Knock, Knock, Knocking

 It's Wednesday and most of the rains have passed.  We may get a shower this afternoon, but the steady, soaking rains have moved on.  Temps are still predicted to be cool, in the mid 60s (F).  Tomorrow they're supposed to warm up into the 70s (F), now won't that be nice?  I did turn on my heat and set it at 70 (F).  This is what I did last year at this time and let it sit at the temp until spring arrived.  

As I said, the rain as stopped for the most part, now all we need is for these cloudy skies to move away.

I put out a mousetrap last night and got nary a bite.  Maybe he moved on.   I doubt it.  Mice don't suddenly move on.  They make nests and raise mousy families. 

My new chair arrives today.  According to the tracking app they sent me it should be here between 10:30 and 11:30.  That will be one less thing to think about.  I'm interested in seeing how well it fits into the design of the writing room.  Don't worry, there will be pictures tomorrow.

There was a debate last evening and, as usual, I didn't watch it.  I was too busy playing the DLC (Down Loaded Content) for Bethesda's game Starfield.  The recommended level is 35, I'm only at 23, but this is my 3rd playthrough, so even though I'm at a lower level, I'm pretty much immortal.  The intro was pretty intense.  I liked it.  For most of it you're in Zero-G  in a Va'Ruun space station.  Playing a FP (First Person) shooter while weightless is pretty freaking awesome!  I will get to find out if everyone in the settled systems does, in fact, worship The Great Serpent.

And, of course, there was a debate last evening.  Every review I've seen has said it was civilized, with only tempers flaring on one or two occasions.  A number of Main Stream Media outlets note that they turned off Vance's mic at one point when the subject of Springfield, Ohio, came up.  I understand that got his dander up and he voiced his disapproval noting that he'd been told there wasn't going to be any fact checking.  Rolling Stone was the only outlet I saw where they said that both Vance's and Walz's mics were turned off on at least one occasion.  Was Vance close enough to the center to save Trump's flailing campaign?   At this point, I don't think there's too much anyone can do to save it.

There are some saying that the Longshoreman's strike is the October Surprise.  Nope.  That's Republican wishful thinking.  Revelations from Jack Smith's indictment will be the real spoilers for Donald Trump, and his very public meltdown will horrify the American people.  Karma is knock, knock, knocking on his front door.

Hello, Autumn!

 Sunday.  The temp outside is 67 (F) and the skies are overcast.  We had some serious thunderstorms last night.  I check the rain bucket on my back porch when I got down for my 2nd cup of coffee to see how much we received.  For the next week or so, it looks as though daily highs will hover in the mid 70s (F).  I'm fine with that.  I can get the wool blankets down and prepare to layer them on the bed.  Honestly, one of things I like about winter is being able to snuggle under a thick layer of warmth throughout the night.

This is the weekend for our bonus sharing party at work.  I like the added money to my bank account and usually the food is good, but yesterday?  But yesterday?  Ugh.  They served prime rib which must have been cheap since it was 30% meat and 70% fat, and disgusting as it sounds, the meat itself was a bit chewy.  I suffered through some of the meat, than filled up with cookies, and snack foods with a very high sodium content.  Crap.  Today we're getting more sweets.  I'm going to take moussaka for lunch.  

Even though it was slow, I did manage to get 2 measures for blind installations.  Hopefully someone else will design the blinds, since I'm attempting to put my blind designing days behind me.  I prefer the slow times because that gives me time to... are you ready for this?  Work on The Body in History.  And no, I don't work on the actual manuscript, there are firewalls keeping me from signing into Microsoft, but there's what I call a mini-Word app which lets me write notes.  So, when there are no customers, I sit at my desk writing sections of the book.  I print them off, and when I get home, all I have to do is rewrite them into the book.  If I wanted, I could email them to myself and save the paper, but sometimes I also scribble notes on the paper, too.  The first draft is half finished!

And, since I talked about rain earlier, and in previous entries about rain in Greece, I thought I'd expose you all to a rarity.  On our drive from Olympia to Delphi there was a lot of rain around us, and looking out the bus window I saw an amazing thing, my first Greek rainbow.  Now, how cool was that?

And, of course, there will not be another debate.  Harris accepted CNN's offer, but spineless Trump said no.  He said, "She's already wiped the floor with my dumb ass once and I'm not that deep in dementia to let her do it again I've already done 2 debates, that's enough.  It's too late."  Sadly, his cultists will nod and agree with him.  Everybody else can read what's underneath the strikethrough.

He had another rally yesterday and once again, people started leaving early.  Even the NYT had a video on their website of people walking away after just 28 minutes.  If you see it, you'll notice that those leaving are not cultists, no Trump gear or paraphernalia, so they must all be foolish people who don't realize just how bad his rallies are.  These are Republicans who most likely will not vote for Harris, but there's a good possibility they won't vote for him either.  They will join the crowd who will let this election cycle pass them by, which is one of the reasons while he's going to lose.

