My Aunt is going to be 90

 Wednesday has arrived.  Sunshine is again in store.  Highs are also predicted to be in the upper 60s (F).  I will have no problem handling today.  They're predicting full-on sunshine for tomorrow.  Temps will be lower, but that's okay.  This is Autumn, after all.  In the coming week temps are supposed to climb back up into the 70s (F).  Days are supposed to be sunny, and all the rain will be staying to the south of us.

I had lunch with my cousin and her husband yesterday.  I was surprised to see they had 2 Trump signs in their yard when I arrived at their house.  I shouldn't  have been.  They're both religious; they had planned to go to Israel but the Hamas attack of October 7 put an end to those plans.  Politics stayed out of the conversation.  She and her husband are both older than me, so any earthly attempt at discussion would have been doomed to failure.

We went to see my aunt Lois, who will be turning 90 on October 19.  She has an apartment in a senior living facility and it's very nice: 4 rooms, including a bathroom with a walk-in shower.  She has a full kitchen with a large serving counter opening into the living room.  We paid $2700 a month for a studio apartment for my mom, so she must be paying at least $6000.  She has some mobility issues, but her mind is still strong.  It's so much fun talking to her, hearing about the past.  We called my great grandmother on my grandmother's side of the family Grandma Lee.  Lois told us that when she and my dad were young, they called her Grandma New York, not only because she lived in New York City, but because her last name kept changing; she seemed to have a habit of marrying and divorcing men.  Whatever wild streak we have running in our family must have come from her.

And yes, my dahlias are still blooming.

And as must be expected, more dirt came out yesterday regarding the Orange Anus.  No one should be surprised if he took top secret British Naval intelligence with him to Mar a Lago, he has never had a problem screwing people, or countries over.  The fact that America was desperate for Covid testing and he secretly sent them to his blow bro Vlad?  No surprise there.  He will try and tear the country apart to please Putin.  He will fail.  Our job is to make sure he doesn't get the chance to run away, he is spinless, after all, and will run.  I don't doubt plans have already been set in place.  I suspect he already knows he's going to lose.  His job is not to win, but to create chaos.  Putin will reward him for the disruption he's going to cause.  This is why he can't run away.  He needs to pay the consequences.

Opinionated

 Well, as the forecasters predicted, we have sunshine.  In fact, not a single drop of rain is predicted for the next week.  Sure, some of the days are supposed to be partly cloudy, but, if there correct, we'll see nary a drop of precipitation.  That'll be nice.

Work was slow yesterday.  I understand it was busier in the morning, during that constant drizzle, but in the afternoon, after the rain had stopped, the customers dropped off.  The only bright spot was that I had my review.  The large, orange, home improvement retailer I work for had done away with reviews during covid, now they are coming back.  I'm evidently number one in the store in getting measures.  Everyone seems to attribute that to the fact that I'm a "nice guy."  I find that funny since I am surrounded by so many other people whom I think are much nicer.  Perhaps that's because I don't know what's going on in their heads, while I know very well what's going on in mine.  Are my thoughts bad?  Nah, but I am definitely very opinionated and if you rub me the wrong way you will get to hear my opinion.

When I finish here, I'm going to go downstairs to the writing room and download a program called Fotor into the writing laptop.  I began uploading the files for the audio version of The Body on the Lawn yesterday and discovered that the cover art needs to be perfectly square.  Fotor takes the rectangular art that I have and does just that.  I don't know whether to classify this as a learning experience, or a bother.

Here's what my writing room floor looks like with all of the area rugs out.  There's a spot where it looks like I must have spilled some sort of oil and it created a stain.  Whatever it was, it didn't create a strong enough memory for me to remember.  And, for those who are curious, the round thing is a hatbox that has stamps on the lid from the first Grand Prix in Paris in 1906, and that is a Columbia Graphinola dated to 1926.  Somehow, I seem to accumulate old stuff.

And, since it's the weekend, politically things are quiet; that doesn't mean I stop thinking.  One thing that occurred to me is how so many wealthy Christians want to believe that their wealth is a blessing from God.  This makes me wonder if they ever think about wealthy Muslims.  Not Christians, and yet some of them are the richest people in the world.  Or, do they ever consider Asian billionaires, again some of the wealthiest people in world, and definitely not Christian.  Aren't these people blessed, too?  Or is it that Christian billionaires have tiny, selfish, inconsiderate minds that can only regard themselves as being blessed?

Trump's Trial Turns Musical

 Well, let's say hello to Friday, and my day off, and, as you might expect we have a 95% chance of cloud cover.  That 5% of sunshine, that happened around 6 AM.  No rain is in the forecast, though, that's supposed to arrive tomorrow.  That's not going to be good for our garden department.  No one wants to wandering around looking at shrubberies in the rain.

