And Kash Patel drinks a little

The cold wave is upon us.  Storms came through the area last not, not a lot of thunder or lighting, but we did get some nice, steady rain.  As a result this morning's outside temp is s50 (F).  Clouds are supposed to hang around Central PA for most of the day.  Things will stay cool, with the high this afternoon expected to be in the mid 50s (F).  And, as expected, there is a freeze warning for Tuesday night.

And yesterday was okay.  Saturday and Sunday are no workout days, so I spent yesterday morning doing other stuff.  That includes editing.  Oh, and I also had to go to work.  I did managed to get a measure, so most of my goals have been met for the week.  Our garden department was rocking again.  Flooring?  Well, I managed to get my steps in early, and that's in spite of having to avoid the garden department.  I know flooring.  I don't  know flora.  The last thing I want a customer to do is wonder why a flooring specialist is wandering around the vegetable seedlings.  It's not a good look.

I do have to work today, too.  Right now we have drizzles.  The prediction is for us to have drizzles all day.  Business will be slow.  Perhaps I can go back to my original route through the garden department.

In case everyone missed it, under Jeff Bezos' ownership, The Washington Post has become a prolific sane washer of the Orange Anus.  They used to have a reputation for writing articles that provided a critical insight into the workings of Washington.  Now they publish puff pieces of Orangie and constant criticisms of those who disparage him.  With this in mind, I was more than a little surprised when they published this pic of him this morning in the Sunday edition. Even though the sharp edges of the article about his obsessing over his ballroom had been blunted, I was surprised that they would still used this very unflattering picture of him.  I mean, he looks like's he's eagerly awaiting life support.

The fact that Kash Patel is a drunkard should come as no surprise to anyone.  I realized this truth the minute those videos of him drunkenly jumping around with the American Hockey team at the winter Olympics were released.  The only reason he has that position is because he'll never vote to oust Trump using the 25th amendment.  Why many are saying he needs to be fired, don't count on it, or at least not in the way you think it will happen.  Orangie will do to Kash what he's done to both Bondi and Noem, create another department where he can still get paid his original salary and have access to the private planes he wants to jet-set around the country.  Patel knows too much.  

Snow

Well, we did get snow. I thought we'd get about 3 inches.  We got a tad bit more, for fell short of the 4 inches forecasters were predicting.  Temp wise we are sitting right at the freezing point, with today's high to be in the upper 40s (F).  Tomorrow our high will not get as high, rising only into the mid 30s (F).  On the bright side, we a little over 3 weeks until Spring officially arrives.  Believe me when I tell you that people here in Central PA are ready and waiting.  

Things were very slow yesterday in the world of home improvement retail.  One of our aisle associates was wondering why, so I told him this is what it's always like in mid-February.  There may have been 5 customers in the store when I left at 6 PM.  When I was a part-time cashier, over 17 years ago, I was lucky if I was scheduled 4 hours a week.  

So, what did I do to pass the time?  Well, I printed off Chapter 6, called B Flat, and spent some time editing and rewriting.  Three new characters are introduced in this chapter: Tsung Park, Violet Murgatroyd, and Netty LaRoux.  She's a cook.  I find her name amusing since there are so many people who have no idea what a roux is.

And, as I said, we did get snow.  Here are some pics.  It sure does look pretty, doesn't it?

And yesterday morning the US Men's hockey team won.  That was great.  Only one thing put a damper on the victory and that was the drunken idiot Kash Patel dancing around with the team, shouting "I won, I won," while on the phone with the Orange Anus.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather a the Director of the FBI demonstrate just a smidgen of dignity rather than chug beer like some over-the-hill frat boy.  Now, I'm not on Zitter, or Twitter, or what ever Musk's social media platform is called, but from what other people are saying, MAGA cultists are not happy with Patel's jig-jigging around.  These people actually thought that the Orange Anus was going to drain the swamp.  Now, they're beginning to realize he is the swamp.

And the State of the Union speech is on Tuesday evening.  For some odd reason I thought it was on last night.  Not that I have any intention of watching it.  Those who do should prepare themselves to hear many lies, not doubt the latest being that Orangie single handedly stopped a drug war in Mexico.

The Grand Stupidity

 And we're starting off today with an outside temp of 23 (F) and, unfortunately, it's not supposed to get too much warmer, with a high barely climbing up into the mid 30s (F).  Drat!  Next week, however, if the forecast is correct, we should be in the mid 50s (F) for a day or two before we cool off.  Then, and again if the forecast is correct, our afternoon highs should be in the mid 40s (F).  Not warm, but getting there.

