Merli

The outside time was 40 (F)  when I got up this morning.  Supposedly we're going to warm up into the low 70s (F) today.  That may happen.  They're calling for possible showers this evening, and then the cold front finally arrives.  While none of our predicted cold temps are down in the 30s (F), if things play out the way they're predicting, night time lows in the 40s (F) will now be standard.  So, a month after its official start, Autumn has finally arrived.

I worked yesterday.  Mondays are usually fairly busy because most of our contractors come in and make their purchases for the week.  This means most departments hit their Monday forecast.  Flooring was no exception.  I got 2 measures, one for carpet and one for vinyl planks.  The customer having the vinyl planks installed said she was hoping the install would be completed by Thanksgiving.  It will probably be done by then, but I did caution her to no rule out the possibility of delays. 

Today's going to be laundry day and bread day.  Oh, and a bike ride is scheduled for this afternoon.  While I was at work yesterday, cousin stopped in.  He's four years younger than me, but looks 4 years older.  He was surprised when I told him how much I work out.  This is why I can pass for someone younger.  To be honest, I do enjoy the reactions I get from people when I tell them how old I am.

I've been watching Merli Sapere Aude on Netflix, with English subtitles, of course.  Even though it's 4 years old, it's still quite timely.  Interestingly enough, I can still understand some of what they're saying and that after over half a century since my last Spanish class.  Perhaps it's time for a refresher.

And a day doesn't seem to pass without a new atrocity from Orangie's administration.  It is constant, and seems to be never ending.  And each day I'm surprised at just how far out of touch with the American people these desperate conservatives are; they are delusional.  Take the partial destruction of the East Wing of the White House so Orangie can build a ballroom/convention center.  The only ones who want this addition to the White House is the party of selfishness and greed, they are also the only ones happy to see the destruction of American History in order to make a buck, and it really is all about the bucks.  Honestly, the party in power does not understand that they are the Titanic sailing in iceberg filled waters, and instead of having lookouts on the mast, they're all down in the lobby playing Duck, Duck, Goose.

Drip, Drip, Drip

 It's a cold, cold world out there.  Right now the temp is 26 (F) and, if the forecasters are correct, it's only going to get about 4 degrees warmer.  Supposedly, we'll have partly sunny skies... on occasion, and snow flurries... on and off.  Tomorrow out temps will rise above freezing.  So far, this has been a much colder winter than we've been having, though remember we're not even a third of the way through it.

Yesterday was somewhat active, I did a weight training session.  That was a good thing.  Today I want to get some time in on the treadmill, tomorrow a ride on the bike.  Historically, I've always had a lax period during November and December, but then as we roll into the new year I begin to get more active again.  Possibly because the days start getting longer.  

I also set myself up to pay my sewage/garbage bill online.  I'd rather do that then send them a check every 3 months.  I hate using checks.  I processed the payment, however it hasn't hit my checking account yet.  If it doesn't hit by Friday I'll give them a call.

Last night I went to see Nosferatu.  It was... interesting.  Supposedly it's considered a horror film, but except for one small jump scare, I didn't find it frightening.  Now, that doesn't mean it wasn't intense, it was also very good... at times.  One big thing between this vampire and those in past movies is that Count Orlock doesn't go for the throat, the goes for that area directly over your heart.  That's a nifty bit of symbology, especially if you think about who he has sex with... and yes, sex is involved, though not graphically speaking.

And the Orange Anus threw a dementia party yesterday morning and all the Main Stream Media was there because there's nothing like listening to the ramblings of insanity.  He has always relied on the power of his personality to cover-up his stupidity, but at 78 his pausing to sound profound simply amplifies his declining cognition.  This man is dumb.  Here is his drip, drip, drip speech which makes no sense.  I have a high efficiency washer.  The difference between using 25 gallons of water every time you do a load of laundry and 10 gallons is amazing.  I'm glad that my water bill went down.  Of course, that threatens the earnings of the water company, and that effects the stock holders.  Ouch.  They don't care how much you pay for your water usage.  But, who in their right minds wants their water bill to go up?  In fact, who wants any of their bills to go up?  

Living to 100

 Friday has arrived with some much cooler temps.  Right now it's 53 (F) outside, but fear not for a warming trend is going to start tomorrow that will take our temps up into the middle 90s (F).  Right now the weathermen are forecasting a high of 97 (F) on Tuesday, so prepare yourselves because now that we're in September, every ying yang out there is going to begin shrieking Indian Summer. 

