When you hit middle age you really only have two choices: you can get fat and lazy until you roll over and die, or you can can get off your ass and do something, like maybe ride a bike.
Bluntness
I've also been told I have little tact, so if this offends you simply ride on.
Well, it's one of those early mornings for me. Awake around 0415. Crap. I'll probably take a quick nap before leaving for work. Thursdays, you know? Permanently on my work schedule until I decide otherwise.
Biggie went to the Vet yesterday for his blood work. $165. This is, supposedly, to ensure his doggy nsaid is not doing any harm to his liver. One thing that his changing is how much gabapentin he's getting. You see, his prescription ran out and they refused to give him a refill until after this bloodwork. To my surprise, there was no significant change in what I interpret to be his level of pain. None at all. So I'm wondering if my concern for him fogged up my perception to the point where I was seeing serious suffering where there wasn't any. I did get it refilled, but now that he's weened off, I'm going to take a wait and see attitude.
The cuckoo clock is on the wall. It's loud, but not in a bad way.
People ask me what I did when I got out of the Navy. Well, I went to college, grew my hair long, and one summer I got a job at a summer camp where I got to drive around on a large riding lawn mower. It was over this summer that I made my stage debut in a community theater production of How To Succeed in Business.
And what about Herschel and his 2nd abortion? Can anyone tell me why this is not surprising? I'm suspecting there are more, not that his rattled brain remembers them.
One funny thing I saw on Twitter yesterday was Ronna McDaniel complaining that there were over one million ballots mailed in prior to Fetterman's debate. She was rather livid, and all I could do was laugh. Does anyone really believe that those voting for Fetterman are suddenly going to switch over to Oz? Honestly, the number of complaints about Oz and his statement about women checking with their local politicians prior to getting an abortion far outweighed those against Fetterman and his stroke.
There was also a lot of commentary about Alito's whine that the leak was responsible for members of the Supreme Court getting death threats. This man is really stupid if he believes it was the leak. What kind of reaction did he think they were going to get? Oh, wait, that's right, he's a conservative and we all know that they rarely think.
Well, I'm hoping that more gets accomplished today than yesterday. While things did get done, time became freewheeling with no restraints. Yes, I did get my car inspected. That took 3 hours, rather than the allotted 90 minutes. There were 2 cars ahead of me when I got to the dealership. Normally, they run people through fast. Not yesterday. There were evidently issues with the first car, so I sat waiting for 15 minutes are line of cars, also there for either inspections or service, grew behind me. I finally sat down in the waiting room 20 minutes later and waited. Almost 2 hours later, I was told they were finishing up the emissions testing and my car would be ready shortly. An hour later (that's right, an hour) my car was fully inspected. That's a 3 hour wait, and my schedule for the day was blown up. To compensate, the dealership charge me nothing. The told me that since this was the 2nd time I'd had to deal with complications getting serviced, they were making the oil change, the tire rotation, and the inspection complimentary. Still, as I said, my day was now terribly out of sync.
I did drive down to That Fish Place and pick up 4 plecos, two for each tank. They're yellow, and so cute.
And, while I was waiting for my car to be inspected, the electrician called. The electric work is being done on 11/22. They could have done it on the 11/8 (my birthday), but I have a physical down at the Lebanon VA that morning.
Muse has out a Halloween video. I like Muse. They may be too rock and roll for some people. This is me doing my bit and letting you watch it. Enjoy.
And Fetterman debated Oz last evening. I didn't watch. Evidently, Fetterman had some issues with word choice since he's still recovering. Oz, on the other hand was slick and smarmy. While conservatives are trying to make hay out of Fetterman's verbal mis-steps, Oz shit in his pants with one terrible statement which most of you have probably already seen. Oz said, regarding abortion, that any decision needs to include, the mother, her physicians, and local politicians. That's right, he wants local politicians to be involved in the decision making process. That comment is not reverberating well.
Finally, there is a lot of chatter about polls either in the process of dying, or already being dead. My opinion, they're mortally wounded. There is a certain group who will try and use them, but polls require honesty to work, and that is not happening, and probably will never happen again. This is how things change.
So, is this the weekend all of you have been working for? Or is it going to be next weekend, or was it, sadly, last weekend? For many Americans, the idea of the traditional work week is now dated. I don't know anyone in retail who has a Monday thru Friday schedule, or the medical field, or the law enforcement field. Not that there still isn't a group that is still entrenched in what used to be called the 'work week.' Don't worry, your lives will change, too.
I'm going to begin working on my little patching project this morning. I don't think it will take too long. There may be some issues at the bottom, where I have to work around the PVC drain pipe. The quote for the electrical work should be in my hands by Thursday. That means I'll most likely pay for it Friday so I can schedule the work. The plan right now is to run conduit up the outside of the house, rather than cut a number of holes in the walls so wire can be fished from the basement to the 2nd floor.
