Carpet This

 Wednesday, March 31 - will the month go out like a lion or a lamb?  Well, rain is in the forecast, but not storms.  No hail or high winds are supposed to strike.  Do they even say things like that anymore?  Or is that is something we used to say back in my childhood? 

Yesterday was fine at work.  Hours were sketchy, but this is always the case here lately.  Spring hiring in in full force.  There will be lots of new faces.  Many of them will not be here two months from now.  Most of those who will leave will not be 'let go' because they were hired as temps.  Nope, a lot of them will simply stop showing up.  I should add that while many of the them are students, many of them are not. And neither race nor gender defines who is in this group.  They have never developed a work ethic and simply don't know any better.  These are the people who used to spend their lives working factory jobs, however, since there are so few factories now, they have moved to retail.  This is the way of the world.

I also had a customer ask me if we sold Camo Carpet...  Think about it for a second.  The answer is 'no.'  However, if you can buy if you are so inclined to camo your house.

The only thing missing is a MAGA hat stand

And what about Matty Gaetz and his 17 year old girlfriend?  He's claiming it's extortion, however the investigation was started over a year ago by the Justice Department.  And a GOP operative who flaunted his connections with Matty has already been charged with sex trafficking.  Ouchy!  And Matty's claiming he and the girl were just friends.  Of course, we all know Matty's an honorary member of the MAGA Hat Society.  Hhhhmm... I wonder what kind of carpet he has in his bedroom.

Evolution of Religion

 Tuesday... and my work week begins again.

Yesterday was... busy.  I did several loads of laundry.  (Fun stuff!)

A new phone has been ordered for me.  My Pixel's been having battery issues.  At random times, it will turn itself off, and no matter how long it's been charging it never get's more than 50% charged.  Rebooting used to fix the problem for a while, but not anymore.  And, lucky for me, the phone is still under warranty.  So in a few days I should be getting the replacement.  That took up time yesterday morning.

Another thing taking up a bit of time was a 'chat' I had with Amazon Music.  I used to be able to buy new music from their App on my computer.  This is not longer possible.  That App is now just a library for purchased music.   To purchase music you need to go to Amazon or pay for a subscription to Amazon Unlimited.  While $8 isn't much if you listen to a lot of music, one of those who needs to hear the newest releases, for someone like me who only listens to music when I'm running, walking, or cycling, it's a waste of money.

And, look what's hanging my peach tree:

And what a Mitch McConnell wanting all Republican men to get vaccinated for Covid?  Has he no regard for Republican women?  Of course he doesn't.

Finally, I found this more then a little interesting.  Evidently church affiliation in the United States has dropped to below 50%.  You can bet this is making all those Cracker Jack Crazies shed bitter, burning tears.  According to projections, in 30 years there will be no singularly dominate religion in America.  Ouchy!  This is how evolution works, and yes, even religion evolves.  This will be a hard pill for many of the overly zealous to swallow... in fact, I dare say many may actually choke on this truth.  But this has always been the case with mythologies.  What will be the overriding belief system in the future?  I suspect something with a more philosophical lineage, where gods are not seen as actual beings, rather they will be a representation of belief patterns.  We shall see, won't we?

Stuff

 Good Morning!  Today's entry is made up of a variety of stuff mostly because this is my weekend, both Saturday and Sunday all wrapped up in one.  Today will be spent doing laundry, hanging a few bits of art upon the walls, and playing Valhalla.  Tomorrow it's back to work for another 5 days in a row.  Now, doesn't that sound simply wonderful?

We had a lot of rain yesterday, so heavy at times you could hear it pounding on the roof of the store and then, just before I left, the winds began blowing away the clouds.  Nice.  The Temps are cool now, and the breeziness is still here.

I watched the last episode this year's The Expanse last evening.  I thought the ending weak.  Most of the 10 episodes were building towards a war between the earthers and the belters... and that really didn't happen.  The proto-molecule was released (in case you're interested), which means Thomas Jane will return for next season.

Tom's the one in the hat

One of the bits of big news is that the big boat in the Suez is moving.

And isn't Debbie Birx spilling her heart out?  Every time I glanced at the media yesterday there was some headline about her, or a phone call from the Spawn of Satan, or how she felt she might actually help by staying silent, or some such nonsense.  

Of course, there were more shootings.  Virginia Beach this time, I believe.  They're happening too often.  A day doesn't pass without a shooting headline.  And the embattled NRA is silent.  This is what they wanted: daily shootouts.  

And finally, I saw that Biden's approval rating has hit 75% for his handling of the pandemic.  That will also translate into higher approval ratings in other areas.  Republicans hate this shit.  Perhaps if they hadn't chosen to embrace the fringe elements of society they might get more respect... nah, that'll never happen.  They're too desperate to dictate and control to ever consider changing.  They don't care how low their approval ratings go as long as they're in charge.

Faux French Cat House

 Today my 5th consecutive work day ends.  Tra la la!  And they're bringing in Mission Barbecue for our meal!  Part of our Success Sharing!  And tomorrow I have off.  I've already begun the laundry.  Nothing wrong with getting a bit of a jump start, you know.

The store was booming yesterday.  Warm sunny weather brings out the Spring shoppers.  In fact, we were so busy I spent about a half-hour on one of the garden registers.  Believe it or not, that can be a lot of fun.  Sure, there is always a chance you're going to come face to face with a legendary asshole, but that's how life is in general.  Most of the silly MAGA's have stopped wearing their hats.

Today, business will will be off.  Heavy rain is in the forecast.  In fact, the drops started falling just a few minutes ago while Biggie was out.  I toweled him off when he came in.  He loves that.  In fact, being briskly rubbed with an old, but still luxurious towel, is probably the only reason he will go outside in the rain.  That and a biscuit, of course.  I just bought 7 lbs of Gravy Bones, their favorite.

And I spent some time looking at old photos of old night clubs.  I was not impressed with The Stork Club, though back in its heyday it was the favorite watering hole in New York if you were a celebrity.  People were packed in like Sardines.  Ciros, on the Sunset Strip was more spacious, though all the draperies kind of give it that old faux French Cat House look.

