A quick one

I'm feeling like I need a break from this blog.  But that is tough to do after nearly 3,800 daily entries.  But I don't think I'm going to spend much time on any entries over this Labor Day weekend.  Starting with this one.

Liberty

Trump's official $1 coin says it all, with his sourpuss expression accompanied by dates suggesting liberty started in 1776 and officially ended in 2026.  That sounds about right.  The sad thing is that these $1 legal tender coins are actually being sold for a lot more than $1, if they're not sold out.  And of course they are entirely illegal - the law prohibits the likeness of any person who is alive to appear on currency.  But when has a small thing like the rule of law ever stopped Trump from doing anything.

Sick

I've had a splitting headache most of the day.  In fact, it's probably accurate to say all day since I had it when I got up and I've still got it as I write this just before 10 pm.  Lots of possible reasons for this headache, but I think the most likely culprit is lack of sleep - because I simply haven't been sleeping well since I've come back from the UK.  My body clock is still all over the place.  I've been dozing off in front of the TV in the early evenings, and then have short but deep sleeps in my bed before getting up very early in the mornings.  These strange sleeping patterns are affecting my diet as well - I'm finding I have absolutely zero appetite in the evenings, so I'm not really eating properly either.  I should really have taken this week off work, because I've not been feeling anywhere near 100% and I'm getting absolutely nothing done at work this week.  At least it's a bank holiday weekend coming up.  All in all, I feel like I'm a bit of a mess right now. 

Palace

I haven't talked about the Premier League and Crystal Palace this season yet.  Mainly because I've made a conscious effort not to follow football so much this season.  I haven't seen any highlights of games yet this season, nor any live games.  And I haven't been following all the transfer news - so I don't know who is playing for who nowadays.  None of this stuff particularly interests me.  The games are just less interesting than they used to be - an over-reliance on set pieces and tactical safety, and very little open-play flair.  And it doesn't help that I am extremely worried about Palace this season.  I think we will be deep in the relegation battle.  Not so much because we've started 0-0-2 (losses against our bogey side - Everton - and Man City is not really a surprise) but more to do with the fact that our squad has definitely taken a step back in quality.  Many of our best players have left or want to leave.  I don't think our ownership is giving our new manager a fair chance to prove himself.  There is just too much negativity around the side right now.  Not good.

Disorientation

I fell asleep in front of the TV tonight, and when I woke up I was convinced that it was Tuesday evening and that I had slept through an entire day.  Then I was convinced that it was Tuesday morning and that I had slept for an entire 12 hours.  And then I realized that in fact I had only fallen asleep for a couple of hours and it was still Monday evening.  What a ride.  And what an anticlimax.     

Holiday

Not for the first time, I think I really need a holiday after a holiday.  I am still feeling utterly out of sync with everything.  I suspect the week ahead with work is not going to be very easy.  At least I shouldn't be as busy as I feared - one of the tasks I was supposed to be working on has been canceled.  But then another urgent request has come up - so maybe not.  But considering I was off work for over 3 weeks, I was surprised that the number of unread emails I had was as low as it was.  A not particularly promising sign about how important and irreplaceable I am.   

Jet Lag

Jet lag hit me hard today.  It started with being unable to get any sleep last night.  I simply wasn't tired.  But then over the course of the day, I've just had no energy.  And it's affected everything from my meals (I haven't had anything to eat this evening), to not being able to get anything done (I've got a list of things I need to do this weekend that I've still got so much to get through), to not being able to concentrate on anything.  So much for my hope of watching some of the few shows that I recorded while I was away.  As I write this now, at about 10.30 pm, I am feeling really tired.  I suspect I will be able to fall asleep very quickly.  But it will probably be a deep but short sleep, and I'll be wide awake again very early in the morning - well before sunrise.  Less than ideal, and in my experience it could be like this for a while.