In Infamy

The outside temp is 32 (F) so things are freezing.  Well, not quite.  There's no ice on the windshield and the empty planter filled with water has no crust of ice.  This questions the accuracy of the temp so many people are reporting.  Our high today is supposed to be in the very low 40s (F).  In all actuality, will it be a few degrees warmer?  I guess that it's best to say that specific temps are really relative.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  Mine was quiet, except for the 2 arguments the neighbors had, one in the morning and one in the evening.  The volume on their TV went up and down throughout the day.  I do believe they forget that I'm living only a one wall away, so last evening I turned the volume up on my TV.  Not super loud, mind you, but loud enough for me to hear the dialog.  That sort of reminder is enough for them to stop blaring their TV for the next 2 or 3 weeks.

Howie and I had turkey and stuffing. The critters on the hill beside my house got the bones.  Howie always gets the skin plus a bit of turkey.  He thinks that's delish.  I've never been too keen on turkey skin, or chicken skin for that matter.  He also got the innards, heart, stomach and liver.  His tummy had very fulfilling Thanksgiving.

The only thing I didn't cook were the apple fritters.  They will be deep fried this morning.  In other words, my dessert is coming a day late.

And even though we've had some cold days, and some windy days, the leaves on my river birch are still hanging on for dear life.

There was a tragedy in Washington, DC on Wednesday.  Two of West Virginia's National Guardsmen were shot.  Yesterday one of the succumbed to her injuries.  Political theater is the only reason the National Guard were deployed to our nations capital.  They were sent there in order for Orangie to prove to himself he's the dictator he's always wanted to be.  Though they'd desperately like this tragedy to boost his approval rating, and don't for a second believe they don't, they are having the opposite effect.  He is the most disliked president in the history of the country.  We are watching the death of the Republican party.  At some point we will be able to rejoice.  But not now.  I do not doubt for a second that he will bring more tragedy to this country.  The name Trump will only live in infamy.

Happy Thanksgiving

 Well, I'm running late today.  In spite of not planning on doing anything today, I seem to be quite busy.  

Still, Happy Thanksgiving!

This is not my table, in case you're wondering, though Howie would love the leftovers. 

Blame it on the Game

 Well hello Day before Thanksgiving.  Here in Central PA we are under a dense fog warning.  Note, this is not an advisory, but an honest to God warning.  Our current temp is 48 (F).  The forecast is for the high to be in the low to mid 60s (F), that is until the bottom drops out.  We're supposed to be in the low 30s (F) by the time the holiday rolls into town at midnight, with tomorrow's high in the low to mid 40s (F).  On top of the cooler temps, we appear to be heading into some sort of temperature holding pattern for the next week or so.  Well, what can I say?  We are heading into December.

Yesterday was so, so.  I did get something accomplished.  That includes a 45 minute bike ride, though I have to admit, there was a bit of sluggishness in my pedaling.  The route was new, mostly uphill, and for some reason I couldn't get into the Fallout Boy playlist.  Believe me, this is unusual.  I drive over to my local Giant Supermarket to buy all the necessaries for tomorrow's lunch, or dinner, or whatever.  I'm not planning anything big.  As you get older, holidays tend to become like birthdays, just another day of the week.  The only thing different is that I'll get holiday pay from the great Orange Retailer without having to work for it.

This afternoon, I'm going to try my hand at apple fritters.  Even thought tomorrow is going to be just another day, you can still have tasty morsels to set it apart from all the other days.

I watched a German comedy, Blame it on the Game last night.  I did laugh.  We too often tend to think of Germans as stalwart and stern, they are not.  It is rather slap stick at times, and yes, this is a naked ping pong game in it, and balls do get smacked.

Apparently the Wack Job in the White House has been posting unabated bat shit since the NY Times posted an article about him sundowning.  You know what I'm talking about.  Things like Orangie only making public appearances between noon and 5 PM, and then he spends most of the time sitting down, and, on occasion napping.  They also talked about him posting incoherencies, like this morning's comments about there are no long Republicans, but Trumplicans, or Treblicans, or some sort of nonsense.  All the while, prices continue to rise, and Witkhoff teaches the Russians how to be nice to the sundowner.  It's also being reported that there is a big tiff going on between Orangie and his ballroom architect, who apparently wants to make it smaller.  And, as I sit here this Thanksgiving reading and hearing this horseshit, I think about Chief Justice Roberts. and Sammy Alito, and the other Supreme Court Justices who voted to give Orangie almost limited immunity.  All of this, the Noem grift, fratboy Hegseth,  MTV alumni Duffy, who wants us all to dress nice when we fly, nutlick Lutnick... every single one of these horrific cabinet choices is resting on their shoulders.  There terrible judgement will chide their names throughout history, and they will deserve every second of disrespect that weighs heavily on their brows.

