I finished Red Pill by Hari Kunzru last night. I started a blog post about it earlier but decided it was too convoluted and the whole thing would benefit from a bit more pondering. I enjoyed this book and will probably write about here soon.

Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov was the music I played for this morning’s routine. In its entirety. I have known this piece so long that I wonder if we had a recording of it when we lived in Greeneville Tennessee prior to 1963.

My BP is still low and I may have actually dropped another pound in weight. But my body rash is rampant. I didn’t mention it yesterday in the preparatory meeting at my eye doctor for my upcoming cataract surgery. That went fine. They didn’t even give me eye drops to dilate my eyes for which I was grateful.

Eileen did the grocery shopping after dropping me off at the eye guy. I am doing very little driving unless it’s necessary. The plan is to put new lenses in my eyes that will help me see better up close and see better far away with glasses. This is the opposite of what most people go for according to the eye guy. But I think it’s the best choice for me.

I have to put eye drops in my eyes during this process. We’ll probably stop off at the drugstore and buy them today. The two eyes are done in two settings. The timing for the extensive use of eye drops morning and evening will vary for each eye. The eye guy has a handy dandy chart he gave me to help me negotiate this. First surgery scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 13, the second the following Wednesday, the 20th.

There are a series of follow up appointments thereafter to monitor recovery.

I helped Eileen do some final mounting of doors on our new wardrobe yesterday. She got on the phone and contacted the manufacturers about the missing board. There was one board missing from the construction of one of the two drawers. Apparently they will be sending us one free of charge.

I also have a new book shelf for my study thanks to the efforts of my lovely wife. She bid on several of these and won one. It’s sitting in the study right now waiting for me to decide where it goes.

I restored a small bit of confidence in my hands yesterday going slowly and accurately through some Mendelssohn and Beethoven. My friend Rhonda has invited me to play some piano duets with her Friday. This time since she has two pianos in her choir room at her church we will probably sit at a distance and play two pianos instead of one piano, four hands.

I mentioned to her my diminishing physical abilities. She texted me “use it or lose it.” A fine attitude. However I have been “using” my hands assiduously all my adult life. I don’t think this is going to get better through exercise and surgery seems to be an extreme solution. This is according to a physician I consulted early after I was finally diagnosed with dupuytren’s contracture not so long ago. He only recommended surgery when the “risk was worth it.” He definitely did not recommend it to preserve my ability to play music about which I asked him in detail. The “risk” in his recommendation is worth it to restore a much more severely affected hand in order to get some minimal use restored. I can use my hands. They just don’t stretch like they used to.

I still enjoy playing and will probably do so as long as I can. .

The Lie About the Supreme Court Everyone Pretends to Believe – The Atlantic

This article by Adam Server is probably part of my echo chamber, but I’m glad to read this in print.

“What I take exception to is the demand from judges and justices that the public acquiesce to their self-delusion that they are wise sages who hold themselves above the vulgarities of partisan politics, even as they deliver sweeping victories to a conservative movement and Republican Party that have worked for half a century to achieve those victories.”

China celebrates Meng Wanzhou’s return as a victory — even at th –

My son-in-law, Jeremy, is quoted in this. Cool.