Mitch Rolls In

The temp was 68 (F) when I left work last evening.  When I woke up this morning, the outside temp was 49 (F).  We are definitely experiencing a cooling off.  We're about a week away from Autumn, and I'm ready.  By next week our daily highs should be in the upper 60s (F) to low 70s (F), that's sweater weather; time for the cozy comfort of sweatpants and sweatshirts.

So, my flooring sale went through yesterday, that should keep management happy.  The only thing that will make them glum is the fact that I haven't gotten a measure so far this week.  This is the time year when people start to consider new flooring for the holidays; they want to impress during the holiday get togethers.  However, the price of diesel fuel has a direct influence on how much we charge for products, as well as the amount that people are willing to pay.  So, we may be hitting a very dry season.

I did get a morning workout in yesterday.  I'm taking the bits and pieces of my Trainwell workouts and repurposing them into something new and exciting.  I haven't actually canceled my subscription, but that will happen shortly.

I'm also considering buying a grain grinder and milling my own flour.  I'm seeing a lot of good things about spelt, which is an ancient wheat.

After 3 months, a rather slack jawed Mitch McConnel returned to work yesterday.

He is non-mobile, meaning he needs to be rolled to where ever he needs to go.  There are no pics of him voting, but supposedly he did.  He can't seem to keep his mouth open for very long.  As someone said, he is becoming the poster child for elder abuse.  

One of the suspected reasons we have so many tech billionaires saying we need to slow down AI is that it's generating no income.  Expenses are going through the roof, but there are apparently very few buyers for the services it provides.  This is not good for Orangie's son, Donny Jr.  He is heavily invested in an AI company, which is the main reason Orangie's shrieking that we need to go full speed with AI.    As is always the case with Orangie, it's always about the greed.

Sinclair Caves Big Time

 Saturday.  Today, if the forecast is correct, might just be last hottest day we have this summer.  The temp is predicted to climb into the mid to upper 80s (F).  You could say we're in a mini-heat wave for the next few days, then Autumn returns with cooler daily highs.  I can deal with that.

Being that we are in the weekend, I'm scheduled to work.  Because today's is supposed to be sunny and warm, I'm not expecting the store to be busy.  Now I know some might be questioning that statement, but you need to realize that the time for curb appeal is out of season.  That happens in the spring, not fall.  And while there will be those who are out looking for Halloween decorations, because the economy appears to be slip, sliding away, their numbers will be lower.

There will be food, though.  This weekend is our bonus weekend.  Our bank accounts are a tad bit fuller because of our miniscule bonus checks.  Though, mine was nice.  I used part of it to buy a new game, Borderlands 4.  It's what's called a looter/shooter.  A first person shooter with lots of fancy weapons, and ammunition tucked away all over the place so you never run out of bullets.  It's entertaining, meaning that it will help fill the gaming time until something more interesting comes out.  And since I'm probably a little better than average playing first person shooters I'm not disappointedly dying every few minutes.   Sometimes I play stealthy, and at others I run in guns-a-blazing.

And Kimmel's back on all stations.  Now tell me, wasn't that fun?  Punching Orangie and his henchman car in the face?  I saw a clip of Just Dancin' Vance and he was not happy.  He was spewing some sort of garbage about affiliates should be allowed to censor that which Orangie doesn't like... well, those weren't his words exactly, but that is the gist of their meaning.  The problem Republicans have always had is they have this seriously flawed belief that if they're in charge they can dictate and America will simply bow their heads and do as they say.  They just learned that belief was terribly wrong.  Will they learn anything from this learning experience?  Absolutely not.  That would mean everything they believe to be true is a lie.  Ouch!

And Elonia is in the Epstein files, so is Petey Thiel, which is a bit odd since Thiel, being gay, is not into little girls, and I don't recall there being any mention of little boys.  In fact, while Orangie and Randy Andy may have been going for the pedophilia, I'm wondering if there might not have been some other shenanigans going on.  We know Petey Thiel owns Just Dancin' Vance, so who's to say this wasn't the beginnings of Project 2025.

Splintering

 Well hello World!  Morning temps here in Central PA are a comfy, cool 57 (F).  The forecast is, again, for them to warm up into the 80s (F), though just passing the borderline, keeping them on the low side.  Tomorrow we're heading back into seasonal temps.  The long range forecast has us again popping up into the pesky upper 80s (F) for a day.

I'm wondering how long summer will be stretching its presence out until we do finally hit our first frost.  I don't know why, but for some reason I feel we should be later in the year than we already are, like maybe something happened to the calendar and we're actually a month behind the times.  Perhaps this is because barely a day goes by without breaking news disrupting the smoothness we want for our daily lives.  We prefer stability, and I do think all of us would enjoy going through at least twenty-four hours without some idiot rocking the boat.

