Travel Insurance

 Yesterday was beautiful.  We reached a high of 77 (F).  That was fine.  My lawn was mowed, leaves were raked, and pruning was completed on the rose bushes out front.  I've even weeded a bit.  Today, however, the overcast skies with their showers are back.  Tomorrow the forecast is simple:  rain.  That means next week I'll be mowing my lawn again.

The passport photo went well.  Maybe I'll scan one of the pictures and post it here.  Me without glasses.  I do look somber.  I suppose that's because most people don't smile, or at least not as much as we think we do.  That's something I was thinking about at work the other day, that I seem to be smiling less frequently.  But then I don't know.  I don't really spend a lot of time thinking about smiling.  So many things are running through my head, most of which are not happy, smiley thoughts, and I wonder if I've always been like this?  Probably.  Most people don't smile, unless they have a reason.

I need to get travel insurance for my trip to Greece, so I was shopping for options yesterday.  Simple coverage is not that expensive, it's when you add in the cost of getting a cancelation reimbursement that sends it through the roof.  It would be nice to be reimbursed should something happen and the trip would get canceled.  However, once I started looking at the exceptions that weren't covered, that I began to question if it truly was worth the cost.  My cousin and her husband were supposed to go to Israel and of course the war happened.  Now, the insurance company is making they jump through all sorts of hoops to get their refund, you see the insurance company still wants them to go.

The tulips at the side of the house.

Of course, Arizona's Supreme Court using an 1864 law to set a precedent on abortion in the state is roiling the Republican party big time.  I find it rather humorous.  For decades, the Republican party has catered to the the anti-abortion crowd because they saw this group as a constant, steady voting bloc.  Now that they're getting their way, the RNC has realized that all their catering is now cratering their candidates in local and state elections.  How smart is that?  But then, no one ever said the GOP was smart.  The truth is they never really thought about it.  Their only goal has been to get themselves into power.  To do that, they have turned, and twisted, and jerked themselves into all sort positions to satisfy fringe groups in order to get themselves elected.  Now... well, it seems as though they're starting to realize they've been shitting in their pants for years, and it's the American voters who are going to change their dirty diaper.  Republicans have always been more desperate than smart.

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.

Survival of the Fittest

 Okay, so Wednesday has arrived.  I get to go back to work tomorrow.  I'm not excited.  This is how it goes.  When I sit down at the flooring desk, I know there is work I will need to catch up on... sales calls that will need to be made.   Making calls is not one of the highlights of the day.  Most of the time they go into voicemail.  The message I leave is always the same, and quite often it elicits the same response.  Very few people return calls.  Too many people initiate the process without understand the cost involved.  Carpet estimates are always close, but laminate?  Or hardwood?  Or vinyl?  Sometimes those estimates aren't even in the ballpark because those products require smooth and fairly level floors.  Like people, as homes age things begin to sag.

I want to mow my lawn later this morning.  For the first time in years we seem to be getting April showers... and everything is green and growing.  My tulips are beginning to bloom.  Nice.  Now if only I could get a hold of some veggies to plant.

Peonies are in the background

I was talking to my friend Betsy last evening, telling her how, with so many getting vaccinated, the virus was going to begin cycling among the unvaccinated masses, you know, the Republican / Evangelicals.  And I reminded of Darwin's theory regarding the survival of the fittest, however in this case fit does not mean surviving Covid over and over again, but rather those smart enough to be vaccinated.  She had to laugh when I told her we were actually living through evolution.

Of course, more and more corporations are joining the complaints against Republican sponsored voting limitations.  It's in their best interest to keep their customers happy.  An unhappy customer will take his business elsewhere (I'm in retail, remember).  Republicans have never understood Customer Service.  Their egos get in the way.  Yep.  They are all too much like Loser #45.  As a result, they're going to partisan themselves out of politics, where the survival of the fittest award does not go to 'no' saying diehards.

