Barbie's Adventure!

 And the weekend is upon us!  I get to work (notice the lack of an exclamation mark).  It does pay for my movie going experience, as well as a lot of other things, so I suppose I really shouldn't complain.  And it's only 3 days a week.

Yesterday was warm, again in the low 90s (F), and there was the threat of a possible thunderstorm, which we got, but while there wasn't a lot of thunder and lightening, when it came to the rain this storm was on steroids.  The warnings went out for small stream flooding because we received 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes.  Yes, it was deluge time in Central PA.  Those raindrops were immense.

I drove over to PetSmart yesterday morning and picked up 3 snails.  Now that there are only angelfish in the big tank, I don't have to worry about them being eaten, and hopefully they'll work on eliminating a lot of the algae.  So far they seem to be quite at home gorging themselves until their little snail bellies are full, then they'll rest a bit, and then gorge some more.

And, of course, there was a major political controversy yesterday: Vietnam banned the Barbie movie! (notice the exclamation point!).  Seeing the potential of another dead horse to kick around, a number of Republicans, Ted Cruz included, jumped aboard the band wagon.  What's the to do all about?  Well, there's this small dotted line off the cost of Asia, notice that on the map is says Asia, not China, and evidently China has used 9 dots to indicate where their territorial waters end.  There are, if you'll count, only 8 dots here but, and I do hate repeating myself, Republicans, including Ted Cruz, need a dead horse to kick.  Isn't it sad how Republicans will do anything to waste America's tax dollars.

Finally, Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, gave Trump's legal team until July 13 to get the security clearances in place for his legal team to defend him over his theft of top secret documents.  This will cause delays, of course, all part of the plan, and all the while making it look like she's doing her job.  I can't wait until that Orange Anus is locked up.

While Republicans Scratch their Ass

Well, here it is Friday, the end of the work week for some.  Surprise!  the work week has changed.  Because of Covid - 19 more people are working from home rather than going to the office.  Be aware that if your company finds this much more cost effective than paying rent for a brick and mortar building, this will become your new reality.  When you work from home, the protocols for a Monday through Friday work week change.  Be prepared.
As of yesterday, the number of Covid - 19 cases in Pennsylvania stood at 1687.  That's a spike of 560 cases in 24 hours.  Cumberland County is up to 15.  Conservatives still don't get it.  The believe this thing is going to end in a week or so...  I am serious.  The nod their heads every time the Idiot Jerk speaks.  For him he is the truthsayer.  Their inability to understand he's a lying sack of shit will be the death of them... well, some of them, not all of them, but probably enough of them to shake their little Conservative world.  They look at Spain and Italy and shake their heads... "so heartbreaking," they say.  In their heads it's 'over there,' it's 'not here.'  The can not even conceive of how infectious this thing really is, or that a lack of social distancing is going to increase the rapidness of its spread.
Whereas the Idiot Bush had his Katrina, Covid - 19 is going to be the Idiot Jerk's Vietnam.  The reality is we may lose over 58,000 Americans.
You have to look on the bright side, however, those taking the necessary precautions, who are avid about practicing Social Distancing are Democrats and Republican.  We keep a distance of at least 6 feet between us, and the scratch their heads.  We wash our hands and they scratch their ass.  We'll be keeping ourselves safe and secure and they'll be crying at Granny's funeral... well, they're going to learn funerals are going to become passe.  They'll find out that anyone touching Granny while she was alive is too sick to attend.
On a brighter note, "The Body in the Well" is heading into it's final edit.  I talked to Cori yesterday and reminded her that April is fast approaching.  Let's be honest here, reading a new mystery / thriller might be the best way to spend some of that self-quarantine time.  Since I like to let readers know which songs have found their way into the manuscript, this is the last song from which I've sampled lyrics.   Don't you just wonder how this could play into the story line.

Bread for thought

Tuesday - and I get to go back to work for 5 (count 'em) 5 days.  Ain't that enough to make you groan?
I did get a lot accomplished yesterday:  6 loads of laundry, 45 minutes of cardio, a trip to the UPS store, and I baked a loaf of bread.