I do get to go to work this afternoon.  Will today be another five hour episode of chitchat with fellow associates, casual conversation passing the time between those rare customers who stumble into the flooring aisles?  Probably.  I do know my supervisor will be there and anticipate her giving me my "One on One."  These are mini-monthly reviews that are supposed to assess my continued progress as a sales specialist.  We will go over the goals I failed to reach for the month: measures sold, leads generated, and credit cards applied for.  Corporate seems to think this pressure applied monthly will increase revenue.  Blame needs to be placed somewhere if the store is not making plan.  These One on Ones are just a waste of my time.

If you go to the movies as often as I do, you probably realize that the movie never starts at the showtime listed because the theater has sold 20 - 30 minutes of ad time you need to sit through before the trailers start.  Obviously people have been complaining because this warning now appears on the AMC website.

There was some sort of memorial service for Kirk at the Kennedy Center and Orangie was a no show.  Why would he go somewhere to hear people talk about someone other than himself?  Or, perhaps that was past his bedtime?

I'm sure many conservatives are concerned about the future of Turning Point USA now that Charlie's gone.  He was the charismatic glue holding the organization together, and let's be honest, his wife Erika doesn't have those adhesive qualities.  This doesn't mean she isn't going to do everything she can to keep herself in the spotlight.  You can't grift if people forget who you are.  As for Turning Point?  I can see it splintering and falling apart since there was, as far as I can tell, no second in command.  Charlie was the only one.  Some of his followers may swing towards Nick Fuentes, but mostly I suspect they will wander aimlessly around in disarray.  What we really need to be concerned about are those who are like the alleged shooter, individuals who are delving into the dark side of the internet.  For these people, there is no Left or Right, there is only depth and darkness.  They have been weaning themselves off of normalcy for years.  They are being radicalized not because they are victims, rather I think it's because they enjoy being different.  In their world, they are the cream of the crop, and the more disruptive they can be, the more important they feel.  

  

A Tumultuous Time is Upon Us

 Good Morning World!  The temp outside here in Central PA is 63 (F), our skies are partly cloudy, and it's supposed to remain dry.  That's the big word right now.  No rain.  I've been pouring a gallon of water on the grape vine I planted in the spring.  I want to insure that it's root system is primed for the winter.

The leaves on the maple trees surrounding my house are falling like large, yellow snowflakes and Howie is amazed.  He likes leaves.  Every time he goes out, he comes back into the house with his favorite leaf, which he drops on the kitchen floor.  Lots of sweeping going on here.

This morning, for the first time in a long time, it seems as though regularity is beginning to return, not that the regular that was is much different than the regular of now.  I installed the new Dragon Age game last night and created my character.  The game itself is linear, meaning you have to follow a pre-set path.  Many people reviewing the game are disappointed because they were hoping it would be an expanded open world.  So far, it's fun, and that's the only thing that's really important.

I am off this afternoon, so one of the things I want to get done is mow the leaves in my back yard.  I like to mow and mulch my leaves, rather than rake them to the curb so the street sweeper can vacuum them up.  Most people don't understand that last years leaves are fertilizer +.

And as some of you know, I like to use a different color ink when I start to do my editing.  For The Body in History, the color is teal.

And for those who haven't yet realized it yet, we now live in tumultuous times.  Everyone is trying to explain how and why Harris lost, and there are so many reasons.  The blame falls completely on Democrats who stayed home.  2024 was an extreme version of 2016.  Democrats outnumber Republicans in this country, yet only 68 million voted.  Trump's numbers are roughly 2 million less than they were in 2020.  Tragically, about 17 million Democrats stayed on on November 5.  Why?  I remember Maddie saying some of her friends were on the fence for various reasons, if they stayed home?  Well, now we have an administration that's going to side with all those Evangelical Christians who voted for Trump, and, in case you've forgotten, Evangelicals hate Drag.  Remember how they went after Drag Queen Story Hour?  For all we know, Trump may use an Executive Order to outlaw Drag.  Or, if you know anyone who is Trans?  Their lives may get very difficult, because the Republicans will control the House, and the Senate, and it's quite likely they will pass laws to make it illegal for Trans people to get the meds they need.  For whatever reason these people used to stay home on November 5, we are not going to have to suffer through tumultuous times for at least 2 years.  Then, in 2026, we might actually have the blue wave we've been expecting for the past decade, that's if the fence sitters have finally had enough shit being rubbed in their faces.

Things Happen at the Tholos

 Today is my first day off and rain is in the forecast.  We had a steady, drizzling rain all day yesterday, and the forecasters are saying it will hang around until Thursday.  Temps are cool, but not cold, the perfect weather for sweat pants and sweat shirts; comfy clothing, you know?  While I truly love the shorts and T-shirts of summer, I also love the comfy sweats of autumn.  

