Almost Christmas Eve

 It's Christmas Eve... morning, so it's not really Christmas Eve yet.  Give it 12 hours, than, legitimately, it'll be Christmas Eve.  The forecast said we might have snow... and didn't.  The temps did warm up from yesterday, though, instead of being 12 (F), it's 27 (F).  That's a good thing when you have a puppy who doesn't really know what cold is and wants to stay outside.

I did work yesterday.  The store was fairly dead until around 6 PM, then customers began trickling in.  Luckily, none of them wandered over to the Flooring Department, not that I expected any to do so.  This close to Christmas, most people are looking for that cheap tool to get Dad because social standards say that all Dads want power tools.  They were also looking for Christmas decorations and artificial tree; they're all marked down and if you want a deal, now's the time.

Today is pretty well planned out.  I'm staying home.  There's nothing I need at the supermarket.  Right now I've got a loaf of bread in the machine.  Later I'll be baking another coconut pie and some corn pudding.  Christmas is going to be just like Thanksgiving.  Quiet.  My sister called yesterday and I was busy, so it went into voice mail.  I haven't heard from my brother.  He's been awfully quiet.  I was going to give him a poke about president Musk today, but, seeing that it's almost a Christian holiday, I'll just send him well wishes.  I was going to send him this, but instead, I'll just post it on Facebook.  

Congress did give America a Christmas present yesterday!  They released the Matt Gaezt report.  Wowza!  $90,000 to women who were not necessarily sex workers, but who had no problem getting paid to sleep with him.  Oh, and he also made 2 Statutory Rape payments of $400 each.  Having to pay for sex tells you a lot about Matt Gaetz.  I read some of the text messages that went back and forth between he and "the ladies."  They were pure business.  Do you party?  What's the going rate?  Is $400 enough?  In the real world, I suspect he is truly repulsive.

And then, of course, is the fact that the Merrick Garland had this report and did nothing is important, As is the fact that the majority Republican party in Congress knew what was in this report and were prepared to let the Orange Anus make him the Attorney General is down right horrific.  I don't doubt for a second that this is exactly what all of those Christians were voting for.

You've got to be Kidding Me

 It's sunny here in Central PA.  The temps are a bit cooler than yesterday.  Our high today is only to reach the mid 60s (F), and the highs will continue to decline as the days move on.  Keep in mind that for the next few days we are still in winter.  Spring arrives on the 19th this year because it was a leap year, but don't expect it to bring a big change in the weather.  We are a degree or so warmer than we were last spring, and that will most likely continue into the foreseeable future.

I didn't really do too much yesterday.  A bit of this and that.  

Mostly, what I did, was observe Lily, the lady of the house, and she's not nearly the invalid she plays.  Her biggest problem is that thing I call a boobly cyst on her wrist.  It was something that was more of an inconvenience than anything else, something that didn't need to be surgically removed because of her age.  Now, however, over the past few days it's become swollen, filled with fluid, and it is causing her pain.  She has no problem drinking, and her appetite is strong, she just doesn't want to walk.  My Vet recommended a Mobile Vet, however they are on vacation until Monday, in fact it seems as though the few other Mobile Vets in the area are also closed and getting her into the car is virtually impossible.  As I said, she has no problem eating or drinking, just in using stairs or walking for an extended period.  This means, as you might expect, the floor of the writing room is covered with pee pads.

Quick update on the Vet situation:  Mid State Vets sent me an email, they do not service my area, so I'm going to need to load Lilly into the car and take her to the Vet on Monday or Tuesday.  You've got to be kidding me.

Anyway, while I was out back with invalid yesterday, I snapped a picture of these.

And you've no doubt heard that the Orange Anus has had his porno trial delayed until April because the Justice Department only recently turned over around 15,000 additional documents which may have little to no impact on the case.  You've got to be kidding me!  For quite some time people have been throwing out excuses for our Attorney General, saying that Garland is just being cautious, that we're not aware of things going on behind the scenes.  The more this happens, however, the more I'm inclined to believe that he is just incompetent. Now, I don't know about you, but I've always felt he got the job not because of his superior qualifications, rather it was compensation for not getting a vote on being a Supreme Court Justice.  If that's the case, then this his appointment was a terrible miscalculation.