And what about Debbie Birx now saying hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved?  Guilt is a terrible burden.  Not being a particularly religious person, I don't know for sure but I'm thinking she believes simply being silent sold her soul.  Good.  Let her spend the rest of her days drowning in regret.

And finally, I understand Ted the Liar, went to the Mexican boarder and filmed some sort of mockumentary report... and all he did was earn people's laughter.  But then you laugh at fools and their mockumentaries, don't you?  Ted the Liar's future history was made when he decided to jet down to Cancun for a vacation during that horrific Texas Freeze.  Selfish, self-centered, and full of shit, this sucker's going down fast.

I will not ruin my sausage

 So, it's day number 4 in my 5 day work week and, unfortunately, I had read my schedule wrong.  It's Monday that's one, lone, single day off before I have to work another 5 days straight.  Of course, after that it's 3 off work for before I have another mini-vacation.  Anything over 3 days off counts as a mini-vacation in my books.  Three day weekends?  They're just 3 day weekends.

I turned off my calorie counting for this most of this week because of our Success Sharing celebration.  We are being inundated with food and being a grazer, that counting calories simply doesn't work in times like these.  Yesterday we had Wendy's breakfast sandwiches all day.... let me repeat that, all day.  Their sausage and egg sandwiches were great.  I wasn't to wild about the chicken, while there was bacon, the chicken tasted honey dipped.  Not for me.  Some might find this surprising, but I don't like sweet meat.  When I go out for breakfast, my pancakes are always ordered as a side; ain't no way I'm dipping my sausage in syrup.

This is how you ruin a good sausage

And the white supremacist governor of Georgia signed a very restrictive voting rights law yesterday.  And, of course, there was an immediate response from America... and it was far from being one of approval.  Those white legislators of Georgia are now playing defense.  And, of course, there have been at least 2 legal challenges.  There will be more.  You see, those legislators want legal challenges.  They are praying this bill gets taken to the Supreme Court, where they believe the Conservatives will approve of the racism.  That's not going to happen.  It will be overturned by a lower court and the Supreme Court isn't going to touch it.  They will sit on it for a while, the way they've done with the gerrymandering cases, and then send it back saying it is something the state needs to fix.  Or, as in the Pennsylvania case where the State Supreme Court said the Republican gerrymandered map needed to be fixed, they will simply sit back and say the decision has already been made.  Oh, and this will take time.  The Maryland and North Carolina challenges took a number of years.  The Georgia racism is not going to be fast-tracked, so no matter how badly those legislators want to dip their sausages in the syrup, it ain't going to happen soon. 

Countdown

 Oh My Gosh, it's Friday, also known this week as my Hump Day because my Friday is on Sunday, which is not Easter, that happens next week and is again my Friday.

Speaking of Easter.  I've got 2 mailers from churches advertising their 'services' on Easter Sunday.  One is actually and invite to a Zoom meeting.  Now, ain't that nice.  This is their way of Zooming me in to Jesus.  One of the adverts included a picture of Jesus surrounded by his disciples... and everyone was white with brown hair.  Can you guess which crowd this is aimed at?

Work was slow yesterday.  All those measures I got over the past week, however, are turning into sales.  As of last week, I've racked up over $110 thousand in the past 2 months.  Busy, I have been.  They will hate me for saying this, but I don't mind the slow down.  Honestly, I've been thinking.  Last year this time I cut my hours down to 30 a week which is considered part-time.  Those hours are guaranteed Spring, Summer and Fall, however not over the winter.  Right now, I'm banking much of what I earn.  This means it's time to pull out the calculator and look at the calendar.  And, of course, the change would only knock off about 10 - 12 hours a week.

And what about Dominion suing Fox News?  All they needed was one nut to crack and admit 'no reasonable , and that was Powell admitting 'no reasonable nutjob adult' would believe her lies.  Their little wall of deceit is starting crash down around their ears. 

Oh, and Biden ignored Fox during his first press conference.  It looks like the administration is going to treat Rupert Murdoch's tabloid video channel as just that.

Oh and the Georgia hate machine has passed an unbelievably bill of restrictive voting regulations.  You do know they're hoping this goes to the Supreme Court so the Conservative Majority give white Republicans what they truly want, a path to white dictatorship.

Rachel

 They're forecasting a high in the low 70's (F) today, though there will be drizzle and showers throughout most of the morning and afternoon.  I work, so I can live with that. 

I've decided to replace my dahlias with poppies.  Originally I thought of doing a separate bed, planting them among the ranunculus, but whimsy took over, and I'm sure that by now most of us know what happens when fanciful steps onto the stage.  

A fellow blogger opined that many masculine gay men are using their masculinity to hide their true effeminate nature, of course I had to disagree.  That's like saying lipstick lesbians are really hiding their true desire to shave their heads and buy a Harley.

Isn't it interesting that there was a bit of discussion on this blog about Kamala Harris not being in the limelight just a tad bit more, and then yesterday comes the announcement she's going to spearhead the immigration issue.  Damn!

And... of course, yesterday Rachel Levine was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Health.  Two Republicans voted for her:  Murkowski and Collins,.  Rachel is now the highest ranking transgender woman in the Federal Government.  Can we talk about making history?  Or maybe the topic should be the evolution of America.  The prayers of so many Cracker Jack Crazy Christians that she be denied this position were left unanswered.  In fact, many of their prayers are being given the cold shoulder.  This is a lesson they cannot learn.

As for Rachel?  She's a Pennsylvania girl!  Now ain't that nice!  Let's give Rachel a round of applause!

Political Humor

I get to go back to work today.  This is going to be one of those odd weeks.  Rain today, and tomorrow.  The temps are supposed to be warm, but few go out buying their garden supplies in a constant drizzle.  This is also the week of our success sharing bonus - I understand the theme is Circus, Circus, Circus.  We used to have big events where the entire store gathered together to celebrate.  Now we have safely distanced smaller events with more food.  I prefer the new ones over the old.  I'm not a big event, celebratory kind of guy.  Going to a big party is not my idea of fun.

Yesterday much yard work was accomplished, the dogs were walked around the block, and a played Valhalla.  Oh, and I went for a bike ride somewhere in Germany.  The rides are fun, though in a survey Tacx sent me, I noted more rides in America would be nice.  Right now there are 7, and they're GPS rides, meaning there is no real video, just a GPS map your icon moves across.

