Hosed

Well, here is is Thursday and this is going to be a Recovery Day.  Everybody keeps telling me to take it easy and since I did cardio on Tuesday and Cycling on Wednesday, I've decided that today I'm going to take it easy.  Work yesterday went fine, though I realized around 5 hours into my shift I should have brought some Advil, so, guess what's getting packed with my lunch today?
So, I see that Theresa May tried to Bitch Slap the Idiot Jerk in the White House yesterday and he told her to... shut...up.  She should have realized that as long as he's hangin' with his homey Vlad she's about as inviting as a plate  of old, cold pasta.  Did she really think he cared? 
Oh, and Mattie Lauer says he's... sorry, but then that's what most useless tools say.
And what about Garrison Keillor was fired as well... for inappropriate behavior, which just goes to show that just because you're pretentious as hell doesn't mean you're grabbing, and gripping and horn-dog tipping... or at least trying to.
And Jeffey Sessions is going to be called in for a private session... and I think it's today, and I'm sure it's not the kind of private session Roy Moore would like... no little girls.  Evidently, while speaking at a church rally, he said that all of those women accusing him are liars.  Someone needs to scrap up this pond scum and lay it out in the sun to dry.

The Grammy Nominations were announced a couple of days ago... who cares.  For those who don't know there are 84 categories (and there are sub-categories as well).  The nominations are chosen by a 'committee' which is why album sales and downloads are key to getting a nomination which defines these awards as being more about popularity than quality.  I don't watch them.

Yesterday morning I told the dogs that I was thinking of maybe putting up a Christmas Tree this year.  I couldn't tell if they were excited or not.

The only thing I'd really worry about would be Biggie lifting his leg and hosing it down in a big time way... the Republican Tax plan is going to hose most Americans, not that they really care.  

Sing this

Well, here it is... Wednesday and I get to go back to work after 15 days off.  Nice little vacation, eh?  Pretty much so, if you don't count that little surgery I had, and that's turning out to have been more of a nuisance than anything else.
Yesterday was fairly active:  While I didn't ride the bike, I did do 30 minutes on the elliptical, 1.2 miles, to the music of Eli Lieb.

I did do 20 minutes on the bike this AM but stopped when I realized the Kinetic app had failed to connect and I was recording nothing.  Well, I did get a new  Suunto Spartan and that recorded it, which was nice.

Yesterday I also talked to the Big Boy at my Mom's Senior Living Facility about the increase, and when I say Big, I mean Big - I'll bet that guy weighs in at around 380 to 400 pounds, he doesn't have rolls, he has waves.  Anyway, he was all apologetic, saying her increase was incorrect, and that I should throw out the letter I received because they were going to send me a new one.  Personally, I think most of his weight is bullshit, and that if you don't complain they don't reduce your rate.  

Personally, I think John Conyers needs to resign.  If we want to point fingers, we need to point them at everybody, not just the Roy Moores and the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Why look, little Matt Lauer got canned this AM - now who would have ever thought that he was the frisky type?  What people really seem to be forgetting is the power of hormones - they rule our lives, whether we want to admit to it or not, both men and women, neither is immune, and I'm not just talking about sex here, nor am I looking for an excuse for Roy Moore whose predatory behavior was designed by his extremely social conservative beliefs.  No, I'm talking about the daily ebb and flow of estrogen and testosterone.  Let's be honest, I'm sure there a number of both men and women who would like to initiate a private duet with Eli (above) whether he wants to sing with them or not.

And I thought this was an interesting poll.  I can see where they're headed.  Bernie sees it too, except he's way, way too old.  We need a Trudeau or a Macron in this country, one individual whom the majority can get behind and support, one person to lead the way.  Every one wants to lead the chorus and not one of them can carry a tune and until that happens chaos will reign.

Some things are... Magic

Well, today is Tuesday and I go back to work tomorrow.  Yippee...  Yesterday my surgeon ran his forefinger up my incision and said "this is healing very nicely," and then he gave me a note saying I couldn't lift anything more than 10 lbs until 12/26, which is what I was expecting.  As I gave that note to the scheduler at the store she asked, sounding like an out of tune cowbell, "shall I put you on the schedule for the rest of the week?"  When I pulled out my phone and showed her she'd already had me scheduled for the next two she said "oh," clang, clang. 
I also got a notice from Greenfield, my Mom's Senior Living Facility, informing me that on 2/1 her rate was going to be increasing by $800 per month.  They've added a 5 tier program of what they are calling Personal Care, however they don't provide any information as to what defines that care or what requirements need to be met to put one resident in one level as opposed to another.  Oh, and they also said heating costs have gone up 10% in the last year... that's bullshit.  There are over 100 residents at Greenfield, and if all of them have similar increases, that facility is growing its revenue by about $80,000 per month.  Right.  What will happen is that the residents will have to hit up Medicaid, which means Greenfield is making the Federal Government pay for their greed.
And I see that the Republitwats (now, isn't that catchy) are struggling with their selfish Tax Overhaul with at least 2 Senators saying they have issues - those are the ones who are speaking out publicly, I suspect there are more.  Oh, and they need to refund the government because the Idiot Jerk conspired with the Democrats to put that legislation off until December.   Those were some very smart Democrats, because now the Republitwat plate is simply overflowing with... shit, and that's not including the Roy Moore shit that's been slapping them silly - can you imagine the party of 'family values' even considering that pederast as a legitimate candidate?
Anyway, yesterday my Dr said I can start working out again - cardio mostly, until 12/26 at which point I can begin my strength training.  As a result I clambered on board my scales (yes, I have 2) this AM and let loose with the "shriek heard round the world!" well, maybe around my neighborhood.  Since my hernia was diagnosed I've gained 12 pounds.  Shit.  Later this morning I'm going to climb on board my elliptical for about 30 minutes of easy cardio... and then this after see if I can do about 30 more minutes on the bike.  I'll be using my new Senso Activbuds which work super well.  Sadly, they were delivered by a rather robust US Postal Worker rather than the gent in the ad.

But, as I said, they work really well - Bluetooth, which means I'm no longer attached to the music source, almost like magic.

Monday Notes

Just some notes before I rush off to see my surgeon.
Russell Tovey playing an Out Gay Superhero fighting Nazis sounds like it should be right up my alley since I'm killing them in Wolfenstein II.  Evidently the CW has some sort of 2 night cross-over event in which this becomes TV reality.  Well, I watched the trailer this morning and wept... with dismay.  This is crappy, shitty TV written for people who have a maturity level comparable to that of 13 year old children, and Russell's story line appears to be minor.  Why,  they even have him wearing some sort of helmet mask.  Boo!  Hiss!

