The problem with Leaping

Well, it has finally arrived.  Today's our Leap Day, in our Leap Year, a rare occurrence and a bad day on which to be born.  I understand most babies being delivered today celebrate either the day before or the day after... but what do they with their driver's license?  If your birthday is the 29th of February, can you magically change it?  Otherwise you'd be learning to drive when you're only 4.5 years old.  How old will you be before you are actually legal to vote?
I saw this morning there's more evidence of the coronavirus heading into its Community Spread phase; new cases is Washington, Oregon, and California.  Of course, the Idiot Jerk has taken that leap off of stupidity's cliff.  Remember the Sharpie incident?  When he used his Sharpie to track a hurricane into Georgia?  He's using the same stupid, little gray cells now.  Yes-sir-rity.  He believes the virus is going to miraculously disappear in April...   I do not doubt that one of his henchies has told him this is going to be just like the Flu, because that's what he wants to believe.  And his base is following his lead in leaping off stupidity's cliff as well.
While most of us see Leap Year as being a bit of an oddity, the Idiot Jerk is so bouncy in his land of delusion he is leaping here, and there.  The truth is out there, though.  He's telling Republican voters in South Carolina to vote for Bernie.  This is because he's terrified of Biden, and believes he'll stand a much better chance of getting elected if Bernie gets the nomination.  Dumb shit.
I understand he's also leaping towards the idea of giving Americans another tax cut if the economy fails to recover.  He has no problem putting the country even deeper into debt, just so he can swing an election.  There is one thing you can count on, his base is going to loyally leap to his side.  Every time they hear refund their dirty little hearts sing 'ca-ching! ca-ching!'  Even if you told them there's not enough money in the bank to fight the coronavirus they wouldn't care.  His base is just like him.
Anyway, this is a great year to look forward to:

Oh, and don't forget, in November we get to fire the son of a bitch in the White House.

A shapely muscle group

Friday!  My new week starts today... kind of, since I only work 4 days before I have my next day off.  That's right, I'm off on Super Tuesday, not that we're voting here in PA.  Our Primary is on April 28.  A number of states jumped on board the Super Tuesday train, they want to be among the first voters to help choose our next nominee.  What that really does is give the candidates a smaller time window to visit your state.  Instead of being able to spend time in your state, they fly in and fly out.  They hold a rally and move on.  Voters need to rely on the either the Internet or the media to find out about their potential candidate.  Sound bits are a poor way of educating oneself.
I went for another ride in the Dolomites yesterday:  Passo Pordoi.  I rode a smidgin over 3 miles in 45 minutes... all uphill.  Hills are great.  Afterwards I could feel it in my quads and my buttocks.  Yeah, that's right... my buttocks.  For most of us, buttocks are a fairly large muscle group.  They are not just a wobbly slab of fat you sit on to watch TV.  Next time you see a cyclist, check out his buttocks if you want to see a shapely muscle group.
And, of course, Wall Street did a bit of a crash dive yesterday.  I wasn't really following it, so I was fairly surprised when, after finishing my ride, I checked out my Bloomberg app.  Son of a Bitch!  I really feel sorry for people with 401k's...well, except for Republicans, they deserve the pain.  By the looks of it, the markets are not going to stop their free-fall quite yet.  Not enough damage has been done to the MAGA heads yet. 
On a much brighter note, I took another picture of my Christmas Cactus yesterday.  I think I'm going to start calling it the Crimson Bloomer.

Betrayal

Yes, this is it, my late entry.  I slept in... and then I putzed around doing little chores, like emptying the dishwasher; non-thinking things.
I haven't heard anything back from my readers yet.  I am curious as to whether they will like The Body in the Well, or not.  I would like to get a partial 'thumbs up' from at least one of them... you know?
And I saw the Idiot Jerk in the White House held some sort of press conference last evening.  I didn't watch.  Basically, he calmed the fears spreading among his base with lies.  They do love his lies.  He said something stupid, like the country is a low risk because he, himself, is stupid.  He only wants to believe things that make  his fat, little heart go pitty - pat, pitty - pat.  He avoids bad news like the... plague.  He also put Pence in charge of our National Response...  I sent my brother a text this morning regarding this, how I thought it funny the Idiot Jerk was setting Mike up to be the 'fall guy.'  Of course, I got no response.  Evangelicals love Mike.  They don't understand that when COVID-19 starts spreading across the country, the Idiot Jerk is going to point at Mike and say "he's in charge!  That's his failure!"  He will betray his Crazy Christian base rather than take any responsibility. 
For those who don't know, the Idiot Jerk has been quietly dismantling the CDC.  Like all conservatives, he sees the institution as a waste of his tax dollars.  He would rather invest those dollars in the... oh... shit!  Don't Look At Your 401k!  This has always been the problem with Conservatives, they have always thought first of their pocketbook, or their wallet, or their bank account.  Common Sense has never been a priority.  Greed has always been at the top of the list.  Now the country is going to pay the price... and so will they.  When this thing kicks in, can you just imagine what it's going to do to attendance at all of those Mega-Churches?  I wonder how long it will be before his base realizes their very beliefs have betrayed them.

Something's Coming

My next schedule was published late yesterday afternoon and  I have 4 days off in a row,  one is going to be a vacation day and the other 2 were requests off.  At least I'm getting consecutive days off.
I understand there was a bit of a raucous.  There, that's a nice word for it.  I didn't watch.  I prefer gleaning the important bits from various media sources the next morning.  I guess Fox News was shrieking "out of control!"  "out of control!"  Evidently some of the candidates chose to ignore the moderator.  Some of them were out for blood.  The problem all along has been too many freaking candidates, and now that the voters are going to have their say, those candidates are freaking out.  They are complicating what should be a very simple issue.  We need the Idiot Jerk removed from the White House.  Unfortunately, a number of these candidates do not understand this is not their time, and it is not their place.
And, speaking of raucous, there was another fun-filled ride on Wall Street yesterday.  Yowza!  Don't look at your 401k's.  There's a good possibility the same thing is going to happen today.  There's a fly in the economic ointment... or maybe I should say 'bug.'  You know what I'm talking about.  That little thing called Covid-19... is that still what they're calling it?  People are getting sick, and not just in China.  A long time ago, back when I was taking Biology 101, we did a little experiment.  The professor passed around a tray of sugar cubes, 2 of which had been dosed with a  harmless bacteria.  Every student took one, rubbed it into our palms, and then walked around the classroom shaking hands.  We each grew the results in a petri dish.  It's rather interesting to see how disease spreads from one person to another, skips the person who shakes the most hands while targeting the one who only shakes 2 or 3.  Obviously the Idiot Jerk in the White House has never taken Biology 101, otherwise he would never have said the Coronavirus has been contained.  The CDC is right.  It's coming.  And, of course, the Republican response has been... tepid.  I mean, we're talking about them spending tax dollars in order to help the Common Man.  They don't understand.  Now, I'm not religious, but if I were I'd say their Judgement is coming.
Anyway, I thought I'd leave you with Tony's warning.