My cold is beginning to dry up.  I'm still taking Benadryl, but only when needed, which is not too often.  From what people have been telling me, this nasally, sneezy, coughing thing is going around and quite a number of people are suffering through the symptoms.  I'm so glad it showed when I got back to the states rather than back in Greece, that would have, to be perfectly honest, pissed me off a lot.  Katie, the wife of the quiet policeman, had to deal with one through out most of our journey down the Peloponnese.  In Delphi, they were in the room next to mine and she coughed through most of the night; I felt so bad for her.

Cori, my cover artist, has the updated notes on the artwork for The Body in History.  Some major changes took place, the biggest being the setting.  It turned out that the original art was focused around the Tholos of Athena and not Apollo's Temple.   Well, that's fixed.  Now, all you have to do is wait 8 months for the reveal.  For those interested, this is the Tholos of Athena and it's located almost a mile away from the temple.  Do not despair though, things do happen at the Tholos.

Trump had some sort of Q & A with a couple of farmers from Pennsylvania yesterday during which he said he was going to put tariffs of 200% on John Deere tractors and they applauded and cheered because... well, they were no doubt paid to do so.  They obviously don't understand tariffs increase the customer cost, they don't reduce it.  Tariffs do not force manufacturers to reduce their prices, this is something MAGA cultists simply don't understand.  Trump preys upon their ignorance.

Finally, think about this:  Everything Trump touches dies.  Someone should have told the Evangelicals.

Beetlejuice

 The outside temps were 56 (F), 13 (C), this morning when I woke up.  Today is the last day they're predicting we hit the mid 80s, after that it looks like we're going to start the down hill slide into Autumn.  Daily highs next week are only supposed to be  in the low 60s (F).

The new chair I purchased will be arriving on October 2.  When it arrives, the writing room will be complete.  The most difficult thing to do so far was set the delivery date.  This was because for some dastardly reason the store has me scheduled for way too many hours.  Next week it's 32 with only 2 days off.  That is so much more than what I want.  The only reason I continue working is because I know I'd turn into a slug if something wasn't getting me out of the house. 

My cold is still hanging on.  Crap.  For me, a cold usually last 2 or 3 days; always a runny nose and nothing else.  With this one I'm coughing (dry cough), and I'm still having nasal drainage (didn't I say that nice).  The last time I can remember having a cold this bad was back when I still lived in the apartment, and that was over 30 years ago.

I went to see Beetlejuice last evening (even with the cold).  The story turns out to be rather interesting as 3 generations of the Deetz family return to the ghost house for... a funeral, though I have to admit, I was looking forward to the afterlife segments more than anything, and they are tops.  Michael Keaton's Beeltejuice has aged quite well, so I'd give it a Thumbs Up.  My only criticism is that the song MacArthur Park is used in a segment and you really have to be of a certain age to appreciate how it's used.  I don't think younger people are going to get the references.  Anyway, here's the trailer.

And of course... Hahahah, Mark Robinson, the large, bigoted pastor, minister, or whatever you want to call him, had his campaign rocked by scandal yesterday.  Let's see, among other things, he referred to himself as a Black Nazi (ouch), and evidently used to enjoy watching transgender people have sex on a black, porn website.  Of course, he's staying in the race because... it turns out yesterday was really the last day he had to withdraw and ballots had already been printed.  How timely!  To be fair, he was already polling far behind the Democrat running for governor, so this was just the icing on the cake, so to speak.  He's earned this bad Karma, I hope he's enjoying it.

Holy Ouch

 Today was predicted to be warm, low 70s (F) and sunny, well that prediction has changed.  Now our temps are only supposed to climb into the upper 60s (F) and there's a 40% chance of rain.  Tomorrow the forecast is for a return to more warmly seasonable temps.  Notice, I'm saying warmly seasonable.  We're almost halfway into autumn and people are already wondering if we're going to have a very mild winter.  The fact that we're in the warmest year since they began keeping records, I's say that might be a distinct possibility.  

My birthday was relatively quiet.  Lily and I had cake and ice cream.  I fried up some spam for sandwiches for supper (she loves spam, which is interesting since she isn't Hawaiian).

I've been having some problems playing Starfield.  The sound is wonky, and my weapons don't fire.  Unfortunately, there are only 5 active game saves making it impossible for me to go back to a previous save and restart the quest.  So, I've been in contact with Bethesda Game Studios, which is funny since they're located in Bethesda, Maryland, about and hour a way.  For the first time one of their techs suggested that for some reason my game might be corrupted.  Damn.  He gave me a couple of possible fixes which I'm going to try when I finish this entry.

