This is the week of the big, final debate, or will it be another temper tantrum by President Chaos? You would think that moderator Kristen Welker will have learned from both the negative Chris Wallace example and the positive Savannah Guthrie example and will come ready to interrupt Trump or turn off his microphone if he does his usual loud- and lying-talk-a-thon, continually interrupting Biden. But you’d think that Trump’s handlers would be trying hard to get him to realize how disastrous his first debate performance was, try to get him to change how he operates at this one. We’ll see.

I woke up this morning after a longer sleep than usual, about nine hours, and I’ve felt pretty good so far this morning. I do think yesterday’s time at Sandy Hook National Park really helped me spiritually. I have to watch overdoing it workwise, however; I remember earlier in the fast feeling pretty good and literally working for 14 hours one day, and the next day was very, very hard.

I think another reason I’m feeling better is because I’m now at the beginning of the last half of the fast. Making it for 16 days is something I’m proud of; it wasn’t easy. My mindset now is that the end to this ordeal is in sight, I just need to stay in touch with how my body is doing, what it’s telling me, and respond accordingly. That should get me through to the end, even if, as the days go by, I get weaker and less able to work, or even do long interviews. That could happen. I’ve already noticed that my voice is weaker. I sometimes need to exert more energy than usual when I’m talking for more than a short time.

I am definitely appreciating the color season as the leaves turn purple and red and orange and yellow.