I am an Extroverted Empath

 Well, the weather outside is delightful with the morning temp in the mid 40s (F).  Today's high temp is supposed to be in the mid 70s (F), and by Friday we should be in the mid 80s (F).  Over the weekend, however, the bottom is predicted to drop out with overnight lows in the mid to up 20s (F).  Yes, that's right, they're predicting us to be below freezing.  The time has come to move my garden hose down into the basement.

Remember, winter is less than 2 months away.

The measure tech came and measured for my new countertop yesterday morning with some sort of apparatus on a tripod that held a large tablet.  He used lasers, and took pictures, as well as the old reliable tape measure.  He would touch the screen and it would make short, high pitched beeps.  When he was done, I dragged my finger across the screen to sign my approval.  It took him all of fifteen minutes.  If there is an adjustment in my quote, I should be getting it today.  Installation is scheduled for November 7, the day before my birthday.

I stayed up late playing Starfield, mostly because I was told I'd get a nice ship if I finished a certain number of quests.  So, I completed them and got a very nice ship that has a crew of 5.  To be honest, however, the real reason I went to bed so late was because I was having fun playing the game.  It can be very addictive!  Because part of my character build is Empath, I can sometimes persuade characters to do what I want, without having to shoot them.  That sounds bad, but it is fun!  And, of course, the fact that I'm playing as a hot ginger doesn't hurt any.

And, of course, another Speaker candidate came and went yesterday.  The Republicans inability to choose an individual is becoming tedious.  One of the things I find truly amusing is that the Spawn of Satan, Donald J. Trump, is pulling their strings.  The fact that they are giving him this power tells you all you need to know as to what their ambitions are:  a socially conservative authoritarian government in which they constantly get to say "shut up, we're in charge."  This doesn't mean that they're completely out of touch with a majority of Americans, they simply don't give a shit.  In a country in which the majority is supposed to rule, they want a minority that can dictate.  They are going to try and ignore everything that doesn't fit into the mold they're trying to fill.  Get ready, when they fail their cult is going to go nuts.

No fixing stupid

 Crap, I get to go back to work for 4 days... and the weather is supposed to be beautiful.  Today they're predicting a high of around 76 (F), which is around the perfect temperature.  In 5 days, however, when I have a mini-vacation, the temps are supposed to drop back into the 60's.  Ah, well, nighttime temps are still going to stay above freezing.  Let's hope they get the veggies in soon at the store.

I've begun the process of getting someone to see my shoulder... not the easiest thing during a pandemic.  With the VA there's no simple way to do things.  Firstly, I need to arrange for a consultation and it is that (hopefully) face to face which will be used to schedule an appointment with orthopedics.

I made oriental meatballs yesterday with lots of ginger and garlic.  They will be my lunch today and tomorrow.  I always use real garlic, rather then the salt of the powder.  If you're like me, you know that you can't use every clove in a head of garlic.  There are little ones left over, too small to chop or mince.  So, here's a bit of Dave's advice on what to do with those little cloves.  Take a pokey thing (tool) and make a hole in the ground.  Shove in the clove and cover.  And wait.  Once you see it sprouting, you know it's busily making other cloves.

And yesterday I shared a picture of my peach blossoms.  Today it's the nectarine tree.  There are lots of blossoms.  Last year the squirrels got them all.  Let's hope that doesn't happen this year.

I saw where little Stevie Miller, Loser #45's favorite racist has formed a group to fight against the ACLU when they take a case to court.  He's another loser.  This man's going to die a bitter, old man in an ever shrinking community of biased, hateful white men.  Good.

Oh, and there was an amusing article in the Washington Post yesterday regarding the 2 groups who are refusing to get vaccinated.  Not surprisingly, they are the Republicans and the White Evangelicals.  Did you see what I just did?  I named one specific group, not two.  Yes sir, I am talking about one group whos buffooneries amazing.  Obviously they don't understand the virus will take advantage of their unprotected state.  Unable to infect those who have had their shot (s), and since natural immunity is only good for 6 - 8 months, Covid will continue to circulate among them, making them sick over and over again.  Oh, well, you just can fix stupid.

Jane again, and little bit about Ginger Beer

Remember Jane?  The elderly cashier who had surgery on her vagina?  Well, there are issues with her... approach to cashiering.  Evidently on one of the days I had off she had brochure from a prominent Credit Union by her register and was using it to tell people about their credit / debit card.  Instead of talking to her about it at the time, the Head Cashier waited till she was on break and then took the brochure and gave it to another manager... who failed to talk to Jane.  And that meant I had to talk to her.  And she got very angry.  While she understands the importance of selling customers one of our credit cards, she believes that good customer service requires her to tell them about this Credit Union debit / credit card.  Wrong.  And, of course, in her mind she doesn't do anything wrong.  She is 77 years old and there is no way she can change.  She has to work because she manages her finances the same way she approaches her job, she does what she wants because in her mind she's right and you're wrong.
On a different note.... I made Ginger Beer.  Tasty, it is.  Gingery.  Really it's home made ginger ale, but it doesn't look like ginger ale.

The only thing I did wrong was not straining the grated ginger well enough, so there's some sediment in the bottom of the bottle.  The taste is great.  Oh, and it's non-alcoholic.  This is a great way to get your ginger.,, 

Ginger

With the diagnosis of arthritis in my neck, several people have come forward with both remedies and comments, some kind, some not so kind.  At work I was challenged by a man 20 years younger who said "well, I've been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, what do you think of that?"  And though I wanted to say "oh, it sucks to be you," I didn't.  I kept my mouth shut.  Now, isn't that amazing.
What I've been getting is "eat this," and "drink that," and "do this," and "do that."  One of my Navy friends told me his 86 year old father was diagnosed with arthritis at about my age.  His treatment was to take 6 alfalfa tablets 3 times a day.  I bought a bottle and discovered that alfalfa has a lot going for it.  It has a lot of 'anti' qualities, however it's also a really good diuretic.  The last thing I really want to do is to spend most of my work day standing at the urinal.
I have a prescription for naproxen, however at the dosage I would need to take I would end up with high blood pressure, and that's just one of the minor issues.
Surprisingly, one of the best anti-inflammatories out there is ginger.  I like ginger.  There was a movie out a while back named "Ginger Snaps" which had more to do with werewolves than it did the baking of cookies.

And then, of course, there is the other popular ginger, the one a lot of you think of when I say "Ginger," and while this ginger might be good for me, it's definitely not an anti-inflammatory. 

No, I'm talking about the root plant.  You know, the spicy thing?  Ginger.  I can take it by eating it or drinking it.  I actually looked up a recipe for Ginger Beer, which is non-alcoholic and is a lot like ginger ale, but with real ginger.  So, I think I'll give ginger a shot and see if it snaps back or not.