The Reds Have It

Well, the heat is gone.  A front moved through the area and we've been left with cloudy skies and drizzles.  If you're in Central PA and had plans for a big Memorial Day weekend bash, they're going to be washed out.  the rain will be hanging around until Monday.  Temps will not climb into the 70s (F).  We have returned to sweatshirt and sweatpants weather.  I have no problem with this. The hot days of summer are going to be here soon enough.

And yesterday sort of fit into the pattern of the last few Wednesdays.  I did chores: laundry, dishes, and some yardwork, but mostly I did nothing.  I did spend a lot of time thinking, something I enjoy doing regularly.  Too many people don't think.  They don't like to ponder.  I do think that too many would rather subsist than participate.  They prefer a life filled with the doldrums, where the slightest breezy thought might make them consider something.  Thinking might actually be rapidly becoming a lost art.  The don't like news that upsets them, so what they do watch or read has been candied down into something less substantive than salt water taffy.  Me?  I'll take the peanut butter brittle any day.

I am scheduled to work today, but to celebrate the autumn-like weather, I've decided to stay home and fry up some latkes.  

I took this pic on Tuesday.  As you can see, all of my reds are... well red; the rose in the foreground and Howie in the background.  

Just because yesterday was a slow day doesn't mean that I spent the time scrolling endlessly through social media.  I did do some research on primary elections, and who can and who cannot vote.  In PA, we have a closed primary.  Democrats can only vote for Democrats, and Republicans can only vote for Republicans.  Those registered as Independents can't vote at all. This means that 1.4 million Pennsylvanians can't vote in the primary.

The same is true in Kentucky... somewhat.  Registration is cut off a month before the primary and you can't switch parties.  So, if you're registered as a Republican and you hate what's going on in Washington, you're still going to have to vote Republican.  The 11% who are registered as Independent or nonaffiliated could not vote for Massie.

And Georgia is different from both Pennsylvania and Kentucky.  

So, primary elections are not the bellwethers that some believe them to be.  For example, we'll need to wait until the midterm in Kentucky to see if those 45% who voted for Massie and the 11% who couldn't vote, will vote for Orangie's personal choice.  Primaries provide us with the candidates, they do not give us a hint as to who's going to win in the General Election.

Primary Positive

So, our temps didn't get up to 98 (F) yesterday,  they only hit 95 (F).  This afternoon, they might hit 90 (F) before the storms move in and cool things down.  For those Memorial Day party people, it looks as though we're going to have a drizzly holiday, at least on Sunday.  By Monday, things should be warming up again, though not into the 90s (F).  

Yesterday was sort of good, sort of meh.  Things got done, and some things didn't.  My bicycle ride in the afternoon was delayed because of a Microsoft update on my sporting laptop.  Usually updates take about 2 minutes, this one took almost 5.  After the laptop finally restarted, I had to close the tab that was going to show me all the new and wonderful things the update was giving me.  About those new and wonderful things, I have checked them out in the past and none of them have ever improved my computing experience.  And, of course, I couldn't sign into the Tacx training app.  There was no screen for me to log in.  So, I turned the laptop off, and then back on, and still had the same problem.  There were other issues, as well. When I finally did get to the log in screen, it timed out before the connection could be made.  Over 40 minutes later it got sorted out and I could finally get in my ride.

I've been working on a short video to introduce The Body in 4/4 Time.  YouTube advertises an editor, however it's only available on mobile, which is not what I want.

On my 3nd playthrough of Expedition 33:  I am approaching the end.  Last evening it took me 25 minutes to kill one of the bigger bosses.  It was so great!  I was so pumped!  Still, I do know that very shortly I'm going to need to start looking for another game to play.  This looks interesting:

Yesterday was primary day in a number of states.  I had been hoping that Massie, from Kentucky, might pull a victory from his hat.  Allies for the Orange Anus spent upwards of $30 million to defeat him, and MAGA cultists did what their demigod wanted.  Massie got 45% of the vote, his opponent, Ed Gallrein got 55% of the vote.  Gallrein is a Netanyahu support, in case you were wondering. The cultists are dancing around like this was the 2nd, or 3rd, or 4th coming.  Massie has 7 months left in office, prediction markets are saying that he's going to take a flamethrower to the GOP.  You have to give it to the cultists, they sure do know and embrace their stupidity.  They actually believe that the 45% of voters who supported Massie are actually going to bow their heads and vote Republican in the primary.  That 45% is just as pissed off as Massie is.  Come November, they will either stay home, or vote Democrat.  The way Orangie's approval rating keeps dropping, many of those voters might actually be voting Democrat for the first time in their lives.  The cultists simply do no know how much America hates Donald J. Trump.

The $1.776 Billion Dollar Theft

Our outside temp here in Central PA is 72 (F).  Last evening, on my drive home from work, the temp was 94 (F).  Today was supposed to just as hot, but now, maybe not so much.  The forecast is for temps to be just shy of 95  (F), which is just a mite cooler than yesterday.  Tomorrow, we should be topping off in the mid 80s (F).  Then we're heading back down to more seasonable temps.

Before going to work yesterday, and after my workout, I did begin to seasonize my house for summer.  The little window A/C unit is now in the training room.  It's a Media which gets good ratings, however, I need to run it on high for it to work well.  Why put a window unit in the workout/computer room?  Because that room has a shared vent with the big bedroom.  Because of the way my vents are set up, the Central Air in my house is super great downstairs, not so great upstairs.  I blame the installer who was more interested in selling an install then in upgrading the venting.  My return vent on the second floor is on the floor.  That does absolutely nothing when it comes to circulating the air.

