I don’t have COVID-19 but my Crohn’s disease got jealous of the attention COVID-19 was getting and decided to remind me who is boss. It’s manifesting itself primarily the way it did decades ago. I’m not in that much pain but I have no energy. I spent yesterday watching tv and napping. I didn’t even have the energy to go online much. Even TV was a major effort, so I watched a lot of Supernatural because I’m not too concerned if I fall asleep and miss parts of it. The other manifestation of Crohn’s I’m exhibiting is no appetite. I had one meal yesterday and I’m not hungry now. I am concentrating at keeping myself hydrated. There are times taking a drink is too much effort. Today I’m going to call my gastroenterologist. I don’t think he can do anything, but he told me to call him when this happens.
I’m not going to try and be brilliant today. I’m disappointed that nothing funny is popping into my head, it usually does, it’s not like there is anything in my head to crowd it out. I spend a lot of time in a fugue state which can be entertaining. I’ll have my eyes closed listening to the TV and all sorts of thoughts and images, and sounds will come into my head. They seem to make sense until I snap out of it and then I go, “What the hell was that?” It is literally surreal.
None of that is important. This will pass. I am not at all worried. What’s important is that the Gord’s Gold Holiday Special is playing on Folk Music Notebook today at noon and then again at six EST. I’m proud of this and would love if you’d listen. I should take the same attitude I have when promoting musicians I love. When they thank me I say, “I’m not doing you a favor, I’m doing a favor to the people that will discover you.” You should listen not because it will make me happy but because it will make you happy. The show if filled with great music, much of which you haven’t heard. This is perfect timing as today is the day that most people think is Festivus, the holiday I celebrate. Festivus is way to big to be contained in a single day. It starts the day after Thanksgiving and ends a month after Christmas. It’s a season. I haven’t posted the principles of Festivus this year. I’ll correct that now.
The Principles of Festivus
- Peace, love, and understanding
- Freedom
- The never-ending fight for truth and justice
- Kindness
- Appreciating nature
- Caritas
- Accepting that others will balance the competing principles differently. The only orthodoxy is that there is no orthodoxy
- Presents
- Music!
- Chocolate! If you don’t think chocolate is a principle you don’t understand chocolate.
- Silliness
- Friendship
I’ll leave you with the words of Charles Dickens. This is from A Festivus Carol (The publisher made him change the name and a few details for publication).
He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Festivus well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, The Flying Spaghetti Monster bless Us, Every One!
Charles Dickens A Festivus Carol
Wise Madness 