Went to sleep fairly early because there was no real reason to be awake. Woke up early because… well.. that’s just how it goes. There still aren’t too many reasons to be awake, but here I am and the world is still here, minus that increasing number over in Ukraine. The rest of the world is fighting back not with armies but with economic sanctions so let’s see how that works. They say that money talks and this isn’t exactly the context it’s usually used in, but we’ll see. Let’s see if money can wage combat in a geo-political conflict. It’s safe to say that something needs to be done to stop this bullshit. There are plenty of people on this planet who would be more than happy to see things go back fifty or sixty years. All of Eastern Europe and Central Asia was part of the USSR. Women stayed home and non-white people couldn’t vote. It was a world that somehow made sense for them.

I’m not one of these people. It was kind of nice seeing the world creeping forward towards modernity. It was painfully slow but still getting there. Yet here we are and in many ways it feels like the floor collapsed beneath us.

Strange year to quit smoking, eh?

Am I worried?

Good question.

Not about Ukraine specifically. There are many things more pressing right here at home. But sure, I’m absolutely worried. A little for myself because how much longer will I be around anyway, but a lot for my sons and for other people. It’s not going to get better any time soon. Hell, the free fall hasn’t even ended yet! We haven’t even seen the bottom yet and things are going to be fucking weird for a while. Ukraine only hints at things yet to come. It’s a long way to the bottom and it’s going to get much stranger along the way, so let go of expectations that it’s going to be a beautiful spring.

I’m just saying.

For now I just need to slow my roll. I’m sitting here listening to these diabolical sounds and calculating the odds of getting some sleep in before starting the world day. Sleep didn’t come easily last night, or rather it didn’t stick around for long. It was easy enough to roll over and pass out but then there was 2am, 3am and then a bit of piece until 5. That’s how it is some nights. No special reason. Nothing specific bugging me but what’s that old saying? Death by 1000 paper cuts? Is that it? Well, you get the point. There’s a lot going on.

Whole heapa tings a gwan!

Yessir.