Storm Damage

Outside, our temps is a comfortable 70 (F) and the humidity is gone.  Today is supposed to be nice and sunny, and, since today is Sunday, I have to work.  This is a pisser since I do have... yardwork* that needs to be tended to.  The rest of the week is supposed to be nice and sunny, with daily highs in the low to mid 80s (F) with no humidity.  This means that I'll have plenty of time to do my tending.

I postponed my workout for yesterday morning.  My knee was feeling a bit cranky.  I'm thinking of not renewing my Trainwell subscription when it expires at the end of August.  I'm looking at what expense I have and the fact that I am, as I get older, working less and less.  This means starting to rely on my social security, something I'm loathe to do at this point.  Even though it's easy to rationalize spending over $500 for an online trainer, I do realize that sometimes the rationalization is being forced.

And at work we discovered that there was an improvement in the recording of our sales goals.  There was a time when if you set up a measure for installing blinds and someone else built those blinds, you would both get credit.  That disappeared.  Well, it seems that corporate has decided to bring that back, so yesterday when I checked out my sales I had a nice little $3000 credit.  This is a good thing.

*The yardwork.  Last night we had some storms come through.  We got the warnings for lightning striking, but nothing on the high winds and torrential rain.  Well, we got all three: lightning strikes, high winds, and torrential rains.  We lost power for about 10 seconds.  Then this morning when I went to let Howie out, I saw that there was also storm damage.  Several large tree limbs were ripped from the maple trees on the hill behind my house.  The back corner of the fence was smushed; that'll be an insurance claim.  Of course, Howie was delighted.  I could almost hear his little heart singing, "look at all of those sticks, sticks, sticks!"  I got rid of my chainsaw years ago; it was broken, and though I do have my saw on a stick, it's no match for these limbs.  My brother has chainsaws, but he hasn't used them in years, and they run on gas.  I sent out a number of texts and, probably not surprising, none of my friends happen to own a chainsaw.  This means I'm going to have to buy one.  Shit.

On the political scene, it seems as though Lisa Murkowski is going to vote against all legislation that contains the Save Act.  Lisa's not running for re-election.  She has also been served up several plates of shit even though she's been a loyal Republican.  Obviously, Lisa has been reading the Tea Leaves.  If she wants to run again in 2029, she knows she's going to need to get on the side of the majority of Alaskans, who now hate the Orange Anus.  Without McConnell's vote, the Republicans need every vote to pass any legislation.  This is a good thing.

Prepare yourselves, the Iran war is about to go from bad to worse.

It's Getting Worse

 Happy Friday, for those of you who don't work the weekend.  The temp was 64 (F) when I got up, which was around 0530.  Showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for both this afternoon and tomorrow.  Sunday, however, appears to be a washout.  That's if the forecasters are correct.  I work both days so it doesn't really both me.  We could use the rain.

I did work yesterday.  When I checked the figures for the week we hadn't been making plan, but yesterday was different.  Most departments were bringing in revenue.  Millwork, however, had a big window sale go through which was going to push us over the top.  Will we make up our loss for the week by this coming Sunday?  It's anybody's guess.

Some yardwork is planned for the day, but most of my time will be spent polishing up The Body in History.  Sometimes I love this stage, and then there are others when I dislike it immensely.  The dislike arises when I'm anxious to start working on the next story.  By this time, I've usually decided who's going to be murdered next, and how that victim is going to die.  So, the question I'm pondering is will it be Carey Murgatroyd in the musical mystery, or someone else who becomes a body in the shadows.  You can do so much with shadows, an it might be fun to work with shade.

Regarding The Body in History, you might want to ask yourself if this taverna was the inspiration for the Kraken's Grotto.

