It's a mess, the world is beautiful

What an absolute shitshow. I've been glancing at my Byzantine and Roman history (cough cough, both Roman history, cough cough) books I've been promising myself to revist during the pandemic (promises unkept) and thinking about the fading days of superpowerness. Let's pretend you can über-Gibbons-identify the final day of peak western Roman Empire. How many years passed before students in Rome were reading that history as near myth. Superpower? You're kidding, right? Satanic pedophiles, The Storm, Trump is a good leader? Is this a comic book?

I won't be nostalgic for superpowerness. I know that's easy to say, and I'm sure it involves many of my hypocricies. (Hmm, I expected hypocricies to get flagged as a spelling error. I wonder if the spell check engine is saying that shit looks so crazy it's got to be a word.) It's too late - now too early - to be trying my hand at philosophy or big thinking. I've never been good at either. Let's keep it simple for now. There are a lot of places in the world that are in stages of post-power that appeal. Feel free to leave a if you don't like it, leave comment. That's not what I'm getting at, but I understand how my ramblings might lead you to that defiant conclusion.

I think we're dancing on the razor's edge here, and I haven't got a lot of faith in our elected officials. I would like to believe that some of them are thinking about what's good for the country, but I'm jaded. I think most are thinking what's good for them in 2022 and 2024. I don't want to think that way.

I started writing a post the other night about manifestation. I even looked up to manifest. I lost the tab. I'm not spiritual or a believer in the cosmos (bullshit - he sort of is, says my inner conscience), but sometimes it feels like this pandemic is an outgrowth of ourselves. Our social media thoughts and ugliness gave rise to it. Ok, that sort of nonsense screams go to bed.

I'll close on a good news bad news story. Good news - I finally made it to Discovery Park. Bad news - too much to write. I'll try to keep it short. I am such a cluster f*ck at getting out of the apartment fast these days that I squandered most of the sunbreak, a beautiful Seattle winter day. And for someone who believes in the idea of simplifying camera gear, I walked out the door loaded with gear I never touched.

I was only in the park for about an hour. I always do this on mini-adventures. I decided to explore main street Magnolia, and then I went into Metropolitan Market. I am oddly obsessed with grocery stores and regret not working in one when I moved to Seattle. Community anchors, food distribution, neighbors, the wise produce expert. I'm awed by their importance to a community. It was interesting comparing the prices. Magnolia is a very wealthy neighborhood. I was surprised to see that many of the items at the sushi counter were cheaper than the Capitol Hill QFC. (I took advantage of the $2 savings on the avocado rolls.)

I did make it to the park. My poor planning made for a photo bust, but I did walk around the north parking lot and see the Sound and a marina. I need better muddy trail shoes. I'm getting old and skittish. I walked near a ledge and thought Danger Will Robinson. If I'd tripped over the side, it would have been a month before anyone realized that 1/ubiquitous silver Subarus hadn't moved in a while. I think I heard sea lions or seals. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I watched kayakers in the distance and thought, man, if they go in the drink, that's gonna be chilly.

I took these two lousy photos. I want to go back.