A Fart in Space

So, I was digging in the dirt yesterday.  I am slowly removing all the bushes from in front of my porch, not that I have any idea what's going to be planted there, but it will be something that doesn't get too tall.  Besides being predatory, the Burning Bush grew way too tall, often blocking the view.  The wisteria, which had originally been planted created a different problem: it needed constant trimming.  

The weather yesterday was nice, again climbing into the mid 80s (F) with little humidity.  The same is in the forecast for today.  Tomorrow that's going to change.  Forecasters are calling for highs in the low to mid 90s (F).  When it gets that warm outside, my 2nd floor gets much hotter, so my Central Air is primed and ready to go.

I did file a dispute against the only charge on my debit card that wasn't removed, a $16.57 purchase made from Alien Gear Holsters.  When I talked to the agent handling the chargeback, she told me that was a popular one in that she'd seen that online retailer enough to remember it.  I searched it.  They sell holsters, most of them fairly expensive and I didn't want to waste the time trying to find out what $16.57 buys.

I saw that the NYT did a comparison test to see which olive oils were the best.  It turns out Bertolli, the one use, hit right in the middle.  Now, ain't that nice?

The House of Representatives is going to vote today on the package their moronic leader, Kev McCarthy, put together with the Biden White House.  Of course, the far right crazies are shrieking mad because they believe their small minority means they get to dictate... well, they're wrong.  I suspect it will get enough votes to squeak by and head to the Senate.

And some turd bird named Comer wants to file contempt charges against the FBI because they're ignoring the subpoenas the the far right has issued.  This is rather hysterical in light of the fact that these same Republicans ignored every subpoena the January 6 committee issued.  While this will excite their base, that's about all which will come of it.  They simply don't understand they have about as much power as a fart in space.

As It Should Be

 I hope everyone who was celebrating Memorial Day had a good holiday.  As usual, I worked and was rather busy in the morning.  Business died out terribly in the afternoon because the weather was beautiful, temps in the mid 80s (F), full sun, so most customers went elsewhere to spend the day.

Today starts my stint of 4 days off.  This schedule, working the weekend with the week off seems to be hanging around a lot longer than I had expected.  The only downside is that when I do work, if business is slow, I find myself getting bored very fast.  

They did set up a rather nice buffet for us yesterday, hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken, though because we were busy in the morning I didn't get to graze as much as normal.  When I stepped on the scale this morning I'd actually lost .7 pounds since yesterday's weigh-in.  Of course, with all the grazing I'd done on Saturday and Sunday, that .7 pounds barely put a dent in pounds all those extra calories had built.

Even though I cut the Hell out of my peach tree, I'm pleased to say that I still have peaches this year, not the bushels I had over the last few years, but enough to prove that the tree might be better off after the hacking I did to it.  I wonder if the same thing will happen to my nectarine tree.

One of the most amusing things politically that happened this past weekend was Peter Doocy asking Biden if he'd pardon former presidents.  Videos of that question popped up on many social media sites simply because of Biden's response.  Rather than give a yeah or nay answer, all he did was laugh and turn away.  The cult of MAGA was not appreciative.  However, a majority of Americans who saw the exchanged merely nodded their heads and thought to themselves, "as it should be."

Memorial Day

 Memorial Day is here.

I work.  Nothing new there.  I've gained 3.3 pounds so far and more ounces might be added today because food will be available at work.  Today, barbecue chicken is the main course, until they run out.  Then they will switch to hamburgers and hot dogs.  I'll eat either.  Honestly, I'm not one of those people who sees grilled chicken as being better than burgers and dogs.  It's all food and while each might taste different, my stomach is not that refined to really care.

One thing that is missing is the baked goods.  Usually there were trays of cookies, a large assortment which truly pleased the grazer in me.  Cookies don't seem to be on the menu.  They had small bags of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies yesterday.  They were not what I was looking for.

Sales wise:  except for our Garden Department, we're tanking.

An update on the audiobook.  My narrator has the holiday off, but will return to the studio tomorrow. He's up to chapter 24 and expects to have the book completely recorded by the end of Wednesday, at which point he will begin editing.  

My honeysuckle is beginning to bloom.  I love the scent of honeysuckle.

And, being that it is a holiday, very little news is being generated for public consumption, so sit back and enjoy the quiet for a while.

This is How it Goes

 Well, we've reached the middle of the holiday weekend.  Weather predictions are for sunny, warm days, with temps climbing into the very comfortable upper 70s (F).  These days are nice.  Unfortunately, all of the rain we were getting earlier seems to have relocated to other parts of the country.  We are dry.  I water my flowers every day.  There is a 25% chance of showers later in the week, but unless we get a storm system moving up the eastern seaboard our weather will remain parched.

And, as expected, except for our garden department, our retail business, while busy in the morning, slowed down during the afternoon.  That did not mean we weren't getting what I like to call "full moon" questions, those asked by certain people and only during certain distinctive times of the month.  Take the woman who was doing a upgrade to her kitchen.  She was buying one of our pre-made butcher block counter tops and stopped by the paint desk to ask if she could mix an oil based stain with her food-grade mineral oil to change the tint.  She did not like the answers that most stains are now water based, and that an oil based stain might create lethal complications for the veggies, and meats that might rest on them.  Food-grade mineral oil is not compatible with oil paints and stains.  This is how it goes.

An agreement was reached on the Debt Ceiling.  I know there are those who thought those words would be a long time in coming, but really all they needed to do was look at the history of this issue.  An agreement has always been reached.  Each party always plays out the brinksmanship, but in the end, agreements are always reached.  This happens because no party wants to take the blame for the economy crashing, not that it would actually crash.  Sure, there will be some crazies in the House of Representatives who will do their shrieks, and moans, and vote against it, but their minority will be obvious.  I don't doubt that the few concessions Biden has made will hurt the Republicans in the long run.  This is how it goes.

