Brainless

 Happy Heat Dome Week to everybody on the Eastern Seaboard!  For those who are about to Cook, I salute you!  That's a paraphrase of an old A/C / DC hit, for those who don't know.  The temp this morning was an mild 71 (F) when I rolled out of bed.  We're in for a stretch of 90 (F) days.  I'm prepped for the heat wave.  For those working outside this week, remember to hydrate.  Oh, wait, let me amend that since the moronic Governor of Florida, Ronnie D., signed legislation removing legally required water breaks for those working in the summer heat.  So, except for those laborers in Florida, please remember to hydrate responsibly.  

And I did work yesterday.  Father's Day.  All those who identify as male got a Father's Day snack.  I ate mine when I worked on Saturday.  It was a nice gesture.  Business, as expected, was terrible.  From about 2 pm on the store was a ghost town.  Sadly, this is how most of the Sundays have been for the past few weeks.  The faux holiday created by Hallmark was no different from the rest.  As a result, I got in over 11,000 steps and wrote a full page for the new book.  

Here's a bit on how I write.  I'm not one of those writers who sits in front of his laptop constantly thinking of the story and what words are needed to move it forward.  Nope.  I'll write a sentence or two, and then go do something, like put a couple dishes in the dishwasher, or, if they're already washed, take a few out.  After a few minutes, I'll go back and write another few sentences, maybe a paragraph.  Some days I'll 3 or 4 pages written, somedays only 2 or 3 paragraphs, and everything is subject to revision, that's a constant.

I saw this yesterday and thought it so appropriate.

And we're getting closer and closer to the first debate between the Orange Anus and Democracy... wait, that's supposed to say Biden.  Honestly, that is what's at stake.  Do we want cultists running the country, or do we want to participate in that decision making process.  Republicans do not want our opinions, so putting them in charge will make our voices mute.  They are the party that desperately wants to say "shut up, we're in charge," and they want to dictate every little aspect of our lives.  They want everybody to be indoctrinated into the cult.  If we're Republican zombies, we're not going to argue, we will see everything that hasn't been zombified as prey waiting to be killed and eaten.  All you need to do is look at the cultists to see how brainless they have become, just like their leader.

Father's Day

 Well, here it is, Sunday, the day before the dome comes down on top of us.  One of the things that's interesting is that last week they were predicting temps as high as 100 (F), and now forecasters are saying they should be in the mid to upper 90s (F).  From the maps I've been seeing, most of the high heat is going to stay to the south and the deep south.  Yepper, Florida and Texas are going to be cooking again.

I did work yesterday.  They're hungry for leads and measures and  as an incentive, they're giving out $5 gift cards to Subway and Dunkin' Donuts for every one you get.  I got a measure, so I'm the proud own of a Dunkin' gift card.  Maybe I'll get another today.  That means I'll be able to get 3 free donuts.

The measure was for carpet.  The customers have dogs and cats, and so our conversation headed in that direction.  I told them that I'd had dogs, but was dogless now, at least until I returned from my trip.  Many people have been suggesting rescue dogs, they didn't.  While there are all sorts of good stories about Rescue dogs, you never know what you're getting and many have had years of possibly bad training, or no training, and it's difficult to fix that.  Puppies are best, so you can start from scratch.  

And they put put out Father's Day gifts for all the men in the building yesterday: a soft drink, a Slim Jim, and a small bag of nuts.  I got cashews.  I'd have rather had walnuts or peanuts.

And it is Sunday.  That means many phony Christians will go to Church and be told that it's okay to pass judgment on others for oh so many varied reasons.  Well, that's not quite right, they're going to be schooled in what is acceptable, the decision to pass judgement encouraged by their church leaders, perhaps because they believe it gets the closer to godliness.  I find it amusing that many of these Cracker Jack Crazies believe they're doing God's will when there's nothing in the Bible that tells them to do this.  It doesn't say much for God's strength if piddly human beings have to force his will upon others, does it.  Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the great De Churching.

  

Alienating the Base

 Monday.  I always work Mondays.  The shift is shorter.  I'll spend 6 hours at the store and leave.  Oh, and I'll take at least one 15-minute break during which I'll eat the lunch I took yesterday but didn't eat.  Why take a lunch and not eat it?  Father's Day.  They had barbecue for Fathers.  They let me eat because "you have fur babies."  And so, I did.  There was also food for Juneteenth.  Sugar cookies, cherries, strawberries, grapes, and watermelon.  I ate sugar cookies.  Quite a few.  Over 10.  Easily.  As I've mentioned before, I'm a carboholic when the right carbs present themselves.  Sugar cookies are the nefariously right carbs.  Interestingly, there was Mac and Cheese with the barbecue.  That is not the right carb.  I had a small spoonful. It only becomes the odiously right carb when I make it at home.  The small spoonful was nothing more than a tease.  Now I'm thinking of making an entire pan of Mac and Cheese.  We shall have to wait and see.

