No, not that Fox News. I just mean I have some fox news:
Foxes are to urban and suburban Britain as raccoons are to large midwestern North American cities. They’re wild animals, and I don’t have any illusions about taming them or anything like that. But this guy or gal has been visiting early in the morning looking for any leftovers in the stray cats’ bowls, and is quite photogenic. A friend suggested Scraps as a name, and The Child approved.
It’s hot here – not southwestern US hot, but it was 93° F today. The UK doesn’t really do residential air conditioning, and as I’m functionally blind in one eye, I walk most places. I’m weary from this week’s marches to and from school with The Child. I’m weary from work, which is usually quiet this time of year but is currently full-on. I’m very weary from the last ten days* of actual news, and I feel guilty about feeling weary: I don’t live in the US anymore, and to date none of my family are directly impacted by anything other than higher prices, though we worry for members of the family in science- and higher ed-related jobs. Also, I am a freelancer, so more work always means more money for me.
Still, I feel drained, and trying to unplug from the news doesn’t work. I’m behind on one or two things for work. I only have half of the next episode of my podcast finished, and it’s due to publish Sunday. But I’m going away overnight tomorrow anyway, for a one-night “camping” trip on a friend’s property where a 19th-century farmhouse restoration is in progress, and where we will eat and drink too much and play a tabletop Call of Cthulhu game. I’ve been feeling, lately, like I should snatch these dumb, irresponsible moments where I can.
Happy Friday, kinda. I hope you like Scraps the Fox.
*Last 8–9 months of news, really, but the last 10 days have been a vortex of awful. You get it.