The Consequences of Public Opinion

 This Thursday morning the temp was 23 (F) when I jumped out of bed.  To celebrate our drop into the lower to mid 20s (F), I pulled out my wool blanket.  Now, I know a lot of you think wool is scratchy, but this wool is soft and supple.  Here's an interesting bit most of you don't know.  Tuxedoes are made from wool.  Yep, 100%, at least the good ones are.  They also started off as a variation of a military uniform, beginning with the peak lapel tailcoat.  

Yesterday was one of those ho-hum days.  I took care of some chores, but mostly putzed around doing dishes and laundry.  I did get some quality treadmill time in and am hoping to get more in today.  

I'm also halfway through the final edit of The Body in Motion.  One thing that's changed about the process is that the changes are mostly being done in Word.  I used to sit down, read the manuscript making manual changes.  While I still like to do that, it turns out that I usually end up ignoring my notes and the changes that are being made are more spontaneous.  This doesn't mean I'm skipping the read through from a hard copy, just that I'm not relying on those notes for changes and rewrites.

I saw this bike being advertised this morning while reading through the Washington Post!  Wow.  Believe me, if I weren't paying for the kitchen, this baby would be ordered!  I did print off a screen shot and will probably wait until sometime in the spring.

Henry Kissinger died yesterday.  He was 100.  Very Old.  He was not a very good man, still quite a number of presidents turned to him for advice.  He was a good negotiator, but didn't really give a shit about humanity.  Fame and ego were everything to him; people were not.

And the funny of the day come from Elon Musk.  For someone who loved being praised for being a great businessman and innovator, his death spiral couldn't be anymore entertaining.  He bought Twitter (notice, I don't say X, formally known as Twitter) saying it was going to become a platform of Free Speech.  For Elon, however, Free Speech put a lot of focus on conspiracy theories, fascist groups, and hate speech.  He simply didn't realize that Free Speech, itself, has some limitations.  You can not say anything you want without having to deal with the consequences of public opinion, and that's something he just does not understand, probably because in his small mind, his is the only opinion that counts.  Anyway, his jumping onboard an antisemitic conspiracy theory seems to have been the straw that broke the advertising camel's back, because advertisers are heading to safer grounds; they don't want their ads airing next to pro-Nazi bullshit, among many other things.  So, in a pique of anger Elon lashed out yesterday, telling advertisers that if they didn't like what was on Twitter they can "go fuck yourselves."  Ouch!  Can you hear me laughing?

Old Laptops

 Yesterday was hot and humid but no rain... well, perhaps a light shower somewhere other than where I was, which was working.  Today's going to be different.  The ariel flood watches were posted yesterday.  Temps are supposed to be very warm (though not hot), and the region is supposed to be rife with humidity.

On and off storms will take our already slow business to an even slower level.  As long as they keep paying me, I don't mind.  In fact that's what I tell people who complain about how bored they are because business is slow slow.  "Be happy," I say, "they could send you home in order for them to save money."  I work with people who depend upon their part-time earnings to make their lives comfortable.

I talked to my friend Betsy last evening who just returned from her first ever cruise.  She loved it.  So I suggested that since she now has her passport, she could travel to Greece with me when I go.  Her comment:  "Can we take a boat?"  I told her we'd probably have to fly.  When I do go, I will probably try and build my own itinerary using available day tours.  That's what I did in Paris and it worked out well.

So I'm clearing off pictures and files off three old laptops that I have (one which still has Windows XP) and while it's fun looking at this old stuff, it's more difficult than I had imagine.  Software has changed so much.  So many things are not compatible.  Anyway, here's a 16 year-old picture of me holding my very first Cannondale bike.

Politically speaking, everything seems so very quiet.  Though, thinking about it, while it may be quiet there is this almost palpable feeling that terrible cloud that Republicans have been whispering about, the one they think is still hanging on the horizon, is much closer than they really want to believe.  There are hissing whispers about Rudy trying to proffer a plea deal regarding Jan 6, and Lin Wood abruptly retiring as another possible plea deal, not to mention Meadows unsubstantiated flip which now everybody is taking as a given.  One political party as put themselves in a terrible corner and it's not wet paint on the floor that's keeping them there, it's Donald J. Trump.  I get much enjoyment about watching them squirm.

All about wretches

Odd schedule today.  I don't have to be at work until 2:30 PM, and I only work for 4.5 hours.  Mondays are usually 8-hour days for me, not that I mind, there are always chores to be done.

I have ants in the kitchen, by the sink.  Fairly large ones.  Even though I hate to do it, I'll bring some ant spray or ant traps home from work, since the big ones can be destructive.  

