Republican Incredulity

We have 74 (F) outside with overcast skies.  showers and possibly thunderstorms are on the way.  If we get them, I hope they wring a little of the humidity out of the atmosphere because right now clothing is rather cloying.  Temps are supposed to be dropping.  Also, the smoke from fires in northern Canada is supposed to be leaving the area.  Things are still hazy this morning.

Yesterday was a decent day for getting things done.  Since the dill and cilantro seeds didn't survive being planted outside, I'm trying them inside, the way I did the oregano last year.  I went for a ride in Amsterdam that was flat.  Rides like this are easier on my knee, though this morning it is a bit cranky.  I think this is mostly due to the change in air pressure as we move from stinkin' hot temps, to somewhat cooler temps.  I do think my left knee is suffering from the crankiness of age some people call arthritis.

Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has started playing in theaters.   There was some controversy in his casting choices in the small minds of MAGA cultists.  They didn't like Lupita Nyong'o playing Helen of Troy.  A lot of these pea brained imbeciles railed that the Greeks would never have cast a black person in that role.   In an odd way they're right, because 2000 years ago Helen would have been played by a man wearing a mask.  We all know, however, that there is no stopping stupidity when it has a loud, uneducated voice.  Telling these people that "back then" the voyage from Alexandria to Piraeus only took 3 days, and that because of the Middle East's close proximity to Northern Africa, skin color would not have been a problem is useless.  Their lack of minds have been decided.

Last year my tomato plants were barren.  This year?  They are abundant!

Of course the Orange Anus and his cronies are desperate to stop the midterm elections.  They know that when the Democrats take control of both the House and Senate there are going to be investigations, arrests and trials.  Because of their greed, they have no problem trying to throttle Democracy.  Having their lives brutally upended and being reduced to mere mortals rather than the demigods they believe themselves to be, is simply not on their bingo card.  However, their sense of reality is broken.  They will not even attempt to understand the growing frustration and anger in the common man.  This total breakdown in their thought process will lead to the demise of the Republican party.  They truth they want to ignore is that, should the Orange Anus attempt to hinder or stop the midterms, a major portion of America is going to rise up and stomp the shit out of them.  If you tell them this, they will look at you incredulously and ask "what?" 

Republicans are Screwed

 We did get snow overnight.  In fact, we are still in a what you might want to call a light flurry stage, which is supposed to last another few hours with little to no accumulation.  Total snowfall?  Maybe 2 inches at best.  This will take about 5 minutes to clean everything off, which is good as I'm going to go to my neighborhood Giant Supermarket later this morning.  I'm going to try chicken souvlaki in the crockpot for dinner.

And yesterday was another meh day.  Well, that's not completely correct.  I did work on the aquarium in the writing room.  I made pasta and and sauce for dinner.  But otherwise nothing much was accomplished.  There are so many things I want to do, but I just never seem to get around to doing them.  This is, no doubt, a result of the shit show that's going on in Washington.  The whole thing is so terribly depressing, and for those of you who don't know, being tired is a symptom of being depressed.  So, I end up taking a lot of naps.  Honestly, I do need to get my ass in gear, literally.

My friend Patty said she'd take care of Howie if I decided to return to Greece and that means I've got to take him over to meet her 3 dogs.  Hers are tiny, and Howie is probably approaching 60 pounds.  He doesn't like the neighbor's goldendoodle at all because when he was a little puppy, their dog lunged at him barking loudly.

Here's a pic of the pasta.  It's eggless, so it doesn't need to be refrigerated.

Inflation when up 3%.  That's not good for Orangie, but then many of us knew this promise to lower prices was a lie.  All he ever does is lie.  And his tariffs on steel and aluminum?  Well, the aluminum is going to increase the cost of a case of beer because the cans will be more expensive.  That's going to piss of his beer guzzling cultists.  

And how many of you saw any of Elonia's presser yesterday?  I just saw bits and pieces, enough to realize he was giddy with delight at doing his first press conference with his puppet sitting solidly behind the Resolute Desk.  Elonia brought along his prop child, the son he uses as a bullet shield.  At one point, the shield was sitting on Elonia's shoulders.  Every now and then Orangie would say something, but mostly Elonia did all of the talking.  Believe me when I tell you that the Republicans are so screwed.

Musk buys God (sort of)

 Okay, so this morning has started off with a disappointment.  We are under a Winter Storm Warning... except there's no snow.  The temp is sitting at 36 (F), which is cold enough for us to get snow, and the radar shows a massive snow cloud moving over us, but I haven't seen a single flake.  There were warnings saying that the roads might be hazardous.  Not going to happen with any precipitation.  

Work yesterday was boring.  Staffing was unbelievably short.  In Flooring, there was a part-time associate scheduled from 10 - 1, she stayed until I arrived at 2 and then left, and I was the sole coverage for 5 hours.  There was no one scheduled for the evening shift.  It used to be common for us to have winter hours, with the store closing at 9 rather than 10.  Not this year.  While this doesn't effect me, I suspect this has a lot to do with the fact that they know prices are going up an that extra hour a day allows for the squeezing of one more sale out of our customers.

