Wednesday

Today wasn’t bad. I convinced my housemate to leave the house for a few errands, so we headed to lunch at a long‑standing Thai restaurant downtown. It’s been about fifteen years since i dined there, but the place still feels familiar. I brought along my Lomography camera, which I’d bought from an online flea market. After a few false starts and some wasted film, I finally captured a good portrait of my housemate.

I’ve recovered from a cold virus—thankfully after about ten days, which seems to be the typical course. One of our errands was a stop at the yarn shop, where I picked up more stone‑gray yarn for another cap I’m making. Having a project like this keeps me busy; the plan is to work on the new crochet cap and stay low‑key at home until after the start of the new year.

The Moby‑Dick audiobook continues to amaze me. Some passages are quite graphic by today’s standards of animal awareness, yet the language is so soaring and beautiful that I can’t stop listening. I’m looking forward to finishing it. My mood feels steady now that we’ve gotten out of the house for our holiday meal.

The Thai restaurant, despite its Buddhist décor and a portrait of the Thai king, was playing lively, modern Christmas music. The festive atmosphere was unmistakable, even though we didn’t have any special holiday plans. Ordering a “Christmas pizza” might sound a bit silly, but it’s a nice treat to share with those in need—or with ourselves when feeling overwhelmed by nostalgia.