Olympia

 Today we hit the archeological site of Olympia, home of the first Olympic games.  When we left Pylos it was raining, and right from the beginning people were wondering what the weather was going to be like in Olympia.  Will it be raining? they asked.  We stopped for coffee and cookies (I bought 3.  They were delicious.) and someone asked, "what time does the rain start in Olympia?" And I said, it's not going to rain.  The weather was nice and sunny.  After touring the museum, our tour guide walked us through Olympia, itself, she glanced at a cloud in the sky and said, "you may want to hurry before it starts to rain," and I said, "it's not going to rain."  Later, I reminded Christos, our tour leader that I'd told him it wasn't going to rain.  😎😎😎

I learned so much today:  gym, as in gymnasium and gymnastics comes from the Greek word meaning naked.  Doesn't that add a spin to what that pommel horse guy did in this past summer's Olympics?  Stadium comes from Greek word meaning "to stand."  The stadium in Olympia could hold 45,000 men (no women) standing.  Just imagine that many men standing there, watching sports for the entire day, I'm betting whoever had the wine bar concession made out like bandits.

Seriously, seeing the statuary in the museum was enough to make me tear up.  The only words I could say were "Oh, my Gosh!"

Let's start off with Hermes, whose sculptor used leather and fine grit to give him his sheen.

And then we have the statues lining the top and front of Zeus's temple, the largest in all of Greece with just the columns 13 meters high (and yes, I did use meters, since that's what the rest of the world uses).

And this is Apollo, we'll get to meet him in Delphi.

And this is what the entire thing looks like.

There was a debate last night and evidently Kamala Harris wiped up the floor with Don. While I didn't watch any of it, from what I've read, Donnie boy did not do well with getting fact checked, but then liars never do.  

Even better, while Donnie's singing "Don't nobody bring me no bad news," Taylor Swift endorsed Harris.  Now, I now know some of you don't like Taylor, but let's be honest 30 million Swifties going to the ballot box is something the Republican party never, ever dreamed of.  Trump's Karma is comin' at him full speed ahead.

Chapels on the Hill

 Today, in Pylos, the temp is 71 (F).  They're predicting a high of 84 (F) with the possibility of afternoon showers.  In fact, for the rest of my stay here in Greece, it looks as though the temps are going to be hovering in the comfortable range. 

Today is free for us to do what we want.  My plans are to take some leisurely walks along the shorefront, short ones, and to spend most of the afternoon working on The Body in History.  I know some of you are no doubt thinking that sounds a bit absurd since, after all I am in Greece, and since I'm here I should be hitting every archeolgoical site possible.  But there is this bit inside me that keeps poking me, saying, "you need to write this shit down!"  So, unless something drastically changes things, that's what I'm going to be doing.

Yesterday, we walked through Mystras, one of the largest sites from the Byzantine period, and while it wasn't Byzantium, I'm thinking it was probably close.

There were a number of chapels built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD.  Like most of you out there, I'd never seen an ancient fresco before.  They were amazing.  Mystras is on a hill, a very big hill, though rather than climb to the top, we walked down.

The view was spectacular, though rather than post any spectacular view shots, I thought I dazzle you with a shot, or two, or three of the frescoes.

And, of course, here is one of the chapels.

Finally, the debate is tomorrow night.  One of the things I've read about it that is most pertinent is that Harris is going to be debating a pathological liar.  I'm betting that his team is far more worried about this than her team since they know he's going to be speaking in word salads, and, if he loses his temper, something that is quite likely, might drive the Trump Circus clown car right into a brick wall.

Explore

 Today is supposed to be a real stinker.  If the guys predicting the weather are correct, our temps should top off at 99 (F).  That's toasty.  Keep in mind, Pennsylvania is one of the Middle Atlantic states, so we're a little over halfway up the eastern seaboard.  I'm sure those states south of us are toastier.

I got a lot done yesterday, including a 10 mile ride along the Han river in South Korea.  I found it boring, so I'll not ride there again.  Three loads of laundry were washed and hung out to dry.  Today is sheet day, and they, too, are now out drying.  The high heat will evaporate the water fast.

One thing I don't like about this time of year is the gnats.  I don't know if it's because I'm so close to the river or what, but they are always worse towards the end of summer.  And me?  I'm a gnat buffet.  Interestingly enough, not at the park, even when I walk the nature trail.  Anyway, I wear a pair of sweatpants when I'm either hanging up laundry or doing yard work to keep my legs from getting chewed to pieces.

And, this might come as a surprise, but I'm thinking of dismantling my treadmill and getting rid of it.  Of course, I've thought of doing this before and didn't.  We shall have to wait and see.

Of course, there is this:

And yes, I have begun gathering things together to start packing.

And Orangie the angry anus was once again indicted yesterday for his coup attempt on January 6.  And he's fuming (there, didn't I put it nicely?).  In fact, for those who are old enough to remember, the entire GOP is squealing like Mr. Bill, "no, no, no, no!"  Jack Smith's review of Justice Eileen Cannon's opinions was scathing, saying things like she "failed to grasp the simply grammar," and "had a total disregard for history."  But then, she is a Trump loyalist.  He didn't call her a traitor to Democracy, but that underlying message was quite obvious.