Part of my birthday fun was going to the movies to see Killers of the Flower Moon.  It's long, 3.5 hours.  It's very good... except for Leo.  I've never been a big fan of De Caprio.  Hated him in The Revenant, which I thought was boring as Hell.  He's no better in this movie.  He frowns through almost the entire movie.  He plays Ernest Burkart, not the most intelligent man in town (he has problems reading).  At the other end of the scale is Robert DeNiro, whose presence dominates every scene he's in.  Anyone who's paid any attention whatsoever to the way Native Americans have been and still are treated, will pretty much know how the story of Osage Indians being murdered is going to unfold, and if it weren't for Leo, this would be a damn good movie.

There was another Republican debate last night.  Didn't watch it because I was at the movies.  I wouldn't have watched if I had stayed home.  There's no need to watch those dumbasses bicker among themselves as they try and prove to Trump they should be his running mate (if he's not in jail).

And I find it hilarious that every candidate the Moms For Liberty backed failed miserably.  That's almost a Holy Ouch!  Every single one of their candidates failed.  Not only did they lose, in some school districts the people who are Woke took over completely.  Americans don't really want them banning books from our schools.  Most Americans don't want a Socially Conservative, authoritarian government running the country.  This is bad news for Republicans.  As one of their own pundits said, "Republicans just aren't winning."  Holy Ouch!

Israel

 Autumn has arrived.  This morning's temp outside was 48 (F).  The high today should reach 60.  Same forecast for tomorrow.  Tuesday the temps are supposed to climb up into the mid 60s (F).  For those who don't know it, wool blanky days are fast approaching.  This also means that the all those thousands of leaves on the maple trees around my house are going to rain down on my yard.  Fun times ahead!

Work was slow yesterday.  I did have a customer who wanted to buy some indoor / outdoor carpet to put on his garage floor.  I kindly informed him that it would not survive.  I mean, it would for a while if you spread adhesive over the entire concrete surface to glue it down, but I would have thought that common sense would have told him that the tires of his car would shred the carpet.

My new neighbors had a loud disagreement last night around 10ish.  Perhaps they discovered there was no heat up in the attic, which their 17 year-old son chose for his bedroom.  Or maybe it might be that they discovered they might have problems with their old furnace.  I do feel bad for them.  They felt they were making a sound investment when in reality they were buying a fixer / upper with new appliances.  It also says something about Ironworks Realty and the agent who sold them the house.  She looks really bad.

I saw this pic and had to post it because this looks like bad casting from a Batman movie that never got made.  The character in the center is Scott Pratt, a Trumplodite.

There was terrible news from Israel yesterday.  There are many reasons for the attack by Hamas, but I do think Netanyahu's presence is a major contributing factor.  There were major protests when he and his hardliner buddies attempted to weaken the Israeli Supreme Court proving he does not have a large majority of the people on his side, and so looked weak.  With the country struggling with the chaos he'd brought, Hamas may have thought this was a good time to strike.  Someone should have told them, no time is a good time to strike.  In time, Netty would have been gone.  Now, all they've done is strengthened his grasp, and as he attempts to prove Israel's superiority may do something truly stupid.  Of course, he is a corrupt conservative to his actions may end up being inevitable.

Kitchen

 Yesterday was warm, the temps climbing to 86 (F), heating the house to point where the Central Air kicked in.  That's okay.  It was only for a few hours.  This early into autumn, I can live with that.  Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow bringing cooler temps to the area; highs in the upper 50s (F) are expected.  Time to break out sweat shirts and pants and pack away the shorts and Ts.  

My new neighbors are not happy with their house.  The first time I met her she talked about the new appliances, so I think for her and her husband that was the main selling point.  Do Not Buy a house simply because it has new appliances.  Now her complaint concerns the lack of wall outlets.  "Only 2 in the living room," she's griped about every time I've talked to her.  She also voiced her opinion that they weren't told about things like that, and I thought she should have realized that was her responsibility.  When most people buy a house, they walk through the rooms and picture where their furniture is going to be, so if they decide their TV is going to be on one wall they usually check to make sure there's an outlet.  They are going through what may be a very expensive learning experience.

And the kitchen is proceeding nicely.  All the cupboards and cabinets are in place, all the drywall has been hung and every hole covered.  Late yesterday afternoon I installed the drain pipes and this afternoon I will install the fixtures.  Tomorrow?  Probably the dishwasher.  Once that's done, I can begin painting.  There's some tile work I need to do around the stove.  And, of course, there's the floor; that will make these creaking bones ache.

The disarray and chaos in the House of Representatives continues.  Republicans are upset that they forced McCarthy to add a rule which allowed one sole congressman to have him fired.  Sorry, bobo brains, you are the ones who voted for that rule and no one was holding a gun to the head of their first born.  A number of them are saying that they'd like to expel Matty Gaetz, but we know that's not going to happen, that would cost them a vote.  Remember, these people are Republicans, for them it's not about corruption, it's about being in charge.  They accept any evil as long as it gives them the power they crave.

