press guys? What a scoop!

I'll still wear my mask because I like my mask. The guilt I feel about going out will be lessened at least. 

Can't wait to go to Undertow again. 

I hung up some white, gauzy curtains outside on the back patio. It's been windy and I spent some time standing in the backyard in my big black pea coat and watched them billow and dance. One of them has holes torn in it from where the puppies chewed it. I like that too. Halloween-ish. Makes the house seem alive. Now to paint arcane symbols on them and freak out the neighbors. Mwahahaha.

Taking a Tuesday off in my work week has messed me up. It was worth it. My shoulder is sore from my vaccination. Tender to the touch. No other symptoms of an allergic reaction. I regret that I never got tested for antibodies before. Out of curiosity, purely. Perhaps I had no antibodies, suggesting my hermit-skills worked and I avoided exposure entirely. Perhaps I did have antibodies, and now that I've had the first of the two doses my immunity might be slightly higher. Or that having no reaction to this first shot is a good sign. Friends of mine have had reactions to the second shot after having no reaction the first, as in mild flu-like symptoms for a day or two. This suggest they are now having a learned immune response from the first shot. I'll see what happens after my next shot. If I do have a bout of sluggishness, maybe I didn't get exposed before my first shot.

Who knows. Only the all-mighty Atheismo. Time to put some more cashews on their shrine. Gods love cashews.

I did do my usual walking routine yesterday, and that went fine. 

Then I was attacked by a monster. Probably mad because I didn't put any cashews on its shrine. 

Cell Phone Tuesday #1

Took today off and got my first Covid vaccination. I feel fine. I'm not supposed to lift weights for a couple days. I'll heed that advice since this is the first one of these I've ever had. I'm still going to walk today. Because I must walk every day. 

I'm on the couch relaxing now. Thoughts drift back to yesterday about what I would do with my free time. This apparently. I may do some yard work. Just a little. The weeds springing up in the front yard after the recent rains. 

I thought of paying one of my nephews to do it. I could still do that. 

Have I talked about being Mixtec? I thought I did. My sister took her DNA test and got fifty percent Native American, specifically Mixtec (miz-tek, although Mix-tech would be a cool robot race.) 

Maybe I will get my own DNA test. Curious as to my own mix. Since I'm an odd combination of phenotypes. My dad's side is tall (for Mexicans), lean, lighter-skinned, with very little body hair, and my mom's side is short, stocky, swarthy, and dark brown. I'm the tallest in my family at a whopping 5 foot 11 (in shoes; last time I was really measured I think I was five ten and a half). I've got a long torso, thick stocky legs, and elegantly marbled shoulders. I've got a large head with a bulbous forehead, reminiscent of the larger simians or more ninja-ey of turtles. 

I believe with the right level of tan, I could pass for black, Asian, or Italian, as well. At least enough to convince people who are not of that race. 

Just need to fool them long enough to get through dinner and then once my belly is full, I will make me escape. 

Aha, yes. (Matt Berry impersonation.)

Working with medical supplies for patients with lung cancer often makes me think about the end of life. What would I do if I were dying? How would I behave? What would be different in my day-to-day life, assuming my ailment allowed me to live fairly normally? Right now, I don't know. I have such an ingrained routine. Maybe clean the house? Take up woodworking? That Japanese style of building with no nails is pretty cool. 

All the ways I imagine I'd behave are almost identical to the way I'd behave if I didn't have to work for money. Or rather, if I had sufficient resources that I could do what I wanted (within reason). If this were to happen, I have a huge advantage in that I've got years of writing to go through and see all the things I've ever wanted, and then try those. Or even things I have done, started, and never finished. It could be like a job. A personal college course of interests. Because I would need that structure. With too many choices, I would become overwhelmed and curl up into a ball. 

What an interesting concept. Brain is bad at this, so make a schedule. Automate it externally, similar to the habits I've already built internally. 

Yes, this could work. I'll probably need to get better at Excel first. Or Google Calendar. Reading, letter-writing, creating, cleaning, animal-wrangling, and sass. All the basics. Build up from there.