Disarray

 So, we had another one of those nights when the temps didn't drop below freezing.  Same thing is in the forecast for this tonight.  Today skies are predicted to be overcast, thought temps are again supposed to be sitting around in the mid 40s (F).  Tomorrow, our temps are supposed to climb into the mid 50s (F) and I might try and get a little yard work done.

Yesterday I closed out an IRA, and did the entire thing online... well, mostly.  I initiated the process with a phone call, and then used DocuSign to complete the paperwork they sent me.  Easy, peasy.  For those of you who don't know, IRAs are a great way to save, however when you reach a certain age, you're going to need to begin cashing them in because they are Retirement Accounts.  They give you a choice, regular disbursements, or you can take a lump sum.  I did the lump sum.  I also had them take out a bit more in taxes since I know I'll get it back next year.

Otherwise, yesterday was mostly prepping for the new rower, which arrives today.  Wow!  Talk about fast action.  I bought it Sunday and it's getting delivered today.  All of the furniture was moved yesterday, so this morning is just going to be rearranging of the equipment left in the training room.  Still, looking at it, I must admit that it likes a lot of disarray.

Of course, there's disarray in politics.  The Republicans in Congress are going to push through vague impeachment charges on Mayorkas because they need immigration as an election issue.  This is one of those dead horses they like to kick so much, not in that it isn't a problem, but it gives them a constant charge they can levy at the Democrats.  

And things are going to grow more untidy when Trump's next penalty is announced, probably within the next few days.  He's is going to explode, and the angrier he gets, the angrier his base gets.  At some point, any semblance of control will be lost.  Their rage will be like a fire and consume them like a bonfire from Hell.  What a shame we'll not be able to get out our marshmallows. 

The Precedence of Legislation

 Okay, so yesterday we had on and off again clouds, mostly on.  The same is true for today.  Temps are going to hover in the low 40s (F) and, if the forecasters are correct, only drop into the mid 30s (F) overnight.  Later on this week, it might get a little colder, but then again it's also supposed to get a little warmer.  I haven't checked my heating bill, but I'm betting these temps are saving me a heap of money.  The same is true for my electric.  While I did use the Central Air last summer, we never had extended heatwaves, nothing like people did down south.  

And, speaking down south, I find it amusing that all of the conservatives and conservative seniors are moving to Florida because they don't believe in Climate Change.  The same thing goes for those Texans that want to secede.  This is how things work.

As for work yesterday, it was terribly slow.  Mostly I sat around making notes in Wordpad about future books, or if I want to be precise, the next one, which is called The Body in History, and also notes what might be book number 8, tentatively titled The Body in 4/4 Time.

I had breakfast with my brother this morning.  I got as bit teary eyed talking about Pine Grove, my parent's home town.  Because of my Mom's emotional problems, I spent much of my summer vacation from school with my grandparents.  For 3 months out of the year, I basically lived there, coming back to Lebanon for occasional weeks and so a lot of my childhood memories are based there.  So sometime in May, he and I are going to spend a few hours there in order for me to pass on an oral history.  We may even have to record some of it for posterities sake.

Here's the Pine Grove movie theater.  While I saw a few movies there, the one I remember most is Tarzan Goes to India, in 1962, (though I may have seen it in 63 or 64, my memory's good, but not that good) staring Jock Mahoney.  

With a brief hiatus of Trump's legal issues, Republicans are desperately trying to take over the Mainstream media spotlight with the immigration issue, mostly through their attempt to impeach Mayorkas.  Again, and as is always the case, they have no specifics, but then their base doesn't really care for details.  I find it fascinating that this group is more interested in revenge and retaliation than it is in legislation.  You'd think they'd realize that getting a Cabinet member impeached (especially if you can impeach a president) is not a priority for a majority of Americans.  While there are border issues, the fact that they refuse to do their jobs and legislate demonstrates their inability to define a precedence that America wants them to prioritize, rather than use as an election tool.

Making Losing Great Again

 And welcome to a new Monday morning.   Outside, the temps are a cool 38 (F), and they'll be heating up into the moderate mid 40 (F) range.  The sky's overcast and while we don't have windy conditions shaking up the branches of the River Birch in my side yard, it is breeze.  I have to work, so I'm not going to miss anything.

I did place my order last evening for a new Concept 2 rower.  It should ship in a few days.  I have about a week and a half to get the workout room ready.   I was planning on moving many things.  That may not be necessary, well, maybe one thing.  The rest is just going to be... shall we say, a minor redecoration.  To be more precise, the exercise equipment is being reoriented.  I will shoot a picture once everything is done.

And I am going to be returning that Garmin blood pressure cuff.  This morning I took a reading and, I kid you not, this morning's reading was... 202/144 and my pulse was 142 and I was in a hypertensive crisis, except I wasn't.  Using my old Lumiscope cuff five minutes later, my reading was 139/81 with a pulse of 54.  My pressure is always a bit higher in the morning because I start caffeinating soon after I'm up.  My resting pulse is normally in the low to mid 50s because of... exercise.

To give you an idea of how shitty some customers are, one of the returned this tile mosaic that they cut poorly.  Of course, who ever this customer was, he covered up his mistakes by hiding it beneath other mosaics that hadn't been cut.  I'm betting he was a Republican.

Funny things are beginning to happen in politics, concerned citizens are beginning to warn Republicans about their Trump problem.  In Pennsylvania, former Senator Dent spoke this past weekend of impending, catastrophic losses for Republicans.  He understands that everything Trump touches dies.  I liked the bit where he said that Trump makes "losing Great Again."  To understand this, Republicans would need to reassess their beliefs, something they simply can not do. This is what makes MAGA a cult.  They're addicted to their own lies.  Trump is will be bringing their bad Karma to them with such a destructive force the party will not survive.  This is a good thing.

Row this Way

 I woke up really early this morning.  Lilly had a cranky belly night and around 0415 went out into the hall and threw up.  She usually gets one every other week.  After cleaning up the mess, I decided to put a little time into researching a rowing machine.  Jon, the PT who's my reference guide for all things Physical Therapy recommended a Concept 2, and it seems so does everybody else on the internet.  It's fairly inexpensive compared to a lot of other rowers, however it's long, over 8 feet long, and my space is limited. I shall have to do some pondering on this one.

I also took my blood pressure this morning, in both arms because I'm comparing cuffs.  In my right arm it was slightly elevated.  This is usually the case in the morning because I'm a coffee drinker.  The left arm, however, was through the roof.  My left arm usually reads higher, but this was super high, so I'm suspecting there might be wrong with that cuff.

Retail was steady yesterday.  Though I did something I never, ever do: I got to work late.  I regularly start at 1300 on Saturday, but for some reason my schedule was changed to 1200, and that change never made it to my calendar, not to my brain, and I arrived at the store at shortly before 1 PM.  This is how it goes.

Business was good.  I got 2 measures, and have a pending sale that should go through today.  

Oh, and it's raining outside.  Heavily.  In fact, we had rain throughout the night.  The temps are predicted to drop, becoming more seasonal... well, warmly seasonal rather than cold.  

This is the rower I'm thinking of getting.  Though, again, I need to consider size.