Business was slow... until 15 minutes before I was ready to leave.  Then a couple asked for information about blinds.  The wife kept saying "I'm confused.  I really need to see samples in my house."  Well, that ain't gonna happen.  Twenty minutes later she thanked me and told me they would talk about it... and get back to me.  So, I ended up punching out late, but not late enough to get an extra 15 minutes of pay.

I have a little tomato in my little garden.  I tried to take a pic, but the camera focused on Lily.  That's fine.

I saw that Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas who nearly physically attacked extremist MAGAs.  They called him names, one of them shouting he 'needed to be hung.'  This is the base the GOP is so desperate to hold on to.  How desperate?  Adam Kintzinger has pointed out that so far Kevin McCarthy has said nothing.  Don't expect him to, at least until maybe later this afternoon or tomorrow, if he says anything at all.  Maybe he'll just run away from the reporters, like he's done before.  This party is so terrified of alienating one MAGA hate monger, they will tolerate any evil.  

In another example, Shannon Boon, from Fox News, asked Mike Lee if the GOP might be out of step with the constitution regarding gun legislation.  Of course, fearful of alienating even a single one of those MAGA gun owners, he obfuscated.  You could say he did a little Texas Two Step in his response, saying there wasn't really a bill and that you can't ascertain anything without a bill.  You know what I'm talking about.  He spit out the same horse shit Republicans always spit out because they're terrified of alienating even one vote of their gun loving base.  The idea that they might gain more voters than they lose by voting for gun control isn't even something they can see in their rear-view mirror.

Quayle vs Cheney

 Well, let's all say hello to a sleepy Sunday morning.  I don't know about you, but I turned off the alarm and rolled over to catch an addition hour of shuteye.

Yesterday the weather was cool and windy, today it's going to be nice, with the temp possibly hitting 78 (F).  Sadly, I do have to work an 8-hour shift.  There is the good possibility the store will be slow.  I am hoping for as much.  It is Father's Day after all, another Hallmark Holiday, and a lot of fathers, especially the conservative ones, are expecting to be treated royally.  If you're a MAGA, it's just another day to suck down beer without thinking about the hangover you'll be dealing with tomorrow morning as you head into work.

I drove down to York yesterday to have lunch with my friend Betsy.  We talked politics.  It was a good time.  The only problem was with the diner, (diner food is great).  She only ate half of a very thick BLT, and half of her sweet potato fries, and so she asked for a box.  We continued our conversation as we walked to the car, when she suddenly said, "oh, I left my box on the table."  By the time she got back to the table, they'd thrown the rest of her meal away.  Bad customer service.  For all that clean-up person knew, Betsy might have left her container on the table while she went to the restroom.  It should have been taken to the cashier, not thrown into the garbage.

My dahlias are preparing to burst into bloom!

I saw where Trump was at the Faux Faith and Freedom to Lie conference.  That Cracker Jack Crazies were in their version of heaven (no caps).  Once again, he criticized Mike Pence for not breaking the law and creating a constitutional crisis.  And as if cue, Steve Bannon called Pence a Judas.  Guess who wasn't at that phony festival of fools.  Mike Pence.  He avoided it for the first time in 5 years.  Can you guess why?  Well, besides being a coward, he wants to run for president.  More power to him, since there are 2 groups of Christian voters:  the Evangelicals who believe God sent Trump, and the rest of the believers who quietly shake their heads at this blasphemy.  We might end up with a knockdown, drag out war, Christian against Christian war.  Honestly, I don't think Pence has the fortitude for such a fight.  Remember, when his little, faux Christian world was spinning terribly out of control in 2020, the person he turned to for advice was the namby-pamby Dan Quayle, not the aggressive Dick Cheney, who'd been Vice President for 2 terms.

 

Being this was a holiday weekend

 Let the new work week begin! 

Yesterday was... slow, for the most part.  It was Father's Day.  We have a lot of Asians who don't recognize our holidays, not that Father's Day is an official holiday.  As such, customers came in a half hour before I was set to leave looking for information on blinds.  That was not a very good thing.  Consultations easily take an hour or more.  Most people don't realize how complicated the process is.  Luckily, all of their questions were answered by the time I had to leave.  They have my business card and will call and set up a proper consultation.