Why are Republicans so Obtuse

 The arrival of the weekend means I'll be working tomorrow.  That's kind of nice since I now have to recoup more than my kitchen redo expenditure.  

We are in the nice days preceding Autumn, days are comfortably warm and overnight temps are cool, what we like to think of as good sleeping weather.  No rain is in the foreseeable forecast, but Lee is heading up the east coast so we might get a few showers as he skirts on by.

I pulled the old door frame off the doorway from the kitchen to the back porch yesterday.  There will still be a door because it's still unheated.  That will be changed, and eventually a powder room will be installed.  That expense will be an asset.  Buyers like when there are 1 and a half baths.

On my agenda for today is work on the big tank.  I'm also going to move the stove and rip up the vinyl plank underneath it.  That will be replace with the new click-lock vinyl flooring I will install myself.  Now, how handy is that?

Last nights dinner was spicy Italian shrimp with rice.  Very tasty.  There's enough left-over to cover my lunch at work tomorrow.

I'll be honest, I really like it when losers like Kevin McCarthy find themselves in a "lose / lose" situation and it's even nicer when I see he's sharing that same ground with the GOP.  Being in their own little obtuse world, Republicans don't understand that what their base loves goes grates against American Democracy.  Because they've sold their souls to the Spawn of Satan, they are forced to have impeachment hearings without evidence.  They're going to try and shut down the government because they need to hurt the Biden administration simply because he's a Democrat.  This is the same party that wants to eliminate Social Security even though seniors use those monthly checks help to drive the economy.  How did they get so out of touch with America?  I don't doubt for a second it started with Reagan's re-election, when they began lying to themselves that America was silently conservative.  Unfortunately, they will never learn.

Republican Lawsuits

 Today is most likely the last day we will be having warm temps; 64 (F) outside as I type.  That's almost balmy.  Predictions are for us to hit a high of 75 (F) today.  Then the mercury is supposed to drop, cratering to a low of 33 (F) overnight.  It will be much cooler tomorrow, so if you're one of those standing in line to cast your vote, make sure you bundle up.

Yesterday was terribly slow at work.  On a Sunday afternoon and early evening, you know televised football is cutting down the shoppers. The weather was warm, mid 70s (F) when I left work, so rather than shop, people did things outside.  Black Friday is coming up, and even though we have a lot of pre-Black Friday deals, people will wait for what they think is going to be a better sale, (remember when I said that great sale will end?).  And then there are the price increases.  Not so noticeable on the big ticket items, it's the smaller priced items where the higher prices are more apparent.  Corporate wants to hit it's fiscal goal and to do that they will raise the cost of a drill, or screws, or paint brush.  While during the pandemic we were considered an 'essential' business, in truth, for most people, the products we sell are not essential.  No one's life is going to depend upon whether they paint their living room sage green, or lollipop lavender.

I do have leaves.  They're sill falling like rain.

After tomorrow, the election ads will be put to rest.  Lucky me, I don't watch TV so the only time I see them is when I watch something on YouTube (one of those services I'm not paying a subscription for).  I suspect one political party is not going to be very happy.  Lawsuits are already being filed, and not by Democrats.  The last I checked, over 41 million Americans have voted, either by mail, or through early voting.  Many Republicans have this innate belief that such voting benefits the Democrats.  While this is true in some instances, if you start poring over the data, you find that quite a few Republicans also take advantage of both.  When Republicans lose, they point their crooked, little fingers at early voting and mail-in ballots as corrupt and filled with fraud, and so they file lawsuits pushing these lies.  The truth is conservatives are just terrible losers.  To lose, means that a majority reject their beliefs, that a large number of voters have said they don't like the conservative message.  This is something the losers reject, because in their minds they can never be wrong.

The National Humanitarian Award

 The new week has arrived!  For those impressed by such things, this will be our first full week of Autumn.  The temps are cool at night, but during the day they're forecasted to climb up into the upper 60s (F).  That's fine.  Soon the leaves will be changing colors as they prep to fall from the trees.  This means, at some point, I'll be posting a picture of my golden ginkgo.  

Lunch was fun with my friend Betsy.  We talked quite a bit about politics, and then more politics, and then a bit about The Body Under Ice, about how gossip, in itself, is almost a character in the new book.

My neighbor's lawn is looking more and more like a field.  They have a problem, I suspect, that being they've decided to sell the house 'as is.'  They have a contract a potential buyer would need to sign excluding them from anything and everything.  I haven't seen it, but my neighbor across the street has, (his mother's a real estate agent), and he pulled out of the deal.  I gather the contract implies there are major problems, meaning even a house flipper is going to wait until their asking price hits rock bottom.

President Biden honored Sir Elton John with an award this weekend.  The National Humanitarian Medal.  Good for Elton.  I will admit that watching this clip did bring a tear to my eye.

Not a lot happened this past weekend in the political arena.  On Friday, the House GOP revealed a veiled commitment to... well, nothing.  E. J. Dionne, as well as many others have called it horseshit (my word).  They listed a Republican laundry list of what they claimed were problems without providing a single clue as to how they were going to solve them.  This really was nothing more than empty bluster.  How do I know?  They did it on a Friday.  Politicians, in particular, prefer to have bad news released on Friday because they know the weekend tends to dilute the issues.  You don't release good news on Fridays, that happens on a Monday when the news cycle has 5 full days to glorify it.  These Republican dumb shits knew this was going to go over as well as a soggy pancake with everyone except their MAGA base.

Finally, because on 64% of all the Italians eligible to vote actually did vote, the country now has a female version of Donald Trump.  From what I know of Italian politics, that's not going to last too long.

Hillary's Emails

 Outside, the temp is a cool 52 (F) and it's breezy.  Autumn has definitely arrived. Today's high is supposed to reach 65 (F).  That's unusually chilly for this time of year.  For the rest of the week they're predicting a more normal mid 70s range for day time highs.  Nights, though, the temps will be dropping down into the high 40s and low 50s.  Time to pull out the wooly blankets.

Yesterday was very slow at work.  I did sell some expensive blinds to a very nice Asian woman.  My manager stopped by the flooring desk and told me he wanted me to push 'credit.'  As I've said before, if someone asks, I'll sign them up for a card.  If they don't, that's fine.  Corporate wants us to believe that people with one of our credit cards will spend more money.  That's not true.  Most of our customers already have credit cards.  With some, this may be true, but most people I deal with watch their credit.

Also, yesterday, because this is our Success Sharing weekend, food was provided:  Breakfast all Day.  Meh.  Now, don't get me wrong, I like breakfast, but I'm not one of those who delight in getting to eat breakfast at one in the afternoon.  Tomorrow is ice cream and Blizzard day.  Now, that's what I call a treat!  I'm going down to York for lunch with my friend Betsy on Sunday and we always stop at Dairy Queen.  So the question is will I be blessed with Blizzards 2 days in a row, or will tomorrow's Blizzard be knock off?

And, of course, yesterday social media was a mock of Trump saying you can declassify documents simply by just thinking about it.  What a hoot!  Now, I know there are those out there clutching their pearls and shrieking, "they need to arrest him now," but admit it, this is rather amusing.  I actually was responsible for several loud guffaws from people's comments.  I'm also laughing at the GOP, who are trying to push a phony agenda heading into the midterms and nobody but the cultists are paying any attention.

Honestly, I even watched some clips of his Sean Hannity interview as have, I presume, some of you.  There's no avoiding them, really.  So, while Kevin McCarthy goes to Pittsburgh to lie about what the Republicans are going to do should they take back the House and Senate, most people are still laughing at Trump.  When he said that "the FBI raid at Mar a Lago was so intense, they might actually have been searching for Hillary's emails," I suffered through a mini laugh riot.  While his cultists eat  this shit up, a vast majority of the American population had a 'what the fuck' moment.  So, while Kevin's trying to talk up a nonexistent Republican agenda, most of the reporters there are going to be waiting to ask him if he believed the FBI was, indeed, possibly searching for Hillary's emails.

Witches do Exist

 Hello Thursday!!  Outside, the temps are a comfortable 70 (F), however we do have rain.  Supposedly a thunderstorm is supposed to pass overhead.  That doesn't seem to be happening.  All I can hear is the steady rain on the roof.  That temp?  70(F)?  Well, that's about as warm as it's going to get today.  Summer is ending on a rather chilling note.  That's fine.  I'm ready.  Soon the leaves will be changing.

Yesterday was a day filled with mini-accomplishments.  One thing that I plan to wrap up, possibly when I'm off tomorrow, is transferring all of the slides I took while in the Navy to jpeg images.  I have about 2000 and every one of them is at least 45 years old, however I'm not saving all of them.  quite a few are repetitive, like 24 pictures of people working with silver in a factory in Baguio, Philippines.  Of course, the rewards are finding the gems, like the pictures of a snake charmer in Singapore.  Don't worry, you'll get so see some of them when I've finished.

