Deadly Symbiosis

My weekend begins today!  I had set the alarm for 0500 planning on starting my chores early, however when the dulcet tones of Bixby roused me from my slumber I said "hell," turned her off and went back to bed for another 2 hours.
Yesterday was better than most at work.  I only had one customer, an older middle-aged man who was asking questions about hard wood flooring.  He was unhappy with my response:  "no we don't have 600 square feet of that in stock."  He shook his head in irritation "well, that's not good."  I wasn't sorry in the least.  There are much better times to go looking for hard wood flooring then during a pandemic.  I didn't tell him that since it wouldn't have made any sense to him.
We had a full moon 2 days ago, and while I looked at it, I never thought to take a picture.  Last evening, as I was letting the dogs out (yes! it was I who left the dogs out!) I decided to grab my phone and take one.  I don't know what's more interesting, the moon, or the shadow of my river birch on my neighbor's garage.

And for those of you who didn't know, Bernie's out of the race.  This is not what the Republicans wanted.  They had been praying for him to stay in until the convention.  Their prayers have not been answered.  They had been praying for he and Biden to shred each publicly.  Son of a bitch!  Those prayers have not been answered.  In fact, just the opposite is happening.  Democrats, the majority party, are beginning to unite.  This is called building a wave.  They prayed this was not going to happen.  Shit, that's another unanswered prayer.  They will see this as evil, as anything else goes contrary to their deepest belief.... that they are special.  In a way they are... and we're going to put them into their special little place.

As for the Idiot Jerk in the White House?  Prepare yourselves.  His lies will spread a stink across the land.  And his white Evangelical base?  They will swallow and regurgitate every false word that seeps from his face crack.  In case you have realized it, by now they are now in a symbiotic relationship with each other,  They feed off each other.  Remove once source of their dependency and their mutualism will die.  The easiest way to do that is vote that bastard out of office.

It Sucks to be a Conservative

Well, I baked 2 loaves of bread yesterday and... they fell.  That's right.  They were all nice and fluffy when I put them in the oven and 30 minutes later they were 2 inches high.  I'd show you pictures, but then I'd have to lie and tell you they were fat flat breads. 
There were primaries yesterday and Biden swept them all.  He offered an olive branch to the Bernie supporters and Bernie... gave a 20 minute live stream in which he talked about legislation he was going to bring to the Senate.  Hhhmmmm.  Not one word from his lips about the primaries or his continuing losing streak.  He knows which path he is walking down.  He knows his job now is to unite... and attack the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Wow, it's really going to suck to be a Conservative.
I don't dwell on the virus much.  I only looked at a map of the United States once yesterday, and that was last evening.  As of 9 PM last evening, there were 10 confirmed cases in Cumberland county.  Up here, the liquor stores closed yesterday and my brother-in-law's favorite hang-out, the Lawnton Legion was closed.  Elton John has been postponed until sometime in either late July or August.  Most Americans have been taking this virus seriously for the past 3 - 4 weeks.  Who hasn't?  Republicans.  Who doesn't understand the need for quarantine?  Republicans.  They don't understand it's going to really suck to be a Conservative.
I saw where Governor Abbott, of the once red state of Texas, has admitted publicly Covid - 19 is going to spread through the state exponentially.  In fact, this thing is going to go through those deeply red southern states like shit through a goose (Patton said that).  There are not a lot of liberals or progressives in those deeply red southern states.  All those Republicans down there are wake up (maybe) one of these mornings, wipe the sweat from their brows and cry "damn, don't it suck to be a Conservative."
I see the Idiot Jerk is telling people he knew this was going to be a Pandemic long before anyone else.  Someone should tell this dumb ass there are thousands and thousands of sound bits and video clips out there of him making the total opposite claim, that you can go to work, that it'll be over in a few weeks.  Who believes him?  His Republican base.  I don't know if they will ever understand how much it sucks to be a Conservative.
Marc had posted this a few days ago.  I thought now would be a good time to repost.

Keep in mind who put this loser into the White House.  He is not going to answer their prayers, but they are going to realize how much it sucks to be a Conservative.

Priceless

Oh, dear me, business was slow yesterday... really slow.  I wonder why?  People worried about coming down with a cold... or something?  I don't know.  Maybe it was just a slow day.  Tuesdays are like that sometimes.
Out of curiosity, I put a tad of cardamon in my oatmeal this morning.