Hacked

 For those of you celebrating a 3 day weekend, the fun should already be underway, that is if you plan on having fun.  For some of you I suspect this might just be 3 days of rest and relaxation.  For me?  Well, as with most holidays, I work.  

Historically, the Memorial Day weekend has always been one of the strongest for the orange retailer that I work for, but this year that's up in the air.  For my store, sales can pop over the $1 million mark over the long weekend, mostly from purchases made in our garden department.  Grills and curb appeal, that's what people buy, mostly grills.  Cookout season has arrived.  

I cut down my nectarine tree yesterday.  There were more dead branches on it than live ones.  

My only bit of really big news is that someone's been attempting to put charges on my debit card.  The first was for $132.95 from Agoda (something or other).  My bank shot it down.  They didn't get into my bank account, but they had my card number, which meant closing that number and getting another.  Of course that didn't mean the perpetrators were going to stop trying.  Last night someone tried to buy something from Dealsdirect, but the old number is now inactive.  I guess this means that at least 2 different individuals had that number.  Naturally, I started thinking about where I used that card.  The only subscription I have linked to it is Planet Fitness, so it's possible someone may have wormed their way into that database.  Two weeks ago I used it twice down in York, for lunch and then again at Dairy Queen for desert, so it's not like I use it frequently.  This is a curious thing, isn't it?

And, since this is the holiday weekend, predictably nothing political will happen.  Oh, sure, the debt ceiling talks will continue, but with both sides saying they're very close, nothing to worry about there.  Old Kev McCarthy isn't stupid enough to force the country into default just to satisfy the far right, mostly because he knows that in the end a large majority of the country will blame him and the Republicans.  

Oh, and evidently they have incriminating audio recordings of Trump and one of the witnesses in his NYC  corruption trial.  Ouch, that's must hurt... okay, you can stop laughing now.

This is Fine With Me

 Well, we are officially entering the summer season today... sometime.  

Here is sunny Central PA the weather is supposed to cooperate with the partiers, the barbecuers, and those still improved curb appeal more than anything else.  Me?  I'm off today, but the rest of the weekend I get to work.  Tomorrow I'm scheduled to spend my shift in the Paint Department.  Will it be busy?  However, there's no paint sale so that will hurt.

Yesterday, the temps were cool here, unable to climb into the 70s (F).  I know there are those out there who feel this portends to a cool summer.  A word to the wise, never attempt to predict the weather, you will always fail.  

The plexiglass arrived yesterday to fix the window I broke on the back porch.  This afternoon it will be installed.  

And because I was bored yesterday, I did 1.25 miles on the treadmill and then took a ride through Bavaria in the afternoon.  That's what happens when the temps are down and I don't feel like doing yardwork.

I made Spaghetti Carbonara, it was almost too cheesy.

For those who haven't realized it yet, the Republican primary is going to be brutal.  There are so many people lining up to run against Trump and each one has a sharp little knife in his or her hand.  This is what's going to take down the party.  They're going to destroy themselves from within.

\I know there were a number of people who complained that Biden didn't really campaign in 202, well, ;he's not going to need to campaign much in 2024 either.  A speech here and there and always a venue far from the splattering blood of the Republican candidates.  Of course, Trump will be indicted at least 2 more times and they will use that to bludgeon both he and his base.  This is fine with me.

Have a good holiday weekend.

Ronnie D's public humiliation

 Thursday arrived last night with a lot of wind with gusts strong enough to move things around my backyard.  Yesterday, however, was sparkling sunshine and warm temps.  Weather that's perfect for yardwork, and let me tell you, some yardwork was definitely accomplished.  I have a Burning Bush in front of my porch, a species that has now been classified as predatory because it spreads through runners, a lot like bamboo.  Well, most of it has been removed.  All I need to do now is get in there with a shovel (and possibly a pick-ax) to dig up the root system.  While I'm at it, I'll be getting rid of the wisteria as well.

And, of course, the great Tina Turner died yesterday.  From what I've seen, she had not been in the best of health, having suffered a stroke a few years back.  No one should have to go through that just because we can't let them go.  As I commented in several blogs yesterday, her presence may be gone, but her voice, her music, and her image remain for generations to come.

Then there was also this little nugget.

Can you hear me?  I'm still laughing.  Ronnie D just could not get a break yesterday, could he.  First there was the tragic news about Tina Turner, and believe me that was rocking the Internet badly.  Then there was Elon Musk's  very, very public Twitter meltdown.  I could not think of a more fitting way to celebrate Ronnie's official entry into the presidential race.  Twitter simply could not handle the 650,000 people trying to hear what he had to say.  By the time he did finally get to speak, the glitches had whittled down that number quite a bit.  Don't worry, his campaign did provide a transcript in which he uses words like "accreditor."  People were also counting the times he said "woke," because Republicans hate intelligent people who ask questions.  It's part of their "shut up, we're in charge mentality."

The Unsaucy Truth about Meatball Ron

 Well, Tuesday has come and gone.  We're a number of hours into Wednesday now, and so far the day has been quiet.  Temps are predicted to be nice today.  Lots of sunshine is predicted.  I love sunshine.  At some time this morning I will need to drive over to my store to buy some weed wacker string.  Had I known, I'd have picked some up on Monday and saved myself the trip.  While there I'll pick up a can of primer.  Yes, there is more painting needing to be done.

Production began yesterday on the audiobook.  It will be completed in segments, each sent for my approval.  We had discussion about the voices yesterday.  I haven't heard his vocalization of Bobby Tussel yet, so that should be interesting.  How do you sound like a man who has no filters because he has a bullet in his brain?  I hope it's good.  Readers like Bobby.

And, of course, because yesterday was so nice, more yardwork was accomplished.  Of course, more would have been done if I hadn't run out of string for my weed wacker.