New recipe from King Arthur... it called for the yeast to be mixed with a tablespoon of warm water (?) which didn't really work, which is why (I think) it didn't rise as much as normal.
For those who don't know, I have this maxim, this philosophy, this belief which states that "a popular president can move the country in either direction, liberal or conservative.  An unpopular president will always move it in the opposite direction."  This explains why Reagan, who was popular, could edge the country towards the conservative side.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House, however, is vastly unpopular, except among those crazies on the right who hate everything.  Polls are coming out to back me and my little maxim up.  This kind of information just burns those crazies up.  They reject it because the 'Mainstream' can't be right!  That would mean most people believe the narrow little viewpoint they propose is wrong, that it is 'out of touch' with what is considered acceptable and normal.  Holy Shit!  But then what would you expect from a group that doesn't care about the constitution or America.
A little on Luke Perry:  I never watched "90210," nor did I watch "Riverdale," still, I felt bad.  52 is too young to die from a stroke and that's a shame.
And finally, for those who don't know, I was in the Navy... a long time ago.  I was on an aircraft carrier cruising up and down the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of Vietnam.  I am member of a Facebook Group called The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club, which is made up of other sailors who spent time cruising up and down... the Tonkin Gulf.  Well, there's this discussion going on among us right now about just where 'Yankee Station' was located.  'Yankee Station' is an invisible point on the map around which the carrier group sails while launching aircraft on bombing raids.  These guys don't seem to realize that Yankee Station was not a fixed point, but rather a variable, its location dependent upon a decision made by the Admiral.  'Yankee Station' moved.

Behold, the Gulf of Tonkin

Everything depended upon what cities they were preparing to bomb.  Yep, we bombed cities.

Turkey in the Straw

So, here it is, Tuesday.  Late entry today.  I had breakfast with my sister and brother this AM.  I also slept in... until 5:30.  Tomorrow I'll be back to the standard 0400 wake-up call.  If I get the chance I want to do a couple of miles on the bike this afternoon.  Actually, I know I'll have the chance, it's just that I might not want to put on the shoes and slip into the spandex.
Starting tomorrow I will have the joy of working for 5 days in a row, followed by a single day off, and then another 5 days.  Shit.  This is what I don't like.  Work.  My brother asked me how long I expected to work full-time.  He always asks me this, and my response is always the same, until I get the car paid off and add a little more to my bank account.  Once I feel comfortable, I will go part-time.
And the irony of the day is that the Idiot Jerk is in Vietnam.... you know?  Interesting how bone spurs didn't stop this trip from happening.
What is actually more interesting is that he's going to be out of the country when the shit hits the fans.  I mean, like today the House is going to vote against his racist wall and quite likely the Senate will vote against it, too.  That ain't going to sit well with his racist base... nope, not at all.  They don't like being told that they're assholes. 
Then tomorrow Mike Cohen is going to step into the Center Ring where he will dazzle us with tales of moral degeneracy, and amaze us with feats of wonderment as he details how phony the contortionist in the White House truly is... prepare to be stunned!  Is it any wonder this summit was planned now?  I think this is what his administration considers damage control, offset the negativity with some sort of sketchy deal with Kim Dumb Chunk.  In Vietnam, of all places.  Wouldn't it be funny if the Idiot Jerk gimps around a little bit... because of his... you know?
And then, of course, there is the Mueller probe... well, it's not quite a probe.  I suspect the only one who's in the mood for probing is Lindsey Graham... if you know what I mean.
For those interested in the progress of "The Body in the Tower," I'm up to 65,000 words... with 4 chapters left to complete.  I'm working on a chapter called "Comfort Food," in which Cook serves up Turkey in the Straw.

Not that the chapter is gastronomic by any means.

