Happy Agreed-Upon Independence Day.

Went sailing for a few hours today with Jeff A. and a couple of his friends. My skin has that unique smell of sunscreen, salt water, and sunshine. Boats feel so natural to me; it's very strange to think that other people find them foreign or intrinsically frightening. I feel that way about horses, though, so I guess it's just some combination of your given tendencies and whatever you grew up with.

I think I have an unusual challenge: I need to engineer some kind of shift or change in my life, without either moving or finding a new job. I'm constantly tired, I'm not meeting new people, and while I'm geeking out with books on blacksmithing and basic metallurgy, and making basic jewelry as it suits me, I'm not yet picking up much for real skills in any of those areas: there's a barrier to entry with the quantity and cost of equipment I need. Moving and job-changing have been classic techniques for stimulating change; but now I have reasons for staying where I am, and it's time I learned to make changes in a less drastic way.

Right. Well, then. Carry on.