Dry This

 Well, it's cold outside.  I've been up for 2 hours and the temp is still frozen at 27 (F).  For those of you with Celsius, that's below zero.  The weather forecasters are rumoring that the high temp today will actually be in the upper 30s (F).  I'm going to wait and see on that one.

Any my Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was pretty much nondescript. This doesn't mean that I did nothing.  In other words, I didn't lull around, passing the hours by scrolling social media on my phone.  Nope.  The big tank got a good cleaning, including one of the Greek statues which had growing rather bearded with all the algae.  Now he's mostly bright, clean, and white, with just a little algae providing the needed chiaroscuro. 

Of course, I wrote.  I'm approaching the denouement for The Body in History.  I needed a way to get from point A to point C, and while thinking of what's considered one of the greatest films ever made, Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, I came up with transition point B.  Suddenly, everything is like... Wow.  That's makes perfect sense.  When writing, you should always begin with the ending.  Thinking of everything that goes between the first word and the last chapter is all the fun, or as some writers might tell you, all of the work, though for me, because I always have a resolution chapter, it's always the 2nd last chapter.

I ordered a food hydrator yesterday, so I suppose you could call that my big Black Friday purchase.  Why?  I have this feeling certain food stuffs are going to be getting pricy, and this is one of the ways I can prepare.  Instead of pay rather exorbitant prices for fresh fruit and veggies, I'm going to be drying some while produce is still what we'll one day consider inexpensive.  It's a Cosori, the same company that manufactured my air fryer.

I see Trudeau flew down to Mar a Lago to talk to the Orange Anus about tariffs.  That was yesterday and so far Orangy had not posted any lies on social media about how the Canadian Prime Minister has caved to his demands.  Perhaps everything depends upon whether or not Musk is in the room during these chats.  I'm suspecting he will be since he owns the new phony president's ass.  For those who were lucky enough to have missed them, there were several videos of Thanksgiving down at the Swamp Resort with Elonia seated besides the dementiated Trump clapping and singing along to YMCA.  I saw 2 versions and thought they both looked more than a little stagey: no chairs or place setting on 1/3 of the table so as not to block the view for everyone wanting to get a video.  It was almost as though people knew they needed to put on a happy face for the cameras.  Anyway, if Musk was by Orangy's side for that, I'm betting he's next to him in every meeting Musk might consider consequential.  So, the longer we go without a Trump lie on social media, the implications are it's not going the way Musk had it planned.

President Sheinbaum

 Happy Black Friday!  So far, it's a bright and sunny day, however that's going top change as a cold front begins moving through the region.  This afternoon there will be showers and snow showers, or what they're calling a "wintry mix" across Central PA, and tomorrow's high will be much colder. As I've said before, this is the same playbook we've had over the past number of years.

Yesterday, Turkey Day, or, as some people call it, Thanksgiving was very quiet.  Just me and the pooch.  I had a nice call from my sister.  My brother was vigilantly silent.  He can't remember my birthday, so well wishes on the holiday would have been extraordinary.  

The coconut pie was delish, but then I tried something special when baking it by spreading chocolate across the pie crust before pouring in the coconut filling.  Voila, a Mounds Bar... almost.  The corn pudding was almost too sweet and very rich, a lot of that went into the freezer.  There was a problem with the bird, however.  I have a large electric roaster that I've used for years (too many, in fact).  After nestling the turkey onto holding rack and placing it in the roaster, I set the temp and walked away, expecting it to be cooked in about 4 hours.  That didn't happen.  The roaster got warm enough so you could smell the turkey, however it didn't get hot enough to cook it.  When I checked on it, I discovered this, muttered a few curse words, and cranked the heat up high, so instead of 4 hours, it took 6 and a half to be fully cooked.  Howie and I hard are first nibbles of turkey around 5 PM, not the anticipated 1:30 PM.  Still, all is fine with the world.  