Polls indicate LGBT individuals are finding more and more acceptance in America.  You know this is driving the Cracker Jack Crazies... well, crazy.  I don't know if you've seen or heard about any of the Rants from Tony Perkins, but according to him America is teetering on the edge of a quick slide down into hell.  His real problem is that those accepting his mythological basis for hate are in the decline.  This has always been a problem with mythologies, time always reveals how much they're based on fiction. 

And now for a smidgen of political humor.  Sydney Powell has filed paperwork in her defense against Dominion's lawsuit stating no 'responsible' person would have believed her claims of election fraud.

This means Tucker Carlson is... has no sense of reason.  Neither does Rudy the 'G,' or Loser #45.  In fact, now Sydney is claiming that the entire Republican party, a group of individual who back her crackpot lies because it suited their purpose has no sense of reason.  I'm wondering if Rudy the 'G' is going to crack as well, and if he does, who's he going to blame.

Cherry Blossoms and Belly Dancers

Yesterday was nice and sunny.  Temps rose all the way up to 70 (F) here. They were supposed to reach that high today, now, however, the forecast has changed.  We're only supposed to reach the upper 60's (F), which is still fine.  Tomorrow, when I go back to work, we expecting rain... and on Thursday as well.  Remember, we are in spring and April, with it's showers, is approaching.

I took a picture of the Spring Tree yesterday, even though I'm still waiting fora few more glass beaded ornamental birds.  It's kind of pretty with garlands of cherry blossoms and birds, and bees, and butterflies.  Some of the birds are foam with real feathers and need to be higher then Biggie's mouth.    

 I watched this yesterday in between cleaning out my peonies and uncovering my hostas and, since I'm just in the preliminary stages of The Body in Repose, thought a bearded, belly dancer might make an interesting suspect.

While I realize the Biden administration is still in fledgling status, I do think we need to see Harris having a more public persona.  I do know she was down in Florida talking about the need to get vaccinated, however she needs to be seen as more than simply a PR representative.  There are a lot of white men in the country who need to see her as a viable candidate for the white house and we can't wait until Biden's third year in office for this to happen.  Start early and finish strong.  This is not the time to find ourselves in a position where we need to play catch up since the Cracker Jack Crazies are not going to let up.  We need to blunt their wedge now.

 

This is how Evolution works

 And the new week, as well as my weekend, begins.  The temps are forecasted to hit the high 60's and tomorrow, if the forecasters are correct, Central Pa is going to have bushels of sunshine with a high that's going to hit 70 (F).  Now, won't that be nice.  Of course, that doesn't mean the other rather mundane household chores are going to be skipped.  Nope.  Laundry awaits.

Spring is definitely in the air, and I can tell people are jumpin' at the bit to put winter, as well as the past year behind them.  They're spending those stimulus checks as if there's no tomorrow.  This is what we're supposed to do.

Of course, so many of those 'jumpin' don't understand Covid is still here.  Too many think now that we have vaccines, the can do what ever they want.  Wrong.  Not the case.  Variants are out there, and they're nasty, more contagious and more lethal.  Covid keeps on changing.  There are people who seem to think this is just like the flu, and that it will go away.  Remember how it went away last spring?  The same thing is going to happen in spring of 2021.  Nothing has changed... well, one thing has:  MAGA's who refuse to get the vaccine with get sick, some will die, and then in 4 -5 months they'll get sick again.  Because of them, we are seeing how evolution works.

Like so many things which highlight their limitations, Conservatives don't believe in evolution.  They like to believe they were created special.  This is not the case.  The fact that the human species is evolving challenges their basic beliefs.  As a result, they are getting crazier by the moment as they desperately try and hold onto a past that is fading fast in the rear view mirror.  And evolution is moving at a breakneck speed.  Gone is the precept that millions of years need to pass before changes occur.  Humankind has never lived through a time like this, when the changes are happening almost faster then they can be documented.  History is happening, and it's not going to look kindly on Conservatives. 

 

Breaking News

 Sunday slow day... and I think not, though this is my Friday.  Take note all you who work a Monday through Friday work week, I celebrate because tomorrow you will go back to the drudge and I will have a lay-in.  Well, probably not a lay-in, since the temps are supposed hit the high 60's (F).  This is spring, and the lawn work beckons.  

I picked up some ranunculus and poppy tubers yesterday.  They're going to be an addition to the my bulb bed out front.  The poppies are orange.  I had planted some a long time ago, after I had first moved in, and the 2nd year they turned scarlet.  And yes, I know, that means more digging in the dirt.  More grass being overturned means less that I have to mow and more that I need to weed.   I guess the only thing left to say is that spring has sprung.

And speaking of spring, Spring Break is preparing to take its toll down in Florida.  Remember last year?  How all of those jubilant merrymakers started a wave of Covid?  Well, it's happening again this year.  Goody.  This one will take more Republican voters and once again they'll whine that the elections are rigged.  They are one stupid group of selfish people.  

One of the headlines trending on reddit yesterday was "Fox News has turned the GOP into a death cult."  Oh... my, can this be true?  Of course it is.  You see, Fox News has become the Anti-network.  The anger and hatred spun out by their highly paid Entertainers like Tucker Carlson turns everything into a target.  This is their desperate attempt to grow their ratings.  They have become the anti-vaccine channel, not by out right damning vaccinations, but by sowing extreme caution.  They repeat things like "you don't really know what's in the vaccine, and just what it's going to do to your body."  This is not how you grow your ratings, unless your target audience is the uneducated and easily influenced.  They simply don't understand that dead people can't turn on the TV. 

Fools, Young and Old

 Today is the first day of Spring.  Don't that give you a warm fuzzy feeling?  The temps are supposed to top off in the upper 50's (F) this afternoon.  Tomorrow is forecast to be nice as well.  Monday and Tuesday the temps will reach up into the mid 60's (F), and I'm off those 2 days.  This means our garden department will be hopping.  Times goes faster when you busy, but busy also equates to more issues with orders.