I've been chatting with Christos, my friend in Greece about using more Greek words in The Body in History.  There's nothing wrong with bringing a little authenticity to a novel.  It's also sooooo much better than turning to Google Translate, which doesn't always give you an accurate definition.

And Howie's big boy (large dog) food was delivered yesterday.  This was recommended by his Vet since his puppy chow will cause him to grow bigger faster.  Over the next few days he's going to be transitioning.  He's also on some canned food right now, however, when that's gone, it's gone.  Canned food has lots of fat calories he doesn't need.

One of the things that's been making me smile these days, and we all need a reason to smile, is the question I have regarding Evangelicals and Trump.  Many of them are dumb enough to believe he was sent by God to give them what they selfishly want.  So, I've been wondering what their take is on the fact that Elonia Musk has apparently purchased the man sent by God.  God has no problem selling off his pseudo/wannabe saviors?  Ouch!  Am I hitting a little below their Christian Belt of Truth?

And sadly, Bob Casey, who has been a great Senator from Pennsylvania, has conceded to Dave McCormick.  Our state now has a billionaire senator who lives in Connecticut.  Another selfish billionaire who is going to put his, and other billionaire needs, way ahead of the needs of those foolish dolts who voted for him.

Honey

 Today is supposed to be nice and sunny with temps climbing up into the mid 70s (F).  I work this afternoon, so I'll miss out.  Tomorrow our temps are predicted to top out in the mid 80s (F).  Yes, that's right, but sometime during the day payment will be charged and the rain will come in as a cold front passes through.  On Monday, our temps will be stuck in the 50s (F).  I may have to buy more sweat pants.

While working yesterday, I had a woman call to see if we still had a certain type of vinyl plank flooring for sale.  However, there was a slight problem.  She didn't know the name.  She said it was pale in color, but didn't know if it was wood plank or not. In fact, she wasn't certain it was our store.  She did take a picture that didn't give the name, but did include appliances standing in the background.  Yes, we do get calls like this.  She said it was on clearance, and we do have an area for clearance flooring, however nothing in the size (12" x 24") she wanted.  Dealing with uninformed customers can be so difficult at times.

So, the first word Howie is learning is "no."  For him, everything is a chew toy, including my arms, fingers, nose, and chin.  He's especial fond of my toes.  Certain things, especially my body parts, are off limits, other things include my sneakers and the new chair, which is covered with the same drop cloth I used on Biggie and Lily's sofa.  He is allowed to play around with my slippers; I ordered them a size to big so they're now a chew toy.

When our tour was over in Greece, we were all given a can of Grecian honey.  I eat a lot of honey.  It's quite healthy.  Since I had a large jar open already, I chose to finish that first.  I emptied the bottle yesterday.  I can't wait to taste deliciousness.

This presidential election is not the horserace so many media outlets want it to be, but than they're in it for the money, not Democracy.  I'm of the thought that many of them believe Trump is going to lose, so they might as well make their money while he's still campaigning.  Their choosing to not report his insanity has more to do with the idea that they might has well make their hay while the sun shines.  They are using him to line their bank accounts.  He is still going to remain profitable for them after he loses, but the amount of gold dropping into their tight little fists will go down.  Don't think this is unusual for them, profitability has always come before truth, though it's never been this obvious before.

As for the election:  Trump knows he's going to lose.  That's part of the plan... Putin's plan.  The fact that he's had at least 7 unofficial talks with Russia's dictator indicates there is a coordinated plan.  Trump's denial of giving Vlad those Covid testing machines and Moscow's admitting he did is part of the plan.  Trump's goal right now is to create as much chaos as possible.  He is going to create as much inner turmoil in the United States so that Americans focus totally on our own problems, leaving Putin to do as he wants.  Trump doesn't understand that when his usefulness is done, Putin will flush him away like an old turd that's been floating around in the toilet bowl for way too long.  Our job is to make Trump lose so badly his attempted chaos will fail.

In the Kraken's Grotto

 A new begins.  The front page of Accuweather had a notice that the rain will be ending in a few hours, the sun is rising on a cloudless sky.  Also, the forecast there is 0% precipitation for the next 3 days.  It has now been changed to "no rain for the next 60 minutes."  They need to get their act together for us early birds. 

Either way, temps are predicted to be cooler today, even if it is sunny, not that it makes much of a difference since I'm scheduled to work for 8 hours.  This is the last Monday that I work an 8 hour shift.  I fixed my availability problem.  There may be more fixing ahead.  I can remember when I worried if 20 hours a week would give me enough spending money.  That was so long ago, before Biggie and his expensive meds.  No problem. 