The E Ticket

Oh, my, I get to go back to work today.. for 2 days, and then I have another solitary day off.  Can we talk about things that suck?
My first reader as a copy of The Body in the Well.  Her first comment:  "It's big."  She then asked if there were a lot of 'twists and turns.'  To be honest, I never thought of it that way.  A number of characters could be guilty of murder.  I guess I'll have to wait and see if she thinks that 's the case.  Another reader gets a copy today.  The final reader will be getting his copy tomorrow.  I'm not sitting on pins and needles.  My readers will either like it or not.  One asked if it was riveting.  My response:  It's an 'E' ticket ride at Disneyland.

So, how many of you really want to go on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride?

I guess there's another debate tonight in South Carolina.  Of course, I'm not going to watch.  Tomorrow morning all of the pundits will be clamoring about what they liked and what they didn't, who came in strong and who looked week.  At the last debate they all jumped on Bloomberg, tonight they'll go after Sanders.  Speaking of Sanders, he spit out a couple of turds on how Fidel Castro, a Communist Dictator, got some of it right...  ....  I'll bet that squishes when he sits down.

On my cycling.  I've cancelled my Rouvy subscription.  It will expire is 6 months.  I'm enjoying the Tacx software.  Yesterday I went for a 9 mile ride in Catalonia.  I rode across cobblestones... and I could feel them.  The road was not always smooth, and I could feel the rough patches.  The videos seem much clearer on my big TV.

I also got a big laugh yesterday when I saw some Bobo Brain from Fox Business News said the Stock Market dropped because of Bernie Sanders win in Nevada.  His was the only voice not mentioning the Coronavirus, or Pandemic.  His head is so far up the Idiot Jerk's ass, this 'analyst' will never see daylight again.  He's the kind of fool who will sit out in the parking lot looking in at Disneyland.  He will never experience the joy of an E Ticket ride.

  

A vote for Daffy

So, I've begun my 3 weeks of shitty schedules.  That should change during the middle of March when I've scheduled myself to take some vaca time.  I cannot wait.
Last evening, I finished The Body in the Well.  I am so glad.  I've been working on it for 11 months and it's break time.  This morning, I started printing off the first copy for my readers and... I ran out of toner.  Son of a bitch.  That means around 0900 I'm going to have to run in to Staples and pick up a cartridge or two.  For those interested, the book is 94,472 words long.  The copy I print out is 248 pages long, it will be longer when the paperback version comes out, their pages usually only hold about 250 - 300 words.  I suspect it will be available sometime in mid-April.
This means I will also have between 1.5 - 2 hours of free time every evening... for a while at least.  I will enjoy the time, for a while, at least.  Notes are already being taken:  Scotland...castles... secret passageways... and men in kilts.
I do get a chuckle out of all the 'nay' and 'maybe sayers' in politics right now.  A lot of this is media hype.  There's a difference between that and 'fake news.'  The Idiot Jerk's administration call anything unfavorable 'fake news,' all the while pumping its own lies.  Pundits who are desperate for crumbs of attention are pounding their shoes on the table shrieking "who can beat the Idiot Jerk?"  Well, do you want to know who can beat that scumbag?  Here he is!

Now I know some of you are saying "hey, that's an animated character."  That's the point.  There is so much pent up anger and animosity towards the Idiot Jerk and his party, even Daffy Duck, if he could run, would beat the pants off him in November.  Should Bernie get the nomination, no one is going to sit on the fence saying "I'm not a fan, so I'm going to give the Idiot Jerk in the White House another 4 years."  This is why, when people say the Idiot Jerk's going to win in November, I say "hell, even Daffy Duck could kick his ass."  American anger will not be mollified, so do not discount it.

Big

Well, my 3 weeks of crappy schedules starts tomorrow.  Even though I'm in the system for consecutive days off, I don't have any.  I did talk to our store manager... who will talk to our scheduler.  We shall see if things go back to the way they were.
My 87 year old Spanish woman purchased her flooring yesterday.  Personally, when I get to be that age, I don't want to be taking on any major house projects.  I don't believe she understands the complexities of ripping out an existing tile floor in her bathroom and installing a new one.  She's having vinyl put down in her laundry room.  To do that, she needs her existing appliances disconnected, our installers will not do that.  I put notes in the system for them to remind her what needs to be done, and suspect they will arrive to find the job site is not ready.  Renovations are rarely enjoyable occasions.
The temps here in Central PA are forecast to go up into the 50's (F).  Looking ahead, Accuweather is predicting some cool days ahead, but for the most part I do believe winter is over.  I'm not going to say we're not going to be getting snow, or sleet, or freezing rain, but the chances of that happening are getting slimmer every day.
And, for those who haven't seen the news, Bernie won Big Time in Nevada yesterday.  There were no Republican caucuses because the party of the Idiot Jerk in the White House was concerned opposition to his hate filled agenda.  Rather than let voters voice their opinions, allow them to show their discord, the GOP shut it down.  That's almost fascist, you know?  As for Bernie?  A lot of people voted for him.  Many may not like his winning, but it is Big for the Democrats.  We are unifying behind one candidate.  I will admit to being surprised.  Latinos and young people said yes.  Middle aged and older white voters said 'yes.'  If Bernie is the nominee, the Idiot Jerk believes he'll be elected top a 2nd term.  That will not happen.  As Bernie said when he declared victory yesterday, 'the American people are tired of having a President who lies daily.'  This is the truth.  America is fed up with Republicans.
On a lighter note, I thought I'd post a pic of Biggie.