Perhaps the biggest surprise yesterday was that there will be a debate.  Rats!  I'll in Greece if it happens.  There will be no open mics.  This is going to be a big problem for Orangie's campaign.  Harris is going to call him on every he says.  Hopefully, America will get the chance to hear her say, "Well, that's a lie," or possibly, "Well, that was one long rambling word salad."  It will, if Orangie shows up, give him what he loves so much, great numbers.  Millions will probably tune in hoping to see him storm off stage.  This is why I think that at the last possible moment he will develop laryngitis.  

Packing

 Well, it's Monday.  Outside it's 68 (F).  That's not the best sleeping temp, but it's not bad.  It will be deteriorating (getting warmer) during the week as a mini-heatwave rushes past us.  Then, we fall back into more seasonal temps.

In comparison, the temp right now in Athens is 91 (F), and in Delphi 77 (F).  Delphi, contrary to what many may believe is halfway up Mount Parnassus.  It gets cold there in the winter.  In fact, there's a ski resort a few miles away.  Isn't that fascinating.  All of my life I thought Greece, being in the Mediterranean, was more tropical than anything else.  And they still wore togas when it was cold, though they were thick.  This is because the wearing pants was considered effeminate.  My, how things change.

I should have provided more information about my neighbor before yesterday's post, she is not your average stay-at-home mom and mother.  They are from Lancaster, about 45 minutes away, and because that's where her mom lives, she doesn't talk to anyone in the neighborhood.  If she's outside and I go out to do lawn work, she goes back into their house.  She and I doo talk occasionally, and she told me once that she thinks everyone is staring at her, (no one cares).  Instead of taking the garbage out and putting it in the trash bin, she throws the garbage bags out the back door and lets her husband put them in their garbage cans.  The wall separating our houses is poorly soundproofed, so I can tell you she needs the power naps because she stays up late watching TV.  Tammy, my neighbor across the street, has told me on more than one occasion that she's just "freakin' weird," though she didn't use the word freak.

Anyway, people keep asking me if I've started packing.  The answer's yes.

And... drum roll please....  The Orange Anus ranted this morning about ABC news dropping the first substantial hint that he's not going to debate Harris.  A gutless sack of shit, he is.  For anyone out there who didn't expect this, well, he has some golden sneakers he wants to sell you, or perhaps you might be interested in a couple of courses at Trump University... oh, wait, that's now defunct. In fact, he got sued because Trump University was a fraud, just another scam for him.

There's also an interesting bit in Axios this morning regarding those wealthy individuals who've handed over large sums of cash to the moral degenerate hoping to get on his good side.  The stupidity of these people simply amazes me, Trump has no good side.  And these people who so easily parted with their cash are now wondering just where all of those millions went? Just because you have money, doesn't mean you can't be dumb as a brick. 

Trump Has No Balls

 Yesterday was... not quite meh, but not terrible.  The temps climbed into the mid 80s (F) and the humidity dried up a bit.  There was supposedly a threat of thundershowers, but that amounted to nothing.  Clouds came and went, and I hung 2 loads of laundry outside to dry.  No worries.

There's already a load of my brightly colored T-shirts hanging on the drying rack.  I'm loving this summer.

So, I've been debating if I want to give up my Xbox Game Pass.  They just raised the price, and with tax (there's always tax) it's $20 a month.  There would be value in this if I were downloading and playing lots of games, but I'm not, there are very few studios that I follow.  Besides, most of the games being produced are geared for young adults, or Teens, and are uninteresting.  I also don't see many games coming out that I feel a desperate need to play.  

And, the Paris Olympics begin today, and rather than build brand new venues, Paris is going to be showcasing what's already there.  There will be rowing on the Seine!  How exciting is that!  Fencing at Versailles!  Of course, Parisians will be upset because of delays, and crowds, and the changes that are happening.  I've met Parisians and they are very difficult to satisfy.  In a week's time, this will all be in the past and Paris, and France, will be much better off financially.

And the coward Trump will not be debating Kamala Harris.  No surprise there.  I laughed at the bit where he says the Democrats are in chaos.  

The truth is that Donald Trump has always been a coward.  The instant he has to "put up, or shut up," he chickens out.  This old man is terrified.  I don't doubt that even the idea of standing on the stage next to a smart black woman has him cowering in his boots.  And, as always, he's trying to place the blame on someone else.  Honestly, if he truly wants to be president he should see this as a challenge.  Can you hear me laughing.  I'm surprised he didn't try a "well, I'm too busy with my campaign to debate" excuse.  The Republican party just took a major hit because many of their voters who are sitting on the fence will now just stay home.  He's a weak man who has always depended on the balls of his attorneys to survive.