I made a BLT for dinner last evening.  No toast.  While I do like toast in general, I like my sandwiches to be made with bread, or rolls, or buns... anything but toast.

And is Ronnie DeSantis' campaign already toast?  That's possible.  His poll numbers among Republicans are tanking.  This is to be expected.  Meatball Ron is not as saucy as his ego tells him he is.  He's officially announcing late this afternoon on Twitter, with that Twat Elon Musk. 

And, speaking of Twitter, Musk's trying to do to the platform what Chris Licht is failing to do with CNN, cater to the Far Right.  While he may get advertisers the same way Fox used to get advertisers, Musk is going to learn that audience levels are going to drop.  I understand that Benny Shapiro is also moving his podcasts to Twitter.  I'm betting most of his audience were already following him on Twitter, so there's not going to be a lot of growth there, not that Musk cares, he just wants a platform from which to spew his own personal agenda.

Defining DeSantis

 Well, shall we give Tuesday a hearty welcome?  The sun is shining.  Our temps are supposed to reach the upper 70s (F).  I can see yardwork in my future for later this afternoon.  That's fine.  I enjoy being outside.

Yesterday work was rather ho hum.  Nothing exciting.  I did have a rather large sale to a gent who didn't want any seams in his carpet.  He ended up getting just about everything he wanted because he was the one spending the money.  He couldn't go completely seamless because of the size of his rooms, however I did manage to have the seams located in places where there wouldn't be a problem with foot traffic.  Truthfully, in all the time I've been working as a flooring specialist, we have never had a complete about the seams, either showing up, or coming apart.  Still, people hear seam and they automatically want to think the worst.

Production should be starting either today or tomorrow on the audiobook.  Even though I had requested permission to use song lyrics from artists, I have never received a response with either a yes or no.  Because they would be performed, albeit in a spoken voice, I either removed them completely, or drastically altered them so as to be unrecognizable to avoid any form of copyright infringement claims.

Here's a picture of one of my slightly orange Itoh peonies and a bud that's going to open when this one fades.

For those of you who don't realize this yet, Ronnie DeSantis is the portrait of the perfect Republican.  No matter how much evidence is present to him show the error of his ways, he is never going to understand how wrong he is in just about everything.  His feud with Disney is one example.  He is under the misguided belief that at its very heart America is conservative.  In true Republican fashion, he will never accept the fact that he is wrong.  He has stepped in a pile of shit and instead of cleaning off his shoe, he keeps stomping it down deeper and deeper into that conservative shit patty.  He is now saying he wants more judges like Clarence Thomas and Alito.  Has he paid absolutely no attention to how a majority of Americans have been voting since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade?  Evidently not.  Without a doubt, he is the definition of Republican.

The Big News

 Well, let's say hello to Monday morning.  It's supposed to be warm and sunny today, and, of course, I am scheduled to work.  According to the forecast, the weather's supposed to be nice for most of the week.  That's nice.  There's always yardwork to be done.  There's a bush growing in front of the porch I need to cut back and possibly remove completely because, little did I know when I planted it, that it's considered invasive.  

In spite of it being slow yesterday, I did manage to sell 2 floor measures.  That should keep management happy.  I made my goal for the week.  Yippee.  Otherwise it was slow, which meant for a long, boring day at the Flooring desk.  

I do have some big news, something that will delight a number of you.  My latest book, The Body Under Ice is being turned into an Audiobook.  That's right.  For those of you who would rather listen to Eli and Max as they drink their wine, this should be very good news.  I'm working with a talented narrator named David Magadan (link to his website).  A number of narrators auditioned, he nailed it on his first try.  I suspect that's pretty rare after hearing so many different voices.  

Otherwise, this past weekend was rather uneventful.  Besides the hours I spent at the store, I spent most of my time taking Lily for walks and playing Jedi Survivor.  

I do believe Tim Scott announced his candidacy and was endorsed by John Thune.  And Ronnie D. I supposed to make his announcement this Thursday.  I expecting the GOP primaries to make the blood sport games in the Colosseum look rather tame.

Reasonable Enough

 Sunny Sunday has arrived.  Temps outside are climbing through the 50s (F) heading towards the low 80s (F).  That will be fine.  This coming week is more late spring-like than what we've been having here; no highs in the low 60s (F).  Of course, as we head into summer I am fully aware that Central Air season is also on it's way.  Since summer's my time for T-shirts and shorts, I'm part of the "bring it on" crowd.

And we did have rain yesterday.  More than I had been expecting.  Soaking showers for a good part of the afternoon.  Now the things I want to grow will start to grow again.

As expected, yesterday was oh... so... slow at the Flooring desk.  I'm actually reminded of what it was like five years ago when I was continuing my step down from management.  Things were slow back then.  There were the occasional customers, but nothing like the horde we were dealing with during the Covid years.  People are changing their priorities.  They are going to stick with their current flooring unless their carpeting, or vinyl, or laminate needs to be replaced.  They are now saying "I need," rather than "I want."

My Itoh peonies are beginning to bloom.  This is the first year that both bushes have had flowers.  One is a nice yellow, the other is more of a pale orange color.

And evidently Lauren Boebert is getting divorced.  Honestly, that should have been expected.  One question you have to ask is could this be happening because of marital issues, or because she just didn't want to be upstaged by Marjorie Taylor Green,.  I mean, they're both MAGA bimbos and this might be some sort of MAGA bimbo competition.  There is the possibility that Lauren might just have decided to upgrade her gun of choice, something with a little more wood in the stock.  That sounds reasonable enough, doesn't it? 

 

Retail Fails

 Well, it's Saturday and we're not in a park, and it's not the Fourth of July... sounds like an old song to me, don't it?

