I managed to talk with one of two of the folks who reached out, and that’s going to have to be enough. At least I was home, and had enough together to take care of some things and be present in certain ways and watch the pendulum seeing less narrowly than last month or earlier this one.

Today felt like everybody popping out of the woodwork and wanting some form of response. Did they deserve it? Much more often than not, the answer was no. So I held my tongue, tried not to bite it cleanly through at certain points, and made it all the way to the end of the day.

I had to enter a federal building today. After the metal detector, while retrieving my belt, shoes and watch, I showed a guard my press pass. He asked if my paper used to be the one he’d delivered growing up. We traded memories of the old newsroom, and I managed not to crumble into dust.

The cat’s in the hallway, yelling at A., and I’m thinking I’ve been a better steward of my thoughts here and elsewhere, and I’ll be better again someday if not soon. I’m not going to put money on it, but I might put time. Isn’t that stuff just as expensive as cash, if not more?

Not enough exercise as the last few days, but at least a half hour, whew. I didn’t comment on a couple of exercise and weight-loss social-media posts, while filling my mouth with one kind of snack to keep from stuffing it with the other kinds of snacks I wanted, and, well, here we are.

I’m no gamer, but I’m slightly gamified? Not Wordle or crosswords, per se, more Duolingo but less so Strava and Day One. Definitely not the standing-up app I tried for a bit, but more whatever I’m tracking my weight in, and using to write songs for whatever seasonal challenge is on.

Someone with a day off and no reason to go anywhere is likely to stay home, shower, slather some lotion on, and slip into soft clothing. I’m one of the weirdos who likes to dress up as if they had plans to go back out. Partly it’s temperament, but also: still newer-clothes novelty.

A good feeling to get out along the greenway this morning, see freelance litter patrol folk out with grabbers and bags, check out the low but clear and steady creek flow and the flora flossing for pollinators. We’re expecting a shower or two early Saturday, and every little bit helps.

Today’s post-lunch pre-work wander up and down steps reminds me that the wheel of the year turns slow, with flower buds grinding it out petal by petal along shady sides of plaza stairwells, empty warmth of midwinter sunshine glinting off glass covered buildings, and change taking time.

Cutting off water to our building for a few hours earlier today and for a few hours tomorrow: a minor hardship, compared to some of the things we’re seeing out of Turkey and Syria. It could just as easily be us here in the Bay or down in SoCal, and sooner than anyone could expect.