And what is all this stuff about JD Vance having sex with a sofa?  He definitely is not out to impress the ladies, is he?

Jonathan and David

 Sunday.  Our weather pattern is a repeat of yesterday's, thunderstorms, humidity, and then more thunderstorms.  Late yesterday afternoon the heavens let loose with downpours, while thunder and lightning played together over head.  It happened again just as I was getting ready for bed.  The temps are not that high, but it is super sticky.

And I did work yesterday.  Slow is the word.  I did talk to a couple about having carpeting installed.  I suspect they'll set us a measure online.  I still get some credit, but I won't get the sale.  And, as for sales, mine are good for the week, though I don't have a single measure.  This means my sales will drop off.  That's fine with me.  I am a part-time associate.

Our store manager is leaving.  She's going to be taking over the Lancaster store, a very busy place.  I've worked with her replacement and know him fairly well.  We actually started around the same time, me as a part-time cashier and he as a lumber associate.  I find it interesting that I've worked with so many associates, who keep coming back to the stores I'm working in.

I have 2 extra promo codes for The Body on the Lawn on Audible, if anyone is interested, email me:  drsnyderwriter@gmail.com.

Here's a pic I took during my yesterday morning walk at Adams-Ricci mostly because that dying tree looks like it came straight from Druidic lore.

Of course, reverberations for the political debate are still rattling the pseudo-foundations of the political world.  It's difficult to tell which is truth and which rumor.  Cheri Jacobus is telling us that CNN agreed to Trump's demand that there be no fact checking during the debate, which is why CNN ran a "fact check" segment 2 hours later.  I think Biden's advisors completely underestimated the spewage Trump could spit out without getting fact checked.  For him, it was just like a rally: lie, after lie, after lie, and there was no stopping him.  Personally, I don't believe the debate is going to change much, if anything, it's possible that more Independent voters are going to sit this one out.

And the whole bit about teachers reading from the Bible is still rockin' and rollin', with soooo many people citing what Evangelicals would have to consider inappropriate passages, like the one from Samuel:

Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.” When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more.  1 Samuel 20:40-41 (NASB)

You know, you just can make this up.

The Handsome Gentleman

 Well, where has the week gone?  It's Saturday, and we have storms in the forecast; spotty thunderstorms this morning and heavy thunderstorms this afternoon.  Temps are predicted to be warm, but not hot, mid to upper 80s (F).  But the humidity?  According to forecasters, that's expected to soar.  It looks like we're going to have a sticky day ahead of us.

And I do work today.  It's the weekend.  I always work on the weekends.  Those are the guaranteed days that I will have to sit at the flooring desk, unless I ask for one of them off.  Oddly enough, I have next Saturday off.  I may use 8 hours of vacation pay to cover the weekend day off I didn't ask for, or maybe not.  I have 8 hours vacation I need to use before Sept. 4, that's my anniversary date.  That's when the orange retailer I work for gives me the 80 hours of vacation I worked for and earned.

I got a nice 2 mile walk at Adams-Ricci yesterday, and while going up a hill on the nature trail ran into this handsome gentleman.  His glaring eyes told me he viewed me as a threat, so I simply nodded to him as I took his picture and then left him to continue his journey.

There was a lot of fallout from the presidential debate yesterday.  Conservatives were cheering their liar and liberals were wondering about Joe.  CNN is still receiving a lot of flack because there was no fact-checking.  I don't doubt for a second that was one of the conditions for Trump to appear.  He wants to lie at will without having to deal with the consequences, and CNN gave him every opportunity he wanted.  The New York Times editorial board said Biden should get out of the race.  They so desperately want to be a voice of authority, it's one of the main reasons I ended my subscription.  There was a time when American turned to them, and even, on occasion listened.  Those times are past.

Does the debate really matter?  Nope.  Is it going to change the hearts of voters?  Absolutely not.  People understand that the alternative to Biden is a convicted felon, a pathological liar, a traitor and a treasoner.  Those Nikki Haley protest voters?  They're sit this one out.  That's about 1/3 of the Republican party.  In a little less than 2 weeks Trump is going to be sentenced, and if he gets jail time, that's going to solidify the votes against him.  This man is not now, nor has he ever been a sympathetic character.  Joe Biden is reliable.  Reliability is something you can count on. 

The Rug

 Another nice, comfortable summer day is on store for us today, and I don't work.  Both of those things are important.  Temps are supposed to begin edging upwards tomorrow and by Sunday they should hit the mid 90s (F).  Those warmer temps are also going to be bringing the threat of thunderstorms.  That doesn't bother me either since I'm not scheduled to work.

Yesterday was filled with naps and achievements, mostly because I hadn't slept well the night before.  Sometimes I will wake up and find my thoughts preoccupied with one thing or another, and instead of falling back to sleep, I find myself pondering excessively on something I would normally think too inferior to spend more than a passing moment on, except this time it was an old Yes song.  I could not get Long Distance Runaround out of my head.  So, yesterday was nappy.

