tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35378434748942748572024-03-18T18:58:00.448-04:00Riding OnWhen you hit middle age you really only have two choices: you can get fat and lazy until you roll over and die, or you can can get off your ass and do something, like maybe ride a bike.Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.comBlogger3389125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-10641770769096407362024-03-18T07:49:00.002-04:002024-03-18T07:49:29.707-04:00In Context<p> Oh, my, yesterday's entry went nowhere. It wasn't that I didn't start writing one, I experienced a moment of indecisiveness and the words I had written scuttled themselves off onto into the wasteland of the backburner where their lack of importance slowly boiled away to nothing. Translation: I couldn't decide if I wanted to take off work so I could take Lily to the pet emergency room or wait and make an appointment with my vet. In the end, I decided the vet option was the best. The boobly cyst on her wrist has not effected her appetite, nor does it hinder her bodily functions in any way. She just doesn't want to put weight on that leg for long periods of time. Besides, I have familiarity with this veterinary group, they were very good with Biggie and his multiple problems. So, this morning, after they open, I'll call and make an appointment.</p><p>This means I'm going to take a personal day from work. Believe me, I've no problem doing that. I worked yesterday and basically hit the trifecta for specialists: sales over $11,000, 3 measures, one window decor lead, and a credit card application. </p><p>Weather wise, our high temps today will be in the mid 40s (F) and according to the forecasters, we should be expecting the same tomorrow. No rain. Remember, we're still officially in Winter for another day or two. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTz3lkdvAKypixVz1kOeWYIiMFqeHMnLjm3LTYVH-Ol5pomTb5_Gp6OgnXeQCWuzvlB5xJKNvj9utieW7_l_nOXjz9fu0WXQFZHLsCppe1eLKiFiPXxRlzUR87TfRPEFvUj_6P1V-6JlPXOzDuR5SwcfMQR0A5Y0c7CAyLLBE_L7RRGoneBLfnrgbH6sJR/s569/Dorothy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="569" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTz3lkdvAKypixVz1kOeWYIiMFqeHMnLjm3LTYVH-Ol5pomTb5_Gp6OgnXeQCWuzvlB5xJKNvj9utieW7_l_nOXjz9fu0WXQFZHLsCppe1eLKiFiPXxRlzUR87TfRPEFvUj_6P1V-6JlPXOzDuR5SwcfMQR0A5Y0c7CAyLLBE_L7RRGoneBLfnrgbH6sJR/s320/Dorothy.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Over the weekend, ex-vice president Mikey Pence came out slapping saying there was no way he was going to endorse the Orange Anus, nor was he going to vote for him. His suddenly aggressive stance made people wonder if Pence had finally realized that on January 6, 2020, Trump would have gleefully watched while rioters hung his terribly disloyal vice president. Or, perhaps mother finally said, "Mikey, stomp your foot!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then, of course, there was the Moral Degenerate's "bloodbath" comments. His ego would be quite mollified if there was a bloodbath in November, after he loses the election. Knowing that his cultists would be willing to kill, and die for him would give him unbelievable pleasure. This is what he lives for. Of course, cultists said these comments were taken out of context. That, however, is not the case. Trump is priming the pump, so to speak, prepping his cultists for an uprising that will forever end not only the Republican party, but the Federalists as well. With Trump, nothing can be taken out of context; everything is in play.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-46383416337047422042024-03-16T10:09:00.000-04:002024-03-16T10:09:15.847-04:00You've got to be Kidding Me<p> It's sunny here in Central PA. The temps are a bit cooler than yesterday. Our high today is only to reach the mid 60s (F), and the highs will continue to decline as the days move on. Keep in mind that for the next few days we are still in winter. Spring arrives on the 19th this year because it was a leap year, but don't expect it to bring a big change in the weather. We are a degree or so warmer than we were last spring, and that will most likely continue into the foreseeable future.</p><p>I didn't really do too much yesterday. A bit of this and that. </p><p>Mostly, what I did, was observe Lily, the lady of the house, and she's not nearly the invalid she plays. Her biggest problem is that thing I call a boobly cyst on her wrist. It was something that was more of an inconvenience than anything else, something that didn't need to be surgically removed because of her age. Now, however, over the past few days it's become swollen, filled with fluid, and it is causing her pain. She has no problem drinking, and her appetite is strong, she just doesn't want to walk. My Vet recommended a Mobile Vet, however they are on vacation until Monday, in fact it seems as though the few other Mobile Vets in the area are also closed and getting her into the car is virtually impossible. As I said, she has no problem eating or drinking, just in using stairs or walking for an extended period. This means, as you might expect, the floor of the writing room is covered with pee pads.