His own Worst Enemy

So, I see it's Wednesday.  I am very pleased to report I accomplished a lot yesterday, my goals were met.  Ain't that a nice thing to say.  Hell, I even finished all of my laundry for the week.  I dug up all of the old tulip bulbs and planted gladiolas, as I said yesterday - the pastel mixture.  I need to mow the lawn today and wack the weeds.  Fun stuff!
I also got my 'mail in ballot' yesterday.  If you have the ability to mail in your ballot, do it.  Can we talk about convenience here?  How often have you gone to vote and discovered names on the ballot you didn't recognize?  With a mail in ballot, you can sit down at your computer and take a few minutes to discover who those people are, people who don't have large campaign funds, candidates who might better suit your own beliefs.  My ballot is getting mailed on my way to Giant this morning.
Biggie has an inter-digital cyst between 2 of his toes. It doesn't seem to bother him, but I don't want to take any chances.  We all know how expensive visits to the Veterinarian can be so I Googled 'treatment.'  The first thing I learned was that they're not really cysts, rather they're inflamed blood vessels.  Treatments abound, including soaking the paw in Epsom Salts for ten minutes twice a day...  That had me laughing.  Can you imagine Biggie soaking his foot?  He weighs 118 pounds.  Soaking is not an option.  However, the most popular remedy I saw was... are you ready for it?  Preparation H.  I guess if it can reduce the size of hemorrhoids it can reduce the size of inflamed blood vessels between the toes.
Oh, and I made pork fried rice last evening.  It was delish.

Of course, Fauci talked to the Republican Senate yesterday... only Republicans, because they thought they could control his responses.  They failed.  People trust him, they don't trust the Republican Senate.  They've spread their legs too often for the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Speaking of the Idiot Jerk, more and more we are hearing how this pandemic is frazzling him.  Not that he's concerned about people dying... not in the least.  However, he needs to wallow in praise and glory and that's not happening.  In fact, just the opposite is taking place.  His lies are not only being questioned daily, they're being turned into rapier sharp headlines that stick deeply into his leathery hide and hang there like scabs.  People complain Biden isn't attacking the Idiot Jerk... they don't understand this Idiot President is his own worst enemy.

On Cue

For the life of me, I don't know why I kept thinking yesterday was Saturday, perhaps because the store was relatively busy.  We are slowly going to be increasing our hours, staying open later.  As I said, on Monday, May 18 my schedule goes back to a full 40 hours a week.  This means I'll be having to adjust my rides to later in the day; 40 - 60 minutes is their stand length.
I was in Lombardy, riding along the shore of Lake Garda yesterday and it's simply beautiful.  I couldn't help but think, however, that Lombardy was one of those regions of Italy hit so hard by Covid 19.  What a shame.
A bit about Tara Reade...   Interesting.  Back, when her allegation started making press, I did some minor research.  She had claimed that she had filed a complaint at the time of the incident, however there was no documentation this happened.  Since her initial complaints, the details of the incident have become more salacious.  Christine Blasey Ford's accusations against Bret Kavanaugh never evolved.  But for Reade, what was once a grope has now become fingers inserted into her vagina.  As I said, this is interesting.  She alleges the assault happened in a hallway when she was delivering a duffel bag to him.  The details have now become rather lurid.  And this is an election year.  And Sanders supporters are now calling on Uncle Joe to drop out of the race.  And Reade didn't really begin to forcefully speak out until after Sanders dropped out of the race.  True, Uncle Joe has a reputation for being a little touchy feely, but... as I said, this whole thing is interesting.
And speaking of Bernie.  He's a bit burned because New York cancelled their primary.  He was hoping to get a few more delegates.  He sees them as a bargaining chip to force Biden to swing farther to the left.  Now, that ain't happening.  Cue Tara.
And I know there are those out there who are waiting for an update on Glen.  I wish I could say he was blooming, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  He does, however, seem to be thriving.

I look forward to seeing how he will dress himself... herself... itself up next year, since he is the offspring of a bulb.  The yellow tulip in the background?  That's what his... her... its parents were hoping for and instead they got... Glen.  Is his bulb angry?  I have no idea.  That happens, you know.  Wanting something so terribly bad and then being terribly disappointed.  This is how grudges are formed.  Does the bulb hold a grudge?  Well, I guess we'll have to wait until next year.