Much was accomplished yesterday:  weight training, as well as a bike ride.  I have a goal of 300 minutes of serious activity to hit each week; eighty minutes was done yesterday.  More will be done today.  I did have a bit of a scare after the kettlebell workout since my lower spine wasn't used to flexing in all the directions in which I needed to move.  Now that my schedule has been normalized again, I'm back to my old regime.  Also, now that school has started, I'm thinking of activating my membership at Planet Fitness.

The New York Times has done a big write-up on Starfield, not a review, but an expose on the game's development.  Other reviews are coming in and I haven't seen a bad on yet.

I did watch The Blue Zones, a documentary on Netflix and found some of it rather fascinating, especially since I've decided to live to be 100.  While there are quite a few things we can do to enrich and extend our lives, there are things we cannot change, one of the most important is our DNA.  It does help to have long lived individuals in your family.  That's something Dan Buettner fails to mention, not a word is mentioned about living siblings, or how old they were when they died.

Lots of people are talking about Zombie Mitch, and how he loses total focus at times when he's speaking.  While we've seen 2 episodes while he's speaking, but who knows how many episodes happen daily when the he's not in the public's eye.  I'm betting 2 might be just the tip of the iceberg.  One of these days he's going to have one big stroke rather than the minis we're seeing, and even then I doubt if he'd resign.

Funny thing about Trump's Georgia indictments is that every one of the defendants is trying to sever themselves, rather than have one huge trial.  Trump wanted to delay his, stupidly thinking he's going to be re-elected, while Sidney Powell, and others, are pushing for a speedy trial.  A speedy trial means a lot of the information is put into the public eye, which means Trump's going to claim he can't get a fair trial because people will have already made up their minds.  Isn't it nice to know he's in a no win situation?

 

What goes through a Fascist's mind

When is Sunday not a day of rest?  Whenever I'm scheduled to work.  Like today.  Will it be busy?  Well, it's difficult to say.  We are moving into carpet season, however, prices are what I would call exorbitant.  I was talking to a single father yesterday who wants to carpet his basement.  I did an estimate for him and he was like "woah!"  At that point I should have brought up our credit card, where he'd get 0% financing for 18 months.  I didn't because he's a single parent.  If he would have asked about our card, I'd have obliged him, but that's a decision he would need to make on his own.  He knows his finances, I don't.

We hired a new associate who rides mountain bike.  I don't mind walking mountain trails, but riding them?  Not for me.  He was telling me how he just bought some sort of shock absorber for his seat.  Knowing an opportunity when I see one, I asked him if he wanted a bike stand to do repairs and tune-ups (I bought one a few years back and used it once) and he said sure.  So, I got my stand up from the basement, dusted it off, and will hand it over to him this afternoon.

The Washington Post had a really interesting article about walking.  According to medical researches walking just 11 minutes a day will supposedly help you live longer.  While I found it interesting, I couldn't help but wonder if it was written for those who only exercise is to walk from their bedroom to their living room, with occasional forays into the kitchen to nuke a taquito or two.  By saying this, I'm not specifically targeting senior citizens, but for quite a number of them this seems to be the extent of their daily workout.  

A diminished CPAC is over.  LibsofTikTok spoke.  Her audience was non-existent. 

I can only wonder what went through her fascist mind when she looked out and saw all of those empty seats.  Was she disheartened?  Or did her hatred compensate, lie to her and tell her she's not a losing sack of shit.  

Kim Guilfoyle showed up and did her 'I wannabe a stripper dance,' to a slightly larger crowd.  Someone wondered how God's lightening bolts could have missed so badly.

And, of course, The Donald was there.  Sorry, no picture.  His crowd was larger, but it was anything but standing room only.  He spent some time attacking Ronnie D, who wasn't there.  I saw one photo of him and... well, I think he needs to hire a new makeup artist.

When I brought CPAC up to a friend, he just laughed.  This event, with it's lackluster attendance, is a visual demonstration on how the Republican party is splintering.  And stupid Ronnie DeSantis?  He's going to splinter it even more.  He's one of those desperate dumbshits who will never understand that America will never have an authoritarian government.  That thought never enters his fascist mind.

 

The Truth

So, did everybody have a nice Christmas?  Quiet?  Fun filled?  Mine was both.  The dogs each got a toy; Lily will play with them, Biggie probably not.  That doesn't mean he won't walk around with one of them in his mouth or lay on top of one to prove ownership.  The weather here in Central PA was fairly meh.  Drizzle until mid-afternoon, and then rain, with a high in the 50's (F).

