Undeliverable

Well it's Thursday in the AM and according to Accuweather the temperature outside is -2 (F), of course that didn't stop Big Seig from going outside 3 times - once for morning functions and twice to try and get an after breakfast biscuit.  He thinks he's being sneaky.  He isn't.
I was supposed to have a small package delivered from Amazon yesterday and got the message "Undeliverable."  Polar Vortex, you know?  The USPS couldn't deliver it.  I'm not blaming them.  We had high winds and 'white outs' from snow squalls.  Now I have to call them (the USPS) and tell them how I want them to handle the package.  To me, this seems stupid.  The logical answer is "deliver it the next day."
Holy Crap!  I looked at my schedule.  I'm scheduled for two 40 hour work weeks in a row.  Will I survive?
And evidently just about everybody in the Idiot Jerk's administration turns out to be shy, especially when it comes to testifying before the House, at least that's what I've read in the Washington Post this morning.  Seems like Wibur Ross is the only one who's agreed to voluntarily answer questions while the presence of anybody else is a lot like that small package from Amazon... undeliverable, unless, of course, they get subpoenaed.  These people, like the Idiot Jerk, prefer to keep things cloudy and lacking transparency.  What did you expect?  These are billionaires who rarely, if ever, have had to deal with accountability.
Another funny comment which keeps popping up all over the place is the Idiot Jerk's inability to strike a deal.  Oh, sure he talks a lot, brags a lot, and lies a lot, but when it comes to actually hammering home a deal he fails to deliver... and then he blames someone else.

I gather that this is the real reason the Idiot Jerk is so gung-ho on his racist wall, his ego requires him to do so in order to prove he isn't a complete failure.  His party no longer talks about that failed tax rewrite which gave away the store to corporations and rich people, you know, the one which failed the average American.  He did manage to get two judges on the Supreme Court but both have flip-flopped on Conservative decisions... or chosen not to deal with hot button issues at all.
If you think he's bad now, wait until the Democrats get a hold of his Tax Returns, then we'll get to see the real shrieking baby in the shitty diaper.

Bongo Bongo in the Brains

Wednesday.  There is a Polar Vortex descending upon us.  That means it's going to get cold.  It was 12(F) when I went out shoveled the snow from my sidewalks.  It wasn't that bad, but then there was no wind.  When the wind does get here, all that fluffy snow will blow away.
So, I got an email from Cymax late yesterday afternoon... you know?   The desk people?  The greeting was:  "We hope this email finds you well."  Basically, what they've done is Capitulated, a lot like the Idiot Jerk in the White House.

Regarding your inquiry, we have contacted the carrier and have them deliver the item and have it unpack and also help you bring it inside. Please keep your lines open as they will contact you soon to schedule a delivery.

They've been consistent with their spelling and grammatical errors, so I suspect this is not an English speaking company.
And, of course, yesterday our top three Intelligence people in the country said the Idiot Jerk in the White House is Bongo Bongo in the Brains.  

Perhaps if he sat in on briefings he might understand.  Or better yet, have that comedy troupe known as Fox and Friends sit in on the briefings in order for them to talk about our National Security on TV.  He might pay attention to them, as long as they keep mentioning his name.
And, talking about people being Bongo in the Brains, what about that Howard Schultz?  He used to be the CEO for Starbucks... you know?  The company that sells fluffy coffee.  Howie is a billionaire.  He and his wife have given almost $400,000 to Democratic candidates.  To put that into perspective, if Howie made $100,000 a year, that would be a $4 campaign contribution.  But then he's not really a Democrat.  He's an Independent, at least that's what Howie claims.  What Howie really wants is to protect his billionaire status as well as his own self-interests.  He's Bongo Bongo in the brains.  The last thing America needs right now is another self-serving billionaire businessman in the White House.  While he may not be as stupid as the Idiot Jerk, his greed runs just as deep.

State of the Union Tingler

Okay, so here it is Tuesday and it's snowing outside.  No one seems to know who much we're going to get.  In the hills of Schuykill County they're saying up to 6 inches.  From what I can tell, I'm in the 1 - 3 inch geographic location.  Don't forget, I was supposed to get abut 6 inches from the last storm and ended up with about 2 inches of heavy slush.
And in the continuing "Drama of the Desk," I have to tell you I got an email from Cymax asking me where I got the information saying the desk would be unpacked.  So, I sent them the link to their page on Amazon...  They also said they have notified their delivery agents that the desk needs to be unpacked.
Okay, and now for some fun.  Nancy sent the Idiot Jerk in the White House an invitation to give his State of the Union speech in the House of Representatives.  He accepted, of course.  He's is not one to shy away from a camera.  Well, we all know he's going to stand there and do what he always does:  lie.  The minute he starts talking the falsehoods will fall from his lips.  I have a very simple solution, though.  He needs to be connected to a lie detector.  You know?  Wired for truth?  Except instead of having a professional stand shaking his head, or even a little buzzer that will sound every time he deviates from honesty, I recommend they wire the seats of the Republicans in the audience.  Every time the Idiot Jerk lies, a jolt of electricity will shoot up into the ass of a loyal party member... on a random basis.  This way none of them will know who's going to get shocked yet.  Think of it as the political version of "The Tingler."  For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, here's the trailer.

Can I get a voice count of how many would like to see the Republican seats get wired?

Irrational

Okay, here is is Monday and I get to go back to work... for 3 days.
An update from Cymax... I got an email from them yesterday saying they were sorry, but I had only selected White Glove service, Silver grade, which did not include unpacking the product.  Of course you know I'm a smart ass, so I went to the add on Amazon clicked on the "without expert assembly" button where it says: 

• Removal of packaging materials to customer's bin

This I copied and emailed to them.  I am awaiting their response.

With all of this reorganization going on, I find I've got an extra laptop... and not knowing what to do with it, I set it up next to my 24" gaming monitor.  Shit, am I like geeky as hell?

Wallpaper is one of the pics I took at the Eiffel Tower

Anyway, I saw where some guy named Mulvaney, no doubt a slobber sycophant of the Idiot Jerk, claims that our phony president won the shutdown battle....  That is so freaking hysterical.  Evidently neither one has seen this.  Almost 3/4 of registered voters think the country is in the pisser waiting to get flushed.  70% of those questioned were Independents, the largest voting block in the country.  Shit!

Oh, and the Idiot Jerk has not ruled out another shut down.  This is no doubt a result of the prayer session with Gini Thomas...  Damn, these people are not only so lost in the weeds of their own making, they're compass is going to lead them right off the map of rational behavior.  But, have they ever really been... rational.

We're supposed to have 2 (count them) 2 cold days, but then the temps goes back up to the upper 30's and 40's.  Can't wait.

