Returning to "normal"

My body is confused. It began a few days ago and I have no idea what’s going on. It used to be a great predictor of the weather. On days like this just about every bone and joint in my body ached and cried out. The worst was my lower back where some bones are fused. A couple of days ago in the midst of high pressure, beautiful sun and nice temperatures, my back was as sore as it could be. Today, with a storm just off the coast this morning and heading for landfall momentarily, my morning workout at the Senior Fitness place was one of the best I’ve had.

The joints didn’t beg for mercy, the back twinged once or twice, but nothing to put me down. Driving home some very light, “fuzz” rain drops appeared on the windshield, but nothing to cause the wipers to be turned on. And I’m still close to pain free. I should be groveling for relief. We’ll see what happens later when the rain comes in earnest.

I spent some time yesterday thinking about “Normal.” I don’t know why, except maybe I’d like to have things here return to “normal.” My problem is, I couldn’t figure out what “normal” is. So I guess I’ll just ramble along as I have been for the last 10 plus months.

As I said yesterday, there were no surprises in the outcome of the election. Well, maybe there were two small surprises. Or perhaps three. None of the people elected were surprises. I didn’t vote for most of them, but you knew that. And the one I did vote for was more of a vote against her opponent than for her. I had said in an earlier blog Sen. Collins credentials as a Republican were very suspect and even pointed out she stopped using that party affiliation in her advertisements but rather called herself an independent.

But the little semi-surprises did please me, as I’m sure you also know. I believed the tax repeal referendum would pass, but I was a little surprised at the margin of victory. I thought it would be a little closer. But that does raise a question. If the people in Maine didn’t want that new tax and were sending a message to the legislature that we can’t afford new taxes, why did they send the taxers and spenders back?

We keep doing the same thing expecting a different outcome. Yet our poor state economy, in spite of Gov. Baldacci’s proclamation it’s because of the national scene, has been going downhill for 30 years under the Democrat control. Elections haven’t changed a thing, except increase our taxes, put the cost of health care out of sight, both drive businesses out of the state and prevent new ones from coming in, and forcing our young people to move elsewhere.

And the legislature is facing a 150-million dollar shortfall this year and possibly more than a half billion dollar shortfall in the next biennium. This could get interesting.

You might notice a subtle change in my layout here. I’ll just tell you the colors of the University of Florida are orange and blue.

Hmmm! Is all this what I consider normal? I don’t know. I do know that yesterday was one heckuva day. When I headed out to a mid-morning appointment, I naturally put on a jacket and prepared for some chilly weather. My garage is cold so I saw nothing different there. Then when I a left my car at the doctor’s office, I let out an audible, “Woooo.” It was gorgeous. Later Gator Wife and I went out for some shopping and it was even nicer.

The clouds soon took over and as the sun became more and more shaded, the temperature began to fall. It didn’t get cold, but it was noticeably cooler.

And now today showers are in the forecast. My back and joints agree with the forecast as I mentioned earlier mentioning my Senior Fitness session. The possibility of some shower activity will continue at least through Saturday, but the temperatures will remain above the November normal. Monday, the return to that normalcy begins.

Hey! At last, I found a “normal” that I can understand.

GiM