Down for the Count. Again.

Well, my 2026 kicked off with a . . . surgery. So much fun. I injured my shoulder 20-or-so years ago: a torn rotator cuff. But it was a partial tear. I lived with it for all of that time, but then, two summers ago, I tore it completely. The surgery to correct the issue was performed on November 5th, 2024, scheduled as such because managing the farm is far easier in the winter—after the seasons of de-worming, pasture rotation, hoof trimming, etc. Recovery took about six months involving three or four weeks in an Aircast (immobilizing sling) with a pillow velcroed to it to keep it away from my body, followed by a couple of weeks with just the sling. I attended physical therapy sessions throughout.

Unfortunately, at some point during or after recovery, I re-tore the sucker once again. Ugh.

For this go-around, we scheduled surgery for January 6th, 2026, and since I injured the same damn spot, we now have to be ultra cautious. I’ll be in the padded Aircast for a full six weeks (I have two more weeks!) and then the sling for some time after that. I’ll likely be in physical therapy until the end of time. Ugh!

So, this is fun.

The downsides: I have had to reduce the computer time tremendously, with nearly no activity for the first two weeks. Typing on the computer involves fighting the padding of the sling. Not good for the shoulder. So, little writing is happening. A lot of sitting. And sleep is a chore. To avoid rolling over on my right shoulder at night, I’ve been sleeping on the couch. We piled up pillow so that I sleep slightly raised. I’m in that position, or weirdly rolled to the left when I can manage. I can’t wait to sleep in a proper bed once again. Monica (wife) has to handle everything: inside, outside, and . . . husbandside. She’s a spectacular human being. I also know that she’ll probably read this. I love you, honey! :)

To add insult to injury, while housebound, Snow Storm Gianna dumped a bunch of snow on us and temperatures dropped to the teens. On the farm, everything gets more complicated when the world freezes. And with one-half of the farming team down for the count, it’s just a pain. Plus, this historic home is not what you would call “efficient.” We were quite cold for a few days. I love you, honey! :)

The upsides: Like a vacation, recovery enforces a less distracting day-to-day. I am trying to see this as a chance to embrace some downtime. I’ve gotten a lot of reading done. That’s pretty great. It’s been forever since I have read this much.

Although I’ve reduced the real estate agent workload for the duration, I still have two listings in play at the moment and another soon to go to market. I am considering handing off anything new to someone else until I am at least out of the sling. So, it is not all relaxation at the moment.

So, here I am, a month in. I can finally ramp up the computer work a bit. Throughout, the real estate biz required some attention, and of course, some computer work. But I stayed clear of writing projects. Mostly. On the writing side, I cleaned up and submitted a short nonfiction piece to a creative-nonfiction competition. Recently, I spent two days revising a horror short story and submitted that to Nightmare Magazine. Wish me luck. I also did some major surgery on my website. I volunteered to lead a lecture/workshop on how to format a manuscript in preparation for submission to publishers. That work led me to develop a webpage summarizing the process. Check it out! It’s got templates! (Short stories and novels only; poetry templates to be added soon.)

I’ve also had a lot of time to pay attention to the news, sadly. That’s not been great, as y’all are well aware. Half of the population of the United States is actively trying to destroy their own country, and it leaves me utterly baffled and saddened. It’s hard not to be depressed about it. Um, fascism is bad for everyone, folks!

Today, I sit here in my own discomfort and then wonder about all of those poor people who were disappeared. How many are dead at this point? The scale of the trauma is astronomical. In other parts of the world . . . over 1.2 million Russians are now dead all because of a little man’s need to stroke his ego. One man! Sounds familiar. Sounds awful.

I digress.

Folks, I hope for a purposeful, peaceful, and productive 2026 for all of you. Try to avoid the news. Though . . . pay attention. However, we can juggle that; we need to. We will need all of you to clean up this mess one day. I will gladly grab a shovel or hammer and pitch in when the time comes and when I am able.

Cheers, all.

P.S., I am slowly building out a place where you can donate to The Cause if you like. I have been asked in the past, especially in appreciation for various technical efforts, and so now I have a means to accept a tip if you ever feel so inclined. You can even become a supporting member, a patron. I have tentatively labeled that select group of folks, my fellow Ruminants! :) In the future, for those select people, I hope to share insider tidbits, excerpts, snippets, early drafts, and whatnot. Also, if I ever get my damn book done, I will likely extend a discount of some kind. We’ll see. If you would like to subscribe you can do it here . . .