Anyway, today is supposed to be overcast, or as forecasters say "cloudy."  Originally the prediction was for rain, but that's changed to sprinkles and occasional showers.  There is a small warning on the forecast advising us in Central PA that these showers will do nothing to alleviate the dry conditions we've been suffering with for the past... oh, two weeks or so.  When I think back on how frequently it rained in April and thought we were going to have a wet summer; how could I have been so wrong, well, at least for May.  We have no idea what the summer's going to be like.

I do get to go to work today.  I'm not expecting business to be booming.  Home improvement retail has not been good.  The giant orange retailer I work made news when it revised it's forecast down in a big way.  Like certain other businesses and corporations, the pandemic was actually financially lucrative for them, however now that we've moved into reality that's not quite pre-Covid, they're lost.  This is what happens when greed makes you shortsighted.

I watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves last evening.  It was quite enjoyable.  If you have Paramount + it's free which only added to the experience.  I have to admit, I did like the fat dragon.

And, of course, the debt ceiling talks are back on after the Republicans sort of walked out because... well, I supposed they thought that would be a dramatic exit which everybody would be talking about.  Didn't happen.  They looked bad.  This is a party that is so out of touch with the electorate and instead of reading the tea leaves, so to speak, they will continue to charge down a path leading to their own destruction.  

Rudy's attorney quit because he wasn't getting paid... business as usual.  

Does anyone know if Laura Ingraham  is still on Fox?  I saw somewhere that she was going to be shitcanned.  If it hasn't happened it will, then she can go work for Tucker.

Not your Standard Bush

 Temps today are supposed to break into the mid 70s (F).  I'm hoping the forecast is accurate since the past few days it has been what I call unseasonably cool.  Now, I understand we're right in the middle of the season, but warmer temps would be nice.  I'm anxious to get into my summer wardrobe of shorts and Tl-shirts and not much else.

I did get myself a pair of flipflops.  I don't do the sandal thing but flipflops are alright.  I also ordered a new belt, which arrives today, because my pants keep falling down and I'm too old to be a sagger.

Biggie came home yesterday.  Rather than put him up in the cupboard with Gertie, I took both urns downstairs and put them on the lower shelf of the sideboard.  Gertie's urn is much nicer, a small cedar chest; Biggie's was made in China, I think that's all that needs to be said.  I may buy him something nicer.

And, as I've said, my roses are coming in full.  I have a bush (es) out front that is two in one: a yellow climber and a red rose that is your standard bush.  I have no idea how the two have become intertwined, but they have, the result is both yellow and red roses that look as though they are the same rose bush.

If you live in Florida, you got some disheartening news yesterday.  Disney is not going to build a planned billion dollar complex in the state, but has chosen instead to keep it in California.  That's a big blow to the state's economy.  Ronnie D, in his whiny best, said their decision was political.  Now tell me, isn't that a laugh?  Especially since he was the one who initiated this fight solely for political reasons.  Little Ronnie seems to think he should be called Teflon Ron, but that ain't going to happen.  

And Nikki Haley welcomed Ronnie D into the fray, not doubt because she thinks that if she makes a good enough showing he'll offer her a spot VP spot on the ticket.  She's a dumb as he is, but then we've all known that for some time.

Par for the Course

 Well, Thursday has arrived.  The temps are supposed to be warmer today then they were yesterday, that'll be nice, and hopefully it won't be as windy.  Yikes, yesterday you really needed to hold on to your hat if you happened to wear a hat and went outside.  I'm not a hat person.  They make my ears stand out.

One of the things I find amusing about going to Planet Fitness is the individuals who walk around with large water bottles filled with either a protein shake or hydration drink (most likely water), especially the drinks since they're now way they're going to sweat out a quart of bodily fluid walking around looking at the exercise equipment.

I'm picking up Biggie's ashes this morning and later this evening I'm getting rid of that dog bed he never used.  People ask me how Lily's doing, if she's going through any grief.  Now and then she will stop and look around, so she knows he's gone, but I've been keeping her very busy.  Dogs do have time issues, that's why you can walk out the front door, stay outside for two minutes, and when you go back into the house they treat you as though you've been gone for years.

I do have peaches on those branches that are still on my peach tree.

Evidently Trump and his minions were told more than once about his handling of secret documents and, par for the course with him, he ignored what he as told.  This information is being sent to the DOJ and the Orange Anus has up until May 26 to file an appeal.  He will file, probably on the last day because that, too, is par for the course.  I also understand that the attorney in charge of this matter quit right after this information was made public.  People are wondering if it was because he got fed up with Trump lying to him, or just got fed up with not being paid.  Either way, he should have known this was par for the course.

Here come the roses

 And Wednesday has arrived.  Ours will be cool and breezy with the high climbing to the low temp of around 69 (F).  That's not bad, mind you, as we are less than a month into spring.  Long range forecasts have our temperatures hovering in the mid to upper 70s (F).  That would be nice, however I doubt if it's a realistic forecast.  Weather patterns change to easily, sometimes on a whim of Mother Nature.  

My new schedule has me continuing in an old pattern, working Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and then having the rest of the week off.  That's fine with me.  I don't mind having those 4 days in a row to do whatever I want.  I wouldn't mind of it stayed this way for the rest of my tenure at the big, orange retailer.

I have yet to hear from Companions of Peace about picking up Biggie's ashes, so I will give them a call later this morning.  

There are a few peaches in my peach tree; I wasn't expecting many this year since I cut it back so hard.  there are many shoots coming up around the base one of which will form the new trunk.

And my roses are really beginning to come into their own.

Yesterday was election day.  Republicans did not fare too well.  Jacksonville, Florida, in a major upset, now has a Democratic mayor.   In fact, Ronnie D's endorsements didn't do well in the state he wants to turn fascist.  

In Pennsylvania, Democrats held the House of Representatives.  This is frustrating the Hell out of the Republicans; their message is not getting through to the masses.  It is only in rural Pennsylvania where they have a strong foothold.  That will never change.