I didn't hit the treadmill yesterday, not did I put any miles in on the bike.  I will compensate today, even though I'm scheduled to work.  Yepper, I'm supposed to be at the Flooring Desk from 1330 until 1900.  Those 5.5 hours are going to be excruciatingly slow.  Fear not, I shall endure knowing that I'm not scheduled to work again until Thursday.

Later on this morning I'll be hitting the treadmill while watching this.  Treaders, who's worked in Switzerland, has probably already been to Bern.  I haven't, so this will have to make do.

I have been thinking quite a lot about the Universe and how it shatters any theology claiming to have a deity responsible for it's creation.  Keep in mind, these theologies were developed when mankind believed the Earth was not only flat, but was indeed the center of the Universe.  I would have thought someone would have told these theologians our solar system is actually located on the spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy.  Oops.  So much for divine knowledge.   

I also found this nifty little article on how a certain group believes Religious Freedom only applies to Right Wing political agendas.  One of these groups is being sued because an employee chose to wear a mask, claiming it was his religious freedom.  He was eventually terminated from his position because his religious freedom was as important as his employer's religious freedom.  Kind of sounds like hypocrisy, don't it?

Big Sexy Hair

Friday! After today I'll only have 4 more days of work.  The store was relatively dead yesterday, which is surprising since this is the time of year when things begin to pick up.  Things were busier 3 weeks ago when there was all the chat about the temporary tax break the middle class was going to be getting.  I guess people started realizing that most are not going to be getting lottsa extra cash in their pay checks.
And I read an interesting article this before my morning bike ride.  The truth is America has a serious problem with slackers, not in regard to work, rather in fitness.  We are constantly being reminded... and warned, about getting fatter.  Doing less physically directly relates to aging, and the issues you, as an individual will have to deal with as you get older, and older.  Your muscles are yours to lose.  Does anybody really want to be old and frail?
Anyway, the tariffs are now a done deal.  However, if you start drilling into their wordage it doesn't take long to realize they're fairly superficial.  There are all sots of little loopholes, similar to the ones the rich are getting with their Tax Cut, which let American companies import aluminum and steel with little or now tariff.  Evidently exclusions are abundant.  Stop worrying about not being able to buy your Big Sexy Hairspray, you see, there's a work around, or an exclusion, or an exemption, what ever you want to call it.

And that exclusion is... are you ready for this?... National Defense.  The attorneys for American Aluminum Can (yes there is such a group) are hard at work.  And it's not just hair spray, these guys worry about soft drink, and beer... and, well anything that comes in an aluminum can.  And all of these products are essential for National Defense.  So, I'm wondering, how toothless are these tariffs going to be.  I'm betting the pompous turd in the White House used yesterday's signing ceremony just to fart a little pleasure towards his base.

Oh, and yesterday the Idiot Jerk had something else on his agenda.  He gathered a number of people together to discuss how violent video games create mass shooters.   Except this turned out to be closed door session.  And no one seems to be talking about what was said.  That rag for brain dead conservatives, The Drudge Report, failed to even hint such a meeting was happening.  I suspect this is because most of those involved with Drudge play video games and understand this is a generational issue, popular only with aging, non-gamers, you know?  Like the Idiot Jerk.
And why use Big Sexy Hair?  I wouldn't be surprised if that were the spray of choice for the failed president in the White House.

Mango / ginger smoothie

So part of the new regime with the new schedule is fitness.  Free Weights.  Cycling.  The good stuff.  That also includes improving my diet.  Before, with the need to have a fully flexible schedule, I rarely ate at the same time.  No more.  Dinner is always at the same time every day.  Not having to go to work until 10:30 means I can get a workout in, today it was free weights, followed by a mango / ginger smoothie.  I use white grape juice to sweeten it up.  Delicious.

And on the funny side, Nordstrom's stock went up after dumping Ivanka.  What a great indicator of how... pedestrian her taste actually is, not up to the caliber of women with taste.  Of course I've always suspected most of her brand was being bought by women who wanna be... Trump like.  Now I know that doesn't make sense, but there it is.  In fact, I find it interesting that more retailers are dumping the Ivanka brand.  Such a shame....  well, not really.  As I said, his is the funny side.

Declutter this

Like many corporations these days, the one I work for offers several ways in which associates can reduce the amount they pay for their health care.  For example, non-smokers receive a $20 incentive every month tacked onto their paycheck.  Unfortunately they don't go that extra step to verify you are a non-smoker, most likely because it would require a pee test.  I suspect it's because the cost of having those non-smokers dribble a few drops in a little vile in order to verify their veracity isn't worth the logistical expense.  Pee may not be as cheap as we think.