And yesterday was a boring 8 hours.  I began doing laps again.  One of my friends asked where I'd be traveling to next, so I reminded him that I was getting a puppy.  I didn't tell him I'd already talked to my movie buddy Patty about that, nor did I tell him she said (very sarcastically, since she has 4 dogs) that it would kill her to take care of another pup while I traveled.  So, I guess he asked a valid question.

And, as most of you know, I like to listen to music when I write, so, if I heard an interesting song while I was in Greece, I'd pull out my phone and do a "song search."  This is why in a number of pics taken at dinner, I'm looking down at the table rather than smiling for the camera.  One of the songs that caught my ear was called Shik, Shak, Shok, which was a remix of an Egyptian song from 1974, a remix that had a strong Grecian twist.  I listened to this song a lot while working on a chapter called In the Kraken's Grotto (catchy, eh?)

I suppose quite a few people know that the Orange Anus is going to lose the election.  I also suppose that quite a few understand that he's going to attempt to start something.  There will be some rocky times between November 5 and certification of the next president.  His cult will result to mob mentality, however, this minority crowd simply cannot comprehend they will be dealing with a vast majority of Americans, and the patience of that vast majority has run out.  Over 2/3 of the nation is going to put the hammer down on what used to be the Republican Party.  And then Evangelical Christianity is going to be put under the microscope.  I would not be surprised if, because of their push into the political arena, churches lose their tax exempt status.  It's about time.  

The Group

 Monday is going to be a chilly one here in Central Pa, with temperatures sitting in the mid 60s (F).  We will be warming up into the 70s (F) for the rest of the week, but today's going to be a cool one.  I'm fine with that.

Yesterday was the last day for our Success Sharing bonus celebration.  The big orange retailer I worked for popped a nice little bonus into my bank account, additional funds are always accepted with a smile.  They did, however, screw up my vacation during my time in Greece.  As as result, they're paying me for 56 hours during what was a 40 hour work week instead of the 24 hours that I had requested.  This means that on Friday there is going to be another very healthy deposit into my bank account.  

I also have to work today for a full 8 hours.  I am not excited.  They have me scheduled for 32 hours this week, and I am definitely not excited for that.  Sadly, my sales are great for a part-timer and if I were full time, I'd be trouncing the other full timers, so they give me more hours.  I went in yesterday and cut my availability in half, and I may cut it even more.  

On our tour through Greece, there were eleven members in our group:5 from the UK, 1 from New Zealand, 2 from Australia, 2 from California, and myself.  We took a number of groupies (selfies but with a group) but this is the only one in which we posed.  There was a quiet police officer and his wife (who had a terrible cold), a retired military man and his wife, who was a retired Head Mistress, a couple who ran a very successful business, and I have no idea what Tim had done for a living, but he always wore blue.  You have no idea how often I looked around myself and thought, "gee, this is the perfect cast for an Agatha Christie mystery, I sure hope no one dies."

And Janet Jackson has sort of recanted her apology for say she didn't think Kamala Harris was black.  It evidently came from a member of her team who wasn't her manager.  In fact, it turns out to have been one of her publicists who has since been fired.  In case you hadn't guessed it yet, Janet is sticking to her story that Kamala Harris isn't black. I do believe she suffers from the same entitlement curse as her brother Michael, out of touch from the real world and surrounded by yeah sayers who will happily agree with whatever it is she says.  I do think it's time for her and Beyonce to have a "conversation."  

Rain in Pylos

 Good Morning, people of the world!

I thought yesterday was going to be the last day our temps were going to be climbing up into the 80s (F).  I was wrong.  That'll happen today, if it happens, because we're basically borderline 80s (F).  Sometime this afternoon, the showers and thundershowers will move in and our temps will begin to fall.  That is until we get our yearly blast of Indian Summer.  For those of you who don't know, Indian Summer occurs after the first frost of the year and our temps will zoom upwards for about a week.  

Speaking of rain, when I got to Greece the country was going through a serious dry spell.  Melena, our guide for the Acropolis in Athens told us that olives were normally harvested in December, "but who knows this year because we've had so little rain."  Well, on our last night in Pylos we got rain.  At dinner, we chose a restaurant that had an awning in anticipation, the rain, however, didn't begin until after midnight.  And it did rain.  There was thunder.  It was still raining the next morning.  One of our our group who wasn't prepared, texted our tour leader Christos telling him he was going out to try and find a store that was open in order to buy an umbrella.  While trying to find him, Christos got soaked, only to find that the group member was safe and dry back at the hotel. Anyway, the rain was all everybody was talking about, and how it was going to be raining when we got to Olympia.  I don't know how many times I told them not to worry, "it's not going to rain."  Of course, when we got there the sun was out and the temperature was climbing.  Did they really think the gods were going to let it rain on my visit to one of the best preserved archeological sites in Greece?  For those who don't know, this is Hermes.

Of course, the Mark Robinson scandal is creating serious chaos in the Republican party and the Orange Anus will not take back his endorsement.  Orangie can't.  That would mean he made a mistake, and his ego would never survive such an admission.  This is going to hurt him badly in November, for only the cultists will have no problem voting for a man who's endorsing a Black Nazi.

