Two blog posts yesterday? I didn’t plan that.
The last character in the second post was an exclamation point, by far the punctuation mark I use least. In our social-media age, that makes me something of an outlaw, at least an outlier.
I was taught that the exclamation point is reserved for special occasions. Only in cases of extreme surprise or joy, shouting or screaming, or emphasis that can be achieved by no other rhetorical or typographical means should one employ the mark.
So that’s what I do. And I’m a snob about it. (Multiple exclamation points? Don’t get me started!!!)
I typed that punctuation mark yesterday for a reason. I wanted to further emphasize (in addition to the words themselves and italics) that it had been a successful day.
A special occasion, indeed.
If you ever hear me say, “I need a drink,” rest assured that it’s an expression. I’m not a drinker. I never find myself needing alcohol.
(Coffee, on the other hand….)
I don’t self-medicate. Oh, sure, I love good beer and I love good bourbon, but I don’t reach for them at the end of the day, or when I’m under stress, or simply to “take the edge off.”
I’ve developed other ways to manage myself in the normal course of everyday life.
Of course, my current situation doesn’t resemble “the normal course of everyday life.”
And yet, over the last eight weeks — yes, eight weeks yesterday — only twice have I consumed alcohol. One evening in mid-February, I polished off the last couple of ounces remaining in a bottle of Bulleit. A week later, I found a shot of Fireball in the freezer and drank it.
Drinking just isn’t a coping mechanism for me. Honestly, if I were accustomed to having a ritual drink at the end of every day, or in reflex response to stress, I might be in big trouble today.
I enjoy alcohol. I catch a buzz every now and again, just for fun. Right now, today, I’m glad I’m not a user.
I have enough to deal with.
But hey, let’s get together and have a drink sometime, okay?
Writing that just now made me thirsty.
Not really — but it did make me curious. I wondered what (if anything) X2B and her crew of two might’ve taken from the liquor cabinet on Saturday, and what (if anything) they left behind.
See, I haven’t been running around the place taking inventory. When I think of something, I look. It doesn’t preoccupy me. It’s just stuff.
So I opened the cabinet doors and looked. I don’t know exactly what it contained before, but I can tell you that the good stuff is still here.
Handcrafted spirits from Glacier Distilling in Coram, Montana, for example. I also spied a half-jar of Cherries & Moonshine from Old Forge Distillery in Pigeon Forge. Right then and there, I couldn’t resist popping a few of those boozy maraschino cherries.
I’ve been getting compliments lately on how I’m handling things. It’s flattering, and I appreciate every one. At a time like this, though, it’d be easy to be swept up by all the kind words.
I deserve every bit of good that comes my way. But I never forget that I’m a flawed man, and you shouldn’t, either. I’ve made mistakes, many of the same ones again and again.
I’m human that way.
Before this is over, I’ll be bludgeoned with my imperfections. I expect it. That’s the way this sort of thing goes.
That can’t help but shape me. There will be scar tissue. It’s unavoidable.
But the haters — you know who you are, and so do I — will be disappointed. Because when it’s done, weeks or months or years from now, I’ll be standing.
Shame, stumbling, retreats into shadow. I remain a good man, flaws and all, unbroken, standing in the light.
It’s about to get damned soggy in Ozarkansas.
Tomorrow is expected to bring a triple threat of severe weather — tornadoes, strong straight-line winds and large hail. The Mountain is squarely within the area of greatest risk.
From then into Sunday, the forecast calls for “excessive rainfall.” Areas to the south and east of me could see well over a foot of rain, with The Mountain getting between eight and ten inches.
If that comes to pass, Crooked Creek and Shawnee Town Branch may rise and flood lower Yellville. The north end of Flippin could take a hit as well. The road up The Mountain likely will suffer some degree of damage.
The saving grace, provided the forecast holds, is that we won’t get wet all at once. Last November we saw eight-ish inches of rain in less than 24 hours, with near-catastrophic results. This deluge will be spread over four days or so.
I took stock of my provisions this morning, identified gaps and placed a curbside-pickup order for this afternoon. Just a few things. Wanting to consolidate that errand with others, I decided I’d toss the YETI cooler in the truck, only to find that (apparently) it left The Mountain on Saturday.
I chuckled. My trusty soft-side RTIC cooler is more than enough.
Before leaving for town, I tested the generators. I pull-started the Predator and the Firman, and they fired right up. They’re in good shape.
I paid some bills. I’m okay for the moment, but I won’t know exactly how everything will shake out ’til the May cycle.
I made a smoothie.
Grabbed gas and groceries in Flippin, then retired to the city park to decompress and write. (You don’t read nearly half of what I record.) I have plans for later, so I think I’ll end the tick-tock here.
Finally today, I have a favor to ask.
Please don’t assume that I want to know what X2B is doing, or what she’s saying on social media. Likewise, I’m not remotely interested in comments others make about me.
I was ignoring that stuff long before I was summarily blocked. I simply don’t care.
You mean well, and I understand the intent, but I’ve moved on.
Dig? Thanks.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable