The Expendables.

 Today's supposed to be nice.  Our outside temp is in the mid 70s (F), humidity is low, and there's only a 1% chance of rain.  The long range forecast is extending this forecast for the next 15 days.  That's fine with me, by then we'll be at the end of August, with only 3 weeks left until Autumn arrives.  

Of course, I'll have another birthday in the fall and I'm fine with that.  Honestly, I don't mind the aging bit, I just hope I don't simply fall to pieces when I hit my upper 90s.  There are times when I will sit and look around the house and realize that everything I have will be gone, that does bring on occasional moments of melancholy.  And then I'll wonder where I'll be; in a senior facility?  My mom was in a very nice senior facility.  She wanted them to cater to her more than they did, and so was not happy, of course, my mom desperately wanted to be a matriarch and that never happened.

Yesterday I once again added my phone number to the state "no spam calls" registry.  I get at least one scam call daily, on some days I'll get 3 or 4.  This should eliminate most of those calls.  In France they're passing a law to make scam calls illegal and Morocco, of all places, is complaining.  Evidently over 50,000 Moroccans work in call centers.  Damn!  I'm sorry, but having a job where you're required to harass millions and millions of people is not what I'd call an acceptable career.

And yesterday was Howie's birthday.  As always, we had cake and ice cream (vanilla cake and vanilla ice cream).  He ate the ice cream (French Vanilla) but totally ignored the cake.  Perhaps the butter creme frosting did not meet with his approval.

He also got a toy, a stuffed chicken.  He loves that!!!

And of course, the big news story was lying Karoline Leavitt is quitting.,.. in 2 weeks.  While many want to think this is because she  came to her senses, they are wrong.  Lying Leavitt would eat flaming shit balls if she thought such a feat would make her important.  What's more likely is that when Orangie abandoned his by sneaking away in a catering truck, he not only left her behind, but he took his most favorite of assistants Natalie Harp.  Don't know who Nat is?  She's the blonde bimbette who is constantly by his side.  Nat's known for carrying a portable printer so she can print of newspaper headlines and articles.  She's also unofficially known to be Orangie's diaper girl.  When he shits in his pants, she wipes his ass and puts him in a fresh diaper.  Basically, he chose an ass wiper rather than an ass kisser to save when he fled Turkey.

And, because his administration is like a sieve unable to keep leakers in line, the threat that sent him cowering among the pre-cooked meatloaf and lasagna, was reported to him by the Israelis who wanted to insure America continues to war with Iran.  The CIA is now confirming that this was a low level threat.

I'm betting Orangie's decision to only save Harp and Hegseth is rattling around like a rabid rat in a rusty cage among those he chose to sacrifice.  Now Stevie Miller, Scottie Bessent, and Marco Rubio know just how expendable they are.

The Birthday

 So, I thought Mother Nature was going to be nice to me on the day after my birthday.  The temps were warm, in the mid 40s (F) here in Central PA.  And then I looked at the forecast.  The temps will stay warm, climbing into the mid 60s (F), until the rain arrives.  Yepper.  We are going to get doused.  And then the temps are going to drop all the way down into the low 30s (F).  After that our highs will only be hitting the mid 50s (F) until... the next heat wave?

Yesterday was a very good day.  I did... things.  No workout, but cake and ice cream.  Howie and I had several balls.  A few phone calls with friends, one talked for over an  hour.  I climbed on my bike and chose a Paris ride on my Tacx Neo trainer and rode down streets I'd walked down back when I was celebrating my birthday in Paris.  I posted a video on Instagram if anyone wants to see me riding towards the Eiffel Tower with Bon Jovi singing "It's My Life." Believe me when I tell you that happiness is in the small and easy things, not the loud celebrations.  Dinner was barbecue chicken, and then more cake and ice cream.  Howie loves ice cream.  I even wrote some words.  

I'm not going to weigh myself today.

And I do have to work today.  Where's Eli when I need to have someone say "shit."  It wouldn't be bad, the rain and football will keep many customers out of the store.  However, I'm scheduled to be at the stupid Lead Table from 3 PM - 4 PM, and I, like so many others, simply despise that waste of my time.

This morning I posted one of my favorite pictures of Paris on Facebook when I sent out my thank you to all the well wishers.  Here it is for you to see.  The skies were cloudy when I arrived at the Eiffel Tower but had cleared by the time I climbed all of those steps to the top.

And, of course, thanks to the Orange Anus and his need to shut down the government, this is not the time to be flying.  When they say the shutdown is effecting thousands, they're not talking about 4 or 5 thousand, they're talking about numbers in the 40s and 50 thousands all across the country.  The sad truth about this is that while some of the American stuck in those airports may blame the Democrats, many more blame the party in charge, and the party in charge refuses to understand the longer this goes on the more they are stabbing themselves in their back, in their head, in their heart.  They are not just losing ground, it is caving away beneath their feet and at this point nothing they can do will save them.

Finally, one bit of humor, even though there are literally millions of pictures flooding the internet of Orangie sleeping in a chair the White House is denying that this actually happened.  This administration is becoming more and more absurd.

73

 First of all, a big apology to everyone for confusing Norma Desmond with Nora Desmond.  Even though I love movies, to my recollection, I've only seen that famous movie one time.  

Also, today's going to be a short entry because it's my birthday.  I took the day off of work.  I made sure that my Saturday workout has been rescheduled to Monday.  And, officially, I'm not going to do very much today.  My Trainwell trainer asked if I was going to do anything celebratory.  The answer is "No." It has been my belief for decades that your birthday belongs to you, and while it is just another day to the rest of the world, you should be able to do with those 24 hours as you see fit.  

In one way, I'm surprised to be as old as I am, since, like most people, I have done some stupid shit when I was younger.  And still, I'm not surprised, either.  At one point in my 50s, I looked at myself in the mirror and realized I was only halfway there, which is why I tell people I'm going to live to be 100, maybe older.  I must be doing something right (except for that Norma Desmond screw up), because when I tell people how old I am, they are always surprised.  

So, what will I do today?  Maybe write a bit.  I like writing.  I may practice my Spanish - yes, I had it in school when I was 14.  And though I shouldn't be surprised, I am surprised at how much I remember.  There will be cake and ice cream.  Maybe a bike ride?  Maybe not.  It's my day, and I'm going to do what I want.

The Innocence of Howie

 In Central PA, the temps are a cool 43 (F).  The sun is shining so brightly in through the windows I had to adjust the curtains.  They're predicting rain tomorrow and we need it.  Right now we're under a fire watch, with an "elevated chance" that wild fires will spread.  This is not a good thing.

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday by doing practically nothing.  Oh, I did clean the aquarium in the front room.  I spent a lot of time outside with Howie since the weather was nice.  No, I didn't eat either cake or ice cream, in fact, I didn't think about it until I was talking to my sister on the phone.  By that time, I had no desire to run out to my local Giant supermarket to buy some.  I'll wait until Howie's bigger and and he can appreciate the treat.

Today is another work day.  It doesn't really bother me, it's only 5 hours, and they pay me well enough that I can now keep Howie in toys.  They are necessary to keep him entertained.  Toys and chew sticks.  

A long time ago, Seig and Lily destroyed most of my lawn in the backyard, dog urine can be so devastating, so I covered a lot of it with pea gravel.  It looks nice and is better than dirt.  Now, however, Howie likes to chew on the small stones.  That's not a good thing.  So, I'm going to go to work a little early today and pick up a couple of bags of top soil.  While Howie still squats, it won't be long before he starts shooting.  Here's a pic where he looks so innocent... just before he attacks.

I find it interesting how Biden could go from the greatest American hero, to the villain in this past election.  Originally, he said he was going to be a one term president, and then he decided to try for a second term.  That was probably a big mistake.  I know a number of people who feel the Democrats would have faired much better had they gone through a series of primaries, a selection process rather than just having Harris thrust upon the party.  Don't get me wrong, I liked Harris and felt that she would have made a great president, however, there were quite a number who felt the administration sort of... well, thwarted Democracy.  Either way, it's too late now.  As the Harris campaign said, "we're not going back."

One thing I did find concerning yesterday was that Musk sat in on Trump's call with Zelensky. Musk donated millions, in one way or another, to the Trump campaign.  It also came out that he and Putin had numerous phone calls.  If it's true, as some suspect, that Putin had dirt of Trump, than I'm positive that dirt has been passed on to Musk, which leads me to wonder if, perhaps, Musk has bought himself a president.  If that's the case, the one year of hardship Musk was warning us about is going to be very hard indeed.  The richest man in the world likes to buy companies (countries?) that are successful, unfortunately he likes to interfere and then things go downhill.  Tesla was good, but now not so successful, and Musk's interference with Zitter has turned the social media website into money losing venture.

I am a Hottie

 Today's my birthday, and I'm pleased to say it's going to be sunny here in Central PA.  I'm 72.  There was a time, when I was younger, that I thought people in there 70s were old.  I talk about this with my friends because I feel bad because quite often I didn't give them the respect they deserved.  But then those were different times.  Back then people were forced to retire when they hit 65, and they weren't allowed to work a part-time job, so, unless they were financially fine, they just sat around waiting to die.  Things have changed a lot since then.  Today older people do things.  They get part-time jobs.  They travel.  They enjoy life, I know, I do.

Yesterday was busy.  I mowed my leaves, went for a bike ride (6 miles), played with Howie (he goes outside a lot since the weather is still so fine), wrote (I'm up 60,000 words in the new book), and played my new video game Dragon Age:  Veilguard.  It's a role playing game, and as with most, it has extensive character creation.  That mean you design how you look.  As always, I play as a male (you can play as either male or female).  And, as usual I made myself into a hottie.  And yes, I am a ginger with a beard.

And as the reality of the 2024 election sets in, I, like a lot of people wonder how in the Hell so many Democrats could choose not to vote.  There are many explanations, but one that occurred to me last night was how important social media shaped opinions.  Take the way each candidate's rallies were portrayed.  Harris had big ones, filled with dancing, and singing, and great speeches.  Trump's, on the other hand, were poorly attended and people walked out.  I can't tell you how many pictures and videos were posted of his rallies, but they were a constant.  I don't doubt that many out there seeing these pictures and videos assumed that on election day, his performance among voters would match his rallies.  They made a bad assumption that his cultists would stay home.  Well, they were wrong.  As one of my main protagonists says frequently in my books, "assume nothing."  They jumped to the very bad conclusion that he was going to lose badly, based solely on those pictures and videos, and chose to stay home; he was going to lose badly.  The thought never entered their minds that Republicans would vote for Trump simply because they hated Harris, and now we're screwed.

Counter This

 First off, I was wrong about the weather.  It's supposed to be chilly willy today and warm, up into the 70s (F) tomorrow.  I can deal with this.  If the long range forecast is correct, our temps will be staying moderate for the foreseeable future.  While this is not good for the gas, electric, and home heating oil companies, it's great for consumers.  Perhaps if they had been more focused on Global Warming and less upon their own greed this pain to their bank accounts might have been avoided.  Good for us in the short term, probably bad for them in the long term.

The new monitor came yesterday.  It's bigger, though I tend to lose my mouse pointer from time to time, so I change it, made it bigger and bright purple.  We'll see if that helps.

Oh, and today is my birthday.  I'm 71 today.  If you listen closely, I'm sure you can hear my sister and brother laughing.  To celebrate, I'm going to make some cauliflower soup, and Lily and I will share some cake and ice cream.  Oh, and I'm probably going to the movies tonight.  And probably a haircut is on the agenda, as well as... gee, it looks like I'm going to be rather busy today.

And my new granite kitchen countertop has been installed.  I got a number of odd looks when I told people I wasn't going to personally pick out my slab, that I was more concerned with colors than pattern.  I wanted colors that coordinated with my pale yellow walls and backsplash, which is glass tiles with shades of pale blue and brown, with shiny copper highlights.  This is what I got.

And this is a good day to be a Democrat, or a Centrist, or an Independent American.  Republicans and staunch conservatives took it on the chin... well, they did win the governorship of Mississippi, but that was almost a done deal.  Not only did Ohio enshrine abortion rights into they constitution, they approved the domestic use of marijuana (private citizens can now own up to 5 plants).  In Kentucky, Democratic Governor Andy Basheer was re-elected by a large margin. That's right those conservatives in Mitch McConnell's state really like it when there's a Democrat in charge.  In Virginia?  Ouch.  Governor Glenn Youngkin's plans to become a presidential candidate ran off the tracks big time.  His conservatives lost control of both the State House and Senate rendering his agenda moot.  