Enterprise Car Rental was also called.  They placed a $100 security deposit on my debit card for the car I rented while mine was being repaired.  My insurance company covers everything, so last Saturday I get a voice mail / text telling me they were processing a credit.  So far, no credit.

Also, my old X-6 Cannondale sold, and World Cup Ski and Cycling mailed me the check and... no check, and it was mailed on 5/8, and they're dawdling.  Hopefully the replacement check will be waiting to be picked up shortly.  I told them mail service here in Enola is screwed up.  Instead of delivering mail from our post office, everything comes out of the Camp Hill post office by part-timers who don't have fixed routes.  Centralization is evidently this is part of DeLoy's plan on making the postal service more profitable.  As a result, mail is frequently delivered to the wrong people, and quite often those 'wrong' people simply throw it into the trash.

I took a picture of me as a 'wretch' character I'm playing in Elden Ring.  Good news, I now have clothing, I just put it on until I level up, which will probably be sometime this evening or tomorrow.  Then I'll be snazzy.

I saw this humorous article in The Guardian about Herschel Walker and which voters want to vote for him.  If you need a clue, think white people... white people who think black people will vote for him because he's black.  If you were to tell them their thoughts are systemic racism, they'd look at you dumbly.  Need I say anything more?  As for Herschel, it seems as though a lot of what he says simply isn't true.  He was never at the top of his graduating class in college.  Not only was he never at the top of his class, but he also never graduated.  Oops.  And, if he tries to hit you for a donation to a charity?  Watch it.  It seems as though as though the charities for which he gets paid to be a spokesperson aren't really charities.  Let's be honest here, I may be a nearly naked wretch (with a fab body) in Elden Fields, in the real-world Hershel Walker turns out be nothing more than one more duplicitous conservative wretch.

The Conservative Problem

 How's your Friday going?  Mine is drizzly and rainy.  Yepper!  We have a real soaking weekend heading our way with a possible 3.5 inches of rain in the forecast.  In fact, we're under a bit of a flood watch until tomorrow afternoon.  Heavy rain on a Saturday is not good for our garden department.

I had my monthly 'one on one' review yesterday with Specialty management.  As always, they want us to push credit, and, as always, everything they said went in one ear and out the other. In fact, almost everything they say does that.

My Cannondale X6 cyclocross bike sold at the World Cup and Ski bike sale and swap.  If you remember, Dave G. (one of the managers) suggested $300 as an asking price, well, some fine customer paid $350.  I'm happy.  I was never going to ride that bike again, and that sale will cover the $250 deductible I need to pay for my car repair.

There is a planned karaoke section planned for my next book in which something inopportune might... well, occur.  Will good and bad juxtapose each other?  Hhhmmm, I'll never tell.  Anyway, I'm seriously considering this little ditty.  And who might sing it?  Perhaps a character with some serious coordination issues on the dance floor? 

I saw that the Democrats are going to have a vote on codifying the Women's Health Act in order to get Republicans to vote against it.  The leak of the Supreme Court's anti-abortion manifesto (and if you look at Alito's warped logic, it is a manifesto) has put that extreme wing of the Republican Party in a bad place.  How did they get here?  Probably because Trump lost in 2020.  You see, usually the party whose presidential candidate loses picks up seats in the House and the Senate in the next mid-term election.  Conservative logic would have been that this is a good time to overturn Roe v Wade because we're going to take back control in 2022.  Hence the leak, or test balloon as I like to think.  The truth Conservatives will never understand is that their base does not represent a majority.  Trump's little shit show on January 6 cost them a lot of Centrist / Independent voters, a fact they fail to comprehend.  They also believe there is a silent majority of conservatives in America.  They believe this lie because of Reagan's landslide win.  They see and hear Trump's loud, shrieking MAGA base as representing a majority of crazy Americans.

  Wrong.  And their biggest problem is that they believe American voters are both stupid and gullible.  We are not.  And so, they have an extremely bad problem which will continually compound itself in the run-up to the midterm elections.  American voters are going to slap the shit out of them this November, which is a very good thing.  They need to be seriously slapped, and quite often.

Conservative Attacks

 Yesterday was cold and breezy.  That being said, I'm pleased with my accomplishments.

I took the Cannondale X6 into the bike shop for their 'trade and sale' event.  At this point in my life, there isn't even a bad reason for me to own 2 bikes.  While old, the bike is in pristine condition, but again, it is old, so I figured try to get $150 to $200.  I was more than a little surprised when they asked if I'd set the top price at $300.  Of course, I said "sure," but was even more surprised when, after the owner took the bike back into the shop, to have him hand me a receipt putting the top price at $375.  Even though that would be very nice, I doubt if it will sell for that much.  Still, the surprise was nice.

