Rainy morning, from Cafe Roma, North Beach, latte, brioche, MacAir. I asked the barista for wi-fi password, she said “I don’t know.” Meaning password is “idontknow.” Like “Who’s on first?”
Turns out I need shoulder surgery. After all these years of intense usage, I finally tore the rotator cuff muscles in my right shoulder. Skateboard fall. (Yes, yes.) I’ve put off this type operation (in both shoulders) for years, since there’s a long recovery period. But this time it’s beyond a shot of cortisone and rehab, so biting bullet. One step back, two steps-forward. I want upper body function over the next 20 years. “Fall seven times, get up eight.” – Japanese Proverb.
Scattershot of stuff going on around here:
Tiny Homes on the Move: Wheels & Water I’ve probably got 60 pages roughed out. A lot of homes on water. 72-year-old Swedish sailor who is building a 10-foot sailboat and plans to circumnavigate the globe. He’s already sailed around the world solo. Young woman living (and sailing) on own sailboat. Further adventures of Swedish welder Henrik Linstrom (in Tiny Homes), sailing with his girlfriend from Baja California to the South Seas and then (now) in New Zealand.
On wheels: a family of four who sold their home (no more mortgage payments) and now live in a very spiffy self-remodelled school bus. A French circus wagon home on the road. Two ski bums (a couple) and their winter camper/home.A bunch of custom housetrucks. Surfer van/home. I’m getting a few pages done each day.
Travel I’m kind of travelled out for a while. Long periods of sitting in order to get somewhere great no longer seem as tolerable. More time at home means getting deeper into surrounding natural world. No longer having to train for running races leaves more time for pure exploration. What can I find out there, going on own power (no gasoline) from home?
Tiny Homes, the book Still selling well, people love it. Hopefully sales will keep us afloat while we craft the new book into existence.
Feedback From Our Building Books is phenomenal these days, seems to be increasing. I think it’s that we now have a suite, or critical mass, of building books, connected in a very real way. People were inspired to build by Shelter, and their work appears in Home Work. Inspired by Home Work, appears in Builders of the Pacific Coast or Tiny Homes, and so on. Especially great are the 20-30-year-olds discovering Shelter (40 years after its publication).
Gun Control. Jesus, Mr. Pres, will you please kick some ass? Come out in warrior mode about controlling assault weapons and hand guns. Jesus!
Rolling Stones in NYC. They sound and look amazingly good. How about this duet Mick does with Mary J. on one of my favorite (for more reasons than one) songs?:
Totally agree with you about controlling assault weapons and hand guns. Hunters only need rifles or shotguns. Nobody needs assault weapons at all, and handguns are pretty iffy.
However, I'm Canadian, and we only had 52 gun deaths last year, compared with 10-11,000 in US, so what do we know?
Meanwhile, skateboard…rotator cuff? You must be a whole lot younger than I am.
Walking sounds good. Won't hurt your rotator cuff, either.
Wonderful to know your books are doing well. I am a believer, but will likely never be an owner (our 1300 sq. ft. isn't lavish, though). Love the new book idea. My parents travelled for years in a camper van, usually with a dog, for 11 winters with my youngest brother. My best friend lived in a floating home, and now she and her husband are retired in a narrowboat on a canal in England.
Go, Tiny!
I can live without the Stones, but wish I had seen Paul McCartney when he was in Edmonton this fall. A friend says the response from the young people in the crowd brought him to tears. John Fogerty was also in Edmonton this fall. Now, him I adore. Always loved CCR.
K
Sorry about the shoulder(s), what's that old saying, "Better to burn out than rust out"?
As logical as controlling military-style weapons is, it is unlikely to happen. There are how many of these already in circulation? 3.3 million? (Am I off by a factor of 10? 100??) "Taking their guns away" is ~exactly~ what the gun fetishists have been expecting since 2008. They are armored up for that fight.
No, this particular problem will be with us forever as long as we continue to use violence as entertainment. I think we can correctly blame the media in all it's forms, particularly TV and movies, for fostering an environment that condones and encourages fantasy killings that all too often become reality in unhinged individuals. It will take a couple of generations of revised consciousness to correct this abhorrent streak in human-kind's behavior pattern.
I had a friend and work-mate who went on to become the friendliest cop in the Eugene, OR police force. A year and a half ago, he was gunned down by a diagnosed batshit-crazy woman during a traffic stop who had obtained the hand gun legally. Yes, better background checks are called for, but they aren't the fix-all.
oh dang…before surgery consider what Dr. Norman J. Marcus says on p.141 of End Back Pain Forever. ..as well as the rest of what he says regarding muscles.
Sorry to hear about needing surgery, it sucks getting older. I am in my 50s now and I feel like an old house – things are starting to fall apart.
I can't wait for your new book to come out. It sounds like there will be lots of fascinating houses and people to read about. I love your Tiny Homes book, I like to thumb through it regularly to keep me inspired about downsizing and trying a new way of living.
"I want upper body function over the next 20 years."
That was a typo, right? You meant "over the next 30 years" , right?
I'm 52 and felt great until my older cousin said, "just wait until you hit 55…that's when it all really starts to feel like it's falling apart."
Good fortune with the surgery, Lloyd.
Be well Lloyd! I am certain all will be well what with your positive view on life.
Enjoy the Hollar-day Season too.
Peace
Gill
Hi Lloyd,
Sorry about the sholder. The down time is the biggest thing.
I just finished a big surgery. I found learning to play the ukulele
filled in the time and brought a smile back to my face.
The Ukulele Club Santa Cruz (UCSC)has two great song books.
Anon.–Here is link to my favorite ukulele book, by Ukulele Ike: http://shltr.net/ukeike