Working around a cluster of aura that just popped up. Significant enough to cause me to consult Dr. Google. This, from the University of Washington, kind of reassured me.

“Just one night of poor sleep can increase a patient’s likelihood of having a migraine attack,” Murinova says.

And I haven't exactly been sleeping well. Did okay last night, but I think I'm still in something of an overall deficit.

For those just tuning in, I've had aural migraines for many years, not knowing at all that's what they were. They come and go, usually after a few minutes. I've mentioned them to my doctor, who sent me to the eye doctor and my retinae are fine. This episode got my attention because there were three of them and they came on rather suddenly, as these things go. (They're fading now, one still active.)

Anyway...

To do something productive tomorrow (I've already voted for Harris and the straight Democratic ticket here in deep-scarlet St Johns County.), I'm giving blood. I figure it might relieve some of the pressure and reduce the likelihood of having a stroke. But maybe that's not how that works.

Tornado outbreaks in Oklahoma over the weekend seemed to get lost in the media coverage of the election. Hard for me to say, exactly, since we don't get network television anymore. Maybe it didn't. But another clue that we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

My brother lives in a tornado-prone area of Alabama, and he's had a shelter installed in his garage. Keeps all his important papers in there.

New York, historically, hasn't experienced a high incidence of tornados, though that may be changing. Nevertheless, I think that, given a choice, I'd rather prepare for the risk of a tornado than the risk of a hurricane. While a tornado may be more destructive in the immediate term, the scale of the damage is more limited and permits more rapid recovery in the affected area, I think. Just as bad individually, but collectively more resilient.

Pick your poison, I guess.

Getting out of Florida came up a few times while we were up in Georgia. Mitzi pushed back pretty hard, but I didn't debate her. I know the seed is planted. The house across the street sold a week or so ago, and the one two doors down is on the market. Mitzi was talking about the kinds of people that would buy those two, different, floor plans. Then she added, "Some couple is going to buy this house, and love it."

So I know the idea is still germinating.

It's all a matter of timing. Ideally, we will get out before we experience a hurricane loss. That's the whole idea. Doing so avoids the trauma of loss and "recovery." It also eliminates the requirement of disclosing whether the house has ever been flooded, and permits the continuing self-delusion that this region is somehow immune from hurricanes. So the sooner we sell and get out of here, the better. Ideally, before next hurricane season; but I suspect I may have white-knuckle it through 2025. Moving is an unwelcome challenge.

I've told her we wouldn't necessarily have to move to New York, but I would insist that we relocate to someplace with a low climate risk.

I spoke to another neighbor who I see frequently walking her dog. She said her husband has been looking for property in Connecticut. She's not enamored with moving because of northeast winters. Winter and no state income tax are Florida's two biggest draws. And maybe fascism for those so inclined. I know I wouldn't exactly welcome either (or any) of those, but I can deal with winter and taxes better than dragging all my shit to the curb and "starting over." Especially the sense of defeat I'd feel, because I know I could have avoided it if I'd gotten out of here in time.

Not exactly how I'd have envisioned my "golden years."

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Originally posted at Nice Marmot 10:41 Monday, 4 November 2024