Apologies if I posted this one before, but he is my big baby.

(Awe...)

Can you believe it? Saturday... and it seems as though only yesterday it was Friday... Oh... I guess it was.  Oh... sorry for my calendar faux pas. 
My little Spanish customer was back in the store yesterday.  She  needed to pick tile for her bathroom and, because of floor problems, vinyl sheeting for her laundry room.  She had seen that if she applied for a credit card she could get $100 off her charge, and so wanted to apply.  This is done by keying information into the credit card key pad.  She needed to give me her driver's license so I could verify her address.  Dear Me... she's 87 years old... and wants to have new flooring put in her bathroom... and she confused the first 3 digits of her social security number.  She told me "I haven't had to give this out in years."  In the end she was denied (awe...), though I will admit to being relieved.
And I don't know about you, but I had to laugh when I read Bernie was warned that the Russkies were trying to get him elected.  (awe...).  That's right, they want either he or the Idiot Jerk in the White House in 2020.  No wonder the Idiot Jerk was furious when both Democrats and Republicans in the House were given this information.  You see, the Russkies don't  really care who's President, as long as that individual is a disruptive force in American Politics.  What a slap in the face to the Idiot Jerk that must have been.  They don't really like him (awe...).  For them, having an egotistical, self-centered, white supremacist, misogynist in the Oval Office is an asset.  And because of Bernie's crazy, socialistic tendencies, they see him as being just as disruptive (awe...).
Another little tidbit that came out on... Thursday, I believe, is that the White House is considering an additional $26 billion in aid to America's farmers.  The Idiot Jerk's trade policies were born to fail... just like him.
Finally, I thought I'd give you and updated picture of my Christmas cactus.

Look at all of the little, red buds...  (Awe...)

Tasty

I get to go back to work today.  I'm going to have to talk to someone about my schedules.  I'm in the system for consecutive days off and I'm not getting them... for the next 3 weeks.  In fact, 2 weeks from now she has me working every other day... that's right, work a day, off a day, work a day, off a day... for the entire week.  As someone who has done scheduling for over 4 years, I can say this woman has no clue as to what she's doing.
Anyway, I was riding around in Amsterdam yesterday.  It was a very easy ride.  The only hills are bridges going over canals.  There are lots of cobblestones.  Holy Hannah!  The Tacx software I have creates the feel of riding over them.  They create a real challenge in real life.  Oh, and I got to see my first windmill.  It was a spiffy moment.

And, of course, I did bake myself a pear torte.  Delicious.

I saw where the racist Idiot Jerk in the White House spewed some hatred about the Best Picture of the Year.  His white, racist fan base loved it.  Any day now his camp should start selling his MAWA hats:  Make America White Again.

Evidently he also flew into a bit of a rage when the House received a confidential briefing on Russian interference in the upcoming election.  The Russkies want to sow discord.  The Idiot Jerk needs Russkie help.  He wants them to have his back.  Believe me, the Republican party will stoop as low as humanly possible to retain power.  They don't really care what a majority of Americans say.  For them it's not about Democracy, it's about the power to dictate and control.

The Wave is on the Way

I'm taking a personal day today, not because I'm ill, Secco's going to come and verify my sewage line is now... intact.  The front of my basement is drying out.  I also get to pay for their services this morning.  Surprisingly, my tax refund was deposited into my checking this morning and that will pretty much cover the expense.  Talk about blessings.
There was a debate last evening, and, as usual, I chose not to watch.  I understand the candidates were fiery, going after Bloomberg as well as each other.  Now I know there are those out there who wish one candidate, a front runner, would take the lead.  I'd like that, the problem was that in the beginning there were what?  16?  17 dumb asses vying for the nomination?  Six candidates is a nice round number.  That large field should have been winnowed down much sooner.  Now that most of the chaff has been cleared away, people will start listening to what the candidates are saying. Rest assured, one of those 6 will be our next president.
Indications are growing that the non-voter is going to be showing up at the polls this coming November.   This is to be expected.  I'm on the Rachel Bitcofer team.  That''s right, I've begun to believe there is not one vast group of perennially, flip-flopping Independent Voters, not that there aren't a few, but just not enough to swing the election.  The idea that Independents sit down, listen to the candidates, and then weigh the issues before voting is flushable.  That's just a foolish as believing there are American voters who any type of morally degenerate behavior from the Idiot Jerk as long as the economy is good.  Human beings are not nearly that selfish and self-centered.  If you ask any Republican, they will gloat in their self-assuredness and tell you there's no way the Idiot Jerk is going to lose this November.  They have absolutely no idea how bit this Blue Wave is going to be.
So, what are my plans since I'm taking the day off?  Laundry... I have about 6 loads to do since I couldn't do any because of my sewer issue.  Edit more of The Body in the Well.  I was talking to Cori yesterday (my cover artist) and we were trying to come up with a way to put a snake on the cover.  And, since I bought a bag of pears, possibly bake a pear tart.  Something like this.

I will take pictures if it looks this good.

The 'Hub'

Wow!  I get to go back to work today!  Now, ain't that exciting?  And it's Inventory Day!  That day when purple vested Regis associates storm the building in attempt to count every single piece of merchandise.  Hhhmm, well, at least they're going to bring in free food, usually thousands of chicken nuggets.  yum
Oh, and what about the Boy Scouts of America filing for bankruptcy?  I used to be a boy scout.  I don't know if there was any sexual abuse going on in my troop or not, nothing ever happened to me.  What I find ironic is that most Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops are affiliated to some degree with... churches.  When I was a Boy Scout we held our meetings at a Methodist Church.  What is it with religion and pederasts?  We really need to feel sorry for those little Catholic boys, the ones who were both alter boys and boy scouts.
And, of course, I had my sewer line fixed yesterday by Pronto Plumbing, which is evidently a subsidiary of Secco.  The blockage was in a Terra Cotta pipe about 3 feet from my foundation.  The tech used tool which shot sound into the ground to locate the problem.  Really neat.  He spray painted an 'X' on the ground and said "that's where they dig.," and dig they did, with a little backhoe.  Two feet down they hit... 'the hub.'  Years ago, before PVC, Hubs were used for joining Terra Cotta and cast iron pipes, and amounted to a simple, round, concrete encasement.  Underneath the 'hub' was a trap that was clogged with...a lot of shit.  They replaced a 5 foot section, and the 'hub'  with PVC.  They started at 12:30 PM and finished up 2 hours later.  I was told this was an easy job, though it was still pricey.  That doesn't bother me.  Most of it is being paid for with my Income Tax refund.
As for the dogs, they had so much fun; all these strange men to sniff.  Run outside, bark bark, run inside, bark bark; they haven't had this much excitement in years.  Believe me, they were tuckered out!  After his dinner, Biggie collapsed on the front sofa.