So, for those of you who didn't think it could get any worse, yesterday's shit show was... bad.  Let's see, Waltz is out as National Security Advisor.  He's now nominated to be the US Ambassador to the United Nations.  Just wait for that Senate confirmation hearing.  And Little Marco is now both the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor.  I remember when he used to smile, that never happens now.  He's as warty as a toad in his praise of the Orange Anus.  I don't know what dirt they have on him, but it must be bad.  Possible there was more truth in his attending gay orgies than some of us believed.  But the worst was definitely Kennedy saying, during the televised cabinet meeting, that the Department of Health and Human Services was the greatest trafficker of children in the world during the Biden administration.  The horror is that there are stupid people out there who will believe him.

Wine Time

 Well, here it is, Hump Day, or, as I like to call it, the middle of the week.  The weather is almost glorious.  Temps are going to be up into the mid 70s (F) again today, and tomorrow as well.  Sunshine is abounding.  We have the same forecast for tomorrow, and... damn, I have to work.  That means I'll need to get more yardwork done today.  Of course, there's always Friday.

An yesterday was a good day.  Much was done, including a mowing of the verge, that's my lawn.  Two loads of laundry were washed and hung out on my drying rack to dry.  I planted the bean sprouts and Howie immediately dug 3 of them up.  He finds running around with them in his mouth quate enjoyable for some reason.  He's back to eating his dogfood. This is a good thing.

New neighbors moved into the big apartment on the hill to my right, Cathy and  John.  They are in their mid 50s and so far seem nice.  Chatty.  She likes to sit on their deck and talk on the phone, loudly.  This means I can hear her conversations.  Yesterday she was talking to her mom about meds.  They spent at least 5 minutes talking about Dristan, though they never mentioned if they meant the pills or the nasal spray.  Evidently her father, who seems to have died, preferred Dristan to everything else.

And my box of Josh Cellars wine arrived yesterday.  Someone asked me if Eli and Max would drink this wine.  The answer is most definitely.

In case you have heard yet, the Orange Anus is going to substantially drop the tariffs against China.  That's right, obviously the Art of the Deal for him is caving.  I guess he must not have been holding the right cards.  Is it me, or does it seem as though he's been doing that a lot here lately?  Remember how he was going to broker a truce in the Ukraine on day one?  Now?  This phony is pulling out of the negotiations, probably because no one kissed his ass the way he'd been expecting.  

Isn't it interesting how the Pope died and suddenly the movie Conclave has become extremely popular?  I saw it in the theater and was hoping it would win the Oscar for best film.  

And, in case you missed it, Bimbo Bondi held a press conference regarding the Bias Against Christianity bone Trump is throwing to the Evangelicals.  Probably her least surprising statement was that the FBI was investigating several Catholic parishes because "there's so much crime there."  If you remember back when this Christianity hokey pokey was announced, I said they'd go after the Catholics.  I'm wondering how Sammy Alito's feeling now that they're pissing in his own, personal cup of wine?

Mr. Grumpy goes to Court

 Forecasters are saying we're going to have a bright and sunny day here in Central PA, and I will openly admit that I'm up for it.  Tis the season of yardwork.  Now that I'm in a short hiatus between beasties (dogs), I'm going to reseed the area of lawn inside the fence.  So, today I'm going to take my weed wacker out and decimate a large section.  Our temps are predicted to climb into the mid 70s (F), which is just fine and dandy with me.  

I did work yesterday.  It was sooooo slow.  Last week's sales figures are equal to what they were prior to the Covid lockdown.  Of course, Wall Street is demanding that we force 5% growth, so corporate is trying to squeeze water from a stone.  To my surprise, yesterday was the first time I heard one of the most conservative associates in my department complain about pricing. OSB (particle board) is selling for over $33 a sheet.  He knows it's terribly overpriced, and complained that with such high prices we're never going to hit our planned sales.  This is something Wall Street is eventually going to have to come to grips with, 5% growth year after year is unsustainable.

Anyway, I'm thinking of g3etting rid of the dog sofa in the writing room.  It's old, been used by 3 dogs, and no matter how much you clean it, the stains are never going to come completely out.  If I call Waste Management, they will pick it up with the garbage, I've just got to get some strong arms to help me get it out of the house.  Maybe I'll replace it with a small dining room set.

