2024 Bear Hunt Day -1 - A Year Older

I've been managing some health annoyances for years.  They were noticeably worse last year to the point that I was wondering if travel was going to have to be parked.  Either that, or I was finally compelled to "do something" about them.  This has not been easy ... or cheap.  I hate trying to navigate the complexities of the health care system.  I've spent more time with doctors over the last year than the previous 20 combined.  In a case of life imitates art in the form of The House of God, I was turfed to many doctors before I reached the actual surgeon.  But a few weeks ago I held my breath and put my life in the hands of a doctor.  My follow-up visit with the surgeon was exceedingly brief, "My work here is done."  I'm uncomfortable that things may deteriorate again, but am hopeful a few lifestyle changes will minimize that chance.  There are frequent reminders that I am aging, but all this crap has made me feel quite old at times.

And yet, more than anything, I'm ecstatic that my recovery has been rapid since I'm about to head north for my ninth bear hunt.  Unquestionably, I am very fortunate.

After a harried Thursday at work, there was nothing that required me to be at work Friday so I decided to work from home.  As a day before the Labor Day weekend, I was expecting it to be quiet.  And it was not.  I did get a quick dog walk in; it was so heart-warming seeing my older dog happy to have a cool morning walk and my younger dog able to walk with her bestie.  Oddly, I think my younger dog must have knew something was different since she slept in the "old dog spot" for quite a while.

Eventually early afternoon came around and I dumped a quote by Tupac Shakur into my Out of Office notification, wrapped up a few things and shut down.  I packed up my last things and was on the road.

I initially listened to the Henry James' story The Jolly Corner.  Spencer Brydon ends up walking his boyhood home being haunted by the ghost of who he could have been.  Timing was odd for a story about unlived lives.  A guy I used to work with just received a prestigous promotion at work.  It is totally deserved and I'm really happy for him, but it did make me think about how things could have been different for me.  Actually this whole concept of unlived lives is something I've been noodling all year...

Then I switched to non-fiction in the form of The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen.

The drive went well enough.  Indianapolis is perpetually under construction.  There was one slowdown just as I was getting out of Indy, but it didn't last too long.  Then on into Illinois and my hotel.

The hotel was nice enough (I guess), but had been refinished by someone who doesn't know plumbing.  But it was only for one night.