Pendulum Swing

I just finished reading The Body Under The Ice. I planned on working the last one-hundred pages of the edits over both days this weekend, but I couldn't put it down. The last fifty suck you in. It is like reading an episode of Murder She Wrote. I hope to be half as prolific as Dave one day.

Friday night Sam and I went to dinner. We eat pizza and Green Lantern. One of our usual haunts. I've been eating out too much. It is beginning to show round my waistline. Sam told me how Alexis is obsessing over getting a life insurance policy. She wants to leave something for her nineteen-year-old son. She has a set sum in mind, two-hundred thousand dollars, but only wants to pay a little for it. 

The stumbling block Alexis has run into is her medical history. She goes to a shading doctor, who prescribes whatever she wants-- Aderall, muscle relaxes, etc. I don't know why she thinks she will die prematurely. If she does, it will be from abusing these drugs and alcohol. Nor do I understand why she feels the need to provide her son with that kind of money. At nineteen, he is failing high school, doesn't drive or work, and has little ambition to do anything be play video games-- and yes, he is already obese. 

I have my opinions concerning what her son actually needs. Sam would agree, but Alexis wouldn't want to hear them, so we keep them to ourselves. Although I will say, he doesn't have a healthy home environment that values hard work. He is just another example of this lost boy generation. Good times make for weak men. The pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction. I hope to see it correct to a neutral position before I die.

Collapse?

 According to an article on Yahoo, "nearly half of all young adults are single: 34 percent of women and a whopping 63 percent of men. Around 30 percent of young men reported in 2019 that they had no sex in the past year, compared to about 20 percent of young women."

The reasons are complex. The article only touches on a few. Some it gets wrong, "Women want a partner who is emotionally open and empathetic, the opposite of the age-old masculine ideal." If that were the case, the numbers would be more balanced. Society is creating a generation of weak men.

Feminism, the internet, and society all play a part. Max is part of those statistics, and I feel sorry for him. He lacks direction and has no desire to date. Not even casually, at least not that he has mentioned. 

Regardless of the root cause, the effects can be seen-- a decrease in marriages, shrinking populations, and increased mental health issues. Society as we know it is changing. Whether it will evolve into something better or snuff itself out will be the question.

I can only say things are changing for the worse by judging from the past. I would like to think it marks a change that will create future stability for our planet and race. What I see, the rise of artificial intelligence and artificial wombs, are things that will exacerbate the problem.

It reminds me of John Calhoun's mouse utopia experiment, Universe 25.

At the peak population, most mice spent every living second in the company of hundreds of other mice. They gathered in the main squares, waiting to be fed and occasionally attacking each other. Few females carried pregnancies to term, and the ones that did seemed to simply forget about their babies. They'd move half their litter away from danger and forget the rest. Sometimes they'd drop and abandon a baby while they were carrying it.

The few secluded spaces housed a population Calhoun called, "the beautiful ones." Generally guarded by one male, the females—and few males—inside the space didn't breed or fight or do anything but eat and groom and sleep. When the population started declining the beautiful ones were spared from violence and death, but had completely lost touch with social behaviors, including having sex or caring for their young.

Universe 25 population peaked at 2,200 mice and thereafter exhibited a variety of abnormal, often destructive, behaviors, including refusal to engage in courtship and females abandoning their young. By the 600th day, the population was on its way to extinction. Though physically able to reproduce, the mice had lost the social skills required to mate.

Boundaries

 Joy turned thirty Monday. She sent me a text in the afternoon. I didn't expect to hear from her again. 

Joy: Worset birthday ever.

Bathwater: Happy birthday; sorry things aren't going so well.

It is our first time communicating since I said we probably weren't compatible. Her response to that was that's fine, take care.

Joy didn't respond to my birthday reply, which is good. I don't see any reason to get sucked back into seeing her.

She clearly has a lot going on. I don't feel like dealing with it or taking advantage of it. Perhaps I am setting boundaries.

A Snapshot Of February

 In homage to Sarah H. at Death Wears Diamond Jewelry, who is no longer blogging but is missed.

Listening…  Jedediah Bila podcast. I don't agree with everything she says, but she gets most things correct.

Reading…  The Body Under The Ice by Dave Snyder, my current editing project

Watching…  Once Upon a Time, The old ABC show. It is corny, but I like how they interweave the stories. It also has many seasons, so I don't have to pick anything else.

Creating … Things are slow on the creative front....still.

Hoping… For an end to winter.

Buying… I bought another 3 in 1 Lego castle but decided to save it.

Loving...  Solitude, I have to force myself to get out lately.

Planning… On returning to yoga this week. I think my arm is ready for a bit of stretching.

Missing… Ava's booty calls. Hoping she doesn't disappear completely.

Feeling… Like a bit on autopilot this month.

Another Weekend

I like Mondays once I get out of the house. The mornings in the office go by quickly. I catch up on news, blogs, and emails. Several people in the office choose Monday as their work-from-home day. I prefer Wednesdays. It breaks up the week nicely that way.

Last weekend, I made it halfway through editing The Body Under The Ice. I should be complete by this weekend. Editing takes more time than just reading. Sometimes my suggestions become irrelevant after further reading, and I need to go back and revise myself. I still don't know who the killer is, but I have a few ideas.

Otherwise, the weekend was slow. I bought a 3 in 1 Lego castle, but I will put it away for future resale. I took the Twins out for breakfast yesterday. After, we went back to their duplex, and I helped Twin A with problems he was having with his computer.

I haven't heard from Ava since the last time we were together. She did indicate she would be busy between work and watching dogs the rest of the month. I wouldn't be surprised to learn she got proposed to on Valentine's Day. It seems like the kind of thing her boyfriend would do. Time will tell. I suspect Ava will reappear sometime in March.