The result is... interesting.  Normally, I only use this spice when I make Chai Tea.  For right now, I think that's where it will stay.  Oatmeal with peanut butter does not make for a good combination.
There were primaries yesterday... again.  Bernie continues to fall behind.  I saw where his speechwriter shrieked something about Warren, how her failure to jump behind the 'Bern' is hurting his campaign.  This is rather amusing since the same person was writing down words used by the 'Bern' to attack her.  While Bernie continues to 'moonwalk' backwards, Biden is beginning to accelerate forward.  Polls indicate most Democratic voters see Uncle Joe as the one best suited to wipe shit eating smile of the orange baboon's face.  You don't think I was too negative there, do you?
I read that as of yesterday the CDC could only verify that 4384 people had actually been tested.  Son of a bitch.  The director of the CDC has call the roll-out of testing a terrible blunder.  Hhhmmm, now who should Americans blame?  Probably the same person who wants to give Americans a great tax cut... until after the election.  You see, the Idiot Jerk believes Americans are going to endanger themselves by spending that tax cut.  His philosophy is the same as other Republicans:  if they got it, they'll spend it.  The Idiot Jerk doesn't understand that when grandmas and grandpas start dying out there, people are going to blame him... and his base.
And finally, I find it interesting that the Idiot Jerk has no rallies planned in the foreseeable future.  I understand he's a germaphobe, so this Democratic Hoax might be scaring him.  Or, it might be that the last thing he wants is for all of his aging, white supporters to die off before the election.  Either possibility is... well, quite spicy to think about.  I mean, the 5 phony bone spurs he used to stay out of the military shows how gutless this sack of shit really is, so a virus that puts a big target right in the middle of his back?  Priceless.

I didn't see that coming...

I get to go to work today.  In case you don't know, you're not seeing my excitable side.  There is no shiny, glittery aura surrounding me at my anticipation of spending 8 hours at the flooring desk.
Yesterday saw me having an enjoyable ride in Catalonia.  That as fun.
Yesterday also so the first case of the Coronavirus in North Carolina.
Oh, and the Fed did what the Idiot Jerk in the White House has been shrieking at them to do for months:  drop half a percentage point off the prime... and the stock market dropped 800 points.  Oh... shit.  That wasn't supposed to happen.  I can say with much certainty that many Republicans scratched their heads and said..."I didn't see that coming."  And, of course, the Idiot Jerk was looking for stability... and that didn't happen.
I saw a funny little clip of him in a meeting saying he thought the government would have a vaccine for the virus in 2 months...  Surprise.  He frowned when he was told that was not likely to happen.
Holy Crap.  And his administration is thinking of using our taxes to pay for the medical the expenses for those uninsured people who need to be hospitalized because of the Coronavirus.  Isn't that what Obamacare was supposed to do, make sure everyone was insured.  Wow!  and this from a Republican.  I didn't see that coming.  Must be because it's an election year.
And, speaking of the election year, Joe Biden did well yesterday... very well, indeed.

Joe was looking happy.  Bernie was looking a bit... burned.  He thought he had Texas in the bag... oops.  He also thought that after yesterday he was going to have a lock on the nomination.  That didn't happen.  In fact, to his terrible chagrin, Uncle Joe is now seen as the Front Runner.  You can be Bernie didn't see that coming.  He spent a lot of time and money in both California and Texas... oh dear.  And the reason many turned out to vote for Joe?  They believe he's the only one who can beat the Idiot Jerk.  This morning I saw one of Joe's campaign slogans:  "Let's bring values back into the White House."  Betcha the Idiot Jerk didn't see that coming.

Big

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

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

(Awe...)

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

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

The Flamingo in my Bed

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

Maybe the dogs thought she was tired.

All for a Biscuit

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

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

Roll this

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

I'm taking some to work for lunch.

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

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

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

Full Speed Ahead!

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

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

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

Intolerance

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

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

Burn the Bern

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

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

The time has come to burn the Bern.

