The Reds Have It

Well, the heat is gone.  A front moved through the area and we've been left with cloudy skies and drizzles.  If you're in Central PA and had plans for a big Memorial Day weekend bash, they're going to be washed out.  the rain will be hanging around until Monday.  Temps will not climb into the 70s (F).  We have returned to sweatshirt and sweatpants weather.  I have no problem with this. The hot days of summer are going to be here soon enough.

And yesterday sort of fit into the pattern of the last few Wednesdays.  I did chores: laundry, dishes, and some yardwork, but mostly I did nothing.  I did spend a lot of time thinking, something I enjoy doing regularly.  Too many people don't think.  They don't like to ponder.  I do think that too many would rather subsist than participate.  They prefer a life filled with the doldrums, where the slightest breezy thought might make them consider something.  Thinking might actually be rapidly becoming a lost art.  The don't like news that upsets them, so what they do watch or read has been candied down into something less substantive than salt water taffy.  Me?  I'll take the peanut butter brittle any day.

I am scheduled to work today, but to celebrate the autumn-like weather, I've decided to stay home and fry up some latkes.  

I took this pic on Tuesday.  As you can see, all of my reds are... well red; the rose in the foreground and Howie in the background.  

Just because yesterday was a slow day doesn't mean that I spent the time scrolling endlessly through social media.  I did do some research on primary elections, and who can and who cannot vote.  In PA, we have a closed primary.  Democrats can only vote for Democrats, and Republicans can only vote for Republicans.  Those registered as Independents can't vote at all. This means that 1.4 million Pennsylvanians can't vote in the primary.

The same is true in Kentucky... somewhat.  Registration is cut off a month before the primary and you can't switch parties.  So, if you're registered as a Republican and you hate what's going on in Washington, you're still going to have to vote Republican.  The 11% who are registered as Independent or nonaffiliated could not vote for Massie.

And Georgia is different from both Pennsylvania and Kentucky.  

So, primary elections are not the bellwethers that some believe them to be.  For example, we'll need to wait until the midterm in Kentucky to see if those 45% who voted for Massie and the 11% who couldn't vote, will vote for Orangie's personal choice.  Primaries provide us with the candidates, they do not give us a hint as to who's going to win in the General Election.

Trixie Says

Our temp dropped below 50 last night.  This is going to be a regular occurrence until we get to spring.  This also means that my furnace will be heating my home, burning natural gas and costing me money.  That is the worst part of colder temps, the need to heat.  It's an expense those of us living in a moderate climate have to deal with, unless this winter is mild.

No workout today.  It's a rest day.  I get 2 a week.  Right now they happen on Thursday and Sunday.  They will change as my schedule changes.  I don't doubt that my hours will get dropped back down, it's only a matter of time.

And yesterday was another meh day.  In order to remedy this situation I'm going to try planning things to do outside of the house.  Next Wednesday I'm going to drive down to the VA Hospital in Lebanon and get my free flu shot.  I will email them to see if I can get a Covid booster while I'm down there.

Yesterday Six commented that Boots had moved into the number 3 spot on Netflix.  I checked last night and saw that it had edged its way into the number 2 spot.  I've been following Max Parker on Instagram for a few years now.  He usually posts once a week.  There were a lot of pics when he and his husband were married, now mostly they're of the family dog.  That was until Boots came out. Now he's posting all sorts of behind the scenes pics and videos.  Yesterday he posted this.

And as should be expected, there's still a lot of fallout about those young Republicans posting their comments praising Hitler, a mocking minorities.  All you're hearing from Republicans are crickets.  They don't want to talk about this because it makes them look bad.  They are ignoring the fact that the best thing they could do for their party is to call these people out and prove to the American people that they have moved so far to the right that they are beyond redemption.  They will not.  That might cost them votes.  They are a party that is so desperate to stay in power they will accept even the most abhorrent of behaviors except for one.  This is why they will not release the Epstein Files.  

