Be Flat

Can you believe it?  Our outside temp is 64 (F).  Not only is that good sleeping weather, it also means that today's high temp in the low 80s (F) is going to be simply marvelous.   After today, however, that daily high is going to start climbing and by this weekend it will once again be in the low to mid 90s (F).  Honestly, that's fine too.  We do need a break from the afternoon and evening thunderstorms.  We had a mosquito problem over the last couple of years and that issue is continuing this summer.  

Yesterday was a fairly good day.  Some cleaning was done.  Some writing was done.  I completed 6 in The Body in 4/4 Time, it's called B Flat. It's a musical pun on Be Flat.  Our daily lives are filled with ups and downs.  There are moments when we smile and moments when we frown; highs and lows are constant.  While there are some who wish these ups and downs would level out, the truth is that when things are flat there is virtually nothing.  How sad would that be?

I did buy and insect repellent yesterday but I need to use it with caution.  Howie finds the scent interesting.  He tried licking my leg and that simply can't happen.

He and I went on a search for Sven yesterday.  Sven is a gray, hard rubber toy shaped like a hedgehog.  Sven is one of Howie's most favorite toys and Sven decided to go missing.  He was eventually found hiding behind the large aquarium stand in the writing room.  This is Sven.

I saw someone jokingly said that Pammy Jo Bondi was going to open a Department of Justice investigation to find out if the Confederacy did, in fact, lose the Civil War.  This is sadly amusing because of the Orange Anus's name saturates the Epstein files, and he's and his minions are desperately trying to change the subject.  This is the reason Pammy Jo is revisiting, and Orangie, himself, are screeching about a 9 year old election.  Their hopes that this Harpy song will change the course of the conversation away form Epstein will only be justified by their hard core base.  Mikey Johnson's decision to hold off on a House vote for releasing the files until after their summer recess increases the damage Orangie is doing to himself.  They keep digging themselves deeper and deeper.  Their cries demanding things be flat are, in fact, shrieking sharply out of tune with what America wants.

The Fart of the Deal

 Our outside temp is 41 (F).  The forecasters are saying we're going that temp will climb into the low 70s (F), that's fine with me since I don't work today.  When I go to work tomorrow, it's going to be in the low 60s (F), that's fine with me, too, since I'll be working.  Looking ahead, our temps are going to be seesawing for the next week or so, up one day, down the next.  There's not a lot of rain in the forecast, but then April and May tend to be our wettest months.

Yesterday was more productive than your normal Tuesdays, the first day off after 3 days when I kind of zone on and off.  Everything but a workout.  I was pleased.

The finger's still sore, but it looks so much better today.  Normally I heal very fast, but this little nick was on the knuckle, and we all know how often we bend our fingers, especially if we are using a keyboard, or throwing tennis balls, or anyone of Howie's other toys.  He has a lot of energy, but than he also takes long naps.  

My neighbors are having had another loud disagreement this morning.  He's louder than she.  If I'm in the kitchen they're voices are clear and I can hear what the argument is about.  I give them their privacy.  There's nothing wrong with being 50 something first time home buyers, their problem is they bought the staging and not the house an are sorely disappointed.  He works, she doesn't, so all of the expenses are on his shoulders. 

I bought myself a new kitchen scale with a chargeable battery.  It coordinates with my countertop.  That wasn't planned.

So, the Orange Anus and his blow bro Vlad came up with some sort of phony ceasefire for the Ukraine, one in which  the country was shut off from all military and intelligence aid, and then the blow bro broke the ceasefire.  Orangie made a big announcement and then Vlad shot that to hell.  Nothing new here.

And word is that Orangie is planning trillions in tariffs against soooo many different countries, not just our main trading partners because... he's desperately trying to prove he's more skilled in bargaining than anyone else.  I think he should rename his book The Fart of the Deal.

Chuckie Schumer's been running the talk show circuit in his attempt to prove he didn't cave to the Orange Anus.  He's not winning many over to his argument.  Chuckie is past his expiration date.  He actually said that once the Republican's "dump that turd Trump, they can go back to being the Republican party of old."  Crap!  He's just like those brain dead Republicans who are trying to turn the country back to the 1950s.  He doesn't understand "that" Republican party is long gone, which is why he can't stop playing with those old time rules.

 

Scales

 Can you believe it's Thursday already?  At least it is in my part of the world.  I slept well.  I'm in a good mood.  I have a $23,000 flooring sale pending.  What could make life rosier?  Besides... to be honest, not having to spend 40 hours a week as a flooring specialist might put a pinker glow on my world.  And truthfully, that glow needn't be pink.  A nice, golden yellow would be nice.  

Oh, and speaking of yellow, my Itoh peony has bloomed.  For those of you who have never seen a yellow peony, here one is.  This handsome man took over 4 years to reach blooming maturity.  Well worth the wait, wouldn't you say?

I ordered a new kitchen scale and it arrived yesterday.  Since I need to watch my 'simple carbs,' I decided I should start watching everything: calories, carbs, proteins, sugars... you name it, at least for the time being.  I had an old Polder scale, but years of gathering dust had taken their toll.  Wait, that's not exactly true.  I used the little guy for cooking and baking when the recipes were in metric.

Can we talk about lose / lose situations?  Like the GOP.  Their sold their souls, lock, stock, and barrel to an Orange Anus because, as they say, "he tells it like it is."  Thanks.  Now we know they really don't like Democracy, or at least Democracy where people get to vote.  We know they care more about corporate donors and the 1% then they care about America.  We know they have no problem twisting mythology in any direction possible as long as they convince a small base of dedicated followers they are acting on a Higher Authority.  And, because of their actions, we also know they are a minority group bent on domination.  How do you treat a minority group.  You stomp them out.  You go to the polls, no matter how difficult they try and make voting, and vote them into obscurity.  The want you to forget January 6, remember it with anger and hold them responsible.  Do not let them tip the scales with their lies.

Tipping the Scales

The only way to know exactly how much weight you’ll need need to drop is by putting your ass on scale.  When looking down, if your gut is blocking the readout, consider yourself FAT.  The fatter you are the more difficult your weight loss regime is going to be.  Every time you cut calories those ugly fat cells are going to shriek with starvation.  That really is what you’re going to be doing, starving the hell out of your fat cells.

What do I climb on once a week:  A Tanita Ironman Body Scan.  Am I an Ironman?  Hell no.  However this scale does give you the option of using a sedentary or athletic algorithm. This is an important feature if you’re someone who works out regularly and maintains a cardio regime because, simply put, you’re not a sedentary individual, meaning you’re not dropping your ass in the sweet spot of your La-Z-Boy the second you get home from work.  You can even see how much you weigh in kilograms, which can be a fun trick to play on friends. 

The Ironman gives me a lot of good information, including weight, body fat %, and hydration and muscle mass.  The weight is accurate; the other three are “close, but no cigar.”  It also gives me my metabolic age, my bone mass, and the level of my visceral fat.  These readings are questionable at best. 

Tanita lets you print off a nice form for documenting your stats with cute little charts at the bottom so you can evaluate your results. I use a spreadsheet I wrote which lets me track what I consider pertinent information.

If you’re using an analog scale I recommend throwing the damn thing out of the window.  In case you didn’t know it, analog scales let your cheat.