Martha Stewart

 Hello Tuesday!  Today's forecast is sunshine with the temps climbing up into the low 80s (F).  I can live with this.  And, of course, since this is Tuesday I am not scheduled to work.  In fact, for the next few weeks I'm only working weekends and Mondays.  

I did work yesterday and it was slow.  Very slow.  The orange retailer I work for is initiating a new policy regarding specialist, we need to make our measure goal and sales or we take the risk of being written up.  Yep, that's right, if you don't reach your goals you're going to be put on notice.  This is because sales are... not what they want.  They ignore the fact that you can't get measures if customers are not walking into the specialty departments.  I suspect what they want to do is turn us into the flooring version of a used car salesman.

I did look at Twitter yesterday, but not much.  It has changed so much.  Some of the people I followed have moved on to other social media platforms.  Others either don't seem to post as much, or are being blocked.  At one time, I posted regularly, now that rarely happens.  One thing, however did seem to trend for a bit and that was the discussion of Martha Stewart appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated' s swimsuit edition.  She's 81.  Some people were very upset.  Here's the cover pic, evidently heavily airbrushed, and there's no telling how much makeup they lathered on her face for her to look like this.

I saw that Dunham's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election has been put to bed.  The GOP is upset because it makes them look like incompetents, as they are.

And Giuliani's being sued... big time.  Selling pardons for $2 million each.  Now tell me, is anybody surprised?  I'm not.  A day doesn't pass by when it doesn't seem as though more corruption bubbles to the surface.

Biggie's Rose

 Well, can we say hello to a brand new Monday.  For me, it is also a brand new world, sort of, now that Biggie's gone... except he isn't.  I have pictures of him on the wall.  He and Lily are the wallpaper on my phone and my computer, and he's going to stay there.  I have a problem with people who lose a friend and then surgically removed as much evidence of that life because it makes them feel uncomfortable or makes them sad.  So, Biggie may be gone, but he will always remain.

I'd like to thank everyone who commented or who sent me an email.  Your condolences were all greatly appreciated.  The outpouring of sympathy here and on Facebook took me completely by surprise and at times was a bit overwhelming.  

On Friday morning, while I was waiting for Companions of Peace to arrive and take Biggie for his last ride, I saw the first bloom of the year on one of my rosebushes.  I promptly dubbed it Biggie's Rose.

People have been asking me if I'm going to get another dog and so far I've been steadfastly telling them no.  I do want to travel.  However, since everybody knows I'm going to live to be 100, I don't think I can completely rule out that possibility.

Around the world, there were elections in Thailand in which the opposition lost massively.  What did they think was going to happen?  That the people were going to vote of a military dictatorship?

And in Turkey, Erdogan is hanging by a thread.  That makes Moscow upset.  Hopefully, someone's going to have a sharp enough blade to send crashing into defeat. 

Biggie

 Sad news here.  Biggie died last night.  He had Cushing's disease which pumps way too much cortisol through his system, which effected his stress response to so many factors.  Boxers are also susceptible to heart attacks, so the Cushing's would increase that problem.  I'll probably be off until Monday.  

So, let's also say goodbye to Biggie.  He was a good dog.

Volume 3

 Yesterday was a rush day.  The weather was nice, but I seemed to spend the entire day rushing from one place to another.  First down to Lebanon for my bi-annual physical, and yes, I've reached the age where they are done twice a year.  Then I zipped over to the orange retailer I work for because I broke a window and wanted a piece of plexiglass to fix it, then to the UPS Store for some disappointing news,

I also got an 11 mile ride in on the bike where I had some time to let my mind relax.

The broken window:  When it's breezy out, a light wind will pull my back door shut, prior to that happening, the sliding door between my kitchen and the enclosed back porch will close.  This happened on Tuesday, however the sliding door jammed on a throw rug and there was no way to open it.  I ended up forcing it open, which, unbeknownst to me, broke the base pin locking it in place.  Later, when I went to let the dogs out, I went to pull it open and it fell straight back crashing into one of the windows on the back porch.  Shit.  The glass is being replaced with plexiglass since that's cheaper than having someone cut a new pane of glass to fit the hole.

I went to see Guardian's of the Galaxy Vol 3 last evening.  Some parts were very good, others?  No spoilers here.  The Rocket backstory was amazing, the section where they land on Counter Earth no so amazing.  Every Guardian gets a moment so shine.  Chriss Pratt gets to drop the F Bomb, a first for a Marvel Movie.  The movie was very entertaining, but I have to say that I'm glad the series is coming to an end, at least for the foreseeable future.  

So, Trump had his little CNN Town Hall last evening and was as evil as everybody was expecting.  I'm sure CNN's ratings popped for a change, since that's the only reason the Town Hall was held. 

Oh, and George Santos was indicted yesterday.  He denied every charge.  What's so surprising about the entire thing was that Kevin McCarthy came out and said there was no way he could support George for re-election.  How's that for a stunning announcement.  Could it be that one of his advisors let him know that George was not an asset to the already failing Republican Party?  That's quite possible.

The Quick, Late Entry

 Everything's behind today because I had to be down at the Lebanon VA for my physical.  It was great.  I lost 23 lbs. since November.  This was planned.  Those numbers that need to be low are low, or lower, and those supposed to be high are higher. 

Sadly, I broke a window on my back porch so I've been running around fixing that.  This was not what I wanted to do.

Everything will be back to normal tomorrow.  I will be so glad.

Books, books, books

 And here it is Tuesday and the weather outside is cloudy.  Showers are in the forecast until early afternoon.  Temps are supposed to  hover in the upper 60s (F) to lower 70s (S).  Tomorrow, however forecasters are expecting the day to be good, lots of sunshine, lots of warm mid 70s (F) temps, and quite possibly the start of Spring as we expect it to be.