Evidently Dr. Oz, hereafter to be known simply as Ozzie, had a fund raiser at a museum in California; I guess donors in Pennsylvania aren't giving him enough to run his campaign. Anyway, he gave his little beg speech standing in front of one of Hitler's cars. His campaign said they hadn't thought it would be such a big deal for him to be begging in front of a Nazi car. Can we talk about truly terrible subliminal messaging here? You can't really see the swastika, so I guess that makes it okay.
And Trumps blow bro Vlad got some bad news this morning. The only supply bridge running from Russia to Crimea was almost completely destroyed. One lane is left open. This authoritarian dictator just can't get a break, can he? His 3 day war is now almost 9 months old. He's had to reinstate the draft, (very unpopular). Allies in the government are beginning to question his flawed thinking. And, again, he's threatening to possibly use nukes. Of course, using a nuclear weapon would prove to the world that Putin is without a doubt the worst possible dictator in all of history; having to use the ultimate weapon of mass destruction in order to win a 3 day war shrieks of incompetence. He would go down in the history books tied with Hitler as one of the most evil losers of all time.
Well, my mid-week weekend has begun. For some reason, I seem to get more accomplished on a Tuesday and Wednesday then I did when my weekends were the standard Saturday and Sunday. Perhaps the idea of not working has become so ingrained with those 2 days I usually end up frittering away the hours rather than get anything done.
One the things getting done today is a trip to the bank. I closed out an old 401K I'd had with the orange retailer I work for, and the check arrived Saturday. The taxes have already been taken out, so it will be deposited into the regular savings account. Since taxes are always going to be deducted, I figured the Federal Government might as well get their money now.
Another thing I need to do is call the Vet and make an appointment for Biggie. He needs his wellness checkup. I was going to put that off until November because they want him to fast (like that's really going to happen) so they can check his sugar. But yesterday morning he developed a dry cough and since he is approaching his senior years, I want to get him check out.
I found a better picture of Max Sullivan, the namesake of the smartass in my books. It's old and grainy, but it's easy to see the smartass in him.
And, of course, we had a bumper crop of Trump horseshit yesterday. He wants a 'master' to review the documents he stole for espionage's sake. This is what he's done his entire life, sue to stop or delay the proceedings, or to simply just attack. Media outlets seem to have finally understand they need to call his lies... well, lies. Calling them unsubstantiated falsehoods is one of the definitions of failure. One thing that is fascinating about his lawsuit, is that it's Per Se, which means he is going to argue the case himself rather than have his attorneys in front of a judge. Either they didn't want to touch it, or he believes himself to be a more convincing liar. Also keep in mind, this will also endear him even more to his MAGA base.
Also, McConnell sort of, well, kind of went on the attack saying there was no election fraud, or rather he said the was very little election fraud. This was after Florida taxpayers spent $3.9 million so Ronnie De Santis could give them 20 instances. Keep in mind, those incidents did not include the Republican fraud that happened in The Villages.
And, finally, this bit of political hilarity. From the Washington Post: Which Republican candidate is the worst? Who do you think? While many believe Oz is the most incompetent? "His across-the-board incoherence remains unmatched," says a lot. And I do believe this was before Walker, talking about Climate Change, said "don't we have enough trees?"
Hello Wednesday, August 17. We now have little over a month left of summer. As Maddie noted on an earlier entry, the season has not been bad for us. No scorching temps in the low 100s, (F) just a few days where they climbed into the upper 90s (F). There were also a few days when the humidity was so sponge thick my T-shirts felt like clammy saran wrap draped over my shoulders every time I went outside. But, other than that, the weather's been quite reasonable. And lucky us, daily temps climbing into the low 100s (F) our not foreseen in our future, at least not for the 30 years. However, a number of Republican held states do not appear to be so lucky.
From the Washington Post
Yesterday was a day of accomplishments. Grouting on the new tile surface in the kitchen was done, though not completed. I need more grout. Laundry was done. Some yardwork was done. I started a 5 hour walk through Pompeii; I had no idea the town was that large.
And I resolved my issue with Rosetta Stone... somewhat. Even though I have the discs I purchased some years ago, and even though Windows 11 has no problem running them, Rosetta Stone shut down the server my software. Since my course is no longer functional, they gave me 3 free months.
I was sorry to see Liz Cheney lost her bid for reelection. This was to be expected, however, since she's from a Cracker Jack Crazy Conservative state infatuated with authoritarianism.
In PA, Oz is the brunt of oh so many jokes because he released a commercial in which he's shopping for veggies for a crudité tray. The supermarket he is in is actually named Redners, yet he mispronounced it Regners, and his campaign aired the commercial. Of course, Fetterman knows how to troll.
crudité? We call this a veggie tray
So, you shouldn't be surprised to find out that the NRSC (National Republican Senate Committe) has pulled its funding for ads in PA. Yepper, they're not going to buy ads for Oz.
Yesterday was the last of the sunny days for a while. Temps are forecasted to stay in the mid to upper 70s (F), but cloudiness and showers are going to be hanging around. No long, soaking rains are predicted, of course that doesn't mean the grass is going to stop growing.