Oh, and evidently those Crazy Christian Conservatives in the House have tacked in a boatload of special shit in their version of the GOP tax bill which pretty much proves they have declared War on every thing they hate.  There is a problem, however, everything thing they hate is pretty much status quo for a large majority of Americans.  Tax Free Churches?  They should be allowed to tell their parishioners and congregations who to vote for in elections, and of course you know that if you don't vote they way they want you to you're going to burn in hell.  This will only get worse as long as the Idiot Jerk is in the White House.  You see, he loves them because they kiss his ass, they shower his ego with looooovvvve.  Idiots, all of them.
And since I won't be watching Russ this evening on the CW, I purchased "American Gods" the first season, for $10.  Watching something like that might cause a Social Conservative to pluck out his eye.

Package This

Well, it's Sunday.  Yesterday was really warm here, near 60 F and while running around outside Big Seig got not 1 but 3 bug bites so I gave him a Benadryl, perhaps if he wasn't such a big target... Lily never gets them, Seig?  All the time.
I also had an amusing conversation with my neighbor Karen yesterday.  Her husband has, for quite sometime, been telling me that the ginkgo tree in my front yard will end up clogging my drainage pipe.  Well, evidently they had a clog... and they had to pay a lot of money for someone to come in a clean out their pipes... and while they were running some sort of camera out through their drainage system they made a surprising discovery.  When the sewer line was put in a long time ago, a direct line was run to my house, but not to theirs.  Their line leaves their house and runs into mine and my line is perfectly clear.  The clog was in their 20 foot section.  I didn't ask what it was, if roots were the problem, or if perhaps they flushing garbage down their toilet.  I suspect, however, that her husband is no longer going to be bringing up the subject of sewer lines.
Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with my surgeon who's most likely going to tell me my healing process is progressing smoothly.  If he says it's okay, I'm going to hit the elliptical on Tuesday - now, I don't know if I'll manage to my normal 55 minute, high energy cardio... probably not, but one thing is changing.  I've ordered some Bluetooth earbuds.  I always listen to music and the one thing that's always bothered me was having to be attached to source, having to find a place to put my phone that's close enough to be jacked into my headphones.  That will end tomorrow when my Senso earbuds arrive.  I can't wait.

Delivered right to you Front Door!

I don't know if the guy comes with them or not, I guess I'll just have to wait until the package arrives.
Oh, and I saw that the Idiot Jerk in the White House has proclaimed that Fox News is better than CNN... well, of course it is if you happen to be one his supporters.  Where else would you find all the fake news that made your little heart go pit-a-pat?
Then there was the bit about Steve Bannon working to replace the 2 failed Republican Senators from Mississippi with 2 even more stupid Tea Party Republicans.  Shall we talk about regionalizing hatred?  Is this like BOGO racism?  Talk about a packaged deal, right?

Map This

So, yesterday was Back Friday.  I did go shopping in the afternoon... for mousetraps, and bought 2... and they work.
I never buy anything on Black Friday (except for utilitarian devices like mousetraps) since I know most of those 'special' deals are crap; TV's made specifically for Black Friday with inferior parts, which is why they're so... cheap.  And it's not just televisions.  We bring in ton's of 'special' merchandise designed for the 'impulse' shopper, the non-thinkers who are more interested in cheap rather than quality, those who fail to understand that inexpensive does not now, nor ever will, translate into a high caliber purchase, that these 'deals' are manufactured to last... oh... maybe a year if you're very lucky.
The dogs had their Christmas presents ordered yesterday - surprisingly 4 are repeats of the presents they got last year simply because of their durability; three of them still have squeakers that work, and one still rattles.  One that's not on the list is the muskrat with replaceable squeakers since Big Seig figured out how to get the squeakers out.
Yesterday, while I was picking up the mousetraps, I talked to a friend who'd had an inguinal hernia repaired about a year and a half ago.  When I told him I could feel the mesh he nodded, smiled, and said "yes."  When I talked to another friend, Mark, he reminded me that "they stapled that mesh in at the right side of you nut sack and went east," which is pretty accurate. 

To be more precise, the mesh starts in the southwest and moves upwards, northeast, which is the only direction it can move.

And this morning I saw this about the Far Right, and how they're furious as hell about Mueller and his probing at their lies and deceit.  For years they've been peddling their falsehoods, pushing their inaccuracies, attempting to set the nation's compass towards the land of Crazy Conservative, and no one held them accountable.  I don't know why Centrists and Liberals, Democrats and Independents, thought taking the high road was the best possible choice.  It wasn't. For years the crazies have been mapping out a crazy course for this country and we have, for the most part, sat silent.  Back when the Idiot Jerk in the White House was spitting out his 'birther' red meat, all Obama did was quietly release his birth certificate; he took the high road.  What he really needed to do was take the Middle Road and call the Idiot Jerk out, he should have set a course away from the land of delusions.  Now these people are pissed because they know that soon they'll be called liars to their faces.  Good.  They hate that Mueller is leading the country out of the wilderness they, themselves, so comfortably control. Good.  They are losing control of the map they've manipulated for years.

Food for Thought

So, I got a lot of exercise yesterday walking around my brother's new (old) farm:  the barn is... rustic, and the house has a wrap-a-around porch and large fireplace.  There are 2 tall walnut trees by the barn - walnuts are very healthy for you.  Oh, and I got to meet Wendy, the potbelly pig:

My nephew's dog Hudson took a liking to Wendy, not that she was flirting with him, but being a dog he didn't know that, and when he tried to get himself a little porcine pleasure she rebelled.  We all laughed as my nephew's wife separated the two... except for my sister-in-law, whose facial expression went from distraught... to despair... to horrified, which made the incident that much funnier.
My sister and brother-in-law brought my 84 year old Mom, Irene.  She has dementia and didn't remember many of the people around her; some found that a bit unsettling.  She doesn't care as long as people are catering to her and making her the belle of the ball.  I got a nice picture of 84 year old Irene holding 1 month old Irene, her great granddaughter.

Later, after I'd gotten home, I boiled up some bones for the dogs (their Thanksgiving Treat) and ordered their Christmas toys (they get quite a few).

The only disappointment?  I put out a mousetrap last night and this AM discovered that the damn mice had eaten the peanut butter bait without the trap working:  I was left with mouse droppings and an empty trap.  My money says they're Republican.  This afternoon, after the Black Friday rush has passed, I will drive down to K-Mart and buy some new traps.  And just like the damn Republicans, I want the damn things out of the House as soon as possible.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

And if this is not one of your traditions and you don't celebrate, make sure you have a really damn good day!
I'm going out to the farm, taking my traditional Green Bean Casserole... what makes it traditional is that I add cheese... a lot of cheese.