Flooring was slow yesterday.  After 1:30 PM, I was the only sales specialist at the flooring desk.  There was also an aisle associate, but when I left at 7, it was just him, and him alone.  Needless to say, sales were not good, so the staffing was not needed.  We did do good business in window A/C units, however.  

And yesterday this happened.

It happened just before I went to work, before it became a raging inferno of anger.  This morning, all I could do as I scanned through burning headlines, and scrolled down through the searing comments on social media, I could only wonder at the overwhelming stupidity... and greed, of this president.  And if the theft of tax payer dollars wasn't bad enough, nestled in this agreement is a statement saying that neither this president, nor any member of his family, nor his companies, can ever be audited again.  If this is allowed, he and his children will be allowed to steal and grift for all of eternity.  To say this is not sitting well with the American people would be an understatement.   Some think he's going to use this money to set up his own private army, not me.  That would mean spend money.  He only spends other people's money, never his own.  I think he and his advisors know the midterms are going to be brutal, that he's going to be impeached a third time.  I suspect that this $1.776 billion will be moved someplace safe.  After the Republicans lose badly with the midterms, I think he's going to create as much chaos as possible, and then take the money and run.  This is what he's done in the past, with his bankruptcies.

Bombing Moscow

Yesterday the temp got up to 89 (F).  I consider that warm.  Today and tomorrow the forecasters are saying that our high temps are going to hit 98 (F).  That's hot.  That's mid July weather, not middle of the month of May weather.  Thursday a cooling trend is predicted to start with high temps for the rest of the week hovering in the mid to upper 70s (F).  Start prepping for the heat waves now.

I had lunch with my friend Betsy yesterday.  We always do Chinese buffet for the meal and Dairy Queen for the dessert.  This is our routine.  Conversation is always good.  Sometimes if revolves around age, since both of us are getting older; there ain't no stopping that.   She rents and I feel bad about that for her.  But then at some point, all of us seniors will end up paying some form of rent, either to a landlord or to a senior living facility.  American capitalism dictates that unless we are wealthy, we will always owe.  At least I will have a financial cushion when I sell my house.  That's something many will not have.

The thought had occurred to me to take the day off using the warm temps as an excuse, but I probably won't. It's not as though I have any plans to occupy my time.  So, I suppose I'll be punching for my normal Monday shift.

And here's a real old pic of me from high school.  While this isn't dated, I think it's from 1969, the year I graduated.  This was long before I could grow a moustache.  Don't those lapels rock!

One of the things that came up in my conversation with Betsy yesterday was, as you might expect, the Orange Anus.  She had a very dim view of our future, believing the Republicans are going to destroy everything.  I did my best to convince her otherwise, whether I was successful or not is anybody's guess.  It did brighten her day when I showed her the pics and videos of Moscow being hit by drones and missiles.  It's my understand that internet coverage was shut down in large swaths of the country.  A spokesperson for Orangei's blow bro Vlad shrieked that Ukraine had stooped to terrorism, and the world laughed at him.  Vlad's in a bit of a stinky mood.  He had to cut short his VE parade.  The Russia economy is in the shitter.  He's relying on North Korean solders to help on the battlefield.  And now Moscow being bombed.  I'm wondering how long it will be before he slips, trips, and falls out of a wndow.

And finally, the blasphemers gathered on the Washington Mall yesterday in an attempt to spread their heresy.  Like everything associated with the Orange Anus and his regime, the fools our going to fail badly.  Everything he touches dies.

The Beauty of Roses

 Outside the temp is 63 (F) and inside the house it's 71 (F), and it's going to get warmer both inside and out.  Our expected high for this afternoon is 87 (F).  The actual heat doesn't arrive until tomorrow and Tuesday when our daily highs will be in the upper 90s(F).  While my ground floor will stay comfortable in this type of heat, my second floor, which is usually about 8 - 10 degrees warmer, will be cooking.  I don't doubt that at some point in the next 2 days I'll be turning on the Central Air.  Beginning Wednesday, the temps are going to fall back down to what's considered more seasonable.

I worked yesterday.  It was slow.  Our garden department was still hopping.  Memorial Day is next week and customers are still dipping deep into their credit to enhance the curb appeal.  Patio sets are flying off the floor.  Unless I had mucho grande cash to burn, I'd never invest in one.  I don't spend that much time sitting out on the veranda, so I wouldn't get much use out of it.  

Since temps are going to be so warm tomorrow, I'm thinking that I might take a personal day.  I do need to have at least one reason to use that personal time.  And there are outside chores that need to get done.  I don't really mind the heat.  Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself that taking off is a good idea.

While Howie was out this morning, I took a pick of one of my rose bushes.  

I like roses.  So do the Chinese.  They also know how to insult with panache.  Putting Orangie on a lower chair so he'd have to look up to Xi was cute.  Having him walk up a super long staircase so he'd have to pause to catch his breath?  Priceless, especially for someone who likes to brag about how fit he is.  I do believe, however, their best insult was to give him rose seeds as a parting gift.  The White House rose garden was formally established in 1913.  A place of beauty, the garden was renowned for it's roses.  Orange dug it up and put in a patio.  Orangie also put in patio sets, chairs and round tables with umbrellas leaving no space to plant rose seeds.  And that's all Xi gave Orangie, no deals to grift from, no commitments for... well, anything.  All Xi offered were insults on the world stage and the words that the world sees America as a country in decline.

Howie's got a new toy!

 Well, we got a warm day in store for us here n Central PA.  Our high this afternoon is predicted to cross that 80 (F) border.  Over the next few days, temps are expected to climb into the 90s (F).  That will mean good business on window A/C units.  I have a small one I put in my workout room since there is no working vent in that room (old, old house), so it may be installed tomorrow.