Abandon Ship

Today is Friday... it's also payday.  I like it when money goes into my bank account because I like to buy things.  Don't we all?
Anyway, last night was the 2nd night of the first Democratic Debates.  As usual, I watch a bit, mostly because one of them is going kick the snot out of the Idiot Jerk in the next election.  As luck would happen, I tuned in during the "pass the torch" discussion was happening.  That's right, I saw Uncle Joe say he wasn't ready to pass the torch.  What ensued was a moment of Democratic inspirational chaos, with everyone trying to make a comment.  Looking over notes from a number of different sources this morning it seems as though 3 survived with almost flying colors:  Harris, Butigieg, and Bennett.  Nobody else, including 2 of the front runners, Biden and Sanders fared very well.  When I get the chance I need to find the clip where Maddow uses a quote to ask Sanders a question and he says something to the effect that the quote is a mischaracterization.  I guess the audience erupted in laughter when Maddow said "but you said it."  I've said it before and I'll say it again, Bernie's an old fool who's just trying to feed his ego.
On the way home from work yesterday I saw that the temperature was 98 (F).  It dropped down to 97 by the time I hit Enola.  This is funny because no one has said anything about heat warnings.  Maybe we only have heat waves in July...
Oh, my, and it seems as though the Idiot Jerk and his wealthy minions are thinking about screwing around with taxes... again.  I didn't get the gist of what's being planned, but evidently something with Capital Gains.  He knows Congress will not approve it... the election is coming, so he using some sort of Executive Action to bypass all those Senators who would vote against it.  This change will... of course, benefit the wealthy, and only the wealthy.  I see this as another sign that those around him realize he's going to fail in his bid to get re-elected.  They're trying to shove as much shit into their lifeboat as they can.

Can you even begin to imagine a debate between the Idiot Jerk and either Warren or Harris?  I wonder how many times he'd say "fuck" on National TV.

Bernie's Favorite

Went to see the Avengers last night, got home after 10 PM, and so I slept in - I'm off today.  I thought it was very good... but it wasn't great.  Every Avenger gets to have a shining, dramatic moment - that's not a spoiler by the way.  If you are a fan of every one of them, this is great.  If you're not... well...  I'm not a big Jeremy Renner fan, so his shining moment was not too glittery for me, nor am I a big Robert Downey Jr fan, but his scenes with Richard Slattery were a nice surprise.  One of the things I disliked the most was that anyone who was ever in any Marvel Studio superhero movie shows up for a few onscreen minutes.  This is why the film is 3 hours and 2 minutes long.  Now, I will admit that except for the not too shiny dramatic moments, it did not seem like 3 hours.  After the climatic battle scene, and there's always a climatic battle scene, they could have wrapped things up quicker since a few of those not too shimmering dramatic moments happened then.  If you're interested in going to see it, do so on the 'big screen' since it is spectacular... most of the time.
I guess Billy Barr is supposed to testify before some House committee today.  Mueller was evidently not too pleased with Billy's summary of the two year investigation into the Idiot Jerks treasonous activities.  Gee, didn't he know Billy was put into place to squelch the truth?  The funny thing is that Billy is skating along on thin ice... and I suspect he knows this.  When the Idiot Jerk goes down, people are going to be examining Billy's unethical decisions and asking 'yo, was Billy colluding with the treasonous Idiot Jerk?'
And more polls are coming out about the presidential race that's starting a year and a half early and Biden has a double digit lead over... Bernie.  And Bernie must think someone's running a Cuisipro grater up and down his ass just for the zest of it. 

Bernie's favorite

Ghosts of Notre Dame

It's Tuesday, they're coming to do some work on my gas meter this morning.  Supposedly it's only going to take them about 2 hours... I hope it takes them much less.  There are things to do today.
Bernie released his taxes... he's part of the 1% group.  Most of his money comes from a book he wrote... don't ask me the title, not a Bernie fan.  Evidently he sold around 273,000 copies.  That means he was making over $4 a book - a lot more than I get.  This means I will probably never be part of the 1%.  Of course, for me writing is a lot of fun.  While I do deal in mystery and suspense, my writing also has a lot of humor.  Sometimes I will write something and have to pause because I'm laughing.
And Notre Dame burned yesterday.  My sister called me at work to let me know, of course I had already been watching the clips on my phone.  I've been there.  I have pictures.  While I can take pictures like this:

I also take pictures like this:

The above shot is the better of the two, I think.  Sometimes, I will get artsy and take pictures like this:

I call this Ghosts of Notre Dame.  At first, it looks like a blurry picture of people walking... until your eye focuses in on the couple in the center.  Suddenly they become the focal point:

And your mind starts to wonder... just what was going on?
If you're wondering what my most favorite picture of Paris is, it's the one below.  I flew to Paris for my birthday.  On that cool morning in November, I walked to the Eiffel Tower.  This was my first view of it up close.... and I was amazed.

How was I to know that years later it would be one of the settings for The Body in the Tower?