Laundry was done, I put in 2 miles on the treadmill, plus some rearranging and cleaning of the exercise/computer room.  Even though Microsoft provides good security, I was thinking about getting some additional free virus support for the new PC.  Avast has good reviews, so I downloaded the free version.  However, when I went to try out a game I'd downloaded from Microsoft's Game Pass, Avast blocked it.  We're talking Microsoft's Game Pass here, not some hole in the wall software company, so Avast was uninstalled rapidly.  I also had to uninstall the game and redownload it because when Avast blocked it, it blocked it permanently.

And how about the Conservative attacks on Disney?  Their hypocrisy is coming straight from Hell.

Republicans had no problem with Disney as long as campaign donations flowed into their coffers, however, once that started changing Conservatives turned rabid.  Truthfully, social conservatives have long had a problem with Disney's stand on diversity.  You see, they want Disney to hate the same way they hate, the same way Jesus tells them to hate... oh... wait a minute.  Jesus doesn't tell them to hate.  It's one of the other guys, one of the disciples, perhaps Saul, who changed his name to Paul because Saul sounded way too Jewish.  Social conservatives want you to turn off Disney.  Cut the cord!  They want you to believe you'll be damned if you watch the next season of The Mandalorian.  Can you hear me laughing at them?

For All of Us

 Well, here it is, Saturday and I'm in a work-a-day, off-a-day cycle until Tuesday, at which point I will be off for 2 days..  The temps are cold outside.  Enola was a cool and nippy 8 (F), and the temps are only predicted to climb another 20 degrees.  Down south they're experiencing the chilly, willy joy of winter.  They needn't worry.  In a few months their temps are going to be blazing hot again.

Rather than right out purchase a new desk chair, I Googled my problem, the seat doesn't stay up.  Wow!  There's a quick fix using a pipe clamp!  I have one of those!  Unfortunately it's too small.  Now, isn't it a good thing I get to go to work today?  I can pick one up before I leave.  I would rather spend $1.79 rather than $300, and if it doesn't work... well, I didn't really lose anything in trying to correct the problem.

There was this really interesting article in the NYT about exercise.  Which is better?  Getting all sweaty in the morning, or later in the day?  Well, it depends.  Morning exercise appears to be better if you want to lose pounds or kilograms, afternoon seems to help with health issues.  The example they give is Type 2 Diabetes.  Working out in the afternoon seems to help your pancreas manufacture insulin.  Me, I'd rather lose the pounds, so I'll keep doing what I'm doing, riding my Cannondale Synapse

And, of course, Mitch McConnell stepped in shit when he attempted to classified African American voters as different than American voters.  The fact that he used the words African American rather than black illustrates just how out he is.  Now he's saying he forgot the word 'all.'  Sorry, Mitch.  Listen to his entire statement.  He forgot nothing.

Using the 2016 playbook

Okay, so it's Thursday... and I ended up sleeping late.  Yepper.  Set the alarm, it went off, I shut it off and laid back down and dozed for another hour and a half.  Yikes!  I did ride the bike yesterday for that boring 14 mile ride around Amsterdam, it's so flat and there's nothing to see until you head downtown.  I also learned that the new Lady Gaga album doesn't work well on boring rides.  I need something with a little more spice, a little more bass, and a lot more rock and roll.

Otherwise, yesterday was stinky hot and humid.  I bought some Scottish Smoked Salmon, however when I got it home from the store I realized it had lemon flavoring.  Meh.  While I don't mind have fresh lemon juice squeezed over my salmon steaks... I don't want it tainting the smoky flavor of smoked salmon.

I also started working on a dumbbell routine yesterday.  We'll see how this goes.

And I guess everybody saw that the Idiot Jerk is going to begin having his campaign rallies again.  His first is in Tulsa, on Juneteenth.  So, is anybody surprised?  Not really, this is the all white Republican Party.  There will be such a gathering of MAGA heads... and Covid 19.  Do you really think he's going to test temperatures before he lets his worshiping flock in?  Or have them wear masks?  Unless they come dressed as active members of the KKK, masks will be verboten.   Remember, they believe this whole thing is a Democratic Hoax.  And, if you think about it, it's rather funny.  A number of them will get infected and a number of them will die.  They'll become part of the statistic they denounce.