I suspect that today will be slow as well.  Out next big holiday is July 4th, and by now, everybody is finished prettifying the exterior of their home.  This means sales will drop off.  Even they should have known better, sales' plans do not seem to be taking into consideration last year is different then this year.  The dollars are still rolling in, just now at the rate they were last year.

This morning's ride will probably be through Amsterdam.  It's short, only 7 miles, but a good way to begin the week.

Not much caught my attention over the past couple of day because this was a holiday weekend.  Sure, the media tried to hype something, but the sleazoid Republicans were pretty much silent... except for down in Florida and Texas, two states wishing they could secede from the Union.

Each of those states has a Governor who seems bent on running for the Presidency, and each is trying to out trump loser #45 in their  attempts to hold on to the MAGA base.  By doing so, they continue to make themselves look bad.  Nothing's going to change their.  And when their asses get kicked out of office, they're going to sing that ever popular Republican hymn, 'Voter Fraud.'  In fact, the choruses will never stop until we finally shut up their voices.  Vote blue.

And finally, here's a nice picture of the dogs.  I've probably posted it before, but it's work a 2nd look.

Father's Day

 Sunday.  This is my Hump Day.  I'm excited.  Hitting the halfway point is always exciting.  After today, everything will be moving downhill and I have Wednesday and Thursday off.

I did ride the San Remo route yesterday.  14 Miles.  Slow and easy.  I used to compete with myself, racing to beat my previous times.  Not any more.  Speed doesn't necessarily contribute to a good workout.  One of the reasons I ride is for heart health.  Cardio is great for so many reasons.  My sitting heart rate is in the low to mid-50s.  That's pretty good.  On more than one occasion I've had a medical professional look at me quizzically and have had to explain.

Today's Father's Day.  I remember my dad well, just not the year he died.  I've never been good with dates.  For years, I had had his birthdate wrong, and would call him a day late.  Never once did he correct me. That was once, but I do wish he would have corrected me. Not once did he tell me he was born on March 20 rather then March 21.  I don't know if that's a good thing to say about him or not.  It's one of those questions I will ponder from time to time.

An old pic of my Day holding me when we lived in Mississippi

There is an interesting article in The Guardian and their subservience to Trump.  The truth is that these people are Zealots who are still believing the Big Like imitated by Reagan, that the country is religiously conservative.  Well, America is Centrist.  Our Founding Fathers wrote a Constitution to keep it that way.  Republicans want to rewrite the Constitution.  We need to stop them.  White Evangelicals believed God was acting through Loser #45 to give them what they'd been praying for ever since Ronnie Reagan had his landslide win.  This means they need to believe The Big Lie, other wise they would need to come to terms with the idea that God let them down.  How do we keep these Zealots at bay?  We vote them into obscurity.  We need to treat them like the minority group they are.

Silly moments

Father's Day 2018.  Everybody's talking about their Fathers.  Mine was a really nice guy.  He died 14 years ago from lung cancer.  He was diagnosed on my sister's birthday - how's that for a present?  The next 8 months were completely surreal. 
He had worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon, Pa, starting off as an X-Ray Tech, working his way up the ladder until he eventually managed the department.  He got me my first job, as a dark room attendant, back when they used actual film for X-Rays.  I was not the athletic son he'd hoped for though I did like watching baseball.  We were both big Philly Phans for a number of years, making the 2.5 hour drive 3 or 4 times a season to watch them play.
One thing my Dad like was going to the movies.  He and I went quite often.  Every 5 or 6 weeks we'd go and always to action movies.  These were good times.  There's a jolting moment in "The Bourne Identity" when a villain crashes through a frosted windows.  We both jumped.  I said something like "Holy Fucking Shit," and he laughed.  Silly little moment, I know, but life is filled with silly little moments.
He and my Mom chose to go with Home Hospice.  On December 12, 5 days after their anniversary she called me at work.  He chose to be cremated.  I can clearly remember sitting in the living room with my sister, my brother, and what seemed to be 500 other relatives, friends and neighbors when my Mom called out to me.  "David, is it okay if we put Daddy in this?"  Walking into the kitchen, she had moved a cookie jar onto the table, a present I'd given them a long time ago.  I shrugged, "sure."  So my Dad's ashes are nestled in a yellow, kitty cat cookie jar.  There's a blue butterfly on the kitty cat's nose. 

something like this

Real silly moment.