My friend Justin came over and helped me move the desk and arrange the yellow area rug.  Before he arrived I took all of the drawers out to help lighten the load.  Being solid wood, it was still heavy.  I am pleased with how it looks.

And, of course, there was the debate last evening.  As usual, I didn't watch since it really isn't a debate.  There is no discussion, merely a back and forth of statements that have absolutely zero value in the scheme of things.  I was not surprised by the headlines this morning, and they all pretty much said the same thing:  Biden stumbles and Trump lies.  What were people expecting?  This is the nature of things:  one man is old and lies, the other is older and is is more honest; one is a convicted felon and the other isn't; one represents Republican dreams of an authoritarian government, and the other represents Democracy.  Biden's problem is that no one sat down with him after he was elected and told him he was going to be a caretaker president, and if they did, he stubbornly refused to listen.  He is the reason Democrats are starting to run around like their hair was on fire.  

Yesterday also saw Ryan Walters, the Christian Nationalist in charge of the Oklahoma School District inform the state that every teacher was going to need to teach the Bible.  Nutjobs like him will try and destroy the country, thinking they will rebuild it as an authoritarian theocracy.  This means he will have no problem starting a religious war if they believe this is what god wants them to do.  They have done this throughout history, and after the loss of many, many lives, have always lost. 

The Debate

 We had storms last night.  Lotsa rain.  Even some thunder.  I was watching the last 2 episodes of Shogun, so I pretty much ignored it completely.  Today temps are expected to climb into the mid 80s (F), which is fine with me.  I do have the A/C units running because of the humidity.  Hopefully, that will pass later on in the day.

And today is the day that my yellow area rug gets put down.  I have a friend coming over around 11:30 to help move the desk.  Once the rug is in place, the only thing left will be the chair.  I haven't ordered that yet since I don't want it arriving while I'm in Greece.  I'm getting impatient emails from the manufacturer asking me to place my order. Well, they're just going to have to wait.

Yesterday was a leg day for me, not in that I did a bunch of squats and lunges, nope, I walked.  Almost 2 miles at Adams-Ricci, and then strolling around a nearly empty store, I racked up over 15,000 steps.  I have to do more of that.  This afternoon, after the furniture moving has been completed, I'm going to climb on the rower, another way to get in some outstanding cardio.

Here's a pic of CNN's debate stage.

According to the Orange Anus, CNN is fake news, yet he's going to be standing at one of those podiums this evening spewing his infernal lies and hatred.  You'll notice, there's no audience, there will be camera operators, and possible a sound technician or two.  There will not be a bought audience of MAGA cultists to coo and caw at his every word.  Trump's team is expecting Biden to do better, this is obvious by the constant commentary about his being juiced.  Will I be watching?  Absolutely not.  I have no desire.  I can honestly say that I haven't watch a debate since... oh, probably since Clinton was running for president.  Afterall, it isn't really a debate.  Nope.  It's nothing more than a public display in an attempt to get the best soundbites for the election, nothing more.  Simple fact:  nothing said in a debate has ever mattered since George H. Bush muttered "read my lips, no new taxes."

Tuesday

 When I checked the temp this morning it was a cool, 60 (F).  Not bad after sweating through the mid 90s (F) the heat dome dropped on us.  We had 7 days of super warm temps.  Notice, I said super warm.  They were 7 consecutive days warmer than it's been during the past 3 years.  I checked out the long range forecast earlier and the future's looking cooler.

There's no workie for me today... well, at least not the workie that adds $$$ to my paycheck.  My hours have actually been cut down to 25 this week.  Next week, with the 4th of July holiday pay I'll be getting, I'll have 30, and the following week a mere 22.  I am looking forward to the decrease in hours.  I want to lose some weight before Greece, and working so many hours over the past weeks cut down on my workout time.

And yesterday work was slow.  Because there were call-offs, I ended up selling 2 refrigerators.  That helped my sales. 

I should mow my lawn.  Not because the grass is high, but there are tall weed buds everywhere.

Look, a tan suit.

So the debate is 2 days away.  As usual, I won't be watching.  It is amusing how within the past 3 days conservatives have all started to loudly complain that Biden is going to be on drugs.  This was to be expected, especially when your candidate is a felon who has difficulty keeping a cohesive thought in his head for 2 minutes.  Wait, that's probably wrong.  I'm sure Trump has cohesive thoughts, his problem is that they continually stick to his lies about election loss. If the debate actually takes place, you can bet they're going to blame Biden's good showing on enhancers, rather than admit Trump's ramblings about sharks, and batteries, and who knows what make him look senile. What to expect if he does show up: he will be asked a question and then say what he wants, instead of responding.  And while I won't be watching, I'm hoping Biden calls him a convicted felon four or five times.

Free Cardio!

 We have Snow!  When I got up, the temp outside was 30 (F) and Accuweather was predicting snow, heavy at times, for the next 40 minutes, and as I opened the back door to let Lily to do her morning business several kamikaze snowflakes flew into the house.  Depth wise, it's not much, maybe half an inch but it's nice.  Once again, I remind people that snow = free cardio!