You see, the Idiot Jerk put his old team back together, the ones who helped him squeak out an Electoral Win... and they're going to use the same playbook. No one ever said he was intelligent... except himself.  His poll numbers are collapsing because Americans are fed up with his lies and his divisive  tactics, his racism and total inability to unify anyone but White Evangelicals and White Supremacists.  His rallies will only amplify his failures.

And he has plans to hold future rallies in... are you ready for this?  Arizona, a state that is almost ready to declare a state of emergency because of rising infection rates, they're running out of hospital beds.  And Florida is another future rally state.  The RNC also wants to hold their convention in Jacksonville...  I suspect those senior citizens are not too happy about 40 or 50 thousand people coming to their state from across the country.  But then when has the RNC or the GOP ever thought of, or considered human beings?

Finally, I had been hoping the temps would have been cooler this week so I could take the bike off the wall and go for a ride outside.  What bike on the wall, you ask?

This one, my first Cannodale.  A cyclocross.  Known to my friends as the X6.

Viruses don't have Brains.

So, I slept in this morning.  It's the first of my 4 days off in a row, 2 of which are vacation days.  I have a lot of chores planned.  There are black tulips down the side of the house which have stopped blooming.  They are going to be replaced by gladiolas, what's called the pastel collection (purples, whites and pinks).   Of course, I have rosebuds galore.  I'm now using a mixture of water and very fine sulfur in a pump sprayer to keep the dreaded 'black spot' at bay.  The same mixture will be used on the peach and nectarine trees.  I also want to get in a bike ride.  Today's will be inside, but I'm planning on taking the X6 off the wall, pumping up the tires, and taking it out on the road now while traffic is still thin.

Me holding the X6 about 14 years ago

I saw where tribes in South Dakota are standing up the their Republican governor.  She wants them to stop the checkpoints they've set up leading into their reservations.  She doesn't give a shit if they live or die, but then she's a Republican, so what else is new?  We need to vote her out of office and maybe put her in jail for 'Crimes against Humanity.'
Billy Barr's dismissal of the charges against Mike Flynn has a lot of voices up in arms, Democrat and Republican.  Remember, he's going to do everything the Idiot Jerk in the White House wants, no matter how bad it looks.  That's why he got the job.  At this point, a major majority of Americans realize his ethics were superficial at best.  The bitter truth for him will be when he finds out he's been worshiping a minority president who will throw him to the wolves the minute things turn bad... which is going to be any minute now.
And I saw where the Idiot Jerk in the White House again cut short a briefing yesterday because he didn't like the questions.  I do not doubt that as time goes on, he will rely more and more on the Cracker Jack Conservative media outlets to get his message to his base.  The body counts keeps rising, they're talking about a 2nd wave much sooner than later, and his message is that 'we prevailed.'  His radicalized base believes him.  They have no clue that the first wave took out the most vulnerable, the 2nd wave is aiming for those who don't wear masks, who don't practices Social Distancing, who think brandishing a gun is going to scare Covid - 19.  They don't understand this virus is smarter than they are... and viruses don't have brains.

Rides

Okay, so this is the first day of my weekend and I slept in... kind of.   I still had to get up briefly at 0430 to let the dogs do their morning business outside, but then it was back under the covers for me, and rightly so - the temps outside were 23 (F).

The new clock is here.  It's nice.  It's gets hung today.  Pics tomorrow...  holy crap, I can feel your excitement permeating the air around my monitor.

I've talked about Leadville before, you know, home of Leadville Johnny Brown?  EF (the Cannondale cycling team) sent me an email this morning about the Leadville 100, a grueling mountain bike race.  The mine in Leadville was shut down in 1985 and over 3000 people were laid off - basically overnight.  Leadville almost became another ghost town in the Colorado Rockies... until some bright cookie came up with the idea of a mountain bike race.  The town survived.  The video is fascinating because it talks about the town and the race.  (Side note) Leadville is in no way the inspiration behind Rattler's Den.

And continuing on the cycling theme, I rode from Zevio to Verona yesterday.  14.5 miles.  This time the guy with the Gopro had a ginger haired friend with him.  The ride takes you into the heart of the city, so while you start out on one lane gravel roads, you end up with city traffic.  No one told me Verona had a Colosseum until I rode by it.  You ride between a lot of cars and even more tourists.  I liked the ride a lot.  Now I can say I rode with Two Gentlemen from Verona.  Oddly enough, I didn't see anybody dancing around singing directions.

