The Wheels on the Bus

Here I am in the TV room at Sierra Hot Springs, a place that has been good to me. Even with the terrible movie currently playing, here, right now. You know, one of those modern romantic movies where the guy and girl and so effing smart that they know how to play the game, and every few minutes they screw so that you don't turn of the TV. I wouldn't judge anybody for watching this stuff. I'm sure it gets a little slow and lonely when you're staff here. A day in front of bad TV must be a respite from all the natural beauty and beautiful and ugly people alike.

So I'm doing the vagabond camper thing again. I'm getting better at it. It's one of those things in life where I've been here before, doing this, cooking over my one-burner stove with an old pan that doesn't balance quite right but I've figured it out and I know how long it takes to cook a pound of chicken and how to add water to it and cover it with a pie tin so it doesn't burn. So yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself, but it's just chicken, you know? That's how it goes in life. One day you're making your coffee, and you say to yourself "Here I am, again, doing what I do." Maybe you get some deja-vu out of the whole deal, or maybe just a cup of coffee. You can't be too greedy.

Some things take practice. Like using hot springs. Earlier this year I was here, doing this, and tried the thing where you alternate between hot and cold soaks. The hot pool is very hot, about 108 today, and the cold is very cold. I found that afterward my back seemed to have loosened and had a sort of electric feeling in my legs. So I tried it out again today. The jury is out, but my back did feel better. Maybe there's an ideal timing for moving between the hot and cold. I think the idea is that the expansion and contraction of the body's cells with the temperature change is beneficial. I learned today that returning immediately to the hot after the cold doesn't feel good. I think it's great to research how to care for ourselves, but paying attention to how things feel is a good indicator as well.

Now the television is chanting "more Viagra, more Viagra!" Yeah, whatever. I learned last week that cheap Merlot is a nice beverage with a little sugar and water added. Tonight I learned that I'll try it unadulterated next time, if it's with a meal. Tonight's entree was steamed/fried Chicken, seasoned with mixed herbs, over potatoes, kale, and peppers. The chicken turned out great. I should have kept it separate though because the cooked down gravy it produced was really nice. I still have part of it for tomorrow, so all is not lost.