And finally, what about Sean O'Brien, soon to be ex-president of the Teamsters Union.  First, he shows up at the Republican convention.  Then he releases a fake poll showing more Teamsters support Trump than Harris, telling America the Teamsters are endorsing either candidate.  Then, the Teamsters unions across the nation tell him to screw off and endorse Harris.  Then, his VP, who was in the room the day the endorsement decision is made, goes public, telling America everyone in the room that day wanted to endorse Harris, except O'Brien.  How stupid can you be?

Page This

Wednesday, and weather forecasters are calling for rain.  That "unnamed storm" that drenched North Carolina is going to pass over us.  They got most of the rain, so we're not going to get anything close to 18 inches.  We're approaching the last day of summer, so the long range forecast has things cooling down.  It will soon be time to pull out the blankets for the bed.

I have a head cold, no doubt picked up from one of the passengers on the flight from Heathrow to Philly; there were a lot of sneezers and coughers on that flight.  So, now my head is all stuffed up and my sinuses are inflated to their max.  Because of this, I'm going to call off today.  It's not that I think I'm contagious, that probably happened while I was a work on Monday.  Nope, I just don't want to be sneezing, and coughing, and hacking when I try and talk to customers.  There's nothing worse than sitting down with a customer and sneezing at them.

One of the things I did when I went to Greece, was to take my big cameral.  It didn't take me long to realize that was a mistake, not a big one, but a bulky one.  It felt really clunky hanging around my neck, so after the first week I left it in the hotel room.  After that, I took most of the pictures with my phone.  Because my phone is linked to the Microsoft cloud, all I needed to do was go into my Gallery on either the laptop or my PC to post them on either Facebook, or in this blog, or on Instagram.  That being said, because Christos was taking pictures of all of us and sending them to us on What's App, I have a couple of me with my clunky camera.  It was almost like having a professional photographer traveling with us.  Here I am after visiting another fortress at Monemvasia.

And, what about those exploding pagers in all of those Hezbollah pockets?  I'm betting Trump's not too happy because that story knocked his faux assassination attempt out of the headlines, relegating it to yesterday's old news.  Honestly, when I first heard about this, I thought "this comes right out of some science fiction story, where multiple pagers explode simultaneously."  Not only does this hurt Hezbollah, it hurts their sponsor, Iran, as well as Hungary, since it may have been there that the explosives may have been loaded.  Poor Victor Orban, not only is the Prime Minister of Hungary, he's also one of Putin's henchmen.  You know what they say?  When things go wrong, they go wrong.

Awesome Greece

 Hello America and Greece!  The temp outside here in Harrisburg is 59 (F) and is predicted to rise into the 80s (F).

So, let me tell you about Greece.  It was amazing!  Great views!  Great history!  I had so much fun, and learned so much.  Did you know that the root word for "gym" means naked?  Now tell me, doesn't that add a whole new meaning to the word gymnastics?  And I'm betting that from now on, every time someone uses the word gym, you're going to mentally substitute the word naked.  I'm betting this bit of information is going to make it into my next book, The Body in History.  And how did an athlete clean himself off after a good naked workout?  With olive oil and scrapping tools.

One of the people who made this tour so amazing was our Tour Leader, Christos.  So, what does a young man with a degree in Math and Physics do when he decides he doesn't want to teach?  Become a Tour Leader for Explore.com.  He is much more patient than I am.  He stayed with me on that rigorous 999 step climb up to the Palamidi Fortress.  Believe me when I tell you that I thought my legs were in shape for anything and discovered they weren't.  On the Mani peninsula, as we were deciding which of us were going to participate in another rigorous hike over rugged terrain to the lighthouse on Cape Tenaro, and even though he was wearing sunglasses, I saw an "oh, shit," moment flash across his eyes when I said, "I'm going."  There is nothing wrong with testing yourself.  Never relegate yourself to the sidelines because you think something might be too difficult. I don't think he remembers, but I actually laughed out loud at that moment.  Here's Christos.

There were 11 members in my group, and on the last day we were asked what was our favorite moment.  That question was so difficult.  Mycenae was amazing!  I took pictures inside the tomb to show a friend at work because it's exactly the same as the tombs in Assassin's Creed, Odyssey.  The frescoes in the chapels at Mystra.  The way those colors popped after so many thousands of years was incredible.  For me, however, what impacted me most was walking into that big room of the Olympia Museum and seeing all of those statues that had adorned the top of Zeus's Temple.  As tears welled up in my eyes, I found it almost overwhelming.  

And, of course, there was Delphi.  Since The Body in History takes place in Delphi, I became very analytical.  How was this location going to fit into the story?  The town is small, a little over 3000 people, and there are only 3 streets, and I immediately began twisting the story tighter.  One of the first things I did was text a picture to Cori, my cover artist, saying, "this needs to be changed."  The Tholos of Athena is about a mile away from the archeological site.  I thought it was part of the site itself.  It's actually next to the gymnasium (also known as the naked training area).  So, I guess the question you'll be pondering until the book cover is revealed, is how will this play into the cover art.