Yesterday was sort of a meh day.  I did chores, but only the essential ones, like loading the dishwasher.  Of course, there are those who might not classify that as an essential chore, letting the dishes pile up in the sink.  I had a friend named Jack who did that, waiting until all of his dishes were dirty before cleaning them.  That was until one evening, while several of us were gathered around the kitchen table chatting, a mouse ran out from the pile of dishes and dashed across his kitchen counter.  I do believe he was a bit mortified.  

Otherwise yesterday was quiet.  I did do 2 of my Norwegian lessons last evening.  I should put more time into it.

Oh, and Howie got a brand new toy yesterday.  It's a 2 foot long fuzzy ferret with squeakers at both ends.  He loves it so much he took it to bed last night.

And not only was Orangie's business trip to China a failure, something being noted by so very many news outlets, he's doubling down on his comment of not caring about American citizen's finances.  He's now saying it was a "perfect statement."  Because in his mind he never makes a mistake, he will never, ever admit his comment was terrible.  The CEO is always right.  I would not be surprised if the administration, at some point, doesn't begin blaming the media, saying that they misquoted him, even though it's on video.  

We will be a nation in decline as long as Republicans and conservatives are running the country.  They have proved time and time again that they simply do not know how to govern.  The policies that satisfy a few will affect a majority in so horribly on so many different levels.  And, proving that they have no souls, Republicans and conservatives could care less.

Pillion

Our afternoon high might hit 70 (F).  That would be nice.  There is some yardwork that needs to be done.  By next week, we're going to be steamy, at least for a few days.  I'm wondering if I should put the window A/C unit in the workout room, for those days when I'm sweating my but off.

And the lack of listing updates for blogs is... weird.  According to Blogger's stats, I've had over 75,000 hits during the past 7 days, so someone, somewhere, is reading what I write.

I watched Pillion last evening.  It's been called a Rom/Com but even though there were moments of romance and definitely moments of good comedy, I think it was more of a character study of 2 individuals looking for love.  One breaks down the barriers standing in the way, the other either cannot or will not.  The key and the ring hanging around Alexander Skarsgard's neck are important.  The key may be to his motorcycle, or it may be the key to his heart, something he needs to keep safely locked up.  I liked the movie, though probably not for the reasons so many other people did.  By the way, for those who don't know, a pillion is the back passenger seat on a motorcycle.

Oh, and I worked yesterday.  I had a vinyl plank flooring sale, not an install, just a sale to a rather interesting couple.  They were older and whiter.  He asked about getting his military discount and I told him not to worry.  I asked what branch of service, he said Air Force, and went on to tell me that he'd been in Vietnam for only 21 days.  The only 21 days was important to him.  I told them I'd been in the Navy and had spent two cruises in the Western Pacific, most of that time being spent in Vietnam.  One cruise was 8 months long, the other 9 months long.  That impressed them.  She leaned forward and asked what I thought of our current president and the war in Iran.  I told her I thought he was doing a very bad job.  She was surprised.  She said, "don't you know?  He's keeping back the Muslim hoards."  I stayed silent.  Nothing was going to change their minds.  They have no idea how many Muslims work in my store, or how many Hindis.  This couple represents the ignorance of Orangie's base.  They honestly have no idea how the world works.

The Biker Bar

Well, today has started off a a chilly willy one.  We had a moderately cold 45 (F) outside when I clambered out of bed.   Ah, but don't worry, the thermometer will continue to slowly rise starting right now!  By next Thursday we should be in the mid 90s (F).  Yepper, we're going to be getting some nice July temps in May.  Let us all hope this is not meteorological foreshadowing.

Yesterday was for the most part a decent day.  After writing the blog, I got in a good workout.  I've increased the weight on the dumbbell thruster and hammer curls to 20 pounds.  As people age, they tend to go with lighter weights, I'm continuing to go heavier.  Muscle building is important.  I do not want to enter the age of atrophy until much later in life.

Using the last of a loaf of bread I baked last week, yesterday morning, I baked a nice bread pudding. It's delicious.  In the afternoon, I made moussaka.  It's tasty, but definitely not the best to come out of my oven.  I substituted fresh crushed tomatoes instead of canned, and there was a difference.  In fact, I ended up using many variations of the ingredients, including soy sauce.  As I said, it's tasty, but definitely not Greek.

In Expedition 33, I'm at the point where I'm just fighting boss, after boss, after boss.  Some of the fights take 20 minutes or so, and as long as I win without dying, I don't care.  There is more than a little exhilaration when defeating a much more powerful enemy.  And the reward is always... well, quite rewarding.  

And since we are in May and Memorial Day is approaching, I thought I'd post of pic of myself at a Memorial Day party in 1995.  Those red sweat pants?  I wore those into a biker bar once.  I was only there to pick up a 6-pack (beer).  If I'm remembering correctly, even the jukebox stopped playing.  I have to laugh about that now.  And don't I look pretty tiny for being 6 feet tall.  Must have been a really big chair.

So, Orangie, with a gaggle of oligarchs, is in China.  Some of his cabinet 1 percenters are with him.  As someone pointed out this looks more like a business trip rather than one concerned with politics.  Elonia is with him.  In fact, the 2 of them walked side by side down the red carpet.  Elonia is evidently substituting for Melanoma, who must have had better things to do.  His son Eric is along the for the wheeling and dealing.  I did tell you this was a business trip.  I doubt if anything productive will come of it that will help any of the middleclass in America.  Those on the lower financial levels can be totally guaranteed to get nothing of value.