And the Jolly Holiday continues

Well, I don't have a cold, rather my Adam's apple appears to be the focal point of this health event... or...in planer words, I have a sore throat.  Glands are swollen.  Which means I'm taking off work for a 2nd day in a row.  I took my temperature and it's a tad below normal which probably means there's no bacterial infection, still around 8 I'll call and see if I can get a doctor's appointment.  Yippey for me!
By the way, the stock market dropped again yesterday - the Fed raised interest rates.  The Idiot Jerk hates this.  His motto has always been "more Money! more Money!"  He wants you to be as deep in debt as possible since that makes his banker buddies lots and lots of money.  A higher interest rate tends to curtail lending organizations who desperately want you to sign away the farm as collateral.
The Idiot Jerk also decided to pull our military out of Syria... purely to satisfy his base, or maybe it was the Russians.  Having our troops there was an expense... and he'd rather have them getting paid to stand around down at the border with Mexico.  The fact that doing so leaves Syria in the hands of the Russians and the Iranians means nothing to him.  For all we know, his focus is still on building that tower in downtown Moscow.
I talked to the director of Greenfield yesterday about not receiving my Mom's last billing.  That's right, I haven't gotten her final bill.  He mumbled something like "... uh... well... I believe it's in this months billing."  I used to manage Account's Payable for International Paper.  His response is unacceptable.  When I told him so, he said "... uh... well... I can call my boss."  Did he call me back with an update?  Now, why would he do something so professional?
And, of course, "Mary Poppins Returns" will be opening in a theater near you in just a few days.  Will I go?  Well, of course.  Back in that magical summer of 1964, when I was 11 years old, I went to see the original twice.  Can we even compare Emily Blunt to Julie Andrews?  I think not.  Julie has a voice and Emily?  Well, she sings.  There are two openly gay men in the cast - Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ben Whishaw... well, it is a musical, isn't it?  I don't doubt for a second, however, nostalgia will make this a blockbuster.  All those other kids who saw it in 1964 will sit in the audience and cry.

We like to think of those days as filled with innocence.  What so many fail to realize is that in 1964 two American destroyers were fired upon by the North Vietnamese signaling our entrance into an ugly war which killed so many of our young men and women.  I'm one of those few who got watch "Mary Poppins" and go to Vietnam.  How's that for a jolly holiday?

This if flipping ridiculous

Well, today's Saturday - Flo is wrecking havoc in the Carolinas.  Worry about those people, for them this is cataclysmic..
Normally, today would be my hump day, however I'm scheduled to work 6 days in a row this week.  That might not happen.  Flo is supposed to passing a bit north of here on Monday.  The forecast is for tropical rains...  I get water in my basement when we have torrential rains.  I have a pump, but I need to be here to turn the damn thing on.  Rather than come home and find a foot of water swirling around the foot of the staircase, I will most likely take the day off.  Having an expensive water heater repair is not what I want to deal with right now.
Oh, and in case you haven't seen.... Paul Manafort flipped.  This is what happens when you purchase loyalty rather than earn it.  Prepare for the Idiot Jerk to start Tweeting "he's lying!"  Interesting how everybody around the Idiot Jerk seems to be lie.  I'll bet his whole family is throwing shrieking shit storms.  This close to the mid-terms?  You see, they've been lying shit birds for years, and years.  They've never really been put under a microscope - until now.  Holy Shit Bangs!  Look what we found:  behavior so reprehensible it boggles the mind.  And since that rock has been flipped over, there's no stopping it the flow of shit.
On a lighter note, last evening my store began our Success Sharing celebration - we will be fed well for the next 3 days.  My bonus will deposited into my account on Tuesday.  It's already spent.  Well, not really, not yet.  Those $$$ will be used in my next vehicular acquisition.
And there's this Evangelical blowhard I work with, he has constant diarrhea mouth, not so much about politics, though.  He's one of those who needs to be an authority on everything.  Yesterday he was starting to run at the mouth while I was having lunch.  They were naming hurricanes and he, of course, became the authority.  Someone brought up Hurricane Agnes, which was devastating to Central Pennsylvania.  Just as he was beginning to show us his expertise on that storm, I said "no, I don't.  I was in Vietnam."  Those few words shut him up. He sat there silent, and I finished my lunch in peace.
Anyway, someone evidently wrote a book about Vietnam as experienced by those on air craft carriers.  No, it wasn't me.   Here's the cover picture.

I spent a lot of hours on the bridge of the USS Constellation CVA 64.  Can't you see me waving from the window?

For those interested

A lot of you know I was in the Navy a long, long time ago.  I'm a member of several groups on Facebook, one being The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club.  Another one was set up by one of my friends for members of OI Division on the USS Constellation.  I know people in both groups.  However, the OI division group posts pictures of us... some 40 odd years ago.  This one was posted yesterday.  I know a lot of you are wondering which one of these handsome young men is me.  I'll give you a hint.  I am the oldest one in the picture.  A fact I am reminded of every time my birthday is announced on Facebook.

