Little Roses

Okay, so the Memorial Day Weekend is officially over, that means "you go back to work. And you go back to work.  And you go back to..." Oops, sorry, for a moment there I started channeling Oprah.  I know you can't all go back to work, there's a killer virus out there.
Well, yesterday I didn't mow the lawn, as I had intended.  Nope.  I sat around, both inside and out. I rode 8.8 miles in Gascony through fields of sunflowers.  There were lots of hills.  I got my wattage up to 340 at one point.  I roasted a ham and today I'm going to use some of it to make baked beans.  I have the time because today I don't go back to work, that happens tomorrow.  Five days in a row.  Forty hours.
I took my BP this morning and it was a bit edgy.  Genetics, you know?  Everyone in my family has edgy BP... well, not all of us.  Some of them have high BP.  It's all part of the aging process.  Nothing's going to keep the flexibility in your blood vessels forever.
The Idiot Jerk in the White House shut down arrivals from Brazil.  Originally the ban was supposed to go into effect tomorrow however some smart cracker must have made it into his administration and realized this was deja vu:  been there, done that, waited too long on the travel restrictions with China.  Odds are they waited too long... again and a lot of new infections have arrived in our southern states.
And I got a big chuckle from the Idiot Jerk threatening to pull the RNC convention from Charlotte.  Remember, he's a numbers guy.  He loves his crows of worshipers.  He wants to pack them into the convention center!  A full house all around.  Charlotte, however, is saying "not so fast, social distancing is important."  Of course, that's grating his ego, it needs to feed on the adoration of an enormous audience.  What makes this even funnier is that Charlotte was the only city to really put in a bid to hold the convention.  A spokesperson for the RNC said there were actually 7 cities, however the reality is they asked several other cities... not takers.  Not even Las Vegas.  They're not a very popular crowd.
And finally, not all of my roses are big and showy.  I have this little wild rose which took root at the front corner of my house a few years ago.  Rather than rip it out, I decided to let it grow.  Both the flowers and the perfume are quite delicate.

I really like the tiny heart shaped petals.

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The hills

Today is my Hump Day.  Yeah, I know, I'm out of sync with most of the world... but then that's retail.
I found out yesterday that the position I had applied for is going to be changed to a part-time position, so I said "thanks, but no thanks."  I want to pay off my car before I even consider going part-time.
Evidently Independent voters who have supported the Idiot Jerk in the White House solely because of the economy are... leaving.  Republicans too, are slowly beginning to sour on the Liar in Chief economic policies.  They are growing concerned about Tariff Wars and their increasing damage to the American economy.  Prices are going up.  I see examples everyday at work.  This past week dirt cheap indoor / outdoor carpet that sold for .40 a square foot last week saw a price increase of 7 cents.  Some may say "hey, what's 7 cents?"  When a product goes from .40 to .47 that's a substantial price increase... it's like... 18%.  Two weeks ago our Lifeproof vinyl flooring went up .20 cents a square foot.  Corporations got a really large tax break... so why the cost increases?  The American people are paying for the Idiot Jerk's Tariff Wars and Independent voters are getting fed up.  They don't realize that in Conservative Economics the little guy is always the one getting nailed.
And I guess some white Republican is racist letters to the Mayor and City Council members of Charlotte.  Of course the writer is quoting the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  This will continue until he is voted out, and even then the stains of his presidency will remain for years to come.
Anyway, I bought myself a 'bike' pillow.

Mostly because it has a red bike on it (like mine) and because it was on Clearance at work.  Half price off.  The only things going down in price are seasonal items, everything else is going up.
My next cycling challenge is to complete the Eistobel route.  It's 16.7 miles long with hills, one with a 9.4% grade (steep).  I've gotten 2/3 of the way through it.  What's stopping me from completing the route?  The hill of a lifetime... of course.  Big.  And I know, once I climb it... in the not too far distance there will be another, larger hill of a lifetime.  So many treasure their down hill rides and their little valleys, but in the end it's always the hills that let you grow... and they can be a little scary.