</p><p>Quick update on the Vet situation: Mid State Vets sent me an email, they do not service my area, so I'm going to need to load Lilly into the car and take her to the Vet on Monday or Tuesday. You've got to be kidding me.</p><p>Anyway, while I was out back with invalid yesterday, I snapped a picture of these.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUjdn3M__pnvUINa0rYM_x7AUUnY79BYkSVyGsq_s7DASxUhFk_klqSxtAiytZyj-snfI4ZfDEi9mmwcXqoMSyxzHdTC93JqIYFDH6TrMnQ7EJNQ76IKjc2DM8_CBu51Ca-ewh53Ok_nnm_OZ99qIpNe5-R-868JmF56XY89ZhbBqpMaA_3sCxqkaLl4L/s3529/Daffs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3529" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUjdn3M__pnvUINa0rYM_x7AUUnY79BYkSVyGsq_s7DASxUhFk_klqSxtAiytZyj-snfI4ZfDEi9mmwcXqoMSyxzHdTC93JqIYFDH6TrMnQ7EJNQ76IKjc2DM8_CBu51Ca-ewh53Ok_nnm_OZ99qIpNe5-R-868JmF56XY89ZhbBqpMaA_3sCxqkaLl4L/s320/Daffs.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And you've no doubt heard that the Orange Anus has had his porno trial delayed until April because the Justice Department only recently turned over around 15,000 additional documents which may have little to no impact on the case. You've got to be kidding me! For quite some time people have been throwing out excuses for our Attorney General, saying that Garland is just being cautious, that we're not aware of things going on behind the scenes. The more this happens, however, the more I'm inclined to believe that he is just incompetent. Now, I don't know about you, but I've always felt he got the job not because of his superior qualifications, rather it was compensation for not getting a vote on being a Supreme Court Justice. If that's the case, then this his appointment was a terrible miscalculation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-13857041462758490922024-03-15T09:24:00.008-04:002024-03-15T09:24:59.518-04:00Squeaky Clean<p> Yesterday we got up to the upper 70s (F), the thermometer in the car listed the temp as being 77 (F). Today we're back in the mid t0 upper 60s (F) and if the long range forecast is correct, we're definitely going to be seeing closer to normal early spring temps. That doesn't mean everything that has started to bud and bloom is going to stop. It's too late for that to happen. Today, showers are expected. </p><p>I was watching Death is in the Details on Hulu on and off for a while. Last night I watched the last episode and was disappointed. The reveal of who the villain was intended to be a shocker, I thought it was a cheat. There was nothing clever about it. I read that the producers were optimistic about a 2nd season, let's hope they're wrong.</p><p>The invalid old lady downstairs is doing fine, by that I mean Lily. I suspect her biggest problem is the boobly cyst on her wrist, which is swollen, and pains her to walk. Other wise she's alert, watching me constantly when I'm at my writing desk, and eating. She has a good appetite, and drinks, and goes outside to do her business, but then it's back onto the sofa in the writing room where she perches herself on pillows to rule the world. An email (with pics) has been sent to the mobile vet who's on vacation until Monday. What I find surprising is there's only one in the area. I'm definitely not living in a "All Creatures Great and Small" area.</p><p>Thanks to the warm temps and the rain, things are budding and blooming. The peach tree I cut back wioll soon be filled with blossoms. The nectarine? Dead as a doornail. Here's a pic that I took.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hdYowKPdJTEz1x1wVTpeUCCN1qRHs5Sp4SQk9wa-F0vG2NKRY0-zsqd-Aoow2Velf0svIJo_oQ7SLKZKMmPwfJnvawRwXtmNSjc3wCBkGsbSVNC7I3QpuKkZO-jNTq0MKGpbNp8Ek72BNLuyktaoZkIjg2T_bfe4WYQ5MY_8IPSOTQzLnoOq3FerFl4W/s2751/20240314_161726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1885" data-original-width="2751" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hdYowKPdJTEz1x1wVTpeUCCN1qRHs5Sp4SQk9wa-F0vG2NKRY0-zsqd-Aoow2Velf0svIJo_oQ7SLKZKMmPwfJnvawRwXtmNSjc3wCBkGsbSVNC7I3QpuKkZO-jNTq0MKGpbNp8Ek72BNLuyktaoZkIjg2T_bfe4WYQ5MY_8IPSOTQzLnoOq3FerFl4W/s320/20240314_161726.