As for The Body in the Well... I've got 29 pages to go in this edit.  I've just begun working on the chapter called 'Camp Town Ladies,' and in case you're wondering... yes, there are Camp Town Ladies in the book... and they do sing.

Climb this

Today might be a bit pricey... I'm having Pronto Plumbing check out my drainage pipe... the one running to the sewer.  I have a leak which is going to need to be fixed and... well, plumbers are expensive.  I was using Zimmerman's but they were exorbitantly high.  You know there's a problem when plumbers are making between $60 and $80 thousand a year.  Can we talk about being over priced?
I finally finished editing 'The Bend in the River,' and now get to move on to Chapter 31 'Pickup Lines.'   Only 5 more chapters to go, about 40 pages.
Yesterday I had the joy of riding Mur de Huy which has an average of grade of 9% but a maximum grade of 26% - which similar to riding up a staircase.  Who ever knew Belgium had such steep hills.  Holy Crap!  I grabbed this vid from YouTube of some guy climbing this... hill.  My speed dropped down to 1.8 mph.  Most of us walk faster than that.  I really like the bit where he slowly passes cyclist who are walking their bikes up the hill.

I guess everybody is beginning to go after Bernie and his nasty supporters.  We shall have to see how this plays out.  I guess Mike B will be standing on the debate stage... is it next week.  Bernie hates him.  Let's be honest.  If Bernie had Mike's money, he'd be doing the same thing.

And finally, pull out my Korg X50 and put it where the Elliptical sat for so many years.  This is interesting because for many years a very large upright piano occupied the same space.  Hey, I even pulled out the directors chair I got when I opened the Colorado Springs Marriott.  This is called dating yourself.

Entitlement

Well, my weekend has begun.  I had planned on sleeping in this morning, or, to be more exact, I didn't set the alarm thinking I'd wallow in the warm sheets for as long as I wanted.  But, I have dogs.  While they have no problem lazing around, they are creatures of habit. At about the same time every morning they need to be let outside to drain their little bladders.  And, because there are chores needing to be done today, I ended up getting up at my standard time.  Now, as I type this, they are back on the bed snoring away.
I signed up for a subscription to Tacx last evening, Garmin's cycling software which is similar to the Rouvy cycling software.  I wear a Fenix 3 watch / HRM, I ride on a Garmin trainer, so I figured I might as well subscribe to their software.  This morning I will be downloading a number of rides.  Right now I'm downloading the ride labeled Tuscanny / Florence so this afternoon, hopefully, I will be able to put some time on the bike.
Yesterday, as I was standing in our rolled carpet aisle, I saw an older gentleman walking towards me wearing one of those ubiquitous little red hats worn by the brain dead supporters of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  I know some of you haven't had the joy of meeting these individuals yet, but I have on several occasions.  They are always older, white males desperately yearning for a return of those days before "Julia" graced their TV screens.  Oh, and they are always looking for an argument; the Idiot Jerk in the White House has emboldened them.  Their entitlement show through their thin skins and they are bitter.  Anyway, as this gentleman approached I steeled myself since they like to get close, knowing their little red hats are a taunt... except his hat looked different.  True, it was red, but something else had been stitched across the front.  When he was close enough for me to read the words clearly, I couldn't help but smile.

And then I laughed, realizing how much this must piss off those little MAGA heads.  I think everyone of us should buy one of these little red hats.  Talk about riling up those Crazy Conservatives.  The time has come to throw their selfish entitlement back into their faces.

Frankie's Failure

Sunday, and winter is now half over.  That sounds like I don't like the season, the cold and the snow.  I do, the only problem is this year, here in Central PA, winter's been rather lackluster.  No decent snow falls.  We'll have a day when the temps drop, but the next day their back up in the mid 40's (F).  The long range forecast is predicting we're going to have pretty much the same weather until we hit spring, at that point winter will probably kick in.
I saw where Frankie Graham was shrieking his gay hate because of Pete Buttegieg.  This is to be expected since Frankie is an extremist.  That's right, he's a religious fanatic, slovenly drunk on his own religious interpretation of Christianity.  We all know what fanatical extremists do with their hatred, they fly planes into skyscrapers.  You may not believe me, but it's true.  Frankie doesn't deal with rejection well.  He got hit with a whole bunch of rejection a week or so back when Evangelicals in the UK called him out for being what he is... a fanatical extremist.  What really happened is that Frankie was given a Sign.  He was warned.  That pissed him off.  How dare people tell him he is crazy?  And nothing fires up his hate more than gay people, though I suspect brown, immigrant Catholics are probably not too far behind.  Frankie needs to be taken off his soapbox.  This is beginning to happen.  That rejection from the UK is a good start.
On the lighter side of things, my Christmas Cactus is still blooming.

I thought this was like a season thing.  Evidently it's not.  Does anybody know how long it will continue to bloom?  I mean, it started before Christmas.