Wednesday

We have an almost balmy 57 (F) outside.  There's not a lot of sunshine and, if the forecast is correct, we're not going to see much today.  Our high is again predicted to be in the mid 70s (F), however that is supposed to be changing.  We've got a mini-heatwave moving into the region.  Tomorrow's highs are supposed to be in the low 80s (F)...  well, I did say it was a mini-heatwave.

Usually Tuesdays are slow for me, being that they are the first days off after working the weekend.  However, that wasn't the case yesterday since I had that nasally, sore throaty thing going on for the past week, and didn't work Saturday.  As a result I got more accomplished than I expected, including several loads of laundry, a nice dumbbell workout, words getting written, and New England Clam Chowder being made for dinner.

One of the things I've never been able to judge about myself is body temperature.  There have been times when I thought I was running a fever only to discover I was not, and at other times I've felt what I consider normal only to discover my temperature is hovering in the low 100s (F).  The only indicator I ever get that I was (past tense) running a fever is a cold sore or two.  Well, I have one.  That means at some point last week I had a fever.  Well, that's news to me.

Last night I watched the last episode of Wednesday.  This second season was much better than the first, which was much darker with a lot less humor.  This time around the entire Addams clan got involved and it was funny.  There were a lot of high points, including Thing's back story.  I don't think Tim Burton's been this creative in years.  I was glad for those who survived, and those that didn't?  Well, who's to say if their part in the story has truly died.

As we all should have expected, just about everyone in the world is talking about Epstein's birthday book.  Nothing is going to make this Republican nightmare go away any time soon.  I wonder if Orangie's saying that the birthday book is a "dead issue," might not be Karma busy giving us a little foreshadowing.  The fact that he has everyone in his administration lying, saying the signature is not his when he, himself, chose to sign everything simply Donald is ludicrous.  Back in 2003 he worked to set himself apart from all the other Donalds in the world by attaching The to his name.  He was The Donald.  His ego designed his signature and he used it everywhere.  His own ego is screwing him over.

And his blow bro Vlad flew drones over Poland last night and 5 countries from NATO scrambled to get jets into the air.  The drones were shot down.  Putin most likely decided to fly a test balloon to see what Europe reacted.  If this was a balloon, the answer he got was not at all satisfying.  A unified, angry Europe is not something he wants to deal with because NATO will end his war for him in no time flat.

Wine Time

 Well, here it is, Hump Day, or, as I like to call it, the middle of the week.  The weather is almost glorious.  Temps are going to be up into the mid 70s (F) again today, and tomorrow as well.  Sunshine is abounding.  We have the same forecast for tomorrow, and... damn, I have to work.  That means I'll need to get more yardwork done today.  Of course, there's always Friday.

An yesterday was a good day.  Much was done, including a mowing of the verge, that's my lawn.  Two loads of laundry were washed and hung out on my drying rack to dry.  I planted the bean sprouts and Howie immediately dug 3 of them up.  He finds running around with them in his mouth quate enjoyable for some reason.  He's back to eating his dogfood. This is a good thing.

New neighbors moved into the big apartment on the hill to my right, Cathy and  John.  They are in their mid 50s and so far seem nice.  Chatty.  She likes to sit on their deck and talk on the phone, loudly.  This means I can hear her conversations.  Yesterday she was talking to her mom about meds.  They spent at least 5 minutes talking about Dristan, though they never mentioned if they meant the pills or the nasal spray.  Evidently her father, who seems to have died, preferred Dristan to everything else.

And my box of Josh Cellars wine arrived yesterday.  Someone asked me if Eli and Max would drink this wine.  The answer is most definitely.

In case you have heard yet, the Orange Anus is going to substantially drop the tariffs against China.  That's right, obviously the Art of the Deal for him is caving.  I guess he must not have been holding the right cards.  Is it me, or does it seem as though he's been doing that a lot here lately?  Remember how he was going to broker a truce in the Ukraine on day one?  Now?  This phony is pulling out of the negotiations, probably because no one kissed his ass the way he'd been expecting.  

Isn't it interesting how the Pope died and suddenly the movie Conclave has become extremely popular?  I saw it in the theater and was hoping it would win the Oscar for best film.  