Interestingly enough, I've not heard one of the losers in yesterday's elections cry out election fraud, most likely because Republicans that lost, lost big.  Will Republicans learn a lesson?  Absolutely not.  That would mean they'd made a mistake and were wrong, that they weren't reading the American people.  Honestly, by now you would think that most Americans realize that Republicans have absolutely no desire to read them, or understand them.  The only people Republicans are interested in representing are the very wealthy.

Surprise!

 The weather was nice yesterday.  Sixpence reported that the temps climbed up into the 70s (F) where he lives, well, those temps are hitting Central PA today and tomorrow.  Then, supposedly, we have a dip down into the 50s (F) before the climb back into the 60s (F).  I'm fine with that.

The retail business was slow yesterday.

The Orange Retailer I work for changed their scheduling system, from Kronos, to something else that's more cumbersome, probably to save money.  I used to be able to print off a copy of my schedule and hang it on my refrigerator... not any more.  They want us to use our phones.  I used to copy my schedule over into my Calendar, the one that has all of my appointments so I could see everything at a glance... not any more.  Associates aren't happy.  This reminds me a lot of when Microsoft released Windows 8 (?), an update that was touch screen oriented.  We Windows users all remember what a failure that was.

Rather than on 11/13 my new countertop is getting installed today, 11/7.  Surprise!  Yep.  I got a call, and 2 texts, from them.  One of our Kitchen Designers at my store who used to install countertops told me this happens if it's an easy install, and installations themselves are a bit slow.  So, when I finish this entry, I'm going to go down to the kitchen and disconnect the plumbing. 

And, since my birthday's tomorrow (cards, letters, and gifts are always appreciated) I bought myself a new computer / gaming monitor.  Actually, It's more of a necessity.  My aging Acer monitor has been having issues: random areas that go black for a few seconds and sometimes there's a black grid that covers an area of the screen, but never the same area.  It is 7 and a half years old, so I guess it's time.

And of course this happened yesterday.

Every time I got an update, I chuckled.  The Moral Degenerate was not happy.  His life is a shit show.  It always has been.  All the deceits he built is so-called financial empire are on full display proving he isn't even close to being the savvy billionaire his constant braggadocio led people to believe. 

This leads people to ask how he can be beating Biden in the polls.  Let me remind you, we're a year away from the election, that's important, but more important is the fact that people lie on polls.  This is why every election people scratch their heads and ask, "how could the polls have been wrong?"

Fetterman Rocks!

 Yesterday was nice and quiet.  The dogs and I had cake and ice cream.  Dinner was chicken marsala, (I've been eating that a lot here lately), and desert was a homemade pecan pie.  I told my Dr. this and he replied, "that's fine, it's your birthday, but you really need to lose 13 pounds before you next visit."  That's in 6 months.  That's right, I'm at that age where I visit my Primary Care Physician every 6 months.  Do not worry, you, too, will hit that age.

While at the VA, I also got my Covid booster and my flu shot.  Chatting with the nurse as I waited for my injection, I asked if the Covid boosters would ever go away.  She told me no, they and flu shots are here to stay.  I have no problem with that.  I don't know about you, but I would rather have microchips swirling around in my blood stream then spend time in a hospital. (That's a bit of a joke for those who don't know my sense of humor).  This morning, my Covid shoulder is sore, my flu shoulder is not.

And here's a not too subtle reminder of what happened yesterday.

He won by 3% of the vote, not bad. and Ozzie's loss is an embarrassment for the Orange Anus.  I mean, how many times was that moral degenerate in PA to promote his bad decision?  3 or 4?  I believe it was 4.  And this projection was made without all of the mail-in ballots being counted.  There's a huge possibility that 3% might actually hit 4%.  That's a big defeat for the Quack from NJ.

Even though Vance did win in Ohio, last night was a serious smack in the face for the Republican party.  They kept repeating constantly how it was traditional for the party which wins the presidency to lose badly in the midterms.  Those dumbasses were counting on the Red Wave.  I don't doubt for a second that the ultra conservative Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade because of they anticipated Republicans taking control of the House and Senate.  Yesterday's results mean they pretty much shit in their pants.