The petition to recall Governor Landry in  Louisiana easily got the required number of signatures and has been filed.  He's the governor who shut down an election after votes had been cast in order to gerrymander.  Pardon my French, but this man is dumb as a fucking brick. He's done far worse than put on a pair of red sweat pants and saunter into a biker bar.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Out outside temp is 57 (F), but cooler temps are on their way.  Later this morning clouds are supposed to roll into the area bringing with them showers and possibly a thunderstorm.  The cooler temps will last for a few days, until a heatwave moves into the area.  Will it get hot enough to turn on the Central Air?  We'll have to wait and see.

And this is a Blogger Alert.  I always check to see if you're daily writings have updated in the "blogs I read," side bar.  Yesterday, it appeared as though no one was writing.  I checked in the late afternoon and the blogs hadn't been updated from the day before.  Last evening, when I got home, I began clicking on the links and discovered even though everyone had posted something, nothing had updated.  Maddie said that my post didn't show up until quite late.  This is irritating.

Otherwise, yesterday was a good day.  Grocery shopping in the morning.  The bluish plants I bought were planted.  I had a decent ride on the bicycle, once again on the Majorca ride.  Quite a few loads of laundry were done.  And then it was off to the movies.

I went to see The Devil Wears Prada 2.  It was enjoyable.  In an audience of around 50, there were 3 other men besides myself.  That is is the golden definition of a chick flick.  Streep was good.  Tucci was good.  Hathaway was... bland.  Lady Gaga shows up and I flinched since the only reason she was in the film was to sing a song (and it wasn't one of her best).  Even though the dialog was fine, the movie is old time Hollywood formulaic: forty minutes of intro, forty minutes of drama, and then forty minutes of resolution.  At one point Hathaway tells Emily Blunt she's iconic and I laughed out loud.  I was the only to do so, but then I'm not a chick and fashion is not my strong suite.

The Orange Anus is in China trying to whip up some personal deals so he and his billionaire buddies make more money while America goes broke.  Remember when we used to have presidents that actually put the country first, rather than greedily licking their chops as they salivated about all the personal deals they were going to broker for themselves?  Wouldn't it be nice if we had a political party in charge that wasn't totally about "what's in it for me?"  The sad truth is that Republicans have been so desperate for years, they don't care how evil he is as long as they're in charge.

Before the left, Orangie was asked about what he was going to do about helping Americans financially and his response was:

A Few Winks in the Oval Office

 It's 41 (F) outside.  That's chilly.  Well, I might even go so far as to say that it's cool.  Temps will be warming up for this afternoon.  We will again be in the mid to upper 60s (F).  For those dreaming of the hot days of summer, don't fret.  Next Wednesday we should sitting in the low 90s (F).  That's right, we'll be sultry, but only for a few days.

Yesterday morning's workout went well.  I'm doing alternating bench presses with 25 pound dumbbells.  Of course, at some point I'll be upping that to 30 pounds.  Monday is also the day for alternating leg extensions.  We'd adjust that down to 20 pounds after the pull on my quad.  Well, that was a pretty useless weight, so I upped it to 30 pounds.  Next week it might be back up to 50 pounds.

Retail was so damn boring.  I easily got my steps in.  And whether we wanted to or not, corporate has moved us into the new the Specialty Project Tool.  In some ways it's complicated.  Using it will entail have a lot of windows open.  Floor plans are on one screen, pictures are on another.  I worked on a quote that had some issues with the first time the customer had been measured, so a second measure was done yesterday morning.  None of the previous notes transferred over to the new system and we don't have the ability to see earlier comments by the measure tech, or changes that we did to the quote.  I suspect this will only be a problem with the older quotes.  I suspect there won't be a problem with the newer quotes.

For those of you interested, here's a picture of me on a cold January morning in 1993 at Bill Clinton's first inauguration.  I had a lot more hair back then.

Did you all get a chance to look at the video of the Orange Anus sleeping yesterday?  For those who missed it, I took a screen print.  If you get a chance, look up the video, it's quite amusing to watch the people behind him as they realized he's zonked out to the world.  Dr. Oz, in particular, gets an "oh, shit," look on his face. 

So, how desperate are the Republicans about the midterms?  Very.  That's why their involved in so much illegal gerrymandering.  The idea of losing both the House of Representatives and the Senate simply terrifies them.  It also terrifies the Supreme Court as well.  Accountability is something they dread in every cell of their bodies.  They're also terrified that all they're doing to stay in power will proved to he useless.  Except for billionaires and cultists, no one is happy with the job that they are doing.  But then, this should be a known fact by now:  Republicans simply have no idea how to govern.  They want to dictate.  They don't care how badly they ruin things, just as long as they're in charge.  That's going to change, and they're terrified.  Good.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Good Monday morning!  We are starting the new week with temps in the mid 40s (F).  Things are supposed to heat up a bit and by this afternoon we should be in the mid 60s (F).  That's not bad for this time of year.  There is a heat wave that's going to be moving east that's threatening to ratchet up the temps quite a bit, but that's not until next week, and how high they'll go is anybody's guess.

Since yesterday was Sunday, it was a full work day for me.  Boy was it slow.  We did have a customer come in wanting to pay for an install, but he also wanted us to give him a $700 credit from a promotion that expired a week ago.  I told him no, he would need to come back and talk to the associate who, he claimed, told him we would give him the discount.  That was wrong of me.  I should have called management and let them give him the bad news.  You have no idea how often these incidents happen.  They are a constant.  This customer will come back in on Wednesday when the associate is working, and they'll give him the expired promotion.  Last week we had a customer who had an $8000 install and he told us that he'd pay for it then and there, but only if we gave him $700.  There was no promotion going on.  I told him "no," and he insisted on talking to management.  The manager gave him $200 off.  These people are breaking the system and management is going to let them break it in order to get the reduced sale.