Living in a Haze

The skies are overcast and we have light rain showers outside.  Temps are predicted to climb up into the low to mid 60s (F) today.  That will be nice.  Tomorrow, however, they're going to tank, though the definition of tanking is relative when you take into account how warm it's been this winter.  For us, the mid 40s (F) means our temps are tanking.

Rather than riding the bike, I've been spending a lot of time on the treadmill.  Usually I keep the speed at a fast walk, between 3.6 and 3.8 mph, but I've been increasing the incline to over 5% so I'm walking fast up a continual hill.  Believe me, you don't need to run to get a good cardio workout.  An interesting side effect is that my Garmin Fenix 6 tracks that incline as a staircase, so a 2.5 mile walk will show me going up 45 flights of stairs.

Milky Chance released their first song of their next album.  That will be available in June.  Here's the song, Living in a Haze.  Can we talk about versatility?  They go from singing about smoking pot in Colorado to wanting to be a disco boy in this song.  Enjoy.

For those who didn't see it, and I'm one of those, Merrick Garland was testifying yesterday in front of some Republican hack committee trying to prove one of their conspiracy theories.  I did watch a clip where that buffoon Ted Cruz accused the DOJ of leaks regarding to photos from the Mar a Lago raid.  When Garland pointed out that the photos Cruz was using as a reference hadn't been leak, rather they had been part of a press release, the buffoon quickly played his 'no further questions,' card.

Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries sent a letter to Rupert Murdoch asking that Fox not air their re-edit clips of the January 6 attack on the the capital in order to avoid further violence.  I don't doubt that Rupert is not in a happy place right now.  With that letter being publicized, should Fox go ahead and air anything that incites violence, they will be to blame.  They may shriek Freedom of Speech, buy any and all public disorder will be laid upon their doorstep.  And, of course, there is the Dominion law suit.  You can that's going to play into old Rupert's decision, he's already on record as saying Fox out and out lied about the election.  I hope he's enjoying this haze he's put himself into and wonder if all he really wants to do right now is be a disco boy.

 

How to Not Organize a Holiday Party

Outside, the skies are cloudy, a constant breeze is rippling through the branches of the river birch just outside the window, and the temp is sitting at 30 (F).  Today is supposed to be the only day that's cold.  Beginning tomorrow temps are predicted to start warming up.  This does not mean they've been cold.  With average daily highs in the mid 40s (F), so far this has been a relatively mild winter.  Now, the real question is going to be if by saying that I just cursed the hell out of it.  😎😎😎

I talked to the people working on the house next door yesterday.  Their plans have changed.  They were going to rehab and rent, now they're planning on a full remodel and sell.  He told me they were going to ask $180,000, which they figured would net them a $30,000 profit.  They should have no problem getting that price.  As of yesterday forenoon they had been up in the attic (she described it as creepy) but hadn't started to empty it.  The dumpster out front is full, so I don't know if they're going to be getting another one or not. 

Our Holiday Party is tomorrow.  I work a full shift (until 7), and it's going to be in the store.  That's right.  The mini-manager in charge thought this would be great, leaving more money for food and gifts.  This mini-manager is a dumbass.  There was supposed to be a buffet catered by Olive Garden, the restaurant said there would be no problem with a group of 200.  However, the mini-manager waited until Thursday (3 days before the event) to call and order the food.  Basically Olive Garden said "what world are you living in?  We need at least a week's notice for a crowd that size."  Members of the committee were calling around, trying to find someone who could hand that size crowd on such a short notice.  End result, there may be no food at the party.  I will decide when I'm at work tomorrow if I will go or not.

Last night I watched Matilda, the Musical on Netflix.  I'd heard good things, but...  (sigh), I didn't know if I was up for a musical with a lot of kids.  It's very enjoyable.  I highly recommend it.  Here's one of the songs, Bruce.  Now, ain't that a great name for a song!