And, in case you missed it, Bimbo Bondi held a press conference regarding the Bias Against Christianity bone Trump is throwing to the Evangelicals.  Probably her least surprising statement was that the FBI was investigating several Catholic parishes because "there's so much crime there."  If you remember back when this Christianity hokey pokey was announced, I said they'd go after the Catholics.  I'm wondering how Sammy Alito's feeling now that they're pissing in his own, personal cup of wine?

The Sucker Elbow and other tales of Fisticuffs

 So, is everybody ready for Wednesday?  And it is Wednesday, I checked on my calendar.  Temps are predicted to hit the low 60s (F).  That's amazing when you consider we're only a month (and a few days) away from Winter.  The long range forecast, if it's even close to being correct, is more of the same.

Yesterday was one of those odd days because I kept thinking it was already Wednesday.  I have got to stop taking off Mondays since when I do, I'm a day ahead for the rest of the week.

The milkweed seeds arrived.  They're going to get planted today.  And my gingko leaves are going to get their first raking.  I'm not expecting it to take very long, even though there are literally hundreds of leaves, I'm a fast raker.  Some painting also needs to be done, though when it comes to painting the kitchen I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And my new TV was delivered yesterday... evening.  Originally it was supposed to arrive in the afternoon, that got pushed back to late afternoon and early evening, finally set at sometime between 4 pm and 7 pm.  One of the reasons I bought it was because included with the delivery was set-up and haul away of the packaging.  Well the delivery guy rang the doorbell, I answered and signed for the TV.  Then I turned and made sure Lily was on the staircase.  When I got back to the open door, I watched as the delivery men drove away, leaving my new, fairly expensive TV on my front porch.  So, it was I who actually carried my new 65 inch TV, into the house, and I who unpacked it, and I who assembled it and put it on my great aunt's Hope Chest.

And the Republican Clown Car got all fisticuffs and elbowy yesterday, didn't they.  Now, I've heard of a sucker punch, but evidently sore loser Kev McCarthy sucker elbowed one of the hardline conservatives who voted him out of power, and in a hallway, no less, and, from what I've heard there was a bit of chase afterwards, but speedy Kev managed to elude his victim.  (Can you hear me laughing?)  And then Bernie Sanders, no less, had to step in to stop a potential fight between Republican Congressman Markwayne (nice name) Mullin and Sean O'Brien, the president of the Teamster's Union.  You see Markwayne (yes, that's his actual name) was upset because Sean Tweeted some snide comments his way, including a picture of Markwayne standing on a box so he appeared much taller than his actual 5 feet, seven inch height.  Yelp, that's right, Markwayne is just a tad taller than tiny Jimmy Jordan, and obviously both of them are assholes.

Newty's Doody

 Well, it's Mittwoch, formerly known as Wondenstag until the 10th century, when people decided that Woden wasn't special enough to have a day named after him.

The weather was nice yesterday, not that I was outside that much.  While I did clean the living room tank, most of the day was spent on my kitchen floor.  There was a bit of a raging date in my head for about 30 minutes on whether I should take the flooring down to the hardwood or now.  Harwood floors are an asset when it comes to resale, but the floors in my kitchen have suffered greatly during the 118 years they have been tread upon.  Originally, there would have been a large iron coal stove which would have been used for heating as well as cooking.  Yes, this house is that old.  As a result, cinders and hot coals have scared the wood.  Then, when plumbing came in, there was evidently a problem with sinks, not that they leaked, but locating them in the correction place.  Because of this, there are a number of holes about one foot in from the wall around the perimeter.  There are other holes, as well, that were made when the coal stove went out and radiators came in.  After much back and forth in my head, I've decided to leave the floors covered and go with my initial plan of putting down vinyl planks.

Here's a pic of the progress.  The window and all of the holes are going to be covered with drywall.

And, as expected, there is still blowback coming from Republicans about the informal dress code.  Susan Collins began threatening to wear a bikini.  Someone should take her aside and let her know that there's a difference between Fetterman in his hoodies and shorts and her fat ass and her floppy boobies.  Sadly, she feels her absurdity will make a point, and in her own true Susan Collins style she's failing. 