Here's an odd customer story:  I sold a measure to a customer who's father works for the store way back when.  Back on January 7, after the riot is Washington, his father was sitting in the lunchroom complaining the whole thing had been staged by antifa, so I told him he was an Old Fool.  That's right.  I used those words.  And I repeated them.  He sat there whispering under his breath, "I'm not an old fool."  Well, his son put the carpet installation on hold until a month ago, and then he purchased through another specialist.  Now the son is saying the carpet is sticky.  Yep,  He's claiming the carpet sticks to his socks when he walks over it.  That's right, the Old Fool has a Young Fool son.  Sonny brought in a piece of the supposedly 'sticky' carpet, several people have walked on it in their stocking feet.  It's not sticky.  They're sending it to the manufacturer for testing.  My money says they find that it's not sticky.  We're speculating that the Young Fool is just as Cracker Jack Crazy as the Old Fool.

Speaking of fools, I read somewhere that foolish Marjorie from Georgia had her Twitter account shut down... by accident.  Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if it were a not so subtle warning for her to shut down her decisive foolishness.

Oh, and what about Mar a Lago being shut down because of a Covid outbreak.  Does anyone know if Loser #45 has returned from his legal problems in NY?  I wouldn't put it past that Old Fool to start another super spreader event just to get his name in the headlines.

 

Mediate This

 Well, today's my hump day, my Wednesday, your Friday.  My Friday happens on Sunday.  I cannot wait.

Yesterday was... interesting at work.  I'd like to say that the Droogs came out, but that would be me talking like every other gear in the Clockwork.  We did have an asswipe couple let their dog pee on a display in the Flooring Department.  Oh, and they walked away without cleaning it up.  Another customer told me after the fact, "looks like someone's dog leaked on your pipe," he said, the pipe being part of the display for a bench you can make.  I was the one who grabbed the paper towels and put on the rubber gloves.

Oh, and the price changed on some of our carpets and they changes were not posted in a timely manner.  Translation, The mark-up was a big one.  Everything's going up in price.   The stimulus checks are nice, thank you Joe, but corporate America is waiting with their greedy fingers.  Their not going to give this guy the lower price.  Besides, he can afford it.  His quote is delayed because the carpet is going into a Media Room and he's having a custom built platform built (16 inches high) for the seating in front of the screen.  Maybe he thinks this will let him see over the heads of everyone down front.  Something like this:

Evidently Margie Taylor Greene is in trouble for comments she made about people with Downs Syndrome, say they were stupid, and retards.  When confronted she explained that she was just using slang words.  She also provided 15 pieces of legislation she claims to have sponsored, included a bill to impeach Joe Biden, as proof she's really working for the people of Georgia.  Can we be honest here?  Every time this woman opens her mouth she hurts her party.  Every turd that falls from her lips makes her, and those who voted for her,  look more and more like irredeemable  assholes.  She truly does represent the Republican mindset.

Wow moments

 Thursday morning.  Showers and rain are in the forecast.  The dogs came in after their first pee of the day a little drizzled, not enough for them wanting to be towel dried.  They love being towel dried, even if the sun is shining overhead.

I had 2 nice sales, one from a gentlemen who said, "they just deposited the money in our bank," and another from a woman who said "thank you, Joe."  Both had debit cards, and both had limits as to how much they could spend, which meant using 2 different cards, making the payment process a smidgen more difficult.  Not much.  I said to the woman, "quite a few people are doing with those checks what they're supposed to be doing," and she smiled... and smiled... and smiled.  Wow!

Guess what I bought myself:

I mean, I've been writing about a murder in Scotland, and there is a bit of piping in the book.  I found out last evening I have to practice standing up.  The dogs love it.  Every time I pipe a note they have a Wow! moment.  Besides, if I'm halfway good, I might actually buy a set of pipes... maybe even a kilt, and not because I want to adjust my sporran in public.

I saw where the Republican Attorney General from Ohio has sued to block some of the stimulus package.  I glanced at his complaint briefly.  Something to do with the money going to the states and the specificity of how the monies are used.  Really, all you need to know is that he's a Republican and as such his main complaint is not constitutionality, rather he's trying to blunt the popularity of the stimulus packaged.  His job is on the line.  There are, I believe, 17 other Republican run states that are also complaining.  The want to infuse the idea among their constituents this is one horrible package for the sole purpose of tampering down the popularity.  This package is horrifying them.  The might loose control.  Believe me, if they think this is horrifying, they should hear me practicing on my chanter.  Wow!

Where's the Ginger?

 Oh, my gosh, it's St. Paddy's Day... or is it Patty's Day?  Since I don't want to offend anyone, maybe I should ask if it's St Patti's day.  For many, today is just the celebration of the fact that they will most likely wake with a hangover tomorrow.  There's a price for everything.  Me?  I've never been a huge celebrant of St. Patrick which is odd since I'm part Irish.  That's right.  On my mother's side.  I don't know when precisely Solly Granger came to America, but for some reason he settled in the tiny, Pennsylvania town of Pine Grove.  Oh, and according to my brother, Solly had bright ginger hair.  That's right, it runs in my family.  Ginger.  But I didn't get any. Don't believe me?  Here's an old, old pic I scanned just the slightest bit of because... well, I think that's obvious.

I get to go back to work today.  Can you feel my excitement?  Maybe it's the idea that I get to work 5 days in a row, have off one single day, and then get to work for another 5.  If you think I'm anything but hyper-stoked, you're correct.  I do have some vacation time coming up in about a month.

And here's a shocker... Loser #45 has, on Fox News, recommended that people get the vaccine.  "Even people who voted for me," he said.  That says quite a lot about his stupid base.

Oh, and how amazing is it that the Russkies were trying to get him re-elected.  He was their ace in the hole, the key to turning American into one of their satellite states.  I do believe most of us realized this.  Those that didn't were wearing tiny, red hats on their heads which squeezed the few brain cells they had into lump of lead.

Finally, Mitch McConnell's furious.  The Democrats might change the filibuster, not eliminate it, but adjust it... slightly.  He knows that without the filibuster, the Party of No is Nothing.

Fus Ro Dah

 Well, I did what I said I was going to do yesterday.  My alarm clock went off this morning... and I got up.  To be perfectly honest, I'd have turned the sucker off and gone back to bed, however Biggie had a very full bladder which took priority.  Some things are more important than grabbing an extra half hour of zzzz's.

