Challenged

Three more days until my weekend!  I was going to take off today because the new coffeemaker is being delivered... but decided I didn't want to waste the personal time.  I like to have a  certain number of days on the books, just in case, if you know what I mean.  Last winter I endured a bad sore throat and used 2 days, as an example.  Unexpected things happen.
No cycling tonight, I rode the Charlie Baker Time Trial last night.  I cut almost 3 minutes off my last time but was still almost a minute longer than my fastest time.  You can blame it on the Bobster... Yep, that's his name, who ever that is.  He was a mile and a half ahead of me on the course and I didn't really want to catch up to him so I kept my pace slower than normal.  At one point he was only 1.3 miles ahead of me and so I slacked off.
I guess the Idiot Jerk in the White House went on a little tirade yesterday.  He once again said Jews were disloyal because they didn't bow to him, and repeated how 'nasty' the Prime Minister of Denmark was for calling his obsession with buying Greenland 'absurd.'  This man is getting angrier by the day.  Tough Shit.  He said he was the "chosen one" to go after China.... chosen one?  Hell, if that wasn't directed at his Crazy Christian base.  Being challenged on all sides is not what he is used to; in the past he's hired attorneys to shut them up.  Farmer's are beginning to threaten the USDA because of his tariffs and he can't fire them.  This is all very bad news for his re-election campaign.  Now, ain't that a good thing.
Jay Inslee has decided to drop out of the race of the Democratic Nomination.  That's another good thing.  In the end, I suspect it will boil down to Biden, Sanders, Warren, Harris and Booker.
And finally, I was sitting in the living room on my day off and looked out to see Lily sitting on the futon looking at me.  She is such a cutie.  I took a snap.

Of course, I call it "Lily on the Futon."  She looks so tiny, doesn't she?
And another 'oh.'  In case you didn't hear Hickenlooper is going to run for the Senate in Colorado.  This is one of those challenges which terrifies the Republicans, because he's going to win and they will lose a seat in the Senate.

What's brewin'

Well, I did a 12 mile ride yesterday with just my Suunto Spartan and there were no erratic numbers.  I averaged around 124 BPM with an increase up to 143 BPM.  Maybe the belt needs a new battery.
I also ordered a new coffeemaker - a good one.  It has a copper finish.  The blue retro maker I'd bought a while back just isn't making.  I don't like having to unplug it when I'm not using it, that's something I'm not used to.  There have been days when I've accidentally plugged it in only to find a few hours later the burner was on because it tried to brew a pot of coffee.  Damn, that's not good.
And I do go back to work today, after one day off.  I have another four scheduled.  I'm off Sunday and Monday, and then that gets repeated the following week, which happens to be Labor Day.
I see where Boris Bumblebrain is trying to get the EU to renegotiate the "divorce" and they're having none of it.  Oh, and negotiating trade deals with the US is turning out to be more difficult than he and his Brexiteers were expecting.  Sorry, Bumblebrain, did you really think the Idiot Jerk's administration had any intention of giving you a fair deal?  You see, Boris is intelligent... he's just not smart.  He doesn't wield any significant bargaining chips.  Now the Danes?  They have Greenland.  Now, that's one piece of plum real estate.  If the Danes were to choose to sell Greenland, any price they name would turn the Idiot Jerk into a drooling lapdog.  However, they're not even going to consider offers.... oohh, nooo, and so the Idiot Jerk's going to snub them.  Cancelled his trip, he did.
Or maybe that's just an excuse.  Perhaps the Idiot Jerk doesn't want to go to Denmark because one his henchies said there's some serious recession issues coming down the pike.  Of course, that can't be right.  The Idiot Jerk, himself, has said that recession talk is fake news.  And still, he, himself has also said his administration is looking at "temporary payroll tax cuts" to stimulate the economy.  Which means he wants to put the country even deeper into debt in order to get the American Consumer to buy more.  It's the same reason he wants Powell to drop the Prime Rate... so credit is easier to get... so the American Consumer can buy more.
I'm doing what he wants America to do... buy stuff.  Most of what I buy, however, is rather inexpensive and comes from... China, because if Americans manufactured these products they'd cost a hell of a lot more.
Except for the new coffeemaker, that comes from the Netherlands.  It's a Moccamaster by Technivorm and comes with a 5 year warranty.

Most coffeemakers have a one year warranty, but let's be honest here, because they tend to be inexpensive most simply get replaced.