I watched Remarkably Bright Creatures last evening.  It's on Netflix.  I liked it a lot.  Sally Field, who going to be 80 (something) does a remarkably good job portraying a mother still coming to terms with tragedy.  Lewis Pullman does a good job a portraying a man realizing that not all dreams come true, and why EELS are important.  It's quite touching at times.  And, of course, there is Marcellus, the octopus.

And there was a very good opinion piece in the Guardian this morning on the Republican party.  Sydney Blumenthal makes some very good points about why the GOP refuses to stand up to him.  My opinion is that in their heart of hearts, every Republican Senator and Congressman is as cowardly as the Orange Anus.  They are both loud and spineless as they bend their knees to the power they've always wanted.  They will parrot and amplify every lie because it's so easy to do.  The truth is that they simply don't care about either America, or it's people.  Like Orangie, it's all about themselves.

Does anyone know if the ceasefire with Iran is on?  Or is it off?  Because it's Monday, I suppose that it is still on.  TACO doesn't happen until Tuesday.  Either way, gas prices are going to go higher.  This is a given.  Not that anyone in the GOP objects, that would mean opposing their glorious leader.  In the meantime, Iran is going to continue to troll the hell out of him.

Vlad's Teeny, Tiny Party

So, it's Sunday, a day of rest, and I'm going to work all day.  My rest days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Hopefully the weather will be warmer on those days. That doesn't mean it's not going to get warm today.  This afternoon's temp is going to be in the low 70s (F).  Tomorrow, however, the daily highs are will start a run of afternoon highs in the upper 60s (F).  Believe me, those are not bad temps.  There are very few of us who want to jump into the hot, hot days of summer.

I have no workouts scheduled on Saturdays, so yesterday was a rather easy day for me.  I did do things in the morning.  This doesn't mean that anything was actually done.  Drizzle started in the morning and ended fall throughout Central PA until mid afternoon.  Eventually the sun came out, so when I left work everything was nice.

Retail was interesting.  I sold my tile floor job.  I got a measure.  Management should be happy.  I'm going to miss my sales goal for the week, but then sales are down.  Biggly.  How do I know?  I can see all of the sales figures for every flooring specialist in our district.  Of the over 25 flooring specialists, only a handful have positive numbers. That tile job I sold was for $902.  People are beginning to cheap it out.

Here's a pic of the purply flowers I bought.  They'll be planted tomorrow morning.

So, Orangie's blow bro Vlad threw a party for Victory Day and nobody came... well, that's not quite right.  There was a small crowd.  I believe the fact that there was a internet blackout over all of Moscow probably had something to do with that.  Also, the fact that there was a threat of a Ukrainian attack might have effected the turnout as well.  The North Koreans were there.  I didn't see an exact count, but it may have been that there were more North Koreans marching in the parade than Russians, perhaps because so many Russians have died in Putin's useless war.  He's becoming a very unpopular person in Russia, and this is good.

And the fallout continues to grow for Orangie's golden statue.  You know it's bad when is televangelist friend and crackpot Mark Burns is running around shrieking "it's not a golden calf!"  No, it isn't.  It's a 22 foot golden statue of Orangie swathed in a flowing robe, and he prayed over it and blessed it.  Mark Burns must not believe in the 2nd commandment.

Finally, Secretary of Transportation is getting a lot of grief because he and his family recorded a reality TV show of them traveling across the country.  Maybe if he were doing his job, a man wouldn't have been hit and killed by a Frontier plane taking off yesterday.  That's right, a man was hit by a plane.

Trump Idolatry

Well, we have 53 (F) outside with rain on the way.  Possibly lots of rain.  And high winds, along with hail.  Today's high will only climb a few degrees.  Things are predicted to start warming up tomorrow.  I find that amusing when I think back to the daily highs of 15 (F) we were having back in February.    What a difference a few months make.

Yesterday was a good day.  Laundry was done.  Shopping was done.  I got a nice bicycle ride in on Majorca.  It's called the monastery ride because you cycle past a number of monasteries, however you're on a bike and you cycle past them so fast you're driving by monasteries.  I also bought 2 purpley flowers to plant next to my raised bed garden.  Flower draw buzzy bees that are necessary in pollination, which is essential for the growth of fruit and vegetables.

I thought Six's comment  yesterday on seeing a coconut that was older than many of the people he knows was amusing. I'd never actually thought of that.  In fact, I rarely think about being older or younger than people around me.  For some, this seems to be an issue with the aging process, the fact that they want to try and fit into a younger world.  Me?  I really don't care.  I talk to everyone. 

And yesterday this happened in Mar a Lago.  A group of MAGA Evangelical leaders gathered there to bless and pray for a golden statue of the Orange Anus.  There's something wrong with incorporating Old Testament idolatry into the Federal Government.  

One thing I've been seeing more frequently on the internet and social media is the idea that America might now be in the last stage of American Capitalism.  The association of capitalism to cancer is... intriguing.  This isn't to say that capitalism in in itself is bad, but that American capitalism is; we seem to be a country focused on selfishness and greed.  The last stage is in reference to stage 4 cancer, in which death is ready to start knocking on the door.  When members of Orangie's administration publicly state that it's a good thing for Americans to use credit to pay for their essentials, their food and their meds, that's last stage American capitalism.  We are in a state of financial feudalism.  At some point a break is going to happen.  Then billionaires will move into their compounds as the world's economy crashes around them.

Ain't That A Shame

Good morning, World.  Here in Central PA our temps are a chilly 52 (F).  The day was nice and sunnier when I sat down at my laptop,  but there is some serious cloudiness going on outside.  Drizzling showers are in the forecast.  The temps, however, will continue to rise in to the mid to upper 60s (F).  Our weather pattern is not going to change until Sunday, when our days will begin, once again, to get warmer.