And since it's Sunday, there's not a lot of political humor for me to write about, except, perhaps Trump's speech in Las Vegas, where he was, as usual, all over the map.  His early stage dementia was apparent, something that was pointed out by many on the internet.  Coherence was a bit factor, though that has always been an issue.  This may have been the result of $83 million hit his flailing finances took.  And it's not going to get any better.  Judgement is coming for Trump.

$83 million.

 Hello Sunshine.  Yep, glorious sunshine is pouring through my window.  The outside temps are 45 (F).  I know, that's difficult to believe since we are heading into the heart of winter.  The long range forecast has daytime highs sitting in the comfortable 40s (F), sometimes a few degrees warmer, sometimes a few degrees colder.  So far, this winter is a replay of last year's winter... and the year before that.  

Yesterday, I grouted.  I also realized I'm going to need to pull the stove front and tile a small section behind it.  If you enter the kitchen from the dining room and look sharply to the left, past the coffeemaker, there is a small, 4 inch by 6 inch section that's going to need to be tiled.  No problem.  But not today.  I work today, and before that I want to get a ride in.

The rest of yesterday was odd.  Too overcast.  I needed to clean the one tank and didn't.  No time on the treadmill.  No free weights.  Nothing.  I'm blaming my neighbor.  She likes to turn her music up when she cleans, and though it's not nearly as loud as it was that first time, there is a two hour time period where there is a background buzz of bass and drums that I find very distracting.  I'd complain, but it's only once a week, if it were more often, or loud enough to rattle my windows as it was the first time she cleaned, I'd be knocking on her door.

As I've said, I'm making lots of notes on the next book, The Body in History, and a new character has joined my cast, Naomi Potts, an poetess from Cambridge.  Does this mean there might be several stanzas of hexameter poetry?  Hhhmmm, could be.

And then, of course, yesterday this happened:

Of course, Trump Tower has not had a name change... yet. Something I noted:  it didn't take the jury long to decide on the amount.  Another thing:  I actually listened to a few moments of comment by his attorney Habba and realized she lies as much as he does.  I find it interesting that she was treating this penalty phase as though it were the trial itself.  It's not that she's that stupid, she just realizes that the words penalty phase contain too many syllables for Trump's cultists to understand.  It's also my understanding that in order to appeal the judgement, he needs to put up the full $83 million until the appeal process is complete, or get a bail bondsman to cover it.  Here's the rub with using a bail bondsman:  Trump needs to put down 10%, and if he loses his appeal, the bondsman will have to cover the entire $83 million should the Orange Anus choose not to pay.  Ouch!  Trump's history on reneging is etched in stone.  Can you hear me laughing?

Tile This

 Friday.  The skies are overcast.  Drizzly rain drizzles.  The sun might poke his nose through the clouds momentarily, but not for long.  Rain is on the menu as the forecast calls for nothing but a slow soaker until sometime tomorrow.  On the bright side, if you want to call it that, our temps are supposed to crest at 65 (F), which is super warm for February.  I honestly wish it would get sunny.  Maybe next week, since were supposed to have a weekend of wetness.

I did 2 miles on the treadmill yesterday, and then celebrated by doing to taxes.  I always get a refund, finding a way to put it to good use, and this year it's going to pay off the rest of my new kitchen expense.  And then maybe buy a rowing machine.  Yeah, I've been looking at them.  

My dishwasher gave me an error last evening as it was heading into the rinse cycle.  IO.  Now, I guess everybody knows what IO means:  In Out.  I checked on what might be causing that and the suggestions was a crimped water line.  Nope.  I have low water pressure sometimes.  I'll rutch it around a little, possibly even pull it forward a small bit, and then I'm going to need to figure out how I might be able to override it.

My tiling is going to be finished today, and some of the grouting will be done as well.  Here's what it looks like so far.

Closing arguments are today in the penalty phase of one of Trump's trials (doesn't it seem like this is happening every day?).  Prepare yourselves, for he will flip a fuse even if E. Jean Carroll is awarded $20, and most likely it will be in the millions.  This is the price he'll pay for bragging about shoving his fingers up her vagina.  He will try and go scorched earth.  He will burn down all caps words faster than he can build them. 

And there was a great article in the Washington Post this morning about how it will be necessary to destroy the Republican party if there's any desire for having it survive.  They will never learn, so every Republican who is part of the cult needs to be voted out of office.  American voters will need to crush the MAGA fantasy world.  I don't doubt for a second that's going to happen.  Those pouring over the stats from New Hampshire see horrific problems for the GOP.  Nikki Haley may have lost, but those 43% who voted for her are not going to vote for the Donald.  He might get the nomination, but he can't win an election with only 54% of the Republican party voting for you.

The unwanted Match Up

Hello, rain and much warmer temps.  This morning the snow is nearly gone, just a few small piles remaining and they will have melted away by this afternoon.  Temps are forecasted to be in the low 50s (F).  Tomorrow, predictions were that we were going to hit 60 (F), they have been revised down a few degrees.  Now, if they're correct, we should max out at around 57 (F), which is not good for the heating bill.

I had lunch with my cousin Robin yesterday, we're the same age.  Every three months we get together, switching back and forth between the east shore (where she and her husband live) and the west shore, where I live.  Lunch was at The Brownstone, which was at one time a bank, and is now a popular restaurant.  I had a chicken pie (way, way, way too many carbs), and when I got home I ended up taking a nap; not the thing to do with a belly full of potatoes, chicken, and pie crust.  Oh, and I had a slice of peanut butter cream pie for desert.  The treadmill and the free weights are calling loudly out loudly, in case you can't hear.

And, since so many are complaining about Greta Gerwig failing to get a nomination for Best Director, I thought we might want to spend just a few brief seconds talking about Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.  Who are they you ask?  Well, they're the directors of Super Mario Bros (the movie) which, like Barbie, earned $1.4 billion at the box office.  In fact, directors of really big blockbusters are rarely nominated.  I find it interesting that among all the commotion, no one has mention Justine Triet.  Who, you ask?  She's the French director who did get nominated for her film Anatomy of a Fall, a taut thriller in which a woman may, or may not have murdered her husband.  Here's the trailer so you can have a look / see.

Even though New Hampshire happened only a few days ago, polls are already out predicting a winner in the match up between Biden and the Orange Anus.  Ignore them!  Every news organization out there is desperately trying to get you to click on their page, which is why they publish sensationalist headlines.  Until the November election, polls are going to be non-stop.  They will become the never ending issue of pro v con, good  v evil, Biden v Trump.  They will all tell you that these polls are based on responses from 1500 people (some will have more, some less), but they're not telling you that 30,000 people ignored that phone call which drastically dilutes their accuracy.  Oh, and people lie, too.  Not everyone who responds is a seriously concerned citizen.  At one time, polls were something that you could rely on, now the only value they have is grabbing your attention.

 

The Go-To Whine

 We're getting rain today... well, showers, on and off with not much accumulation.  For some reason, whenever rain, or snow for that matter, people envision torrential downpours.  That is rarely the case.  Even the steady rains we get are slow to accumulate.  Rain is predicted for tomorrow as well.  Altogether we'll probably get about .75 of an inch, not enough to cause flood warnings.  On the temp side, ours will be hovering in the mid 40s (F) all day.  By this evening, most of the snow we received will be gone.