Surprise

Okay, so it's early Sunday morning.  I had set my alarm to sleep in late... until 0500 but the dogs and my biological clock woke me earlier.  Later I will most likely take a bit of a nap.  Right now I have one load of laundry in the washer, one in the dryer, and am preparing to fold another... ah, the joys of having a day off from work.  I do have to work for 3 days after this, but then I have another 2 days off, and three weeks out I'm scheduled to work a 40 hour week.  Shit.
I was talking to my friend Betsy last evening and we had to chortle about the Idiot Jerk in the White House and how he's claiming victory over Nancy.  Guffaw.  Guffaw.  Then this morning I read that he huddled with other ultra-right conservatives including Gini Thomas.  For those who don't know who Gini is, she's married to the Oreo on the Supreme Court.  Now, ain't that enough to make you snicker? The only black member of the Supreme Court is married to a white, right-wing activist.  Oh, and they have no children, which means they have a rather restricted view of family values.
Evidently Nancy Pelosi's approval rating is higher than that of the Idiot Jerk.  I find that rather amusing.
With the shutdown over for only 15 days the mindset of the Republican Party is in extremely turbulent turmoil  For the first time, many of those crazy conservatives are beginning to understand the Idiot Jerk is completely vulnerable.  After being read the riot act by Republican Senators in a closed door session, it turns out even the Mini Jerk (Mike Pence) is doing the Bird Box Challenge in a field filled with cow patties... barefoot.  Shit.  I suspect he's not too good at playing Blind Man's Bluff.  Can't you hear all those high pitched, Republican voices squealing "turn right Mikey, turn left Mikey, not, your other left Mikey."  Oh, wait, that's right, he's a crazy Christian Conservative so he doesn't have a left foot, or a left hand as that would be too liberal.
For those interested in my current writing project, I'm up to chapter 20 in the first draft.  Word wise I'm over 44,000.  The ending is set in stone.  This is the part where I really begin to tease with solutions when the questions begin to be answered... maybe.  Surprise endings are great.  Sadly, for the Republican party and the Idiot Jerk in the White House, that ending is also set in stone... and it doesn't look like there's going to be too much of a surprise.

The Bungle in the Jungle

Ah, where do I begin....
The desk will be delivered, though I don't know when.  I've sent Cymax an email regarding the 'unpacking,' stating that had they included the size of the box with the information they provided, I would not have bought this desk from them.  If the delivery agents do not take it out of the box, I have several strong backs lined up to do the heavy lifting.
Bloomberg was nice to the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  They said he capitulated.  Everybody else knows he crashed and burned... badly.  His approval rating dropped drastically. Those who thought they might give him the benefit of the doubt now understand that he, like many selfish conservatives, will easily sacrifice the livelihood of others in order to get what they want.  He just had his self-righteous smirk wiped off his face.  The Republicans lost big time in the midterms and they continue to lose. 

Roger Stone got arrested.  You know who I'm talking about, the asshole with the tattoo of Nixon on his shoulder.  Most telling was his comment about 'not turning' on the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  This guy is dumb as a brick.  If the Idiot Jerk in the White House was innocent, there would be no need for Roger to turn... or flip... or make a deal.  The problem for the Idiot Jerk?  Everybody knows Roger's a whiny sack of shit whose concerns over self-preservation overrule any thoughts of loyalty.

The diocese Covington belongs to issued the students and the school an apology.  They say the boys involved were verbally attacked by native Israeli Hebrews.  In other words, the Catholics of Covington are blaming the Jews.  This is what you expect from kids wearing MAGA hats.  What's surprising is that they didn't try and blame a Mexican who'd made it over the border because there wasn't a wall.

Evidently a number of those involved in Jared's Top Secret clearance objected on the grounds he might be easily compromised.  They were overruled by a loyalist who didn't seem to care about his issues with kiddie porn... oh... wait... wrong Jared.  It seems it was his flawed real estate wheelings and dealings which left him vulnerable to blackmail.

Very quietly Liberals have been turning into Lions and Tigers and Conservatives have been demonstrating incompetence on a grand scale.  They are definitely dumber than most of us Great Apes.  As I was thinking of this, a lovely little tune from a long time ago started dancing around inside my head.  Holy Shit, I thought, there really is a Bungle in the Jungle.

THIS JUST IN!!!

Friday and I'm halfway through my 4 day work week.  For the next couple of weeks I'm only working 3 or 4 days in a row, which is fine with me.
Yesterday I received an email from Cymax... you know, the 3rd party seller from whom I bought my desk, and they will accept a return as long as I pay a $456 restocking fee plus freight.  Of course. I was on the phone with Amazon.  Because the desk isn't damaged, and it's not the wrong desk, they recommended I accept delivery.  I immediately began contacting friends.  The problem is the packaging size, not the desk size which means ironically, that for the first time in my life I'm have a problem with the size of the package.  As for Cymax, I can only think bad thoughts.  I'm beginning to think that maybe, instead of calling Amazon, I should have called Nancy... Pelosi... you know?
And what did you think of the comments made by Wilbur Ross yesterday?  This moronic billionaire actually advocated Federal workers get a loan...  and so what if they have to pay a little interest.  Just how out of touch is he with America?  In fact everyone in this administration increasingly demonstrates wealthy minded stupidity.  Yep, all of them have dumbed down by dollars.  Rocks have more sense then these people do... literally.

And two bills to open the government failed in the Senate yesterday.  The important thing is that the one sponsored by Democrats had 6 Republicans flipping.  If 6 more had flipped, it would have passed.  My money says that "shit" was not the word that popped from the Idiot Jerk's mouth when he heard that since ....

AND THIS JUST IN..... ROGER STONE HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN FLORIDA!

Of course, Reuters had the headline first, followed by BBC...  Way to go Mueller!  This is news to wake up to, isn't it?  Maybe I should have save the Rumble, Rumble post for today!

Rumble,Rumble... Rumble, Rumble

It's Thursday!!  When I leave work this afternoon I will be approaching my Hump Hour... I work 4 days in a row so I don't actually get a Hump Day, so a Hump Hour is going to have to do.

rumble, rumble

I'm in a fairly good mood heading into today.  I spoke to a nice customer service agent at Amazon last evening about my 'desk' situation, how things are not quite 'set.'  She was quite understanding.  Having already sent emails to Cymax, the company from whom I purchased my desk help.  What totally legitimized my complaint however was their weird email replies.  I had told them about the 'size issue' and their response was... well, for a second I thought Ionesco might have been sitting at the keyboard.  Here are their first 2 sentences:

"We are sorry to hear that you have received an incorrect item.  Regarding this issue, we would be happy to assist with replacements but do require a bit more information in order to proceed.

rumble, rumble

The customer service agent started laughing when she read that.  "They are responding to something completely different."  She sent one more 'official' email to Cymax from Amazon.  If there is no response Amazon will begin processing an 'A-Z Guarantee' in order for me to get a refund.  I don't think we'll hear from them.  They have automated their entire system.  Either way, I will be getting a credit, though I do wander what they're going to be doing with that desk.  I'm going to be ordering the same desk from David's Furniture in Mechanicsburg.  Wouldn't it be odd if that desk gets shipped back to Harrisburg?

rumble rumble

And what about that little Nicky Sandmann from Covington?  Doing the talk shows?  His lily-white ass looking all innocent?  Except he isn't talking about his MAGA hat... hhmmm.

rumble rumble

And in case you happened to have missed it, last night, around 11 PM, the Idiot Jerk in the White House

CAVED IN

Rubble and debris is spreading well beyond the confines of the White House Lawn.  Even as I type repercussions are spreading across America.  Conservatives are clutching their hearts in pain.  Believe me, I have no doubt that Ann Coulter dropped to her knees and stared slamming her head into the floor.  And fat Rush Limbaugh no doubt threw-up his dinner, but then he lives on regurgitated lies so he's not really too upset.  So, this is how the Idiot Jerk in the White House makes a deal...

