https://www.bentley-skinner.co.uk/brooches-pendants-lockets/55189-the-gigantas-pendant/ Wow.

I'm probably going to have injection treatment for at least one knee. They've both been painful for many years and the left one is especially bad. It's the fact there's something wrong with my hip that worries me most. My right side starting chronically hurting about two years ago. There's no question in my mind now that something's wrong. I won't know more until imaging but my skeleton is not in alignment. I'd definitely rather attack these issues with intensive physical therapy. It's not news this kind of medical process takes time. I brought up my knee pain with my PCP and he declined to give me a referral for even an X-ray. He was acting on automatic pilot. That was clear. I could have and could force the issue. But, then, I haven't presented the hip issue. His response in denying me a knee X-ray was absurd, and I have to choose my battles. Frankly, I'm keeping part of my inheritance after buying a home and car and putting part of it in my Trust. I'm going to ask my trustee, SIL, friend to use her Power of Attorney to pay to have the hip situation evaluated and to make it possible to start physical therapy. I don't mean to sound like a brat but I don't have time to waste on this one.

@wtg Would you please tell us for people who aren't that familiar with Chicago (like myself) about the Old Town neighborhood?

@jon-nyc Because being judgemental is more fun?

I wish I were one of them. I had the flu about a month ago. It's a different experience each time. I'm sure you all know that but this time for me-- my lungs were infected. Even after the initial healing, the lung symptoms lingered for about two weeks. I couldn't breathe without fluid (?) getting in the way. My lungs would make a disconcerting sound every time I breathed in or out. I looked up bronchitis and pneumonia to try to figure it out. Then it stopped. Thank God.

I'm trying to stay away from political topics but this would be a fitting quote for him to engrave on his tombstone.

Where's that Andrew Young? We need to talk universal basic income.

Looks amazing. Off topic but I was thinking about Charles III's famous garden at Highgrove (Georgian FTW) of course now owned by William with the ironic and strange twist that on the King's Duchy there exists a revenue producing toxic waste dump with a neighborhood next door who have tried and tried and failed to have the environmental situation remedied while their health deteriorates. I guess the scandal now is that he isn't seen to be the Defender of the Church and William doesn't seem all that interested in the role. I'd like to have a garden but don't think it's in the cards.

I didn't, actually. "Can you afford it?" Well if I could, I'd be living there. On second thought, the library is perfect. The main thing I don't like is the kitchen island. I'd make it minimalist, change it to stone, make it parallel to the wall with the stove, get rid of the bar stools, and then put a rectangular table parallel to the island.

WTF finally delivers the enlightenment I always expected.

Interesting. My brother has stage 4 bone cancer. My brother and I weren't in touch with each other. My father never told me. Looking back, it must have been diagnosed after my sister died. My sister-in-law (separated 14 years, couldn't accomplish a legal divorce by the time COVID hit by the time couldn't divorce her child's father because he needed health insurance, he just received Medicare, and they are finally getting a divorce...) told me people with his type of cancer usually die of co-morbidities like infections I didn't tell her this but I think she hasn't interpreted his heath situation exactly right. My brother refuses to talk about the details other than he did have a 5 day chemotherapy treatment during a 7 day NY hospital visit so I don't know them. I know by definition the cancer has spread to distant organs. Of course he could die with co-morbidities but the proximate cause of death will be cancer sadly. I love my brother even if he wasn't always good to my sister and me. He had a serious accident and traumatic brain injury including a 6 month coma when he was 16 or I think he would have been more sensitive and caring to his loved ones. I'm really hoping for him that he can and will improve his quality of life with his share of our inheritance. I want for him what I want for myself. No different.

Customer: "I want a refund please, HAL." HAL: "I'm sorry. I can't do that."

Yes, I'm ok. I'm walking a little every day and the pain is becoming less. I'm treating the wounds over and over so I don't get an infection. It's impossible to tell if the pain will go away completely. I have "aches and pains" from many times it didn't. I doubt I did any permanent damage. The real problem is there's something wrong with my right hip. I'm really lucky I didn't seriously injure myself. It was a close call. Thanks for asking, SK!

I have nothing good to say so I'm going to say nothing.