The Flamingo in my Bed

Can you believe it?  Today's my Thursday!  I almost feel like posting a little dancing gif to celebrate!
As I've mentioned before, I am at that stage of my life when downsizing moves past the option stage.  Slowly, I've been bringing things down from the attic and either giving them. or throwing them, away.  Honestly, tossing my stuff into the garbage is a last resort.  A friend of mine at work has just moved into his first apartment and is pretty much starting out with nothing... and I have all this dinnerware.  My days of hosting dinner parties have passed.  I no longer feel the need to own 18 place settings.  I have no sentimental value for plates, or soup bowls, or wine glasses, and by giving them to him I know they're going to be used.
I saw an interesting opinion about Bernie and how he's in trouble, losing Iowa and barely scratching out a win in New Hampshire.  Evidently, in 2016 he was getting 60% of the vote in those states... not anymore.  Prepare yourselves for the Bitter Bernie to be revealed, the angry old man who can't stop trying to play the same broken record over, and over, and over again.  I do not doubt he's on all sorts of blood thinners to keep  from having a heart attack. 
For those interested in my progress of the 2nd draft, I am approaching the Bend in the River.  In Sunny Rigalito's opening speech, she mentions 'a body being found hung up on the rocks at the bend in the river.'  Of course, she's talking about something that happened 100 years ago.  So, why do Eli and Max need to go 'the bend in the river?'  hhmmmm, well, that's a secret for now.
And finally, I found a flamingo in my bed last night.

Maybe the dogs thought she was tired.

This Made Me Laugh

So, I've been sitting here reading snippets of news while I eat my breakfast.  It's always the same thing... my breakfast: oatmeal spiced ups with walnuts, dried cherries, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds and peanut butter... oh, and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.  And I don't eat the Instant stuff that comes in a packet, mine is cooked in the microwave: 3 minutes 40 seconds at 70% power.
I have my car loan through Bank of America.  They are very persistent in wanting me to go paperless.  Now, when I bought my car I was told my interest was going to be 'front loaded.'  Their going to gouge me for as much interest as possible, even if I pay the loan off early. Right now it's looking to be paid off over 3.5 years early.  Going paperless saves them money, it doesn't do a damn thing to drop the amount of interest I'm paying.  If Bank of America wants me to paperless, they will need to do something about that interest rate.  We all know that's not going to happen.  They want to gouge me for as much interest as possible, and still save money on postage and paper.  Give me a break.
I saw where the Idiot Jerk's henchie, Billy Barr has been complaining about the Idiot Jerk's Tweets.  Maybe Billy realizes how bad they make our Faux Attorney General look.  Those Tweets show just far up the Idiot Jerk's ass Billy Barr has shoved his tongue.  Gee, you'd think Billy would have realized by now we all know he's a mindless puppet.
And I saw that on the other side of the Atlantic, BoJo is shaking up his cabinet, installing 'yes men' rather than individuals with solid qualifications.  Now we know BoJo is nothing more than a gas bag with some serious leakage.  To all you Brexiteers, congrats, this is what you voted for.
And finally, for those who didn't know, the Idiot Jerk in the White House loves his Twitter because it allows him to give derogatory names to those he doesn't like, and to those who scare him.  Twitter is his cowardly way of stabbing them in the back.  His fanboy base love his Tweets because they show that both he, and they, are at the same level of maturity.  That changed yesterday.  The Idiot Jerk received a full frontal smack-back... from Bloomberg.  Thinkg about what was written.  This is a wonderfully personal assault on the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  This made me laugh!!

Mike Bloomberg

✔@MikeBloomberg

.@realDonaldTrump - we know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence.

I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1227946304057364481 …

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Mini Mike is a 5’4” mass of dead energy who does not want to be on the debate stage with these professional politicians. No boxes please. He hates Crazy Bernie and will, with enough money, possibly stop him. Bernie’s people will go nuts!

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8:43 AM - Feb 13, 2020

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And, of course, today's Valentines Day.  Here's a nice big smooch to all my readers in the world!

All for a Biscuit

Crap, here it is Thursday and I haven't even hit my Hump Day yet (insert my favorite 3 words).
I guess they are forecasting cold for the next 2 days and then another warm up.  Very shortly, in just a day or two, we shall be halfway through our very mild winter.  In this part of the country our temps usually hang around in the low to mid 30's, but not this year.  We're averaging about 10 degrees (F) warmer than normal.  This must be pissing the hell out of fuel companies.  They can charge us as much as they want and so are not going to make their fiscal forecast.  Oh... woe is me.  If I was religious I'd say this was God's work, but I'm not.  Fuel companies are blaming the Devil because he's keeping them from hitting plan.  Think about that.
A funny thing about Bernie's win in New Hampshire.  Evidently he scratched out his little victory because there were still too many candidates in the field.  Looking at the voting stats, this just happens to be the case.  What he really needs to do is thank Tulsi, and Uncle Joe, and Andrew, and Tom Steyer, you know who I'm talking about... the Centrist Candidates.  Prepare yourselves, as more candidates drop out, the bitter Bernie face is going to return.  The fact that he's running as a Democrat because the Independents don't want him, that independent candidates lose horrendously, shows a delusional old man desperately trying to feed his ego.
A note to the wise, don't believe the Idiot Jerk's propaganda machine.  They're spewing out tons of garbage about how Democrats are ready to throw in the towel, how they fear the Idiot Jerk is going to win a second term.  Well, that's bullshit.  Of course, there are those out there saying "I don't know how we can beat him."  If you're one of those who say that, you're doing exactly what they want you to do.  Stop it.  We need to all turn into scumbag busters. We do this by growing a backbone.  Do not let a minority group dictate the way you live your life.  Remember, this is not about voting for the candidate that rings your bell, it's about putting a stake in the heart of pure evil.
I mean, if I had to vote for my favorite candidate it would be for this guy right here:

Handsome, isn't he?  Of course he'd make a terrible president.  He'd give you whatever you want for a biscuit.

Roll this

Oh my gosh... it's sooooo early.  I  got my creaking, old but out of bed at around 0415.  No, no, no, I wasn't anticipating the New Hampshire primary results, I went just went to bed a little earlier than usual.  I have a bit of a sore throat, well mostly a swollen gland on the left side, so there's some sort of infection.  Or maybe it was just the fact that I've got to go back to work today (cue my favorite words).
My schedule has been posted for 3 weeks out and again I've been given split days off.  That doesn't make me happy in the least.  I have a plumbing issue which will need to be taken care of, so that will fix the scheduling issue.
I've been focusing on finishing the book.  Cycling has been put on the back burner.  I have 80 pages to go and I'm ready to put this baby to bed.
I made egg rolls yesterday.  Scrumptious.