That's "Where's North?" from "Two Gentleman from Verona (a play by William Shakespeare)"

The jockish side of me

Holy Crap!  It's Saturday, the first Saturday in December and today is Kid's Workshop... and I forgot to ask off.  Son of a bitch!  Now I'm going to have to go listen to hundreds of little hammers pounding for 3.5 hours.  Sometimes they do painting projects instead of building projects, that's quieter but clean-up for the store can be very time consuming.
My new clock comes today.  I ordered it specifically for the shelf in front of my Cannondale.  When I'm pedaling away, I just want to be able to look up and see what time it is.  And speaking of rides, Rouvy introduced 2 new ones yesterday, in Italy.  Unfortunately, they're group rides, meaning they're only at certain times of the day and you have to connect with a group of riders.  Well, the times these rides are offered are a bit on the inconvenient side, and I like to just climb on the bike and ride.  Rats!  Since I wanted to ride in Italy, I did a ride search.  There are over 100 routes to choose from.  I selected a ride from Zevio to Verona, about 15 miles, fairly flat.  Monday I'm planning on riding up a long hill in Italy.  That should be fun.
Today is my parent's 68th wedding anniversary.  That's right, they got married on Pearl Harbor Day.
I don't know if it's part of the aging process or not, but a while back my toes began moving back and forth inside my shoes.  I suspect my cycling may have something to do with it.  Or, perhaps it's the arthritis in my lower back.  Anyway, when I'm walking around at work, my socks rub them and on more than one occasion I thought I might be on my way to getting a blister.  So, I bought some Kineseology Tape.  You know, the sort of things jocks wear?  And I've started taping my toes.  All of a sudden, no problem.

Mine is red, one of my favorite colors.  The water polo player was not included in the box.
I read where the Idiot Jerk in the White House and his administration are refusing to get involved with the Impeachment process.  This was to be expected.  The Democrats need to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate as fast as possible.  Throw the ball in the the Republican Court.  Believe me, the Republicans are going to vote it into the history books as fast as possible.  There will be no, long, drawn out trial.  While they would love to attack, attack, attack, they're know such a thing would do more to hurt the Idiot Jerk and help Biden.  Having a trial would cut their open for the public to see and hear.  A lot of them are already scared shitless.
Oh, and I see Duncan Hunter's is going to resign which means there is going to be one less Republican in the House.  Oh, now isn't that a shame.

The Heat is On!

I took yesterday off.  I went into full relax mode.  Only one load of laundry.  I didn't write a single word.  However, I did put the Red Synapse on the new Tacx trainer.  Interestingly enough, I don't need  to plug this trainer in, simply pedaling generates all the power needed.  Now, isn't that Green of Tacx?

I'm sending out wishes for a speedy recovery to AM's spouse - hip replacement.  May all of his physical therapists be attractive and wise.  That way he'll appreciate those hot therapy sessions.
And, of course, yesterday I did spend some time playing Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.  Character creation is one of the most important things you do.  You want to make yourself look good... right?  Well, what I can I say besides "oh... my God... I'm a Blonde!"  With a little blonde mustache.

Just call me "one hot blonde"

And Mitt Romney slammed the Idiot Jerk in the White House, his asking foreign governments... like the Chinese, for dirt in order to get himself re-elected.  And the Idiot Jerk flipped out.  He and his henchies know it's just a matter of time until there are enough Republican Senators lined up to vote for impeachment.  The idea that America is going to point it's steely finger at him and say "you're fired" is driving him over the edge.  This president is really nothing more than one hot mess.

Oh, and I just saw where talks between North Korea and the United States have just collapsed.  Yeah, I think that's the word they used.  Well, what were you expecting?  We have a blowhard, lying sack of shit in the White House.  My money says he and his spawn are already setting up safe house outside the country.

Finally, I did switch my thermostat from Central Air to Heat.  No, I don't use one of those fancy Nest thermostats, or something similar.  I set the temperature at 71 (F) and leave it alone.  I'm on the UGI budget plan.  I pay $57 a month.  For this past year, UGI owed my $5.27.  In the summer I'm cool and in the winter I'm warm. 

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.