In fact, Trump, himself, is pretty much in the shitter.  He had planned on riding that anticipated red wave into a presidential nomination.  Ouch.  While some of his endorsements did win (Vance), many big name endorsements did not (Oz).  Amusingly, I saw where Lara Trump Tweeted some sort of shit that now was the perfect time for Trump to return without understanding he is one of the main reasons the red wave spluttered.  

The base the Republican party counted on to come through for them failed.  This creates a big problem for the party.  If they do take control of the House and fritter away their wins by focusing on phony horseshit like Hunter Biden's laptop simply to satisfy that tiny base, they'll be shooting themselves in the foot.  Will they?  Watch out for the blood splatters.

70

It's 45 (F) outside, the high today is supposed to be 59 (F).

Today is my birthday.  Hold onto you seats, a little less than an hour ago, I turn 70.  Holy Shit!

My sister, my brother, and I cannot stop laughing.  Son of a bitch!  I can remember sitting in 3rd grade, and 4th grade, in fact most of my school years, thinking this day was so far into the future I would never see it happening.  Yet, here it is.  I laugh loudly, I'm very opinionated (usually right, but not always), and am eagerly looking forward to the next 70 years.  I am not kidding (did you know I'm a bit of a smartass?).

This morning I saw that People magazine has name Chris Evans the Sexiest Man in the world.  He's only 41.  Do you think he's too young?

In about 1/2 hour, I'm going to be driving down to the Lebanon VA for a physical.  Now, how's that for a birthday present to myself?

Yesterday, I cancelled my Sirius XM because my promotion ran out.  That $5.99 a month was suddenly replaced with $23.17, or about a little less for what I'd pay for 4 months.  Ouch.  You have to call to cancel, you can't do it over the internet because they want to try and use another promotion to keep you as a subscriber.  Of course, there would be another nasty surprise when that promotion ran out, so I cancelled.  I can still listen, but I'll have to deal with commercials.  I was beginning to have problems anyway, like with their Top 18 count down, which repeats several times daily.  It's a way for them to not have to pay a DJ.  Sirius is okay, but not worth the $$$ hassle.  It was through Sirius that I got introduced to Matt Maeson.  Take a listen.  This guy can sing.

It's also Election Day.  Will I get a nice Democratic birthday present?  I'm hoping so, covered with Blue paper, and topped with a Blue Ribbon electorate.  Vote.  Vote. Vote.  Democracy depends upon it.

Crossroads

 Okay, so I got up early this morning.  I'm having breakfast with my brother.  He and his wife are getting their Christmas present:  that nice wine cooler I no loner use.  A microphone and an assortment of cords is also going to be included since... well, I don't need them anymore and he might put them to good use.

We're breakfasting at Denny's, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from my retail home.  Don't worry, there's no hopping, skipping, or jumping planned as an after breakfast exercise.  Nope, I'm going to head on home, with a quick stop at my neighborhood Giant supermarket.  Biggie's birthday is rapidly approaching.  He was a Christmas Eve puppy.  My big question is should I bake the cake or buy one?  The ice cream will be bought.  Maybe a spice cake?  With cream cheese icing?  

For those interested, the first draft of The Body in Repose should be finished either today or tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to the rewrite.  One of the changes planned is merging chapters 1 and 2, and adding a bit with a character named Trawley, he heads up the murder investigation department for the New Orleans police.

I find it interesting that we, the human species appear to be at a Crossroads.  Some of us will make the correct decision and survive, others will be remembered only in history books as a people who failed to understand the importance of moving forward.  Science and life are intertwining.  Life and mythology are unraveling.  We are a linear species moving towards a non-linear point of view.

I saw Madison Cawthorn spit out some sort of nonsense about kinetic energy...  yes, I am talking about that Madison Cawthorn, just in case you were wondering.  He was talking about a possible future conflict between those who think like him and normal people.  Of course, people were making comments about his stupidity and one caught my eye:  this asshole doesn't understand we are armed to the teeth.  You know, these assholes who pose their families in front of Christmas trees holding their weapons are so out of touch.  They have already reached that Crossroad and taken the wrong turn.

