The week’s ending slightly better than it started, I guess; “nothing particularly significant” is better than “total emotional breakdown,” if we’re keeping score.

The low point was Tuesday afternoon. I got through the work day well enough, apart from the usual bullshit regarding the ever-shifting office policy and SharePoint gatekeeping. After shutting down for the day, I racked the bike and did a relatively refreshing fifteen miles along the river; the weather was gorgeous, and the trail wasn’t particularly heavily populated, giving me a little peace.

Stopping at WaWa afterwards for a cold drink was probably a mistake; too many absent or wrongly-worn masks, idle presidential hero worship from the young clerk, and just a bad vibe all around. I came home soon after, to find a mess that I didn’t react well to, then checked the headlines to find dead guitar heroes and ‘roid raging Presidents…

I just broke down. It wasn’t pretty.

Last couple of days I’ve been practicing self care. Gave my muscles a rest (after almost fifty miles over three days), stopped by Castleburg for a pint, finished a pretty decent book.

The head’s a little clearer now. Hoping it stays that way.

As far as this week’s playlist goes, it’s all over the place. Decent mix of indie/alternative, with a few favorites mixed in. I love the title of #9, and #15 was the last gasp of an edge before the artist became a Triple A power ballad staple instead of a full-on rock band, more’s the pity:

1. “Gentle Tuesday” – Primal Scream
2. “Opus” – Uranium Club
3. “Shoot You Down” – APB
4. “Marquee Moon” – Television
5. “Miss America” – David Byrne
6. “Two Girls Kissing” – The Swirlies
7. “Birth, School, Work, Death” – The Godfathers
8. “Be Kind to Me” – Supercrush
9. “Heteronormative Horseshit Blues” – Shipla Ray
10. “Left of the Dial” – The Replacements
11. “In God’s Country” – U2
12. “Every Time a Bell Rings” – Half Man Half Buscuit
13. “Friends of P.” – The Rentals
14. “Heart of Glass” – Toadies
15. “Long Way Down” – The Goo Goo Dolls