Tom Tomato

 The forecast was for rain overnight, I think we might have had a shower or two.  Our outside temp is 70 (F).  Again, the forecast is for us to get a few degrees warmer.  There's evidently a small coldish front moving through.  Rain is on the menu for today.  Showers with the occasional thunderstorm are going to limit my yard cleanup.  Originally, they were calling for sunny skies this morning, and while the cloud cover seems a bit thin, the rain is moving in at a fast clip from the west.  The drizzles should be starting in about an hour.

Why is the rain not good?  You may find it shocking, but both my chainsaw and my new wood chipper are electric.  Safety first.

In researching for The Body in the Words, I've learned that the Spanish do not say, "mi casa es su casa."  That's a Mexican phrase.

When I got to work yesterday, I stopped off to talk to Human Resources about my vacation.  I have some scheduled, but I need to take 7 more hours before my anniversary date on September 4.  If you don't use your vacation time, you lose your vacation time.  Mid-conversation, an associate from our service desk interrupted us.  Her hours have been cut and she wanted to see if there was some way she could make up that lost time by working as a cashier.  She got a smile and an, "I'll see what I can do."  After the associate left, I asked if this was happening a lot, part-timers coming in because they're now being scheduled shorter hours.  I was told, "all the time."  Most people work a part-time job, or a 2nd job because they need the money.  I feel bad for these people.  And like the cloud cover overhead, this economy is going to get worse before it gets better.

And here's my first tomato, freshly picked 2 minutes ago.

So I saw a clip of Rosie O'Donnell talking about who was actually to blame for the Orangie presidency.  I don't always agree with her, but sometimes Rosie does hit the nail on the head; this time I agree.  The cult of Orangie can be traced directly back to his stupid reality TV show, produced by Mark Burnett.  He is the one who created The Apprentice.  Burnett is the one put a failed businessman with 8 bankruptcies into American homes, selling Orangie to the American people as a the ultimate entrepreneur.  Of course, everything was a lie.  Reality TV is like the internet.  Remember?  Don't believe everything you see on the internet.  Yet millions of Americans believed the lie, and so the cult was born.  In return for creating this monster, Burnett was rewarded with an ambassadorship, so I guess he understands the art of the deal.

 

Zeus's Law

 The current temp is 71 (F).  If you're in Central PA, you can plan for an afternoon high in the mid to upper 80s (F).  There are storms in the forecast, too, but I'm thinking they'll not be nearly as severe as those that most recently swept through the area.  The day time highs have not been scorching us with 3 digits of Fahrenheit, and so we're not sitting on a hotplate waiting for a cold front to smash to pieces.  Once the cooler air passes through, we will still have daily highs in the low to mid 80s (F).  Most of the summer might not turn out to be so bad after all, at least not  in Central PA.

I spent a full shift in the flooring department yesterday and business was exceedingly slow.  Other departments were busy, but mine was not.  Traditionally, installations slow down during this time of year.  For me the most exciting thing was sending a rather heated email to our measurement services.  I set up a measure for a hardwood installation back in late May and the customer was measured in early June.  The quote came in at a cost much higher than the customer was expecting, so the quote was canceled.  On June 27, someone named Michelle noted that the sale was "lost because of price."  On July 25, someone named Judith from our measurement services reopened the quote. In addition to leaving a voice mail for the customer, she sent 2 texts and an email to this customer.  So, I emailed measurement services and asked at what point does customer service end and customer harassment begin?

My wood chipper arrived yesterday and will be assembled after this morning's workout.

I have an eggplant!  And there's more than one!!  I can see a pan of moussaka in my future.  

So, ticket sales for The Odyssey have grossed over $639.  This is unprecedented.  This is in 2 weeks.  In the US the film has an R rating and films rated R never, ever generate ticket sales of this magnitude.  Why?  I suspect Elonia Musk's Nazi tirade about a black Helen of Troy may have started things off.  Another factor is probably a fascination with ancient Greece.  So many of the words we use, no matter what language you speak, have Greek origins.  Democracy originated in Greece and all citizens, as Bob likes to say, "went out and cast a damn vote!"  The Odyssey is an anti-war movie and I do believe now, more than ever, many, many people around the world are simply fed up with war.  And I can't forget to mention that the film is, as many conservatives shriek, Woke.  Anne Hathaway claiming, "I've been sitting on an empty throne for 20 years!" hits the audience like a sucker punch.  And, of course, the movie is about Zeus's Law, where all strangers are welcome.  What happens when you break Zeus's Law?  Maybe you should ask Polyphemus. Is this why Zeus stayed Poseidon's hand?