Now, isn't it nice to know there are certain things we can all rely upon?  I mean, nothing changes about them.  They are constant.  They stay the course.  Nothing will ever alter their heading.  Ever.  Take, for example, the investigations into Donald Trump.  No matter how greatly the evidence proves guilt, no matter how many people flip and testify against him, these investigations will always be witch hunts.  Knowing this, I did a little investigating on my own.  Did you know that not all witches wear pointy hats?  Or that their evilness is long-lived? Or that witches are gender based?  The male witch is called a warlock.  This immediately proves him wrong.  These investigators are not looking for some scaggy, old bitch who flies around on a broom.  No, if Trump is correct, this is a warlock hunt.  Well, I hate to admit it but he's correct.  As proof, I offer up this old lithograph as proof.

Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm finding this week to be more than a little titillating in regard to the Donald.  Joy of joy, things have been going terribly for him.  Thanks to the lawsuit filed by the Attorney General of New York, people suspect he's not really a billionaire.  And all those times he took the 5th?  In a civil trial, which this is, they can be used against him.  This means that the 440 times he refused to testify on the grounds it might incriminate him, he was really telling the courts, "yeah, I'm guilty as hell."

And, of course, the 11th District told Trump's pocket judge Aileen Cannon that she has her head up her ass.  Contrary to what his cult wants to believe, you can not declassify documents simply by thinking they are declassified.  I suspect an indictment for treason from the DOJ will be forthcoming.

The fact that he keeps shrieking witch hunt proves beyond a doubt that witches really do exist.  

  

Put up or Shut up

 Hello Wednesday.  Midwoch for some, and the weather outside is lovely.  Skies are a clear, cool blue, though them temps are suppose to climb into the mid 80s (F) this afternoon.  In the early hours of tomorrow morning Autumn will come knocking.  I hope everybody's ready, I know I am.

One of the lights in my refrigerator burned out.  I need to pick up milk later, so I'll see if they have one at my local, neighborhood Giant supermarket.  If not, I'll pick one up when I go to work tomorrow.  

Speaking of the store, our bonus checks are being disbursed on Friday.  This will be the first I've gotten since going part-time.  While being a benefit, part-timers have never real gotten anything substantial.  Of course, I'm not a regular part-timer... I have mgmt. history, so I was pleased to see that this little deposit will handily pay for the flooring I just bought.

And I went to the movies last evening to see the comedy, mystery See How They Run.  It was quite enjoyable.  Split screens were used effectively, especially in one pivotal scene where something has happened and the cast members are all rushing to discover... something.  The movie begins on the 100th anniversary of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.  The cast, including Dickie Attenborough, is celebrating, and of course murder and mayhem ensue.

Judge Dearie, the Special Master that Donald Trump so desperately wanted, basically told Trump's legal team to "put up, or shut up," yesterday.  He wants a list of the classified documents Trump claims to have declassified and the proof the declassification was done.  Ouch!  This was a gamble by the Orange Anus and, if one takes a look at his previous wagers, (the steaks, the ties, the wine, and the university) you'll see he loses far more often than he wins.  Being the pathological narcissist that he is, however, in his mind there are no losses, only successes.  

There's a good possibility Trump's bad week will be continuing this week.  Fani Willis, the Fulton County AG, is going to make a big announcement today.  While a lot of people are praying she's going to indict Trump, I'm betting it will be Rudy Giuliani who makes the Perp Walk.  Though, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be disappointed if it was Lindsey Graham.  Though I think Rudy will flip faster than Graham, who will never leave his concrete closet.  

UPDATE:  my apologies it seems it was Letitia who had the big announcement, not Fani.

This isn't that complicated

 When I got up this morning (for the 2nd time) the temps outside were a crisp 30 (F), and they're supposed to drop below freezing for the next few days.  That's fine with me.  I was also up at 0300 because Biggie had to go potty outside.  Just like an old man, he gets up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and grab a midnight snack.  Of course, Lily joins him; she likes her biscuits, too.

My Thanksgiving schedule was posted yesterday - 4 days off in a row, only 19 hours.  It took me a few seconds to realize those hours didn't include holiday pay.  I'm not working Black Friday.  Though, surprising, I'm considering going in from 1100 to 1600.  Of course, I'm also considering I might not.  One of the nice things about being part-time is that I can volunteer to work hours if the need them.  This is not that complicated.  I tend to do what I want.

And this morning, breakfast is an egg over easy (with fresh thyme) and a slice of homemade Italian bread.  A very uncomplicated meal.

I find it amusing that so many are trying to read the tea leaves after Tuesday's election.  Republicans are elated and Democrats are flustered.  Honestly, when I heard McAuliffe was running for governor of Virginia I was surprised - he's old school.  As such he made mistakes, believing he could make this race about Trump one of his biggest.  Democrats need to look at the changing dynamics in the country.  The census of 2020 showed for the first time that white people are declining in numbers.  For many Americans, this was a wake-up call. These voters see Critical Race Theory, even though they don't know what it is, as a major threat.  When Youngkin brought up Toni Morrison's book, Democrats had nothing to counter.  He already had the white Republicans, but suddenly white Independent voters grew alarmed.  The last census set the stage for a future they see filled with serious complications..  They believe Youngkin, and the Republican Party, are a way for them to hold onto the status quo.  That's not going to happen.