Dumb as a Brick

It's Friday!  It's Friday?  wait, where are the happy dancing gifs?  it's the end of the work week!  The weekend!  If you live in Georgia you can now legally go get a massage.  Or, if the mood strikes you, get a nice 'tramp stamp' that's going to start sagging in about 7 or 8 years!  Joy of joys!
Can you all wait a sec while I stop and take my temperature?
There, that didn't take long did it?  96.8 degrees (F).  Yep, I'm a cold one.  Later in the day I'll heat up to 97 (F).  I've never taken my temperature after riding the bike, but I wouldn't doubt if I didn't happen to heat up to 98.6 (F) which would make me normal for a short time.
Yesterday was a bit odd.  I gathered shopping carts from the parking lot twice.  We spray them down before we let the customers touch them.  I had an Asian woman call about ordering flooring.  She bought enough for one room about a year ago.  Bruce Hardwood flooring no longer sells that color.  She has called numerous times and talked to everybody at the flooring desk at least 3 times.  Yesterday I gave her the Bruce Hardwood phone number, maybe they can help her.
And the Idiot Jerk asked if injecting disinfectant might be a solution to the Covid - 19 crisis.  You know, shoot a little Top Job, or Mr. Clean up into the veins?  The response he got was brilliant: "That would kill a lot of people."  The Idiot Jerk in the White House is dumb as a brick.
I think it's funny that even by not actually running a campaign, Joe Biden is kicking the Idiot Jerk's ass in the polls.  Even Rasmussen, a poll that has always had a soft spot for Conservatives, is giving Biden a 'thumbs up.'  This is really bad for the Idiot Jerk.  Having his ass fired by the American people is beyond his belief.   This is what happens when you surround yourself with 'yes men' who constantly agree with your point of view and steer you away from reality.
Biden has suggested the Idiot Jerk might try and have the November election postponed.  Sadly for the Idiot Jerk, the Constitution does not permit that.  Also, keep in mind, that a few short weeks ago the Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin could not delay its Primary Election.  That set a precedent.  Damn!  Republicans have never ever been too smart.  They have always relied on lies and deceit.  The Idiot Jerk is going down.  So is his Party.
And now, for something lighter.  I was out taking pics yesterday of my tulips.  Lo and behold, I snapped one with an itty, bitty spider on one of the petals.

Nifty, huh?

The Price for being a Protester

Sunday, because of Social Distancing, is going to actually be a day of rest for some, but not as many as you think.  Take me, for example, I get to go in and work.   Not being the religious type, working on Sunday doesn't bother me.  Normally the store is slow until around noon, then we usually get the after church crowd, of course Covid - 19 has eliminated attendance for most.  We will have to see how today shakes out.
We now have Plexiglas spit guards at all registers, the Service Desk, and the paint desk.  Employees feel much safer.  They are a large, visible reminder we're dealing with a serious issue.   Conservatives don't like them, but the Conservatives don't wear face masks either.  I had a very large customer in the Flooring department yesterday who told me the numbers were wrong, they weren't nearly as high as the media was saying.  He referenced Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, not wearing a mask when he gave his coronavirus update.  I desperately wanted to say "Hey, Fat Boy, you're in a very high risk category.  You need to take this seriously," but I didn't.  I chose decorum over trying to educate this oaf.
In fact, if you look at a those protesters complaining, a lot of them seem to be on the jowly side.  And really, if you boil down their complaints there is just one thing that stands out.  These are selfish people who hate control.  They want to do what they want.  Personally, I think we should let the Idiot Jerk have his way, let his base gather together, and infect together, and when they start dying together they're going to say "Oh, Shit."  In fact, those might be their 2 last words as they become less vote he can tally in the fall.
Speaking of protesters, we had some at the store yesterday.  Not in the store, per se, but in the parking lot across the street.  As I left work, I saw 7 pickup trucks parked diagonally.  The last one was flying a large blue flat with the Idiot Jerk's name on it.  No one was gathering around them.  Everybody was driving past.  While the media may be talking about them, keep in mind they are a very, very small group of people making a lot of noise.  In 2 weeks, when the states begin relaxing their restrictions, what are they going to protest?  The body count is not going to stop.  Social distancing is going to stay in place.  And they will, slowly get sick.  This is the price of being one of the Idiot Jerk's protesters.  This is how evolution works.
It's cold right now.  My outdoor thermometer show a temp of 31 (F) and that's not going to be good for my tulips.  When I got home from work yesterday one of them had either snapped off because of the wind... or, a bunny had chewed away the stem.  Remember,  I live in bunny hell.  Any way, I brought it inside and stuck it in some water. and it opened up.  Here's one of my tulips.