Think about it

Okay, so I ordered a pasta maker.  That's right, I do make my own pasta... and I'm tired of using a knife to cut it into noodles.  The one I'm getting comes supplied with  fettuccine and spaghetti blades, if I want linguine I'll need to purchase it separately.  It should be here this afternoon.  Sunday delivery.  Thank you Amazon.  No, I'm not buying one of those cute little drying trees.  I have a cooling rack I use for bread, that will do just fine.
Patty, who's been reading the rough draft of The Body in the Tower called Friday evening, most likely to tell me she had finished.  I didn't answer because... I had my phone on mute.  I tend to do that a lot.  On an average, I'll get 4 -5 telemarketing phone calls a day.  While they don't call early, they do call late.  Last night one of them called at 8:37 PM.  This is why I keep my phone on mute.  I work with her this today, so I'll probably find out then if she's finished her read through.
There was an interesting article in the Washington Post about about Biden, the Democratic Party, and the race for 2020.  For those who don't know, the party is not considered Liberal, rather, because of the large number of Democrats, we are considered Centrist Left.  Biden is pretty much seen as a bridge between old and new.  Even though old Bernie can rake in the money from the Far Left, if he were to somehow get the nomination vast sums of voters would stay home.  His Socialist Squawkings are just too frightening to them.  This one of the reasons we have the Idiot Jerk in the White House, those supporting Bernie refused to vote for Hillary.  He will do this again if he gets the chance.  For him, it's not about America, it's about Bernie.  While Biden might not get the nomination, his message is something Americans respond to, so the other wannabe candidates need to take notice.
And I've been digging into my picture archives again.  I've got lots of them, you know?  Old pictures.  Here's one of me with my Grandma Snyder.  She was the smart one, college educated, Kutztown University, 1927.  How many women can you name who graduated from college in 1927?

She taught school in Pine Grove, a small town of around 5500.  During World War II the citizens of Pine Grove were so worried about the Germans they set up a surveillance team, a squad of citizens who would stand watch in the stone water tower behind the high school.  At night, they would climb the ladder to the top of the water tower with binoculars and scan the skies for German aircraft.  I'm proud to say that my Grandma was a member of that squad.  Amazing!  When I was in high school, she started doing Yoga... think about it.  Her name was Gertrude.

Way to Go Joe!

As someone who buys a lot of from Amazon, I get a lot of questions from potential buyers.  People as stupid questions.  I've taken to responding honestly, rather than skip their inanity.  I use ear buds when I do my cardio.  Yesterday someone asked if the FAA allowed you to take the charger into the cabin of an airplane...   My response:  "I don't work for the FAA, so how would I know?"
Anyway, I've probably pissed some people off because of my stand on the Lucy Flores and her complaint against Joe Biden.  I've complained about people calling them 'allegations' because that word implies that a crime has been committed.  Excuse me, but making someone feel uncomfortable is not a crime.  Believe me, I work in retail and I can tell you first hand about inappropriate behavior.  When I managed the paint desk I was constantly dealing with male customers hitting on one of my female associates.  We're not talking subtle glances here, or even a paternal kiss on the back of the head.  There are a lot of grabby men out there, like the Idiot Jerk in the White House, or they say things like "nice tits," or "I like the way you pick of that gallon of paint."  Personally, I think Lucy Flores should get a job at the Paint Desk so she can experience inappropriate behavior in its truest form.
It irritated me that people heard her complaints and jumped on board the 'hate Joe train,' or jumped to the conclusion she was 'poor victim.'  I wonder how many of them knew Lucy is a Bernie Sanders supporter.  The first question that went through my head when I heard that was 'did she help with his 2016 campaign?'  The answer is yes.  'Did she donate money to his campaign?'  These questions make a difference.  There's is the possibility that Lucy Flores may be less of a victim and more a political tool than people realize.   She wants her guy to win and so she's going to do what ever she can to hurt Biden.  Don't believe me?  This is what a co-worker of Lucy's said about her during Sanders 2016 campaign.   There's actually an Equal Opportunity Lawsuit pending against her.  Maybe Lucy's pissed she lost her bid for Lieutenant Governor.
Yesterday Joe Biden gave a speech in which he joked about these complaints.  Afterward he explained and he was very frank and up front.  This was not surprising.  The Republicans see him as a substantial threat because he demonstrates ethics and values, two things the current administration shit away decades ago.  As he spoke he came across, not as a candidate for president, rather him embodied the attributes of a president.  He is what America so desperately needs.  Way to Go Joe!
Oh, and as for the other 6 women who claiming he embarrassed them with what they claim to be inappropriate behavior, I'm going to paraphrase Treaders here:  It's time to put on your big girl knickers.  I mean, do these women think Joe Biden made the uncomfortable, what do they think they'd get from the Idiot Jerk in the White House.