And I do have to briefly mention the Oscar snubs among other notes.  I was surprised Greta Gerwig didn't get one, but but Barbie is a comedy and the directors (directors nominate directors) love them their drama.  On Margot Robbie?  I never thought she'd get a nomination; comedic performance.  On Leonardo DiCaprio?  Never thought he'd get one; he played stupid well, but his character was barely 2 dimensional.

On Oppenheimer's 13 nominations?  They won't win all of them.  Adapted Screenplay is going to Gerwig, and production design is going to Barbie.  Costume design will probably go to Napoleon, the voters love period costumes.

Because Ryan Gosling is nominated, as well as his song, there's a good possibility we'll get to see him cavorting half-dressed across the stage singing "I'm Just Ken."  He'll probably lose to Robert Downey Jr, who's black and white malevolence in Oppenheimer was so well played.  

Anyway, this was a really good year for movies, in fact, I might compare it to 1939 when Gone with the Wind was up against The Wizard of Oz for best picture.  Of course, that was also the year before war broke out across Europe.

I baked some Italian bread yesterday, and then made a BLT for dinner.  Scrumptious.

And, of course, the New Hampshire primaries were yesterday and Trump won, as expected, how ever, he only received 54% of the votes.  Looking at the numbers, the only Republicans voting for him are the hard core conservatives, moderates, centrists, and Independent voters turn away.  He needs the Independents if he thinks he even has a chance to win the election.  He's not going to get them, which means he's going to rally as many losing Republicans around him by shrieking Election Fraud.  For a brief moment that was a rally cry, now, however, more and more people are seeing it as nothing more than a rally whine.  Conservatives will never admit their political views don't jive with a majority of Americans, meaning they will need to blame something else for their loss and election fraud is their main go-to whine.

The nominating process

 It's Tuesday, and that means I'm beginning my 4 day mini-vacation which begins every Tuesday.  I don't mind working weekends, mostly because I end up doing so much during the week.  Perhaps if I felt the need to watch football, or basketball, I might feel differently, but I like cycling and races are run any and every day of the week, not merely on weekends in order for networks to earn ad revenue.

Outside, the temp is 30 (F).  We're heading into a warming trend.  Highs today will be in the mid 40s (F).  We'll end up in the low 50s (F) by the end of the week.  We will also be getting rain.  Not nearly as much as in San Diego.  I have a Navy friend who lives there and so I got to see pics of the flooding.  Because they rarely get downpours in Southern California, none of the towns and cities are prepared.  They will have to adjust, or get flooded away.

I have all of the necessary paperwork to do my taxes, so either today or tomorrow I'll get that chore out of the way.

The Oscar nominations will be out in about an hour.  I'm debating on whether I want to watch.  I subscribe to Disney and they own ABC, but I don't know if Disney's going to do anything.  Actually, I just took a brief pause and pulled the announcements up on YouTube.  There are almost 6000 people signed in, some of them commenting.  Ugh.  Those streaming comments never make any sense.  I want to bake a loaf of bread this morning, so maybe I'll go downstairs and put that together before the announcements begin.

Here's a pic I took from my cycling, jogging, free weight, and blogging room this morning.

The New Hampshire primary is also today.  Trump and Pelosi Haley go head to head.  Is the burning question:  Did his attorney, Habba, come down with Covid symptoms in order for him to be in the Granite State today?  I know it doesn't pertain to his winning that primary, I think many believe that a done deal.  If the question isn't about Habba's sudden illness, could be in regard to Haley's performance?  You do know, she doesn't have to win, just earn enough votes to slap him severely up side his head, and maybe knock him down so he can bruise his other hand.  I'm hoping she comes close, then he's going to go on the attack, not only against her, but against women in general, and while his cult won't mind, many, many other women in this country will.  Many already blame him for loading the Supreme Court in order to get rid of Roe v Wade.  He did that to get the Evangelical vote, but even they're beginning to splinter off.

His boots were made for walkin'

 I thought that yesterday we were going to pop up into the low 30s (F), I was wrong.  Our temps crested at a cool 38 (F).  Today we'll reach the 30s (F) and tomorrow rain drops into the picture.

Business in the store was actually moderate yesterday.  Our clientele is changing, mostly because we now have two large teaching hospitals (one calls itself a medical center) within 5 miles of the store.  At present, I'd say that Asians make up about 20% of our business, Spanish speaking people another 20%, and Europeans (mostly Slovakians) another 15%, and they do not see Sundays the way many traditional Americans see Sundays; they don't sit home and watch football on TV.  They watch soccer and cricket (mostly soccer).  Since most Premier League games are telecast earlier in the day, these people come out in force Sunday afternoons and evenings.  That's why, even though sales were only moderate yesterday, I managed to get 2 measures.  Management should be very happy.

I bought a new blood pressure cuff that sinks with the Garmin app in my phone and on my computer.  My BP is up a bit, and is a reinforcement that I do need to take off a few pounds.  Since I've already been working them off by the ounces, I'm not worried.

And, of course, the big news yesterday was that his white boots were really made for walking.

Let's be honest, his was a campaign that was made to fail.  This was written in stone right from the very beginning, with his embarrassing campaign announcement on Twitter.  For those who don't remember, it stuttered, and stammered, and then crashed because Elon Musk demonstrated his incompetence publicly.  Ronnie's campaign died because, like every other Republican obsessed with being president, he failed to read the American people.  While picking a fight with Disney was the stuff of conservative cultist's erogenous dreams, most Americans saw his actions as petty and stupid.  Ronnie passed laws that banned books and tried to re-imagine slavery, saying it wasn't that bad and that some slaves learned trades without understanding that most Americans looked at him and saw an asshole.  And, of course, he did wear those white boots.  Just what was he thinking?  Evidently, not much.

Moroccan Chicken

 I'm, looking out the window of my cycling, running, weight room at a very red sky this morning.  Old sailors say it's a warning.  Me?  I think it means that our temps are going to pop up into the mid 30s (F) today.  Skies will be partially cloudy, but we are heading into a warming in trend, with temps expected to be in the low 50s (F) by the end of the week.  Bye, bye snow.

I did work yesterday and, as expected, business was slow.  Management is blaming the cold, but traditionally this time of year has always been slow for us.  The fact that in the northern tier states, no one renovates in the winter was made in the movie The Holdovers.  When one of the young men left behind says he's not going home for Christmas because his parents are renovating and his bedroom is torn up, our young hero responds by saying, "It's winter.  No one renovates in the winter."

I cooked up a bone this morning for Lily to gnaw on while I'm at work.  I will mix some of the broth in with her dry food for her dinner.  She loves that.  

And I did make the Moroccan chicken yesterday before work.  Oh, my, it's quite tasty... and spicy.  The recipe called for cayenne pepper, however, since I didn't have any in my larder and wasn't about to run out to the store just so I could add the teaspoon it called for, so I substituted with pepper flakes.  Here's what it looks like.

Rumor has it that the bruises we saw on Trump's hand are not the result of his shaking hands with the devil, but were caused by a rather serious fall.  Neither cause would surprise me.  Falling is a serious problem for senior citizens, and at 77 years of age, Trump is in that senior category.  Just wait, any day now those who go to his rallies will be seeing Grab Bars on the sides of his podium just in case his balance gets a little wavery.  I'm betting he's either going to fall down in public, not like Biden's little trippy fall, but more like a Bob Dole Ooompha fall, probably not off the stage, but flat on his face in front of one of those massive, unbelievably large crowds of maybe 1000 people.  