I was surprised I got as much accomplished yesterday as I did, no painting, but the living room tank got cleaned.  I also put in some time on the treadmill, as well as get in a dumbbell workout.  Today I'm hoping to get in an kettlebell workout, as well as some time on the bike.  And maybe paint the window frame in the kitchen.  

This is an odd week for me, I don't work Saturday.  It's all about the hours.  Because the Orange Home Improvement retailer I work for is not hitting their budgeted profit, they're going to be cutting part-time hours.  This doesn't mean they aren't making money, they are, by the billions, they're just not hitting their forecasted figures.  I don't doubt that at sometime, something will cause Wall Street to crash badly, and at that time all those greedy billionaires will have a WTF moment, just before they jump from one of the high floors of their corporate headquarters.

And, did I say we have snow?  This is what it looks like.

And there was a debate last night.  Par for the course, I didn't pay any attention.  And I didn't check the newsfeeds to see who, according to them, won.  I don't care.  Not one of them has a kamikaze snowflake's chance in Hell of getting the nomination, so this is just a waste of time and energy.  Unless they start attacking the Spawn of Satan, not of them has a chance.  And I don't doubt that some of them (I'm talking to you, Ronnie D) even understands that Trump getting the nomination is going to kill the GOP, this means that not one of them has any sort of political future in a dead political party.  And I am deadly serious here because Trump needs to be taken with deadly seriousness.

Kamikaze

 So, California is getting rain.  A Navy buddy of mine posted pictures on Facebook this AM and I was polite.  I didn't tell him that is what most rain storms look like here in Central PA because they don't have the amount of rain that we do.  Two years ago there was a heavy drought in the southwest, today they're getting too much.  This means I need to make a really bad joke:  Isn't this how it usually is?  When it rains, it pours?

Anyway, yesterday was oh, so boing at work.  I did have customers show up who I'd sold blinds to last week.  They got a phone call, the product they wanted was out of stock and there would be a 3 week delay until production could begin on their blinds.  That does happen on occasion.  What does irk me, however, is this belief by some customers that they can show up on Sunday and resolve the issue.  While our store may be open, Bali blinds, Levelor blinds, and Venetia blinds are closed on the weekends.  True, we can reach their customer service reps, but all they can do is look at notes on a customer's order, which is what I can do.  The customers are coming back later this morning when we will be able to get some answers for them.

It seems as though I have Kamikaze snails.  Here's one racing towards the edge of the clam shell.

And so the Orange Anus had made it official, he will not be participating in the RNC debate with the other candidates.  No surprise there.  Gutless and spineless are two very good words to describe the former president.  He doesn't care that most of America now sees him as a coward extraordinaire, not as long as 71% of the Republican party trust him more they they would a member of their own family.  When I saw that figure I was stunned, but only for a moment.  Just think of how these people act, and talk, and dress.  They are a cult, and Trump is, and this is something he truly doesn't understand, their Kamikaze leader.  All together, they are going to wrap themselves up in a great red MAGA flag and do a swan dive directly into history.  Believe, it can't happen soon enough.

The non-debate

 Rain is in the forecast for today.  Temps will reach the mid 60s (F) and then begin to drop. We will be chilly for the rest of the week.  That's fine.  I will turn the heat back on probably since highs are only supposed to be in the mid 50s (F).  That's cool.

Yesterday was busy.  Lawn got mowed.  2.20 miles on the treadmill.  Olive oil cake baked.  As well as the garbage being taken to the curb, several other things made it there as well, including a very old shop vac.  As usual, the pickers passed down the street overnight and many of the 'other things' were moved from the curb to the backs of pickup trucks.  Except for the shop vac.  Someone took the top vacuum section and left the bottom cannister section.  Very Interesting.

Here's a picture of the cake.  I skipped the lemon and added ricotta cheese, dried cherries, and almond extract.  It's tasty, but I should have used cream cheese rather than the ricotta, which made it overly moist.

The Republican candidates for Pennsylvania senator held a debate last evening.  Two things were apparent: 1. all 5 of them believe attacking the other candidates was more important than talking about either credentials or policy; 2 now is not the time to move on from the 2020 presidential election, though McCormack did say Biden is the problem.  Evidently Oz frequently mentioned he Trump's endorsement.  He was also the one most vehement about Trump losing Pennsylvania, so I'm guessing he had to bow down before Trump and swear eternal allegiance to The Big Lie in order to get that endorsement.

And, finally, yesterday Ron DeSantis signed a bill creating an 'election police force,' meant to ensure the integrity of elections. I don't doubt for a second that this is the Republican equivalent of the Gestapo.  You see, Ronnie wants to run for president in 2024, however his chances of success would be far less likely if he loses in his run up for a 2nd term as governor.  His every action has one purpose, to unite the Republican base in Florida.  To do that he has attacked Disney's Right of Free Speech, calling the woke.  He has also eliminated the voices of 2 voting districts whose majority was black.  He is going to do everything within his power to keep minorities away from the polls.  You see, he believes that is the only way he can win.  Prepare yourselves for The Big Lie (part 2) when he loses.

