(no subject)

I took today off, and went for a long walk with Grounded up on Mount Tom. We were climbing up and down for at least 2 hours. It was a gorgeous day, with hardly any clouds, upper 50s, a gentle breeze, and the bugs weren't out in force, yet. We had a long conversation about all sorts of stuff. She made me smile a bunch of times, and even now as I think about the day.

Then, I had a long nap with Feisty, supper at Chez Anzovin, and now I'm putzing around on the internet. I plan to watch the Legend of Korra, episode one, shortly.

All in all, a really good day.

In praise of a friend

I'm taking the time here to praise my dear friend _usakeh_, who's going through some travails just now.

_usakeh_ labors under the delusion that she is stupid, lazy, and all-around worthless, despite copious evidence to the contrary (such as, most obviously, graduating magna cum laude from Columbia with a mathematics degree, even while coping with severe bipolar disorder). Any extended conversation will be enough to reveal her wit and perspicacity, and her efforts fundraising for disaster victims should, of themselves, prove her worth.

But there's much more: she copes, daily, with a gravely debilitating illness with a high mortality rate. It can be a harrowing experience even second-hand, and, despite having depression myself, I doubt I really understand just how bad it really gets. Yet, she's always concerned for others, always considerate of their feelings and needs, and ready to help when she can. Sickness quite often leads people to become selfish as pain and misery lead us to focus on our own needs. Few people in my experience are less selfish than _usakeh_.

In short, she is gifted and smart and hard-working, but more than that, she is loyal, compassionate, modest, and brave, an altogether exceptional person that I'm proud to know and call a friend.