This doesn't mean there wasn't excitement yesterday.  Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum, took Trump to the mat and embarrassed him world wide.

It began with the Orange Anus posting a lie about Mexico promising to shut down its border with the United States after he talked to President Sheinbaum on the phone.  She was having none of it, and went on record in a very public manner.  In case you haven't realized it yet, his lies are always going to make him look like the super authoritative president he thinks he is; they never touch upon the truth.  She claims they touch upon the borders in the conversation, but they were not a priority.  I believe her.  She says most of the conversation was about the tariffs, and, from various sources, it appears this 78 year-old loser was trying to shake her down... and she was having none of it.  One of the things she reportedly told him was that if he puts tariffs on Mexico, Mexico will retaliate and the United States will lose 400,000 jobs.  This did not go as Don the Con planned.  In a very polite, public way, told the Moral Degenerate to eat shit with a rubber spoon.  I suspect more world government leaders will follow President Sheinbaum's example, and in a very public, professional way, embarrass the Orange Anus.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving!

A holiday that is rapidly loosing its meaning.  Fifty years ago it was quaint when the president pardoned a turkey.  Now, no one really cares.

I am going to be spending the day at home, with Howie.  There's a 13 pound turkey in the refrigerator that will shortly go into the roaster.  Home made corn pudding and potato filling (stuffing) is also on the menu.  I made desert yesterday, a coconut pie (not cream pie) and have already had a small slice or two.  It's tasty.

May you all have a happy holiday.  My usual commentary will return tomorrow.

Potty outside

 Well, I got up late after getting up early.  Someone had to do his "potty outside" at 0430 this morning.  After his business was done, we both went back to bed and slept until nearly 0700.  That little "potty outside" break took about 20 minutes.  Oh, and it was raining rather heavily, which meant we needed to play "towel off the soaking wet puppy," for about 20 minutes.  I'm sure this might have made someone else grumpy, but not me.  There are far worse things happening in the world then having to house train a puppy.

Like having to deal with a self-serving customer, as I had to yesterday.  She has been in the store several times buying wire shelving which her "friend," Chris is assembling for her.  In her mid-thirties, indecisive and demanding, the shelving in her closet collapsed, with the brackets tearing out of the walls.  She has dealt with both myself, and a fellow associate who got to see pictures.  Yesterday, I cut a piece of wire shelving and had to tape the ends to keep them from tearing the leather interior of her car.  Nothing satisfied her.  Honestly, I'd rather get up at 0430 in the morning to take Howie "potty outside," than have to deal with her again.

I'm liking this late shift, only starting at 1 or 2.  Because this is Thanksgiving week, I don't work again until Saturday, which I'm simply loving.

And, speaking of the Howser, here he is yesterday in the leaves.

Of course, quite a few Americans are frustrated because the Orange Anus' court cases have all been put on hold until he is either impeached a 2nd time, or out of office.  And who are most American's blaming for this destruction of justice?  Merrick Garland, who's lament about not wanting Trump's prosecution appear political has led us to this point in history.  This failure will be the footnote he gets in history books.

Another big problem we had to deal with is that the Biden administration wanted to deal with this as though it was "the same as it ever was."  Wrong.  Nothing stays the same.  Everything changes.  While his infrastructure bill has achieved a lot, the pace for everything was the same as it was 50 years ago.  And now we're all going to pay the price... well, let me amend that, Americans who are billionaires will be paying the price.  I don't doubt for a minute that some will not survive.

The Price of Eggs

 It rained last night, or, more precisely, it stormed with both rain and wind.  Many leaves fell from the trees.  Howie's frisbee, which was bottom side up, was filled with water this morning when he went outside for his morning business.  Oh, and the temp was a cool 38 (F).  Today's high is only a few degrees above that, and tonight they're predicting snow flurries.  A bit of a cool down is on the way.  If this winter is similar to the past few, temps will continue to decline until about the first week in February, at which time they will begin to warm up.

I got a lot done around the house yesterday.  Howie and I also walked around the block and were barked at by a large dog.  He doesn't like large dogs, even though he's going to be one.  How's that for irony.  The living room tank was cleaned, I got a ride in on the bike, and made a nice salmon dish for lunch/dinner.