Trajectories

 And so the weekend begins.  As I type this, Biggie is lying on the floor beside me his belly filled with breakfast.  Ah, the life of a dog... or any pet for that matter who's smart enough to twist his owner tightly round his paw.  Very shortly, he will stand up and lumber into the bed which is much more comfy then the floor.

Yesterday was slow at work.  One of my measures for a tile floor installation cancelled.  This was a bit of a relief because the customer was pushing for the job to be done fast.  She's selling her house.  She had bought cheap, clearance tile (probably not enough).  Yesterday she showed up at the flooring desk saying she had found a contractor who was going to do it... today, and I said fine.  Good contractors are booked ahead and you have to wait.  Finding one who doesn't have a waiting list is a good indicator his workmanship is lacking in both reliability and quality.

Oh, and there was another debate last evening.  Didn't watch it.  I did see a few muted clips this morning with subtitles, that's the only way I can take the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Watching his eyes, however, as they slid from side to side, I could see he was looking for something to grasp onto.  His attacks weren't working.  He spit out some nonsense about Hunter Biden and Joe fired back a salvo using the 'secret Chinese bank account' as ammunition.  Neither Republican nor Democratic strategists see this last encounter as changing the trajectory of the election, especially with 42 - 48 million people having already voted.

And speaking of trajectories, I see that the Republican held Senate is most likely going to confirm Amy Coney Comquate on Monday.  This packing of the Supreme Court was supposed to help ailing campaigns and is instead turning into another Conservative Failure.  Americans want the court to be Centrist, balanced, with justices occasionally swinging to either the left or right. This is something the Republicans will never understand.  They hearts have this desperate craving to dictate and control, which is why they love their Idiot Jerk.  This is just one more stupidity which we're going to have to fix.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, Biden is being declared the winner of the final debate... as if that's any surprise.

And now finally, another pic of one of my pink dahlias.  Seeing it up close and in person it's a bit exquisite.

 

I kid you not

 While some of you are prepping for the weekend, for me? Today is nothing more than a tease.

Yesterday was kind of... odd at work.  Is it full moon?  Here's an example. (I hope you're sitting down).  A customer called, they were supposed to have flooring delivered yesterday and she was concerned because no one had called her yet.  So I checked.  The delivery date had expired.  And then I looked and saw their quote was still 'staged for register,' so I asked "did you pay for this?"  She replied, "we gave the guy at the register the paper."  Of course I asked, "did you put it on your credit card?"  And she said "no, we're supposed to be set up for monthly payments."  So I told her she needed to put the charge on her credit card, and she asked?  "And they'll send us a bill every month?"  So, I said "yes."  Then I heard her tell her husband, "we were supposed to put this on our credit card, this guy says they'll send us a bill every month."  I kid you not.

None and then I'll see something that just... sticks out, and I think I ought to mention it, like an article in The Guardian.  It seems one of the main reasons McConnell is trying to push through Amy something or other's nomination to the Supreme Court is because he doesn't want to give the media too much time to scrutinize her past because... she is really Cracker Jack Crazy.  This makes sense.

And yesterday the Idiot Jerk in the White House lashed out at... well, a lot of people, in an interview.  Like any tinfoil dictator, he's furious his political opponents haven't been indicted and put in jail. How Putinesque.  Our infamous leader also believes he won his debate with Biden, even though his approval rating dropped 4 points afterwards.  He refused to participate in a 'virtual debate' because they'll mute him so he can't interrupt.  He also claimed his treatment was a cure... it isn't.  Oh, and I guess no one told him that this 'miracle from God' was developed using aborted fetus tissue.  It was also revealed he had the doctors and staff at Walter Reed sign NDA's (non-disclosure agreements) after his secret trip there in 2019.  Oh, and his doctor (?) said he's finished his treatment, so he wants to start live rallies this weekend.  I kid you not, I can not make this shit up.

Finally, a bit of summer still blooms as we enter fall.  Here's a pic of one of my roses, oh, and that's Biggie in the background.

 

Flies Land on Shit

 For some reason or other, I keep thinking today is Friday.  I was corrected yesterday several times because I made several comments about today being Friday.  I woke this morning and had to remind myself today is only Thursday.  Mostly I think this is because I'm working 2 days and then off a day, working 2 days and then off a day.  Split days off, you know.  This is why I like my days off to be consecutive.

Here's an interesting bit:  before I hung the storm door, Big Seig would scratch the door to let me know he was ready to come back in, with the storm door in place, however, all he does is stand on the back steps and wait.

I did some designs on cellular shades for a very nice woman who had some very expensive rings on her fingers and wanted new shades for 12 windows.  The least expensive was for $122 per blind, the most expensive $535 per blind, and the middle blind cost $355.  She pointed to the one for $355 and told me she liked that style and said, "after all, it's nothing more than disposable income."  I don't know about you, but for me, almost $4000 is not 'disposable income.'

