Diary of a Young Oldman - 2

I just checked the date of my last article—I haven't written anything for almost a month. Somehow, there wasn't enough time, and perhaps inspiration can't accompany an author constantly. Inspiration also needs to sleep, eat, and powder its nose. Besides, there hasn't been any good news lately; everyone complains about everything, so I feel there's nothing more to explain.

And what happened in the village during this month? Absolutely nothing. The weather may have improved slightly, although the local weather expert, Mykola, says frosts will return soon. It's already mid-March, but the birch trees show no intention of blooming. Well, we're waiting.

Lawyer-agronomist

This year, I decided to take care of the garden my grandfather had last taken care of before the war. There was just an apple tree, three cherries, and a walnut tree. There were some other trees, too, but they've dried out, and I don't even know what they are. Initially, I thought caring for these trees would take a few hours, but that was a mistake. First, I spent two days removing leaves and bushes that had dried up. After cleaning, I was rewarded with a big bonfire.

Then, (what was I thinking?) I decided to prune the trees, knowing it was necessary. Given my understanding that tree pruning was at the same level as kidney surgery, I invited a specialist—well, actually, my neighbor called him for me. Upon arrival, he pruned some young two-year-old trees and gave recommendations about the old ones along with my neighbor, Aunt Lyuba. That took another two days. First, I used a manual saw; second, the most enormous apple tree was infected with internal rot, so I had to cut it down completely. Thanks to my neighbor's battery-powered saw, it got easier. Now, I have plenty of firewood for future barbecues and grills.

There's also a ton of brushwood left. The nice guy who pruned the trees will probably come and take it to shred and burn in winter. This is rational and eco-friendly.

Then, I painted the tree trunks white. This practice is outdated in Europe, but "my grandfathers did it, so I'll do it too." Moreover, ChatGPT also recommended this, and I would like to consult with it. Paint prevents sunburn and pests.

After pruning old trees, I have plenty of space for new bushes and trees. I ordered about ten seedlings, hoping they'll survive, although the groundwater level is just half a meter deep, making it nearly a swamp.

Next week, we're expecting possibly the last frosts (I hope the water hoses survive, as I've already set them up). Afterward, I plan to apply fungicides and insecticides to prevent diseases like last year. Then I'll wait for a small but first harvest.

Also, I plan to experiment just a bit (unlike my grandparents, who planted half the village) by growing various crops—watermelons, melons, carrots, etc. If the garden doesn't look embarrassing, I'll show it off here.

Carpenter-painter

As mentioned above, the garden is constantly swamped due to the high groundwater content. I had an idea to take some boards from my great-aunt Zina ("great-aunt"—is that even a thing? She's my grandfather’s brother’s wife). My grandfather's brother used to be a forester, so there were plenty of boards left over. Initially, I intended to use them for flooring, but after bringing them home, I realized they were beautiful, solid oak—too good to toss into the mud. Instead, I made a simple bench near the lake where people swim. Functional and straightforward—a comfortable spot for parking your rear.

Another neighbor, Aunt Svitlana, saw the bench and suggested making a table with benches under a tree by the pond, something her late husband always wanted but never got around to. Coincidentally, my wooden shed had just collapsed, so I dismantled it, cleaned each board with a grinder, sanded them down, treated them with antiseptic, painted, and varnished them 😂

I also treated the part that goes into the ground with bitumen. Now, it just needs to stand for a while.

The only downside is it took four days, as my medication wasn't working great during that period, leaving me with limited active hours. But I managed.

Fat is power, sport is a grave

My weight-loss challenge—to reach 105 kg by the end of February—was successful. However, after that, I began overeating again and stopped exercising for a month. I'll probably have to return to this foolishness and lose weight again. I have no idea how much I weigh now and don't want to know after almost a month of uncontrolled eating. I'll share the results later (if any). At least now the weather allows comfortable cycling and swimming in the lake.

Checkmate, athletes

Actually, I deceived you. I remembered chess is an Olympic sport, so technically, I've been an athlete all month :) On February 2, I asked my friends to show me how the pieces move and explain the rules. I got hooked, and now I play daily, trying to figure things out. If anyone plays, add me on Chess.com or Lichess.org—my nickname is "sashko1391." I'll practice with you.

Changes in the pet infantry platoon

Recently, I wrote about my pets, and unfortunately, my cat, Bolbat, has passed away. Last year, he was bitten by a tick and almost died, but after three weeks at the vet, he pulled through. However, he never fully recovered; he was always sleepy and sensitive to touch. Sadly, I found him lifeless in the basement. Rest in peace; he was a funny cat.

But now our dog Lucky has a new friend, a puppy named Mikey.

At first, Lucky bullied him slightly, but he grew quickly and was almost her size, so she wouldn't dominate much longer.

Other things

Last night, a Shahed drone fell somewhere near us. It whistled loudly and exploded upon impact. Thankfully, it fell in an open field and caused no damage. I couldn't insert the video here, but you can watch it here.

I'm tired of Trump-related news. He's everywhere, every day, and endless expert analyses are exhausting. The only plausible theory is that Trump intentionally floods the information space, allowing him to commit various mistakes unnoticed. Usually, a US president makes newsworthy statements once or twice a year, whereas Trump does it daily, making real scrutiny impossible. What is his ultimate goal with this chaos?

I also watched Trump's online meeting with our President. Initially, I switched the stream on (hello, Viktor Fedorovych) when a reporter rudely questioned Zelensky about his attire. I was angry, thinking it was planned. However, after rewatching the entire event, I changed my mind. Zelensky was respectfully received, and Trump spent 15 minutes complimenting him and our country. When that reporter was provoked by the attire question, Trump tried to calm things by saying he liked Zelensky's style. Our President got slightly emotional and discussed things publicly that should have remained private.

Additionally, he informally called the Vice President "JD," slightly breaching protocol. Still, I understand his nerves after three years of war and constant tough decisions. He responded sharply regarding the maps and generally appeared strong. So everyone can decide who was right or wrong.

I'll soon publish a new Notes&Quotes article with excerpts from a 1992 book that accurately predicts Russia's current state.

Let's all hope this disgusting war ends soon.

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