Not surprising, Tim Scott endorsed him because... well, I guess Republicans are trying to unify their party.  Believe me, this going to get hilarious.

Here comes the Sun

 So, my alarm clock went off this morning at it's usual 0530 time and I turned it off, rolled over, and went back to sleep.  Happily, when I did finally roust myself from bed, I opened the drapes and sunlight poured into the room like a warm wave rushing to shore in the Gulf of Mexico.  That was a bit ago.  It's still sunny, somewhat, though clouds are moving in, and it's still cold, around 18 (F), which is really nippy for those of you using Celsius.

Oh, and it's gotten windy, so all of that fine, powdery snow we've gotten over the past few days is blowing all over the place, and all of that shoveling my neighbors did yesterday is all for naut.  I will take a shovel out shortly and clear a path, the operative word being clear.  Tomorrow the temps are supposed to climb up into the mid 30s (F), Sunday they'll hit the 40s (F) and rain is expected on Tuesday.

And I do get to work this afternoon.  Will it be busy?  I have no idea.  Those who are adapting to the cold will be out, but I suspect many others will stay warm and cozy in their homes and any outside expeditions will mostly be for essential, except for younger people.  They seem to have fewer problems when it comes to facing the elements then their seniors.  

I plan on making Moroccan chicken to eat for the next few days, spicy.  I like spicy.  Too many Americans have trained their mouths to avoid anything that makes their tongues tingle.  Back when I was at the paint desk, I remember a mother warning her daughter about a peppermint candy.  We had a bowl of wrapped candies and the little girl wanted one and her mother asked, "are you sure?  It's spicy."  And I couldn't help but think, hell, it's peppermint, if she thinks that's spicy, then she's doomed to eat bland foods like boiled potatoes and rice for the rest of her life.

And here's a picture of the sunshine.  Bask in it.

And there's a lot of noise being made about Fanni Willis and the prosecutor assigned to the election fraud cases down in Georgia.  I usually push things like this aside because they're always tend to be political in nature.  Today I read a bit, and it seems as the the soon-to-be ex-wife of the prosecutor is behind many of the allegations.  Their divorce is pending, and from what I've seen, she seems to be one of those women who holds a bitter grudge for eternity.  She's going to make him pay, even if it means helping Trump cheat the system.  I don't understand how some people can be so selfish.

Shake hands with the Devil

 Our Friday snow began sometime after midnight.  Yep, after 2 years of getting hardly any snow, this year it's accumulating... two inches here, two inches there.  The predictions is for 3 to 6 inches, the deeper snow being found on hilltops, and since I'm on one of the highest hills around I suppose that means I'm going to end up closer to the 6 inch range.  

Later this morning I'm going to be going to my local Giant supermarket, so that should be an indicator on how hard the snow is falling.  While Subarus aren't specifically made for snow, they do quite a lot better than your average Ford or Chevy.  And later, possibly this evening when the snow begins to die off, I'll go out and shovel.  Free Cardio.

And, speaking of cardio, Garmin has out an updated Beta version of their app and I signed up for it.  One of the things the new app does is compare your physical age with your actual age.  I've got work to do.  According to the app, I'm physically 2 years old than my physical age.  I'm not doubting for a second that has to do with the weight.  I'm not too concerned.  Since the holidays are over, my schedule is fixed and I began the necessary weight loss workout a few weeks back.  Results are showing up daily.  I'm working to get the physical age lower than my actual age.  We'll see if I can do it.

For those interested, this is what it looked like from my front door 15 minutes ago.

And, of course, quite a few people were speculating about the sores on Trump's hand.  What sores, you ask?  These sores.

Some were speculating that they might a secondary symptom of Syphilis.  Nope.  Personally, I think the most obvious answer is that this is what happens when you shake hands with the devil, since there has to be some physical manifestation of selling him your soul.

Political Hell

 Well, Thursday has arrived.  I slept in until past 7.  Even at that late hour, the temp was 13 (F) when I finally tossed back the sheets and got out of bed.  We're supposed to get above freezing today, but just by a little.  According to the Accuweather forecasters, more snow should start falling Friday night, though how much seems to be rather elusive.  On my phone, the prediction is for between 1 and 4 inches, yet on the email weather update I received from Accuweather, the total was between 2 and 6 inches.  So, to be on the safe side, I'm betting we're going to be getting between 1 and 6 inches of snow.  

I cancelled the auto-ship from Chew.com for Lily's Beneful dry food.  She's been turning up her nose at it, the same way she does treats she doesn't like.  She has always been picky about what she eats, but as she gets older, she's becoming even more so.  Though she has no problem making her way to the kitchen when I'm cutting up vegetables and chicken; tomatoes are one of her favs.  And at 10.5 years of age, she's decided she's going to spend most of her day sleeping on the bed.  That's right, no more sofas for her.  Of course, the windows in the bedroom give her a much better vantage on the world.  

The bill for my homeowner's insurance arrived yesterday.  It went up $60, and the first thing I thought of was that I used it to help pay for the repairs in my ceiling.  I mean, isn't that how insurance work?  You pay a certain amount in, and when you use it, they charge you more to help compensate the insurer?  I could rationalize it by telling myself they paid around $1500 in damages, but then there is the fact that I've been paying the same insurer for 30 years.  For those who don't remember, here a pic of the hole in my ceiling, so... maybe it's worth the increase.

And I saw that rumors are flying that Elise Stefanik is in the running Trump's vice president.  This is what she's been dreaming of for quite some time.  She's dumb as a brick.  She's put no consideration what so ever into what hoops Trump will make her jump through should he give her the nod.  Nope.  She's just thinking of the title, and the power her dark, little heart beats for.  You do have to admit that for Trump World, she is more than qualified, being the one member of Congress to endorse George Santos.  You all remember George, don't you?  The 6th member of Congress to be expelled because of corruption.  Elise and Donny would truly be a match made in political Hell.

The Essentials

 Okay, so we ended up with about 4 inches of snow, not a lot, but the temps are so cold it's guaranteed to lay around for a few days, and by cold I mean 11 (F).  Yep, it was that chilly when I got up.  And the outside temps are only predicted to climb to around 28 (F).  Forecasters are predicting a bit more snow tomorrow night into Friday.  Not much, possibly another 3 inches.  I'm fine with that.  This cold, the snow's fine and powdery and easy to shovel.

Speaking of shoveling, I timed myself yesterday and it took me 39 minutes to clear off my sidewalks and around my car.  That's a very good thing, because once I finish this, I'm going to head out to my local Giant Supermarket and pick up some essentials, like dog treats.  There are other essentials include, like laundry detergent, but let's be honest here, the little lady of the house gets special treatment.  Lily has some arthritis in her left hip and these cold temps stiffen it up, and treats keep her happy.

Oscar nominations come out next week, as they do every year, and this year the races are going to be very competitive.  Looking down over the list of possible nominations, I'm reminded of those whiners who claim Hollywood doesn't know how to make original movies.  That's so totally wrong.  This year, for instance, you could go see The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and a host of other original movies.  Unfortunately, as many, many people are, none of the local theater chains want to play original movies, and if they do, those films need to be blockbusters, like Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon.  Poor Things never played here, and The Holdovers was here for a week.  There are so many films that don't play in Harrisburg simply because the AMC theater chain here needs to hit their revenue forecast and that will only happen by showing Aquaman for 5 weeks straight, or the Troll Band movie (which has been playing since Thanksgiving).  Wall Street is ruining the movies, and that's why we rarely get to see original films here in Harrisburg.