Yesterday was fine.  I got a nice workout in before going to work.  Retail, however, was boring.  There was an unexpected and rather unwanted surprise, however, when I sat down at the flooring desk.  We've switched to a new software called Specialty Projects Tool, or SPT for short.  There were rumors this was going to happen, but no specific date was given, just as no specific training was assigned to any of the specialists.  Surprise!  Our kitchen designers have had this software for some time and they hate it.  When setting up a carpet measure we're now required to asked questions like, "What is the total budget for your project?  What 3 carpet styles are you interested in?  Which carpet style do you really love?  List them in preferred order, 1, 2, and 3."  All the questions are qualifying, the idea being that once the quote is finished the customer will automatically pull the trigger.  It doesn't work like this.  Most people don't want to give you their total budget.  Most people don't want to make a snap decision on purchasing an install.  Most people like to think about spending $4000 for new carpet.  This new software seeks to eliminate the thinking process.  Pushing this process through will, at least as far as I'm concerned, will lead to much buyer's remorse.  People who suffer from buyer's remorse are not return shoppers.

Anyway, I mentioned the fact that after I was born my grandparents, with my Aunt Lois in tow, traveled from Pine Grove, PA, down to Biloxi, MS.  I believe I mentioned that when the returned, they brought with them a coconut one of the picked up on the beach.  I still have it.  Here it is, my 73 year old coconut.  I put a coat of varnish on it to help preserve it.

I saw where the Department of Justice, with Orangie's personal attorney, Todd Blanche is going to be investigating Orangie's illegal habit of selling pardons.  The rumored understanding is that a pardon will cost you between $1 million and $6 million dollars.  Of course, with Blanche involved, this investigation is going to go nowhere.  Still, it will give the impression to those MAGA cultists sitting on the fence about whether or not to jump ship, that everything about Orangie is above board.  

And I understand that Orangie's blow bro Vlad is worried about the Victory Day parade that's to be held in Moscow.  Drones could be a real downer if they crash into it.  Vlad also has some serious concern about possibly being assassinated because... well, his little excursion in the Ukraine has taken a lot longer than 3 days.  And then there's the fact that Orbin, his henchie in Hungary is no longer in power.  In fact, so much seems to be going wrong for Vlad these days.  In fact, it seems as though Vlad's ready to throw himself a pity party.  Now, ain't that a shame.

Max Sullivan

At 50 (F), our outside temp is on the cool side.  The forecast is for the afternoon sun to warm us up to at least 60 (F), plus maybe a few extra degrees.  There are warmer days in the forecast, but not until Monday.  We'll have sunshine today and tomorrow, but then clouds are going to roll in for the week with a serious likelihood of rain over the weekend.  Rain is good, at least until I hose to replace the one I threw away.

Yesterday was a decent day.  I didn't go anywhere, but I did get a really good workout in; the issues with my left knee appear to have worked themselves out.  Bread was also baked, and several loads of laundry done.  

After my aunt's funeral, my cousin gave a number of pictures of the Snyder family to us surviving members, pictures with our parents when they were younger.  My brother got those with my dad, I got one with both my parents.  It did however inspire me to go through one of my own boxes of pictures.  Quite a number of them ended up in the trash because they were duplicates, or pastoral scenes from places that I barely remember.  Of those I saved, I thought I'd start posting them here to give you all a better idea of my past.  There's not going to be any sort of chronological order, I'm just going to reach into the box and pull out and scan it.  Today you're going to meet Max, full name Maxwell Sullivan, my ginger cat who lived to be 21 years old.  Max Sullivan, in my books, is named after Max the cat.  Here he is sitting on the newel post of my staircase.  I stripped all the many layers of old paint off only to discover that the wood was is such bad shape it needed to be repainted.

My neighbor's son is home from college, he's going to Temple University.  He's much smarter than his parents.  This leads to friction between all of them.  Last night they had a loud, screaming argument.

In case you haven't realized it, Orangie's ballroom is all about stealing from the American taxpayer.  As a result, it's very unpopular and has little support from Americans.  How low is that support?  More people support the belief in ghosts than want this stupid ballroom to be built.

And it appears that Orangie's Project Freedom, his plan to use the US military to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz was shut down by the Saudis.  The US is no longer allowed to use any of the military airports or the airspace.  The Saudis have also cancelled the LIV golf tournament.  Hhhmm, makes one wonder if they no longer need Orangie.  Like a 2 bit whore, he prostituted America to them in exchange for real estate deals.  I wouldn't be surprised if they've already shut down his dreams of having a Trump Tower in Riyadh.

Drizzles

We have drizzles here in Central PA.  Our temp is going to be very static today, neither rising nor falling, but hovering at 65 (F).  That's not a bad temp for Spring.  Our skies are seriously clouded over and, as I said, we have drizzles.  If they'll develop into soaking rains is anybody's guess, though that possibility certainly exists.  At this time of year, rain is nice.

Much was accomplished yesterday.  Two more veggie plants were purchased and planted.  I'd been hoping to find an eggplant, that hope was smashed when I walked down row after row of seedlings and found mostly tomato and pepper plants.  I stood and counted, there were 17 zucchini plants and 9 cucumber plants.  Since I've already planted 6 tomato plants, I went with 1 green pepper and 1 cucumber.  I also bought a pink thing.  The idea is to surround the raised garden with flowering plants to make the veggie flowers interesting to all the flying insects, bees included, in my back yard.  Here's the pink thing, it's supposed to get about a foot wide.