Yesterday was slow.  I spent 8 hours at the flooring desk, well, that's not quite true, at a certain point in time I began walking laps of the building.  I got in over 20,000 steps.  Believe me, that's a lot of laps.  I did manage to get a measure.  That means I'm now an active participant in their measure contest.  Woohoo!

There are noises from the house next door.  I have no idea what they're doing.  Perhaps mudding the walls, or possibly laying the vinyl plank flooring.  For once they are not cutting or hammering anything.

When I did get home from work yesterday there was a box waiting for me on my porch.  My author's copies of The Body Under Ice.  There was a problem in getting them; software issues on Amazon's end kept the order for going through.  The delivery was a surprise since I was not expecting them until Saturday.

A gag order was put on Trump in regard to his rape trial to keep him, or one of his attorneys from posting things about witnesses or evidence.  Will he follow it?  I'm thinking not.  That would me doing something adverse to what for him is normal attack mode.  He will blab and if there are fines he will go to court to keep from paying them, and he'll lose.

Two Republican Representatives in Texas rattled the roof by joining a group of Democrats to push a bill raising the age to 21 for purchasing certain guns.  That was brave of them, but the legislation will fail.  For it to pass, it would mean that Texans Republicans would understand how their total abandonment of gun control is having tragic consequences, it was also mean that Democrats were correct, and they will never let that happen.

Hot Stuff

 And yes, another work week has begun.  Even for me.  I'm scheduled for an 8 hour shift.  Can you read the excitement in my words?  That's because Mondays, after the contractors have paid us their visits, tend to be slow.  In hopes of driving sales, corporate has decided to run a "measure contest," for the month of May.  To reinforce this our Specialty ASM has had our store sign maker paint an large (3' x 4') sign which lists the prizes.  And because they want every one of our customers to know our main goal is to get a measure, it's being hung by the Flooring Desk.  Now they will know we are engaging them in order to get free donuts (this is me being sarcastic).  

Weatherwise:  we were supposed to get rain yesterday and nary a drop.  Yep, there was this great green blob on the weather map, however as it approached Harrisburg, it fell apart.  So, we got no rain.  Today it's supposed to be nice.  Tomorrow, the weather's supposed to be cool and rainy, and then Wednesday warm and sunny, and perfect for yardwork.

I received an email from the Wine Store, my order of Lambrusco has been cancelled.  Evidently I'm not supposed to drink any.  Probably no loss.

My new red socks arrived.  Hot Stuff!

And, of course, Trump was a no show after telling the world on Social Media that he was leaving to come testify.  His buffoonery is quite the joke.  I think it's really rather funny that he and his ilk believe the represents a viable opponent to Biden.  Trump doesn't understand that the loyalty he's bought isn't worth the paper it's printed on, and in order to save their own hides, those loyalists will flip so fast America will think the Republican party has turned into a pancake factory (thanks Jon).  Those who don't flip will stay loyalists mostly because of stupidity than anything else.

I saw an interesting bit this am about Ronnie D and his feud with Disney in Newsweek, which is not know for being too astute.  They said it appears to be working for him and may actually give his campaign the needed boost it needs.  Well, that's hogwash.  I see that as a puff piece written one of his cronies to give Puddin' Head Ron's ego a lift since he just isn't that popular with Centrists and Independents.

Sold Their Souls to the NRA

 Hello Sunday Morning.  I'd like to say the skies are clear and blue, though I can't because they are overcast... somewhat, meaning that there are breaks in them with the sun shines through.  Today and tomorrow are supposed to be nice, but showers are in the forecast for Tuesday.  

I checked the results of my bloodwork last evening, though didn't print them off.  My glucose is a bit high, but then it's always a bit high.  Everything else is ducky.  This means my doctor is going to tell me I'm borderline diabetic, after which I'll remind him that I'm borderline everything, so why not through diabetes into the mix.  

Lunch today is going to be salmon.  While I truly like the cheesy scalloped potatoes with ham, it is the sort of solid meal some people still enjoy.  For me to eat it 3 days in a row would be rather extreme.  I'd feel as though I had a spare tire hanging around my gut.  

Business was slow yesterday, except for the garden department.  We talking about our fiscal plan in flooring, wondering if there was a human being behind the process or if they simply left everything up to computers.  I suspect there's some peon who's told to press the button to initiate the process in order for blame to flow down hill.  

Here's a pic of my Itoh peony bushes.  This is the first year for the one to bloom.  It the one in the foreground of the picture.  I can't wait to take pictures of the yellow blooms.

And, of course, the coronation was yesterday.  I paid no attention, though this morning both the New York Times and The Washington Post, published several videos showing King Charles III looking very poufy in his white ermine cap and purply, jewel studded crown.  I, for one, would have no problem if the monarchy faded away entirely.

There was another mass shooting in Texas again.  Ten people dead, including the gunman.  The Guardian made a point on saying there have 198 mass shootings since the beginning of the year.  I don't know where they've all occurred, but I'm betting that a majority of them have been in Red States because the NRA pays Red State Republicans beaucoup buckos to vote pro-gun.  The shootings are only going to get worse.  For Republicans to change course on gun-control would mean they'd have to admit they'd sold their souls to the NRA.  That will never happen. 

The Mole at Mar a Lago

 Temps are supposed to climb into the mid 70s (F) today, and being that it's Saturday, I'm scheduled to work.  In fact this week the weather forecasters are predicting the weather to be nice, warm, with only the occasional shower.  What a shame I have to work on Thursday.

My phone is going crazy with notifications want to let me know that Charles is now king.  Not being an Anglophile and never really liking the man, I could care less.  His family is one of the most publicly dysfunctional groups of people I've ever seen, and they seem to have absolutely no idea on how to fix themselves.

