Start of December, A New Month
It's December 1st. A new month.
Thank Goddess. Once more, November is a month that I'm happy to see the back end of, and I suspect pretty much everyone might be feeling the same way. This was a month that saw the COVID-19 non-pandemic continue with a bit of a resurgence, the continuation of the end-of-the-year flu season (which was not helped by the fluctuation in temperatures), the prevalence of RSV (the respiratory illness that strikes primarily children and older adults, and lots of natural disasters in various parts of the world. Throw in the terrorism and violence in the Middle East, the conflict between Hamas and Israel, the continuing violence in Ukraine, the (re-)election of Donald Trump as U.S. President (he will take the reins again on January 1st), and add the political situations in various major countries of the world (including Canada and the United States) these days, and well... the world is a mess right now.
I've spent much of November dealing with various health issues. Between my diabetes, some of the medical conditions that go along with it, the fall that I took down the stairs four days ago that has left my back a mess and my rear end/butt sore and with bad bruising, the stress I'm dealing with from some stuff that I'm not going to go into here, I'm something of a physical mess at the moment. Just a rough November health-wise. Complicating my health issues is the fact that I may have lost my family doctor as well. Due to his partner retiring, he's closing the office they shared and moving farther to Ottawa's west end this December. That will make getting there much more expensive for me, so I'm going to have to figure out what to do about that.
As for December, well there's not a lot going on. I don't have any doctor appointments in December for the moment, and the next footcare appointment is early in January. I've still got to schedule a colonoscopy, but that's still waiting until I buy the toilet that I need for the upstairs of the house. (That project has been complicated by a couple of financial issues that the fellow helping me out with this is dealing with right now, and I'm working on that, but it's taking time to get anything done with the complications in his life.) I'm just going to try and take the month day-by-day if possible, am going to try and relax and not stress over stuff as much as I can. And I'm going to find one positive thing every day, even if it's just a small thing, so that I don't fall into a state of total despair with all the personal and world shite going on.
Being (born) Jewish and a singleton, December tends to be a depressing month for me, not to mention somewhat lonely. I'm not sure what this year holds in this respect, as I don't have any family here in Ottawa, and I'll likely see little (or at least less) of my (gaming) friends (see below), depending on my health, the weather, and a few other factors. Throw in the ongoing pandemic and concerns about my health, not to mention my poor shoulder, arm and hand, and now my back and well... Truth be told, I'm hoping that December passes quietly, there's not a lot of snow ::knock on wood::, and that someone buys me a Christmas/Hanukkah present of some sort! :)
In terms of gaming this December, both the Friday and Sunday gaming groups may take an extended break around the winter that is to come, but that will depend on the actual state of the climate and the amount of snowfall, not to mention Real Life(TM) issues that crop up at this time of year. Both groups are currently playing the Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game (in different campaigns, of course), and I'm thinking that perhaps in the new year I'll switch systems to something else, but am not sure when I'll switch and what game I'll switch to. However, if I'm being honest with myself, I'm not all that inclined to run something overly complex or mathematical right now, as it's still too taxing on my brain and all. Again, how much gaming (if any) happens this month will depend on the health concerns of the players, the weather, and a few other factors, so I'm taking it one week at a time.
The real trick for me in December (well, most of the winter, really) is to manage to keep warm. The arthritis that I have is one thing, but the neuropathy damage from the diabetes that I also have makes winter tough on my keeping the extremities warm. Heck, my body overall. Not to mention hydration.
Speaking of, I'm also hoping that Old Man Winter decides to hold off somewhat in regards to the white stuff. I'd really appreciate that.
But for now, a nice cup of hot tea.
Thank Goddess. Once more, November is a month that I'm happy to see the back end of, and I suspect pretty much everyone might be feeling the same way. This was a month that saw the COVID-19 non-pandemic continue with a bit of a resurgence, the continuation of the end-of-the-year flu season (which was not helped by the fluctuation in temperatures), the prevalence of RSV (the respiratory illness that strikes primarily children and older adults, and lots of natural disasters in various parts of the world. Throw in the terrorism and violence in the Middle East, the conflict between Hamas and Israel, the continuing violence in Ukraine, the (re-)election of Donald Trump as U.S. President (he will take the reins again on January 1st), and add the political situations in various major countries of the world (including Canada and the United States) these days, and well... the world is a mess right now.
I've spent much of November dealing with various health issues. Between my diabetes, some of the medical conditions that go along with it, the fall that I took down the stairs four days ago that has left my back a mess and my rear end/butt sore and with bad bruising, the stress I'm dealing with from some stuff that I'm not going to go into here, I'm something of a physical mess at the moment. Just a rough November health-wise. Complicating my health issues is the fact that I may have lost my family doctor as well. Due to his partner retiring, he's closing the office they shared and moving farther to Ottawa's west end this December. That will make getting there much more expensive for me, so I'm going to have to figure out what to do about that.
As for December, well there's not a lot going on. I don't have any doctor appointments in December for the moment, and the next footcare appointment is early in January. I've still got to schedule a colonoscopy, but that's still waiting until I buy the toilet that I need for the upstairs of the house. (That project has been complicated by a couple of financial issues that the fellow helping me out with this is dealing with right now, and I'm working on that, but it's taking time to get anything done with the complications in his life.) I'm just going to try and take the month day-by-day if possible, am going to try and relax and not stress over stuff as much as I can. And I'm going to find one positive thing every day, even if it's just a small thing, so that I don't fall into a state of total despair with all the personal and world shite going on.
Being (born) Jewish and a singleton, December tends to be a depressing month for me, not to mention somewhat lonely. I'm not sure what this year holds in this respect, as I don't have any family here in Ottawa, and I'll likely see little (or at least less) of my (gaming) friends (see below), depending on my health, the weather, and a few other factors. Throw in the ongoing pandemic and concerns about my health, not to mention my poor shoulder, arm and hand, and now my back and well... Truth be told, I'm hoping that December passes quietly, there's not a lot of snow ::knock on wood::, and that someone buys me a Christmas/Hanukkah present of some sort! :)
In terms of gaming this December, both the Friday and Sunday gaming groups may take an extended break around the winter that is to come, but that will depend on the actual state of the climate and the amount of snowfall, not to mention Real Life(TM) issues that crop up at this time of year. Both groups are currently playing the Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game (in different campaigns, of course), and I'm thinking that perhaps in the new year I'll switch systems to something else, but am not sure when I'll switch and what game I'll switch to. However, if I'm being honest with myself, I'm not all that inclined to run something overly complex or mathematical right now, as it's still too taxing on my brain and all. Again, how much gaming (if any) happens this month will depend on the health concerns of the players, the weather, and a few other factors, so I'm taking it one week at a time.
The real trick for me in December (well, most of the winter, really) is to manage to keep warm. The arthritis that I have is one thing, but the neuropathy damage from the diabetes that I also have makes winter tough on my keeping the extremities warm. Heck, my body overall. Not to mention hydration.
Speaking of, I'm also hoping that Old Man Winter decides to hold off somewhat in regards to the white stuff. I'd really appreciate that.
But for now, a nice cup of hot tea.