And when I get home, I'm going to cook up some bones for the dogs.  Yes, this is a special day for them, too!!
Maybe tomorrow I'l have some pictures of Wendy the pig - now won't that be nice!!

Reflections

Well, here it is Wednesday and I'm halfway through my Leave of Absence... let me tell you, I'm not exactly looking forward to going back to work next week.
And yes, I did go see "Justice League" last evening - it wasn't baaaaad.  Ezra Miller definitely stole the show.  Gail Godot showed up and had a cocktail with Ben Affleck (I was wondering if they'd show him sucking down alcohol), and Jason Momoa took off his shirt and swam with the fish.  Ray Fisher was good as Cyborg, what a shame he's saddled down with a clunky cyborg suit.  The only thing that was really baaaaaad was AMC Theater's Premier policy.  You have to pay extra for a Premier membership (I didn't) and that gives you head of the line privileges at the concession stand.  Last night admission tickets were being sold at the.... you guessed it, concession stand which meant Premier Members could skip to the head of the line even if they weren't buying a snack or beverage.  By the time we got our tickets the line of non-Premier Members stretched back 50 feet to the shuttered Box Office, through a set of double doors, and out through the lobby.  Because there are 'family films' showing, there were adults with young children in that line, and they stood and watched while adult Premier Members jumped ahead of them.  This is horrendous customer service, so this AM I sent AMC a rather salty complaint, no language, mind you, just specifics on how big of a failure this policy is.
Oh, and the Idiot Jerk in the White House is supporting Roy Moore... was anybody surprised?  Not really, his desperation stinks worse than a bad mother's soured milk.
And another non-surprise was his administration's attempt to end net neutrality...  This is all about corporate greed, about Internet Providers being able to charge you as much as they want in order for you to watch, and read, and research what ever you want.  Of course Republicans have always been corporate puppets to this really should have been expected.
 Anyway, this morning I hung the last of the decorative mirrors I've been making, and of course I felt I should share.  The walls are going to be painted something called Juniper Berry, once I can move furniture which will make the tiles pop.  You also get to see a reflection of Big Seig as he gazes through the window, reflecting on the world at large...

Mirror, mirror on the wall.

Cop this?

So, here it is Tuesday.  One week ago I was prepped for hernia surgery.  Two days after the scalpel sliced through my skin I took off the dressings and almost passed out.  Today, much of the discoloration is gone, there's an occasional twinge from the incision, and my fur is growing back.  I can, however, feel the mesh which was stitched into the underside of my abs to hold them together and keep my guts from pushing through.  Think of it as an itchy, scratchy nuisance that I'll have to deal with until everything grows together.  This?  I can live with.
And I see a 2nd woman has come forward complaining about Al Franken...  She's saying he squeezed her ass while having her picture taken with him at a State Fair.  She's married, so evidently he's not the only man to give her cheek a squeeze, which makes me wonder if she's going to call out every other man who touched her ass.  If she isn't, is she only doing this because he's a politician?  Was she so much less sensitive 7 years ago then she is today?  There is a world of difference between a 32 year old man taking off his clothing and laying down next to a 14 year old girl, and Al Franken's hand.  If his is the only name she spits out, than I'd say she probably has bigger issues to deal with than Mr. Franken copping a cheap feel.  Some people might not like this, but there is a world of difference between someone hitting on you, and Kevin Spacey getting you drunk.  The two are not the same.
And I see that the Idiot Jerk in the White House is going to send 50,000 Haitians packing; that's 50,000 low paying jobs that his supporters can fill.  That's how he makes America Great.  That and having a Tax bill passed which gives nothing to those low income workers that they aren't getting already.
Oh, and I also see that Congress is rapidly approaching their long Thanksgiving break.  Get out your slickers, cause when they get back they'll have to deal with immigration, funding the government, and passing a really bad tax bill.  Believe me, this upcoming cluster fuck is going to be sloppy as hell!  If you don't have a strong stomach, don't watch.
So tell me, would you?

Diving in

Well, it's Monday and some of you are going back to work.  Not me, I'm sitting right in the middle of my Leave of Absence, not that I couldn't have gone back to work today... but why?  The discoloration south of the incision is rapidly disappearing and the stubble is surging, thank God I'm into cotton and not some poly blend (can you imagine all of the pulls?) no ouchy, ouchy for me.
I may go see "Justice League" tomorrow evening, haven't decided yet.  I would like to see Jason Momoa, fins and all, however

I suspect that in real life he's pretty much of an asswipe.  And then there's Ben Affleck as Batman... after 3 films with Christian Bale in that role, Ben just doesn't quite cut the mustard.  The fact that he's so unsuited for the role leads me to believe that this was not a casting couch decision, which means someone needed to be pretty drunk to think this was good was a good idea.  Rumor has it that this will be his last dance in the bat cape... we can only hope.
Yesterday I watched some Cyclocross racing on NBC Sports Gold, live from Belgium, and where I normally really like this type of bike racing, yesterday it was just okay.  For those who don't know, Cyclocross racing is taking your bicycle off road, and then having to ride over an obstacle course. 
There are hills

and barriers, and you need to be in really, really good shape.

Yesterday's race, however, was a women's race, and as the camera panned over the riders I saw that some of them had chosen to wear makeup....  Now, why would you put on makeup if you know there's a really, really good chance that you're going to do a header in the mud?

Notice, I almost wrote this entire entry without diving into the Idiocy in the White House, or the fact that thousands of Christian Ministers, and pastors did a header yesterday by failing to call out Roy Moore?  If you don't condemn, you condone.

Squeeze this

So, I set the alarm for 0600 this AM as a start to getting myself back into a more meaningful regimen; this doesn't mean I'm not going to take a nap if I feel the need, just that I'm not going take them at the drop of a hat.  I'm at that point in my recovery where if I sleep too much during the day, well I'm not going to sleep all through the night - like last night, when I woke at 0300.
Anyway, I got up this AM at 0600, went downstairs, started a pot of coffee, and squeezed some orange juice.

Bloomberg has this really interesting piece where they continually the Idiot Jerk in the White House's rust belt voters.  The first thing you'll notice is that they're all white, which means no peoples of ethnicity voted for the Idiot Jerk in these 4 swing states.  Five of them are showing signs of disappointment at the Idiot Jerk, 2 of them are still in and Idiot Jerk induced stupor, and one demonstrates that he is certifiable (there's always one in every crowd).  And the one who's certifiable?  He's all about greed: his money, his taxes, selfish to the max.