Out of the Box

Well it's Wednesday and I'm heading back to work today.  Ho Hum.
I was supposed to get my desk yesterday and... well, the delivery guys had taken it off of their truck and had it sitting in it's packaging in my driveway  But then a problem cropped up.  The desk, as advertised, is 30 inches high,  30 inches wide, and 60 inches long.  My front doorway is 31 inches wide.  It's a normal front door, in fact most front doors are between 30 and 32 inches wide.  If the front door needs to be used by a person with a disability it needs to be 36 inches wide.  As I said, my front door is 31 inches wide.  The packaging for the desk, however, is 33 inches wide.  My first thought was "what problem, it's 30 inches wide, you take it out of the box."  But then the delivery guy who's been on the phone with his boss says to me "my boss says we can't take it our of the box."  Silly me, I should have realized taking it out of the box would be unpackaging, and these guys are paid deliver.  We have this problem from time to time at the orange home improvement retail giant I work for: delivery people who never do anything other than deliver.  At times they leave things, like dishwashers and refrigerators and boxes of hardwood flooring sitting in a driveway because for them, that's the definition of delivery.  Now, the driver today did say "I can leave it for you, but it's really heavy, I mean really heavy."  Of course it's heavy, it's solid wood and weighs in at 275 pounds.  And where were they going to leave it, on the sidewalk?  The box was too big for my front porch.  I'd never be able to get out of my front door.  So he says "you can refuse it and we'll take it back," and that's what I did.
Of course I immediately contacted Cymax, they're the middle men between myself and Hooker Furniture, and informed them that they needed to issue me a $2300 credit because the delivery guys refused to take the desk out of the box.  Then I contacted Amazon, because Cymax is one of their 3rd party vendors, and let them know I had not accepted delivery because the delivery guys refused to take the desk out of the box.  Naturally, Amazon notified Cymax about the problem and told them to give me a phone call... which I still have not received.
Later, while texting a friend, he asked if I thought Cymax was really going to take that kind of a financial hit.  They not only lose the sale of the desk, they still have to pay the freight charges.  I know that at my store when something goes this wrong with a delivery, we go out of our way to make it right.  At this point, however, I don't know if there is a way to fix this.  The delivery agent they hired delivers packages, not furniture, and because of that will never take the desk out of the box.

This is reality

Today is Tuesday.  We are now over 1/3 of the way through winter.  The government shutdown continues.  It's day 31.  And, of course, the problem is the Republicans.  You see once again they made a very stupid assumption, in fact it's the same one they made back when Reagan had his landslide re-election.  After the Idiot Jerk managed to get elected (by a technicality), and with control of both the Senate and the House, they actually believed they would rule this country forever. Not only were they convinced this was the Holy Truth, they saw themselves as the lawgivers of the land.  If you didn't like the results of the election they smugly smiled and said "get over it."  However, a majority of Americans looked at their small minded beliefs and said, "shut up," and voted against them in the midterms.  They went from having a 23 seat majority in the House to being a 41 seat minority and this fact shatters what they so desperately want to believe, that they have been chosen.  They are totally clueless when it comes to compromising and the Idiot Jerk president they praise turns out to be the worst deal maker in history.  This is why they fail. Their failures will continue to grow.
I saw this in Towleroad regarding the school of hate run by a diocese in Kentucky.   You know, the one where students are taught to harass people of color, including our indigenous peoples, the ones who were here first.  It seems they also refused to let a gay valedictorian make his commencement speech... perhaps because he wanted to speak out in favor of gun control... or maybe it was because he was gay.  That alone should have educated people as to what type of diocese this is:  a right-wing hate group of the Republican Party.
And, of course, since it's Tuesday, my desk arrives today.  I was told between 11 - 2.  Well, I'm prepped.  The walks are shoveled and free of ice.  The kitchen table has been cleared.  Around 0800 it will be taken apart and placed on the porch for next week's garbage.  I tried giving it away but no one wanted it because it's old and sagging in the middle.  Or, maybe, instead of throwing it away, I might just break it apart and put the wood up on the hill behind my house where mother nature can do with it what she wants.
And finally, yesterday I was making notes about my current project and realized the house was rather silent, so I went looking.  What did I find?  Two dogs and a duck on the bed.

At least they kept the bedclothes kind of neat....

Fanfare for the Common Man

Okay, so it's Martin Luther King Day.  I'm off work.  Not because it's a holiday, they just scheduled me off.  While a lot of places do celebrate the holiday by giving their associates a paid holiday, far, far more don't.  It's a lot like President's Day, which is another holiday when most people work because companies don't like paid holidays.  And for those who don't remember, President's Day celebrates the birthdays of two of our greatest presidents, Washington and Lincoln.  Originally they, too, had individual holidays but you know... companies prefer one holiday rather than two.
I saw where Mike Pence, our Satanic white haired VP, got into Martin Luther King Day by using the "I have a dream" speech to force breed Democracy and the Idiot Jerk's racist wall.  Of course, he's either stupid, or, and far more probable, chose to cherry-pick since less then a year after Martin Luther King gave his most famous speech, he also said, while standing next to the Berlin Wall, he also said:

"Here on either side of the wall are God's children, and no manmade barrier can obliterate that fact,"

He said this at St. Mary's Church on September 13, 1964.  Stunning, isn't it, that the supposedly devout Pence should fail to quote this as well.  Of course maybe he didn't find importance in these words because at that point in time most East Berliners were white and those south of the US border are not.
I also read where Nick Sandmann (the kid in the MAGA hat who staring at a Native American Vietnam Vet) claims he was trying to diffuse a difficult situation... by standing there staring for what? Almost 3 minutes?  He claims the accusations against him are 'outright lies.'   The diocese is investigating.  Nick's statesmen was released through a Public Relations firm his family has hired.  He also claims 4 African Americans initiated the situation and that a group of Native Americans (one of whom was making a video) approached him.  Sounds a lot like something the Idiot Jerk in the White House would say, doesn't it?  Isn't this what MAGA people do?  Blame someone else.
And let's end this with something light.  Part of the 'Local Channel' package I have with Verizon includes free music channels, one of which is 'Light Classical,' which got me to wondering... is 'Heavy Classical' bowed string basses and tympani?  "Water Music" is light classical and "Fanfare for the Common Man" heavy.  I like Fanfare.  Back in college I got to bang away on the Kettle Drums when my fraternity played it.  For those who don't know.  Introduced by Leonard Bernstein, sit back and listen to the entire piece as the master conduct his own masterwork... Fanfare for the Common Man.

Simply Glacial

Well, we got snow, a little over three inches.... and we got rain, a steady drizzle... and the temperature is above freezing.  For now.  I shoveled off the back porch and steps and it's... heavy.  I'm also supposed to be at work by 8 and that may not happen.  In a few short hours the temperatures are supposed to plummet, a lot like the Idiot Jerks approval ratings, as we enter the Quick Freeze stage of the Arctic Blast... or whatever they call it.  Around 1 PM high winds are going to grace the countryside with wind chills that can reach 20 (F) below zero.  Oh, and I'm scheduled to work until 4:30 PM.  I seriously suspect I may be using a personal day.  My sidewalks need to be cleared because... the desk arrives on Tuesday and by the time I do get home things will be rather glacial.