Not surprising, the hard core right wing of the Republican party in the House of Representatives is going to screw over, (are you ready for this?) their own party.  Newt Gingrich has groomed the Just Say No party extremely well.  Kev McCarthy, in an unusual moment, stated that this will hurt the party more than it will the Biden administration.  However, Newty did his doody well and taught them to be extremists; unless you get your demands, Just Say No.  This is like watching a tank of toothless piranhas gnaw each other to death. 

Lying To Tim Scott

 So, is anybody going through a mid-week crisis?  It is Wednesday after all, or as some like to call it Hump Day.  Let's be honest here, there are days when a a humpy day might not be the best thing in the world since most humps might also be designated bumps, and going over the hump might mean you're heading downhill into a dip.

Anyway, the temps here are glorious.  Mid 70s (F) yesterday.  They'll be in the low 80s  (F) today, and warmer tomorrow.  Friday we might possibly pop into the 90s (F), which is a bit too warm for this time of year, though since we had a warm winter this just might be a preview into the summer.

Lots of yardwork was done yesterday.  No branches were cut, but the stone wall is clear.  I bought a weed killer for the English ivy, though instead of spraying directly on it, I've been shoving the ivy into an old garbage can and spraying it there.  I want to kills as much of it as possibly withy contaminating the ground.  I also mowed my lawn yesterday.  It was great to be outside.

I stepped outside this morning and snapped a picture of my tulips.  I'll probably do the same thing this afternoon since many should be blooming by then.

And now for the funny, ha ha moment of the day.  Tim Scott, a black Republican, has announced his candidacy for president in 2024.  Let me know when you stop laughing.  I mean, does has this man not listened to Trump?  Has he not seen what's been happening in Tennessee?  Does he not know what the MAGA mind wants in their leaders?  Perhaps he's just dumb as a brick.  Or, perhaps he doesn't know the word 'token' has many definitions, one of which is an adjective that describes what many white Republicans know him to be.  Keep in mind, Scott has surrounded himself with people who constantly tell him that he represents diversity in the Republican party.  What Scott doesn't understand is that they're lying to him.

The Long and Short of it

 Can I get a big 👍for the Winter Solstice?  Shortest day of the year.  For the next 180 days, give or take one, we're going to start stretching the sunlight until it covers more of the day.  For some reason, back when I was a young whipper-snapper, I believed the shortest day of the year always arrived sometime in February.  That was until I learned in elementary school that there such things as solstices, and the word has more to do with the long and the short, though they use fancier words, like declination and excursion.  Doesn't one word sound like it might have something to do with sex, while the other?  I don't know anyone who would willing want a medical excursion.

Biggie is back from his long, long blood test.  He was happy to see me.  Ate like a wolf when he got home.  I made BLTs for lunch yesterday and saved the bacon drippings for both he and Lily's dinner.  

I did watch the last 4 episodes of Wednesday on Netflix.  I enjoyed the series, and am wondering if the Hyde is going to be a recurring character.  

And, of course, this week leading up to Christmas has not been good for Republicans.  The DOJ received referrals for not only the Orange Anus, but many of his cohorts in crime, including one for Mark Meadows.  Yesterday Congress voted to release Trump's Tax Returns.  One foolish Republican complained that if they release Donald's taxes, people might also want to see the Tax Returns for sitting member of the Supreme Court.  The social media response was overwhelming to his comment.  Bring it On!

As for the indictments?  I don't believe we will have to wait long.  I understand the Atlanta Grand July is in its final sessions and their charges should be arriving shortly; probably not before Christmas, though.

The Republican civil war in the house will very shortly turn into what will no doubt be a very long and very brutal battle, and looks to probably consume the full length and breadth of the party.  What a shame they can't wrap it up and give it to us with a bow on top.

Good Gosh, it's Wednesday

Good Gosh!  It's Wednesday.  If you're in a 5-day work week that began on Monday, this is your Hump Day.  However, if you're semi-retired like me, or are fully retired, or just don't have to work, then tomorrow, Thursday, is your Hump Day.  Because of the schedule I've set up for myself, I will always work on my Hump Day.  