My brother and his wife bought a pig yesterday, the first livestock for their farm.  Her name is Wendy.  That's right, they bought a 107 lb pig and named her.  Something tells me that sow will never need fear being turned into ham steaks.

Just like something tells me she will always be a virgin, never once being able to say "squeeze this."

History Lessons

Well, here it is, Saturday, and I'm pleased to report that some of the swelling has gone down... at least a little; I've been told to be patient.  I'm not a very patient person.  "Get it done, and get it done now," has always been my motto, and here I am, saddled with cells self-indulgent in their procrastination; taking their time.
So, one of the ways I'm whiling away the hours during my convalescence is by playing Assassin's Creed, Origins, which takes place during the reign of Cleopatra.  It looks great!  What the game helped me to realize is that when she was Pharaoh, the pyramids were already over 2500 years old, and they were sitting isolated in the desert, there were people all over the place.  We don't think about antiquities that way; we liked to think that they've been hidden away, buried by sands until we discovered them.  Wrong.  Oh, sure, some were, in fact they're still discovering artifacts today, but the big ones, people knew about them.  There were also lots of crocodiles.
This is odd because, almost paradoxically, those crazy christian billionaires of Holly Hobby are opening their own, special History of Christianity Museum today in Washington.  Some of their antiquities are... questionable, but that hasn't stopped the family from buying them up for years.  It may make money at first (P.T. Barnum was right) but eventually will end up being nothing more than a huge tax write-off.  I woke up around 0330 and knew this to be a fact, (I'm being serious here).  The failure of the 2 most popular monotheistic religions will be caused by their inability to grow, to change, to evolve.  They will only remain viable as long as they maintain a rigid control over a static environment, a path with no deviation, never moving forward, but only spiraling in upon itself will lead to their own failure and breakdown.  (Maybe I should start taking my pain drugs again).
Evolution happens - there's no stopping it.  You can not live in history, only observe it and learn from it.
Anyway, while I may be able to ride a bike on my trainer soon, I suspect my lifting, pulling, pushing, and carrying will be severely limited for about 4 - 6 weeks.  I say this because I measured my incision.  It's 3 inches long.  And we know the surgeon cut through my abdominal muscles in order to sew in mesh, and then he had to sew them up, which means they've got to grow back together.  This is life.

You can see these babies from miles and miles away.

The Mouse in the House

Well, here it is 3 days after my hernia repair and the surgical site looks... disgusting... there's nothing wrong, I was just expecting things to look... neater, not as bruised. My bits and pieces? My crank and nuts... what ever you want to call them?  All are hued with tints and tones of black and blue and look like I had a bad date with an octopus.  Anyway, these shades shall pass... eventually.  Just be thankful I'm not taking pictures.
I slept without meds last night, but did take a naproxin this AM because there is some ouchiness.
The dogs got a mouse this morning.  Yep, it's that winter mouse time of year, when I put out the traps and get a couple.  I always get them.  This one met his fate at the paws of either Big Seig or Lily.  I found him lying on the living room rug all mouthed up.  I don't know why, but dogs do seem to like running around with dead mice in their mouths.  He's out on the hill now, where he'll fertilize next year's weeds.
Yesterday the House of Representatives passed some sort of Tax overhaul thingy which isn't going to go anywhere, and of course they jumped around like teenage boys who'd just had their first orgasm.  And, of course, it's going to fail, and they are oblivious to the fact that this is going to happen.  At this point they are so out of touch with the American People, and they don't care.  They are desperately trying to prove that they can do at least one thing, even if it means proving they are failures.  Remember how they were going to write the ACA out of the books?  This is the same thing, and once again they're going to be doing it in a very public forum.  We're will need to endure about  3 weeks of blood and gore while the Republican carcasses slowly pile up.  The difference between them and the dead mouse I found this morning?  He will lead to growth, they will just stink to high heaven.
Oh, and bit of a blossom to their ever ripening bouquet.  The approval rating for the Idiot Jerk in the White House has reached a new low.  There are some funny comments here.  I like the one about it being Ground Hog Day again.

Baking with Biggie... and other things.

So, here it is, Thursday, and I get to take the bandage off of my surgical wound.  I slept without taking any of my meds, but took the Vicodin this AM because sitting down is a real bitch.  People think that stairs should be the problem, they're not, it's sitting down and then getting up - that's what hurts.  I'm also going to shave this AM - getting rid of that old, grizzled gray look. 
And I saw that Jeffey Sessions testified again yesterday, which is a very good thing.  The more he presents himself in public, the more he obviously lies and obfuscates the truth, the more people begin to realize he is an evil, little man.  He will never understand just how terrible he is because that would require him to question his own feelings of superiority - and he does believe himself to be quite superior.  Roy Moore is the same way, so special in his own eyes he fails to recognize his own contemptability.  America sees, however.  These people are so lost in their own failed belief systems they will never understand what is good and what is right.  They are total failures as human beings.
Oh, and the big Idiot Jerk in the White House is evidently supposed to meet with a lot of the little Idiot Jerks in the House to talk about their tax overhaul.  These people are so desperate to pass some form of legislation they stink worse than a two bit whore,  and what they're going to attempt to foist on Americans is being described as a dumpster fire.  Do they care?  Absolutely not!  They keep telling themselves they know what they're talking about, that their fiscal policies are great, in spite of the fact that they've always failed. 
Yesterday I also baked cookies, chocolate chip, from scratch... and I had help in the kitchen.  Big Seig.

What he really wanted to be was the official taster.  As you can tell from the picture, he's pretty much counter high, and he kept licking his chops every time I pulled a batch from the oven.  Did he get one?  Nah, chocolate's not good for dogs.  He did get treated to a couple of Gravy Bone dog biscuits as a reward for not standing up at the counter and eating them all in one fell swoop.

Crossing the line

Well, I survived yesterday, of course, there were never any doubts.  Instead of repairing the hernia orthoscopically, my Dr did the old slice and dice which means I now have a 3" incision.  The bandage won't come off until tomorrow morning so I haven't had the chance to look at it yet.  They did paint me with betadine from side to side so my important parts are now Home Depot proud.  They also gave me a Tap Block which wore off around 0630, that's when I took my first Vicodin - they gave me 40 of the little white suckers, so I now have a bit of buzz.  Translation:  if I go to Amazon, I'm going to buy a couple of thousand dollars of shit I don't need.  I also got to where a cute, little bracelet with my picture on it.