Speaking of shrubberies, I'm thinking of buy some sort of hemlock to put in front of my porch, one that does well in shade since it will sit in the shadow of the gingko tree.\

And I learned a thing yesterday.  My desk is big, and heavy, and impossible for me to lift by myself with all of the drawers inside.  However, I can push the thing, so I've begun pushing it around the writing room in order to get the area rugs out from under it.  One of the rugs was rolled up and taped yesterday, and is now sitting on my back porch waiting to go out in the garbage.  The second one will be gone later this morning.  One thing that surprised me, was how much of a doggie odor they have.  It's a good thing none of my friends never decided to have a lay down my floor.\

There were some interesting entries on social media yesterday, things that out and out made me laugh, one of which was when they tried to get Bo Bo Boebert to sign a Beetlejuice program.  I understand that when she went to speak she was nearly droned out by people chanting that name over and over again.

And then there were the Bootlickers.  Evidently, Matty Gaetz has decided to form a new faux rock band that really does nothing more than play air guitar and lip sync badly.

As for the trial, from all reports Trump's attorney, some guy named Blanche (I try a name change if I were him) lost his temper on more than one occasion.  Was his temper tantrum successful at doing anything other than showing his weaknesses?  Only the jury knows.

Sunshine

 Sunshine!  At last, what a shame I have to do to work today.  Unfortunately, I took a personal day yesterday when it was cloudy and drizzly because... well, it was cloudy and drizzly.  If you live in Central PA, you know what I'm talking about.  I know this is all part of the transition into summer, but this past winter was gloomy, too, warmer than usual, but not a lot of sunshine.

Yesterday was a good day for getting things accomplished.  Much was done, and still, there is much left to do.  Now that it's sunny, I feel as though I need to grab my weed wacker and wack away at the tall grass, but that will probably wait until tomorrow when it's only supposed to be partly sunny.  There are other chores needing to be done today.  The living room area rug arrived yesterday, so I want to get that laid down today.  That will entail moving furniture.  I also want to get in either a dumbbell workout and some time on the treadmill.  I got a bike ride in yesterday, not as long, but with more gusto and a higher wattage in order to burn just as many calories.  Yes, that's right, for those who don't know, your energy output is measured in wattage.  A higher wattage means a better workout.

I did have breakfast with my brother this morning. He and his wife have just returned from Scotland.  I asked him if he bought a kilt, and he admitted buying one, but hadn't worn it yet.  He did tell me that in spite of what some might think, kilts are quite masculine.  If had the legs, I'd buy one.

And I borrowed this from social media yesterday.

Of course, everyone seems to be talking about the debates, 2 of them, without an audience.  Oooh, that's not good for the Morale Degenerate Trump, he loves him his cultists noising it up when he burbles up some lie.  However, that's not going to happen.  There's not going to be a small crowd of Cracker Jack crazies to whom he turn and mug.  Personally, even though he has agreed to the debates, I wouldn't doubt if talks fall apart because his team knows he might suddenly start ranting about... oh, say Hannibal Lecter. Every day it seems as if another four or five clips are added of him meandering off topic to brag about... oh, water for instance rather than speak about a coherent subject.  Somehow, I don't think he has a lot of sunshine on his shoulders these days.

Ghostbusters

 Hello Sunshine!  That is the forecast for today.  Nice and sunny.  I like that.  There have been too many gray clouds hanging overhead.  The bright sunlight shining in through my windows has been sorely needed.  Of course, it is Spring, and rain will return, but not today.  This coming week, however, we will have consecutive days of showers and drizzles, and possibly a soaker or two.

There are chores to do today.  And shopping.  I want to swing by the store and pick up the quarter round I need to complete my kitchen floor.

While I was making my breakfast, I went through my cupboards to see which essentials needed to be refilled, honey, cereal, and olive oil were all on the list.  Since it is Friday, sometime this afternoon I will be cooking my weekend lunches, pork, cabbage, and potatoes.  I'm so glad my beliefs don't affect my diet.  I feel sorry for those who can't eat pork.  That other white meat is one of my favorites, in fact, I eat more pork, chicken, and fish than I do beef.  

Today's my sister's birthday.  I will call her.  Our calls are usually filled with laughter which is good.  Her life has not always been the greatest, and now she's discovered she's married to a cultist.  Smart woman, she laughs at him.

I went to see the new Ghostbuster's movie last night.  I really enjoyed it.  What most people have forgotten is that the original Ghostbusters was a comedy.  That's right, it was funny.  That's what made it a big hit.  The newest film in the franchise has gone back to its roots.  There are some very funny scenes.  The Sta-Puffed Marshmallow man returns... in miniatures, lots of miniatures.  It's so nice when you go see a comedy and the audience is laughing loudly at the jokes.  