The men working on the house next door did show up for an hour so late yesterday afternoon.  They, too, seem either terribly dysfunctional or completely disorganized.  I suspect it's the latter.  Originally they were going to rehab and rent the house out.  Then they decided they were going to upgrade it and sell it for a lot of money.  That plan has changed again, according to one of the workers.  I suspect they still might try and sell it, but at a much lower price since most of the amenities they were going to include have dumped.  Yeah, that's right, no marble countertops.

Being that I work this weekend, I made cheesy scalloped potatoes with ham yesterday.  Some of it was frozen and the rest will provide me with lunches through Tuesday.

And you'll notice I'm not going to ask if it's just me thinking that a day doesn't go by without someone, somewhere, flipping over another rock and finding more dirt about Clarence Thomas.  That man deserves all of the negative press he gets, and then some.

Of course, the big news yesterday was that at least eight of the fake electors in Georgia have been granted immunity.  For those who need a translation, this another way of saying that they flipped.  Purportedly, the charge they're going for is racketeering.  That's a very good charge.

There does seem to be a lot of flipping going on, doesn't there?  People are talking about the Mole at Mar a Lago, sounds like a snappy song title, doesn't it?  I'm surprised Randy Rainbow hasn't come out with a catching little ditty everyone is playing.  So, who is this mysterious individual who's decided to give all for America?  Some think it's Melanoma Melania.  I don't know about that.  I keep thinking about King Lear and how it's was his daughter's who did him so much damage.

Oops!

 Yesterday was one of those unproductive days when all I really wanted to do was sit around and do nothing.  That isn't what happened though.  Even on my sluggard days I end up doing something.  

Today temps are supposed to climb into the upper 60s (F).  I need to mow my lawn.  The past week of either heavy rain, or on and off showers has made it grow... and grow.  This happens in the spring.  My rose bushes have many buds, and so do my peonies.  For the first time in 10 years both of my Itoh peonies will be blooming.  Their blooms are yellow.  I will take pictures.

Since I didn't have any, I ordered some red socks for cycling.

I made Chicken Saltimbocca last evening for dinner.  It was a first.  It looked great!  However, the combination of the sage and the prosciutto was not at all to my liking.  Actually, I thought it was terrible.  Just because something looks tasty doesn't mean it's going to be satisfying to the palate. 

While I was doing nothing yesterday, I also roasted a ham that will be used for various dishes over the next week.  This afternoon I'll be using it to make cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham that I will use for lunches on this weekend.  

And what about all of the continuous stream of shit about Clarence Thomas and his sow Ginni?  Barely a day seems to go by when another rock isn't turned over and more shit spills out.  Tuition for a foster son, or what ever he wants to call the young man?  Leo Leonard sending money her way and asking that she not be identified in the payments.  And I really don't mind throwing more water on that wet blanket they chose to cower under, but these two individuals are supposed to be devout Christians.  I'm wondering if they view all these bribes as Blessings?  There are Cracker Jack Crazies out there who are like that?  Believing God reward them for being what many consider selfish.  Who cares about ethics when there's an open checkbook waiting to pay your way through the Pearly Gates.

And evidently Trump had another one of his confidential golf course meetings in Scotland.  This one was very hush hush, not like the one in the rain in North Carolina... or was it Georgia, last year.  There was no wild ride on golf carts like at that meeting.  Nope.  There were not a lot of people.  Many are thinking this was because of his rape trial.  You know?  The one where, while in Ireland, he bragged about how he could go and testify?  The one where the judge in charge of the trial, hearing those comments told Trump he now has until Sunday to show up and testify?  Oops.

Oh, and not surprisingly, an important insider in the document case who was at Mar a Lago has flipped.  Oops!

Remember Riunite on Ice?

 We had spotty showers yesterday.  The same thing is predicted for today as well.  We're still not supposed to hit that 60 (F) degree mark.  I'd like to say I can't wait for summer, but that means the heat and we never know about that.  Luckily, those 100 (F) degree days have missed us here in Central Pa.  At some point our luck is going to give out and then people are going to complain.

I had my blood draw yesterday for the physical I have scheduled for next week.  They only took 3 vials, and of course the standard cup of coffee scented pee.  Usually I have milk in my coffee, but on blood draw mornings I forgo the milk because of... fasting.

And yesterday was also fitness day.  Around 10 am I drove over to Planet Fitness for the first time since the pandemic.  I have dumbbells but I can be very lax when it comes to using them regularly.  It turns out that 10 am is the perfect time, the gym was fairly empty except for older people, so there were no waiting times to use any of the equipment.  

Adding to the fitness fun, later in the afternoon I rode 14 miles in Italy.  That was good, too.  I averaged around 16 miles per hour.

There's a section in the new book were the team orders Chinese food and, of course, they need to pair their dinner with the perfect wine.  Well, it turns out that you should drink Lambrusco with Sweet and Sour Chicken, and since I can't ever remember drinking Lambrusco I thought I should at least give it a try.  Well, my local store only carried Riunite and besides having a twisty cap, it's very cheap.  I do think quality is reflected in cost, so rather than buy something inexpensive, I ordered a more expensive bottle, not so expensive that if I find it not to my liking I'll have problems pouring it away. 

And yesterday the Russians said they thwarted an assassination attempt on Putin by taking down two drones that had been sent to kill him.  Nobody believes them.  Nobody believes the Russians anymore except those who want to ally themselves with an authoritarian government.  The Russkies also told the world the drones had been sent by the Ukraine.  Nobody believes that either.  If there were drones, they were most likely sent by anti-Putin forces in Russia.  His 3 day war with the Ukraine has been going for quite some time now and many of Russians are becoming dissatisfied with what they are seeing as his failure.  There is the possibility that they're going to use this as an excuse for more intensive rocket attacks against Kiev.   Who knows with the Russians.