Garland's decision to put the Biden document problem under the the watchful eye of a Special Counsel has evidently pissed off quite a few Republicans in the House.  You see, now that it's under investigation, they are unable to shoot out subpoenas. This keeps it from becoming a Dead Horse they can kick repeatedly.

 

The Stuff of Dreams (and nightmares)

 Finally, Friday.  Because I'm kindhearted, I voluntarily worked 6 consecutive days this past week.  Rousing myself from bed this morning, the likelihood of that happening again is rare.  Perhaps if 2 of the shifts hadn't been from mid-morning to midafternoon I might feel differently.  Those 2 days played havoc with my schedule.  Now it feels like I'm going to be playing catchup for the rest of the weekend.  That's catchup... not ketchup.

Weatherwise, the temps are predicted to be in the comfortably low 80s (F).  The outside temperature was 67 (F) when I got up.  That's nice.  Windows are open to let in the cool morning air.  We're almost halfway to autumn, and the changing of the leaves.

I watched the last episode of Moonhaven last evening on AMC +.  The show is a quirky, science fiction / mystery though I don't know if it's going to get renewed.  I also watched the first couple of episodes of The Sandman.  That I liked.  Lots of language.  Some violence.  And Tom Sturridge in the pivotal role.  I can only wonder if he's really this thin.

Of course, Merrick Garland told the world yesterday that he wanted the search warrant for Mar a Lago to be made public.  Rumors swirl that some of the documents Trump took involve our nuclear capabilities.  Laura Ingraham poopooed that suggestion, to show any indignation would show disloyalty to the icon of evil to whom she has sworn fealty. 

Then, after midnight, Trump ((or one of his minions) released a statement saying he wanted to search warrant to be released.  Keep in mind, there is a big difference between saying he wants something to be done and actually doing it.  He has until 3PM this afternoon to actually sign the papers.  Purportedly, his legal team is in discussion with the DOJ about...  something.

And then there's the 'mole.'  Supposedly the idea that one member of his inner circle (6 - 8 individuals) told the FBI not only what to look for, but where to look is something he can barely grasp.  Disloyalty.  If he dreams at all, this is the stuff of his nightmares, that someone might not have allegiance to his every command.  

As Seasons Change

 I didn't even try to sleep in this morning.  Things going around in my head.  So I roused the dogs a little before 0500.  Lily is always up at a moment's notice.  Biggie is a morning slug after he has his morning pee.  Right back to bed.

Later this morning I will turn on the ceiling fans.  Temps here are predicted to climb into the mid to upper 70"s (F).  When that happens the upstairs can easily reach the low 80's (F), and I want to do either a run or ride, or maybe both this afternoon.  Spring comes and I get more active.  I guess that means this is a seasonal thing.

There's also more yardwork planned.  Yesterday I cleared the leaves away from the flower bed I put out front last year.  Quite a number of bulbs have already started sprouting.  I'm eager to see if any of the tulips come back.  They don't always flower every year.  Here's a picture of the daffodils of the season.

And I took the dogs for a walk yesterday.  They loved it.  Slept like rocks last night, which means Biggie was an ever bigger slug this morning.

I found it quite fascinating the Merrick Garland was approved by the Senate as our next Attorney General by a quite decent margin: 70 - 30 voted in favor.  The 30 who chose nay are Republicans, as might be expected.  These human stains represent the core of hatred in our country needing to be voted out of office.  They also represent the top ranking priests in the Cult of Loser #45.  

Finally, and not really too surprising, Beth Moore, a prominent Evangelist has cut her ties with the Southern Baptists over Loser #45.  It's not too surprising because there are Evangelicals out there who realize #45 represents the power of corruption.  He promises them all the power they crave, to make the country a socially conservative dictatorship, all they have to do is worship him.  It seems as though Beth started realizing back in 2016 he wasn't sent to give them what they want, rather his presence here is to tear them apart.  Or at least that's what she believes.  Ouch.

