2023 - The Year the Republican Party goes Super Nova

Hello 2023.

My first load of laundry, sweat pants, is on spin dry in the new washer.  Nothing really changes, except for the last digit of the year.  Out with the 2 and in with the 3.  

Nothing changes.  Well, one thing did.  Because my neighbor died, I didn't have to listen to him shrieking Woo Hoo! as he set of a firework every 3 - 4 minutes.  Let me tell you, that gets annoying fast.  The neighborhood was quiet last night.  

There will be no traditional PA Dutch pork and sauerkraut today.  I work.  There is a pork loin in the crock pot just in case.  Normally they provide some sort of meal for those working, but we have new assistant managers and so far they've been dropping the ball.  This doesn't mean they're not going to order in pizza with ham and pineapple, I just want to be prepared.

And what's in store for 2023?  Sunshine and shadows.

Luckily, many of us are going to be on the bright side of the light.  Siding with Brian Tyler-Cohen, the Right side has already begun to implode.  Their Super Nova will begin after they seat George Santos, because he's going to be arrested.  Not only will fingers be pointed and threats will be made.  And then the indictments will begin to fall.  The MAGA cult will take to the streets in protest.  The only thing missing, at first, will be Kristi Noem and her flamethrower.  Don't worry, she and every other self-serving Republican in Congress will try and torch anything and everything connecting them to The Former Guy.

Sometimes, I almost think this whole thing has been pre-ordained, so sit back and enjoy the entertainment.  

Fresh start

I get to go back to work today.  The thrill of excitement is not rippling up and down my spine.  The next 2 months are going to be fairly slow.  It's a seasonal thing.
I did make pork and sauerkraut yesterday.  Traditional thing, you know?  It's supposed to be good luck which is a bit amusing. You see, there really is no such thing as luck, merely Probability.  This is a difficult conception for some, since they want to attribute events in their lives to either good luck, or bad luck.  Everything can be explained by mathematics.  Unfortunately, most of us don't like math.  I, personally, detest it.  I find the whole science illogical.  When I was in college I took a math course, I thought it would be easy credits.  Wrong.  I ended up taking it pass / fail, which meant I got credits but all I had to do was pass the damn thing.  Why did I have so much trouble?  My mind moves illogically.  I will be the first to admit that.  I should investigate, but I suspect this is a problem for people with a creative bent.
And, of course, yesterday being the first day of the New Year, I had to go for my first ride.  I use Rouvy training software.  And since it was the first day... of the New Year, the zeroed all of my last year's stats.

It's a little difficult to see, but they have given me a Fresh Start.
And since I've developed this interest in Scotland, I thought I'd ride through Mennock Pass.  Even though the ride is only 7.37 miles long, you climb over 1000 feet. 

And, as usual, there are dots on the map to indicate certain highlights.  In Greece it was deer running across the road.  On Mennock Pass it was a herd of sheep.  As I approached, one guy in particular chose to cross the road.

Unfortunately, he had already crossed the road by the time I grabbed my phone to take a pic.  Anyway, I now have stats for 2020.

As I said, a Fresh Start.