Just curious. in A small but passable life.

I’ve finished reading “The Afterlife” by John Updike. I first read it May 1997. Now nearly twenty years later I’m that much closer to the characters in age. I also read it much slower this time I’m sure. I kept a steady pace of two short stories per morning. A nice sedate pace with plenty of time to pause and ponder a line or situation.

I’ve kept up marvelously with the shave and shower every Sunday whether I felt I needed it or not gig. My beard is growing back out (my cheeks are what is shaved) and my hair hasn’t been cut for two years now. I experimented with a ponytail the other day but it looked pathetically thin and I was reminded of when I hadn’t cut my hair for nearly a decade spanning the turn of the century, 1996-2004. I haven’t had long hair again until now and haven’t worn a ball cap like I used to every time I went out.

I found and put on my Amazon wish list a 110v powered Wahl hair clipper set. It’s the #1 seller and only $15.19. My beard trimmer went dead. That’s the second one that has died on me. No more non-replaceable battery powered gadgets, ever. So yeah, if and when I ever get those I’ll be trimming the beard again and maybe trying to trim my hair. I could shave my head but I’m not bald enough to be that drastic enough. Besides, who wants to look like a penis-headed cop? Granted, I’m not obese, but still.

There is a new series being released on Netflix sometime today called “The OA”. The previews looked interesting. So I’ll be checking onwatchseries.to to see if it’s been linked to.

On Wednesday at 3pm it was 34 degrees here, outside, and 76 degrees there, outside. Inside, here it was 66 degrees, and there I know Mom still has the thermostat set at 78 degrees so it was a toss-up whether she’d have the heat on or the doors open. I did mount that thermometer outside her window so she could make a more informed decision and save some electricity, but, whatever. Her electric bill is only $86 a month year-round averaged which isn’t bad for nuclear powered Phoenix.

And these two days since then have been even colder here and about the same there.

Anyway, I need to peruse the several hundred books on the shelves up here and see if anything looks like it may need a re-read. I’ve read only 22 books so far this year which is less than half my normal. But last year I only read 33 books so maybe there will be a new normal.

I want to close today with a story. Mom and I were at a restaurant. The old guy one table over was packing a pistol on his hip. (So macho, like a wild west cowboy?) I asked Mom, “What do you think he’s scared of?” She said she didn’t know. I told her that after we’re done eating I’d go ask him. Mom freaked out. She said. “What if he’s a crazy guy with a gun?” She had a point. I let the subject go.

I still don’t get it. How could a person live with that much fear that you felt you had to carry a firearm? I’d think it’d reduce you to only seeing possible scary threats, you know, like a cop’s brain is programmed for extreme fear, seeing nothing but a threatening world.

Remembering that story led me to do some research. I found some numbers. Apparently the US general population isn’t “armed to the teeth”. Only 5% of the population owns 75% percent of the firearms. Which leaves the other 95% with 25%. And I’m sure the Feds know exactly who the 5% are.

Question of the day- Why aren’t the obese cops on the bicycles? Is it because it’d look more comical than authoritarian?

Just curious.

Last updated December 16, 2016