Yesterday was sort of a day of accomplishments.  I spent too much time rearranging the small appliances in the kitchen to make room for the dehydrator only to realize I was going to be using it periodically best.  There are certain foods I want to dry and store, but many I'll continue to buy, unless they go up in price too much.  So, after an initial period of use, it's going to be stored away.

I did have a cranky moment with Rosetta Stone.  Since I am anticipating going back to Greece, I've been learning the language slowly.  At one point, you could buy the full language course from Rosetta Stone, but that has changed and it's now a subscription service.  My 3 month subscription renewed a little over a month ago.  Well, yesterday when I went to sign in all I got was a spinning dial.  Their server was evidently down.  Irritated, I searched for "best online learning app for language," and found out that Rosetta had dropped from the number 1 service to number 3.  Ouch.  So I signed up with Pimsleur, it's less expensive, and when the Rosetta site becomes available, I will cancel my subscription.

Guess who's big enough to get up on the bed?  Shame he had to leave his pink octopus on the floor.

As the Orange Anus' second term approaches, holes are beginning to appear, as if we didn't know that was going to happen.  Even though those of us who are smart are preparing for the chaos to come, there are many who don't, and the sad laughs will be on them. Do not despair completely, there will be levity along the way, like Kash Patel being hacked by Iran.  This guy's a joke, and now Iran has all the dirty on him.  Blackmail him much?  Then there is the drunken wife and girlfriend beater Pete Hegseth.  You know it's bad when your own mother publicly calls you a scumbag, however, this is the sort of character reference the Orange Anus looks for in a candidate.  Gaetz and some other dude who's name is totally forgettable have already removed their names from consideration.  

There is this grand stupidity about the Republican party that will never change.  They will never overcome their inability to understand that they cannot bend reality to their will.  When I think of them, I quite often think of the Jeff Goldblum line from Jurassic Park:  "no  matter what mankind does, nature always finds a way."  No matter what the Orange Anus does, he will always lose.

December Morning

 This morning started off brisk, that is if your definition of brisk is 19 (F).  Yepper, it was that cold when I climbed out of bed.  The skies are overcast, though weather forecasters are calling for partial sun later today, with the temps popping up into the mid to upper 30s (F).  And it's not yet winter!  Of course, and I'm going to repeat, so far we are experiencing the same weather pattern we've had for the past several years: nights with temps down in the teens, and days when the temperature has barely hit freezing.  And then in early to mid January, things warm up and daily highs are in the mid 40s (F).  We shall have to see if the pattern holds true.  If it does, this is another example of climate change.

Yesterday, the day after Black Friday, the store was busy in the morning.  I missed that, since I didn't start to work until 2 PM.  I have the same schedule today and tomorrow.  This was my schedule back during Covid, except I was working 5 days a week.  Now it's either 3 or 4, and as we get deeper into winter the number of days is likely to decline.  That's fine, too, unless, of course, the Orange Anus decides to screw around with Social Security.

I'm trying something new for breakfast, cooked barley.  I've been eating Grape Nuts for years now, and I've decided that it's time for a change for two reasons:  Even though it's supposed to nutritious, I suspect it's probably closer to eating cardboard than anything else, and it's expensive (but than so is every breakfast cereal).  It's also part of the Mediterranean diet, not that I follow one diet plan, but I've always been one to try and eat as healthy as possible.

And if you don't own a Bible and don't mind buying into blasphemy, there's this:

It's leather bound and is, in case you didn't notice, the official signature edition, for just $1000.  Most Bibles have two simple words on the cover, Holy Bible.  This one?  The Orange Anus needs his name and title on the cover in what's known as the Top Billing space.  He is... basically, taking credit for the Holy Bible.  This is what every Evangelical has prayed for:  Donald J. Trump destroying Christianity.

Oh, and he wants Kash Patel to run the FBI.  Republicans refuse to understand that a majority of Americans will not stand for an authoritative government.  They will have to be taught a lesson, won't they.