I saw they ripped Jeff Sessions a new ass yesterday... and he didn't like it one bit mostly because he lied... no... wait... he didn't like... he forgot until yesterday.  You have to remember that this fool is a Social Conservative, not only does he lie and then ask forgiveness from his deity, he will excuse his lies saying they were done for his deity, to show his love and devotion to his deity.  The truth is that Sessions hates everything that falls outside of the narrow vision he allows himself.
And what about Roy Moore's women issues?  Evidently there have been rumors for years.  He's another one of those Social Conservatives who thinks that he's special.  While he's judged people for years, he, himself, hates to be judged.  Can't you hear him saying "I will be judged by a Higher Authority than you?"  This is because, like a professional scam artist, he sees nothing wrong with his behavior.  I mean, with faith as strong as his how could he do anything wrong?  Shit head.
Another funny bit this AM was John Schnatter's sudden about face.  You know who I'm talking about - he owns Papa Johns and blamed kneeling football players for lackluster sales.  That was until the Alt-Right said "yippee skippy, he's our guy," at which point he realized that Neo-Nazis buy a lot less pizza than... oh, say, political Centrists, or Liberals, or... black people, and changed his tune.  Will it help?  I doubt it.  This is what happens when you buy a house on Dick Head Way.
Then I saw this on Bloomberg this morning:  how those great Middle-Class tax cuts are only going to be temporary.   Corporate tax cuts are going to be permanent, however, as will the tax cut that John Schnatter's going to be getting.  Oh and their hatred for the Affordable Care Act has surfaced again.  Now, isn't that amazing.  Once again the 'Do Nothing Party' is going to do... nothing, mostly because they're doing it for themselves, not for America, and most assuredly not for Americans.
Finally, I can't wait to get back to the gym.  I need to get back to the gym... soon.  You see, I just realized that this scar is going to be above my Speedo line.

I don't know if that's a line I want to cross.

Cut this

Well, here it is.  The day of my surgery has finally arrived.  I need to be at the Lebanon VA Outpatient Surgical Unit at 0900, and by 1000 the scalpel should be at the ready.  They've slotted an hour and a half for the procedure - though it wouldn't surprise me if they're done a lot sooner.  Back when I had my consultation, my Dr had said he thought they'd operate in the afternoon - I prefer the earlier time.
And what's happening to me is so much nicer than what's happening to the GOP.  Bannon's calling on the Jews to rise up against the GOP establishment and Mitch McTurtle believes the women accusing Roy Moore... and another woman came forward today.  Watch out, they's be reaching for their clubs, and let's be honest, there's nothing wrong with a little Republican blood sport.  In the end, both sides will be bloody and beaten to an impotent pulp.
Oh, and the Idiot Jerk in the White House said something about making sure that the 'rich get a tax cut.'  Sorry,  they don't need a tax cut.  They're rich.  They sleep in clean sheets every night.  Someone else scrubs their toilets, and cooks their food, and most probably wipes their asses.  These are people who have an employee who helps them pick out their clothing and helps them get dressed in the morning, who most likely hand washes their delicate dainties.  These are people who have never washed a dish, or dusted, or vacuumed, and may be hard pressed to tell the difference between a broom and a mop.  They don't deserve a tax cut.  Yeah, that's the penalty for being rich, you have to pay more taxes than us poorer folk.  Tough Shit.

Personal and Political Surgery

Okay, so tomorrow (sometime) I'm going to have my Right Inguinal Hernia repaired.  Right now it looks something like this, though mine is on the right hand side:

Evidently they inflate air into the area between my abs and my fat layer and do something like this:

The only bad thing about the above photo is that the Inguinal Hernia looks a lot like female genitalia.  However, after some relatively minor, out patient surgery I will end up with a chest like this:

Well... maybe not quite like that.  Hopefully I will be able to start hitting the elliptical in about 2 weeks, and the gym a week or so after that.  I dropped off my old Cannondale X6 to have the bike shop fit it to me and cycling's a great way to burn off calories and put on leg muscle.

Anyway, I took a personal day today since I want to clean a little, there are going to be people coming in and out over the next 2 days.  They didn't like it but... this is how life is, you know?

I got a chuckle when I saw our failed Senator Pat Toomey jumped on board the Roy Moore hate bashing train.  For a self-serving Conservative like him, my money says the only reason he bought his ticket was because of his own career political ambition.  Toomey has always done what the GOP wants, and right now the Party wants Bannon and Bannon's boy Moore out of the arena.  They want him out soooooo baaaaad, they are willing to let a Democrat win that Senate seat.  Shall we talk about hatred here?  Shall we talk about open warfare?  About sacrificing a solid majority vote?  Ain't it great!!  They are about to operate on themselves, without anesthesia.  If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out, and make yourselves blinder than you are already.  Can I get a smile from everybody?

When things fall down

Well, it's Sunday.  I get to work, of course, but then what else is new.  I'm supposed to work tomorrow, the day preceding my surgery, but I may take a personal day.  There are things that I need to get done, especially since I'm going to be laid up for a bit, like rake my front yard.  With all of the really cold nights we've been having, all of the leaves have fallen off of my ginkgo tree... and they did it in one fell swoop (they showered down like yellow rain).

And even though they are beautiful golden color, I purposefully did not want to used the words 'golden' and 'shower' in the same phrase.  Believe me, the last thing I'd ever want to see is the Idiot Jerk in the White House dancing around naked on my front lawn.
And since it's the Sabbath, I thought I'd note some about the White Evangelicals who have no idea how bad a year they're having.  The Associated Press has a really good article on this.  Unfortunately, most of it only deals with Roy Moore, and his self-centered faith.  To have a really good perspective, you need to flash back to all the bad judgement's they've made, like laying their hands on the Idiot Jerk in the White House (in fact there's a whole litany of bad turns they've mapped out with him).  There's also Joel Osteen's unspoken statement that Evangelical Greed is Good and that the only Good Evangelical is a Rich Evangelical.  And, of course, there is Roy Boy who's judged himself to be superior.  For some time they've prayed for a reckoning, however the one on their doorstep is not the Reckoning they wanted, this is their price for their self-deception.  Sadly, they believe that the Idiot Jerk in the White House is going to help them rise up and dominate, rather, he seems to be leading them towards a fall.

Is Roy Moore a Pederast?