Coffee and a Klondike Bar

 Late post today because it's my birthday.  That's right.  I've aged a year.  Am I like fine wine?  Hell if I know.  I do know I'm older, and if the adage is right, older and wiser, I must be pretty wise.  Oh, and the late post doesn't mean I slept late.  That did not happen.  At the earlier hour of 0715 a phlebotomist was extracting some of my DNA rich blood for testing purposes.  No one told me whether I should eat or fast, so all I had for breakfast was iced water.  Until I got home.  Then I started my day with Coffee and a Klondike Bar.  Can we not talk about nutrition?

My sister called and had Alexa sing Happy Birthday to me.  The dogs could hear her over the phone and were not pleased by her electronic voice.  Tomorrow I'm being taken out for breakfast, so I'm going to stretch this celebration out as long as I can.

While waiting for the guy with the syringe this morning, I was checking out the NYT.  Covid deaths among red voters are higher than blue voters.  Also, men are taking a bigger hit than women, which means that little bug is sexist.  While the number of deaths appears to be on a slow decline, no one knows what's going to happen next.  Fall is approaching.  Vaccines work better than natural immunity at preventing infection, so the laugh might be on those who think they've safe just because they have already had Covid.

And finally, there is evidently a growing fear among the GOP that Loser #45 is going to run for president in 2024.  They see that possibility as screwing them over in the mid-terms next year.  I've said this before and I'll say it again, he's not here to give them what they want.  He is here to destroy them.

The Change

Crap, I slept in again today.  The alarm went off, I got out of bed and walked across the room to turn it off, and then climbed back into bed.  I guess this means I'm going through the change... or, well, at least one change, which is quite different then going through 'the change,' since that change is rather impossible for someone of my gender. 

Lily's cake is baked, and I'm sure it's going to be tasty.  I even took the time to buy some decorating icing and put her name on it.  No laughing.  Decorating is not one of my hidden talents.  I realized after I brought the tube of pre-made red icing home that I was also supposed to by a special tip.  Believe me, Lily is never going to know what this looks like.

And Alabama no longer has any ICU beds available.  I feel sorry for those people down there.  Today Lily's going to get cake and ice cream while those people down there are still being fed the same lie, and right now it's a little too late to change.  I understand more have been getting vaccinated, however it's too late.  They should have started the vaccination process 8 weeks ago.  Getting your first shot today is not going to keep you from getting Covid, it's not going to keep you from being hospitalized.  Antibodies need to time to grow, they don't just suddenly happen.

And there was a lot of patter on Social Media yesterday about Governor Abbott jumping on the Regeneron train.  One of the doctors who approved his treatment Tweeted that even though Abbott was asymptomatic, he was terrified he was going to get Covid.  You would think that by this time, the man who claims to be a Christian would have realized he's damned to the fires of Hell.  This is what happens to phonies, and believe me, it's too late for him to change.

On Death and Dying

 Yesterday was the Hump Day of my Staycation, could you tell?  I couldn't.  

We had rain throughout much of the night, thanks to Fred, the Tropical Storm.  The original forecast was for 2 - 4 inches, that's been changed, though we're still under a flood warning.  Fred chose to take a route north that's farther to our west.  Pittsburgh's getting the heavy rain, not us.

Biggie has an appointment with the vet for next Friday.  He's a little stiff at times, so I suspect he and I are both suffering from arthritis.  Thanks to advances in canine medicine, his treatment will be much like mine, occasional meds.  He's going to be 7 years old in December, and large dogs are considered senior when they hit 6.

And, speaking of age in dogs, someone has a birthday tomorrow.  Miss Lillian D'Aubert is going to be 8 years old.  Rather then buy her a cake, I'm going to be baking her one, though I'll still be buying the ice cream.  Maybe I'll do a peanut butter frosting.  She loves peanut butter.  And yes, in case you're wondering, at 56 pounds, she's considered a large dog, though she is anything but senior.  That little lady is always running around with a squeaky toy in her mouth.

For those who might be interested, I'm almost finished with Chapter 12.