So, the Iowa caucus was held on Monday, and while most media outlets are only reporting that Trump won, they're failing to essential information, like only 14% of eligible Republicans attended them, or if you want a head count, around 110,000.  Believe me when I tell you, the MAGA cult showed up in force, which is not really a good thing for Donnie the Orange Anus.  This is bad for him in several respects:  he won by getting 51% of the vote, which means 49% voted for someone else.  Ouch!  There is no landslide when 49% of Republicans vote for someone else because this fracture represents the Republican party.  86% of the voters stayed home, was this because they resigned themselves to the fact that he was going to win, so there was not need to brave the cold?  And if they were this apathetic about the caucuses, will they be any different in November?  I would not be surprised if there was some serious consternation in the Trump Camp, 51% is not a landslide, only 110,000 showed up, and having only 56,000 of those people vote for you is not a landslide.  I find it interesting that the media has not pounced on these essential facts.

Snow

 Well, for those of you out west where the temps are colder, if you want warmer weather, take a jaunt to the east where we're sitting comfortably in the mid 20s (F).  Tonight our temps are predicted to drop down into the mid teens; believe me, my blankets are at the ready.  Presently, it is still snowing, but only for a short time.  In about an hour, we'll be finished with the frozen precipitation until Friday, when once again we should be expecting 1 - 3 inches.  As I've said before, I have my thermostat set at 69 (F) and my neighbor's heating system is giving me that little boost.

I think I'm pretty much finished with playing Starfield, total time, including the first shot that ended with the game crashing, is about 140 hours.  There are a couple hundred star systems that I haven't gotten to yet, but I'll save them for later.  Either tonight or tomorrow night I'll finish the main storyline and then put it to bed for a while.  The game has a lot of replay value.  It maybe difficult to believe, but I know some people who have over 300 hours of gameplay under their belt.

Yesterday, retail was slow.  As expected.  

For some reason, I woke up early, so, when I finish this entry, I'm going to back to bed and take a nap.  Here's a pic of the snow from my front door.  I took it at around 0500, but my nifty phone camera makes it look a lighter than it truly was.

Oh, and the Iowa caucuses were last evening, and, as expected the Spawn of Satan won.  I was surprised to see that Ronnie D nosed out Nikki H, but I should have realized that if push came to shove, Republicans would never vote for a woman.  Being the anti-abortion crowd, this is something they'd never be able to do, since in their minds women are simply vessels that need to be tolerated, even if they have an opinion.

Iowa Caucus

 Quick entry today because it's a holiday... well, no, actually, I slept in until 0700, and not because I stayed up late, rather I was tired, and it's cold outside.  Winter temps are blessing the area, finally.  And snow is on the way as well, starting very late this afternoon, about an hour before I head home from work.  Forecasters are saying we might be getting 4 - 5 inches.  Temps tomorrow are not predicted to climb above freezing, so it'll be sticking around for a few days.  

Work was steady yesterday.  I got 2 measures for carpet, that means 3 measures for the past week.  Management is pleased with me.  

As part of the prep work for my next book, The Body in History, I've been having some conversations with Jon, my PT friend about types of therapy he'd prescribe for certain injuries, say a broken ankle, and a compound fracture of the femur, among other things.  Now how in the world could this be related to Eli and Max going to Greece?  I know you can't hear me, but I just let loose with one of my evil laughs.

I've also been chatting with David up in New York on turning the first 2 books in the series into audio books.  I see difficulties looming ahead, he sees challenges, especially in The Body on the Lawn, which relies on flashbacks, some going back over 20 years.  I changed the font in the book to let the reader know a flashback was happening, I don't know how he's going to do that in an audiobook.

And, again, the Iowa caucuses are tonight.  Ho Hum.  That state is suffering from bitter cold, in fact, our temps here in Central PA seem downright balmy to theirs.  We might get four inches of snow, they have had blizzard conditions.  It almost seems as if God, himself, is making it as difficult as possible for Republicans to give Trump the nomination, doesn't it?  Knowing how much of a sacrilegious, blasphemous sack of shit Trump is, that wouldn't surprise me.

The Holdovers

 Cold temps are here... kind of.  The temp outside is 30 (F), meaning things that can freeze are freezing.  Accuweather is warning of high winds again today, and possibly blustery snow flurries, but nothing that's going to amount to much.  Today's temps are supposed to climb into the 40s (F), so it's not that frigid outside. 

Yesterday was somewhat busy at work, no sales, no measures, but customers coming and asking questions.  I talked to an older woman who's thinking about putting carpet in 3 bedrooms, though I just provided her with information.  Sometimes seniors feel they need to freshen up their home in order to sell it, which might be the case here.  When this happens, I see myself as mostly a guide rather than a salesperson, not that I ever feel the need to pressure someone into purchasing an installation.  Interestingly enough, I'd talked to another senior woman a bit later who was totally different.  She was upset that we no long provide free samples.  When I began to explain that a  3 inch by 3 inch sample doesn't provide an accurate idea of what the flooring is like, and that it's better to buy a box, take it home spread it out on your floor, she cut me off.  She told me that she'd done that at our Derry Street store, liked the display, bought a box and taken it home only to discover she didn't like it at all and had to return it to the store.  She completely ignored the fact that she, herself, had just proven my point, that purchasing flooring based on a 3 x 3 sample is bad.  I suspect she will not find anything that satisfies her tastes, and will complain to anyone who will listen.

I watched The Holdovers last night, the story of three people stuck at a private school over Christmas.  There's a lot of Oscar buzz about it.  It's funny at times, and touching at times.  Paul Giamatti is good, but Da'Vine Joy Randolph is simply priceless as the head cook.  

And, of course, the Iowa caucuses are tomorrow.  The members of Trump's cult are the only ones who care.  Nikki Haley's creeping up in the polls and will most likely pop little Ronnie DeSantis's cork.  That's fine.  After it's over, Trump's going to piss off a lot of Republican women by going after Nikki.  

Oh, and those flurries I was talking about?  Their falling fast and furious now.

 

Too Good to be True

 So, Friday ended with a drizzle that continued through the night.  We were under a high wind warning that never blew in, there wasn't so much as a brisk breeze.  Temperatures are set to drop today, though their fall will be sort of a slomo decent into the colder temps more fitting for winter.  Over the next few days, nightly temps will bottom out in the low to mid teens (F), with daily highs climbing into the low to mid 30s (F).  We will have to wait and see if I keep my thermostat set at 69 (F), or if I turn up the heat.

Painting in the kitchen is complete.  Well, as always, there will be a few touch-ups, mostly on the cabinets and on a section of the baseboard where I went a little too light with the brush.  Next week the tiling will be finished, and possibly, if my knees are feeling up to it, the floor will be laid.  I was thinking of putting decorative teapots along the top of the cabinets, but decided not to, preferring a crisper look over something that might seem like colorful clutter.

