Trousered Ape
An exercise in presumption.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
State of the Ape XXXVI
And, yet again, thank you for your prayers.
Health news: I had blood work done on the 18th. My PSA went up again, but the rate has slowed.
(click to embiggen)
After meeting with my oncologist, I elected to keep on with the new testosterone blocker. We’ll take another look in June.
I’m keeping up with walking and (slowly) extending my range. And I’m keeping my weight down.
Writing: I finished Chapter 14 of Edwina 3 and had gotten well into Chapter 15 when I realized that the narrative had gone wrong somehow. I stopped and walked away for a couple of days; finally I decided that I had to go back to Chapter 13 and start over. That’s what pantsing gets you.
Oh, and I had a birthday on the 26th. I’m now 69 years old. Which I have a hard time believing, since I don’t feel that old. Mentally and physically (apart from the cancer), I think I’m much the same as I was at 50; maybe a little more patient and a little more detached.
I haven’t forgotten the clerihews this time:
William Faulkner
Dreamed of becoming a Balkaner.
Driven by his mania,
He emigrated to Albania.
“Pythagoras,
You stagger us!”
They exclaimed in awe and fear to him
After he explained his theorem.
Carrie A. Nation
Fought against intoxication;
Yet they never conferred upon her
The Congressional Medal of Honor.
And, yet again, thank you for your prayers.
Health news: I had blood work done on the 18th. My PSA went up again, but the rate has slowed.
(click to embiggen)
After meeting with my oncologist, I elected to keep on with the new testosterone blocker. We’ll take another look in June.
I’m keeping up with walking and (slowly) extending my range. And I’m keeping my weight down.
Writing: I finished Chapter 14 of Edwina 3 and had gotten well into Chapter 15 when I realized that the narrative had gone wrong somehow. I stopped and walked away for a couple of days; finally I decided that I had to go back to Chapter 13 and start over. That’s what pantsing gets you.
Oh, and I had a birthday on the 26th. I’m now 69 years old. Which I have a hard time believing, since I don’t feel that old. Mentally and physically (apart from the cancer), I think I’m much the same as I was at 50; maybe a little more patient and a little more detached.
I haven’t forgotten the clerihews this time:
William Faulkner
Dreamed of becoming a Balkaner.
Driven by his mania,
He emigrated to Albania.
“Pythagoras,
You stagger us!”
They exclaimed in awe and fear to him
After he explained his theorem.
Carrie A. Nation
Fought against intoxication;
Yet they never conferred upon her
The Congressional Medal of Honor.
Wednesday, April 02, 2025
State of the Ape XXXV
As always, thank you for your prayers.
Health news: No change, really, except that I seem to get tired a little more easily. On the other hand, I’m going for walks more often now that the weather is warming up a bit. I see my oncologist again in a couple of weeks.
Writing: I’m still making progress on Edwina 3: now working on Chapter 14. I can’t say I’ve gotten very far with Edwina 4, though.
Missed the clerihews last time, so you get a double dose this time:
St. Thomas Aquinas
Had trouble of the sinus.
But he worked through his allergies
And wrote the Summa contra Gentiles.
To his dentist, Millard Fillmore
Screamed happily, “Drill more!
Don’t give me Novocaine!
I really love the pain!”
Dashiell Hammett
Often said, “G-d d-mn it!”
This brought him scowls
From those who filled in the vowels.
With amazing and inhuman
Ferocity, Cardinal Newman
Fought at baseline and net
Until he won the set.
Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian —
69 A.D. was certainly amazing!
The world will never forget
Such an Imperial quartet.
The Marquis of Queensberry
Was very, very, very
Wont to inveigh
Against foul play.
As always, thank you for your prayers.
Health news: No change, really, except that I seem to get tired a little more easily. On the other hand, I’m going for walks more often now that the weather is warming up a bit. I see my oncologist again in a couple of weeks.
Writing: I’m still making progress on Edwina 3: now working on Chapter 14. I can’t say I’ve gotten very far with Edwina 4, though.
Missed the clerihews last time, so you get a double dose this time:
St. Thomas Aquinas
Had trouble of the sinus.
But he worked through his allergies
And wrote the Summa contra Gentiles.
To his dentist, Millard Fillmore
Screamed happily, “Drill more!
Don’t give me Novocaine!
I really love the pain!”
Dashiell Hammett
Often said, “G-d d-mn it!”
This brought him scowls
From those who filled in the vowels.
With amazing and inhuman
Ferocity, Cardinal Newman
Fought at baseline and net
Until he won the set.
Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian —
69 A.D. was certainly amazing!
The world will never forget
Such an Imperial quartet.
The Marquis of Queensberry
Was very, very, very
Wont to inveigh
Against foul play.