This might be the view from my front porch

Something else that was rather glacial?  The little turd the Idiot Jerk floated yesterday in a meager attempt to get the Democrats to fund his wall.  Yeah, he offered to give Dreamers a temporary protected status, emphasis on the word temporary.  Well, the Democrats said "no," and, of course, many Republicans apparently joined them, though for a much different reason.  Republicans hate immigrants.  White Racists, like Ann Coulter, see it as Amnesty and immediately rejected the plan.  In fact, Ann sniped with a nasty Tweet, but then what else would expect from a 'whites only" spinster.  Oh, and in case you are wondering, at 57 years of age, this bottled blond is a spinster:  57 years old, never married, no children.  One suspects her vagina is a frigid as my sidewalk's going to be this afternoon.  Which makes one wonder if her boyfriend (I think she pays for services rendered) uses pinions.
Anyway, I'm going to eat my breakfast and then go out and use the noisy shovel and experience the joys of Free Cardio!  Just think of all the calories I'm going to burn.  I'm going to be so hot I'll turn into a walking melt and dry machine!  Are you jealous yet?

The Travel Agent From Hell

First off, for those who are interested, my desk arrives on Tuesday.  Delivery will be between 11 and 2.  It's made of solid wood so hopefully I won't have to treat it like hardwood flooring and let it acclimatize for 3 days before using it... just kidding.
The archway is patched and painted, smooth, but not drywall smooth.  It'll do for me.  Back 114 years ago, there was no arch, just a regular door.  At some point someone ripped out the door and put in the arch which is over 6 feet wide.  Nice.
I guess the Idiot Jerk in the White House is going to make some sort of silly statement today... when the northeast region of the country is under a Winter Storm Warning.  No, he's not going to volunteer to come shovel your walks clean.  That's manual labor.  He'd have to use muscles.  You know?  Like minimalist cardio?  And we all know the only exercise he gets is walking to the bathroom to piss away all the diet coke.  This means he's going to start caving, giving the Democrats some of the things they want as long as he gets his wall.  He's getting desperate.  The shutdown is making both he and his party look bad.  And Nancy's not going to let him lie for 90 minutes in a State of the Union lie fest.
What we're beginning to see as this thing drags out is more and more commentary on the Idiot Jerk's inability to make a deal.  What we've seen is a man who throws temper tantrums and, slamming his hands on a table, storms out of rooms.  In his mind, this is a negotiating tactic.  And people are  beginning to make fun of him.  This AM I read this on NBC News where they called him the Travel Agent from Hell.  Believe me, this almost had me in stitches because in the Real World the Idiot Jerk is petty as a two bit whore, of course that is where his sexual tastes seem to run so none of us should be surprised.  He's nothing more than white trash with money.
And, of course, we're supposed to be getting a winter storm.  The Weather Channel has named it Harper. Depending upon which weather station you're watching, I'm going to get between 5 inches and 12 inches of snow and then freezing rain.  That will make it  crispy crunch and heavy to shovel.

There is also supposed to be some sort of Arctic Blast coming as well, so on Monday the temp will climb to 18 (F).  Tuesday, the day my desk arrives, we're supposed to hit a balmy 28 (F).  I just hope there's parking out front for the truck.

Idiots: bread for thought

We had about 2 inches of snow last night.  I think they're calling it a teaser snow... just a little tickle, tickle, tickle of what's on the way.... well, maybe.  Yesterday they were calling for  2" - 4" and today they calling for possibly 5" but they're also saying wet and sloppy.  We all know, there are those out there who would be happy for 5" of wet and sloppy.  Me?  I'd rather have 9" of light and fluffy.
I hooked up my 'Set Top' box from Verizon yesterday.  Two of the local channels I get are Crazy Christian.  This morning, sometime, I will set up my favorites.  Those 2 channels will not be included.  I had one on the TV for about 40 seconds and couldn't help but feel sorry for regular viewers, and we all know there are regular viewers.  They're a lot like heroin addicts getting their fix.
I saw where Mike Pence and his wife were 'deeply offended' by the complaints of her new teaching job.  They are so in love with their self-righteousness they have no clue as to what will happen if they open that Pandora's Box, but then they both no doubt relish a good persecution.  Their beliefs make them incapable of understanding the human condition as they idiotically pass judgment on everyone who fails to meet their narrow minded criteria.
This morning I saw this little snippet about two white Republicans meeting with an Alt-Right White Supremacist.  This guy named Johnson has published comments stating black people have a 'violence gene.'  He says the same thing about Muslims.  Of course, the two Republicans Idiots are claiming they didn't know Johnson was wacked out on White Supremacy, that all they talked about was DNA...  I'm serious.  That's what they said.  They talked genetics with some dick (sic Johnson) who believes in a black violence gene.  These guys are walking, talking proof of a 'White Republican Stupidity Gene.'
Oh, and the Idiot Jerk in the White House says Nancy must fly commercial if she wants to visit the troops.  I don't believe his letter to her has been published, not that I would have read it, but supposedly it is filled with sarcasm.  For two years he had a White Republican House that cherished his racist views.  That's changed in a big time way.  The truth is this shutdown is hurting both him and his party... and he doesn't care.  He never learns.  Six times his LLC holdings went into bankruptcy because... he never learned.  Six times he was given the opportunity to educate himself, and six times he chose to ignore the lessons.  What else would you expect from an Idiot.
And what will I be doing on this pre-storm day?  I'm thinking of baking bread.

Books Are the Order of the Day

Thursday, and I'm the only flooring specialist on the schedule today.  This means if you want to buy anything after 4:30 PM you're going to be dealing with the aisle maintenance people.
How about little old Nancy Pelosi shoving her shiny, little pump up the Idiot Jerk's ass yesterday?  Security, you know?  "Let's hold off on the State of the Union," she said, twisting her sharp, tiny heel to the left.  Kristjen N from Homeland Security fired back saying "no, no, no," without understanding how much she sounded like Mr. Bill.... remember Mr. Bill?

Mike Pence's wife got a job at a phony Christian School where the focus is on Passing Judgement.  I checked, she does have experience teaching art... in elementary school so it's not like this was just a blatant political move to shore up the Crazy Christian base.  But let's be honest here, the only voters Pence can count on when he runs for President are the Crazy Christians.  Funny, isn't it?  This is a group so craven for power, for the ability to Pass Judgement, they don't realize they are sinning themselves straight to hell.  No one said they were smart since they evidently seem to be following the playbook they stole from "Mr. Bill's Almost Devout" book on Theology.

I was talking to Cori yesterday about the artwork for the next book.  She did the cover for "The Body on the Lawn."  To be honest, she wasn't that impressed about that one, though everybody seemed to like it.  She said "It's just some woman standing in front of a Cadillac."  "Oh," she said, I get to play around with a little more joie de mort."  I had printed off a number of pictures and given them to her, like this one:

It's actually not as large as it seems in the pictures.  The first time I stood in front of it I had to pause because I thought it was going to be gigantic.  It isn't.  And in spite of the low hum of voices, I have to say the mood around the display is very quite, people feel muted in the presence of something so great.  Quiet rules constantly... except for that afternoon during the Tour de France when something... unpleasant... took place on the staircase leading down from Winged Victory.

