Misc

Down They Go

My aunt Barb gave me these iron bookends about twenty years ago when I was living in the apartment above Gerlach’s Bowling Center.


Since I got these floor lamps, I’ve had the bookends holding these books on the middle shelf, because I like them there.


My speedbag’s round board is screwed into the floor joints under that part of the floor.


Every day, before I’m halfway through my workout, I hear a monstrous crash that startles me, even though I know what it is. After my workout, I come up stairs and find the books and a bookend on the floor.

Misc

Empty Shelves

It sounds like the stores are being picked clean again. Last time this was happening, I was an enraged screaming shitbag. This time, I think I’m just going to quietly accept that I might starve to death. ✌️

Misc

2022

2022 has arrived. It doesn’t feel like anything special. My only resolution for the new year is to increase production.

The last year was a hard one, full of loss. Hopefully we’ll see less suffering and more healing in 2022.

 

Misc

DNA Testing

Back in November, my twin brother Fred and I each got a DNA test kit from MyHeritage.com. We did the swabs and sent them back.

My results came on December 10.

Fred’s results came on December 17.

Our results are slightly different, but I don’t think that means anything. The difference is just a pinch. One of the reasons I wanted Fred and I to both have our DNA tested is we’re twins and if our results are the same, it should mean the DNA tests are real and accurate.

So, our results being what they are, I’m convinced that MyHeritage is not a rip off.

When Fred’s results came in, he turned up on the list of family on my MyHeritage account. Apparently, they think he and I are the same person under different names.

As twins, our shared DNA is 99.9%. I say that’s as it should be.

Though the top four results are English, Irish-Scottish-Welsh, East European and West Asian, there are many more results, but they don’t amount to a percentage.

My DNA was matched with 8,510 other people in MyHeritage’s database. These people are from all over the world. Out of all those people, I recognize only two of them. My brother Fred and our cousin Wendy.

The DNA matches are sorted into three categories. “Close Family”, “Extended Family” and “Distant Relatives”.

Under Close Family, I have one match. Fred. Under Extended Family, which is cousins from closer branches, I have nine matches. My cousin Wendy is one of them. I don’t know the other eight people.

There are 8,500 Distant Relatives. Maybe I would know some of them, but I haven’t taken the time to go through that list.

One of the eight unknown cousins under Extended Family sent me a message on MyHeritage. He is French and he was born in 1944. He’s looking for his father, or information about his father. His father’s name is James Darnell and he served in France during World War II, which is how his father met his mother.

I know our family has and had a few different men named James Darnell, but I can’t think of any old enough to be this guy’s father. Does anyone have an idea who it might be?