Oh, and there was a debate last evening. Against my better judgment, I started watching it, however I turned it off when Pence began speaking.  The moment he began shaking his head as Kamala was speaking, a visual way of tut, tut, tuting her like a pretentious authoritarian slovenly drunk on his own beliefs, I knew I was going to end up clicking away to something truer and wiser.  He is as unclean as his boss.  How do I know?   The fly.  Pictures and videos are everywhere.  What a striking image, a fly landing on the head of Pence as he was lying.  

I have big dogs so I have seen the truth many times over.  Flies land on shit.  We all know this.  It's why we don't want them landing on our food.  We don't want them walking up and down are skin.  They eat and then they vomit, and then they eat the vomit.  Can you think of a more visual sign as to where this administration is headed?

The Trump Train Wreck

 Holy Crap.  October 1st and the temps outside are sitting at 57(F).  This morning, rather than donning my standard warm weather gear, T-Shirt and Shorts, I reached for sweat pants and a sweat shirt.  Looking at Accuweather, I'm seeing highs in the upper 60's to low, low 70's in the coming days.  I'm fine with that.  I like snuggling under blankets.

I unpacked my new storm door yesterday.  I though the installation was going to be rather complicated, but I watched a video on YouTube - not so difficult.  In the video, one long gentleman put the dang thing in himself.  In case you didn't know, I'm constantly recommending YouTube videos to customers.  You see, people will upload just about anything, even when they make mistakes.  All you need to do is pay attention for those verbal asterisks where they say "shit, I probably shouldn't have done that."

Yesterday afternoon I made blueberry waffles.  I had waffles for dinner.  I will have waffles for breakfast this morning, and then I will freeze the rest.  I have a lot of blueberries I need to get rid of, so baking is the way to go.  Today?  Blueberry muffins.

Repercussions are flowing in from this past Tuesday's debate debacle.  The world is laughing at both us as a country and the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Der Spiegle said it was like watching 'a duel turn into a car accident.'  Actually, I think they were being kind.  This president is a walking, talking train wreck.  Who fared better?  Biden.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House might not have looked so terribly bad if, perhaps, he had waffled a little.  But, of course, Biden has been stoking that little hate engine the Idiot Jerk calls a heart for some time now.  While we didn't get the chance to see 'lava level' anger from our failed president, he showed what a slow boil looks like.  

One thing is certain, his team knows how badly he looked.  Not only did he shoot himself in his foot, he took aim at his knee, and his shoulder, and his hip and managed to hit every target.  Because of this, America is going to see the true evil of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  As Bill Kristol Tweeted, 'he's a cornered rat.'  No lie is off limits, no action out of bounds.  He is the Titanic, bow underwater, stern high in the air, and he's ready to snap in two.

Foolish Sean

 Today's the last day of September,.  It's also my first day off after working 6.  Following my SOP, I usually stay up later watching movies.  Last evening, rather than torture myself with the debates, I watched The Old Guard.  While I enjoyed this Science Fiction / Action movie, I thought the plot too simplistic: immortals fight to keep Big Pharma from getting their DNA.  At the end I realized The Old Guard was really nothing more than a 2 hour set up for a sequel.  

Oh, and evidently there was something that in very lose terms could be called a debate last evening.  As I said, I didn't watch it.  Reading through the news this morning it devolved into something less civilized than most were expecting.  While some are saying Biden, on occasion, allowed himself to get caught up in the verbal melee, most of the responsibility lands directly in the lap of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  This was a make or break event for his campaign and so he chose to be as belligerent as possible.  He interrupted Biden 73 times, according to CBS.  Many are blaming moderator Chris Wallace for not maintaining control.  Personally, I don't think there was anything he could have done other than mute the Idiot Jerk's microphone.  Maybe we should just chalk this up as a learning experience.  Next time, if there is a next time, kill the mikes.

Who won?  Across the board most are saying Biden simply because he didn't succumb to the attacks by the Idiot Jerk.  Quite satisfying to most Democrats, were those times when he called the Idiot Jerk a 'liar,' a 'clown,' and a 'failure.'  He even told him to 'shut up.,' not that the tinfoil dictator listened.  Who lost?  By most counts the American people because one of the candidates tried to forge his own, new rules about debating.  This man shoveled more lies and shit in 90 minutes than most sewage systems can handle.  Oh, and he refused to denounce white supremacy... and that's making big headlines.

Most important, Conservative pundits are admitting he failed to do that thing which was most important to him... jumpstart his failing campaign.  Oh, and when I say most I'm not including the Idiot Jerk's propaganda machine known as Fox News.  Evidently Sean Hannity love the interruptions, said the Idiot Jerk was steamrolling Biden.  Foolish Sean.  He doesn't realize that after the Idiot Jerk loses on November 3, his ass is going to be steamrolled right into court.