After a long evening of taking in election returns and analysis, I woke up, hungover, not fully recovered from the sleep deprivation. I also faced a sudden, unexpected housecleaning crisis,  when, after nearly five years of reliably working for me, Julia simply failed to show up yesterday as scheduled without a word. My sneaking suspicion that she was about to ghost me was confirmed!  I was mystified but also hurt by her conduct.

I had felt physically sluggish the entire day. Suddenly, my emotional energy was drained.

My lethargy persisted, despite dragging myself to the gym for what ordinarily should have been an enjoyable two-hour pickleball workout. On this day, however, the workout failed to energize me.  As I crawled back into my car, I felt exhausted.

However, as I was near a large grocery store and needed supplies, I decided to shop. Indeed, I had considered this precise scenario; thus, my grocery list was folded and secured inside my vest pocket. Also, I clip and save select digital grocery coupons to my phone.

This side venture should not have taken as long as it did, but I had to get several ingredients Robyn needed for soup, ingredients I typically do not keep in my kitchen.  After nearly two frustrating hours I found most of these items, fetched them home through rush hour traffic, and unloaded the heavy bags.

I still felt fatigued but was famished to boot. I wolfed down pieces of a broasted Costco chicken pulled from the carcass, with a slice of fresh 12-grain wheat bread, small curd cottage cheese, and sweet green grapes off the vine. Quick but tasty.

Still, I could not shake the post-election lethargy.  I left the dishes piled up in the sink. I loafed on the couch. I didn’t answer the phone when it rang. I fretted about my housecleaning dilemma.  Overwhelming fatigue. Even Lola the pup could not stir me. I got off the couch and turned in early for bed without reading even one page of the new book I had started.

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I am feeling somewhat better this morning.  Right now, I’m headed downtown to finalize and execute estate documents at my lawyer’s offices, and thereafter I might meet up with Eric for an early luncheon. If so, I’ll need to remember to eat a light meal since Thursday is my regular Date Night with Robyn, and tonight we’re having dinner with two of Robyn’s closest friends.

Ordinarily, I try to muster up something of substance, or hopefully at the very least thought-provoking, to impart on this page. Today I just don’t have very much to report. Maybe I’m still experiencing a little post-election hangover.

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Nonetheless, my broad charge as a contributing writer to this blog is to share something of my life as a widower with you each week. That’s what I am doing right now. It’s going on five years since my sweet wife died at home in her bed as I maintained a quiet vigil. This sad event is my sole qualification to write in this space.