And finally, there was supposedly another possible assassination attempt on the Orange Anus yesterday.  This makes number two.  This one comes after the "eating dogs and eating cats" scandal, and after the bad debate, and after Vance admitted on TV that he will make up lies to change the topic of conversation.  I'm beginning to wonder if we're going to have one of these every time the shit gets too real for Trump's campaign team.

To the Lighthouse

 Good morning, from Gythio, Greece.  If the weather forecasts are correct, we will have a break from our temps in the mid 90s (F) 20s (C).  But only for today on our ride to Pylos.  Tomorrow we will back to normal late summer temps.

Before I left for this adventure, several people told me to start packing so I wouldn't forget anything.  And me, if you know me, said that was not necessary, that I wouldn't forget anything.  Well, I have to admit that I did forget one thing.  My comb.  Holy Crap!  One of life's essentials.  So, here I am raking my fingers through my hair trying to look somewhat presentable and the only thing I can think of saying is, to quote Eli Zinneman/Myers, "Shit."

Yesterday we had a hike to the lighthouse on Cape Tenaro, after hitting Girolimenas and the fortified city of Vathia.  The latter was interesting because there was a church with signs of the zodiac on the outside.

After Vathia, we had an interesting bus ride over very narrows roads and around sharp, hairpin curves until we reached the Cape for our hike.  Well, to be honest, it was more of a trek along a rocky path.  According to Garmin, I had a vigorous workout.  What stuck out in my head more than anything was that 2000 years ago, it wouldn't have been any easier, and yet they had the fortitude to build a lighthouse at the tip of the cape, the southernmost tip of Europe.  Being honest, those men building the lighthouse would have been younger than I, but on the other hand, they would have been wearing sandals rather than nice, well-fitting running shoes.

One of the true standouts was the Roman mosaic we saw on our hike.  At one time, there had been a statue of Poseidon, now there is just intricate tile work.  What an amazing thing to see.

After the hike, we stopped off for lunch and a swim at a beach.  Well, some went swimming, I paddled my feet.  This beach was so nice, and not at all what Americans think of when they think of beaches.  I could spend days there.

Does Anybody Know What These Big Balls are for?

 So, this is Friday.  I think I screwed up my posts... posting Wednesday on Thursday.  I set up my phone for international calling, so I have both local time and home time on the screen, and I don't always pay attention to which time is current.  The weather has been sunny and hot.  My melanin has kicked in and, I kid you not, were I to be running around in a skimpy swimsuit I'd be brown as a toasted almond in no time.

Here's a shot I took last night walking back to our hotel in Gythio.

This morning, we left for Monemvasia where there was another hill to climb.  On the way, we stopped to take some pics of a shipwreck.  Sixty years ago, cigarette smugglers ran their ship aground trying escape from the police.  

At Monemvasia, there was another hill to climb, not as difficult as the one at Palamidi.  Actually, this one was fairly easy, with a great view, and a church with an olive tree at top.  Can you count the olives?

The church picture was taken by one of my fellow Explorers, Di M.

I only have one question after today's adventure, can anyone tell me just what these big balls were/are used for?

As for back in the states?  Wowza!  YouTube shuts down Tenet Media because some of their biggest stars, Dave Rubin and Tim Poole to name some, are Russian Assets, getting paid more than $100,000 per week.  Two Trump associates have been arrested, again because they're Russian Assets, and Trump's campaign has gone into "black out" mode with people being threatened with termination if they talk.  Oh, and Orangie had a word salad Q & A in which he claimed that tariffs were going to pay for childcare.  The debate, if it actually takes place, might be one of the funniest things to ever happen on the political stage.  It would be hilarious to hear Harris ask the moderator if he can get her opponent to speak in complete sentences.

Tuesday in Greece

 Well, here it is, Wednesday.  The temps here in Nafpoli, Greece was 90 (F) this afternoon.  They could use some rain, and there were clouds overhead, but that didn't happen.  Oddly enough, when I checked my phone, Greek Accuweather indicated that the rain would stop in 40 minutes.  As I said, that didn't happen.

So, it's been a busy day so far.  At last count, I'd burned off over 900 additional calories, this was, no doubt, because I climbed over 900 steps up to the Palmidi Castle, and I only needed to rest 3 times.  Now, I know there are a lot of you out there wondering how high you have to climb to get in over 900 steps, so, when we were finished, I took a picture.  You can see the castle at the top, in the center of the picture.

Here's what Nafpoli looks like looking down from the castle.

And here it is from another angle.

And here's an artsy fartsy picture I took looking out over the Aegean Sea.

Our Tour Leader laughs almost as much as I do.  Though, to be honest, everybody appears to be having a really good time.  