Wow!

Meet Glen

Well, it's Thursday and I go back to work.  I checked yesterday and my schedule has been adjusted all the way to May 10, no more than 5 hours a day.  This is fine with me.
I ordered one of these seamless face-mask / bandannas since I have a feeling they're going to become very stylish and necessary in the future.  Mine has a different pattern.

Tres chic, eh?
For those who didn't see, Kellyanne Conway was demonstrating her ignorance on Fox and Friends yesterday.  No one told her the '19' in Covid - 19 comes from the year the virus made its appearance, 2019.  She believes there were 18 previous iterations.  And those boom boom brains on the Idiot Jerk's favorite show nodded sagely, "oh, yes, oh yes," because the segment was focused on attacking the WHO.  Can we talk about fake news here?
Remember Tuesday when the Idiot Jerk demonstrated to the world how unhinged he truly is?  When he took us into his twisted fantasyland where he's been on top of this whole thing from the very beginning?  Despite his trying to rewrite history on that day, something else happened.  Remember that election in Wisconsin?  The one that couldn't be delayed because the Conservatives in our Supreme Court were hoping Democrats were going to go out and vote... and possibly get sick?  Well, that turned out to be a very bad decision for Conservatives.  You see, those Democratic voters were also voting for a brand, new Supreme Court Justice for the state.  The result was a landslide victory for Liberal Democrat.  The Conservative candidate, the one the Idiot Jerk had been pushing, lost badly.  Ouch.  The Liberal beat the Conservative by over 120,000 votes.  Ouchy!  Ouch!  You can bet the Idiot Jerk must have been seething at receiving such a smack in the face.
And finally, there's a mutant in my yard.  That's right.  Yesterday I was taking pics of my flowers when I spied him... her... it.  Something went genetically wrong.  Being different can be... heartbreaking.  I wanted to be sure she... it... he knew I was being supportive, so I gave.... it (?) a name.  Meet Glen.

The tulip that couldn't decide if it... he... she wanted to be a flower or a leaf.

The Imbecile

Okay, it's Sunday.  For some odd reason I set my alarm for 0430, 15 minutes earlier than my normal time.  I know most of you are still deep in REM sleep at that time, but I'm a morning person.
I do get to work today.  Our blue competitor is closed, a combination of Covid - 19 and a Faux Holiday.  This means those planing on going there for their Landscaping Religious Experience will becoming to our store.  Like certain religious groups, they don't really care if it's orange or blue, as long as they get their fix.  When they get to our store, they're going to be waiting in a line.  No more than 100 at a time in the store.  Let me tell you, that seems like a lot of people, but it isn't when your spread them out.
Yesterday I posted signs in my department regarding samples.  If a customer wants a sample to take home, they need to see one of the specialists.  The samples are still there... for now, but they will be going away... soon.  This is because those 4 x 4 inch pieces of vinyl, and carpet, and laminate get picked and put back by countless fingers.  They get breathed on, and fingered by people who don't really give a shit about what's going on in the world.  We call them Republicans.
One thing I find sadly amusing is this notion people have picked up that Covid - 19 is going to peak at a specific time.  You know?  Like the doodle brain who claimed it was going to be gone by April 18.  I hear people saying "it's going to peak next week."  I always ask "where?"  They don't seem to understand it progresses at different rates of speed through different communities.  Social distancing will slow it down, but it is still going to be spreading.
Another dingleberry idea floating around is that Covid - 19 is going to go away once the temperatures warm up.  Does the common cold go away when it gets warm?  Have you ever had a summer cold?  They always say summer colds are the worst.  For those who don't know, the common cold is caused by a coronavirus.  That's right.  Coronaviruses are not new to the world.  The fact that cases are showing up in places like Yemen, a hot, dry country, suggest Covid - 19 might be more like its country cousin the common cold, rather than SARS of MERS.
As time goes on, the voices are growing louder regarding the Idiot Jerk's administrations total failure in regard to this crisis.  They were being warned back in November and... nothing.  You see, the imbecile the Evangelicals put into the White House had a gut feeling this was nothing more than fake news trying to make him look bad.  Now that imbecile is on TV daily giving his little briefings... Dumb shit, he has no clue the ratings are high because people are tuning in for Birx and Fauci... not him.  That connection will never be made in his brain.  What a sorry state this egomaniac has put this country in.
Finally, I planted about 80 bulbs in a bed out front.  They're beginning to bloom.  They are going to be very pretty.  And just think, I haven't planted the Zinnias or the Dahlias yet.