A few weeks back, I bought myself a 13 lb turkey for Thanksgiving, just in case I didn't get an invite.  Well, we're a week away and still no invite.  My sister and her daughter aren't doing anything, in fact they've already pre-ordered their meal.  They're paying a lot more for their dinner, than I am, and honestly, I'd rather roast the bird since there will be leftovers!

Yesterday, I contacted Amazon to return that 2nd watch I ended up getting.  The person I chatted with seemed surprised.  I suppose a lot of people would take advantage of that situation.  This is one of the things that is wrong with America.  We do tend to have a problem with ethics.

Here's a sunrise pic I took outside this morning.

While I no longer subscribe to the Washington Post, I still scan the headlines.  They also send me a list of the top 7 stories and this morning I had to laugh as I looked at that list because number 7 dealt with the price of eggs.  That's right, the price of eggs is going up because of... bird flu, at least that's the excuse they're using.  You know, that's going to piss off a lot of those voters who thought Trump was going to drop the price of eggs.  And don't worry, they're not going to come down.  That would be like asking those egg distributors to take a cut in pay; we know that ain't going to happen any time soon.  By the way, one of the items I purchased for my larder is a large can of dried eggs.  

Another thing that's funny is that all those duffers who voted for Trump because he says he's going to cut down on the size of government.  That means the government's payroll expense will go down, but it also means unemployment will go up.  It would be nice for a change if simply minded Americans actually thought things through.

Rake This

 Well, it was cold enough outside this morning to chilly your willy off, a crispy cream 28 (F) cold, should you be foolish enough to have him face that freeze.  On the flip side, our temps are heading back up to 50 (F).  There's not a lot of rain in the long range forecast, however, and we sure could use some.  That soaker we had last week help a little but not a lot; one of those every week for the next 5 weeks would be fine.

I accomplished a lot yesterday, including the annual raking of the gingko leaves.  While some rake theirs out onto the road for the street cleaner to vacuum up, my get gathered around the base of my gingko tree because during the winter they break down and become mulch (sort of).

I do have to work this afternoon.  Mostly it will be to chat with my work friends, talk about Thanksgiving, and the approaching Holiday Party.  It's in January, so there are the usual whiners who are complaining because it's not a Christmas Party...  duh.  We're retail.  Our holidays, supposedly our busy season doesn't end until both holidays (Christmas and New Years) are over and it celebrates both holidays (Christmas and New Years).  But then some people have small minds, just like the Cracker Jack Crazies who put the retailer I work for on the shit list because  we use the word Holiday.  

Anyway, here's the ring of leaves.

And before I raked leaves, I took a picture of two of my roses still blooming:

And I saw that one of Derek Chauvin's fellow prisoners stabbed him.  While I don't wish for anybody to be stabbed (except possibly the Orange Anus, though for him I suspect I'd rather enjoy to see him pilloried better) this is Derek's Karma.  Killing a fellow human being by kneeling on his neck for 8 minutes is terrible thing to do, the fact that Derek though he was justified in doing this makes it all the worse.  They've reported that his injuries were serious but not life threatening, that's a good thing, I wouldn't want him to die, but I do believe there's nothing wrong with a serious scar to remind him of the evil of his ways.

At the Rainbow Bridge

 Well, if it's Black Friday and you're sitting here reading this, then Christmas shopping is probably not high on your list of things to do today.  Me?  I might buy a pair of slippers later; it's an image I'm trying to groom: old man wearing a cardigan sweater and slippers.

The weather's supposed to be nice today.  Temps are predicted to be in the mid 50s (F).  There's also a bit of yardwork in the forecast.  I need to rake my gingko leaves around the base of the tree.  Over the winter they decompose and I'm left with a nice, free, circle of mulch.  There's also an aquarium clean on my chore list, as well as laundry.  The first load has just finished.  My, aren't I the expeditious one!

Thanksgiving dinner was at my brother's farm.  Noah, his youngest, is in his late 20s, his oldest is nearly 40.  When they were younger, we didn't talk, I'm simply not good with kiddie-speak.  Now we talk.  We have discussions.  My one nephew is head union rep where he works, not something my brother's too pleased with, being the conservative that he is.  I was a little concerned about driving home at night and it turned out to be a non-problem.  In fact, I don't mind driving at all.  

