Welcome! If you’re new to Jody J. Sperling’s world, The Luke In Time Mysteries, or any of my other novels, this is your weekly dose of “6-Point Saturday”, a list of what I’ve been pondering on my morning dog walks.
A Reminder and A Weeklong Headache
In December of 2022, about a week before Christmas, I started feeling sick. Of course I suspected COVID, but because I never really left the house, masked up when I did, and remained fairly healthy, I didn’t initially worry about testing.
Then on the night of the 23rd, Christmas Eve Eve, I was sitting in my reading chair with a Miller Lite by my side. I took up the beer and sipped. It tasted so bad, I nearly spit it out. In retrospect, it tasted so nothing, it made me think it was contaminated.
I’m no slouch, and so it only took me a few moments to revise my opinion. I sprung from my chair, rushed my aching body to the kitchen, reached into the pantry, palmed the cinnamon, opened its pour lid, stuffed my nose in, and inhaled.
You know what I smelled? NOTHING!!! I smelled nothing. The ultimate COVID test.
For the record, I followed the cinnamon sniff with an approved COVID test and confirmed I’d finally caught the bug. Three years after COVID began circulating, I was finally a victim.
And I’ll tell you: it knocked me on my ass. COVID hit me hard for more than a week. I slept constantly, and it brought with it congestion so profound when I coughed it felt my head was cleaving in two at the left eye-socket.
So this past week, when I realized I was rolling from a month-long cough into a fresh illness, you’d think I’d immediately suspect COVID, but you know me. It didn’t cross my mind until I sipped my PBR while sitting in my reading chair and it tasted nothingful.
The cinnamon test confirmed my suspicion. And I’ve slept so many hours this week, I’m embarrassed to tally the total for you. I’ve resolved COVID will be the death of me. I’ll contract the newest variant every other year for the rest of my life because my body is susceptible to it, and eventually I’ll lose the battle because COVID seems to have my number.
With that in mind, I want to rage against all bats everywhere, including the thousands who live in my ceiling loft. And I’d like to rage against anyone who participated in gain-of-function research. My future death is blood on your hands.
I’m now also swearing off Batman as my favorite superhero just for his association with my future demise. Who should I adopt as my new superhero numero uno?
Podcast I’m Binging
No Stupid Questions with Angie Duckworth and Stephen Dubner is a fun exploration of topics like “why do we hoard”, “how do we know when we quit”, “why do we buy things we’ll never use” and many others.
It’s a light, easy listen for moments when you want to feel creative and happy.
My Books Are For Reading
Are you looking for your next gritty mystery read? If you receive my 6-Point Saturday update, you’ve thought about it before, but perhaps not taken the plunge. Consider changing that today.
If you want all my audiobooks, they’re here. My ebooks are here. My paperbacks are here. Or if you prefer buttons, here they are:
A Must Have If You’re Sick
All kinds of stuff starts to happen when you’re sick. Headaches, nausea, sweating, shivering and I used to think dry lips, but my wife introduced me to Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, and so even though I’m a whole saw mill of log sawing at night, at least my lips are moist as a baby’s bib when I wake in the morning.
If you struggle with dry lips, try Burt’s Bees.
Conflict I’m Working Through
I was 100% carnivore for just about 60 days. While I was on the diet I had some good outcomes: lightening of depression, better sleep, reduction in snoring. But I never had the weight loss everyone brags about, and I never got digestively regular. We’ll just leave it at that.
So I found it challenging to keep at the diet. But when I tried reintroducing carbs, my body revolted with the vengeance of a family feud. Hatfield and McCoy at the cellular level. I had days of depression and aimlessness, and it got me wondering, did I underestimate the value of being carnivore?
It’s an open topic for now. But I’ll tell you, part of me feels duped—like I got tricked into a diet that traps a person. Another part of me thinks, for all the challenges it posed, carnivore always satisfied my appetite if I just forced myself to eat when hangry.
Travels Ahead
I’m leaving later today for Bentonville. Land of Wally World, and home of the Anime Fest this Sunday. I’ve never had great showings on Sundays, but this is a ticketed event, so I’m hoping it will be a good earner.
Here’s a question for you, if you’ve come this far with me: Am I charging too much or too little for my current paperback offer? I do 1 for $15, 2 for $25 or 3 for $35.
Much Love,
Jody
Not exactly a super hero suggestion, but maybe you can adapt an old Andean ritual next time you get sick. A shaman would take a guinea pig and rub it all over the patient, tempting the evil spirit behind their illness into the poor creature. Then they would attach bells and ribbons to the poor animal and set it free. If a random person crossed paths with such a sight then there was a chance the evil spirit could jump onto them. Maybe the modern version of this is having a powwow with the virus, offering to go out in public so it can jump to a new host in return for it sparing you from the worst of its powers to inflict suffering.