Coming to Greece was one of the smartest things I've ever done.

Oh, and I've been corrected, the debate between Kamala Harris and Orangie the Anus isn't unto 9/10.  Thanks, otherwise, I would have spent the rest of this evening glued to my computer for updates.

Forever

 Today was another exciting day!  We left Athens this morning and this was the first of several signs I saw on our drive to Nafplion.  

Sadly, we didn't see any boars attempting to cross the road.  We did, however stop by the amazing Corinth Canal.  It was completed in 1893 and provided a channel between the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea.

From there it was on to Epidavros home to one of the best-preserved theaters in Greece, and it is big, capable of seating over 17,000 people.  The acoustics are simply amazing.  A lot of people wanted to try them out, so, one by one, they stood on the floor and clapped their hands together.  Believe me when I tell you it was loud up on the 34th row.

I then walked over to the Sanctuary of Asclepius.  The son of Apollo, he's the god of Healing.  I was surprised by how large an area this archeological site covers.  

And finally, since I'm going to be heading out shortly, I thought I'd let you see a picture of the Acropolis last night from the top floor of my hotel.  This is something that will stay with me forever.

And of course, Harris is going to debate Trump tomorrow.  I don't doubt for a second that he's going to remember that moment forever, too.

Me Touching History

 One thing I can say for certain is that when I get back from Greece, I'm going to be tan.  It's sunny and hot.  I chose this time of year to possibly avoid the heat, and if what our Team Leader Christos tells us, I did.  Bookings during the intense summer months were light.  The Acropolis is known for being an archeological site, the Parethenon, and one of the most famous historical sites in the world; it's known for its cooling shade trees.  When I checked the temperature standing on the Acropolis with sweat trickling down my neck it was 90 (F).  For those who don't know, in situations like this my mind goes to one thing:  hydration.  As a result, when we sat down for a light lunch, I guzzled a liter and a half of water record time.

And I know a lot of you are waiting to see this, so here it is.  This is me touching history.

I took a lot of other pictures, and you'll most likely get to see quite a few of them.

You may find this silly, but one of the questions which has bothered me is why the top of the Acropolis is so uneven.  There are rocks, and boulders sticking up from the earth at the rear end of the temple, however there is flat ground in front of the Neptune's Temple.  Our tour guide Melena pointed to rectangular squares cut into the stone and told us there had once been stone slabs leveling out the plateau and that other statues had stood on these stone slabs.  So, if you ever go to the Acropolis in Athens, now you know!

Here are a few other pictures.

And, of course, the debate is coming up.  From what I can tell, Trump is spewing out so much garbage 

hoping some think will stick.  He must be worried shitless.

Arrival in Greece

 So, I'm in Athens.  The temps outside are a balmy 84 (F) and the sun is shining. Tomorrow looks to be about the same.  

The flight over was long.  Nine hours from Philly to Athens.  I had been hoping to get some sleep on the flight but young woman beside me was, as my grandma would say, rutchy.  She just couldn't stay still.  She told me that she taught painting, abstracts, landscapes, portraits, that kind of stuff and that she'd been hired to teach a class on the island of Skyros (?) for the next 2weeks.  I listened to her and the gent in the window seat discussing painting and was not sold that she knew that much about painting.  

The food was... okay.  It was airline food.  There was a full meal and a snacky breakfast of Chobani yogurt and fig cookie.  

We have a meeting scheduled in the lobby at 7, after which I'm going to go up to the lounge on the 7th floor of the hotel and get a bite to eat.  I was up there earlier and took this picture of the Acropolis.

That's the Acropolis in the distance.  It looks far away, but it's really only about 3 miles away.  Athens, itself, is quite large.  There are not a lot of skyscrapers, the tallest buildings being around 7 stories.  Many of the buildings appear to have solar panels on their roofs.  Makes sense, lots of sunshine here.

Packed... almost...

 Well, it's 69 (F) outside and the skies are overcast.  Purportedly, they're supposed to clear up and it's supposed to be partially sunny for my flight to Philly.  However, (isn't there always an however?) there is the threat of thunderstorms.  

Yesterday I got some stuff accomplished, like cleaning the aquarium in the living room, and packing, mostly what it seems I did was eat.  Nervousness, perhaps?  Possibly.  I tried the online check-in and that didn't work.  After I filled in all of the pertinent information and hit "enter," it took me back to the main screen where, other than print off a boarding pass, there were other things that I could do... like pay an additional $132  for a seat.  For those of you who don't know, I have little legs.  My inseam is 29 inches (buying pants is a nightmare).  I'm all torso.  So, upgrading for an additional 6 inches of legroom is not an essential.

I talked to my movie buddy Patty last evening, she's going to be feeding the fish.  I was going to let my neighbor from across the street handle that chore, but... well, I've known Patty for 15 years and I feel more comfortable with her in my house.  I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean.

And for those curious few out there who need to know... I am packed... almost.  That means everything that needs to be in the suitcase is in the suitcase.  So tell me, can you guess what one of my favorite colors is?