Yesterday turned out to be pretty good, except for the notice I got from Bethesda telling me there was no way they could give me back my 28 levels of game play.  They sent me a survey.  I replied honestly.  I was hoping they'd be able to give me a magic bullet that would restore my character both his strength and prowess.  They can't.  So, very politely I told them I was extremely disappointed.

Breakfast this morning is spice cake with cream cheese icing.  

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the Republican circus is about to begin again.  Well, I'm a bit wrong on that since it never did actually stop.  Take Wednesday for example:  there was a fiery car crash up by the Canadian border and a number of Republicans (Ted Cruz perhaps the most prominent) began shrieking that there was Terrorist Attack at the Rainbow Bridge of all places.  Of course, these yokels were getting their info from Fox.  Many of them began backtracking after it was learned that there was no terrorist.  The driver of the car was a rather wealthy man, from an upscale community, driving a $300,000 car, who was a mite upset because the Kiss concert he had tickets for was cancelled, and so he and his companion decided to go to a Canadian casino instead.  Everybody quietly updated... except Cruz, who still has his terror post online.  It figures.

How to Carve a Turkey

 Happy Thanksgiving!

Isn't it nice we made it to another one with only the expected, and rather major incompetency's from the majority members of Congress?

Today the temps are supposed to climb into the mid 50s (F).  That's a plus.  I'm having Thanksgiving dinner at my brothers.  My friend Betsy reminded me that I will be driving back at night.  That's fine.  I drove from Allentown back to Harrisburg at 11 PM a little over a month ago and had no problems.  

I'm taking a spice cake with cream cheese icing for desert.  It's in a large cake pan, that way I can bring back the leftovers.  The icing is tasty!  I haven't tasted the cake yet since that would mean cutting it.

You all have an enjoyable Thanksgiving.  Eat a little too much, just for tradition's sake.

Don't drink and drive.

And for those of you carving up the bird, here's a little video tutorial on how to carve a turkey.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

 Well, if it isn't Thanksgiving!  Some of you will eat turkey, some of you will eat duck, and those of you living abroad will have your standard fare since this isn't a holiday for you.

In this country, Liberals, Centrists, and most Independents have so many things to be thankful for.

Here in Central PA, all seems to be well.  Lily got out of bed to go potty outside, and now she's back on the bed.  Biggie moved from the sofa in the writing room to the futon in the living room, took his morning meds and ate a biscuit.

I'm thankful we have Josh Shapiro moving into the Governor's mansion, it's nice, I've been there.

As of January 5, we will have 2 Democratic senators in Congress:  John Fetterman and Robert Casey Jr.

Our Pennsylvania state house will once again be Democratic.  Yeah!

In no small part do we owe this to the evil, narcissistic Donald J. Trump.  I do not doubt for a second that for Democrats, and Centrists, and like-minded Independents, he will be the gift which keeps on giving for quite some time. 

You'll notice, I did not post a picture of Trump as a turkey for fear of the fat catching fire.

Two Unarmed Gay Men

 The holidays have arrived, or, at least they will in relatively few days.  First up will be the crassly commercialized Thanksgiving with its football, followed by that ever popular Black Friday.  Is it me, or does it seem like corporate retailers no longer have dominion over the American Household?  Not that there still aren't enough wack jobs out there who fail to realized those great deals are nothing more than corporate manipulation.  

Anyway, I am scheduled to work today.  I'm supposed to be an appliance salesman.  They do this every year.  Usually, it doesn't happen.  I almost always hang around the flooring desk.  Today, will probably be the same.  You see, I'm scheduled to start at 0930, and the temps are cold.  Not quite bone chilling, but a very brisk 22 (F), outside.  Customers might venture out this afternoon.  And there are a lot of wack jobs out there who still think the best deals are only on Black Friday.  

I worked yesterday and it was oh, so slow.  

Tomorrow, the electrician comes to install my dryer hookup.  He will also be installing 2 outlets, one in the kitchen, and another upstairs for the washer.  These are dedicated lines.  Nice.