My neighbors had a new water heater installed yesterday, right after they had moved in, she told me the old one was leaking.  They evidently didn't pay for a home inspection.  My nephew told me that the real estate is so hot in this area, most potential home buyers will skip it out of fear someone else will snap up the property.  Translation:  you're buying the house as is.  They bought that house because it was staged to look like it was worth a lot more than the asking price.  I did a search of the houses on the local market and they paid a fair price, they did get new appliances and their backsplash is top notch tiling.  Something I learned a long time ago: if it looks to good to be true, it usually is too good to be true.

For those of you who have been to an AMC theater lately, or who go as frequently as I do, you know about the Nicole Kidman ad for the theater group.  They play it relentlessly.  I hope she's getting paid residuals!  Anyway, her suit is going on the auction block at Sotheby's if you care to put in a bid. 

And since it's the weekend, nothing really important is happening in domestic politics other than the usual sniping from Republicans.  I don't know if you've noticed, but it always seems to be the Republicans who are complaining and pointing fingers and imaginary evils.  Their base lives for the mis-information. Their truth is never as good as they claim, in fact, over the past decade of so they've proven themselves time and time again to be nothing more than expert shysters.  Their political staginess, however, is growing stale.  They are becoming more and more extreme because they need to in order to hold on to their base, and while they do this many Americans are shaking their heads and saying, "what the hell is wrong with you people?"

What if it's more than just Thin-set

 Today's is starting out all bright and sunny.  According to Accuweather, the temps will never leave the 40s (F), which is nice.  This afternoon, however, gusty winds will be arriving and with them showers and drizzles, a precursor to the Cyclone Bomb that will slowly spread across the region this weekend.  The colder temps will please the skiers, since they'll be able to make snow up on Roundtop without having to worry about it melting.  And yes, if you were wondering, we do have ski resorts in the area, though the past few warm winters have not been kind to them.

Yesterday was one of those semi-productive days.  Some chores were completed, others not started.  I did go for a ride on the bicycle.  Paris.  A Garmin Triathlon.  There was a time when the videos for my Tacx trainer were only for rides in Europe, boy has that changed.  And a good thing it is.  Now I can choose from rides in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.  There are a number of difficulty levels, from Easy to Extreme.  I can tell you right now, my legs would never survive an Extreme ride.

I should finish the painting in the kitchen today.

Yesterday, while I was making Chicken Marsala for dinner, I glanced up at my kitchen ceiling and saw a spot.  At least, I thought I was looking at a spot.  Of course, the first thing to go through my head was that the plumbers had failed and I still had a leak.  That would truly piss me off.  So, getting my small ladder, I got a closer look and discovered it wasn't a leak, but rather a small lump of thin-set from my tiling adventure. I was so relieved that all I had to do was scrap it off with my fingernail.

And then there's this:

Except except several interesting things are happening.  Firstly, you have to keep in mind that America is going through the Great de-churching.  Every year hundreds of thousands of Americans decide that Church is not the answer, and stop going, and it's not only the mainline denominations, it's everywhere.  Secondly, those who stop going cite a number of reasons for their change of mind, the politicization of Christianity is a big one.  The NYT had an interesting article on whether the Evangelicals from Iowa are on the Trump train or not.  Some are for Trump, others for DeSantis.  Trump puts out an ad saying he was sent by God, and that he ends every week by going to church (can you hear me laughing), while Ronnie D says that if he had been living in the time of Jesus, he could have been a disciple.  I find it amusing that these people don't care that they're driving people away from the church, as long as they get that hardcore Christian base to vote for them.  Could the United States end up seeing a war in which Christians fight Christians?  You bet!  And all because Conservatives believed that Culture Wars were the best way for them to win elections.

Terrormorphs

 So, here we go, it's Thursday.  Outside overcast skies are giving way to partial sun, which is almost as good as a sunny day, but not quite.  Temps are again predicted to linger in the mid 40s (F).  That doesn't bother me in the least bit.  Sadly, it looks as though Canada is going to shoo some of it's cold air in the form of an artic blast down to us.  If the forecasters are correct, our temps will be struggling to climb up into the low 30s (F) next week.  That means I might have to turn the thermostat back up to 70 (F).

Yesterday was a so, so day.  I did get some tiling done, but I avoided the paint.  It's these cloudy days.  I did manage to get in a free weight workout.  My legs are a bit sore today because I've incorporated a series of weighted lunges attempt to prep them for when I'll be spending time on my knees installing the new floor.

My new neighbors were arguing this morning.  If they are shouting loudly, I can hear what they're yelling, and at one point he brought up "this house."  She's already told me they believe they were cheated and lied to, and while in all honesty I'd have to say that the real estate agent was a bit deceitful, they are the ones who made the decision to purchase because of how it was staged.  If you're investing that much money, do you homework.  It's a little late in the game for them to have buyer's remorse.

Here's an updated pic of the far end of the kitchen.  The cookbook shelf has been put back.  I am going to need to repot the snake plant and move it.  I do like that lemony yellow color on the walls.  There are also going to be valances hung, but they're going to be the "finishing touches."

There was a Republican debate last night.  I was too busy killing Terrormorphs in Starfield to pay any attention, and I know I chose the way better option.  I mean, did anyone other than Republicans watch?  And I doubt if any of those who did were Trumpers, they've already sold their souls to the Spawn of Satan.

And, speaking of the devil, I understand he had some sort of Townhall where he fielded softball questions.

Oh, and lest I forget, Hunter Biden showed up at his contempt hearing, and Republicans flipped out.  And Democrats embarrassed a number of Republicans, those who have also ignored their subpoenas, including Jimmie Jordan, who has ignored his own subpoena for 608 days.  Even though those Republican congressmen weren't playing Starfield, they came face to face with a Terrormorph of their on creation and figuratively speaking, publicly died.

Carnivores

 Well, the rain has come and gone.  The sun is shining.  The temps are going to hover around in the mid 40s (F) all day.  You'll not find me complaining about that.  The same thing's going to be true for tomorrow.  Nice.  I feel like doing more when the sun is out.  As for the rain... how much did we get?  A lot.  All of Central PA is under flood warnings.  Small streams are above flood stage.  And sitting here, typing this, I can look out my side window and see the sun glinting off of the Susquehanna river.  Yep, it's only 3/4 of a mile away.

Yesterday I started on the tile work in my kitchen.  Just a small section was tiled, but more is on the way.  Today, I want to paint another 1/3, which would just leave the space behind the refrigerator needing to be painted.  Also, I want to do do more sections of tile.  I'm going to wait to grout until all of the tiling has been completed.  I suspect most of this will be done by the end of this week, which means next week I'll be moving onto the floor.  I will be glad when that's finished.

And one of the things I've noticed this winter is that not all of the robins have flown south.  For those who don't know, robins are carnivorous and will stick around as long as there are insects, and worms, and meatier things for them to eat.  To me, this says a lot about Global Warming.  I took this picture of a robin yesterday.  Earlier in the day, he was flipping leaves over looking for dinner.