Joe Biden had the largest, biggest, wowiest fund raising campaign event last night in New York City where he raised $25 million.  Yeah, that's right, $25 million.  In one night, Biden raised more than the Orange Anus did in the month of February.  Ouch!  While the Democrats are raising money like gangbusters, Trump is funneling money from the RNC to pay for his legal bills... oh, and he's shilling bibles, too.

Republicans are aware of their shortcomings.  That's why, in the deeply red states, they're passing agendas they believe will allow them to hold their grip on power.  Of course they're going to fail, and they have no idea what to do to save their sorry butts as evidenced by this post from Charlie Kirk.

The Lesser of Two Evils

 And we're scheduled to have another sunny day with a high in the low 60s (F).  This will be it for a while.  Oh, sure, the forecasters are saying that tomorrow the temps are going to stay this warm, but rain is going to be moving into the picture and the temps are predicted to fall.  Keep in mind, we're not even halfway through February, though we are now halfway through winter.  See, a bright spot!

Many things were accomplished yesterday.  It always makes me feel good when I can say that.  And today?  I'm finally going to begin working on the floor.  I don't know if I'll get the entire thing finished today (it's not that big), but I am going to be spending a lot of time down on my knees, using my rubber mallet and my tapping block to lock the tiles into place.  I also want to get in a fast walk and a row, and maybe a short dumbbell session.

I deleted TikTok from my phone.  I got tired of all of the reposting of videos from the few content providers I had friended.   One was putting reposting and / or posting new videos every 2 hours and I got bored.  And, since I'm speaking about social media, am I the only one who's fed up with all the ads on Instagram?  I'm wondering how many times I need to hide the Fanduel ads before Instagram finally listens.  

Here's a picture of Lily on the porch from last summer.  She was watching me as I chopped down and dug out the burning bush, which I learned is a predatory plant.  

And, of course, the special counsel released his report on Biden and the documents he'd had at his home.  No charges are going to be pressed, mostly because, according to this guy, Biden is an elderly man dealing with memory lapses.  Of course, Democrats went through the roof.  For years now, they've been down playing any hints of senior memory loss, trying to make Joe's brain look like its as snappy and fresh as it was when he was much younger.  Is the guy who did this a Trump loyalist?  Possibly.  He was appointed by Trump.  Still, this is a problem Democrats should have been more focused on.  There are going to be 2 candidates in this year's presidential election, one is 81 years old, the other is 77.  Both are a bit forgetful.  But one is entirely focused on revenge, and the other just wants to do a good job as president.  Sad as it is to say, this year people will be voting for the lesser of the two evils.  Vote Blue.  Save Democracy.  Put Trump in jail.

$83 million.

 Hello Sunshine.  Yep, glorious sunshine is pouring through my window.  The outside temps are 45 (F).  I know, that's difficult to believe since we are heading into the heart of winter.  The long range forecast has daytime highs sitting in the comfortable 40s (F), sometimes a few degrees warmer, sometimes a few degrees colder.  So far, this winter is a replay of last year's winter... and the year before that.  

Yesterday, I grouted.  I also realized I'm going to need to pull the stove front and tile a small section behind it.  If you enter the kitchen from the dining room and look sharply to the left, past the coffeemaker, there is a small, 4 inch by 6 inch section that's going to need to be tiled.  No problem.  But not today.  I work today, and before that I want to get a ride in.

The rest of yesterday was odd.  Too overcast.  I needed to clean the one tank and didn't.  No time on the treadmill.  No free weights.  Nothing.  I'm blaming my neighbor.  She likes to turn her music up when she cleans, and though it's not nearly as loud as it was that first time, there is a two hour time period where there is a background buzz of bass and drums that I find very distracting.  I'd complain, but it's only once a week, if it were more often, or loud enough to rattle my windows as it was the first time she cleaned, I'd be knocking on her door.

As I've said, I'm making lots of notes on the next book, The Body in History, and a new character has joined my cast, Naomi Potts, an poetess from Cambridge.  Does this mean there might be several stanzas of hexameter poetry?  Hhhmmm, could be.

And then, of course, yesterday this happened:

Of course, Trump Tower has not had a name change... yet. Something I noted:  it didn't take the jury long to decide on the amount.  Another thing:  I actually listened to a few moments of comment by his attorney Habba and realized she lies as much as he does.  I find it interesting that she was treating this penalty phase as though it were the trial itself.  It's not that she's that stupid, she just realizes that the words penalty phase contain too many syllables for Trump's cultists to understand.  It's also my understanding that in order to appeal the judgement, he needs to put up the full $83 million until the appeal process is complete, or get a bail bondsman to cover it.  Here's the rub with using a bail bondsman:  Trump needs to put down 10%, and if he loses his appeal, the bondsman will have to cover the entire $83 million should the Orange Anus choose not to pay.  Ouch!  Trump's history on reneging is etched in stone.  Can you hear me laughing?