Low-Hangers

In case you didn't know it, we have 3 weeks left until Spring comes knocking at our door.  There are those who warn with a threatening finger "we can still have a bad snow storm."  Sure, but this late in the season we know what ever snow we get is not going to be hanging around for 6 months.

I ordered more plant cages for the bulbs out front.  They arrived yesterday.  My bulbs are already shoving their hungry little leaves up through the dirt.  There are either 60 or 80 tulips and some other things planted.  The other things have puffy blue flowers.  I threw the bag top away so until I see them bloom, I'm calling them Puffy Blue Flowers.  Also there are the Dahlias.  And this year Zinnias will be planted.  I am looking forward to spring.

Not surprisingly, Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary.  He trounced Bernie badly.  Others were trounced even worse.  Tom Steyer, realizing the door to his political future has shut, dropped out of the race.  Now a few of the other low-hangers need to do the same.  Oh, sorry about that.  I forgot that for some of you 'low-hangers' means something totally different then an unpopular political candidate.

Now, wasn't it nice of me to keep things rated PG?

Anyway, I saw where the Idiot Jerk said something about the spreading Coronavirus being the Democrats next great hoax... and then yesterday the US had it's first death.  And they're fairly certain there is an outbreak in a nursing home.  Ooops.  And the military is not looking at curtailing some operations because of a... hoax.  There is a set of really big low-hangers right in front of him (not the political kind) and he is continually running blindly into them.  What he really needs to do is reach out and embrace them.  Well, that'll never happen.  Actually, the idea of him embracing a set of low-hangers is rather revolting.  We just need to sit back and let the Coronavirus do the job it was intended to do.

The Fan... the Birds... and Shooting Wieners

Ah, Tuesday.  I could really get used to working 32 hours a week, unfortunately we're beginning to move into our busy season, which means I'll be getting scheduled the requisite 40 hours of a full time associate.
Today's garbage day.  Yesterday I'd taken out the old ceiling fan and set it along the curb to be picked up this AM.  Well, it did get picked up.  Someone took the fan motor, but broke off the fan blades and left them behind.  This is life.
Anne Marie wanted to see pics of the new fan, so here it is:

And just think, it spins.

Looks like a jewel, doesn't it?

And it puts out a nice breeze

And at medium speed the blades open, the way a tulip blooms.  I will admit that I have thought tipping the petals with a little, color might add a bit of pizzazz.

Yesterday, as well, the birds came to town.... turkey buzzards.  We have a lot of them around here, and they are very big - probably 18 inches tall when standing up.  When I saw one sitting on the garage roof next door, I grabbed my camera and headed outside.  And, of course, the dogs went along to bark.

Lily Flies

As you can see by the shadows, all 4 of Lily's feet were off the ground.

And, finally, I have to say that I like Armie Hammer, in spite of his name.  He's a handsome man who for years has been trying to prove he can act.  Wisely, he got himself cast in a gay coming of age film and set the critics buzzing.  So, how does Armie celebrate?  Wear a red velvet tuxedo to the Oscar ceremony and run around with a hot dog cannon.

shooting wieners

Gimme a break... what's not to like?