And then yesterday Mr. Grumpy went to court.

I was working, so I had to rely on social media for most of my trial updates, and even those were amusing.  Some people began calling him Don Snoreleone because he fell asleep, though there's no evidence that he actually started snoring.  He will try to turn the next coming days into a constant campaign stop the same way he did his daily Covid briefings.  And the speeches he's going to make?  A broken record of complaints, skipping back over and over again in an endless whine of repeat, repeat, and repeat.  I had to laugh when I heard he wanted to stand next to the judge while potential jurors were being questioned.  He so desperately needs to be seen as a person of authority.  And it was also reported that he had some terse moments with his attorney.  He wants to play armchair attorney, which will help to incriminate him even faster.  And I also had a big hoot when I saw the list of witness.  Giuliani.  Steve Bannon.  This is more like a league of liars than anything else.  I'm not that familiar with what they can and can't do in a Federal trial, but if they can claim the 5th, they will.  Of course, that never sits well with the jury. 

The Branch

 We have rain.  The temps are supposed to hover in the lower to mid 70s (F) today.  That will be nice after the early spring heat wave we've been going through.  If the forecasters are correct, however, Tuesday our temps should only climb into the mid 50s (F).  That's a little too cool, if you get my drift.  

Yesterday was filled accomplishments.  The yardwork I completed was par excellence.   The only thing I didn't get done was some work on the fish tanks.  Being that for most of this morning we're going to have rain, I'm not worried. 

And, speaking of yardwork, I did cut down a big branch from one of the maple trees on the hill behind the house.  It 8 inches in diameter.  That thickness is bigger than my sword on a stick is supposed to tackle, still, I didn't see why I couldn't give it a go since gravity was hanging heavily on the branch.  Five minutes after I began sawing, the branch came down.  It has now been cut into many smaller pieces.  And stacked halfway up the hill.  Tuesday, once things dry out from today's rain, I be moving it to the top of the hill where it can slow recycle back into the ground from which it came.

And the NRA is having a convention in Indiana.  Donald, the Orange Anus, spoke, outlining his fascist agenda and the crowd loved him.  They cheered.  They like to call themselves Conservatives, but they're not, baby fascists is more like it.

Mike, is my slip showing, Pence also spoke... and was booed.  Does anyone think he learned anything?  Probably not.  That would mean he was able to learn, something he is incapable of doing.  He no doubt gathered with his advisors afterward for one of those Holy Shit discussions.  

Finally, Mike Pompeo told the nation he was not going to be running for president.  He actually muttered some inanity about hating to disappoint certain people...  You'll notice, he didn't say what country those people lived in.

No Beef in Meatball Ron

 According to Accuweather, our heat wave will end tomorrow with thunderstorms.  Yesterday our peak temp was 88 (F), which is way too hot for this time of year.  Monday they're predicting us to drop down into the mid 50s (F).  That's a bit too cool.  But then we head back up into the 70s (F).  When I got home from work last evening, the temp downstairs was 76 (F), upstairs it was 80 (F), so I did turn on the Central Air and put the window unit in the bedroom.

Since the temps are still supposed to be nice today, more yardwork is planned.  That's right, more branches are going to be cut down in an effort to bring more sunshine into my back yard.  The few veggies I planted last year did zilch, and I'm fairly certain it was because they were under shade so many hours of the day.  This year, hopefully, things are going to be different.  

My little Greek statue arrived from Crete yesterday.  He's a little cutie.  I'm still balancing out the water in the big tank, so he'll be staying nice and dry on the sideboard until he's ready to take a dive to stand among the aquarium plants.

