Busy day

A lot has happened today.

First: I met with the Harbour Authorities about my re-entry to the Mainland. A very productive discussion where in fact it turns out I do not pass the physical examination to return to the mainland.
However, the Harbour Authority believes that this is repairable and we will set forth on this. I was more tired after the physical exam than I thought I would be, which is promising. A rigourous schedule of doctor's appointments and quarantines has been established.

Second: I snuck back onto the Island to visit the Glade and was startled to find that as a result of my absence from it, certain weeds had taken hold. I was in the process of fixing this when the local Glade Tenders appeared to assist, apparently they place the Glade above their sects and sides in the civil war for this moment, which is heartening.
However, I did catch them making some snide comments about how they feel they should have been the main tenders all the time that I maintained the Glade over the last 6 years.
I felt like screaming, and in fact had reached for the pistol in my pouch when I reconsidered. I toiled in silence to clean up what was done, and did not say:
"The Glade has been here all this time, why not tend it yourselves at all during that time?"
or
"The Glade has needed your help, but you had to go off and fight a civil war instead!"
or
"How dare you resent what I am good at, what inspired the Bwana to invite me to this island in the first place?"

Assholes to the lot of them.

Update from the raft

I float in the sea...

I am barred from landing on any other islands, and I am not yet ready to return to the mainland. Various harbour authorities have been contacted to certify me physically, and to ensure that I am not a criminal.

I have completed some negotiations with the ruling Junta of the Island to return to tend the Glade as often as I like.

This is good.

I am contracting a body-guard to ensure that I am not hassled or bothered while doing this. This body-guard may come as an affront to the Junta government but I must force the issue.

Someone else's words

That is all.

numbers all over the place

okay... 2400 + 1100 is 3500
3500 x 12 is 42000
There are 26 biweekly periods in a year
42000 divided by 26 is 1615 every two weeks or so
1615 - 820 is 800
minus 200 for bills is 600
so that leaves 600 every two weeks for: vehicle, food, credit card debt, renovations, The Boy, and savings.

10,000 divided by 600 is 16, so in 16 pay periods I could save up enough for the BIG SCARY HOME REPAIR that I need to do.

16 pay periods is 8 months.

or... in 4 months I could save up half of it, and put the rest on a credit card...

or I could get another 10,000 on the mortgage to pay for the BIG SCARY HOME REPAIR right away.

Clarification

If you see that I
support you, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
am happy, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
smile at you, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
help you pack, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
wave to you, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
give you space, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
leave you be, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
ignore you, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
am angry, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
do not sleep, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
smoke too much, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
just stand still, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
close my eyes, please understand
I do not like this

If you see that I
walk away, please understand
I do not like this

I am good at this
But that is not evidence
that I accept this

Civil war defeat

I have fled from the island, and am making my way slowly back to the mainland.

Initially, though I planned to take some survivors with me, that has proved to be impossible. When I asked some of the sympathetic locals to return with me, they seemed interested at first, but then when the departure date we had chosen grew closer, their enthusiasm waned, and they seemed less interested.

I think they may have feared fleeing the island, and abandoning their fellow islanders, even the ones that I feel are the causes of the civil war. I suppose I cannot expect them to abandon their friends, families and co-workers so suddenly, given that the words spread against me must have been circulated by them.

This is the first time since I have fled the island that I have had time to sit and write, but I have some notes hastily scribbled on my boarding pass and on a copy of my ferry receipt.

More astute readers will be wondering what has happened with the glade, and I confess I do not know... I will attempt to prepare a place for it, and hope to transplant it, or cuttings from it, in the future.

Civil War

The civil was seems to have calmed last night. There's no peace at all, for certain, but it did seem hopeful.

Locals greeted me in the street from both factions and were glad to see me, I think. I felt safe again.

And, I found the Newcomer actually sweeping a sidewalk! Perhaps he is startled by the civil war as I am.

News of the civil war is spreading to the mainland. International news outlets have picked it up and I fear for our image internationally if the news spreads too far.