A lot of America is talking about what happened at Club Q.  Another tragedy.  One thing that I read yesterday stands out above all else: two unarmed gay men did what the heavily armed police force in Uvalde couldn't do.  Take a few minutes and let that thought sink.  They took the shooters handgun away from him and hit him with it.  I hope they hit him in the face, maybe broke his nose, and all in self-defense.  Two minutes after the police arrived, this 22 year-old loser named Aldrich was in custody.  Five poor souls died, but the actions of two unarmed gay men saved countless of others.  America saw a sense of strength in Colorado Springs they were not expecting.

I saw where Elon Musk quietly reinstated Kanye West on Twitter, and the exodus continues.  For those worried that Trump might actually return, I understand he has some sort of financial commitment to Truth Social.  Money is the golden calf he prays to.  West's anti-Semitic Tweets will appeal to a certain crowd, a group whose numbers do not nearly compensate for numbers of people who are leaving.  I'm actually wondering if Twitter does go under, if he can somehow claim his $44 billion investment a loss, and use it as a tax write-off.

And finally a funny.  I read that what corporate American wants most from the Republican controlled house is a $183 billion tax cut.  Corporations donate a lot of money to Republican Super Pacs, and that's what's important to Republicans, not the American people.

 

Frustrations

 Well, it looks as though we're in for a cool, cool Sunday.  The temps might climb up into the mid-40s (F), however some of the forecasts have that high as much lower, the mid 30s (F) is what some weathercasters are predicting.  I work, so I really don't care.  

Yesterday, I had a Zoom call with some of my Navy buddies and of course there were some logistical issues.  I couldn't hear what they were saying for the first 15 minutes.  They could see and hear me, so they heard every "fuck" I said.  I took the call on my writing laptop, the one I use to make videos, so I checked sound output.  That's where I discovered the issue:  most likely during one of my Windows updates, the sound output had been switched to the microphone.  So, I changed that, and still I couldn't hear them.  Nothing was working..  It turns out that Zoom sound output works independently of they system output, so I had to tell it which output to use, and, of course, it was trying to play sound through the microphone.  Lessons were learned.

I've had several invitations for Thanksgiving.  Hhhmm.  All of them, I kid you not, put me in contract with rabid Trumpists.  I find it frustrating to keep from lashing out, so I've decided to stay home and work on the book.  Subconsciously,  I decided this a while back, going to far to purchase a turkey breast in advance.  It's slowly thawing in the refrigerator.

Of course, word is going around that a leak back in 2014 regarding the Supreme Court's decision with Hobby Lobby can be sourced to Sammy Alito.  Why should that not surprise anyone? What this does imply is that Sammy has been working for some time to tear down the wall separating Church and State.  And here people thought he believed in that separation, however that couldn't be farther from the truth.  He wants a devoutly Christian state, in which religion plays the most prominent role.  This revelation also makes it quite probable that Sammy, being quite pleased with the decision to turn over Roe, had to just tell a few of his Christian extremist friends.  He must be rather frustrated to see that the American people are so soundly rejecting his efforts.

And, finally, headlines flashed that Elon Musk was reinstating Trump on Twitter.  He based his decision on a poll he ran on Twitter.  The response was not overwhelming.  Of the hundreds of millions of people on Twitter, only around 25 million responded.  An understatement would be that the app is in horrific turmoil.  Over 1200 employees took his severance package offer.  Long time users are turning to other apps: Mastadon (God and George Takei, among others are there), and Tribel.  Musk is going to completely ignore the fact that Trump used Twitter to incite an act of sedition, mostly because if Trump comes back, he's going to bring with him about 100 million followers.  That's a lot of money if they choose to stay and pay for the blue check mark.  The truth is that everyday, Musk is growing more and more frustrated because everyday his level of incompetency seem to rise.

History 101

 So, what can I say?  My house smells like turkey?  It does.  I cook mine in a very large electric roasting pan (a really big one), and I have to admit the smell of a fowl that large cooking is not too damn appetizing... until about the last half hour, then the house smells delectable.  Also on the menu were homemade potato stuffing (with tons of celery and onion lightly fried in olive oil) and lemon bars.  The bars tuned out a little too chewy, but still tasty.  I'm going to blame the chewiness on the fact that this was a new recipe.  The stuffing?  Almost became a divinely succulent the main course.   In fact, they're going to be my breakfast.