Being Tricky

So, what will today bring?  Any ideas?  Yesterday, was fun, in an odd sort of way.  I had my driver's license renewed.  While this may seem a mundane chore to most, this was my first time at the new PA driver's license office, which is located in Enola.  That's right.  No driving into downtown Harrisburg anymore.  Not only is it in my home town, it is, as the crow flies, about 3/4 of a mile away.  The building used to be a supermarket, now it's used solely for renewing and applying for driver's licenses.  My visit was fairly uneventful except for one thing.  Now, everybody knows their picture on their driver's license looks like crap.  Well, there was this blond woman who wasn't satisfied.  From where I was sitting, I could see the screen with her pictures.  At first there were 2, which she didn't like, so they took another, and another, and another.  She kept dismissing them all.  I laughed.  The only time anyone is going to see that picture is if you get pulled over by a traffic cop, or if you're getting carded going into a bar.  At her age, she was definitely not going to get stopped going into a bar, so I suppose the police must pull her over a lot.

I went for an 11 mile ride in Oregon.  Small hills, and fairly flat.

Also, for those looking to buy an appliance, the big sale starts today.  This is the Black Friday special.  Pay close attention.  This sale ends 12/1 and a Christmas sale begins.  That sale is not as good.  Of course, most people will think this is one continuous sale.  Tricky, we are.

The rest of the pumpkin pie is gone.  Good.  Now my hellish carb addiction is satiated, at least for the time being.  I made 2 stuffed peppers.  Since I had a couple of plum tomatoes on hand, I made the sauce, too.

And last evening I saw the pertinence in yesterday's blog.  Evidently Kash Patel was given immunity to testify.  This is going to be very tricky.  The immunity covers a very narrow area and has no effect on other crimes he may have committed.  He will sit there with an attorney who will prod him to use the 5th as often as possible.  Even more important to remember, is that Patel is a lying sack of shit; he's prone to falsehoods and partial truths, what ever he thinks will save his ass.

Biden spoke last night.  I didn't watch.  I'm doing a replay of Assassin's Creed, Valhalla with studly Alexios.  I don't think I need to tell you that everything he said was true.  We may end up with several years of chaos if a number of election deniers win.  I'm thinking the Democrats are going to keep the Senate, and possibly the House (by the skin of our teeth).  I'm thinking we're going to do better than the Republicans think.  Why?  Because on a Fox Townhall, J.D. Vance, a celebrity non-politician who thought this would be a cakewalk, said he thinks the abortion issue would be settled if we went back to Roe v Wade.  Does he believe this?  He may have written a bestseller, but when it comes to the American people his brain is witless.  He's just being tricky.  When lies fail, Republicans turn to trickery.

 

Kashing In

The phlebotomist who did my blood draw yesterday was good.  No hint of bruising what so ever.  This is a first.  Usually there's a red dot, followed by a blurry edged hint of black and blue.  I looked at my arm this morning and saw nothing.

My back's bothering me a bit.  The heating pad is already in place on my writing chair downstairs, and shortly the upstairs will be plugged in.  Not that I pulled anything, or the disc jelly as once again begun oozing, I'm certain it's the way I've been sleeping.  There are times when the dogs don't give me much space on the bed.

The new laundry room is coming along fine.  One of the original doors of the house separated the closet, back when it was a walk-in closet, from the bathroom.  That door is now gone.  I'm thinking of replacing it with a bifold door.  They're easy to install. 

I was told by one of the men working for the owner of the house next door that my neighbors were going to come down this week and clean it out.  That's not true.  I have texts from them.  In their minds, he bought that home 'as is,' with all the furniture inside.  

Here's a catchy song, whether any of the lyrics will make it into one of my books is up in the air right now, but I can definitely see one of my characters say "what me worry?"

So I see Elon is now saying he'll drop the charge for the blue check on Twitter to $8 per month, however he's hinting that anyone and everyone who subscribes will be certified, whether they're bots or not.

Ovcer 900,000 mail-in ballots have been received in PA, the vast majority being from registered Democrats.  This does not mean Republicans aren't voting for Shapiro and Fetterman, there's been a lot of ad space bought buy Republicans urging members of their party to vote Blue, mostly because Mastriano and Oz are such losers.

Lyndsey's going to have to testify - so says the Supreme Court.  I'll bet that brought him to tears.

And a lot of people are wondering... well, maybe not that many, if Kash will flip for cash, the Kash being Kash Patel.  Immunity!  That's as good as cash, ain't it.  You remember Kash, don't you?  The guy who said Trump could declassify documents simply by thinking it was so?  If this nugget of news is dropping now on major media outlets, you can bet there is a serious possibility it might be happening.  Can we talk about an October surprise?

 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-elections/early-vote