Here comes the Sun

 So, my alarm clock went off this morning at it's usual 0530 time and I turned it off, rolled over, and went back to sleep.  Happily, when I did finally roust myself from bed, I opened the drapes and sunlight poured into the room like a warm wave rushing to shore in the Gulf of Mexico.  That was a bit ago.  It's still sunny, somewhat, though clouds are moving in, and it's still cold, around 18 (F), which is really nippy for those of you using Celsius.

Oh, and it's gotten windy, so all of that fine, powdery snow we've gotten over the past few days is blowing all over the place, and all of that shoveling my neighbors did yesterday is all for naut.  I will take a shovel out shortly and clear a path, the operative word being clear.  Tomorrow the temps are supposed to climb up into the mid 30s (F), Sunday they'll hit the 40s (F) and rain is expected on Tuesday.

And I do get to work this afternoon.  Will it be busy?  I have no idea.  Those who are adapting to the cold will be out, but I suspect many others will stay warm and cozy in their homes and any outside expeditions will mostly be for essential, except for younger people.  They seem to have fewer problems when it comes to facing the elements then their seniors.  

I plan on making Moroccan chicken to eat for the next few days, spicy.  I like spicy.  Too many Americans have trained their mouths to avoid anything that makes their tongues tingle.  Back when I was at the paint desk, I remember a mother warning her daughter about a peppermint candy.  We had a bowl of wrapped candies and the little girl wanted one and her mother asked, "are you sure?  It's spicy."  And I couldn't help but think, hell, it's peppermint, if she thinks that's spicy, then she's doomed to eat bland foods like boiled potatoes and rice for the rest of her life.

And here's a picture of the sunshine.  Bask in it.

And there's a lot of noise being made about Fanni Willis and the prosecutor assigned to the election fraud cases down in Georgia.  I usually push things like this aside because they're always tend to be political in nature.  Today I read a bit, and it seems as the the soon-to-be ex-wife of the prosecutor is behind many of the allegations.  Their divorce is pending, and from what I've seen, she seems to be one of those women who holds a bitter grudge for eternity.  She's going to make him pay, even if it means helping Trump cheat the system.  I don't understand how some people can be so selfish.

Splitting

 Well, if today hasn't started out lazy.  Sunshine is pouring in through the windows.  The temps are supposed to climb into the mid 40s (F).  A nice, quiet day is in store.  I had made plans to drive down to York to have lunch with my friend Betsy, but we've postponed that until next Sunday.  That leaves today open for me and, shock of shocks, there are no loads of laundry waiting to be washed!

The company that manufactured the bar cart I'm using in my laundry room sent me an email.  They said they would replace the part that split and asked for a photo of the split and the part number.  Honestly, their response seem on the up and up, however, looking at their reviews, fulfillment doesn't seem to be a priority.  In the mean time, I've done a search on how to fix the 'split,' and may take the matter into my own hands.

Yesterday was slow at work, at least in Flooring.  Garden was busy; lotsa people were buying trees, real and artificial.  And Christmas decorations were being sold, secular lawn ornaments were flying out of the store.  We don't sell a lot creches.  You can have your choice of either a black or white audio animatronic Santas., but just try and fine even one of the Three Wise Men.  So tell me, how's this for crass commercialism?

And, speaking of splitting, I saw where Lara Trump is exiting Fox News.  She evidently got the gig because of her last name and Fox wanted to both capitalize and commercialize on it.  She was a contributor, at least that's what they called her.  Of course, since I never watch Fox, I have no idea if she was ever anything more than a mouthpiece of the Orange Anus.

Her father-in-law did post a demented rant yesterday on Truth Social calling for the termination of the election laws in the constitution in order so the bad election of 2020 could be thrown out and he could be put back in power.  A day doesn't go by when he doesn't publicly post his desperation.  He knows that his Christmas stocking will undoubtedly be filled with indictments, which are far worse than simple coal.

Finally, the Republican party is the minority political party in the United States with about 30 million people voting for what they claim to be a socially conservative agenda.  About 20 million of those have sworn fealty to Trump.  When the indictments come, and they will be coming, this group will split away from the group considered traditional Republicans.  They may, in fact. form a new party, not that they will have any political sway.  This is a no win situation for the party.  The second the first protests starts after the first indictment, the GOP will launch itself into a death spiral.  Splitting and splintering into a thousand pieces.