I saw that the National Review is telling Republicans that they should not, and cannot nominate Trump.  This is truly amusing.  They can see Republican self-destruction looming in front of them and they are powerless to stop it, of course, you have to remember, once he was elected in 2016 they had no problem with him, as long as he gave conservatives what their dirty hearts were praying for.  They were as pleased as punch to say, "shut up, we're in charge," so much so, that they ignored all of the ugliness shitting away just below his orange skin.  Instead of trying to tamp down his hate rhetoric, they chose to allow him to do what he wanted, and say what wanted, without a single though to the damage he was doing.  Now they're suffering through the court cases, and the indictments, and the far right looking crazier, and crazier by the day.  Conservatives have always had a problem with thinking things through.  Now they've screwed themselves.  The National Review is recommending the GOP nominate either Haley or DeSantis, neither of which, they're telling themselves, will be nearly as bad for Conservatives as Trump is, and will be if he happens to get the nomination.

Swat This

So, here it is Tuesday.  The sun has yet to rise, so it's difficult to tell if the skies are overcast or not; I'm betting that here in Central PA we're sitting under a heavy cloud cover.  Rain is predicted to roll into the area later this morning, starting off as possible sleet.  Forecasters are predicting as much as 3 inches.  Looking at the weather map, I must admit that there is a large chunk of green wetness heading our way.  We will have to wait and see.

Yesterday was slow at work.  I did manage to get a carpeting measure just before my shift ended, which should keep management happy.  We are heading into the slow season.  Winter is always bad for installations and renovations in this part of the country.  No one wants to have their constantly opening and closing letting their expensive heat escape.

I was told that my gift card would be replaced by one I can use, however, the more I think about it, the more I'm questioning the wisdom of the wannabe Assistant Manager who purchased it in the first place.  It seems as though I was the only individual who received an "over 21" gift card, everybody else won movie tickets, or food gift cards, and as far as I know they were being selected at random.  I'm certain that giving a gift card for alcohol to someone under 21 is a definite fail, as far as corporate is concerned, so it will be interesting if I get a card for alcohol, for dinner somewhere. 

Swiping through Instagram, I was surprised by how many ads there are.  It seems that for every person, group, or think I follow, I have to endure 2 or 3 ads, which is growing rather frustrating.  I wouldn't be surprised if Zuck doesn't turn it into some subscription service as some point since he can never be rich enough.

I saw Billie Eilish (sp) won a Golden Globe for her song from Barbie.  I'm hoping I'm Just Ken gets an Oscar nomination.  Wouldn't it be interesting to see Ryan Gosling cavorting across the stage?    For those who haven't seen it, here's the  full song, including the dance sequence.

I am surprised at how many people involved in the Trump investigations are getting swatted.  For those who don't know, getting swatted means someone has called the police and told them a heinous crime has been committed.  In Jack Smith's case, they were told a man had shot his wife at his address.  While some of this can be blamed on Cultists, most of it, I suspect, is being done by simple assholes.  Marjorie Tayler Greene has been swatted several times, and while I do think she's one of the most reprehensible people in Congress, those swattings have created a "tit for tat" scenario.  The cultists are bad enough as it is, we didn't need someone initiating mutual swatting incidents because they found if funny.

 

Not so Total Wine

 Yesterday was busy.  The weather was nice, with the sun popping out from behind the clouds regularly to brighten up the day.  Throughout most of the day, the temps hovered in the mid 40s (F).  I work today, so I haven't really be paying much attention to the forecast.  Tomorrow?  Rain is in the picture.  Possibly 3 inches of rain.  Forecasters are warning of possible flooding because we do still have some snow cover, with around 2 inches remaining.

I did spend the early part of the day in York, with my friend Betsy.  We did our usual Chinese buffet and Dairy Queen desert.  I had a Snickers Blizzard, and decided it wasn't that good; the chunks of caramel were too large.  

And, of course, last night we had our associate holiday party.  The only reason I go is for the food, and last night it was... iffy.  There was fish, possibly tilapia, which was truly flavorless, a chicken cordon bleu (?) that had come packaged and only reheated, and shredded roast beef that required artificial flavoring.  I can remember when the roast beef was actually sliced for you; those days are gone.  I don't drink, but the cash bar was expensive, so I stuck with the premixed lemonade and water.  The biggest surprise was that I won one of the drawings!  A gift card from Total Wine!  I never win anything, so I was really pleased... until I got home and discovered that the gift card could only be redeemed at a Total Wine store, and the closest store is in Towson, Maryland.  There's no way I'm going to drive 65 miles for a bottle of wine, so, in an odd sort of way, I didn't win anything.

And the Golden Globes were last night.  I didn't watch them, never do, but I'm wondering if this is going to be the year of Oppenheimer?  

And it looks as though the Democrats and Republicans have managed to put their heads together and come up for a funding plan for the country.  Now, isn't that nice.

Most of the political news is going to be about Iowa Caucus.  Wow.

Maestro

 Well, our un-snow event is over.  According to Accuweather, in my neck of the woods we received 3.7 inches... before the rain began.  Occasionally, I'd wander front and look out the store windows and, despite predictions, it never fell at an inch and hour, in fact, it took over 9 hours to get those few inches.  And then it turned to rain.  In fact, it's raining now.  The temps outside are in the mid 30s (F), which means constant melting.  

There were long stretches of time yesterday when the only people in the store were employees.  In spite of this, I did manage to get a flooring measure and sell some blinds, though those 2 things happened right after I punched in.  When I punched out, customers were beginning to walk through the doors because the un-snow event had turned to a rain event.

I watched Maestro last evening, the bio-pic with Bradley Cooper playing Leonard Bernstein.  It was okay.  The first half is in black and white, the second half in color.  For me, there were 3 highlights, when they used the music from On the Town, West Side Story, and Candide.  The rest of the film was... meh.  Carey Mulligan was very good as Bernstein's wife.  If Bernstein was anything like the way he is portrayed by Cooper, I would have gone to great lengths to avoid him.

I have to admit that with the supposedly impending snow storm, I spent very little time paying any attention to politics.  Not that I didn't catch blurbs of the Orange Anus making insidious comments about Lincoln, like if Lincoln had chosen to negotiate there probably would not have been a Civil War.  I understand negotiations were tried, but the South refused to give up slavery.  But that is factual history, and Trump has always created the historical facts he prefers rather than truth.  Like his blow Bro Putin, Trump wants to remake the world into something that blesses his ego daily.  Outside of that, nothing else matters.

The Non-Snow Event

 Ok, so here we are, it's Saturday morning, the day of the big snowstorm that was supposed to begin around 0700 and we have... nothing.  Early forecasts had this big storm starting this morning and stretching into tomorrow morning... well, that ain't gonna happen.  For those desperately wanting snow, the constant downgrades must really be putting a damper on their lives.  Currently, they're only calling for 3 - 6 inches, and the worst of it should be over by 7 this evening.  Most of the snowy weather is going to be staying to our west, so we're being hit with a non-event... again.

About 1/3 of the kitchen has been painted.  Today, before I go to work, I'm going to secure a shelf and set up the lighting.  I might even put a section of the backsplash in.  Starting Monday, I'll be back on my regular schedule.  I'm thinking that by next Friday, I should be ready to begin putting in the floor.  Oh, what a joy that is going to be:  me, down on my hands and knees, tapping vinyl planks into place.  

I am scheduled to work today.  Will it be busy?  Probably not.  Even in good times, from mid-January to mid-March are slow.  Nobody wants to do home improvements during the winter.  They might paint a room or two, but that's about it.  