Wasn't it a shock to see that Abbott, loser governor of Texas, has tested positive for Covid?  They say he was vaccinated, and that it's a virus breakthrough.  I have to tell you, there is so much incongruity here: he doesn't advocate masks (they're a reminder Texas has a serious health issue), he doesn't advocate vaccinations, but he does advocate Regeneron's Monoclonal antibody treatment.  He has no symptoms, according to his spokesman, so why did the lying governor get treatment, the same treatment Loser #45 received at Bethesda, and a treatment that is very expensive?  I understand several clinics providing this very expensive treatment have suddenly sprung up in both Texas and Florida.  Leave it to damn Republican greed to make a buck out of death and dying.

Vacation Entry #3

Ah, it's Friday, November 8.  For those of you who don't know, today's my birthday.  About 45 minutes ago I turned 67.  I find that number amazing.  Not because I've achieve it, rather, I have to admit I never really put much thought into getting old.  Now that it's happening it's kind of like... well... fuck.  I'd say "what do I do for an encore," but have chosen to save that line for when I turn 90.  A word of advice, if you have to get older, and most of us end up doing just that, it is a lot better to do so gracefully... and opinionated as hell.  I find a lot of joy in telling people what I think.
I rode 12.56 miles yesterday.  I was very pleased.  You see, the last time I rode that route it took a bit over 54 minutes.  Yesterday I did in just a tad over 48 minutes.  That's right, I knocked 6 minutes off my time.  The record is a bit over 24 minutes.  I will never hit that, but I would like to get my time down into the mid 30's.  We'll have to wait and see if I can knock another 11 or 12 minutes off my time.
And rather than buy a store bought cake from Giant like I usually do to celebrate a birthday, I baked one.  Most of us buy our cakes, and our cookies, and our pies; baking just takes too long.  Our palate has deteriorated to such a degree that when we taste store bought cake we say..."hhhmm, the icing is good."  While I did spread a light, peanut butter frosting on my cake, the real flavor buster was the cake itself.  Holy Crap!  I could not believe the flavor of that cake, all moist and deliciously golden.  Even the dogs liked it!
And yesterday, while I was letting the dogs out into the drizzle to do their business, I saw I had another rose.  On November, 7 my roses were still blooming!  I took a picture.

Now, wasn't that a pretty gift?
I saw where Michael Bloomberg is testing the waters for possible presidential run... without going debating one single person.  A word of advice to Michael: don't even think of sticking your toes into the water.  A run by you could well destroy the unity the Democrats have been building.  You're a businessman who thinks he can run the country the way he runs his business.  You're wrong.  We don't need another damn billionaire in the White House. 

Inside or Outside

I'm off today, which means this is my Sunday.  Yesterday, however, turned into my day of rest, at least after the cake and ice cream of Lily's party.

Add to that a nice bottle of Catawba recommended by Anne Marie. and my day transitioned into relaxed and casual... no bike ride.

I do believe this is how life is supposed to be.

Last evening I spent some time talking to my friend Betsy.  She found the Idiot Jerk's repeating some inane claim to being The Chosen One totally abhorrent.  This got me to wondering if, perhaps, he'd demonstrated his chosen status by walking on water at the G7.  Checking the news headlines this morning I saw that didn't happen.  He did, however, lie about China calling him to ask if trade talks could be restarted.  I suspect that with the 2020 election beginning to loom, the Idiot Jerk's lies will begin gyrating to what ever tune he hopes will satiate his base and their thirst for power.

As for today, my plans are simple:  clean the bathroom (it's actually fairly clean already, I tend to be rather neat), take the dogs for a walk, and go for a bike ride.  Now, whether the last one will be outside on the X6 or inside on the red Cannondale is up in the air.  Outside there's traffic and no music, inside there's safety and music.  I'll let you know tomorrow what my choice was.

Celebrate This

Well, here it is, Thursday, November 8, and it's my birthday.  A little over an hour ago (0513) I celebrated circling Sol (our glorious sun) 66 times.  Ain't it great!

The backside has my feet on it.