Truth and Lies

Well, I got up this morning (0400) made coffee, and then rode a little over 4 miles.  I think I've finally accepted the fact that any type of workout is going to be done in the morning, before I go to work.  That's what I did before my schedule changed.  I have very little ambition for exercise when I get home from work.
I got a call yesterday afternoon from the receptionist at Greenfield on Graysonview (management doesn't want to talk to me) telling me the 'Estate' check had been voided and a new check made out to me was going to be cut on Friday.  A little communication on their part would have kept this issue from cropping up in the first place.
And then there is the Verizon issue.  I've been thinking about getting local channels only $25 a month.  I talked to one of their reps named Jace (probably not his real name) who told me I did not need to have a set-top box connected to my TV.  My house is 114 years old.  I have one FIOS cable coming into the house for Internet.  I do not have cable outlets in any rooms.  Well, Jace lied.  After listening to 'hold music' yesterday for over 50 minutes the service tech told me "no, you need to have a set-top box connected to at least one TV."  The only work around is to buy a 'wireless HDMI cable set.'  A bit pricey, but I think worth it.  Why, you might ask?  Because the new deal knocks $15 dollars off my old bill.  I'll be paying $84.99 a month for 2 years.
And  saw this funny thing about taxes yesterday.  Evidently a lot of people believe the wealthy should pay more taxes... a lot more.  This sort of statistic makes Republicans shriek and writhe in agony, in fact the 40% who oppose this are... Republicans.  "The rich pay more taxes?" they bellow!  They believe the rich to be special because of their campaign donations.  We all know crater-faced Steve Mnuchin and his bimbolina blond wife could easily afford to pay more than they do.
Also, yesterday, the Idiot Jerk threw a hastily thrown together luncheon hoping to entice some centrist Democrats to wallow in his shit pool    and no one showed up.  The Republicans are beginning to gnaw on their knuckles because the Democrats are.... UNITED.  That din you hear in the background?  That's the American Freedom Caucus pummeling their heads with their greedy, little self-righteous fists because the approval rating of the president they love and praise is down to 37%.  This is not the way you recover from a really bad election cycle.
Finally, Theresa May and her Brexiteers are in deep shit as well.  Parliament soundly crushed the deal she had been trying for so long to put together.  You have to remember now, many of those who voted for Brexit are the same as those who voted for the Idiot Jerk in the White House: middle-aged white people who feel they deserve so much more than they already have.   This is not a good thing for the UK which might end up leaving the EU without any kind of plan what so ever.  This is the price of greed.  Here in America we have the Idiot Jerk, the only thing he's good at is lying.

Fast Food Ego

Morning!  Will today be another tenacious Tuesday?  My money says it's a go!  Especially politically.  For those who don't know, that 69 racist Steve King was stripped of his committee memberships yesterday.  People are calling for him to resign... lots of people.  He's a loyal supporter of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Do not doubt, Steve thought his racist remarks would be met with approval by his boss, and well they may have been... privately.  Of course, the Idiot Jerk hasn't commented publicly on Steve's honest, racist feelings.  Nah, he was too busy serving up Fast Food to the Clemson Tigers... oh, and he claims to have paid for it.  You can bet who ever picked up that unhealthy food also managed to keep the receipts - expense reports, you know?  I learned how to do that when I worked for Corporate America.  You say "I'll pay for it, knowing full well you're going to be reimbursed.  Especially the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  You can bet we are paying for everything he buys, or gives away... wait... do you really think he gives anything away.... free?
I'm having breakfast with my brother and sister this morning.  Now, ain't that ducky?  This is a first.  My sister is not a morning person.
Today... I paint... the arch!!  I'm so glad.  Friday I may start on the stairwell!
And yesterday I tried dealing with the check from Greenfield, the refund for my Mom's over payment.  No good.  My bank told me they might have considered cashing it if she'd had a relationship with them... but advise me to call Greenfield.  The bank she used?  Absolutely not.  I was told it needed to be deposited into an "Estate Account."  So, I called Greenfield - their offices were closed.  They are located in Falls Church, Virginia, and had snow, about 8 inches and their offices were closed.  I did managed to talk to their A/P person who sent emails on my behalf.  If there had been just the teeniest bit of communication on their part, but know.  Now they will have to put a stop payment on the check and reissue, which will cost them money.  Idiots.
And now for some bright news:  Polls show more and more Americans are blaming the government shut down on the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Even Fox News is reporting this!  In spite of what the Idiot Jerk thought was going to happen (and didn't) this is really beginning to pound his ass.  That's fine.  The only ones who approve this standoff are Republicans.  In their dark, little hearts, this is how you make America Great Again... by making Americans suffer just so the Idiot Jerk can feed his fast food ego.

Greatness

Well, it's Monday and this is the beginning of my weekend.  There are those of you out there who have to go to work today... well, that is how life works.  Today is probably going to be busy for me.
I finally got the check from Greenfield (Graysonview) and it was made out to The Estate of Irene Snyder.  I had never set up an estate account since everything was already in my name.  Now, it seems, I will need to do so in order to cash the check.  After the check has cleared, I will withdraw the money and close out the account.  I think this is a little bit of bullshit.
Yesterday I did have an interesting conversation with a customer who had been down in Georgia last week.  He told me he went to Sunday School there... and I kind of smiled to cover up a minor groan.  And then he said Jimmy Carter had led the service... at this small church in Plains, Georgia.  Of course my attitude did a 180 switch because I realized he was talking about the Habitat for Humanity Jimmy Carter, an American Icon.  He was talking about a president who has morals, and values, and who is the total opposite of the Moral Degenerate in the White House.  I wanted to ask questions because... you know?  Jimmy Carter is the only living president who is beloved... except by the white Republican Party.  Silly me, the first thing out of my mouth was "how tall is he?"  Duh  Did I ask what he spoke of?  Nope.  I wanted to know how tall he was.  But then stature is important.  He's a great man.  Next to Jimmy Carter those Evangelical leaders who kowtow and praise the Moral Degenerate prove themselves to be nothing more than craven and power hungry failed souls.  They are not fit to wipe his boots, or wash his feet.

I understand the Idiot Jerk in the White House had a bit of a shit-tard session yesterday because of the breaking news in the NYT and the Washington Post about is possible ties to Vlad Putin.  History has told us over and over again that those voices objecting the loudest are the most guilty.  As someone else said, "he protests too much."  He desperately wants to be the 'Greatest,' he just doesn't know he will be considered the greatest scumbag voted into the presidency.  He will be the Greatest liar to sit in the Oval Office, and the Greatest Moral Degenerate to live in the White House.  Greatness is defined not by who kisses your ass, but rather by the compassion you earn by good deeds, and the respect you earn by putting the well-being of others so far ahead of your own selfishness.  He is the sad, mirrored reflection of those who hold him dear.

More than 2 words

So, I bought a new snow shovel.  The old one hasn't truly worn out, but it has seen much better days.  And we had about 2 inches of snow over night.  I went out to shovel the back steps this morning and learned this shovel is much louder!  The old one was quiet, you could barely hear the metal blade across the front scraping across the concrete.  The new one?  It's like I'm running it through a power amp!  I had to pause and look around to see if lights started popping on in bedroom windows.  Shit.
I get to work today, and then I'm off for 2.  Ain't that great!
My next little project is coming along just fine. 168 pages of the first draft have been complete.  The guy who's helping edit has gone through the first 140 ( or so).  So since it's Sunday, and the 13th, I thought I'd give you a little tease.  This is from chapter 1.  The working title is:

The Body in the Tower

Buzz.  Buzz.  Buzz.