On day 2 of my StayCation

I got up at my usual time, 0500.  I'm having my car serviced, either at 0715 or 0730 - I didn't write down the specific time when I made the reservation.  Silly me.  Shit, I hope that's not what they call a senior moment.  I should have paid better attention.  After I made the appointment I got a notice, "add to calendar," which I clicked on - well,  the date was scheduled but not the specific time.  Shit.
Yesterday I completed my 100 mile challenge... barely.  I had just completed a little over 5 miles when I received an error message.  The route I was downloading failed and that shut down my system.  Everything stopped.  The video, which had been locking up briefly stopped and I was taken to the 'ride completion screen.'  I'd had ridden 3/4 of a mile past the necessary 100 miles.  Golly!  I wanted to put in at least 11 or 12 miles.  I will add those miles this afternoon.  And, what do I get for riding over 100 miles?  A Trek T-shirt.  It's should be read for pick-up at Holme's Cycling in Camp Hill in mid-September.  This is funny since I'm a Cannondale man and ride Cannondale bikes no Trek bikes.  Will I wear it?  Don't know.
My neighbor got a bull mastiff puppy.  He was out in the front yard yesterday doing the house training bit.  He and his wife already have one... but it must be around 6 or 7 years old.  I gave him a 'thumbs up' as I drove by.

Big dogs are great!

Update... my appointment was for 7:30 so I got here 20 minutes too early.  Shit

Starving the Ego

When I got this morning at 0500 the temp outside was 84 (F).  That's warm.  The forecast is for thunderstorms this afternoon.  They're supposed to be cooling things off for the next week.  People need to remember that these are the dog days of summer.
As for my Trek Cycling Challenge?  I have 4.5 miles to go before I hit my hundred miles.  That will happen this afternoon.  What happens when I hit it?  Well, I get this little badge for my Strava Account and a T-shirt.  If I managed to get a total of 500 miles in before the end of July, I'm entered into a contest to win a Trek bike.  I'm a Cannondale man, so that doesn't excite me too much.
The store is most likely not going to be busy today - the heat.  Those who do show up will be there to buy portable A/C units.  I don't understand their lack of fore planning. Every summer they show up, and then they white "that's all you have in stock?" We only get so many units.  Corporate does not keep shipping them in on a weekly basis.  When they're gone... you're shit out of luck.  Plan ahead.  Don't wait until we're in the middle of a heat wave to decided you want a little A/C comfort.  People do the same thing with snow blowers and shovels and icemelt.
And, of course, now I'm going to need to change my body wash.  Shit!  For years I've used Nivea's Body Wash for men for my after workout shower.  I like smelling fresh as a daisy, you know?  Well evidently Nivea has decided that they don't do gay.  What's is that their ad agency does... gay.  In fact, one of the owners is... gay.  So, the ad agency pulled an Nsync on them and sang "Bye, Bye, Bye."  There's no way I can support a company that doesn't do gay... you know what I mean?  So I'm in the market.  I'd like to avoid products by Unilever is possible since they do a lot of animal testing.  Suggestions are welcome.
Finally, I understand the Idiot Jerk in the White House is still verbally attacking Rep. Omar.  What I find interesting is that he's not making headlines... at least not the way he had been after his rally in North Carolina.  Fox News likes to smear around his shit, but most of the other media outlets seem to be playing it down.  There blurbs and and articles about racism, no doubt because his decision to play the race card is directly related to the White Republican Party.  However, there are no banner headlines and that must piss him off.  His ego needs feeding.  He does this by stoking anger and fear.  It's time we started starving that sucker.

The Art of the Color

Okay, so I know everybody is waiting with baited breath for this news so here goes.  My desk has shipped.  Once it arrives in Harrisburg, Watkins will contact me and set up a delivery date.  Good thing I finished patching the archway yesterday.  All it needs is a coat or two of paint.
Yesterday I was thinking about this government shutdown.  For white Republicans, whether they know it or not, this will be their Waterloo.  Of course, many of them are still waiting for the Idiot Jerk in the White House to declare a National Emergency.  At a cabinet meeting yesterday he implied he was moving away from that idea.  To do so would prove to everyone that this man, who supposedly wrote a book called "The Art of the Deal," knows absolutely nothing about deal making.  Declaring a National Emergency is similar to his bankruptcy tactic in which his wheeling and dealing fails and he's forced to run away.  The fact that he, and the millions of white Americans who support him, have no problem in depriving other Americans of their ability to buy the basic human necessities shows, indicates how deep their racism runs.
On a much brighter note... and I do mean brighter.  The bicycle team I follow, , Education First / Drapac, revealed their new kit yesterday.  In case you didn't know, EF rides Cannondale bicycles, which has always been my bike of choice (I own 2).  And their kit is bright.

EF embraces diversity through Education.  They released a snazzy little video which talks about themselves as a team and what they aim to do for the world.  Take a look.

Now, don't that bring a smile to your face?