I find it fascinating that so many pundits are upset that when Dana Bash asked Kamala Harris about Trump's comment about her turning black Harris simply said "same old shit" (my version).  Instead of creating drama they could attempt to articulate about, she simply moved on.  And evidently the MSM is frustrated that soooo many people are turning to independent news sources to get their information because these people, like Harris, have simply moved on.  No one wants to hear once reputable journalists opining in a way that satisfies the billionaire owners of the NYT, the Washington Post, CNN, and NPR.  Both the Guardian and Reuters also provide fairly decent reporting, but then they're European and have no problem being critical in regard to American politics, no matter which party is involved.

And Elon got shut down in Brazil.  I'm betting the fact that someone told him to shut-up has him stamping his feet ferociously.  We all need more balls when dealing with billionaires, otherwise they will run rampant and ruin everything.

Trump's Getaway Fund

 Okay, so the outside temp is 76 (F).  It is humid.  There is the possibility of thunderstorms this afternoon, but then we had the same possibility yesterday, and nothing.  No rain.  Tomorrow?  Forecasters are calling for showers.

Yesterday, work was meh.  I did hit my sales goal for the week, but that's all that happened.  Our Halloween display is just about complete.  One thing noticeably missing is the inflatables.  Halloween is supposed to be scary and let's face it, blow-up monsters just aren't scary.

All of my chargers are lined up and ready to be packed, not that I have that many, just my phone and my watch.  I bought myself an adapter that lets me plug in my laptop while letting me charge them at the same time.  This should be easy, peasy.  Also, since I've set myself up for international calling, later this afternoon I'm going to add the calling code to those numbers I'm going to be texting pictures to.  I also want to check out a map of the Philadelphia airport to locate terminals A and F, since I'm going to be traveling between the two both going and coming.

I watched Wicked Little Letters last evening.  It was a fun movie.  You might want to call it a mystery, comedy, drama.  Someone is sending obscene letters to different people in the town.  There's no nudity, but the language?  Obscenely funny.

And is it me, or does it seem like a day doesn't pass during which the Orange Anus manages to get bad press?  Take the Arlington Cemetery incident, for example.  Putting a wreath at the grave of a recently deceased war hero might be seen as decent and honorable, if only Orangie hadn't called those who died fighting for our country, losers and suckers.  He's mocked and derided Gold Star Families, and then he tries to turn their grief into a photo op.  I saw this morning that his team is trying to backtrack on that piece of stupidity.  Someone should tell him, it's already too late.

And then next week Orangie is hosting a gala at Bedminster as a purported fund raiser to pay for legal fees of his January 6 conspirators.  Yeah, I know, Stupidity, thy name is Trump.  Supposedly, he's trying to raise $1 million to help pay for their defense.  Personally, I suspect most of the proceeds will end up going into his "Getaway Fund."  In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he has quite the nest egg saved up to cover his relocation expenses.

Explore

 Today is supposed to be a real stinker.  If the guys predicting the weather are correct, our temps should top off at 99 (F).  That's toasty.  Keep in mind, Pennsylvania is one of the Middle Atlantic states, so we're a little over halfway up the eastern seaboard.  I'm sure those states south of us are toastier.

I got a lot done yesterday, including a 10 mile ride along the Han river in South Korea.  I found it boring, so I'll not ride there again.  Three loads of laundry were washed and hung out to dry.  Today is sheet day, and they, too, are now out drying.  The high heat will evaporate the water fast.

One thing I don't like about this time of year is the gnats.  I don't know if it's because I'm so close to the river or what, but they are always worse towards the end of summer.  And me?  I'm a gnat buffet.  Interestingly enough, not at the park, even when I walk the nature trail.  Anyway, I wear a pair of sweatpants when I'm either hanging up laundry or doing yard work to keep my legs from getting chewed to pieces.

And, this might come as a surprise, but I'm thinking of dismantling my treadmill and getting rid of it.  Of course, I've thought of doing this before and didn't.  We shall have to wait and see.

Of course, there is this:

And yes, I have begun gathering things together to start packing.

And Orangie the angry anus was once again indicted yesterday for his coup attempt on January 6.  And he's fuming (there, didn't I put it nicely?).  In fact, for those who are old enough to remember, the entire GOP is squealing like Mr. Bill, "no, no, no, no!"  Jack Smith's review of Justice Eileen Cannon's opinions was scathing, saying things like she "failed to grasp the simply grammar," and "had a total disregard for history."  But then, she is a Trump loyalist.  He didn't call her a traitor to Democracy, but that underlying message was quite obvious.

Perhaps the biggest surprise yesterday was that there will be a debate.  Rats!  I'll in Greece if it happens.  There will be no open mics.  This is going to be a big problem for Orangie's campaign.  Harris is going to call him on every he says.  Hopefully, America will get the chance to hear her say, "Well, that's a lie," or possibly, "Well, that was one long rambling word salad."  It will, if Orangie shows up, give him what he loves so much, great numbers.  Millions will probably tune in hoping to see him storm off stage.  This is why I think that at the last possible moment he will develop laryngitis.  