In Laurel Lakes no one gets up at five in the morning.

Buzz.  Buzz.  Buzz.

So weird.  Dreaming.  Vibrating sounds prying deep into sleep.

Buzz.  Buzz.  Buzz.

A small groan caught in the back of Canada Howard’s throat as she slowly opened her eyes.  What was that most irritating noise?  My phone, she thought.  Her eyes slid to her bedside clock.

Buzz.  Buzz.  Buzz.

“No civilized person calls at this hour of the morning.”  She muttered, as she sat up.

Buzz.  Buzz.  Buzz.

Crossing to her phone she looked down.  Walker was calling her on Skype.  “What is wrong with that girl?”

Buzz.  Buzz.

Canada’s forefinger swiped the phone on.

“Mom!” Walker’s face sobbed, the picture blurring in and out of focus as her phone moved in her hand.  “Henri,” she cried, and began crying uncontrollably.

“What about Henri?”  Sharp pin pricks of panic started stabbing Canada.  “I can’t understand what you’re saying.”  Fear grabbed her heart and began twisting.   “Walker!  Walker!”

“In the tower, in the tower, we were in the tower!”  Walker coughed, choking on a gasp sounding like a broken shriek.  “People started screaming and yelling, running when they heard the shots.  And he was laying there.  So much blood on his body, and I grabbed Henri to pull him away, too late, too late.”  Her voice broke apart again.  Suddenly the picture went black.  Nothing


Now, isn't that so much better than the Idiot Jerk in the White House?

The Art of the Color

Okay, so I know everybody is waiting with baited breath for this news so here goes.  My desk has shipped.  Once it arrives in Harrisburg, Watkins will contact me and set up a delivery date.  Good thing I finished patching the archway yesterday.  All it needs is a coat or two of paint.
Yesterday I was thinking about this government shutdown.  For white Republicans, whether they know it or not, this will be their Waterloo.  Of course, many of them are still waiting for the Idiot Jerk in the White House to declare a National Emergency.  At a cabinet meeting yesterday he implied he was moving away from that idea.  To do so would prove to everyone that this man, who supposedly wrote a book called "The Art of the Deal," knows absolutely nothing about deal making.  Declaring a National Emergency is similar to his bankruptcy tactic in which his wheeling and dealing fails and he's forced to run away.  The fact that he, and the millions of white Americans who support him, have no problem in depriving other Americans of their ability to buy the basic human necessities shows, indicates how deep their racism runs.
On a much brighter note... and I do mean brighter.  The bicycle team I follow, , Education First / Drapac, revealed their new kit yesterday.  In case you didn't know, EF rides Cannondale bicycles, which has always been my bike of choice (I own 2).  And their kit is bright.

EF embraces diversity through Education.  They released a snazzy little video which talks about themselves as a team and what they aim to do for the world.  Take a look.

Now, don't that bring a smile to your face?

Cover This

Well, it's Friday.  For some of you it's the end of the work week.  For me?  Well, it's a day off.  I will get to work the weekend and then have off 2 more days.  In three weeks I'm scheduled for a full 40 hours.  Yesterday I realized that's because we're losing a Flooring Specialist.  Shit.  Hopefully they will find someone to fill the position fast.  I like my 32 hour work weeks.
I talked to the director of Geenfield yesterday.  He told me the refund check for my Mom had been cut, though he couldn't find the email he'd received from their corporate office.  This guy is a freaking nincompoop.  He never returns calls, and every time I talk to him he sounds as though he's quaking in his boots.  I don't know why?  I don't yell.  I don't use foul or obscene language.  I will admit to getting a certain tone in my voice, no doubt a throwback to when I was in management, which can be rather assertive.  Do it now.  My patience is a virtue which your poor performance may stretch thin.  Tasks are made to be completed, not lingered over like a piece of fine pastry.
And what about that that white, racist Republican poster child Steve King?  In case you didn't know, he questioned when the words 'white supremacist' became bad?  He sees nothing wrong with white supremacists.  He is a 69 year old white Republican whose immigration views have been embraced by the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  He doesn't understand he is just one more white Republican voice singing the death knell of his Republican Party.
I bought a mat to put beneath my elliptical.  Snazzy.  Well, not really.  It's black and made of some sort of rubbery material.  What it is doing is covering up more of my hardwood floor.  I've also ordered throw rug to transition between the living room, which is painted dark red, and the dining room which is a grayish teal.

Today I want to finish sanding the archway and possibly get the first coat of paint on it.  If what I've been told is true, my desk should ship today arriving sometime around 1/31.  I'm off that day which would be perfect.

Rate This

Well, it's Thursday and I get to go back to work for a day... and then I'm off a day.  Back for 2 and then off for 2.  I don't mind a schedule like this.  In three weeks I am schedule for 40 hours, but so far it's been split up and there's nothing wrong with that.
Late last night, around 0100, Big Seig woke me up by barking.  He was downstairs by the back door.  He needed to go potty.  Some people might find this irritating, not me.  He's a big dog.  I would rather have to get up and let him out than find a puddle or a pile waiting for me in the morning.  He got 2 biscuits.  He loves his biscuits.
Nobody I know watched the Idiot Jerk in the White House the other night.  Being the curious type, I decided to check the ratings to see how well he did with the American public.  Between 40 and 41 million people watched his address.  Fox News, that cable network dedicated to white Republicans had the highest ratings - 8.2 million.  Of course, if you look at the total ratings for CNN and MSNBC the Fox rating is the low number on the ladder.  CBS had the highest ratings for a network channel because a lot of people turned in to watch NCIS and got the Idiot Jerk instead.  The funny thing, and what everybody is talking about, is that the Democratic response got higher ratings.  That's right, more American voters tuned in to watch Chuck and Nancy.  Over 29% of Americans were more interested in the Democratic response.  What makes this even more spectacular is that immediately after his speech, those 8.2 million white Republicans who had tuned into Fox News didn't stick around.  Nope, they chose to turn off Chuck and Nancy.  All they want is the swill the Idiot Jerk feeds them.  This means the 29% who watched the rebuttal does not include those Fox viewers who changed channels.  Oh, dear me, this does not bode well for the Republicans especially when rumor has it this was really supposed to be his 2020 campaign kick-off.  Oh... shit!  My money says he slammed his hands down and stormed out of that meeting yesterday, not because Nancy said"no," more likely it was because a little bug in his ear told him the Democrats had hit a field goal in the ratings game.  Like all Republicans, instead of learning a lesson and moving on, the Idiot Jerk is going to kick this dead horse until it's no longer recognizable.
The desk I'm getting has a small display / bookcase on the visitor side.  I've been thinking of using it to display some of my porcelain.  My colletction is mostly Von Schierholz from Bavaria.  They survived World War I, but the second World War saw them falling into the hands of the Communists.  As a result they went from making fine porcelain to making dinnerware.  Here's is some of my collection. 

All of this was handmade.  I'm thinking maybe the green egg from 1898.