Me and my crank

So, it Sunday and I get to work.  Weird schedule this week, off a day, work 2 days, off a day, work 2 days.  I hate not having 2 days off in a row.
My new crank arrived yesterday.  From Utah to Pa in 2 days is not bad.  Now, I know there are perhaps one or two people who would like a little more information about my crank.  Well, cranks come in many different sizes.  Mine is big.  175mm, or 6.88 inches.  Personally, I think it looks bigger than it actually is, but I suspect that's normal.

Me, holding my crank

Since I'm off tomorrow, I'm planning on replacing the damaged crank with the new crank.  We shall see how that goes.  Right now the X6 is on the trainer which makes for a loud ride.  The tires are made to be taken off road, down paths and on trails, not for Cycleops trainers.

Oh, and in case you didn't hear, the denuclearization talks in North Korea didn't go so well.  I understand there is to be a follow-up meeting on 7/12 for lower level individuals.  Here's a little hint to those buffoons who thought the Idiot Jerk in the White House had struck a deal with Kim Sum Dumb, he didn't.  In fact, Kim played the Idiot Jerk for a fool.  He got what he wanted.  Recognition by a super power legitimized his dictatorship.  And he has photos and videos to prove it.  I wonder if they publicly laughed at Pompeo.

In just 8 days the Idiot Jerk is going to sit down with his wanna be "BFF."  Right now Putin is just trying to decide which finger to wrap him around.  Or maybe he'll just show him the Golden Shower tape and ask him what America is going to do to make Russia Great Again.

Day 2 for Le Tour.  I didn't get to watch the whole race yesterday because... they called me in to work early.  I went, knowing I'd get to leave early.  They haven't called so far today, the last day at my old schedule.  If it's slow later in the day, I'll see about leaving early.  I want to get a good night's sleep.  Tomorrow's going to be a big day for me and my crank.

Le Tour

For those who don't know, today is the first day of The Tour de France, hereafter to be known as Le Tour.  Twenty days of racing.  Today's stage is a mere 201 km long.  In case you're wondering, that's a long bike ride.  Which is why I have a split screen.  One half to type this, the other to watch the race.
Complicating today's viewing is the fact that I have to work.  Not only do I have to work, they called to see if I could go in early.  Of course, I agreed since I'll get to leave early.  5 PM.  That's fine with me.
As most of you know, I'm a Cannodale fan.  I own 2 Cannondales, one old, the other brand spanking new.  I am rooting for their team.  The only thing they've done wrong so far is change their kit.  They went very pink this year.

In spite of what some may think, I am not a pink kind of guy.  The pink is okay though, next year they'll move onto a different color.  At least it's not polka dots.  I remember one team wearing a kit made up of large, pink, yellow, blue, and green polka dots.  Horrendous.

And next week the Idiot Jerk goes to the UK.  Mainly to tour country homes.  Yep, that's what is on his agenda.  Oh, and he'll meet with Theresa May.  Hopefully he wont' throw Starburst candies at her.  Evidently they are doing their damnedest to keep him away from the massive protests.  Only God knows what that would do to his ego.

And I understand Pompeo has left North Korea without any agreement on just what denuclearization consists of, you know?  Like, that's not surprising.

Oh, and getting those little kids the administration chose to separate from their parents?  Evidently that's turning into a real cluster fuck. 

Do yourselves a favor.  Turn on Le Tour.  Watch mens with legs of steel pedal across the roads of France at an easy 25 miles per hour.  

The closeup, the wall, & a skanky old mattress

For some of you, today is the beginning of your weekend, for me?  Mine is on the cusp of ending.  My schedule is odd for the next week, work 2 days, have a day off, work 2 days, have a day off, work 2 days, have 3 days off.  I've set myself up for the 32 hour a week stint again.  Goody.
Yesterday was hot and sticky humid.  Weather choices were:  showers, thunder showers, and torrential rains with high winds.  The rose I had ordered arrived, and is not planted by the front porch.  While I did get a lot accomplished, I still felt much of the day was wasted.
The dogs wanted to go out, however they refuse to do so during a full monsoon.  I did get a nice close up of Biggie.

You can see why he gets nose butter treatments

And my syn is now on the wall, waiting for the new crank to arrive.  The X6 is on the trainer so I can get a ride in today.

There was an interesting bit in Reuters this AM about Nestle and how an American Hedge Fund is trying to force it down a path they believe would be much more profitable for investors.    Little secret here:  the public sector always loses when investors win.  You see, they're aren't concerned about fair dollar value.  Nope, their main goal is to make as much money as possible, as cheaply as possible.  If Nestle doesn't fulfill their greed, these investors will move on and find another company to ruin.