The Countdown Begins

 So, it's 58 (F) outside and the temps are predicted to climb into the mid 80s (F).  By Wednesday, the forecast is temps in the mid to upper 90s (F).  See?  I told you summer wasn't over.

Retailers, however, don't have a very good handle on the seasons, mostly because their focus is on selling shit merchandise, and for them seasonal translates to holiday sales.  This means that all of fans and A/C units are being bundled up and stored in the overhead racking in order to make room for the Halloween display, which will be set-up at the beginning of the week.  And, in case you're wondering, people will start buying that Halloween shit merchandise the instant it's on display.  Last year we had some guy loudly pissing and moaning complaining because our website advertised this ragged, little dwarf  skeleton and our display team hadn't unpacked it yet.  Seriously, he was very loud, shrieking about false advertising.  And then he stood glowering, and whining about how long it was taking to find the box so we could unpack it and sell him his ragged, little dwarf skeleton.  The only thing he was missing was a MAGA hat.

Much was accomplished yesterday:  the lawn mowed, 2 loads of laundry washed and hung out to dry, a 3.25 mile walk in the park.  Nothing was packed, though I did spend a few seconds looking at my suitcase.  The pack I bought has many little pouches, so today I will probably store my extra charges in one of them.  I did download an app from a link Explore.com sent me regarding my itinerary.  It's quite informative, with lots of juicy information, including the weather in Greece.  Currently, they're temps are about about the same as those here in Central PA,  During the height of the summer, their temps are closer to those in Tampa, FL.

The 7 day countdown begins today.

And I don't think there's anything that can quite compare to the stupidity of Republicans.  James Comer, in an attempt to disparage Walz, said that "Minnesota is not your normal state...they have a huge population of residents who come from other countries and have very different ideologies that don't really respect capitalism."  That's right, Jimmy Comer just insulted the entire voting population of Minnesota.  You cannot make this shit stuff up.  Or, perhaps what he was trying to say is that Minnesotans do not embrace the Republican values of selfishness and greed.

For those who didn't know, RFK jr now supports Trump.  This is because Trump promised him he could run the Environmental Protection Agency.  It's illegal to promise someone an position in order to get their support.  Orangie tried to create a big "to do" about Kennedy switching his allegiance from the Democrats to the Republicans.  Mostly, the Democrats either yawned or made jokes about Kennedy's brain worm.  Orangie didn't mention that the entire Kennedy clan has come out in support of Harris, or that Kennedy's supporters were Republicans, not Democrats.  Ouch.  

Torturing Donnie

The weather for today, Monday, here in Central PA is predicted to be cloudy, very cloudy, with occasional showers, with a high in the low 80s (F).  It's going to be a repeat of yesterday, though we did have at least 2 thunderstorms sweeping through the area.  they both dropped a substantial amount of rain in a short period of time.  They're predicting our temps for the rest of the week to be in the low to mid 70s (F).  That's fine.

I had a decent sales day yesterday.  Well, saying it was decent might just me being a bit modest since I had an $18,000 flooring sale go through.  That should make management happy.  My total sales for last week were around $29,000.  Because so many of my installs went through last week, my sales for this week will be weak.  That's okay.  

On thing I do wish people would stop asking me is "have you started to pack yet?"  So, just in case any of you would like to ask, the answer is no.  That won't start until the day before I leave.  This doesn't mean I have been preparing.  I've been taking pictures with the camera and sending them to my laptop for easy posting to my different accounts.  Luckily, if I post a picture to Threads, it automatically posts to my Instagram account, as well as to my Facebook account.  I am surprised that so many people are planning on vicariously going along with me to Greece.  One nice thing about this is that I won't need to bring back nearly as many souvenirs.  

And, of course, the Democratic Convention begins tonight.  I am nurturing a spark of interest, so I might end up watching some of it.  Tonight's Joe Biden's night.  There are a number of speakers scheduled, including Republicans.  They know the assignment.  Democracy for a win on November 5.

The Main Stream Media, believing they'll get more clicks if something goes awry, is hoping protestors get out of hand.  CNN was airing some sort of hogwash with "undecided delegates," because, even though Harris is guaranteed the nomination, they need to try and force some drama.  I don't know if Fox is covering the event, but you can bet that if they do, their views will be more jaundiced than the Orange Anus going through full blown liver failure.

And, speaking of Orangie, his paranoid dementia was boiling over yesterday, evidenced by the over 50 long comments he posted to his Truth Social account.  Now admit it, that does make your heart sparkle with joy.  And just to add more than a smidgen of salt to Orangie's wounded brain, projection artists spent the night decorating his Trump Tower in Chicago.\

I don't believe in torture... still, I never would have believe that torturing Donnie could be so much fun!