Well, it's Veteran's Day and I, as a Vietnam Veteran, have to work to get paid.  Shall we talk about a paradox when it comes to celebrating who I am and what I did?
Anyway, as Roy Moore enters the Center Ring, we all know the show is just getting started.  He represents that narrow minded band of Crazy Christian Conservatives who hate everything that doesn't worship the ground they walk on.  As I said in a comment to Rozzie, he has no clue that this is the Karma (or Divine Retribution) he, himself has earned.  For years he has played God, using his far right, Crazy Christian beliefs to dole out justice.  I think everybody know by now that Roy is an Old Testament kind of guy; he loves the Ten Commandments, especially since there is none that says "Thou Shalt Not Lie Down With Children."  Back then people had no problem with Child Brides, but back then people were lucky if they lived into their 30's, especially women who were expected to make lots of babies.  An Op-Ed in the LA Times this morning hints that this may be the tip of the iceberg for Evangelicals.  Lying down with a 14 year old (whether male or female) and put that child's hand on your penis is no doubt part of the clinical definition of pederast.  The fact that he claims it never happened means... well, nothing.  With 4 other women claiming he 'hit' on them, one can only surmise this was standard operating procedure for him - if it was part of his SOP he wouldn't remember it since nothing memorable happened.  And, of course, the GOP has no idea how to handle this cluster fuck.  This is their End of Days.
Oh, and I saw that both Paul Ryan and Mitch McTurtle have both retracted statements regarding the GOP tax overhaul.  Evidently not everybody is going to get a tax cut.  Holy Crap! (like that's a surprise).  There are those in the Middle Class who might actually see their taxes go up.  Hhhmmm, this is not a good thing.
And did anybody see the pics of the 'informal' meeting between the Idiot Jerk in the White House and his BroMo buddy Vlad?  Since it wasn't 'official' they could pleasure each other without restraints... well, I don't know if that's true.  Vlad just be a 'handcuff' kind of guy.
To end on a bit of lighthearted note - my Mom's Hospice social worker called to tell me my Mom's getting married in 2 weeks... John, who lives in the other building.  Not that we would have a problem if she met someone... real, however there is no other building.

Mirror... Mirror

Well, wasn't yesterday's news flash about Roy Moore so delectable, so deliciously and deviously wonderful?  I thought so.  That this fake paragon of Christian Virtues had lain naked with a 14 year old girl when he, himself, was 32 years of age, will ripen most people's indignation.  He says it never happened, my money says his mind thought it too trivial to remember.  I'm quite sure that because "Thou shalt not lie down with 14 year old girls" is not one of the 10 Commandments he would have had no problem with taking her hand and laying it upon his member.  Besides, in his mind 'all shall be forgiven,' without understanding just how far out on the crazy edge of Christianity he liked to sit.  In his mind, his devotion to his divinity has made him special.  Now he's going to find out just how special he is as his bad Karma whips his reality back and forth at lightening speed.
My Mom had called to wish me Happy Birthday which was surprising since she doesn't remember a lot these days.  We've all learned to let her calls go into our voicemail simply because a lot of times she just rambles on and on and on.  When I called her back to thank her, she'd already forgotten that she'd called.  And then she told me that my Dad was there (he died of lung cancer 12 years ago) and that I could come over and see him if I wanted to (I didn't go over).  She's already told my sister that most of the time she doesn't know if it's real or if she's dreaming.  This is how it goes.  She still knows who we are, but that will change in time.  This is how it goes.  Her reality is about as fractured as Roy Moore's, so much so, I wonder if he could be diagnosed as having Christian Dementia.
A while back I'd said I was looking for mirrors to hang in alcove in my dining room which used to hold a window seat, and that I thought the ones I'd seen were overpriced.  Well, the designer specialist in me has been working on that problem.  I'm making my own.  Here's the first one.

Part of a matching pair, the other hangs on the opposite wall of the alcove.  I have 2 more nearly ready to hang, different colored tile.  The total cost for all 4 will be about $80, which was the cost of just that looked halfway decent on Amazon.  Not bad, eh? 

Looking forward

Well, here it is... Thursday and I get to go back to work for another 5 days.  I'm not excited.  Working is essential, not so much because of the money, rather we need to keep ourselves busy.  Doing nothing is boring as hell.  A long time ago, I went to a dentist in Hershey and I had the same dental assistant for years.  Two years before I changed dentists, she retired, and when I asked her what she planned on doing she said "sit on my porch and read."  That's it... nothing more. Shall we talk about what happens to muscles when you don't use them?  Or more important, your heart?  And though there are those who like to say that your brain is a muscle, it isn't, it's an organ, and sitting on a porch reading may keep it occupied, but it isn't making it work, it's not doing something it hasn't done for years and years and years.  Being occupied is not exercising, and while reading can be stimulating, I seriously suspect the books she preferred to read were not going to be much of a challenge. 
I dropped my Cannondale X6 off at World Cup Ski and Cycle in order for them to do a little work on it while I'm surgically impaired, like get rid of the purple electrical tape I wrapped around the handle bars.  That's right, it was purple, the only thing I had on hand when the black tape started to unravel.  They're also going to put in a new tube in the front tire and fit it as closely as possible to where it should be as far as fitting me.
And looking at all of the political viewpoints out there that are Centrist, Independent, and Liberal... and even some Conservative ones, the common consensus is that had anyone other than Hillary run, the Idiot Jerk in the White House would have lost.  One year after that defeat, they are still pointing their fingers at each other.  This needs to stop now.  We need a unifying voice.  Bernie needs to fade into the shadows where he can quietly advise.  Hillary needs to do the same, not publish a book that's main intent is to validate her campaign.  Donna Brazile has a 'tell all' book coming out because she needs to point her finger too.  Anyone who had anything to do with that campaign needs to take their curtain call and get off the damn stage.  As a party, we need to move on.  We need a neutralizing, level headed person who can be come our spokesperson... now, because time is ticking.  We need someone to take the helm whom everybody can get behind.  There was a lot of dirt in that campaign, the kind of dirt we've come to expect from Republicans.  We are better than that.

Finally, I ordered a pair of jeans from Amazon yesterday, Wranglers (sexy name), because I have a 29 inch inseam and the only jeans out there with that kind of inseam have boyish waistlines.  I'm getting another pair because one of the pairs I wear to work has a hole in the ass.  Now, if I was 25 years old that wouldn't bother me because back then my ass was shapely, not that's it's lost its shapeliness, it's just matured.  More importantly, I need to set a precedent at work.  No one wants to be thought of as the slutty old guy.

