Gaining Strength, But...

I had a pleasant surprise when I got out the sawzall today to finish repairs on the front door. Not the way it cut the new door sweep--I probably should have used the jigsaw. It was how easy it was to put the blade in. You have to turn a part on the saw, which I could barely do two months ago when I had nails to cut off. Today--probably thanks to spending my spare time since August working saws, sanders and paintbrushes--it was no harder than turning a knob on the stove.

So I've built up some strength in my hands and probably elsewhere, but my adrenals aren't keeping up with cortisol production. After a day's work (well, three or four hours, to be honest), my neck, back, jaws, and sinuses all hurt and they don't feel better until use a dab of hydrocortisone. Other pain relievers don't help much. This isn't normal muscle stiffness--the kind you get from working out--it feels like I'm inflamed. Last weekend in particular, after a flu shot and a few days of painting, everything was so painful I wondered if something was wrong with me until someone else mentioned they were in pain after their flu shot. The Mayo Clinic says aches and pains can result from a flu shot from the production of antibodies. Some hydrocortisone and restorative yoga fixed me up.

Still, I have far more energy than I've had in a long time. My sister-in-law remarked how busy I've been--making repairs, canning produce, cooking, working, and taking a course on the Constitution. Well--I finally feel like doing something. That's another thing: I have more mental energy, enough to start reading books again (The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas are Killing Common Sense) and taking Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution online through Hillsdale College. Until fairly recently, it was too hard to even concentrate on a book. I haven't finished my new book yet, which just came out, so I'll leave you with a video by the author, Gad Saad, on his terror at Trump's recent reaction to the coronavirus.

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Pain, Pain, Go Away!

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