Weekly Ephemera #113

• This week it felt good to slide into the comfort of a familiar routine.  The events of this summer had shattered my routine and the world feels like it is finally returning to 'normal'.
• I walked three times this week.  This is like the first time I've done three long hikes in a week since March.  Each walk was longer than the last.  It felt really good pushing the distance up though I may have over done it as my legs are still stiff and achy as I post this.  I walked 27.9 miles (44.9 km) this week with the last walk being over eleven miles.  Since our return from the Wife's Camino in June 2023 I have only walked double digit miles four times.  This is so unlike me.  I expect not to walk this coming week as we are leaving the country (more about this later this week).
• On Friday tickets for the Wrexham soccer game we were hoping to attend went on sale.  The Wife got up at 3:45AM to try to buy tickets.  She had joined the Wrexham Fan Club to get early access to ticket sales.  She finds out that her membership only entitles her to one ticket per game so, over the next two hours, she buys a membership for me, links the two accounts (this consisted of trying to call the office in Wales and eventually required an email to the ticket office who responded incredibly fast), and purchased two tickets for the game.  During those two hours the Wife was watching the number of available tickets shrink.  It was very nerve wracking for the Wife ... I slept through the whole thing.  Thanks to the Wife - It's going to be fun!
• I got my COVID and Flu vaccinations this weekend.  I know, the COVID shot was like closing the barn door after the horse got out but I got it anyway.  Both of my arms are sore though the COVID arm is more sore than the flu arm.
• We finally caught up on all the episodes of "Alone" and "Alone: Australia".  The Wife switched to college football and I returned to "One Piece".  I'd watched up to around episode three hundred back in February.  I've reached episode four hundred.  Only seven hundred-ish episodes to go.  It's a fun show and is nice background noise.
• While surfing the socials I came across a link to a short story by Andy Weir (the author of "The Martian").  It is very interesting, thought provoking, and worth the read.  It's only a couple pages long and you can check it out here.  You can also watch a reading with animation on YouTube.