And yesterday Sixpence posted a little something from some ass named Robert Raymond who attempted to vilify what he called the Mayflower Expedition.  I really get tired of people who point to one specific individual, or group, and blame them for American history.  Evidently his education is lacking, otherwise he'd have known that everybody was doing this.  The English were also down in Virginia, the Dutch were doing the same thing in New Amsterdam (we call it New York), the French in New Orleans, and don't forget the Spanish who liked Florida.  If you speak Spanish, you owe your language skills to the atrocities wrought by your forefathers.  Overall, as a species, we have not been generous to the native peoples of America.  Our great, great, great, great grandparents were all guilty, with no exception.  So, let's stop singling out one person, or one group, and saying they were terrible because by some of the standards we hold today, they did terrible things.

My apologies to the Swedes, I failed to mention them

On a brighter note, I get to go sell appliances today... for 5 hours.  I took a good look at my schedule and realized that except for one day in 2 weeks, all my work days start at noon.  I can live with that.

Ephemeral Music

 Remember when I said the dogs loved Hill's Science Diet?  Well, they've turned fickle.  Now it doesn't even get a wag of their tales.  Good thing I still have a big bag of Beneful.  This morning I'll mix the two together.  This happened once before with a Purina Chicken food, where the scent of it made them voracious and then, after I bought a very large bag, they started turning up their nose at it.

And, speaking of this morning, I thought my shift at the store began at 9:30 and so I set my alarm for early....  Wrong.  I don't have to be their until 12:30.  This means I can get a long walk in today.  Yesterday I have over 10,000 steps.  I'm only wearing flat soled shoes.  Now, maybe, I'll be able to start work on losing those 15 pandemic pounds I gained.

We had rain again, an on and off shower that last through the night.  Tomorrow, the temps are supposed to be up in the 50's (F) so I'll go out and rack leaves.  Fun stuff.

My sister called and invited me to her home for Thanksgiving.  I politely declined.  Things are just not the same as they were when we were younger.  Neither of us have any real interest in "getting" together, perhaps because we talk regularly on the phone.  This is the same thing with my brother.  He and I have breakfast together now and then.  We talk.  We send each other texts.  I'm trying to introduce him to modern music.  So far, no reaction from him on The Band Camino's "One Last Cigarette."  I don't know about you, but 'been there, done that' in one way or another.

Evidently the American Music Awards were held yesterday.  I saw the headline and checked out the article.  Firstly, I have no idea whom BTS is.  As far as I know, I have never listened to K-Pop.  A lot of the nominees were from groups and individuals whom I have never heard of; their music doesn't play on the one Sirius XM station I listen to... occasionally.  When I think back to my youth (yes, that long ago) and I remember that The Beatles "Let it Be" was considered pop music, and then listen to what is considered pop music today, I find myself dismayed.  Pop music has never been this ephemeral, and each song's life span is only growing shorter.

Worm Rescue

 Contrary to what some may believe, going part-time has given me a greater awareness of the days of the week.  Perhaps this is because my work calendar changes.  Days no longer run into each other.  For example, this week I work Thursday and Sunday, so when I look at my calendar those days stand out.

And, speaking of Thursdays, next week is Thanksgiving.  One of the gathering holidays, when we're supposed to give thanks.  I know the pilgrims supposedly gave thanks because they had managed to survive a year in the New World.  Survival has changed, but it is still an integral part of our daily lives.    Even though I enjoy the holiday, I do think we need to temper our belief that this is just a gathering moment for family and friends.  When I was growing up, Thanksgiving meant the men stayed in the living room until it was time to enjoy a turkey meal, and the women stayed in the dining room and kitchen cooking, and serving, and cleaning, and then eating, but only after the men had eaten their fill.  For many families this is still the case.  There just aren't enough seats at the table for every body to sit down and eat at the same time.  This is not a gathering.

Speaking of survival.  Yesterday, as I was taking out the garbage, I looked down to see an earthworm shriveling up on the ground.  It's cold out, with night temps dropping down into the low 30's (F).  Worms are not intelligent.  They have a simple nervous system, no brain.  When a worm says "you're getting on my last nerve," he means it.  He only has one.  So, I upped that earthworm's chances of survival.  I picked him up and dropped him in an empty terrarium I have, dropped in a couple handfuls of leaves, and sprinkled everything with water.  I have no idea if this is going to work.  Has anyone out there ever tried worm rescue before?

