Honey

 Today is supposed to be nice and sunny with temps climbing up into the mid 70s (F).  I work this afternoon, so I'll miss out.  Tomorrow our temps are predicted to top out in the mid 80s (F).  Yes, that's right, but sometime during the day payment will be charged and the rain will come in as a cold front passes through.  On Monday, our temps will be stuck in the 50s (F).  I may have to buy more sweat pants.

While working yesterday, I had a woman call to see if we still had a certain type of vinyl plank flooring for sale.  However, there was a slight problem.  She didn't know the name.  She said it was pale in color, but didn't know if it was wood plank or not. In fact, she wasn't certain it was our store.  She did take a picture that didn't give the name, but did include appliances standing in the background.  Yes, we do get calls like this.  She said it was on clearance, and we do have an area for clearance flooring, however nothing in the size (12" x 24") she wanted.  Dealing with uninformed customers can be so difficult at times.

So, the first word Howie is learning is "no."  For him, everything is a chew toy, including my arms, fingers, nose, and chin.  He's especial fond of my toes.  Certain things, especially my body parts, are off limits, other things include my sneakers and the new chair, which is covered with the same drop cloth I used on Biggie and Lily's sofa.  He is allowed to play around with my slippers; I ordered them a size to big so they're now a chew toy.

When our tour was over in Greece, we were all given a can of Grecian honey.  I eat a lot of honey.  It's quite healthy.  Since I had a large jar open already, I chose to finish that first.  I emptied the bottle yesterday.  I can't wait to taste deliciousness.

This presidential election is not the horserace so many media outlets want it to be, but than they're in it for the money, not Democracy.  I'm of the thought that many of them believe Trump is going to lose, so they might as well make their money while he's still campaigning.  Their choosing to not report his insanity has more to do with the idea that they might has well make their hay while the sun shines.  They are using him to line their bank accounts.  He is still going to remain profitable for them after he loses, but the amount of gold dropping into their tight little fists will go down.  Don't think this is unusual for them, profitability has always come before truth, though it's never been this obvious before.

As for the election:  Trump knows he's going to lose.  That's part of the plan... Putin's plan.  The fact that he's had at least 7 unofficial talks with Russia's dictator indicates there is a coordinated plan.  Trump's denial of giving Vlad those Covid testing machines and Moscow's admitting he did is part of the plan.  Trump's goal right now is to create as much chaos as possible.  He is going to create as much inner turmoil in the United States so that Americans focus totally on our own problems, leaving Putin to do as he wants.  Trump doesn't understand that when his usefulness is done, Putin will flush him away like an old turd that's been floating around in the toilet bowl for way too long.  Our job is to make Trump lose so badly his attempted chaos will fail.

Was it McConnell or Trump?

 Holy Moly, guacamole!  I have to work today!  In the words of one of my intrepid sleuths... Shit.

Yesterday I received a text from a fellow associate informing me that we lost an associate to Covid.  An older man who was vaccinated, he had underlying health issues.  I know the anti-vaxxers are going to point to as an example of how vaccines don't work.  They will keep believing their lies until they, too, are welcomed home by Covid.  One of them had a serious bout with the virus about 4 months ago, meaning his natural immunity has just about run it's course.  I don't doubt that in another 3 months he'll get sick again, we've had 3 associates so far who have gotten it twice.

I rode over 14 miles yesterday on the bike.  It took me a while, my legs are a bit out of shape, but it felt good.  I was pleased... except for the fact that it took so long for my workout to upload.  By long time, I mean over 2 hours.  I don't know what the problem was, but let me tell you, I was starting to get froufrou frantic thinking there might be a problem with the old laptop I use... it is old, and slow.

Helpful Household Hint:  if your honey starts to sugar in the jar, pop that baby in the microwave for a few seconds.  If the bottle does this, you had it in for too long.

I know a lot of foolish Evangelicals believe God sent Trump to give them a conservative Supreme Court in order to overturn Roe v Wade.  In case you didn't know it, they are desperately blind.  Trump gave them nothing, it was Mitch McConnell who put the last 3 Cracker Jack Crazies on the Court... and it took him how many years?  Five?  Obama was president when he (McConnell) started this process.  Wow!  And he (McConnell) had to adjust the filibuster rules to give them their 3 judges.  To hear Republicans talk today, changing those rules is the same as cheating.  Well, (as Eli Zinneman-Myers would say) Shit! I find it odd that the Deity they claim created the Universe (go look at it some night, it's really, really big) in 6 days, took 5 years and needed to cheat in order to give Evangelicals what they want.  Of course... they could be wrong.

Taste This

I began the new year by working.  There were a number of customers until around 2 (PM), and then the thinning began.  An hour later our aisles were fairly empty.  In the morning, however, we had a number of customers.  Honestly, I wasn't surprised that much.  We just ended a year in which many might have considered a bad case of the runs just another day in a really shitty year, so for them, yesterday was just another day.

On Monday, in Pennsylvania, they're supposed to be lifting restrictions.  If that happens, I've plans to go to the movies on January 8th to see the new Wonder Woman movie.  I understand it's entertaining.

Being the new year, I decided to adjust my workout mileage.  Last year I set my goat at 2500 and ended up doing 2130.  I adjusted my cycling to 2250 and added 200 for running.  The idea is to challenge myself, but not set an unreachable goal.  The difficult part will be over the next eight or nine weeks since they are what I consider the 'quiet' months, when I will have to work hard to keep from entering the hibernation zone.  

One change I did do recently was to start using honey as a sweetener in my morning oatmeal rather than brown sugar.  Taking things a step further, I decided to use honeycomb, rather than the processed honey you buy in bottles.  I was surprised by how much sweeter it was.

It does take a little longer to cook my oatmeal, but boy is my breakfast tastier.

I saw Biden's message was uplifting, talking about the challenges facing our country, including vaccine distribution which is another thing our outgoing sack of shit screwed up.  And, speaking of that loser, he released a video on Twitter in which he bragged about his failed accomplishments.  Quite a number of people on social media pointed out that this asswipe talked only about the past... not one syllable about the future.  This might be the closest thing we get to a concession speech.