So, quietly overnight, Ronnie DeSantis signed state legislation that will satisfy anti-abortion advocates in spite of the fact that 70% of Americans want the government to stay out of their personal lives.  Oh, and Ronnie has yet to announce that he's running for president.  Interestingly enough, I see a number of pundits wondering if he understands that Florida is a state unto itself, that like Las Vegas, what happens in Florida stays in Florida.  He thought he was making a name for himself taking on Disney, wrong.  Disney turned around, squatted down, and shit a big turd on Ronnie D.  Did he learn anything?  Absolutely not.  There is very little beef in Meatball Ron, just a lot of filler.  Of course, being a Republican, he will never learn.

 

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.

The Wall

 Yesterday we were supposed to have rain... well, that didn't happen so more lawn work was done.  The temps were nice, upper 70s (F).  We did get some rain overnight and more is predicted for this afternoon.  Again, temps are predicted to fall, but we'll have to wait and see on that one.

Much yardwork was completed yesterday.  A lot of work we put into the aquarium as well.  The ruins are gone and can now be found sitting in the trash.  The more I think about it, the more inclined I am to just go with plants.  While it was nice watching my big angels swimming in and out of Doric (?) columns, it's also rather relaxing just watching them traverse the full length of the tank.

I do get to work today.  Can you see the excitement in my words?  

As I rip away the ivy and clean up the fallen sticks and branches on the hill behind my house, the stone wall is once again showing his rugged face.  The wall was, in fact, one of the selling points for me.  How many people have a stone wall in their backyard.  My property extends another 30 feet beyond the wall.  Who knows, I may end up putting a garden at the top of the hill.

And after the flush of the indictment, yesterday seem rather calm with relatively few surprises.  I don't doubt that the reason Ms. Pence changed his mind about testifying before the Fed Grand Jury looking into the Jan 6 insurrection is directly related to the indictment.  Maybe he's finally seen the writing on the wall.  Or perhaps Mother told him to get into the lifeboat because the ship's going down by the bow fast.

In Wisconsin gerrymandered Wisconsin voters rejected Dan Kelly, the Conservative candidate, for the state supreme court and voted in a Liberal Janet Protasiewicz.  Kelly bitterly accepted his loss, but would not concede the election to someone he called unworthy.  I find it amusing that conservatives are being sent the same message over and over again and they refuse to listen.  Of course, that would mean they're wrong, that Americans don't want a restrictive authoritarian government.  They will never learn no matter how many lessons they lose.

Security is High

 If the weather forecasters are correct, our temps today are going to top off around 78 (F).  That's warm for this time of year.  Tomorrow they're telling us we're going to be a full degree higher, but storms are on the way which will drop our temps back down into the 50s (F).  If we hit the upper 70s I will turn on the ceiling fan.  It's too early in the season for the central air conditioning.  

Work was quite boring yesterday.  No measures.  No sales.  For most the the day I was alone at the flooring desk.  The district is down as far as flooring installations, so they're pushing measures.  One thing they've done in an attempt to increase our business is drop the cost of a flooring measure.  Normally it's $35, for the time being it's been lowered to $25.  This is a nonrefundable charge after the measure has taken place, however if the customer goes ahead with the install, that fee is deducted from their installation.  This is not really an incentive since most customers who get measured go through with the installation.  

Yardwork is in the plans for today.  Flower beds need to be cleared, branches need to be cut down, and planting needs to be done.  I picked up 4 dahlias yesterday, that I want to put into the front bed. They're all red.  I don't know if any of those from last year survived the winter, though that's a distinct possibility since this past winter was so warm.  We shall have to wait land see.

And, of course, Trump is going to be arrested today.  Security is high.

There are a lot of pictures out there of him running, and crawling, and trying to evade the hands of justice and all of them are fake.  Still photos will be allowed, though I doubt very much if they will let him pose for the camera.  No phones, electronic equipment, or video equipment will be allowed.  There's talk about issuing a Gag Order.  I think that would be amusing, knowing how much the Orange Anus needs to spit turds of the untruth.  I didn't see it, but I understand he spewed out something terrible about Alvin Bragg's wife.  That doesn't surprise me.  I hope a Gag Order is put in place.  Believe me, a good time will be had by everyone except his MAGA base.