I'm taking some to work for lunch.

Oh, and Bernie pulled one out of his ass last night in New Hampshire, in case you didn't know.  I'm sure that old man ran around shrieking "we're on a roll!  we're on a roll!"  That old fool is not in the least bit scrumptious.  Buttigieg picked up more delegates and is still in the lead.  Two more candidates dropped out, Yang and Martin.  I saw where Tulsi Gabbard (sp) held some sort of election night fete where they gave her a lei. She wants to  be a spoiler, you can tell by her arrogance.  Personally, I think she's a little to brittle to roll with the punches.

And then, of course, there's Roger Stone.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House wants to cut down his toadie's jail as much as possible.  And Billy Barr's doing everything in his power to make it happen.  Isn't Billy and Evangelical?  You know?  That sect which believes you can do whatever you want as long as you believe and ask for forgiveness?  

And finally... Hello Italy!  Here's a big shout out to all of you wonderful Italians for reading my blog!

Victory

Today is the last day of my weekend and it's supposed to rain.  Yesterday was a drizzly mess.  I painted some baseboard trim.  I'm going to be moving my sideboard to the wall in front of the stair case.  For that to happen a repaint needs to happen.
And yesterday the last of my elliptical was picked up by a scavenger.  I set the flywheel, the heaviest part, out on the curb and about an hour later a man in a black pick-up stopped and threw it into the back.  Gone.  I'm glad I used it extensively, it's a bitch spending a lot of money on a piece of exercise equipment and never using it.  I have a friend whose basement is filled with such equipment.
I'm still waiting for Social Security to send me my W2.  This is getting aggravating.
And here's an updated pic of the sweet potato I'm growing in a coffee pot.

Nice, huh?
I don't know if any of you read Politico but they had an interesting article about the elections... and forecasting them.  Evidently there is a woman named Rachel Bitcofer who is upending traditional theories.  Her theory is that elections are not won by 'swing voters,' those Independents who flip flop back and forth between parties depending upon what candidates are offering, rather it is voter turn out which decides elections.  By now, everybody knows Hillary lost because voters just stayed home.  They had a litany of excuses as to why they chose this option, but stay home they did.  And we got the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Turn out of MAGA heads was strong.  According to Bitcofer's thesis, those MAGA heads were always MAGA heads.  They were not voters who suddenly decided to vote for a moral degenerate.  To prove her point, in 2018 she called every election... and got them right.  She also claims 2018 was just the beginning.  An impetus is needed to get voters off their asses and into the polls.  In 2012, it was the Tea Party which burgeoned under the hate of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  In 2016 he was elected... by the electoral college, and that is the impetus for the 2020 change.  This man is hated by more voters than any one previous candidate.  Polls are nothing.  Turn out is everything.
A few days ago I mentioned how I, myself, was doing an impromptu poll.  I asked a number of people who they though could beat the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  I specifically said, "this is not about who you like, it's about who you think can beat the Idiot Jerk."  Except for one individual, they all responded with one name:  Bloomberg.  This is not about who you like.  This is about Victory.

These are not White Republicans

My weekend begins today!  I was going to post a gif of a puppy joyously dancing in celebration, but I chose not to.  That might sadden some of my readers... those who are returning to a work week.
I am a bit on the tired side since I stayed up to watch the Oscars.  The show moves so much faster without a host.  I think that change was very smart of the producers.  The TV viewing audience isn't sitting on pins and needles waiting to be entertained.  Nope.  They're just waiting for the names of the winners.  I was glad Brad Pitt won.  Isn't it nice to know some pretty boys can grow up to act?
The acting awards were pretty much in the bag before their names were announced.  Brad's and Laura's speeches were nice and short.  Joaquin's was too long, but at least he had a focus point.  Renee's... ?  She had no problem serving up a word salad with a southern twang dressing.  She reminded me that some actors are only as good as their script.
About the diversity thing some complain about.  Two years ago the Academy of Arts and Sciences increased their membership by 842 - all of whom were women and minorities.  This was done under the belief that more minorities would equate to more minority nominations.  The truth is minority members are not like White Republicans.  They do not nominate simply because of color or gender.  To do so would put them in the same playing field as White Republicans, who only nominate and vote for White Republicans.
Last evening black animators won their first Academy Award for a film about... black people dealing with their hair.  One of the winners said "cartoons are the first movies children watch."  Hidur (I can't pronounce or spell her last name) was the first woman to ever win an Oscar for Best Original Film Score.  Two women (one a Director and one a Producer) won the Oscar for Full Length Documentary Feature.  An Asian won the award for Best Make-up Design.  And then, of course, there was this little winner.

"Parasite," a South Korean film released in the United States with sub-titles won the Grand Prize, Best Picture of the Year.  In fact, "Parasite" won 4 very, very prestigious awards:  Writing, Directing, International Film, and Best Picture.  This is what you call diversity.  I'll bet this pissed off a lot of MAGA heads and White Supremacists.  Do not expect minority members of the Academy to only nominate and vote for minorities... that's racist.  These voting members of the Academy are not White Republicans.

Results

My Friday has finally arrived.  It has been a long, slow week at work. 
I still haven't received my W2 from the US Government.  For some reason, I thought they were faster last year at getting them out.  Know how tight fingered the money grabbing Republicans are with money, I'm sure they see every refund check as a little knife in the government's bank account.  Greed.  They want to use their most favorite pronoun of all time... my.  They don't want to pay taxes because they effect "my money," and the sure as hell don't want to pay out refunds because, again, they affect "my money."  In case you didn't know, Conservatives are all about selfishness, being self-centered is their main reason for living.
The Oscars are on tonight.  They're the only award show I still watch.  I go to a lot of movies.  I like to see how Hollywood rates them.  This year, as in no year I can remember, the results already seem to be set in stone.  If Brad, and Renee, and Joaquin, don't win, everybody will be stunned.  Tarintino will win for best ad-libbed script.  1917 had the best Director award in the bag.  Knowing this might just give me enough reason to go to bed early.  There was a time when I used to host a party... those days are long gone.