Speaking of winter, my upstairs seems warmer this year, possibly because my new neighbor's son has chosen to make their attic his bedroom and there's no heat up there.  She told me she'd bought him a heater, which, I suspect is fairly useless.  The roof has a high pitch, so all of that heat is going to rise.  In a way I feel bad for them, spending all of that money on a house simply because it was staged well, but then again, I don't really feel sorry because of that very same reason.  They bought the staging, not the house.

My yard during the non-snow event

And I don't know if any of you have seen it, but the Orange Anus uploaded an election ad yesterday that is oh... so very sacrilegious. I haven't watched it.  And I'm not posting it.  But it begins with a look at Earth from space as a divinely inspired voiceover states that in God chose to have Trump born in 1946 in order to unify the country, and that he is supposed to be our Shepherd.  There is a group of Christians who are so desperate they will believe his horseshit.  Trump will destroy them the same way he's destroying the Republican party.  As I've told my brother, and several other people, Trump is the Great Destroyer and nothing else.

Glynis Johns

 Well, supposedly this is the day before our first snowfall, at least a snowfall that's supposed to amount to more than a dusting.  As you might expect, I am supposed to be working tomorrow when the heaviest snow bands are dumping their most.  We shall see.  If I feel the roads look too slippery, I just take the day off.  The store's going to be empty anyway.

Outside right now, we have bold sunlight.  The temps might make it up to 40 (F).  Tomorrow they're not supposed to climb out of the mid 30s (F).  

And I do have plans for this weekend: a trip to York on Sunday for lunch, and then our Holiday Party in the evening (it starts at 7).  The only reason I go is for the free food.  They have a DJ who never plays the music I like, which is always pop / dance.  I really don't care for trendy music that's been processed more than most foods you for sale in your local supermarket.  I will be so glad once Monday rolls around and I finally revert back to my fixed schedule. 

Glynis Johns died yesterday at 100, a very fine age, I'll have you know.  While some of you only remember her from Mary Poppins, she won a Tony Award for singing this little ditty from A Little Night Music.

And it appears that both Nikki Haley and Ronnie DeSantis have decided to... well, kind of take off their gloves when it comes to dealing with the Spawn of Satan, Donald Trump.  Their appearances on back to back Townhalls on CNN were... I understand, a little less kind then they've been in the past.  Unfortunately, neither of them realize having the MAGA Cult behind you is not going to help you win an election. , though I do think Nikki muttered something to the effect of "a vote for Trump is a vote for Biden," though that may just be a bad paraphrase.  One thing you can count on, if Trump feels either of them has become a threat, he will go after them like a rabid skunk, foaming at the mouth and spewing as much stench as possible.

Oh, and did everyone hear that while in office, the Moral Degenerate made over $7 million, thanks to gifts and presents from foreign governments?  That is the very thing those dolts in the House of Representatives are trying to prove that Biden did.  Their IQs seem to be falling.

In Case you've forgotten

 Well, it's dark outside.  Not because the sky is overcast, nope, I just got up at my normal time.  No lazing around like a slug in a bed for me today.  I work.

Temps today are supposed to again hover around in the mid 40s (F); tomorrow as well.  Saturday, however, is predicted to be a horse with a different weather pattern.  Clouds and... rain, turning to snow, with temps only climbing to the low to mid 30s (F).  Of course, I'm scheduled to work Saturday, that's normal.  The snowfall, however, if we get the estimated 4 - 8 inches, is not.  Everything is going to depend upon how this storm tracks.  Closer to the shoreline means more snow.  If it runs up the center of the state, then less snow.  We have not had a lot of cold days, so the ground is still relatively warm and that's not conducive to deep snow.

I am pleased to announce that all of the white trim in my kitchen has been painted.  The proof is on Lily, who managed to put the tip of her nose where it didn't need to be.  The spot was tiny, and it's practically gone.  This is what happens when an old dog tries to help.  Up next will be a touch up of the walls, and the tiling, which I'm expecting to have finished by the end of next week.  Then, I shall move onto the floor.  Just ran down and took a pic of the side window, here's what it looks like so far.  There are a few more decorating touches which will be added.  

And in case you didn't hear, the Orange Anus, Donald Trump, has appealed to the US Supreme Court to get his name reinstated on the Colorado primary ballot.  This should prove very interesting, since so many of the Justices are Federalists, meaning they are supposed to be purely about the Constitution.  If that is truly the case, they will choose not to get involved, since Federalists believe they shouldn't interfere with state's rights.  Also on their plate is the issue of his immunity.  If they agree that he is immune, then Biden can do anything he wants, since he, too, will be immune.

Jeffy Epstein's guest list has been released, so to say, and I understand Bill Clinton's name is on it one time.  Republicans, never a group to give up the chance of kicking a dead horse, have started shrieking about that.  The Orange Anus, however, is a different story.  Trump's name is listed 7 times, but the cultists are shouting out that he and Epstein were just friends, and that Trump never flew to Epstein's island in order to have sex with underage girls.  Right. This is the man who bragged about grabbing women's pussies, in case you've forgotten.

It's in the Cards

 So, we've hit Wednesday.  Is anybody suffering from a mid-week crisis?  Hope not.  For those who work, this is also your Hump Day, though I suspect that for many of you the relevancy of that is slowly fading.

We had a bright red sky this morning.  The day, itself, is supposed to be be nice: temps in the 40s (F) clouds scuttling across the sky; not overcast.  I'd bet I'm not the only one who feels endless days of cloud cover are a great way to catch up on your sleep with lots, and lots of cat naps.

Usually, while I'm sitting here typing this out, I'm also making a list of things needing to be done, and, I might add, hoping to be accomplished during the day ahead.  Yesterday, much was done.  Out of a list of 7 items, only one wasn't finished.  I blame that on my decision to get a haircut.  That took up more time than I was expecting.  Today's list, because I did so much yesterday, is smaller.  Now, isn't that nice.

Since The Body in Motion has begun to work its way through my readers and editors, I'm prepping my first book, The Body on the Lawn, for my narrator.  What's really happening is that it's getting another layer of polish.  Nothing major, just clarifying who's saying what to whom.  Also, any and all sets of lyrics are being removed.  Unless you're super famous, most musicians don't mind the use of the occasional line or two, however, once a narrator speaks them out loud they become a performance, and that requires a royalty payment.  Since that can be pricy, the lyrics are going away.  

When I was younger, I used to play around with Tarot cards.  I would have a friend shuffle the cards and then I'd lay out one of several patterns.  It didn't take long for me to realize there was a lot of ambiguity in the futures the cards portend.  That being said, there are good cards and bad cards.  The Five of Cups is not one of the good cards.

Why talk about Tarot cards?  Well, it seems that last night on Fox, Jesse Watters had an English Tarot card reader as a guest, and he asked her to just pull one card from the deck to forecast Trump's 2024, and she pulled out the Five of Cups.  Ominous, much?  Looks like it's in the cards that the Orange Anus is going to have a very bad year, and, by extension, I'd say the same thing applies to the Republican party.  First Colorado, and then Maine have banned the Moral Degenerate from the primary ballot.  While that hasn't happened in Pennsylvania, a motion was filed in court to keep Trump's fellow insurrectionist Scott Perry off of the ballot.  Now, I don't know if Scotty's had his cards read yet or not, but I'd be pretty sure that if he has, he, too has found himself holding the Five of Cups.  To be honest, the first thought that went through my head when I saw this was: "finally, something the Cultist might believe in."