Yesterday morning, as I went to start the coffee brewing, I saw mouse droppings behind the coffee maker.  That's means it's time to set the traps again.  

I called a made an appointment for Biggie at the $$$ Vet yesterday.  He still has his cough, but it's not nearly as bad as it was, still, he needs to get a shot or two so I figured he might as well get checked out.  Because he's a dog, and he has a cough, they're treating this as if it were Kennel Cough.  This means I need to call them when I arrive, and they'll let me know when an examination room is ready.  You can bet there's going to be $$$ in that wait.

As I was preparing to suck the dust bunnies from under my futon, I snapped this picture of Lilly with her own bunny.

And being that today is a Wednesday during primary season, it goes to figure that there were elections on Tuesday.  As every person with a sound mind should have expected, the Cracker Jack Crazies failed.  From New York down to Florida, there was failure, except for Matty Gaetz.  Of course, Republicans are always going to go with pervy with the weird hair who likes sleeping with very, very young girls women.  Loony Laura Loomer lost by a decent % and she's wailing about voter fraud.  Expect this. These people will never concede since that would make them look like losers in the eyes of their savior Donald J.

What is considered a bellwether special election, Democrat Pat Ryan won in a district that leans Republican.  He ran on abortion rights.  Fellow Democrats take note, the Republicans shit in their pants on this one.  The time has come to hold their noses to the grindstone and make them pay.

Oh, and prepare yourselves, there will be some interesting news coming from the Trump camp today.  You see, his desperate ploy to sue the United States was kicked back by a judge he put in place because there were sooooo many mistakes.  And that judge?  She's a little pissed at him for filing in her district because he thought she'd be a pushover.  Anyway, his team of inexperienced attorneys has until today to refile correctly.

And finally, I saw this bit in the Washington Post about Herschel saying his campaign was genius.  I found it worth a chortle, or two, or three.

 

MAGA world has a bad day in Georgia

 Well let's all say 'hello' to Mittwoch, or Wednesday as the English say.  We are in the middle of the week.  Outside, the skies are cloudy.  We have 40% chance of rain today.  Rather than gamble of a stray shower or two, or a thunderstorm which will drop much less rain than needed, I'm going to water my little garden.

Yesterday was one of those ho-hum, why not spend a few hours being a slug, kind of days.  I did get my haircut in the morning.  This was the second time I'd had this barber and she is a rambler, whatever subject managing to flit into her head becomes the topic of conversation.  Really, all I want my barbers to do is cut my hair as quickly and as decently as possible.  I'm not there for the idle chit-chat.

I was going to go for a bike ride... and didn't.  I packed in a lot of garbage food on the Fourth, so I'm thinking my lack of energy had more to do with the slow burn of the carbs working through my system.

I was surprised to find that one of my rose buses is blooming!  They are like a little bouquet.

There was an interesting read in the Five ThirtyEight newsletter this morning.  The premise seems to be that the working class swung to the Republican party and Trump 5 years ago for a number of reasons, but mostly because Republicans are the party of white voters.  This idea was put forth by Rep. Jim Banks, from Indian.  Race and Culture, he says, are what now define the Republicans and that Economics now have nothing to do with it.  Banks also says he believes this shift is permanent.  If Mr. Banks, a Republican, is correct, then he needs to start telling the rest of his party that it's not about the Economy.

And for those who missed it, Lindsey (aka Pittypat) Graham was subpoenaed by the Fulton County Grand Jury.  I'm betting it too Miss Pittypat all of 2 seconds to reach for her poppers smelling salts.  Supposedly this is in reference to his asking Raffensberger to throw out thousands of mail-in ballots.  Giuliani was also invited.  My, isn't that man popular?  He seems to be getting one of these invitations every time he turns around.  Also on the guest list was Cleta Mitchell.  There is so much hatred in that old, white woman for minorities.  I've been saying for some time, the January 6 hearings will have a big effect on the November midterms.  We all need to turn to Georgia if we want to see Trump's ass fried.