Here's a funny story from work.  We had a very good Customer Order Specialist named Crystal solving problems that cropped up with orders.  She resolved many issues, from appliances being delivered with knobs to flooring installations with level issues.  She transferred to distribution facility.  Now, I also work with a specialist who sells a lot of jobs... quite a number of which have problems and shouldn't have been sold.  He relied heavily on Crystal to fix his mistakes.  Friday was Crystal's last day.  This specialist was at her going away party.  He had a piece of her cake.  Yesterday, he wrote along note detailing problems cropping up on a job he had sold... and he emailed it to.... Crystal.... whose last day was Friday.  Good luck with that.

Notice, I wrote this whole entry without naming a certain evil presence, but just so you know, I've been doing a little impromptu survey among the Democrats at work.  Results tomorrow.

Full Speed Ahead!

For some it's the weekend, for me it's Thursday.  Aren't you glad you don't have to live with my calendar?
If the weather forecasters are right, today's high of 41 (F) is going to be a cold snap.  This is so much different than last year.  Remember, we were getting those arctic creeper things?  Temps in the single digits?  All the MAGA heads were running around squealing "where's the climate change?"  Now I hear them at work saying "aren't these temperatures wonderful?  such a nice, mild winter we're having."  I saw this pic from, of all places, Antarctica:

They're having a heatwave in Antarctica.  Yepper, the temps down there hit 64.9 (F).  Instead of understanding the reality of this situation, the greedy of the world will say..."hey, when can we start drilling for oil?"
Oh, my, and I had a Text from Bernie, or one of his supporters yesterday.  I get them regularly from the DNC, so that might be where they got my number.  He asked if Bernie could count on me.  My response:  "No, Independent voters will never vote for a Socialist."  He asked if I'd want to tell him who I was planning on voting for and I responded "I won't know until Primary time rolls around.  I do know Independent voters are the key to beating (the Idiot Jerk in the White House).  Of course, I got no response.  Bernie supporters are, in a way, a lot like MAGA heads.  They want you to jump on the crazy Far Left train without understanding that up ahead the bridge is out.

And just one more bit of fun news.  Evidently Far Right Crazy Christian Franklin Graham has had his Hate Tour of the UK cancelled.  What makes this interesting is that those complaining are British Evangelicals.  What Frankie doesn't understand is that he has just been given a Sign.  Frankie will ignore this because he, too, has jumped aboard his only special Crazy Train.  He believes his interpretation of Divine Scripture is far superior to that of anyone else.  Frankie's bridge is out, too, of course that isn't going to stop him from tipping his little, red hat and shrieking "Full Speed Ahead!"

Intolerance

Oh my gosh, it's Friday, my Hump Day.  I can't say I find it exciting in the least.  It's just another day. 
I rode 10.5 miles last evening on a ride called Applegate lake.  I've ridden a little over 44 miles in February so far, which is better than I was doing last month.  I've changed my tactics.  Rather than go for the long rides (20 miles or so) I'm only covering between 10 - 11 miles per ride.  Instead of spending easily over an hour on the bike when I get home from work, I'm only putting in between 40 & 45 minutes.
I'm still waiting for my W-2 from the government in order to do my taxes.  You know?  If you work, and get your full Social Security benefits, you need to treat those benefits as a job.  That's right, they take out taxes.  I have no problem with this since I get them back when I file.  However, I do like that refund deposit going into my bank account.  For those interested, here's the return schedule.

I guess the Idiot Jerk went on some sort of shrieking rampage yesterday about his ugly ass getting impeached.  Wow, now we know what happens when we rip the scab off that chancre he calls and ego.  He says he went through Hell.  Aaahhh.  Think about all of those contractors he and his attorneys forced into bankruptcy because he refused to pay them.  Was he sorry for putting them through Hell?  Gimme a break. 
And Bernie desperately wants to do a victory lap after Iowa.  We're talking about his old man ego here and it desperately wants to be fed.  Ain't happening.  Buttigieg and he ended in a dead heat.  You'll notice the difference between the two:  Buttigieg shows decorum, Bernie's on the verge of pounding his fist angrily on the desk.  He's inciting his supporters the same way the Idiot Jerk incites his base.
Anyway, I understand the administration is girding it's shield of lies in preparation for the publication of John Bolton's book.  They know this is not going to be a good thing.  America will find out why the gutless Republicans refused to have any witnesses at the impeachment trial.  Once again Americans are going to see how much evil they not only tolerate, but excuse as well, in order to stay in power.  This is expected from a party which demonstrates terrible intolerance for everything they despise.

Burn the Bern

Thursday.
For those interested, I'm about halfway through the editing "The Body in the Well."  I'm trying to do a chapter a day (there are 35 chapters).  If I can keep that up,  If I can keep up this pace, my designated readers should start getting their copies in about 2 weeks... maybe a little sooner.  They are anxious.  I do tell them in all seriousness that no live snakes were killed in the writing of the book.
Something new I'm trying my hand at is growing a sweet potato... in one of my old coffee pots.

I'm excited.  It looks as though the foliage is purplish, of course that may change as it grows.  I have no idea since I've never done this before.
Mitt Romney voted to convict the Idiot Jerk.  The collective Republican establishment shit in their pants.  Someone broke ranks.  This is bad for them since he's very popular in Michigan, a state they are desperately need to win in 2020.  I'm not wild about Mitt, but I do think we should all give him a round of applause.  This is just one more nail in their coffin.
As I noted in one of my comments, what the nation did learn about Iowa is that the Democrats have a burning desire for a candidate who will clean the Republican shit off the doormats in Washington.  To do that we need to convince millions of Independent voters we know what we're doing, that we're a Centrist Party.  As the candidate field narrows, there are two who will not be able to do that:  Bernie and Warren.  Too far to the left.  At this point, I believe you can probably write off Warren, she just isn't make that big of a splash.  This leaves Bernie as our only concern.  Should he get the nomination, Independent voters will stay home rather than vote for his Socialist agenda.  And Bernie?  He does not care if he shits in our pie.  He's done it before, in 2016.  How long did we have to wait once Hillary secured the nomination for him to say in his small, bitter voice, "I support her."  His base was never on board.  Sure some of them turned out to vote.  But a lot of them held a grudge.  Bernie is one of the reasons we have the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Should he get the nomination, we will have another 4 years of Republican tyranny.

