It’s some kind of sinus thing. I have no idea. I have no idea how long it’ll last.

What I do know is that it makes thinking clearly one of those rare things that appears on roughly the same schedule as Haley’s Comet.

That makes writing difficult.

Really, it kind of makes anything other than sitting still and watching TV difficult.

For instance, the post I’ve been working on, which should have gone out yesterday, would have been a wrap up to the Argument series of Putting the Civil Back in Civilization.

And that didn’t happen. And it’s not happening today.

I’ve also been mulling over starting a series on critical thinking skills.

But snotty brain is snotty. So, that’ll have to wait.

Thankfully, my day job allows me to work from home. That makes things marginally easier, and it’s almost as restful to slouch in my office chair, as I am a professional sloucher by this point in my life.

But being sick fucks with my ability to get to the gym, and that sucks.

I went yesterday, and about three hours later I started getting the distinct itch in the back of my upper palate that signaled some kind of drainage problem – usually a sign of more problems to come. And I was right. So, no gym until I’m feeling better.

Staying healthy is, in large part, about recovering adequately, or so I’ve learned.

Recovery is about managing stress. Physical stress, mental stress, emotional stress, cosmic stress, whatever stress you’re dealing with at the time.

Have less stress than you can recover from, and you’re in the clear. You’ll even get better through adaptation to said stress.

Have more stress than you can recover from? Welcome to sick town as your body steadily breaks itself down because it never fully repairs all of the damage.

Also, I’m 40. And the sad fact about being 40 is you don’t recover like you did in your 20s. Little variables can have a large impact. Miss just an hour of sleep – at 40 anyway – and it can fuck up your whole day.

I know this from much personal experience, especially after getting my wife a puppy for x-mas last year. Puppies are remarkably like human babies, except human babies usually stay where you put them and don’t draw blood when they chew on you….

…But I digress.

If this seems rambling, that’s because it is. I’m more than a bit rambly right now.

And strangely, it’s not that I can’t think, it’s that I can’t keep up with my thoughts, or maintain an unbroken stream of them.

It’s a fair metaphor to think of my stream of consciousness as more like one of those crazy-hose sprinklers for kids; the untethered ones that whip around like electrified snakes, slinging water in unpredictable directions. Sometimes you get the cool, refreshing splash of municipal aqua, sometimes the summer-hot sting of vinyl across the thighs.

Where was I going with this?

Oh yeah, too many thoughts. Not enough brains to hold them all.

Anyways, I thought I’d list a few of the subjects I’m pondering on:

–Argument wrap up (it probably needs one)

–A series on tools for critical thinking

–More reviews of things I enjoy (Really, we could all do to share more of the things that make us happy.)

–Some political observations (if I can overcome the despair of watching the news)

–Writing stuff (I am a writer, turns out I have some thoughts and experiences that other people might find useful.)

–Self Publishing stuff (right now it’s a lot of hurry up and wait, because I have more time than money.)

–Mental Health stuff (well, because it’s part of my life, and I know me.)

There’s more, banging around in there, but that’s probably enough for now.

So, do me a favor?

Comment on this post. Tell me if you have a topic you’d like to hear about. What are you interested in? Have a suggestion? Throw that in too.

I want to hear from people.

It doesn’t have to be long, or even well thought-out.

And if you just want to say “Hi”, I’m good with that too.

Also, while I’m thinking of it, if you have any favorite book reviewers/ book bloggers, give me a heads up. I’m looking for good ones. Failing that, I’ll take entertaining ones.

Until next time, when I hope to be more conscious and less of a mucus fountain…