My 'saw on a stick' arrived yesterday. Full extended, it's heavier than I was expecting. 8 pounds weighs a lot less when you're holding it next to your body than it does when it's attached to a pole 10 feet away. Then you begin dealing with balance, and counterbalance. Unfortunately, I am the fulcrum and I'm at the end, not in the center. In between the showers today, I hope to cut a few small branches. We shall see how it goes. My friend, 6'5" tall Justin has volunteered to help if any is needed.
I tried a new white bread recipe yesterday. This one is a keeper.
Oh, and I have peaches! Right now, they're about the size of marbles. They will grow.
And, of course, yesterday the January 6 committee sent out a few more subpoenas. This time those little 'hellos' went out to sitting members of Congress. And those members of Congress? They were very, very silent. These 5 members haven't been indicted (yet), but they have been invited to sit down and talk with the committee before the end of May. Timeliness is everything, remember? I was really pleased to see that Scott Perry from PA was one of those to get an invite. It got me to thinking. We used to hang people for treason, is that something we still do?
A little reminder that our primaries are on Tuesday. Save The Date. The Orange Anus blurted out a criticism of Kathy Barrnett yesterday because she is neck and neck with his candidate, Oz the Incompetent. Neither one is electable. All he's doing is auditioning to be on Celebrity Apprentice, and Barnett's extremism is so far to the right she takes homophobia and anti-Muslim attacks to a whole new level. Had she been a senator on January 6, she would have joined the traitors.
I am scheduled to work today, and tomorrow, and Monday. Full eight-hour shifts, too. The temps are forecast to hit the high 60s (F) today, so I sure our garden department will be busy. This is the season of mulch. We sell tons of it... literally. I don't use it, possibly because my mom, using what I believe was an attempt at a French accent, always referred to it as 'mulsh.' She did the same thing with charcoal, so when we grilled, we grilled with 'sharcoal.'
Weather wise, today is predicted to be nice. Tomorrow? Rain is supposed to come to town.
I picked up Biggie's prescription for gabapentin and there was a price increase: 2 cents a capsule. Everything goes up in cost, the income stays the same.
One of the things I am truly grateful for is owning my home. I have friends who are in the upper 60's who rent and are not going into semi-retirement because they will need to be paying rent for the rest of their lives. I don't think renters ever realize that rent payment is never going to go away until it's too late for them to buy.
And, of course, Primary season is approaching, taht wonderful time when voters decide who is going to run in the fall midterms. In Pennsylvania, we have 2 out-of-staters vying to replace that loser, Pat Toomey. Who will garner the nomination? The Cracker Jack Crazy Thompson? Or the Trump backed wonderful wizard of Oz? Oh... wait, I'm wrong, it's Mehmet Oz. The wizard wants nothing to do with this.
And if you think the Pennsylvania primary interesting, you'll simply love the North Carolina primary in which Madison Crawford is running to keep a failed political career alive. I understand there is a video with Crawford's male scheduler groping Madison's crotch. No, I haven't seen it, not that I think it matters. While I would love to see him notch up the nomination for what would be a sure win for Democrats in November, I'm fairly certain he has racked up enough irreparable damage to lose. Of course, we are talking about North Carolina republicans here, so at this point anything goes.
Rain is in the forecast for today. Temps will reach the mid 60s (F) and then begin to drop. We will be chilly for the rest of the week. That's fine. I will turn the heat back on probably since highs are only supposed to be in the mid 50s (F). That's cool.
Yesterday was busy. Lawn got mowed. 2.20 miles on the treadmill. Olive oil cake baked. As well as the garbage being taken to the curb, several other things made it there as well, including a very old shop vac. As usual, the pickers passed down the street overnight and many of the 'other things' were moved from the curb to the backs of pickup trucks. Except for the shop vac. Someone took the top vacuum section and left the bottom cannister section. Very Interesting.
Here's a picture of the cake. I skipped the lemon and added ricotta cheese, dried cherries, and almond extract. It's tasty, but I should have used cream cheese rather than the ricotta, which made it overly moist.
The Republican candidates for Pennsylvania senator held a debate last evening. Two things were apparent: 1. all 5 of them believe attacking the other candidates was more important than talking about either credentials or policy; 2 now is not the time to move on from the 2020 presidential election, though McCormack did say Biden is the problem. Evidently Oz frequently mentioned he Trump's endorsement. He was also the one most vehement about Trump losing Pennsylvania, so I'm guessing he had to bow down before Trump and swear eternal allegiance to The Big Lie in order to get that endorsement.
And, finally, yesterday Ron DeSantis signed a bill creating an 'election police force,' meant to ensure the integrity of elections. I don't doubt for a second that this is the Republican equivalent of the Gestapo. You see, Ronnie wants to run for president in 2024, however his chances of success would be far less likely if he loses in his run up for a 2nd term as governor. His every action has one purpose, to unite the Republican base in Florida. To do that he has attacked Disney's Right of Free Speech, calling the woke. He has also eliminated the voices of 2 voting districts whose majority was black. He is going to do everything within his power to keep minorities away from the polls. You see, he believes that is the only way he can win. Prepare yourselves for The Big Lie (part 2) when he loses.