The stuff of shadows

So, here it is... Tuesday, and my first day off after working 6 days.  Ain't it sweet?  Pretty much, so.  Around 10 I'm going to get measured for my new bike.  I did spend a bit of time on the trainer this AM since the hernia limits what I can do.  Cycling is okay. as long as I don't lean forward too much.  I can't wait until the damn thing is fixed.
Is the Idiot Jerk speaking at the UN today?  I think I read that somewhere.  Now that's embarrassing, especially since he and the rest of the GOP spent so much hate time criticizing it.  But then that's what they always do, attack what they can't control.
There was an interesting article in Bloomberg this AM about the Russkies and their hacking the election.  Sounds to me we should go back to paper ballots, that would show them, wouldn't it.  Counting ballots takes a lot longer, and politicians and political parties would loose that instant rush of gratification their winners get 5 seconds after the polls closed, but wouldn't that be better?  Let's be honest here, no matter what kind of safeguards our election software has, those damn Russkies are always going to try and hack it.  They're just like the GOP and the Evangelicals when it comes to control... and manipulation, and lies.
And I saw somewhere that Hillary is thinking of contesting the presidential election.  Not a good thing.  And evidently she and Bernie are having some sort of spitting match.  That too is not a good thing.  She needs to pull that stick of bitterness out of her ass and move to the sidelines.  Even though we all hate it, the Idiot Jerk won the electoral college.  Our number one priority right now must be to unite into one mighty group in order to move his shit stained ass out of the White House.  Both she and Bernie need to shut up.  They need to put on their wizened, sage robes and sit quietly giving advice when someone asks for it.  Their egos need to be taken off of the burner.  They need to put the country ahead of their own personal wants and desires.  They both lost.  They need to understand this.  America and the party must come first.  No matter how strongly they feel about certain subjects, they must both realize that now they are the stuff of shadows.

Memorial Day with Hillary and the Republicans

Well, here it is, Memorial Day, and I'm working.  And, even though I get off at 6 PM, I have to go to bed early because I open the store tomorrow.  Now, ain't that a deal?  They are going to grill burgers and hot dogs for the associates, try and give us some sort of picnic atmosphere, but that will have to happen between the sporadic thunderstorms.  The humidity is bad here and we can blame it on tropical depression Bonnie.  We can blame the storms on her, as well as the lack of business.  Sure, we'll have customers galore in the morning and early afternoon, but then everything slows down.  People are going to be having their own picnics and cook-outs.  They'll be sitting under deck umbrellas, or under car ports, or covered patios, sucking down cold brewskies, or sipping on an inexpensive chardonnay purchased just for this special day.  Because the weather is supposed to be shitty in this part of the country, many will go to the movies.  I understand the new X-Men film is tremendously... bad.
Politically speaking, I saw the Clintons are going to be investigated for racketeering, at the behest of the Republicans, no doubt.  I read that Hillary is considered to be ruthless and calculating, of course that's to be expected after decades of dealing with Republican hatred.  I suspect this election cycle is going to go down as one of the worst in American History... and we have the Republicans to thank for it.
We have a week to go before Bernie Sanders shows us his Bitter Bern face.  He's an angry old man going around lobbing buckets of gasoline on the fire because... he's an angry old Socialist.  That's right.  He's only been a Democrat for a year and look how badly he's dividing the party.
Anyway, it's time for me to get ready for work.

Hot dogs and burgers on the grill they keep behind the store.  Potato salad and macaroni salad they bought at the supermarket.  I am so stoked!

Not feeling the Bern here

I didn't watch the Democratic debate last evening between The Bern and Hil because... well, I don't watch debates.  I read stuff on the Internet instead; positive stuff and negative stuff.  Some people don't the negative stuff; they don't like thinking there might be little holes in their balloon.  No, they want their balloon to lift them up, and up, and up.  They want to be starry eyed over their candidates and believe the words falling from their lips are silver.  What these people really need to do is look at the tarnish and understand that it's a flaw.
Let's face it, even though you may not want to believe it, Hilary has more suits of matching luggage and steamer trunks then Beyonce, and that's a lot of baggage.  If she gets the nomination you can be the Republicans are going to unpack every single piece of it and there will be nothing private about her privates.
As for Bernie?  He's just too old.  He'll be 75 years old when we vote for president.  That would make him the oldest president ever elected, by 6 years.  Right now the oldest man ever elected president was that Republican god, Ronald Reagan.  Believe me, the Republicans will attack his age relentlessly.  There will be a constant stream of Senior Citizens decrying a Bernie Sanders presidency, saying his age is a debilitating factor.  It doesn't make a difference whether you like his message or not, his age makes him fairly unelectable.

While the odds of Hil beating Trump (the assumed Republican candidate) are very good; they're the same age.  If it's Trump against Bernie the odds are favoring Trump as Commander in Chief, and we know what kind of freaking mess that would bring.