Winners and Losers

Okay, so was anyone foolish enough to watch the Idiot Jerk on TV last night?  Show of hands, maybe?  I didn't.  He's a little bit like Humpty Dumpty, isn't he?  Sitting on his wall and just waiting to fall... or perhaps I should say fail.  While not watching, I did peruse some of his his comments.  I find it interesting how deceptive he is spitting out lies aimed directly at white, middle-aged Republicans, the sames ones who voted for him.  Of course by now so much fact checking has been done they've begun archiving all of his deceits.  No longer does it take an hour or so of research.  Nope.  Now it takes about 20 seconds before they stamp his falsehoods as lies.  You know what I'm talking about, like Chris Wallace throwing Sarah Sanders' lie back in her face on Fox News.  The Idiot Jerk knows if you repeat a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it...  especially if they are white, middle-aged Republicans who will never understand the 1950's are gone forever.
I called and left a message for Justin at Greenfield (Graysonview) yesterday... no response, of course.  I will call again this morning.  I do not doubt it will be like pulling dragon's teeth to get them to refund that money.
And I worked a little more on the archway yesterday.  The front and the left side just need to be sanded.  The right side is going to need a bit more spackle.  Hopefully I will be able to paint it on Friday.
Right now they are telling me my desk should be delivered on 1/31... or there about.  Except for the archway, everything is ready... well, almost.  I have a silver candelabra that still needs to be shined.  If it weren't for tarnish, silver would be my favorite metal.  Gold is a bit too gaudy.  Copper is nice but only in small quantities.  Steel is great for its tensile strength but lacks as a decorative metal, unless, of course, you like horse shoes and chains.  And true, brass can be ever so bold, but silver is... very snazzy. Silver has elegance.  It's just a pain in the ass having to shine up it's sheen on a regular basis.
And in case anyone is wondering what I was doing last evening well... I was at the Olympics.  And while there were a few moments when I felt as though my back my be up against the wall, I was never in trouble the way the Idiot Jerk is in trouble.  Not me.  I won!  They even gave me a winner's crown, something the Idiot Jerk will never get.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I won wearing a loincloth.  This game is not that progressive.

Where Credit is Due

Well, today is Tuesday and it's my Saturday.  I have lots of things on my agenda today, whether they will all be accomplished is another story.
After calling... and calling, I finally got my Mom's final statement from Graysonview... and she has a credit balance.  That's right, a $580 credit is sitting on her account.  Way back, three years ago when she moved there I had to write a check, a deposit and one month in advance.  Will they actually cut me a check for that credit?  My friend Patty said "good luck with that."  Anyway, I'm going to call them today.
And the Idiot Jerk is going to be on television this evening in a desperate attempt to force his racist lies down Americas throat about those brown people trying to cross our border.  So, who out there is planning on watching the Idiot Jerk?  Can I see a show of hands?  Well, most of you may not, but there is an audience.  Yes, those middle-aged white people who love their Fox News, and those small-town white viewers who believe the 3 or 4 minorities are too many.  They will wrap his lies around themselves like a thick, downy comforter as they nod in support.  His deceits give their racist beliefs strength.  They will swallow his poisoned falsehood of almost 4000 suspected terrorists being stopped rather than accept the number provided by the US Customs and Border Protection that there were on 6 non - US citizens stopped.  Kirstjen Nielsen, quoted these numbers when talking to Congress... and still the Idiot Jerk is going to go on National Television and lie.  If you take the time to begin investigating this, you will find out that in truth they stopped almost twice as many possible terrorists coming across the Northern border... from Canada, then they did the Southern border.  I guess those at the Northern border either spoke better English or weren't brown enough to be considered a National Threat.
On a brighter note, my desk will be shipping sometime between now and 1/11.  One of the things I want to do today, besides finish the wall patch, is to move everything into position.

Fine

Last night I went to our Holiday Party - it was okay.  They kept the same menu as last year:  some sort of beef with mushrooms and dried chicken Parmesan.  I won a door prize:  a $10 gift card to Subway (which I gave a way) and a bag of Butterfinger candy bits (which I gave away).  I don't table-hop like some do... just not my style.  The truth is I'm not a big party person and as I grow older I'm even less of one.  The large corporation I work for, just like every other large corporation, wants you to be best friends with your associates.  That will never happen.  The last thing I want to do is spend time with my friends talking about work.  I do not bring my work home with me.  I do not take work with me when I got out to the movies or to dinner.  My life is simple, I like it that way.  My life is fine just the way it is.
And evidently last night Christian Bale won a Golden Globe for playing Dick Cheney in "Vice."  I understand he thanked Satan... in his very fine British accent.

Inspiration comes in all forms and shapes, doesn't it?  

And today is Monday and I get to go to work.  I have off Tuesday and Wednesday which is nice.  For the next couple of weeks I'm only working 32 hours per week.  That's fine, too.

There is also an interesting clip floating around out there of Faux News' Chris Wallace calling out Sarah Sanders Something or Other for lying.

You know you've been caught lying when Faux News starts fact checking you.  This was fine with me.  She gets paid to lie.  She spoon feeds the Republican base their bias and their racism for big bucks.  I'm not saying she doesn't believe those lies.  I suspect there is an ugly crook in her heart and she's fine with that because she believes.  She doesn't understand that her grandchildren will mostly likely marry people with brown skin.

And this morning, before I ate my oatmeal, I sat on the sofa for a bit, Big Seig on my left and Lily on my right, and let me tell you those moments were very fine too.

Republican White Elephant

So, it's Sunday morning and some of you are sleeping late.  I'm not.  Nope.  Got up at the usual time.  The holidays, in addition to having that nasty pharyngitis, have screwed up my schedule and finally I'm easing my way back into what I like to think of as normal.
Our store is having it's Holiday Party this evening.  Of course there are that small number who complain that it isn't called a Christmas Party.  I don't doubt most of them voted for the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  These are the same people who criticize the commercialization of the holiday but have no problem going out and buying themselves their own 'special' Christmas present.  For them, their religious beliefs seem to be directly linked to the purchase of an expensive gift.  As they mount that flat screen TV or proudly show off their new Apple watch they will call it a Blessing.  They will say "The real Blessing is that I got it on sale!"
I saw that a few hours ago another ranking Pentagon official handed in his resignation.  This is frightening because the Idiot Jerk is going to try and promote some like-minded moral degenerate.  Of course there is the good possibility that will never happen.  Legal issues, you see.  And there's the wall.  That White Elephant...

is only popular with his base, and in spite of their number chicanery, they are a minority group.  And just like the elephant, they too are white.  The funny thing is just like those phonies who count flat screen TV's and watches as Blessings, he thought he'd gift himself this wall for Christmas and say "oh, what a deal."  The longer the shutdown continues, the stronger the sentiment grows against his 'wall,' and the deeper he sinks in his shit hole.  Does his base care how bad or how selfish they look?  Absolutely not.  They don't understand a White Elephant is not something to cherish.  No one ever said they were smart, greedy and selfish yes, but smart?  Never.

Duck This

Well, it's Saturday.  Yesterday was slow at work.  This is to be expected.  It's that time of year.  While it's not official yet, my department is going to be losing a specialist... and no, it's not me.  Just letting you know if anyone has any interest in applying.
An amusing moment happened while I was typing notes in a customer's file.  One of the store associates was walking by and stopped.  I thought he was going to ask a question so I paused.  He did, "you can type with out looking at the keyboard?"  My response? ".... .... uh, yeah."  Amazing, eh?
Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, Big Seig came walking into the bedroom with the big, fluffy yellow duck the dogs got for Christmas.  I had to smile because he's a big dog and it's a big duck, almost 18" long, and there he was, walking around with that yellow duck in his mouth.  This morning it was still on the bed.