And, speaking of greed.  Scott Pruitt resigned.  That's important, you know?  There's a difference between getting fired and quitting.  Where as Jim Jordan represents the moral failure of conservatives, Pruitt fully fleshes out their need for greed and power.  Just like the Idiot Jerk in the White House, he wanted to be a dictator.  Epitomizing the worst aspects of the 'me' generation, everything needed to revolve around him:  his sound proof phone booth, his security, his wife's job, his need for a used mattress...  Mattress?  That' right, he had one of his aides call one of the Idiot Jerk's luxury hotels and inquire about buying a USED mattress.  For 11 years I worked in the accounting department of Interstate Hotels, Inc., a company which ran success Marriott franchises, and I can tell you, with all honesty, there is no way I would ever want to buy, let alone sleep on a  skanky hotel mattress.  Wanting to do so, is a clear indicator that there is something terribly wrong with Scott Pruitt.

Oh, and in case anybody is interested, the forecast for today is showers and thundershowers.  Yippee!

Air Ball time

We had torrential rains yesterday afternoon, with showers continuing until late in the evening.  Fireworks displays still went off - mid week holiday.  The store was not super busy.  I left a bit early and customers were sparse.  They were there, however.  Now, isn't that something you all want to do?  Go shopping on a holiday?
After talking to the cycle shop, I've decided to take care of my crank... myself.  Who better to take care of my own crank?  Besides, I would have been put on a waiting list.  Seems as though a lot of people are having bike repairs done.  Replacing a crank is a fairly simple procedure.  I told a friend of mine.  He thought about it for a couple of seconds and then nodded.  "If you can do it yourself, why pay someone else?"  This also melds well with my philosophy.  Never stop learning, never stop doing.
I was going to use the new battery powered lawnmower today but... we're supposed to have on and off showers all day - with thunderstorms this evening.  Humid and hot.
And while I'm typing this, the dogs are playing downstairs... with a Frisbee, in the house.  Tug of War.  They bite and pull.  They seem to be having a really good time.
And what about  Representative Jim Jordan (of Freedom Caucus fame) and and the allegations he ignored sexual misconduct as a wrestling coach at Ohio State University?  He is rebutting them, however, you have to remember he's a Conservative, and conservatives are all about being in charge.  If the wrestlers were winning matches, he would have turned a blind eye.  If they were losing, he would have turned a blind eye.  Ignoring the abuse would have been easy for him since the sexual misconduct would not have impacted him personally.  Like a pig in shit, he was more than satisfied to be called "coach." The only way he would have paid attention would have been if someone had said "Holy Shit, Jim, this is going to effect your career."  Lip service is easy as long as he is in control.
Finally, the tariffs start kicking in tomorrow.  The Idiot Jerk is heading into the batters box.  He thinks this is going to be an easy 'slow pitch' at bat.  He has no idea what is coming.  The first pitch is going to be a slider that's going to burn the leather off of the catcher's glove.

Yo, baby, it's air ball time.

Changes

A final note on the Sarah Huckabee Sanders bit:  discrimination is bad in any form, sadly, giving her a taste of her own medicine will do absolutely nothing to change her attitude.  In her mind she legitimatizes as well as epitomizes true American values.  She is white, she is Evangelical, and she is heterosexual.  Anyone not meeting this criteria is fairly worthless, a human without value.  She will grow old and bitter as the world around her changes.  She has focused too much on being a Believer and too little on being a Christian.
Yesterday was a busy day here.  I baked bread... again, this time using loaf pans.  It's delicious.
And I rearrange the cycling / weight room.  You see, I have 2 bicycles, the old X6 and My Syn (I do like that name), as well as 2 trainers, the Kinetic (nice color but relatively useless) and the Cycleops.  They took up a lot of space.  The X6?  I'm probably never going to ride it again.  So I bought some racking and hung it up down in the basement.  The Kinetic got stored up in the attic since it has electronics and the basement can get damp at times.  All of sudden the room got bigger.  The sport laptop was moved to the other side of the room and is now located below the TV.  My training videos will now be larger.  And there's more room for the weight bench.

I also ordered a climbing rose - something to put along the side of the porch as a replacement for the wisteria which got chopped out.  For years spring brought heavy purple blossoms to the wisteria.  No more.  This is how life goes sometimes.  Next spring I should have roses looking something like this:

Change does happen.  Some embrace the new, encourage growth, others, like Ms. Sanders, angrily fight against it.  Their fear has more to do with losing control than anything else, of not being able to judge.  For them, change is a cancer slowly eating away at their beliefs.  They don't understand how wrong they are. nor do they understand there is no stopping it.