They got snow out west, we're getting showers in the east, at least that's what they're forecasting for this afternoon.  We've got a week to go before we finally change seasons.  Spring will be welcome this year.  The bulbs I planted in my front yard flower bed are already pushing their leaves well of the ground.  I'm anxious to see if the tulips bloom.  Sometimes they don't, and need to be replaced.  Oh, and last year I did not dig my Dalilah bulbs up so they will need to be replaced.

I bought some new glasses from Zenni.  If you wear glasses, check out their website. They're a lot less expensive then buying them from your optometrist.  Unless, of course, you're one of those who need to wear designer frames.  Not me.

I check every now and then to see if there are any Xbox Series X consoles available for purchase and the regular price,  Desperate people can buy one from a scalper for over $900.  Not me.  I do want to have one by the time the new Bethesda game arrives, probably in November.  A new IPO called Starfield, I suspect it's going to be as popular as their most famous... Skyrim.  I remember picking it up at Best Buy 10 years ago and having the clerk tell me he already had 70 hours in game time.  One of the first interactive games, as dragonborn you could use  the microphone on your headset to shout commands, the first you learn is Fus Ro Dah!  Here's the original trailer.  I didn't just fall into gaming, I dove in headfirst.

A decade after it's release, Skyrim still sets the bar high for Role Playing Games.  

And this should come as no surprise.  Biden's first prime time address nicely smashed the ratings of Loser #45's first address rather badly.  Ratings were the life blood of Loser #45.  This means Biden is continually kicking his ass.  Now, doesn't that give you a nice, fuzzy, warm feeling?

Tomorrow I will get up when my alarm goes off

 I slept in the morning but didn't.  Time slip.. change... the falling away from daylight savings and springing forward to a temporary loss.  That's what I thought this morning, looking at the alarm clock and thinking to myself that in the reality of 2 days ago it was only 0700.  This is what the new sleep-in costs.  There is always a bit of disorientation when we change times.  This year it's not worse, but is is more aggravating.  Tomorrow I will get up when my alarm clock goes off.

Yesterday was busy, but not nearly as bad as Saturday when our store's sales were 50% + over our budgeted plan.  We were comparing it to a mini-Black Friday.  I understand we have only so many lawn tractors coming in to sell - the result of the pandemic, also, I think a change in an approach to merchandising.  Holes on your shelves mean customers will buy option #2 and you'll still get a sale.

The Grammy's were last night... I'm not one who cares.

The Oscar nominations came out this morning.  I didn't see a lot of movies last year, so there isn't a lot of interest there.  I did Joe Jonas and his wife were announcing the nominations.  In the one picture I saw, he was wearing a gold suit which was rather interesting.

Sometime today I will disassemble the Winter Tree.  Spring is just around the corner, you know.  Then, after a good dusting, I will begin decorating the tree.

Now, I'm going to go make a very late breakfast.  There's much to do today.

Piping Rock and Roll

Yesterday was... interesting.  I managed to get an 11 mile ride in before going to work... and work was... extremely busy.  I blame the stimulus checks.  And... everybody was nice!  No cranky customers.  Everybody was patient.  Today is probably going to be the same.  Shit, I may end up getting overtime this week.

And I didn't bank all of my stimulus check.  I ordered a new futon mattress for the dogs.  The old one has sprung a spring... literally.  About 2 inches of one of the coiled box springs was poking out of the top.  A sharpey thing like that could hurt the dogs.  And since the money was in my account, I spent about 15 minutes last evening perusing the online selection.  It should be here in about  week.

I was supposed to hand of The Body in the Loch to reader Patty on Tuesday, however, she texted me saying something had cropped up and she wouldn't be home.  This means a day delay or so, until we get our timetables set.

And for those who might be wondering, there is piping in the book, as well as the wearing of kilts.  Trying to be as accurate as possible, I did some research just to insure I was getting it right.  And yes, you can play rock and roll on bagpipes.

Now, ain't that sweet?

 

$7.5 Billion... in CASH

 As I was looking at my calendar this morning, I realized today was Saturday.  As I've said before, that's just a name to week.  Saturday represents nothing to me because I always work.  At some point I will shift into part-time hours.  At that point I will select which days I want to work.  Saturday will probably not be one of them.

I just checked, my stimulus check was deposited sometime yesterday.  Thank you Joe Biden.  By the same token, I can tell you things are going to get crazy at work.  These checks are a nice chunk of change.  People are already planning on how they're going to spend them: new carpet, new laminate, new tile.

This past Wednesday was a big day for gaming.  Microsoft purchased Bethesda (headquartered in Bethesda, MD coincidentally) for $7.5 billion... CASH.  The two had a video conference on Thursday, sort of a 'meet and greet' for everybody to watch.  That's when they announced Bethesda games were going to be exclusively on X Box.  Exclusivity is a big deal.  This means you can only play Bethesda games on either an X Box, or a PC.  If you own a Sony Playstation, your out of luck.  How popular are Bethesda games?  $7.5 billion in CASH popular.  Here's a vid showing the games that are now Exclusive.

My brother in law has sent me texts for the past two nights either praising Loser #45 or attacking Biden.  I ignore them because my sister is, unfortunately, married to him.  They do, however, provide a good insight into the mindset of MAGA's and how they're not dealing with reality at all.  You see he never once said a word to me about his depraved worship of Loser #45.  My sister was the one who always passed along bits about his shriveling sanity. Now, as Biden's approval rating is in ascendance, MAGA's are going crazy.  Their minority is shrinking.  Over 71% of Americans approve of Biden's handling of the Pandemic.  The 29% that do?  They are pure maggotry.  Nothing will ever clean out the corruption in their minds.

Uncut

Yesterday the temps in Central Pa hit 76 (F) and I took the dogs for a walk.  They loved it.   And everybody else was taking their dogs for a walk.  This is fine... as long as they keep their distance.  Like people, not all dogs get along.  I don't know what it is... maybe something about the way their butt smells, but some dogs have an instant dislike for other dogs.  This is something I don't worry about when we go for a walk at Adams-Ricci Park because dog owners there will warn you.  Walking around my neighborhood?  That is not the case.