And what about Gary Palmer, Republican representative from Alabama taking credit for the infrastructure bill he voted against?  Yep, this loser sure did.  Here's his website where he takes credit.  I called him a lying sack of shit on Twitter.  I'd have sent him an email, but you need to be a member of his district to get that privilege.  There is a phone number on his website where you can call and leave a voicemail.  Loser.

Squat

 Odd week coming up.  I only work 3 days: Monday, Thursday and Sunday.  The following week is Thanksgiving, and while I work 4 days the hours are short.  We are entering the short hour season. This does not mean there is a shortage of customers, just that they tend to purchase either big ticket items, or the Black Friday stuff clogging our aisles like so much in a bellicose Republican's arteries.

Today is laundry day.  I have numerous loads lining the upstairs hallway all sorted and ready to be popped into the washer.  Fun stuff, eh?

I'm going to try my hand at making some Moroccan spiced chicken meatballs, chicken because around here it's difficult to get lamb, and goat is impossible.  I will let you know how they taste.

The improvements continue in my back.  There are long periods when I'm pain free.  Bending can pinch the nerve, so getting out of the car must be done carefully.  If I need to pick something up that's down low, I squat.  Squats are good for your glutes.  I hate them.  Always have.

This is not me, though I do have a bit of a beard which needs to be trimmed.

I see where Covid cases are beginning to pick up in the North East among the unvaccinated.  Perhaps we should throw a little Covid party and get more of them infected.  For a while I was telling those I know that this virus is like Chicken Pox, if you're not vaccinated you're going to get it, sooner or later.  Now I tell them to not come whining if they get sick and need to be hospitalized.

And there's another new book out about Loser #45 (don't it seem like there's a new one dropping every other day?).  Evidently, Mnuchin and Pompeo discussed removing him using the 25th amendment after the January 6 riot.  The sad thing about all of these books is that MAGA's never read them.  For them, reading truth is like desecrating an Indian Burial Ground, all sorts of evil shit comes out to get them.

Just Deserts

 Well, I hope everybody had an enjoyable Thanksgiving.  Mine was quiet.  Just me cooking and napping.  Relaxation with out any concerns is a very good thing.  It was sort of like being on solo auto pilot, if you get my drift.  Not having to cook for more then myself, my celebration of peace and quiet was accomplished in waves.  Even though I hadn't planned on a desert, that tasty treat came first.  More than a pumpkin pie than a cheesecake, I didn't know if it would turn out well or not... it did.  There's a buttery, flakey crust on the bottom and the sides caramelized in the pan.  And it turned out to be quite tasty.

Of course, the turkey, and the stuffing, and the side veggie were also cooked, but sometimes it's the deserts we look forward to most.

Today is Black Friday.  We have none of the extraneous bullshit products we normally proffer to our customers; no pink or blue rocking horses, no child size motor scooters, no glow in the dark art kits are on sale.  Our Black Friday display has been set for almost 2 weeks.  There will be some significant price drops on some items, that's the lure.  And no, just in case you thought of asking, there are no sales in flooring.  People need to stop equating 'special deals' with 'just deserts,' they're totally different.

Last evening there was the flashing headline that the Idiot Jerk would leave the White House if the Electoral College gave the election to Joe Biden.  Someone should tell that dumbshit he doesn't have a choice.  I find it amusing that Republicans are beginning to whisper how this little voter scam he's trying to pull are going to ruin his legacy.  Someone should tell them his legacy will be immortalized in his inability to deal with Covid 19.  He also implied he may not go to Biden's inauguration.  That will be rather difficult since he's most likely going to be having brunch with his blow bro Vlad.  You do know that in his mind, that alone will be his 'just desert.'

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Not a big post today, since it is Thanksgiving.  This year I find myself so much more Thankful than I have been in such a long time.  I'm so glad the ludicrosity of the past four years is finally swirling around the rim of the toilet.  I have a job I enjoy, even though there are a few gripes every now and then.  I have the ability to put down words which sometimes make cohesive sense for those who read them.  My house is paid for.  I have my health.  And I have my dogs, who are downstairs barking at a bunny on the lawn.  What more could I wish for?

Well... maybe a movie option on one of my books. 😎😎😎