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And evidently Jack Smith sat in on Mikey Pence's testimony before the Grand Jury.  Interesting.  They even talked afterwards.  While this does not make them bosom buddies I'd say it probably doesn't bode well for the Orange Despot wannabe.

 

Special

 Well a happy Wednesday morning to everybody out there in the world.  If the weather forecasters are correct, this should be our last day for temps to be hovering around in the low 50s (F).  Tomorrow they start to rise and by next week our afternoon temps should be happily in the mid 70s (F).  I'm up for that.

Since I'm not scheduled until Saturday and them weather is not conducive to yardwork, I've been taking care of more "home improvements."  Yesterday, I got out the steamer and removed the last wall paper border in my house, sunflowers running along the ceiling in the bathroom.  Once finished, I packed up the steamer and set it out on the front porch.  Since it will no longer be needed, I will set it out on the curb for someone to pick up.  That's one less thing I have to worry about in my house.

I had taken my old PS4 Pro into work for a charity auction.  An associate who has some autism issues bought it.  The last I heard, they were wondering how to make sure he understands that his bid requires him to pay them money for the console.  This is something that should have been explained to him several times during the bidding process.

On Sunday, when it rained so hard, I did something I haven't done in quite sometime.  I used an umbrella.  It is a classic, believe me.  Sop how many of you remember Bartles & James?

Trump's rape trial continues.  A guilty verdict will only solidify his MAGA base even tight around him.  He will most likely get the nomination, but not after a bloody fight that will tear the Republicans to pieces and then, as is his standard procedure, he will shriek election fraud.  This will continue with many Republicans until we start smacking them in the face and even then it will take quite a number of smacks before they begin to grasp the truth.

Evidently one of Tucker Carlson's ugly Tweets has seen the light of day.  He didn't like the way white men fought while beating up what they claimed to be an Antifa youth.  He did, however, enjoy watching the young man get beaten up, as though he deserved to be beaten.  My, Tucker is really an ugly person inside, isn't he?  Of course, many of us knew this already.  He's the mail version of the selfish, spoiled brat who hates everyone and everything that doesn't see him as being special.

The Swedish Fish Incident

 Well, yesterday it rained and it was torturously slow.  Rain has that effect.  Not that it was continuous, but the day seemed to have been pulled from the March calendar rather than the May calendar.  There was a constant breeze, and the temps hung around in the low 50s (F).  Today and tomorrow are going to be repeats.  

I did manage to get a measure for blinds.  That should keep management happy for a bit, though not for long.  Thanks to the stormy weather over the weekend, only 1 store made plan in the district.  They don't like.  

So, I started playing Redfall last evening.  It's a new Bethesda game, with a free download on the xbox Series X because Bethesda is now owned by Microsoft.  I spent a very fast 2 hours killing in the town of Redfall, which has been taken over by vampires.  So far it's fun, of course there have been other games that started off great and ended up not holding my interest long enough to finish them.

I was thinking about the Swedish Fish Incident this morning, debating whether or not I should tell a friend.  What is the Swedish Fish Incident?  Eighteen years ago, when I was working for International Paper, there was a woman who I occasionally chatted with on my rounds through Payables who kept a bowl of candy on her desk.  One day, she switched from jelly beans to Swedish Fish.  I like Swedish Fish, so, like everybody else, I ate a few during my morning chat.  A few days later, during our chat, I had a few more.  Like several other people in the department, I thought it would be a nice gesture to give her $5 to help compensate her since I was eating the candy.  This went on for 2 months until a manager knocked on my door, asking to speak to me.  He set $5 on my desk and told me this woman did not want me eating any of her candy.  Rather than do it herself, she had a manager tell me.  He told me that she just didn't like me.  She had no problem talking business, but did not want me talking to her otherwise.  That's one of those memories that sticks with you.  This white, supposedly Christian conservative woman didn't have the guts to hurt my feelings to my face.  She went so far as to tell people she was quite happy with herself for handling the situation in this manner.  Just think about it.

And Trump is in Scotland.  There's a lot of chatter about his decision to leave the country so close the end of his rape trial, with many people noting Scotland is just a hop, skip, or a jump away from a country which doesn't extradite criminals to the United States.  Would the Orange Anus do something so unscrupulous?  Do I need to ask?

Does anyone know if Ronnie D is back in the US?  I know he was racking up bad reviews in Europe for a while.  This man wants the world to see him as presidential and really all he's doing is proving just how much of a wallflower he happens to be.  He excites no one.  I don't know if he actually met any world leaders.  For all I know, the only people he met who were in power were underlings just like him.

Alice Cooper

Yesterday it rained.  A lot.  Hard.  It rained so hard I needed to use an umbrella to get to the car.  That happens very rarely.  And, of course, it rained throughout most of the day, finally beginning to slow down in mid-afternoon.  When I left work it was more of a steady drizzle, and then that stopped, too.

Predictions are for more showers today, tomorrow, and Wednesday.  Temps are also supposed to stay sweater cool, with the necessary blanket thrown over the bed to stay warm at night.

The rain meant business was slow... at least for flooring.  The paint department was busy.  

And last night I went to see Alice Cooper.  He's quite spry for a 75 year old. My brother was surprised by how many set pieces there were, he was not that familiar with Cooper's history of theatrics.  He did have a live boa onstage, and there was a decapitation with a guillotine.  I have an Alice Cooper $100 bill courtesy of his stage crew using guns to shoot confetti and Alice Cooper money out over the audience.  Even though the venue is sitting, everybody stood for an hour and a half.  An interesting point, the gentleman to my right works for the Patriot News to do critiques and recaps.  I talked to him before the show, and then again as we were heading out into the parking lot.  His recap is quite accuarte.

Of course, Alice played all of his hits.  Here's a bit of School's Out, that's the young man in front of me singing out of tune.  This is what happens when your recording with your phone and the cramped rows are forcing you to hold it near his head.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed for a quick nap before heading off to work.