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The Cleveland Browns figured out the best way to get the least amount of compensation for Baker Mayfield. They let everyone in the world know they didn't want him and had no confidence in him. That isn't the best way to inspire a bidding war. Today they agreed to pay ten million dollars of his salary and accept a fifth round draft choice to get rid of him. It is good for my equilibrium to know that even in bad times the Browns can maintain their standard of quality (none!). Baker is now on the Carolina Panthers. The Browns will face the Panthers in the first game of the year. I will watch that game. Nobody knows if Deshaun Watson will be eligible to play, but the Browns will be paying QBs on each team. I'm laughing, but
I and every tax payer in my county is subsidizing this (dis)organization (Browns). At least this season will be entertaining for me.
My hip seemed to improve today. I ran the Mountain Trail for the third day in a row. I also did a tuning fork treatment with Doug J. My good friend and fantastic sax player. We concentrated on the legs and hips and I felt muscles releasing that I didn't even know were tight. If I can stay pain free until I'm asleep it will be wonderful. We'll see.
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Pat Cipollone (my auto correct doesn't recognize his name-within one week most people will know it well) is going to testify before the "January 6 Committee" tomorrow. It will not be televised live. He was the attorney for the office of the president at all times relevant to the January 6 coup attempt. His testimony has the potential to make what is apparent even more obvious. Pi tried to end democracy in the United States and a large portion of the people in this country are fine with that. Cipollone had many conversations with Pi telling him that his plans were illegal and unconstitutional. Cipollone helped stop PI from going to the Capitol. It makes no difference if I tell you all about it. It will make a ton of difference if he tells the Committee anything significant about it. Stay tuned.
I ran the Mountain Trail again. I did some tuning fork therapy afterwards. The hip doesn't work perfectly but I'm in less pain and sleeping better.
I have been corresponding with friends in Chicago. They were not at the parade and they are safe (actually nobody is safe) but they are shaken and sad. I am going to watch the news for a while and then go to bed. The big news of the day is that Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister of England. Nobody knows who the next leader will be. This throws another variable into an already unsolvable problem in an at best hopefully salvageable world.
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Cipollone testified before the "January 6 Committee" for about eight hours yesterday. He most likely wasn't talking about how my books aren't selling very well or whether Baker Mayfield will thrive on his new team. So far nobody outside of him and the committee know the details of what was said. One of the Committee members has stated something to the effect that his testimony was valuable and seemed truthful. The next televised hearings will take place on Tuesday (three days from now) and it is anticipated that some of Cippolone's recorded testimony will be shown. Pi will never admit it but he is nervous.
The overruling of Roe v. Wade, and the mass killings continue to dominate the news. The price of food and gas is considered more important in determining the way people will vote in the midterms. The biggest drawback to the hearings is the fact that Pi is once again front and center. He has not yet announced whether he is going to run for president in 2024. It would be surprising if he didn't. He wants to convince everyone that every allegation against him is part of the "witch hunt." That will be easier if he is a candidate. Putin is making a similar defense about all of the allegations and sanctions against him and Russia. They are being done because the world just wants a reason to pick on Russia. Russia's brutal invasion and destruction of the Ukraine is just a pretext. Poor guy. It seems nobody is accountable for anything anymore.
"I continue to run and my hip continues to get better and worse" will not be the name of my next book. It is the story of today. I had a good run on the Mountain Trail. I think it was my sixth day in a row. I hit one tree root and almost lost it. I didn't fall and I don't think that aggravated the hip. I did question whether running on the Mountain Trail was worth the risk. I decided it was as long as I don't get hurt. I have found no substitute for running the Mountain Trail. It quiets my mind and it is really loud out there.
My favorite noise is made by my friend "Squeaky." He is a male hummingbird who stops by at the feeder multiple times most days. He makes me happy. I almost drove him away when I switched recipes. Did you know there is aa difference between "powdered" sugar and "granulated sugar?" I didn't know that. I didn't think there would be a difference when mixed with four times as much water. Squeaky did and boycotted when the powdered sugar was introduced. Lydia in a polite way told me I was a moron and brought over some granulated sugar. Squeaky is back now and my world is better because of it. I'm making the world sweeter in the correct manner. I wish more people were.
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Squeaky came by a couple of times today and I ran the Mountain Trail. I met my coffee group in the morning. I also started reading a great book. It is easy to smile as long as I don't think about the fact that my country is in a "Cold Civil War," the countries of the world are realigning themselves domestically and internationally, there is a pandemic, global warming is destroying many things and threatening most everything else, Deshaun Watson....F-ck Deshaun-F-ck Kyrie (Lydia and my mom are both proud of me for not saying you know what).
I played the best piano of my life last night. I improvised a minor blues in G with the lights turned way down. I recorded it and I like it. It sounds like music. I have a long way to go but I like my piano playing. I also like playing the piano. I like the actual motion more than the motion of playing guitar (at this moment). I did like playing at the Porchfest. I feel guilty about letting my guitar practicing go but I enjoy playing guitar more than I enjoy practicing it. My piano playing and "thumb" recovery have a strong correlation. The piano is demanding my thumb bend in ways it hasn't for years. I don't always know whether to force it or stay out of the way. Sometimes I find myself doing both. I think I have probably done that in certain relationships with mixed results.
"what exactly does that mean"
"I'm not sure-but I sometimes do that to you"
"at least smile when you type this. don't take yourself
too seriously"
"me? fair point.
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I met my good friends since law school, Jerry D. And John L, for lunch. It was a beautiful day to sit outside and enjoy Jonny Mangoes great food. I had a couple of healthy drinks (the Kale Aid with Kale, Apple, Lemon, Ginger, and Cucumber) with an added shot of tequila. I can't drink margaritas because the salt and lime screws up my stomach. I do like drinking tequila straight or with the Kale Aids. I still am feeling good and it is several hours later. I have been told tequila is an anti inflammatory. I'm not going to google it because I want to go to bed believing it's true even if it might not be. Sometimes it's okay to rationalize.
Other times it is not at all okay to rationalize. The "January 6 Hearing" held today presented lots of evidence showing Pi intended for armed angry Acceptors to storm the Capitol. He intentionally told them the election had been stolen even though all his real advisors told him: 1)it wasn't stolen 2)he shouldn't advise them to go to the Capitol 3)He should concede the election. The Republicans continue to rationalize their support for him despite the mountain of evidence that shows he was the driving force of a failed coup. I could use that as a rationalization to have more tequila. Instead I'm going to read for a while and go to bed.
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I read a little bit more this morning and then finished the book after going out for coffee. The author of the book lives about ten miles from my house. I learned this when I googled him after reading 50 pages of the book. I looked him up on Facebook and messaged him. I let him know I read his book, it was recommended by someone in my coffee group, and suggested he should join us for coffee. He wrote back that he would love to. Will it happen? I hope so. I'm happy he wrote back and let him know that I was happy that a certain character in the book came out relatively unscathed. The book was well written but dark. I'm glad I read it but unsure of whether to recommend it.
I just finished a cathartic, fun, and musical escape at the piano. I'm playing the Bo Diddley-Clave with a confident right hand. I'm trying to put weight into the fingers that are playing the melody notes in the right hand and not try and disperse the weight anywhere else until the next note arrives. The thumb is moving better and better each day. My hip.......feels good right now and I ran today. I'll take it. Lydia made an appointment for me to see an orthopedic. Good idea to hedge your bets. I'll keep working on improving it in the meantime.
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Jim Jordan is an asshole. If you don't have something nice to say about someone you shouldn't say anything. However, if it is someone in a position of power who abuses it and has...