All in the numbers

On November 8, 1952, at 0513 I was born. That's 65 years ago.  There are ramifications for such a birthday.  Firstly, I am a Scorpio.  Secondly, if you look at Numerology, I'm a 9, which is very good.  How am I a 9?  Take the month, 11 and add it together (2) and add it to the day (8), and add that to the year which as been added together (1952 = 17 added together = 8).  Add those 3 numbers together to get 18 and then add those two numbers together = 9.  This means I'm a Scorpio who's also a 9 or, in other words, I'm a very nice, sensitive person with a terrible temper.  I believe in equality for all but don't piss me off.  My Mom has told me she thinks I'm one of the most cynical people she's ever met - I don't call it cynical, I call it being astute.
I went to see "Thor - Ragnarok" last evening.  As of yesterday the movie had over $130 million in domestic sales, over $389 million worldwide.  It is very, very good!  Funny and sad, dramatic and light hearted and has Chris Hemsworth shirtless for over a minute.  My money says he reduced his body fat to 2% for just that 1 scene.  At 6 feet 3 inches, he's a little over 4 inches taller than I am... so what.  If you're interested, you also get to see the Hulk's butt crack, not surprisingly it's green.  I was a little concerned that Cate Blanchett might play Hela over the top - wisely she doesn't, but let me tell you, she's a Bitch with a capital B.

Also, there was an election yesterday.  Two governorships were on the line.  For those interested, the Democrats kicked ass.  While the New Jersey results were pretty much expected, Virginia was listed as being a toss-up.  No way!  Northam kicked Gillespie's ass by 9%, something like 54% to 45%, and overall the blue wall is beginning to surge (except for Utah....).  Voter turnout in that state was the highest in 20 years!  Shall we talk about slapping the Idiot Jerk in the face?  Especially since he thought his name might help Gillespie.  Wrong.  The GOP lost seats all over the place (except for Utah...).  These are number I really like.

Rumor has it

Well, here it is Tuesday, my first day off.  I'm going to go see Thor tonight, that should be fun, and sometime today I'm going to need to go to the supermarket to buy a big bag of dog food... and I mean a big bag!
I went in to Zillo today to see what my house was worth... not bad, up $40K over my purchase price.  The plan has always been to sell when the dogs are gone, but then, I might end up getting another dog; three of them, wow, that would be great.  If I do get a 3rd it'll have to be soon, before Lily gets too old - it's not a good thing when old dogs need to deal with puppies.
This afternoon I'm also going to be signing the paperwork for my Mom to go into Hospice... this does not mean things have taken a turn for the worse since her doctors have been wanting us to get her into a program for months.  We are not anticipating the end of her life anytime soon.  However, from this afternoon forward, her Senior Living facility will need to call Hospice prior to calling 911, which is a problem.  Greenfield is far more concerned about their liability than they are her health so every time she's a little nauseated, or has a little shortness of breath, they have the EMT's transport her to the hospital.  For that 'non-life threatening ride there is a $900 charge.  That will stop.
And here's a little cheery rose bud tidbit of news, Betsy DeVos is... sort of expected... to step down.  Even Breitbart is whispering about this.  You see Betsy is a Rich. Bitch. who wants things Her. Way. and that doesn't appear to be happening.  Let's talk about slapping a billionaire bimbo in the face, shall we?  I can't even imagine how galling that must be for someone with such an expensive personality.  In spite of her tailor made suits and form fitting hairdo, she gets little to no respect.  Perhaps it was her grizzly bear comment, or maybe people just realize she's wacked out in the head, but for what ever reason she is not well liked.  This must be truly frustrating for her since I'm sure she believes that the small-minded deity she worships chose her specifically for this job.  Ooopps.  Of course, it could also be that just like the Idiot Jerk in the White House, she doesn't deal with criticism well.  But then, too, she might also believe that she's... well... too good for the position, that what she really did when she accepted the job offer was to step down from her pedestal.  What ever.  Rumor has it her days are numbered.

Well, it's time for me to go get that big bag of dog food.

Of guns and biscuits

Well, here it is Monday, my 6th day of work.  I have tomorrow and Wednesday off, Wednesday since I requested it off - it's my birthday.  I've taken November 8th off ever since I stepped into retail eight years ago, not that I do anything special, I just want to treat it like the holiday it is.
Yesterday there was another tragic shooting - this one in Texas.  That's the 2nd mass killing in a southern, gun happy state in what?  Two months?  Once again the Idiot Jerk in the White House said that it was a "mental health issue."  Excuse me, but if it's a mental health issue, then you need to pass laws to keep the mentally ill from buying guns.  NRA lackeys don't like that, they always come back with "if you want a gun bad enough, you'll get a gun and laws aren't going to make any difference."  Dumb shits.  Will these shooting continue?  Of course they will.
And the Idiot Jerk in the White House read a prepared statement regarding the shooting.  That's right, a prepared statement.  I watched the video, volume turned down of course; he didn't look into the camera one, single time.  Nope.  He was focused on reading the words someone else had written down.  I commented about this on Facebook and some dolt actually replied that "all presidents use speechwriters."  Ponder that statement a few seconds.  Let it sink in.  Some moron opens fire in a church using an automatic weapon killing 26 people, including children, and the Idiot jerk depends upon a speechwriter to convey his 'heartfelt' grief.... and some other moron thinks that's standard operating procedure.  Talk about a mental health issue.  Can you even imagine George W. Bush standing atop the ruins of the World Trade Center reading a statement.  True, Obama did have a prepared statement after Sandy Hook, but it was over 4 minutes long and he cried through it.  The Idiot Jerk's comments were 22 seconds long, and he read them verbatim.
On a lighter note, I've decided to put Big Seig on a biscuit diet.  That doesn't mean he's going to be eating biscuits all the time... he wants to do that now.  They used to be a reward when he went potty outside, now, however, he thinks he deserves one every time he goes outside.  Not happening.

How can you say 'no' to this face?

The time has come to break his biscuit habit.

Trends

Well, here it is, Sunday.  Here on the East Coast we switched to Daylight Saving Time.  People complain because now it's going to get dark around 1730 in my neck of the woods.  Me?  No problem at all.  I'm one of those rare morning people.  That's when I get my household chores done, not after I get home from work.
And for once I'd like to thank the Idiot Jerk in the White House for being such a success.  That's right.  You have to admit, who else could rip of the masks off of Social Conservatives and prove them to be the racist creatures they are?  Without him people might think the Alt-Right was a sportswear company specializing in ultra-long, white hoodies.  He illustrates brilliantly how much presidents need to have weekly golf games in order to keep their Twitter minds healthy.  He demonstrates the necessity of bromancing enemy dictators.  In fact, I understand that his meeting with Putin at the end of his Asian trip will culminate in a golden.... moment.  How successful is he?  His disapproval rating has dropped a bit, down to 56 and his approval rating has climbed to 39... but that's only for today.  Six days ago his approval rating was at 33, and you have to remember, for the past 20 hours or so he's been on travel time. 
Now I know there are people out there who are saying things would be different if Hillary had won.  Nope, not at all.  The GOP has a majority in both houses.  They'd still be sitting on her cabinet nominations.  There would 3 new Benghazi investigations, 4 more email investigations, and the House would have most likely managed to wretch up another Whitewater investigation.  As  I said before, it was her Karma to lose and the Idiot Jerk's to win.
While the rest of the world watches, the Republican Party has entered into Revelations... alone.  This is their End of Days.  All we can do is shake our heads in disbelief as Social Conservatives bow done in praise to the Idiot Jerk.  This is a party that's been making their own noose for a long, long time and all we can do is stand back and watch them put their head through it.
On a brighter note, I'm going to see Thor on Tuesday, and as a little ray of sunshine, here's Chris... shirtless.

