A few days off
Wow, did I need them.
Took vacation days off Friday, today and tomorrow. Feels so good just to chill and recharge. Nearly caught up on Inktober (though I don't expect that to last long). Treated myself to a really nice marker set, which makes getting the results I want much easier. Marker/ink is not my forte but I've done a couple pieces I'm pretty proud of!
Also finished laundry, except putting stuff away- always the big obstacle. I'll tackle that this evening.
It's been unusually warm this month. It's mid-October, and got up to the low 80s. In fact, it's been mid-70s and low 80s all month (there MIGHT have been one day where it was 68 or 69). The selfish part of me is not complaining, and the warm spell is supposed to continue until at least this weekend, where it will be a more typical 60s, but high 60s. Looking at the very long-range forecasts, it looks like it will stay in the 60s through the end of the month. Usually by this time it's low to mid-60s, with 50s by the end of the month. It barely feels like fall, despite the changing leaves.
Fingers and toes crossed, some cautiously optimistic news on the COVID-19 front. Looks like cases in general nationwide are going down. Maybe we've ridden out that fourth(?) wave? Also, hoping in the next couple of weeks that at least one vaccine will be approved for 5-11 year olds (Pfizer has requested this). Also, a COVID-19 pill may be on the horizon to treat those already sick. May we be finally past the worst of this by the holidays? I know some people who have already had booster shots; I'll see about getting one in December, myself.
Also finished another book, a collection of short stories.
26. Buy Jupiter and Other Short Stories, by Isaac Asimov. I haven't read any Asimov in a while. Reading this short story collection was like looking at a time capsule of what was believed possible then. I'm mostly familiar with his Foundation books and Robot stories, so this was different. In this collection, you see a quirkier, funnier side of Asimov. His stories have a twist, either comic or ironic, at the end, and he loves puns. Not saying which story but one tale was written around the title, which in and of itself was a pun. All of the stories were enjoyable, for different reasons. Also, all of the stories are very short, averaging 3 to 5 pages, with Asimov's personal notes included after each one. Those were as engaging to read as the stories. If you are a fan of Asimov's writing, I highly recommend this.
Currently reading: Punched, Kicked, Spat On, and Sometimes Thanked: Memoirs of a Cleveland TV News Reporter, by Paul Orlousky