Yesterday, one of our newly minted Congresswomen said, in reference to the Idiot Jerk in the White House "we're going to impeach that motherfucker."  Of course, the all white Republican party freaked mostly because she rang a bell they have been ignoring for years.  I do believe unequivocally that the Idiot Jerk's rectum no doubt spasmed horrendously at those words.  You see, Rashida Tlaib is female, and brown, and Muslim.  She is three nails in the coffin of the white, Republican Party.  Instead of asking themselves how many young, female, people of color joined their party and got elected into office, they did the old 'shriek and shout.'  Instead of trying to understand how America is changing, they have chosen to duck and run for cover.  This is how their party will end, desperately praying that the moral degenerate in the White House will save them...  They do not understand.  They are lost.

The Desk Set

Well, today's Friday and I get to go back to work.  For 4 days.  Then off again.  I'm on 32 hour work weeks, hopefully until sometime in the early spring when sales begin to pick up again.
I rode 4 miles on my bike yesterday.  That was good.  I haven't ridden since before my Mom died.  Rouvy updated their software.  All my mileage disappeared.  That sucks.  The big change is that now you are actually riding down the road and on my TV that looks simply terrific... if I had a bigger TV it would be totally realistic.  See what I did there?  Totally realistic?  I wonder if that's a sign my mind is regressing.
Yesterday I also started fixing the archway between the living room and the dining room.  Back in Seig's puppyhood. he tried to dig a hole there... a very big hole.  The location of my Morris chair has always been a way to hide it.  Now, however, the chair is being moved because of the desk and the arch will be visible.  Right now all that's left to do is a little more spackle and some light sanding to feather the edges and it will be ready for painting.  In case anyone is wondering, here's a shot of the desk I bought, notice I'm not showing the arch, that incident was irritating.

I am anxious to see how it arrives.  I bought it from Amazon and they wanted to charge me an assembly fee, however I've checked on several other websites and they advertise it as "shipping assembled."
Yesterday the Blue House passed funding for the government.  The Idiot Jerk says he will veto.  I saw where he wants the military to string razor wire along the border.  This guy is an ugly racist from hell, isn't he?  The fact that he represents a base that is virulently hateful of brown skin is... frightening.  As the population of America continues to evolve, and for those who don't understand it is evolving, this group will begin to segregate themselves into smaller and smaller communities.  I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in North Dakota somewhere.
Today we will have to watch and see if Wall Street rallies... maybe a little.  Here lately it seems to be five steps down and one step back up, five steps down and one step back up.  Financial periodicals are being to ponder if the Idiot Jerk and Republican economic policies are to blame.  Well, he wouldn't be the first Republican president to shit on the economy.

Today in History

Well, it's Thursday, January 3, 2019.  Today in history a large majority of Democrats are going to be sworn into the House of Representatives.  The Republicans, because they totally ignore what America wants, have gone from having a 23 seat majority to being in the hole by 41 seats.  Or is it 42?  Or 43?  I'm a bit uncertain.  I do know that those white, racists Republicans down in North Carolina are probably going to get their asses handed to them by the courts for throwing away, or changing, black absentee ballots.  Oh, and Pelosi has already said "no wall to that racist, moral degenerate in the White House.  Ooops.  Google "wall, polls, or wall priority" and you can see for yourself that about 49% of Americans feel there is a need for more increased border security, only 31% are demanding a wall.  Guess who makes up that 31%... white, conservative Republicans, the Idiot Jerk's base.
On another note, I went to see "Mary Poppins Returns" last evening.  It was good, but not great, not like "Mary Poppins."  My biggest complaint?  The song sequence is exactly the same as in the original, no changes.  In the original Mary arrived and they sang "Spoon full of Sugar" as they cleaned up their room.  In this new version, Mary arrives and they sing some sort of sea song as the kids clean up in a bath.  If you saw the first movie, you will know exactly what type of song is coming up next.  The original had Ed Wynn with a funny song, this version has Meryl Streep with a funny song.  Now, I know a lot of people aren't going to remember this sort of thing... but I do.  I thought Lin-Manuel Miranda was much better than Dick Van Dyke,(no boos or hisses here, but I never thought he was that good.)  I thought there was only one song, "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" in which the magic from the original film burst forth and actually brought a bit of tear to my eye.  For about 4 minutes I was 12 years old again and awestruck.

And finally, I did order a desk.  Kidney shaped.  I believe that will fit better into the room.  There's a little bookcase on the visitor side.  The front drawer is called a 'keyboard drawer' but my laptop will fit easily inside.  100% wood, no MDF which is a big problem nowadays, especially if you're buying cabinets.  They will call them wood, but actually what you're buying is a veneer on top of MDF.  I don't have to worry about that.  Delivery is going to be between 1/16 and 1/31... I can't wait.

Wait and See

First of all a big 'thank you' to everyone who wished me (and the dogs) a great 2019... the year in which the Republican Party slices and dices itself in one horrific blood bath.  I saw in BBC where Mitt Romney has already thrown the first 'sucker punch.'    Isn't it funny how their boy Mitt loves the tax break which, as very, very wealthy man, benefits his bank account greatly.  He is a conservative, of course, which means he is an automatic member of the Party of My.
Yesterday I went down to York, PA to see my friend Betsy.  We had lunch at Panara and went to see a movie.  Initially I'd thought we might get tickets for "Vice."  However, the more I thought about it, the more I decided I was going to wait and rent it.  You see, even though it is a comedy and you do get a chance to laugh out loud at that imbecilic ass wipe, in the end nothing happens to him.  He doesn't go to jail.  He shoots another, very deserving conservative, in the face and gets away scott-free.  And it isn't like Cheney cares what people think, that they're going to be sitting in their movie seats laughing at him.  Hell, no.  As a conservative, and member of the Party of My, he doesn't care about people... nope, just himself.  His credo is, and always will be, 'I did it all... and I did it My Way.'
I'm thinking of buying a desk for downstairs for what used to be the dining room.  The upstairs computer is used for blogging, and playing games, and watch gaming Youtube channels.  Occasionally I do write upstairs, but mostly the writing and the research are done downstairs.  Yeah, I know it's weird.  It's easier to understand if you consider the downstairs writing is 'work' and that area is a 'work space,'  That work space is nice, but I think it's a bit cluttered.

The writing Room

Yes, you are seeing correctly, I write at an old kitchen table.  Storage space would be really nice.  Right now I find myself shuffling through notes looking for reminders of things that need to be either added, taken out, or revised.  I was looking at desks that were immense, some up to 76 inches wide, and they are all way to big.  So I've changed course, smaller, for once, might be better, and maybe kidney shaped.  That style would go much better with my Von Scheirholz porcelain.  We shall have to wait and see.

Keep this in mind

The Universe does not go by seconds, or minutes, or hours.   There are no such things as days in the Universe, nor are there weeks, or months, or years.  There is only constant growth and change.  Nothing can stop this.  May the year ahead  that we celebrate on this little planet be good for all of you.  Let yourselves grow.  Let yourselves change.  This is who we are.

Keep this in mind.