I did a little yardwork yesterday, but not much.  Believe it or not, we're still in winter.  The upcoming forecast has quite a few days where our highs are only going to be in the mid - 40's (F).  

This year I'm putting my tomato plants in the ground.  The pots I used last year were only good for peppers.  Looks like I'm going to have a lot of peppers this year.

In case you have seen this vid, click on it.  Simply amazing.  Filmed in a bowling alley, bar, restaurant, and theater up in Minneapolis as a way to drive up attendance now the the Pandemic appears to be winding down, this uncut drone footage has grabbed the attention of film makers in Hollywood.  This is a Wow moment.

I only watched a portion of Biden's speech last night, but I was impressed as was, I suspect, most of those who watched him.  This is how you steer a country back from extremism.   There's something so human about having a president simply talk to you, one adult to another adult.  Americans are taking notice.  I'm going to repeat Dave's axiom here.  A popular president can move the country to either the left or to the right, an unpopular president will always move it in the opposite direction.  This is how we make America great.

 

As Seasons Change

 I didn't even try to sleep in this morning.  Things going around in my head.  So I roused the dogs a little before 0500.  Lily is always up at a moment's notice.  Biggie is a morning slug after he has his morning pee.  Right back to bed.

Later this morning I will turn on the ceiling fans.  Temps here are predicted to climb into the mid to upper 70"s (F).  When that happens the upstairs can easily reach the low 80's (F), and I want to do either a run or ride, or maybe both this afternoon.  Spring comes and I get more active.  I guess that means this is a seasonal thing.

There's also more yardwork planned.  Yesterday I cleared the leaves away from the flower bed I put out front last year.  Quite a number of bulbs have already started sprouting.  I'm eager to see if any of the tulips come back.  They don't always flower every year.  Here's a picture of the daffodils of the season.

And I took the dogs for a walk yesterday.  They loved it.  Slept like rocks last night, which means Biggie was an ever bigger slug this morning.

I found it quite fascinating the Merrick Garland was approved by the Senate as our next Attorney General by a quite decent margin: 70 - 30 voted in favor.  The 30 who chose nay are Republicans, as might be expected.  These human stains represent the core of hatred in our country needing to be voted out of office.  They also represent the top ranking priests in the Cult of Loser #45.  

Finally, and not really too surprising, Beth Moore, a prominent Evangelist has cut her ties with the Southern Baptists over Loser #45.  It's not too surprising because there are Evangelicals out there who realize #45 represents the power of corruption.  He promises them all the power they crave, to make the country a socially conservative dictatorship, all they have to do is worship him.  It seems as though Beth started realizing back in 2016 he wasn't sent to give them what they want, rather his presence here is to tear them apart.  Or at least that's what she believes.  Ouch.

Pac This

 Well, I had planned on sleeping in this morning, even going so far as to set the alarm for 0600.  However, an hour before that 180 pounds of dogs decided to have a little horseplay on the bed before demanding to go outside for a heavy duty pee.  So much for sleeping in.

I have some yardwork planned for later today, and tomorrow as well, since the temps are supposed to be warm.  Nothing major.  From Friday on, we are predicted to have more seasonal temps with highs only getting up into the mid-40's (F).

So, this customer calls in yesterday and asks me about Pergo, and warranties, and if we honor them.  She explains to me that in 2001 (yeah, the year of the space odyssey) she had a Pergo floor installed in her kitchen and hallway.   She goes on to tell me that while she was cleaning under the bed she found the warranty sheet guaranteeing the floor for 20 years as well as her receipt.  I can tell you right now, the only things under my bed are the dog toys.  Anyway, her floor is now scratched and faded and according to her receipt, the warranty expires in April.  I escalated this issue to our Customer Service Rep who requested the woman email pictures of the receipt, the warranty, and the floor.  The receipt she sent is not for a Pergo floor.  Nope.  Twenty years ago she paid $61 for a laminate sheet to make a countertop.  I guess this means she's going to need to start digging under the bed again.

One of my fellow associates came back from lunch yesterday talking about a headline which said Loser #45 was attempting a hostile take over of the GOP.  Well, that headline was wrong... kind of.  What Loser #45 really wants to do is take complete control of their fund raising, hence the cease and desist orders.  You see, he wants all funds raised to go into that personal super Pac he created when he lost.  The one he calls Saving the Steal?  That Pac is, for better lack of a better term, his personal slush fund.  he can dictate which candidates get money, and which ones don't.  But, and this is very important, he can also write checks to himself from this Pac.  Loser #45 will always want to be a tinfoil dictator.  

So it Begins

 Well, this is my Friday... again and I'm rather pleased.  For my weekend, Wednesday and Thursday, the temps here are predicted to reach into the upper 60's to mid 70's (F).  However, on Friday the thermometer is going to drop back into a more seasonal range.  This is fine with me.

More ornaments arrived yesterday.  And on Saturday my Chewy order arrives.  So, you ask, what do the two have in common?  I'm going to use the large, empty Chewy boxes to store the ornaments, one box for each season.  Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose.

Of course, everybody is talking about the Harry and Meghan interview....  There, I gave it a mention.  Oh, my, you'll think I don't care about the Royals.  Honestly?  Not really.  He's cute.  She's pretty.  He was born into Royalty.  She wasn't.  I don't know anything about Royalty.  In fact, I had to do a bit of research into Nobility because of Lord Doyle Adair, and still I know very little, except that they're not as stodgy as everyone might believe.  I present for your reading pleasure the opening paragraph as evidence.  This is how it begins:

Nobility.  I do not really understand the concept that some people are more noble than others.  As an American, I know extraordinarily little about Lords and their Ladies and even less about Dukes and their Duchesses.  I have no idea if an Earl is married to an Earlette or not, or if that’s even his wife’s title.  To me, an Earlette sounds like a black girl group from the 60’s.  So when my friend Canada Howard told me she was marrying into nobility, one Lord Doyle Adair, from Adairton, Scotland, I said the first thing that came to my mind.  “Shit.”