In the past, they have also given an additional $50 per month incentive if you participated in a "hidden health screening," where they do some blood work to check you cholesterol, triglycerides, and sugar. I always pass because, as my personal physician says, I have good genes.  Translate this to read "I can eat a gallon of real ice cream every week without having adverse effects."  The only thing I have to worry about is the weight, and if I worked out more I wouldn't have to worry about that.  This year, however, to get that extra moola in your check you also need to participate in a Health Challenge.  There is no way to option out.  So, being the cheapy I am, I signed up.

The challenge is broken down into 3 areas: exercise, diet, and stress reduction.  Starting July 10 I will need to sign in and provide answers to questions in order to earn points.  Of course there is no real tracking here.  There is no audit process for those taking the challenge.  Oh, and the questions are rather simplistic.

Which BMI would you prefer?

I can't make note that I ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia this afternoon, but I can click the button recording the fact that I ate 6 helpings of fruits and vegetables.  I can report that I did at least 30 minutes of "moderate exercise," but I can't let them know I did 45 minutes on the elliptical followed by 20 minutes of free weights.  The "stress reduction" bit is more then a little amusing with questions like:  "Did you simplify you finances?" and "Did you take 15 minutes to declutter?"  Usually I declutter every morning, before I take a shower.

The 'challenge' runs for two months.  In order to continue to receive the incentive you need to participate for at least 3 weeks.  Since they are doing it from the privacy of their own homes, associates can be as honest or dishonest as they like.  I'll bet a gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream many of them will fudge it.  Me?  I'll give them the facts as best as I am able.  Do you think they really care if, right after I publish this, I'm going to chow down on a large pepperoni pizza?  Nah.  Most likely those in charge are gambling that many of those participating will fail and the corporation will end up saving some money.  Hey, maybe they could use the money they save to pay for a pee test.

Retirement - waiting for the fun to begin

Even though it will not be happening soon, I usually tell people that when I do retire I want to move to the south of France where I can drink wine and ride my bicycle.  My brother keeps asking me if I'm serious and I always reply 'yes.'  Of course, being a realist I understand those plans may never come to fruition.  I may end up spending my senior years in Central Pennsylvania, which is a world away from the south of France.  No matter where I am, I do plan on having an enjoyable time.  Quite often I tell people there are only two times in your life when you can be, for the most part, carefree.  The first happens when you're a child.  The second occurs when you leave the work force, which is why rarely does a day pass when I don't think about not having job responsibilities; when I don't think about all the things I can do that are not work related.

A number of years ago, the dental assistant who cleaned my teeth retired.  When I asked what her plans were she told me "I'm going to sit on my porch swing and read."  I felt really sad for her because there was so much more she could be doing.  For a lot of people, however, that is how they define retirement.  They feel they've put in their time.  This is true, but don't turn yourself into a fossil.  Why would you want to become a relic?  My Dad did that and died 6 years after he retired.  If your idea of bliss is sitting in a chair watching television you've kind of missed the point.  Retirement shouldn't be defined by the cessation of all activity, rather it should be considered a new direction in which to channel your energy.  Do something physical.  Use your muscles.  And don't complain.  Holy Shit, I am so tired of hearing seniors list their ailments as though they're merit badges they've earned by being old.  Working in a retail position where people need to wait to have paint mixed, I hear them daily.  You have no idea how many times I want to ask if they want cheese with that whine because I know every person they've talked to has heard about their problems.

Nice little area in the south of France

You can call me unsympathetic if your want, I don't care.  You see I believe the real problem for these people who just want to shut down, and those who change careers from one of working to one of complaining, is that none of them actually sit down and think about what retirement means.  All sorts of possibilities open up once you are no longer a permanent associate relying on a weekly paycheck.  Time becomes something you can spend on all those things you couldn't do for the past forty some years.  Get on a bicycle and ride it, even if your pedal is slow.  Write a novel, climb a mountain, learn to play the drums and have fun.  When I look at my future retirement I see all the chances in the world opening up and I may sell my house and move to the south of France where I can drink wine and ride my bicycle. 

Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Happy New Year!

This is how my blog is going to work: entries will be posted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The intention is to get people off their fat, lazy asses and start doing something physical.  Fat cats die young!  So get out of your chair, go to where ever you have your scale and strip down naked and climb on, let's see how many fat, naked pounds are weighing you down.

Tomorrow's topic:  weighing in