Run for the Senate

I checked my calendar this morning and it's... Friday.  Now, imagine that.
We had some hefty downpours but nothing torrential.  It rains like hell for about seven or eight minutes and the stops for a couple of hours.  You'd almost think your lawn was on steroids.  And it's everything, not just your front yard.  Supposedly the sun's supposed to come out tomorrow... can someone cue Annie?
I've started alternating my cardio, one day it's the bike and the next it's the elliptical.  Yesterday it was the elliptical.  I put together a new playlist and... it was terrible.  It needs work.  Too many slow intros making me lose my stride.  Usually I listen to whole albums when I'm on the bike because there are hills and they slow you down.
Evidently there are quite a few Democrats out there who feel that those 15 - 16 longshot candidates need to get out of the presidential race.  Maybe if enough of us started shouting at them they might understand.  Run For The Senate!  Perhaps if we all emailed them a copy of Samantha Bee's Public Service Announcement they might get the hint.

If you need to cut out this Republican cancer, this tumor of conservationism, you need to start slicing away at the source.  Believe it or not, I'm not talking about the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  It's the Senate that's protecting him, tonguing his stinky little bunghole.  We need to pack them all in a short bus heading towards Lemming Land where they can all jump off a cliff.  Unfortunately, these "candidates" don't seem to realize that when we move a Democrat into the Oval Office, unless we change the Senate, not much is going to be done.  Oh, sure, those Executive Orders the Idiot dictator wannabe has issued will disappear.  But legislation?  Remember Merrick Garland?  That was the Senate.  Think of all of those unqualified people the Idiot Jerk put in positions of power simply because they too tongued his ass.  The Senate, under Mitch McConnell, voted them into those jobs because they had a majority.  If we had control of the Senate, the Idiot Jerk would have been gone a long time ago... so would his 'nelly nazi' vice president.
A Blue Wave doesn't just mean the House of Representatives and the Presidency, it includes the Senate as well.  As Americans, we need to let these wannabe candidates know what our priorities are, and tell them to Run for the Senate.

The End is Nigh

Well, today's Wednesday.  We had lots of thunder and rain over night, no high winds and no torrential downpours, I can tell because all the rose blooms are still intact.
Today I have chores to do.  I didn't get much done yesterday.  This is usually the case when I work 5 or more days in a row.  I'm heading into another 6 day stretch, though I'd be willing to bet one of those will see me using a personal day.
Right now, both the front and back door are standing open letting in the wonderful sunlight.  I do like this time of year.  If winter were sunnier, I'd probably like it more.  Those days when we only get 10 hours of sunlight?  Not my favorite.  The cold doesn't bother, it's the lack of sunshine.
I saw Mitch McTurtle reversed his decision to consider a Supreme Court Justice in an election year.  Remember Merrick Garland and how it really wouldn't be fair?  Of course, most know Mitch is a lying sack of shit.  This change of mind is more than his just adopting a new opinion.  In a not too subtle way, Mitch is shooting off big, red Republican warning rockets: if they want another Conservative voice on the Supreme Court, it needs to be done before the election.  Without screaming it from the rooftops, this is his way of telling the base that 'the end is nigh!'

This just the tip of the iceberg for the Republicans.  The real stinky shit is going to happen once the Idiot Jerk is ejected from the Presidency.  At that point, they're going to have to deal with a vast majority of American people questioning the validity of his appointments to the judicial system, as well as the decisions made by his henchies in regard to the political landscape.  This has always been a terrible problem with Conservatives.  You see, they've always thought all they need to do is change the rules and everything will be ducky dandy, but then they've always been stupid that way.
Anyway, one of my chores for today is to pack up all of my notes for The Body in the Tower.  They are extensive: 3 fully printed manuscripts with detailed changes.  While I do a lot of editing on the computer, I also enjoy working off a manuscript.  From the first draft to the final copy, changes are extensive.  Whole pages get crossed out and rewritten.  Fine tuning is everything, which is why I have readers.  And now, of course, the process starts all over again.  In case anybody is wondering, this is a lot of fun for me.