I understand Loser #45 quietly slipped up into NYC.  Legal problems.  The investigation is growing, like that's a surprise to anyone.  His Chicago Tower and all the dirty little financial tricks surrounding it are now being put under the microscope.  I don't even want to imagine how he'd be torturing us if he were still on Twitter.  The wonderful truth is the longer this goes on, the more of a loser he becomes.  He will end up being the biggest loser America has ever seen... oh, wait, I think he's already got that title under his belt.

Loser #45

 And so we're off to a fresh week.  I work 2 days and have a weekend off, then I work 3 days and have another weekend off.  Then I begin what appears to be a weekly rotation, with 5 consecutive workdays between weekends.  That's fine with me.  How long it will last is anybody's guess.

I did use a personal day yesterday to celebrate my 2nd inoculation with the vaccine.  My side effects were not overblown, a mild headache, though I was tired for most of the day and napped on and off.  There's nothing wrong with that.  

During the past year, one of the things I've done which irritates me more then anything is put on weight.  Holy Shit Bags!  All that free food is too blame.  That put me into the bad habit of snacking at work.  When the food disappeared I started using the vending machines.  Well, that ends today.  I'm going to pull out my little scale and start counting calories again.  And now that The Body in the Loch is almost finished, I'll be able to put more time into riding and jogging.

The ornaments have begun to arrive for my All Season Tree.  Here's one of my dangly things:

Other things have been delivered that don't dangle, they just hang, no balls yet, but I'm sure I'll be ordering some soon.

And what about those cease and desist letters Loser #45 has sent ?   He doesn't want The GOP and the RNC using his name to raise funds.  Ouch!  Well, that's pretty damn selfish of him, isn't it?  Usually, even one term presidents have no problem with political parties using their name.  This is a way of validating their 4 years in office, of course they're not greedy like Loser #45.  I don't doubt for a second that his legal team is exploring ways in which these Conservative organizations can, for a small fee, just a tiny %, use his name.  Remember, Loser #45 will exploit any means possible for his own personal enrichment.

Small is Better

 I received my 2nd Covid shot yesterday.  I asked the nurse, a nice woman with half her head shaved and tattoos down her arms, what I might expect as far as side effects.  "Soreness," she said.  "You may feel a little lethargic.  Maybe a slight headache."  I asked her when these side effects might develop, and she replied "oh, not until tomorrow."  My response:  "good, I'm going to the movies tonight."

And I did.  I went to see "Chaos Walking," a science fiction adventure staring Tom Holland and Daisey Ridley, with special guest stud Joe Jonas.  I enjoyed it thoroughly!  And at 20% occupancy, every show was selling out.  If you're a Tom Holland fan, you do get to most of his butt when he strips to go into a pond to hunt for dinner... you have to see it to believe it.

As for my side effects.  I have a slight headache, but mostly I'm tired.  I called off work, and when I finish this I'm going to go take a little nap with the dogs.

As for the Zoom call yesterday?  There were 17 of us.  One chose to shut down his camera so all we saw was his name.  Unfortunately, he tried to dominate the conversation.  Not a good thing.  We were part of a large division (OI) made up of air and surface radars, and EW (electronic something or other, not warfare).  The EW kept pretty much to themselves.  However, the person trying to dominate the call was from... the EW.  I suggested to a friend that maybe smaller meetings, rather then larger groups might work better.  See, sometimes smaller can be very, very good.

Tasty Greek

 Today is going to be chock full of stuff, time consuming stuff, and hopefully fun (mostly) stuff.  

At 10:15 this morning I'm scheduled to get my 2nd shot.  That means driving 38 miles back to my home town of Lebanon.  I don't mind.  The sooner a majority of us get vaccinated, the safer things will be... and maybe we'll be able to legitimately cut back on wearing masks, unlike Texas and Mississippi which uncontrollably and prematurely ejaculated their mandates.  

Around 1300 this afternoon, I'm supposed to participate in a Zoom meeting with some of Navy Buddies.  It's been over 4 decades since we talked.  There were 2 small reunions on the west coast a few years back which I didn't attend.  None of us who live on the East Coast made the trip.  However, you can Zoom from anywhere in the country.  

And then this evening I'm going to the movies.  Now, won't that be nice.  

Yesterday, after one of my running jogs, I cooked up a Greek dish, chicken, peppers, and other veggies.  The recipe was for 4 servings, wrong.  This is going to be lunch for the next couple of days since I ended up with around 8 servings.  Believe me, it is very, very tasty!

I saw an interesting thing regarding America's worst president ever, that being he was going to continue his faux run for 2024.  Dumb shit MAGA's are sending him cash.  Oh, of course, those donations are going to super PAC he started, but since it's a personal PAC he has access to the funds.  That means he can write himself checks.  Yep, he can pay himself a salary.   For him, this is free cash.  And I do believe it is Tax Exempt since it is not considered earnings.  He's going to milk this faux run for as long as he can.  This man has never demonstrated one whit of integrity in his entire life, why should he start now?

Toothless

 Friday... and my weekend begins.  

I slept in until 0600, usually I'm up at 0500.  Truthfully, I was awake before the alarm went of, I just lazed around dozing.  What really roused my ass was Lily going downstairs and barking at an early morning dog walker.  

Last evening, I watched "Brittany Runs a Marathon."  I had seen the trailer some time back and thought the movie looked... well, like it might be fun.  Ouch.  Billed as a comedy, there are funny moments, but this story of an over weight party girl who takes up running to get healthy, and ends running the NYC marathon turns into what some might call a dramedy.  If you like movies about chubby, self-entitled women whose lives are built around a string of clichés Brittany might be the movie for you.  It took me 2 glasses of wine to get through this mess, so that's what I'm rating it.  🍷🍷

Of course, I'm going to do some editing today.  And I want to get in a bike ride or a run.  And I also want to try and find a healthy Instant Pot recipe.  

If you're paying any attention to American politics, you've noticed that the party of "No" has returned.  If you has thought there might some bipartisanship between the 2 parties, you can forget it right now, not while the GOP worships the Loser.  The only thing left for us Centrists to do is knock their legs out from under them, and then kick them in the teeth a couple of times when they're down.  Not until they are toothless will they ever learn a lesson.

Do you wanna see what it looks like?