Silent Minority

 Well, the weather is definitely autumn temp wise.  Our high today is supposed to top off somewhere around 60 (F).  The heat is on.  Lucky for me, I'm in an area where natural gas is inexpensive.  Homes around me are slowly switching to a fossil fuel that burns cleaner than oil.

The new roof is on my front porch and the small roof over the bay window on the side.  That's right, I have a bay window that just out into the yard.  A long, long time ago there was a window seat there which could be used for storage.  At one point, during the past 116 years my house has been here, someone saw fit to remove it.  The clean-up was thorough, the 2 man crew even did my fall grounds keeping.  Things change over time.

Of course, Biggie had to come out onto the front porch to investigate.  When I told him to go back inside he did, just inside the front door where he barked at me.

Work was very busy yesterday, lots of people buying blinds for their windows.  Damn!  Thousands of dollars.  Amusingly enough, a bunch of my Navy buddies had a bit of a text conference last evening, I read some of them, but stayed out.  One of them kept stating how prices weren't so high when Loser #45 was in office.  Dumb Ass.  Yet this person represents how some Americans think, out of context.  Supply chain issues created by the pandemic have nothing to do with prices, as far as they're concerned, it's the Democrats.  These are non-thinking voters.  We need to do our best to make the a silent minority.

Bummerland

Well a happy Thursday to you all.  Here in Central PA we have rain... lotsa rain.  In fact, we're stuck in a band of rain moving north, and while I'm not going to get another 7 inches, the possibility exists for at least 4 more.  My lawn continues to grow... fast.  Since I'm off on Tuesday, I'll have to drag out my little electric mower and once again shear it off before it becomes a field.  If I had a little more land, I might consider buying a goat or two.

Normally, as the weather gets colder the leaves begin turning colors... well, here they turn yellow.  The leaves on my river birch rarely change color, they simply fall.  And so far, while we've had temps down in the 60's (F) at night, there is no sign of Fall actually arriving.  With that being said, this article in the Washington Post came as no surprise.  One of our seasons is getting longer, while the other 3 are all getting shorter.  We may have celebrated the autumnal equinox, however when autumn will actually arrive is still in question?  late October perhaps?  

That's not me

And, as climate change continues to effect the world, remember, when things get to bad for people they will move.  Of course, the idea of a group of people migrating because climate change has made their lives impossible  is something Conservatives never consider, especially the faux Cracker Jack Crazies, mostly because what's happening in Guatemala is way outside their sphere of Consciousness.  Perhaps if they weren't so focused on their 'me' principle, you know what I'm talking about.  "If it doesn't effect me, it's no concern of mine."

So many don't realize we're getting very close to Bummerland.

The Approaching Fall

Okay, so my weekend has just begun.  My back is only slightly cranky.  The temp is a crisp 59 (F), so I have some windows open letting in the cool morning air.  In a few days we'll hit the Autumn Equinox and fall will be official.  Interestingly enough, here in Central PA, we have one of the longest fall foliage seasons because we're smack, dab between the north and the south.  Occasionally we get bright, brilliant colors, but mostly we're rather subdued.

I did an adjustment to my work availability.  They can schedule me Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.  That way I'm guaranteed a day off between shifts.  The way it had originally been set up in the system, it was possible for them to schedule me 5 days in a row.  That's not why I'm going part-time.

Last evening, when I got home from work, I updated the drivers in my printer.  Evidently a large update happened back in March and I didn't receive notification.  I didn't try printing anything yet because, well, honestly, if it doesn't work I'll just have to get another laser printer.  

If the barbershop is open today, I'm going to get a haircut.  Believe me, I need one.

Here are some tasty tidbits of information:

For years we've been told to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  Drink 8 glasses of water a day.  Now they've discovered hydration is different for every one.  8 glasses might be too much for some people, and not enough for others.  I read this and thought, hell, this is what happens whey you try and standardize everything.

Most of us with event the slightest bit of savviness have know this next one for a long, long time.  White, Cracker Jack Crazy Christians are really in it for the power.  Even though they might claim they're working for a higher power, the dark secret in their hearts is that all they're concerned about is the power to dictate and control.  Oh, and many believe in white supremacy because they they've convinced themselves they have chosen.  

And finally. the Hillsborough, Florida GOP have a bit of a problem.  It seems their anti-vax, anti-mask bookkeeper was a software developer who wrote the application for the finances.  Unfortunately, he was wrong about the vaxxing, and the masking, and died of Covid last week without telling anyone how to access their financial information.  Ouch!!