As well as some of my vitals - length, and weight.  How neat is that!  How special is this, and my birth certificate, which looks like a reverse photo copy?  Well, the hospital at Eglin Air Force Base was decommissioned.  And then first Hurricane Andrew and years later Hurricane Michael went through destroying Eglin, Tyndall, and Homestead.  So, what I have is pretty much all of the documentation I will ever have.  Let me tell you, it made getting a passport a bitch!
I saw "Bohemian Rhapsody" last evening.  Rami Malek is very, very good.  The movie?  A lot of screen time is given to the early years and to the 'blonde girl' in his life.  The later years?  Short shrift.  There's a scene with the band, some other quick scenes and then voila! 7 years have passed.  In reality you are watching the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen, not the Freddie Mercury story, which is, I think, what most people are expecting to see.
I was asked how I'm going to celebrate my birthday... well, the celebration is going to start with Red Velvet Cake and French Vanilla ice cream.  Then I'm going to pay a short visit to my Mom, who will not remember what today is.  Then the celebration will continue with an hour of cardio!  and a visit with friends.  My phone will stay sitting on the sideboard.  It started buzzing with birthday wishes about 20 minutes ago.  I will respond later.  Otherwise this will be pretty much the same routine except for the cake and ice cream.

All in the numbers

On November 8, 1952, at 0513 I was born. That's 65 years ago.  There are ramifications for such a birthday.  Firstly, I am a Scorpio.  Secondly, if you look at Numerology, I'm a 9, which is very good.  How am I a 9?  Take the month, 11 and add it together (2) and add it to the day (8), and add that to the year which as been added together (1952 = 17 added together = 8).  Add those 3 numbers together to get 18 and then add those two numbers together = 9.  This means I'm a Scorpio who's also a 9 or, in other words, I'm a very nice, sensitive person with a terrible temper.  I believe in equality for all but don't piss me off.  My Mom has told me she thinks I'm one of the most cynical people she's ever met - I don't call it cynical, I call it being astute.
I went to see "Thor - Ragnarok" last evening.  As of yesterday the movie had over $130 million in domestic sales, over $389 million worldwide.  It is very, very good!  Funny and sad, dramatic and light hearted and has Chris Hemsworth shirtless for over a minute.  My money says he reduced his body fat to 2% for just that 1 scene.  At 6 feet 3 inches, he's a little over 4 inches taller than I am... so what.  If you're interested, you also get to see the Hulk's butt crack, not surprisingly it's green.  I was a little concerned that Cate Blanchett might play Hela over the top - wisely she doesn't, but let me tell you, she's a Bitch with a capital B.

Also, there was an election yesterday.  Two governorships were on the line.  For those interested, the Democrats kicked ass.  While the New Jersey results were pretty much expected, Virginia was listed as being a toss-up.  No way!  Northam kicked Gillespie's ass by 9%, something like 54% to 45%, and overall the blue wall is beginning to surge (except for Utah....).  Voter turnout in that state was the highest in 20 years!  Shall we talk about slapping the Idiot Jerk in the face?  Especially since he thought his name might help Gillespie.  Wrong.  The GOP lost seats all over the place (except for Utah...).  These are number I really like.

Birthday Boy

Today is Big Seig's birthday.  He's 2 years old.  Back in August he weighed in at between 108 and 112 - if you know what it's like to try and get a bouncy dog on a scale at the Vet's.  I suspect he probably weighs in now at around 115 pounds, which is very big for a Boxer.  If Big Seig wants, he can rearrange things on the kitchen counter, like pull the toaster front, or slide the coffee maker either left or right.  He's a Christmas Puppy.
As with Lillian D'Aubert, his birthday is celebrated with a little cake and vanilla ice cream - no chocolate even though I know he'd love some.

Big Seig's little cake

He does tend to bark, sometimes for no apparent reason.  That's fine.  If I were an intruder I would not want to meet up with Big Seig.

Big Seig

Tomorrow is Christmas, that's when he'll get his presents.  Does he know the difference between today and tomorrow?  Absolutely not.  He has a great life!  Spoiled a bit, but that's okay.

The shitty schedule

I'm still here, just working a really shitty schedule this week.  Next week I have off 3 days, scheduled them, it's the only way.  Thanksgiving week is another shitty schedule - only 2 days off, which includes Thanksgiving day.  Lots of openings.  I hate openings.
Well, off to work.
Oh, 11/8 is not only election day, it's my birthday.  I like presents, very expensive presents, just to let you know in advance.