While those were serious times, cruising up and down the Tonkin Gulf as we launched air strikes, we had the easy jobs.  Those guys on the ground?  They were fighting to stay alive.  This is apparently something a lot of crazy conservatives seem to have forgotten.

And what about the 'anonymous op-ed' in the NYT.  I guess the Idiot Jerk in the White House is going ballistic.  For years his legal teams have been smacking the shit out of anybody who cried foul, who tried to get a fair deal.  The Idiot Jerk had no compunction when it came to ruining people's lives.  He believed, and still does, their value is severely limited.  Now he is learning people have very little compunction when it comes to his life.  They mock and deride his every Tweet.  His supporters are seen as human failures, desperately grasping for as much power as their brittle, little fingers can clench.  No matter which way they turn, they find themselves mocked as much as their president.  If, perhaps, they managed to demonstrate just a smidgen of accountability, but we all know they shit that away years ago.  So, what did they think was going to happen?  

Anyway, for those interested, I'm the one wearing the green Adidas T-shirt.  And, what I find funny as hell, everybody in that pictures is younger than me.  That's right, I'm the old man.

In the Navy

Well, I'm sitting here waiting for my phone to arrive - it wasn't supposed to be here until Wednesday but then yesterday afternoon I got an email telling me it had been upgraded to "3 day shipping," so I called work and told them I'd be late.  However, if I wait too long, I'm going to call off completely.  I've got the time on the books.
A few years ago, because I was in the Navy, on an air craft carrier (USS Constellation), and in Vietnam, I joined something on Facebook called The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club.  This is where other sailors with the same history as I post pics from those days long gone by.  This morning one my 'shipmates' posted a pic looking out into the hanger bay towards the aft end of the ship and I thought I'd post it here since most people have absolutely no idea just how big an air craft carrier is (so huge it would make the Idiot's head spin).

That's right, there's a van parked in the hanger bay - it was used by the Shore Patrol when we were in Subic Bay.  And, of course, you can see planes there because that's where the Airdales performed maintenance.  On the left hand side, about half way back, you can see a fire wall.  A long, long time ago, I lost a hard contact lens just forward of that fire wall, never to be found again.

And this is what it looked like when they were taking aircraft from the hanger bay up to the flight deck.  The above picture is from the USS Ticonderoga, which was rather small compared to the USS Constellation, which was the largest, non-nuclear air craft carrier ever built.

This is my ship pulling into San Diego after a 10 month tour of WestPac.

Now ain't that grand!  Can you see me up on the flight deck in my dress whites waving?

Job Search

Well, it's my first day off in a row.  Yippee, that's right, I have 2 days off back to back, and have I ever been busy cleaning, and doing laundry, and applying for jobs... well, I applied for at least one, and it wasn't with the large retail organization I now work for...  My gut is telling me that 8 year relationship is slowly coming to a close.
Originally I had expected to step down from my management position shortly into the new year, but, as things go on, that may not happen.  I find myself growing more and more irritated on a daily basis.  Retiring this early would not give me full benefits, however I have more than enough to live comfortably.  Unlike a lot of people, I don't have to worry about health care... really.  You see, back when I was 18, I and my friend Frank Marco decided to join the Navy.  Buddy system, you know?  Except they split us up right away.  Anyway, 12 months later, after A School, I was over in Vietnam.  I am, as far as the Federal Government is concerned, a Grade 6 Veteran "who served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975.  And this gives me health benefits, as long as I get them through the VA.  The closest VA outpatient clinic is about.... 2 miles away.  There's a copay of $15 for a visit, $50 if I need to see a specialist, say for my Glaucoma.  Drugs are dirt cheap.

So I actually spent some time on the computer this morning looking for a new job.  It doesn't have to be full time, which would be very, very nice.  That would mean I could spend more time with my dogs.  More time doing what I want.  No more 0300 mornings, or getting home at midnight... I think I'm talking myself into this.  You know what I mean?