The time has come to burn the Bern.

The good and the bad

Holy Crap!  It's Monday... well, it is for me and I've got to work for 5 days in a row.  Every time I have one of these 4 day mini-vacas I realize how much I hate going back to work full time.  And I will have to deal with this crap for at least a year yet.  Once my car is paid off, who knows what will happen.
The Idiot Jerk in the White House gave his State of the Union speech last evening.  The MAGA heads went wild.  Some Republican lawmakers chanted 4 more years.  In case you didn't know, they are all about a white GOP dictatorship. And the Idiot Jerk, he knows exactly who is base voters are and he played directly to them.
Oh, and about that impeachment....  I don't know if any of you have seen the Idiot Jerk's approval rating, but it has gone up... to 49%  More Independent voters jumped on board his evil train.  Why?  Well guess.  A word to all of the firebrand Democratic freshman of the House, this is what happens let your anger run rampant.  The articles of impeachment were dead on arrival at the Republican held Senate.  I mean, did these firebrand freshmen really believe the Republican held Senate was going to shoot itself in the head?  No matter how powerful Adam Schiff's closing argument was, Independent voters did not see Crimes and Misdemeanors.  They saw a stupid old man doing something he should have been punished for, but they didn't think he should be fired.  The same thing happened at the Clinton impeachment.  The only better about this impeachment was that the Idiot Jerk's approval rating only hit 49%, Clinton's went up to 55%.  For those who don't remember, Bill Clinton was re-elected and the failed impeachment proceedings had a lot to do with that.
On the bright side, and I know many who are smiling broadly about this.... Pete Buttigieg won in Iowa.

This is evidently a hit to Bernie's campaign.  Bernie needs to deal with it.  He has to understand that in the scheme of things, no one really wants to be a Socialist.  Poor Uncle Joe Biden fared very poorly.  This is how life is.  An interesting point, I had breakfast with my brother yesterday and he, who loves his Christian Conservatives, brought up Buttigieg.  He said he thought Pete might have a real chance at winning,  He said he could 'get out the young vote.'  You have to remember, one of the things Buttigieg touts are his Christian beliefs.  That's important, he might be gay, but he isn't a scumbag.  We will have to wait and see how well he does in New Hampshire.

Let's slice the pie

No, no, no, I didn't bake a pie yesterday.  The weather was way too nice.  The forecast was for temps in the mid 60's (F) and we hit the mark.  I spent much time outside picking up branches and cleaning up the yard.  So did the woofy dogs.  All that running around in the yard tuckered them out.  Believe me, they slept like rocks.
Oh, and today is the last day in my 4 day mini-vaca.  I should actually go in and schedule myself something a little longer.  I have eight months to use the rest of my 'earned vacation time,' and I have nothing scheduled for the rest of February.  Don't laugh, but I'm actually waiting to see how the Coronavirus spreads.  If it kicks in here in this country the way it has in China sales are going to drop because... customers will just stay home.  Our economy will take a bit of a hit.  How big?  We'll have to wait and see.
I guess the State of Union is tonight... I think.  I don't really know.  The Idiot Slug in the White House only needs his base to watch.  No one else.  The MAGA heads will be glued to their TV screens.  The rest of the nation will be doing something much more interesting... like, oh, maybe playing Tiddlywinks. 

I'm sure there are a lot of Repugnicants who are concerned he may go off topic, you know, being impeached and everything.  The minority group which makes up his base would love that.  Nobody else, and that will equal lost votes in November.
Oh, and I see the Iowa Caucuses ran into a little problem last night with their reporting.  Inconsistencies.  Not that they were hacked.  They just made the mistake of using a reporting system designed by Clinton supporters.  Now they look bad.  I wouldn't be surprised if their inability to provide speedy results doesn't make it into the State of the Union.  You see he, too, is desperate to find out how the pie is being sliced in Iowa.  He needs one specific name to attack.  Believe me, he will attack.  The one pure fact glaring him right is the face is that the Democrats in Iowa are unified in one singular aspect.  They want a candidate who can beat his ass back into Hell.  So, let's slice this pie.

Night of the Latinas

Okay, so I missed that silly little football game last evening. When I checked my phone this morning there were lots and lots of little notifications telling me who won.  Yippee.  There was a time when I felt the need to scan through the commercials the next day; not any more.  I did, however, watch the half-time show.  Holy Crap!  Talk about high octane entertainment.  Talk about a finger in the eye of every MAGA head out there.  This is exactly what the Idiot Jerk in the White was supposed to keep from happening.  I'll bet many of their shitty, little hats are still spinning somewhere up in the stratosphere.  If you didn't see it, take a look:

Anyway, today is another day off for me.  My third!  And the temps are supposed to hit 61 (F).  We always get a winter thaw in February, however this has been a rather warm winter so far.  I have to keep reminding myself we're only 1/3 of the way through.  Nature can still give us snowy smackdown in the next 2 months.
And, as I always do when I'm finishing up a book, I tease with bits and pieces.  Here's a bit from the Chapter called "The Posse."

Choosing to sigh rather than say anything, I patiently waited while Bill arranged our horses on either side of Sunny’s.  I knew what this was.  Picture time.  They must do this for all of the tourists.  While I had no objection, I have to admit I was feeling a little embarrassed.  We were here to help solve a murder.

As he was framing us up, Bill paused.  For a second I thought I saw a frown pass across his face, a moment of shadow.  “Don’t think I ever saw that before.  In all my days,” he shook his head,” never.  You look like an honest to God posse.” He looked down at the ground for a second.  This was the first time I’d ever seen this kind of reaction.  Intense.  Honest. This is what pain looks like, I thought.  Framing us up again, he took a picture of us sitting there on our horses.  “This ain’t no Dan Bailey you’re goin’ lookin’ for, he’s long dead.  But you help Sunny, you hear?  You help her find who killed our Dottie Ruth.”