And the Nominee is....

Hello, Monday!  There was a snappy chill in the air this morning with the temps hovering at 35 (F).  A frost warning had been in effect, though it seems that in my neck of the neighborhood we avoided those freezing temps.  That's fine.  If the long range forecast is correct, that sort of cold might be gone until until shows his shaggy head.

Tomorrow, not only am I off, but the temps are supposed to climb into the mid 70s.  For those who don't know, that's the definition of lawn work.  There is so much that needs to be done.  Wednesday, the temps are to climb into the upper 70s (F), but rain is also in the forecast.  Yes, we're getting more rain.

Yesterday was busy at work, at least in the morning.  I ended up getting 4 measures and sold $4000 in shades.  You read that correctly, $4000.  That customer has far more disposable income than I do, though to be honest if I had that much money to waste I might spend it on shades... nah, I'd go to Paris instead.

Milky Chance released a new song.  This sort of an electro-ballad.  Very nice.  These 2 gents keep surprising me.

Asa Hutchinson, ex-governor of Arkansas has decided to seek the nomination of the Republican party for president in 2024.  He's older than I am and that's too old to be president.  That's 3 who have declared their candidacy and 1, Meatball Ron DeSantis, who hasn't.  That field is going to become quite crowded as more and more mini-Republicans begin to view Trump as wounded by the indictment (s).

While some faux conservative media outlets are implying that a large segment of the population is upset with Bragg indicting the Orange Anus, you have to look at where they're getting their source material; Newsweek relies on its own polls much of the time.  

And it's probable that the Democratic field will grow.  Manchin, another Democrat in his 70s, has dropped multiple hints about announcing his candidacy.  Dumb Ass.  There have also been whispers that he might run as a 3rd party candidate if he choses to run and doesn't get the nomination.  Dumb Ass.  This man makes a box of rocks look smart. Keep in mind, he has surrounded himself with people who tell him that when it comes to intelligence, he edge out that box of rocks... slightly.

 

The Great Communicator

 Well, the forecasters were right on this one.  Today is Thursday and rain is falling.  Light showers are covering the region.  Light showers are good.  Downpours not so good.  

The leaves I let sit along the side of the house throughout the winter were raked away yesterday.  On Friday, the temps are to climb into the mid 70's and spring planting will begin in earnest.  On of the things I always look for at this time of the year are the peonies, especially the yellow ones since they were pricey as hell.  I'm thinking of cutting down the nectarine tree.  I get lots of blossoms, but little fruit, and the few nectarines that do grow never get larger than a marble before they fall off.  I'm thinkin I can put tomato plants in there instead.

Biggie's meds are continuing to work.  Every day there is some improvement.  Last evening I made a cabbage dish, not corned beef and cabbage, and rather than sit down, he stood by my side waiting for the stray cabbage leaf.  Yeah, Biggie loves cabbage.  So does Lily.  The like green peppers as well.  

As for the corned beef?  I have one soaking the the refrigerator.  Because I don't like that briny taste, I always soak my beef before cooking.  And I slow roast my corned beef.  This year I may do it in the air fryer.

For decades, Republicans have been waiting for the next Ronald Reagan, an actor who many Conservatives dubbed "The Great Communicator."  Well, after all of this time, he's here, however he's not what they want.  Not only is he a Ukrainian, he is definitely not a bible thumping Evangelical Christian.

I understand that rather than pay attention yesterday morning, Joe Manchin putzed around with his iPad, swiping left and and right, no doubt setting up his afternoon agenda on Tumblr.  Oh, and Marjorie Taylor Green reached for her phone.  Now tell me, is that so surprising?  Is that what all aging bottled blonds do when they're desperate for attention?