It is almost time for a snapshot of February. This month is flying by. I have started working out my shoulder. Mostly just stretching it. It feels pretty good. Though the muscles are weak. By March, I will start lifting some weights and doing push-ups again.

Edits

I have just started editing Dave's new book, The Body In The Ice. Work is still busy, so most of my editing is done on my own time :). I am really enjoying this one so far. Partly because it takes place in Michigan-- in the winter. I certainly can relate to both of those right now.

I ended up telling Joy I didn't think we were compatible. She didn't argue. Which means I am making the right decision. I have yet to look for anyone new. I will finish editing the book, do my taxes, and return to my Lego project. I will wait till Spring and see how I feel then. 

This post was NOT written by ChatGPT.

Joy

Sunday, Joy came over. She was late. She got into a minor car accident on the way over. Another vehicle dented her lower passenger door leaving a small crease. 

Joy is a petite blond. She came over dressed casually in jeans and a top with a pale pink hoodie. I took her out it a local restaurant for lunch. Joy has an anxious personality. She was smoking a weed pen and even had a drink at lunch, but neither seemed to calm her down or loosen her up. She likes to talk, and we had a good conversation throughout the day, but when we headed upstairs, she was still hard to read.

Things didn't go well upstairs. Her body was stiff. It made me uncomfortable, which caused me to ask more than once if she was okay with it all. That made her defensive. I think part of the problem is Joy is not the type to have casual sex. At twenty-nine, she has only had three sexual partners. She would make a better girlfriend than a friend with benefits. 

My gut says don't have her back. Things might get better, but I have a feeling it would be an uphill battle, and I don't feel like investing in it. There are too many other incompatibilities. 

Double Life

Work is still busy. My Gladiator was the last vehicle in the parking lot Friday. A clear indication I am working too hard. On the way home Friday night, Sam called, and we ended up getting dinner. 

Saturday night, Ava texted me and asked if I was available to get together. I was. I was watching TV and playing on my phone when she reached out. I picked up dinner for us and met her at the shopping strip around the corner from the house. Ava is still being cautious. She is still playing a game of cat and mouse with her boyfriend. 

"If you are going to live a double life. You should at least be good at it," she tells me.

We talked about the Jordan Peterson show she attended and how her new job was going while we ate. Ava enjoyed the show, and it sounds like she still enjoying her job. Ava didn't have long. She came from Royal Oak under the guise of going to see her mother. 

We headed upstairs after dinner. Ava never disappoints me in bed, and it was one area of the evening that didn't feel rushed. We discussed her upcoming availability. Ava says she wants to do more activities when it gets warm, but I am not sure how that will work. 

"What are you doing on Valentine's Day?" Ava asks while we are lying in bed. "Maybe I can get off work early."

"It is short notice, but I could arrange for a half day. You naughty girl."

"I don't know if I can swing it. I have to let you know Monday," she continued.

I didn't bother mentioning the audacity of her suggestion. I didn't hear from her Monday, so I am assuming she couldn't make it work, but her even considering it is outrageously inappropriate considering her situation.

Tidbits

Work has been so busy I haven't had time to post. I am writing this now at 6:30 pm. While I wait for a meeting to start.

Here is a little Ava tidbit. The last time I saw Ava, she indicated she was seeing Jordan Peterson with a male friend. Not a friend from the dating sites, but a friend (who I would guess she dated at some point). Ava only has male friends, and most of those are guys she has been intimate with. 

Anyway, she told me to keep Thursday open in case he backs out. Which wasn't a problem, I told her, though I said I was disappointed she didn't ask me, I would have enjoyed the show.

Monday, Ava told me she loved the show, but her boyfriend would be attending the next time. Apparently, she didn't even ask him. She just assumed he wouldn't want to go because he hates crowds and get anxious. I think it has more to do with the fact she was afraid she wouldn't enjoy it with him.

One day last week, I think it was Friday, a new girl I have seen came over. I am going to call her Joy. Joy is a petite 29-year-old single mother. She has long blond hair and a pretty face. Joy has pluses and minuses about her. She lives far away but doesn't mind the drive. She doesn't have much money and is struggling to pay her bills. I am not going to become a savior for her. I'm done with that.

Joy is talkative. I am not sure if it is because she spends her day around children or if she is just high-strung. I am taking things slow with her, but she is eager to hang out, even beyond what would be normally expected. That is a plus if she can get her personal life in order. Time will tell.

I am seeing Joy again on Sunday. Ava wants to come over Sunday, but I told her I already have plans. Ava indicated she was going to be busy between watching dogs and work most of the month, which is fine. It will give me a chance to get to know Joy.

Bitter Cold

 It is a deceivingly bitter cold Friday. The sun is out this afternoon, but temperatures are in the teens, and the cold bites into exposed skin. I have a date with a new woman tonight. It will be our second. I didn't write about the first. It was a coffee date. Perhaps I will go back and elaborate on it after tonight. 

I haven't come up with a pseudo-name for her yet. Nothing seems right, and I have a feeling this girl will be around for a few posts. She has both positive and negative qualities. She lives far away but insists on it not being a problem. We will see. She is a recently-single mother and, for now, cannot travel. Those are the negatives. On the positive side, she is cute and eager to get together. She seems to want to create a long-term arrangement.

This weekend I am taking the twins to an ice carving show in Mt. Clemens. One of my co-workers is displaying at the event. I asked Sam if she wanted to go, but she won't get off work in time. Instead, Sam will be meeting up with the twins and me after to eat.