Howie got a hold of one of the small, disposable plastic containers and brought it into the house where, using a slice of ham, I bribed him into giving it to me.  This morning I threw it away.  As I walked down the back steps, I told him "this is trash," and after throwing it into the recycle bin I turned to see my neighbors heading back into their house.  I did what I always do when I see them, I said a cheery "morning," and was ignored.  They had a loud argument either very late last night or very early this morning.  This is the new normal I got ever since they moved in.

And oil prices are dropping again this morning.  There was a TACO yesterday, and evidently a memo regarding the Strait of Hormuz.  I'd seen a while back that Orangie was looking for a way to get out of the war he started with Iran.  He wants to walk away and claim victory, in order for gas prices to go down.  He needs that to happen to in order for the Republicans to not totally lose out during the midterms.

Oh, and by the way, that little ballroom he wants to build?  It's now going to cost the tax payers $1 billion.  That's going to be a terrible burden for everyone young.  Their futures are going to be crippled because of the GOP.

No Tresspassing

Today's temps should be climbing into the mid 80s  (F) today, before another cold front moves through the area and drops our temps back into the 60s (F).  We do know, however, that forecasts can be whimsical as hell.  According to last week's forecast, yesterday and today were supposed to be overcast with drizzles, and we had sunshine and warm temps.

The funeral went well.  There was an open casket viewing and my cousin Robin and I agreed that my aunt Lois looked very waxy.  That's one good reason to be cremated, no one's going to critique the mortician's talent at trying to make you look lifelike.  After the service there was a reception at my cousin Holly's home.  It was small, maybe 20 people or so, most of whom I didn't know.  Many anecdotes were told.  Panera catered, which meant tasty sandwiches.  Everything went well until the conversation turned to sports, and teams, and well... subjects I am totally unfamiliar with, which was my cue to make my exit.  

I also got a nice workout in yesterday morning.

I'm off today because it's Tuesday. so I have some chores that need to be done this morning before I get a bike ride in this afternoon.  I'm thinking of planting some flowers around my raised garden.  There's nothing wrong with a little color.

And the Strait of Hormuz is still closed.

Iran said that it damaged 2 ships, one a South Korean tanker, and the administration says it didn't happen.  Unfortunately, the South Koreans have put out a statement noting that they are going to be reconsidering sending ship through the strait after one of their tankers was damaged.  Why does the administration lie so much?  Well, if you've ever worked for a large corporation, you know that the CEO is never wrong, and never makes a mistake.  We have one of the dumbest, dementiated CEOs in the world destroying this country, so should we expect anything else?

There are primaries today in several states and the GOP is looking for just the slightest ray of light, a small morsel of hope indicating that the midterms are not going to be as disastrous for them because of the Orange Anus.  As a side note, evidently the administration staff is being tutored with power point presentations on how to deal with a Democratic run House and Senate.  Somehow, I don't think they've told Orangie this is taking place.

Funerals

Well, we've got a temp of 44 (F) outside and the day is supposed to be nice and sunny.  Today's high is predicted to be in the mid 70s (F), a nice temp for a funeral.  As of right now, I'm going to my Aunt's viewing, though I don't know if there's going to be an actual open coffin viewing.  When my her husband died the casket was closed.  It seemed very odd.  The funeral is going to be held in the same room, so I may stick around, or I may just head home.  

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not a big believer in funerals.  If you're more interested in seeing who, and how many people show up, you're not really there seeking closure.  Sitting in a room while a reverend, minister, or priest spends forty minutes of your time trying to both proselytize and manipulate your feelings in order to make you cry, is not my idea of fun.  Having a reception, or a wake, where people can come together and talk creates a much more memorable experience, since most people are interested in the attendees and what they've been doing with their lives since the last funeral brought them together.  If you do feel the need for a funeral, make it small and private, with just the immediate family.  There should be no reason for you to publicize your grief.  For myself?  I'm not having one.  My wishes are to be cremated and have my ashes mixed with those of my dogs, and then spread along some woodsy path.  If people want to walk along while this happens, they're welcome to join.  No speeches, no homily, no favorite songs.  Then, afterwards, go have a glass of merlot, or nice zinfandel. 

Change of subject.

Flooring retail was financially sound yesterday.  I had 2 nice sales, got my second measure for the week and a credit card.  I'm not working today.  The most interesting part was I got to drink some watermelon soft drink.  It was quite tasty.

Reports just came in that one of our Navy vessels was hit by 2 missiles in the Strait of Hormuz.  I saw that Orangie said today was the day our sailors were going to start putting their lives on the line because of his broken war.  I've been hearing that things are going to get a lot more bloodier over there.  If that's true, a massive majority of Americans are going to be hating this administration so much.  Don't expect Orangie and his cultists to change.  All they care about is their grasp on power.  Their need to say "shut up, we're in charge," overrides and sense of responsibility.  They simply do not care about the cost in lives.  Tragically, they do believe they will be in charge for forever.

The Serpent with the Golden Tongue

 Okay, so last night was a little cold.  This morning our temp was 41 (F).  Oddly enough, they were calling for a frost warning.  I didn't see the warning which ended a short time ago, but with overnight lows in the 40s (F) there's no way we're going to have frost.  Today we start warming up again.  By Wednesday we should be in the upper 70s(F), but only for a day.  Another cold front is expected to move through the region and daily highs will drop back into the upper 60s (F).

Retail was hopping in our garden department yesterday.  There was a bit of a breeze and the temps were in the mid 50s (F), but it was so very sunny.  Today's going to be a repeat.  My flooring customer called and said she had been called in to work and so she'd be showing up today to purchase.  I also received a call from one of my carpet installs, he, too, will be showing up today.  This means I should be processing 2 sales today.  Management will like that.