I'm amazed that when Zalensky talks the world listens.  The only thing Conservatives in this country have is that lying sack of shit Donald Trump.  You know who I'm talking about.  The sore loser who is still pushing The Big Lie?  Yeah, I'm talking about the loser who claims Putin is a 'genius,' and the 'he's smart and savvy.'  Conservatives in this country have a really, really big problem.  This November vote them all back to Hell.

Sanctioning Democrats

 Today's my Sunday, but only sort of.  You can call it by a different name if you want, in fact, most of you will call it Wednesday.  Yesterday the temps his 71 (F).  Same thing's going to happen today.  Tomorrow, when I go back to work, rain is in the forecast.  Then, on your Friday, which I might decide to call Saturday, the sun will be out and temps will be warm again.  The one thing that is definite about AccuWeather is their long range forecasts, they are never right.  Why someone would choose to pay for a premium version of the app is beyond me.

Since the temps are going to be warm, I'm going to spend some time outside doing yardwork this afternoon.  There is some raking and digging which needs to be done.  I have tubers needing to be put into the ground (dahlia of course).  There's also a holly shrub (bush) in the front which needs to be cut back.  And then there is the ivy which crept down the hill from my neighbor's house.  I don't really want to use a spray, but that may be the only solution to keeping it from over running the place.

This is the 2nd day with Biggie on the gabapentin.  I've noticed walking seems a mite bit easier.  However, this is one of those drugs that takes time to reach full effectiveness.  It works fast on anxiety, but can take up to 2 weeks to act fully on nerve pain.

For those of you who didn't see, I know Bob posted about this, the Russians have seen fit to sanction Hillary Clinton.  Now tell me, don't that just knock the wind out of your sails? 🌞🌞🌞  She thanked them.  Let's be honest here, she is in no way on the same plateau of corruption as Russian oligarchs, so the sanction must be symbolic.   The Clinton name has always been a finger in the eye of the Republican party, so this might be a way of goading them into taking a more Putinistic approach.  Or than again, this might be nothing more than a serving of refried beans served over a dead horse.  Republicans do like kicking their dead horses, you know.

In fact, the Russians sanctioned a whole bunch of Democrats.  No Republicans.  Now we know exactly whose souls Putin owns.  Now we know just how low the GOP will stoop in their craven quest for power.  They will take aid from the enemy just so they can become an authoritarian government.  Conservatives really are stupid.  

As Seasons Change

 I didn't even try to sleep in this morning.  Things going around in my head.  So I roused the dogs a little before 0500.  Lily is always up at a moment's notice.  Biggie is a morning slug after he has his morning pee.  Right back to bed.

Later this morning I will turn on the ceiling fans.  Temps here are predicted to climb into the mid to upper 70"s (F).  When that happens the upstairs can easily reach the low 80's (F), and I want to do either a run or ride, or maybe both this afternoon.  Spring comes and I get more active.  I guess that means this is a seasonal thing.

There's also more yardwork planned.  Yesterday I cleared the leaves away from the flower bed I put out front last year.  Quite a number of bulbs have already started sprouting.  I'm eager to see if any of the tulips come back.  They don't always flower every year.  Here's a picture of the daffodils of the season.

And I took the dogs for a walk yesterday.  They loved it.  Slept like rocks last night, which means Biggie was an ever bigger slug this morning.

I found it quite fascinating the Merrick Garland was approved by the Senate as our next Attorney General by a quite decent margin: 70 - 30 voted in favor.  The 30 who chose nay are Republicans, as might be expected.  These human stains represent the core of hatred in our country needing to be voted out of office.  They also represent the top ranking priests in the Cult of Loser #45.  

Finally, and not really too surprising, Beth Moore, a prominent Evangelist has cut her ties with the Southern Baptists over Loser #45.  It's not too surprising because there are Evangelicals out there who realize #45 represents the power of corruption.  He promises them all the power they crave, to make the country a socially conservative dictatorship, all they have to do is worship him.  It seems as though Beth started realizing back in 2016 he wasn't sent to give them what they want, rather his presence here is to tear them apart.  Or at least that's what she believes.  Ouch.