 Today just happens to be my Friday.  Yep, after I leave work this evening I will be off for 2 consecutive days.  Now ain't that just great!  And after that I work for 3 and have another of my weekends.  This is a schedule I can work with.  Vacation is on the books for mid-April.  And I still have some of that Covid time to use before July.

And, since I suspect there might be a few out there interested in seeing what it looks like, here's a page from The Body in the Loch during the editing process.  I don't always use red ink, usually I do my markings with what ever pen is handy.  And in the final manuscript, I usually edit what I've already edited, so I'm the only one at present who knows how much of this actually made the cut.  I will give you a clue, though:  Eli and Max are still drinking wine.

As with all companies, retail or otherwise, I work with deniers, fools who believe masks are useless, that they don't work.  Yesterday I almost had words with one.  An older man, he has been born again into the Cult of Trump.  Given the opportunity, he will spit forth the venerated lies of the failed president.  He was in the lunchroom as I was leaving last evening propagandizing and we almost had words.  Nothing will change his mind.  So I told him to shut up and walked away.  He will perpetually be drinking from the fountain of untruth.  To do otherwise would cause the fibrous joints in his cranium to explode possibly injuring those nearby with shards of stupidity.  This is also the man who sat in the lunchroom and said with pompous authority that Biden will never be president.  He's going to be eating that shit sandwich for quite some time.

The eyes have it

 I had my eye exam yesterday.  The pressure in my right eye is 22, in the left it's 20, which are boarder line pressure readings...  However, mine haven't changed in 3 years so that might be standard pressure for my eyes.  I'm scheduled for another pressure test in 6 months.  That's fine.  I do have a several vials of prescription drops sitting in my refrigerator which have expired, so they're getting tossed.

There were a number of people at the VA clinic getting their Covid shots.  No line.  If I had waited, I probably could have gone there.  It doesn't make any difference to me.  I don't mind driving down to Lebanon.  Every time I go down it's old home day for me as I drive through the town letting the memories wash over me.  Never forget your youth.  

My brother is now saying Covid is a horrible disease.  He has come a long way from when he said it was serious.  That happens when someone you know gets sick.

The temps here are supposed to go up to 55 (F).  Now isn't that nice.

And the decorations have begun to arrive for my Spring Tree.  It's going to be so different from the Winter Tree.  More colorful.  I can't wait until the first day of spring to start decorating.

And what about that Madison Cawthorn?  The pretty boy fascist from North Carolina.

Fictionalist might be more accurate.  Or lying sack of shit.  Or how about just calling him a Republican since that covers all the above bases.  The Charlotte Observer has called him a GOP Creation and a North Carolina embarrassment.  I don't doubt for a second that he is without conscience.  He's lied about the accident which left him paralyzed, accusing the driver of the car of running away.  Didn't happen that way.  He's said he was nominated to go to the Naval Academy by Mark Meadows and was accepted.  That didn't happen.  His nomination was rejected.  And the sexual harassment claims are beginning to pile on.  I'm sure there are many who find his looks pretty to the eye.  Don't believe it.

Honesty and Decency

 Today will be a short day at work.  I have an eye exam.  There's a good possibility I'll be doing dilation tricks this afternoon.  This means when my Optometrist says "let me look deeply into your eyes" it has more to do with cones and rods and the lining of the back of my eyeball.  The main purpose is to see if my glaucoma has progressed, or if the disease is still locked behind some sort of stasis field.  Hopefully, there will not be a return to eyedrops.  

Andy Towle has retired his blog, Towleroad.  I've read it daily for so many years.  It will be missed.

Besides being Tuesday, today is also garbage day... and it's windy; not as bad this morning as it was last evening, which is why I waited to put out my trash.  The gustiness last evening, besides knocking over my resin lawn furniture, took out several of my neighbor's recycle cans.  Now empty aluminum cans clitter clatter as they chase each other down the street.

I got a text from my brother yesterday, my sister-in-law has tested positive for Covid 19.  If she has any underlying health issues, I've not heard of them.  He told me he hasn't been tested for is showing minor symptoms.  This is how it goes.  I go for my 2nd shot on Saturday.  I can't wait.  They say the second dose packs a bit of a punch.  Gee... I'm supposed to go to the movies Saturday night.  If they show up, I hope they wait until after the show.  As for Sunday?  If I'm feeling a bit of the malaise, I have no problem taking off work.

So, CPAC is over and all of those Cracker Jack Crazies have gone home to incubate their Big Lies and Bitter Hatreds all the while Biden's approval rating continues to climb.  The GOP's failed president topped off at 48%.  It's bad when more then half the country don't like you.  However, when you hit 61%, as Biden has, well, that's a very good thing.  And amazingly, 63% now say the country is on the right track.  Let me translate for those Conservatives out there:  Lies and Hate fail, Honesty and Decency triumph.

A bit about Stew and a bit about Nazis

 We are now 3 weeks away from spring.  Ain't it great?  I have begun ordering decorations for the seasonal tree and they should start arriving any day now.

I made beef stew in the Instant Pot yesterday, took 35 minutes.  Tasty, but not great.  The recipe called for a can of tomato sauce, which gives it too much of a tomatoy undertone.  I want my beef stew to be hearty, with a full beefy flavor, not like I poured in a can of spaghetti sauce by mistake.  Otherwise, the recipe is sound, I'll just have to find an alternative sauce... or gravy.  Oh, and add more potatoes.  

Speaking of beef, Lily is running around the house with the tip of a Puperoni sticking out the front of her mouth like a meaty little cigar.  I warned her, she better eat that thing or Biggy will.

The hate festival that is known as CPAC is now over.  I don't know for certain, but I do believe only white Evangelicals attended, many of whom, though not all, swore their allegiance to Failure.  In a straw poll, their Loser president only received 55% of the vote supporting him for a 2nd presidential run in 2024.  Ouch.  

And, of course, there was a bit of an issue with their stage.  Someone though it a great idea to design it in the shape of a rune used by the Nazis.  Hyatt Hotels is pissed, putting a press release slamming hatred.  Let's see... I guess that means this year's CPAC celebrated a golden statue, a Nazi symbol, and a tin foil dictator wannabe... Did I miss anything?  Here's a picture of the stage, and the symbol, and also a flag from the riot of January 6.  Are there any questions?

Can they get any more evil?