I've almost reached level 80 on Expedition 33.  On my first play through, as soon as the Paintress was dispatched, I moved directly onto the endgame without even attempting some of the areas on the map, those that were far more difficult.  This time I'm effecting the challenge.  And even though the boss fights are extremely brutal, they're still a lot of fun.  I'm also learning so much more about the war between the writer's and the painters, and how it was the older daughter, Clea's jealousy and anger reached malevolent proportions.  Tonight I'm going to the Isle of Eyes.

Overnight, the Orange Anus said the Cuba was going to be next.  If you didn't expect this, you haven't been paying attention, or else you're not getting your information from the right sources.

In recent days leakers from the administration at first told us that Orangie wanted to be classified in the same group of powerful people as Alexander the Great, and Napoleon.  However, his mental deterioration has continued and we're now hearing the believes himself to be the most powerful man to ever have lived.  It's his ego, you know?  And with him talking with Putin so frequently, you know his blow Bro, Vlad, is encouraging his dementiated state.  There are some who think Vlad has extreme dirt on Orangie, I know, I used to think that.  However, more and more, as Orangie  attempts world domination, I'm think that he's being encouraged by Vlad, the serpent with the golden tongue.  Remember, in Orangie's mind Vlad is one of the greatest dictators in the world, andpraise from him is more than enough incentive to do the worst things in the world.

Affordability

Saturday!  We've got a bit of a breeze outside and, because a small cold front moved through the area last night, temps are going to be a bit cooler than yesterday's high of 63 (F).  This is fine.  We are, after all, heading right into the middle of Spring.  And that small cold front?  It brought with it a smattering of rain, that's good at this time of year.  Fill up the aquifers.  Summer is coming, and we don't want to have to deal with any drought warnings should the temps rise and hang above normal.

Yesterday was a meh day.  I was supposed to go for a ride and canceled.  My quad is still a bit achy.  Rather than exacerbate a slightly painful situation, I thought it better to sit back and take it easy.  Since no workouts are scheduled for today and tomorrow, this will be a lite weekend.  There's nothing wrong with that.

I did put in my bereavement request yesterday.  This afternoon, when I'm at work I'll check and see if they will actually pay me to take off for the death of my aunt.  When I worked for International Paper, immediate family was mother, father, sister and brother, though the Orange retailer is different, though I don't know if they'll still that different.  

And the Orange Anus spoke at The Villages yesterday.  Some of the Main Stream Media said that this was his return to the public spotlight after the staged incident at the Washington Hilton.  This is deceitful.  His ego requires his face be on some screen each and every day.  He did rant yesterday in what some of the Main Stream Media called a "profane speech."  It's about time.  The profanity?  He claims that the affordability crisis is Democratic bullshit.  Of course, if you're a billionaire there's no problem.

He also terminated the war with Iran yesterday.  Yes, that's the word he used:  terminated.  He must think that he's on some sort of presidential reality TV Show.  I don't doubt if a day doesn't go by without him asking at least one member of his staff if he's gotten his Emmy nomination yet.  Unfortunately, he's in no position to terminate anything, though he's trying daily.  He wants to terminate every policy that helps to provide a safety net for the American problem.  In case you have realized it yet, no one makes money with safety nets.  He needs those seniors at The villages to dig even deeper into their savings to pay for their Medicare.  His answer to high prices is credit.  You can afford to fill you car with gas as long as you put that charge on a credit card.  He and his billionaire buddies don't care if you struggle to pay the bill, it's not about your struggling, it's all about them hitting their profit margin.

Tunnel Vision

Outside the sun is shining brightly on Central PA.  The temps are a bit cool, sitting at a chilly 52 (F), but this afternoon things are going to be warming up.  Forecasters are telling us that we should be hitting the mid 60s (F).  This is Spring.  It's May day.  Summer is only a month and a half away.  I can't wait.

Retail was very slow yesterday.  We might have missed our plan by $100,000.  Wow!  That's a very serious dollar amount to be off.  Is it the economy?  I'd say yes.  One of my tile installs came in to go over her quote.  Some things were cut out to bring the price down.  She did not buy.  She told me that she's waiting on one more quote to come in.  She also asked if we were going to be lower than that quote.  If she thinks we're going to price match, she's wrong.  She did seem pleased when I told her that even though product prices might go up, the quote was good for a year.  I got the idea that she's planning on waiting about a month to make a decision.  

Otherwise, yesterday was pretty meh. 

My aunt's funeral is on Monday, so this morning I put in a bereavement request.  I can't remember if we get bereavement pay for aunts and uncles, though for some reason I think you do.  I think the Orange retailer I work for considers them part of your immediate family.

My friend Chris, from Greece, is in the Himalayas.  He sent this picture with a comment about it being more than 999 steps.  This is in reference to the staircase up the side of a cliff in Palamidi, Greece.

Evidently Scott Jennings, a cultist on CNN is taking a short break.  He announced this on Monday, and then last evening dropped the F bomb against Adam Mockler, a young, outspoken Liberal on TV.  People are calling for his break to be made permanent.  We shall see.

And in their haste to destroy the Voting Rights Act, the conservatives on the Supreme Court failed to look at how easily Democrats might turn it into an advantage.  This is because conservatives live for tunnel vision.  There is no big picture for them, just that tiny pinprick of reality at the end of the tunnel.  The fact that Blue states could do exactly what they want the Red states to do never occurred to them.  But then this has always been a problem with Conservatives.  They're only interested in how the policies they live for will effect themselves.  The fact that those same policies might be weaponized against them never reaches the state of a cohesive thought.  I don't doubt that it bumbles around in their brains like some nebulous incredulity, as they scratch their heads curiously saying, "what?"