Memorial Day, but not for me

Even though we've been having a Memorial Day sale for some time now, today is the actual start of the Memorial Day Weekend... and I'm working.  Monday, the day we actually celebrate Memorial Day, I'm working.  My next day off is on Wednesday, June 1st.  As with most National Holidays, the retail industry has hijacked a time which is supposed to be dedicated to the remembrance of our Veterans, for what they have sacrificed for this country, and turned it into a time of special deals, and discounts, and extraordinary sales.  Sure, there will be news coverage of some parades, and some services as military cemeteries, but far more people are going to be interested in how cheap they can get a new Weber Grill, or a new patio set.  While most people will be having Monday off, I'll be working.  Oh, sure, I'll be getting holiday pay, and they'll be cooking hot dogs and hamburgers on a big grill behind the store, but I'll still be working.  Why gripe?  Because I'm a Veteran.  And not just any Veteran, I'm a Vietnam Vet.  That's right, I served on the USS Constellation, OI division (radar) while they were cruising up and down the Tonkin Gulf launching air strikes against the Vietnamese.  When I tell people, they will thank me for serving my country, and sometimes shake my hand.  What I would really like is to have off on Memorial Day.  And I'm not alone.  There are 3 other Vietnam Vets working in my store... and we all work Memorial Day.

I'd like to be scheduled off on Veteran's Day, too, but that never happens.

We all have copies of our DD214 's.  I think corporations should actually recognized their associates who served in a war zone.  This holiday is supposed to be for us, and because we spend it working for them, there is nothing special about it.  At least they gave me a mid-shift on Monday, 9:30 - 6:00.  Yippie Skippy.

Memorial Day Blues

Well, the Memorial Day weekend is upon us and I, as usual, am working.  This is one of the limitations of retail; holidays cease to exist.  Except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I work every holiday.  Is there any better time to have a sale?  Are you kidding me?  Especially the Memorial Day weekend, which makes Black Friday look rather limpid.  This is the beginning of "cook out" season, and you can't have an old grill if you're going to have guests over for burgers and dogs, and you can't have them sitting on last year's faded patio furniture, and if everything isn't in bloom it needs to have been freshly planted.  Those shutters hanging around your windows?  They're looking a bit drab, aren't they, why not spruce them up with a fresh coat of paint, something to give your curb appeal a little extra pop.  And don't forget the deck, if you have one, won't your friends think it looks resplendent in a new coat of stain?  Last year the popular shade was Padre Brown, this year it seems to be Russet, yeah, like in the potato.

As always happens, sales bring in lots of customers hunting for that great deal.  There's usually a rebate on paints and stains, so many wait until this holiday to buy.  This means the paint desk gets very, very busy.  It was over the Memorial Day weekend last year a customer told me I ought be fired because I wasn't fast enough.  You see I was back in the primer aisle answering another customer's questions about primer, which meant I couldn't be out front helping the other associates tint stains, and there was a line.  Every customer gets treated the same, no preferential treatment, that's unfair.  Anyway, this customer was upset because she felt she shouldn't have to wait.  The first thing she said to me was "I hope yesterday was your first day on the job," and of course things only got worse.  The inexpensive stain she and her husband had bought two years ago was no longer available, and the inexpensive stain we did carry was not covered by the rebate because it was already cheap.  And, of course, the Padre Brown she wanted tinted lighter then the Padre Brown she wanted, which was when she grabbed a Head Cashier, thinking he was management, and told him "This man needs to be fired.  He's terrible.  You need to fire this man."  So I turned her over to a very capable associate who has a knack for fixing stains.  At that  point the customer said "you have twenty seconds to fix this."  I really wanted to grab a 2 x 4 and wait for her out in the parking lot, but I didn't.  I remained cordial and polite through out the whole episode.  They cut the price of the stain in half to shut her up, or at least get her to tone down her volume, which is the only thing she accomplished.  You know I don't believe she actually understood how embarrassing she was to herself, that people were not behind her but were, instead, walking away.
We get at least one customer like this every Memorial Day.

Ironically, this weekend is a holiday which commemorates the service of our armed forces.  It's supposed to be a time to thank them for their service, and I, who am a war Veteran, am always scheduled to work.  Not only that, now and then I have to deal with customers who just don't care.