And here's Chris shirtless.

And here's Chris shirtless.

I guess this is what you might call a Chris trend.

Traitors in our Midst

So, it's Saturday and as usual I have to work.  This is also the first Saturday of the month so we host a Kid's Workshop, where parents bring their kids to work on very easy projects: a toy car, a bank, things a child could assemble with supervision.  The kids get little aprons.  We usually get about 250 - 300 kids.  They tend to tie up the restrooms, especially when they get to paint. (yes, they get to paint).  For those who don't realize it, this is essentially a marketing tool which turned into a fairly successful outreach program. 
Yesterday I had the interesting experience of getting to work with 2 different couples planning doing their own tile jobs.  The first was planning a back splash, easy peasy.  I gave them some color suggestions and answered their relatively simple questions.  They told me how they'd already started by watching YouTube videos... lots of them.  I have no doubt their back splash will end up looking fine.  The other couple?  They were very, very nice, though definitely not the YouTube kind of people.  They were tiling an entryway floor - very difficult.  The floor needs to be level or your tile will probably end up cracking.  This couple thought grout was what you used to adhere the tile to the floor.  I explained to them about thin set (mortar) and talked them through the application process.  I don't think they retained much.  I hope their floor looks nice when they're finished.  What most likely will happen is that they'll realize the difficulty and return everything they bought.
Right now Big Seig is lying next to me resting.  Earlier he was running around downstairs with an afghan in his mouth. 

One of these

And not

One of these

I figured I'd better clarify that.

And, of course, Bowe Bergdhal received a dishonorable discharge from the United States Army yesterday.  While on the campaign trail the Idiot Jerk in the White House repeatedly said he should be executed as a traitor.  What Bergdhal did was walk away from his post only to find himself captured by the Taliban.  There was no collusion there, he didn't run to his captors spilling secrets... or asking for dirt on the Clinton campaign.  Do you see where I'm going here?  What's worse, Bergdhal abandoning his post or Donnie Jr. sitting down with a Russian attorney to "get dirt."  What's worse, the Idiot Jerk knowing about the meeting and approving it, or Bergdhal being kept in a cage for 4 years? Currently, 61% of Americans believe the Idiot Jerk knew exactly what was going on.  That's not a good statistic for the Idiot Jerk.

Just like with the afghans, there needs to be definition.  I mean, just who is the real traitor here?

Republican Tax Charade

Well, today is day 3 of a 6 day stretch, then I have 2 days off in a row, and it's less than 2 weeks until my surgery.  I can't wait.  This morning I planned to put a half an hour on the bike (doesn't effect my core muscles... much) and discovered there was a firmware update.  They always take a while, so there was no ride today.
The Republicans released their fake tax overhaul yesterday and surprise, surprise, people are already saying it's pro-rich.  Oh, and in case you're wondering, approval for this sorry mess is relegated to core Republicans.  They will never learn.  They love Trickle Down economics because they get to give tax breaks to their wealthiest donors who don't use it to create more jobs.  Nope, they bank it, or plop it into safe investments.  As a co-worker of mine said, the rich are not going to suddenly increase their spending because they get a tax break.  They're not going to look for a start-up and say, "hey, the odds of you succeeding are poor, but let me give you money to hire people anyway."
They are saying that the average family should pay about $1860 less a year, which breaks down to around $36 per week.  Now I'm sure that Idiot Jerk supports are ecstatic about that figure since for them it's about... oh, 6 or 7 cases of beer (they only buy the good stuff, you know?).  The single personal deduction goes from $6000 to $12,000, and that sounds good... except you lose a $4700 personal exemption, which means you only get about a $1300 deduction increase.  This is the line item that's going to effect most single people.  However, if you look at least year's tax charts that $1300 deduction will net you about... a $360 tax break, or about $7 per week. Wow!
If you happen to be a single homeowner who itemizes, you can still deduct you mortgage interest, but not you state and local taxes (which includes school and property taxes).  That's a big chunk of change you can no longer deduct.  For me, here in Central Pa, that's a $4500 deduction I'm going to lose.  Oops, there it goes.
Anyway, I'm not really concerned about this tax charade.  Remember, we're dealing with the 'do-nothing party' here.  They always make a big 'to do' about their legislation and then it falls flat.  Expect nothing.
Oh, and the Idiot Jerk is leaving for Asia.  My guess would be they're terrified that the North Koreans are going to shoot off one of their long range missiles while he's there.  Oops, there he goes.

Boners in the GOP

Well, I did some bench presses this AM... (that's about all I can do as far as working out), and I also climbed on board the scale.  I've gained 5.1 pounds since the RIH showed up.  I did some cardio yesterday and felt it in the afternoon, so that's going to be out for probably another 4 weeks, and I won't be able to go back to the gym on a regular basis for another 6 weeks.
As I was responding to Bob's comment in regard to Hillary Clinton, I realized how very close to the truth I was.  For some time now I've thought that her, and her last name, were like a drug all conservatives were hooked on, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what kind of drug.  In a way she's like heroin to them, they keep shooting hatred for her into their veins, but that didn't seem quite right, and then I thought about that little blue pill.  Viagra.  That's it.  Hillary Clinton is Viagra for conservatives.  All you need to do is mention her name to get them all aroused.  It's sort of like waving a biscuit in front of a dog's nose, in no time flat he starts to drool, say 'Clinton' to a Republican and things instantly pop up.  What makes this so funny is that they admit it.  Without Hillary Clinton there would be no boners in the GOP.  Even Social Conservatives use her to stimulate themselves.
I also ordered my Warwick Rowers Calendar for 2018 this morning.  Nudity for Art's sake, you know? 

Nothing really erotic there, just innocent nakedness, and yes, you can be naked and innocent at the same time.  Unless, of course, you happen to be in the GOP, then all bets are off the table.  I've heard it said that a little bare skin, of either gender, is enough to give a Republican a wide stance.  But let's be honest here, attractive young men covering their bits and pieces with oars, and towels, and tea cups are no match for a Crooked Hillary song and dance by the Idiot Jerk in the White House.