I like writing.  Over the years I’ve become more lean with words.  I want to use fewer of them.  Stephen King, in his book On Writing, was an influence … but mostly it felt like a good thing to do.

The Tour de France starts tomorrow.  There were interviews yesterday with many of the riders.

Here are some quotes, and my suggestions:

…

[I feel] better, stronger.  I would even say happier in my mental state.

[I feel] better, stronger.  I’m happier in my mental state.

…

We tried to change to mix it up with the preparation for the Tour.

We changed to mix it up with the preparation for the Tour.

…

So for me at least, I came out of the Giro in a good way.

I came out of the Giro in a good way.

…

It was more the whole schedule going to the Tour that I said that, like, I didn’t really fancy doing what I did for the last five years.

It was more the whole schedule going to the Tour … I didn’t fancy doing what I did for the last five years.

…

I’m not sure if I can reveal our race strategy.  You’ll see.

I won’t reveal our race strategy.  You’ll see.

…

I mean, I do not have to do that.

I do not have to do that.

….

I enjoy it maybe even more.

I enjoy it more.

…

Certainly, there is always impatience in a rider, but that shouldn’t necessarily affect my style of racing.

Certainly, there is always impatience in a rider, but that shouldn’t affect my style of racing.

…

I enjoy racing all my life.  But I must say that maybe I enjoy it more every year.

I enjoy racing all my life.  But I enjoy it more every year.

…

At the moment it actually feels exactly the same as preparing for any other race, to be honest.

It feels the same as preparing for any other race.

***

Enough said

I love dancing

I went to the Dour Music Festival last year … and I loved dancing

I struggled physically and emotionally during our recent heat wave

I have a ticket for the five days of Dour – July 15-19

My weather app gives a forecast that goes as far as July 16

15: 33°   16: 32°

Today’s humidity is 78%, meaning that it feels considerably warmer than what the thermometer says.  Humidity for future dates is unknown

(Sigh)

***

What to do?

I bought insurance for going to the festival because my friend Prabigya was planning to get married in Nepal in mid-July … and I’m invited.  I checked the insurance policy yesterday.

The funny thing is that a change of plans is not covered by the policy.  I would have cancelled Dour and not received a euro back!  (Read the fine print, Bruce)

Prabigya has rescheduled her wedding for next March but there’s a more immediate situation: my health.  Do I go to Dour if the temps stay as advertised?

The insurance does cover “illness” of course.  I have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow, and I’m wondering if he’d write a sick note something like this:

Bruce experienced heat exhaustion in our recent four-day heatwave.  The temperatures at the upcoming Dour Festival are forecast to be 30° or higher each day.  To protect his health, Bruce should not go.

Is it likely I’d be “sick” on July 13 or so when I’d ask Dr. Lagae for the note?  Probably not.  Would it be within integrity for him to write such a note?  I think so but we’ll see what he says.

Bottom line time:

1.  If the temperatures for Dour stay in the 30’s during the festival, I won’t go.

2.  If Dr. Lagae agrees with me that him writing a sick note that anticipates illness is within integrity, I’ll ask him for one.

3.  If all this happens, Dour may or may not give me a refund.  I’ll accept their decision.

***

Alrighty then …

Thanks for helping me think this through

As a member of the Evolutionary Collective Core, I volunteered to support the teacher and the participants in an introductory course to our work.  Six Tuesday evenings … such as last night.  It was Session Four.

My mind didn’t think of #4 yesterday afternoon.  More crucially, my mind didn’t think of it in the evening.  And so … I wasn’t there.

I’m sad that I didn’t keep my word, and that I caused a problem for those who were there.

Was it yesterday that I talked about not analyzing what happens, not seeking the “why”?  (Hey, maybe it was three days ago!  I can’t remember)

I could give reasonable or unreasonable theories, depending on the ears of the beholder.  But what purpose would that serve?

I didn’t do what I said I’d do

I’m sad about that

I apologized

I will keep my head up

And on I go …