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And I just got a news flash, probably the same one a lot of you just received. Fanni Willis can stay on the case down in Georgia, but she's going to have to dump the Chief Prosecutor. She's a smart cookie, so I'm sure she and her team were prepared for all possibilities. That being said, I also have to admit that she wasn't smart enough to manage her hormonal urges. Honestly, I did believe someone in her position would have realized that when dealing with any Trump related case even the slightest appearance of impropriety could be catastrophic. You would have though she'd have realized that with these trials being so high profile, squeaky clean was the only way to go.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, Trump's porno suit has been delayed for 30 days, too. Whispers say that a bit of evidence has been unearthed proving Cohen to be totally unreliable. Again, that wouldn't surprise me. Even though he's been telling anyone and everyone that he's cleaned up his act, let's face it, he worked for Trump, doing his dirty work, for years. He will never be squeaky clean.</div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-78487617615719309952024-03-14T10:35:00.002-04:002024-03-14T10:35:42.064-04:00Challenges<p> So, yesterday was warm and sunny, though I spent most of the day nursing a sick dog. Today our temps are predicted to climb into the up 70s (F), that's way too warm for this time of year. Seriously. Those temps belong in late April, not halfway through March. Luckily for us, they're predicted to drop back closer to normal.</p><p>And, as I said earlier, I spent yesterday nursing Lily. For those who don't know, she's 10.5 years old, which makes her a senior boxer. She's learning that at her age stairs are too difficult, meaning she's going to have to be sleeping downstairs on one of the sofas. She doesn't like that at all. I'd take her to the Vet but she won't get into the car, so I called my normal vet to see if they could recommend a mobile vet since she does have other senior issues. They gave me Mid-State Veterinary Services; the soonest they will be able to see her in Tuesday. Cost wise, it's just a tad more expensive than taking her to Good Hope, so when I get another dog, I may deal with them on a permanent basis.</p><p>Yesterday I sent a sample of my first book, The Body on the Lawn, up to my narrator so he might have an idea on the difficulties in turning it into an audiobook. There frequent flashbacks and we're going to have to discuss how he's going to be recording them. He says he can be very creative, I guess I'll find out just how creative he is.</p><p>I hope this doesn't cause any of you to lose your last meal.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtsvRWXirk0vn8JcJeeCshquo3wAs78H4d2KmW1guzKi94O8fTR3CU8G1d5PVe5T0cSWeJMZf_oEH1ufic8DBdfiDbcCbUMMrQBlFcAU2VozyVi5F32IO6ZbDoF1YT3WInzVHxpAT6Umh6fENJgeac7ODl_gbSbq3I-g25R4KQujeflfeh5tjt0ELzEsM/s438/Maralago%202025.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtsvRWXirk0vn8JcJeeCshquo3wAs78H4d2KmW1guzKi94O8fTR3CU8G1d5PVe5T0cSWeJMZf_oEH1ufic8DBdfiDbcCbUMMrQBlFcAU2VozyVi5F32IO6ZbDoF1YT3WInzVHxpAT6Umh6fENJgeac7ODl_gbSbq3I-g25R4KQujeflfeh5tjt0ELzEsM/s320/Maralago%202025.png" width="284" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We all know this is never going to happen because that would mean The Former Guy would stay in the United States. You can bet that when things go south, he will fly away home to mother Russia, and and more and more things seem to be going south daily. The head chopping at the RNC? For him it's loyalty or death to your career, no matter how conservative you happen to be. And I'm also advising Republicans to send the RNC as much as they can afford, since the Trump Crime Family is going to use those funds for their own designs. As someone said, wait until the general election starts and all those Senators and Congressmen who get a healthy campaign donation from the RNC get nothing. Tough beans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And one more little bit of frivolity: Ivanka has evidently dumped her old man's name, and all of her commenting and statements are signed Ivanka Kushner. Ouch. She's going to put as much distance between herself and that radioactive brand as possible.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-52670616883872583992024-03-13T09:29:00.004-04:002024-03-13T09:29:38.168-04:00Oblivious<p> Well, it's going to be another warm sunny day in Central PA. Temps in the mid 60s (F) is fine with me, though I do wonder what this summer is going to be like. Possibly hot? Who knows. Last year we had a similar spring and the dog days of summer were anything but steamy. Hitting the upper 90s (F) was the hottest it got, and that only happened a few times.</p><p>So, Lily is once again a downstairs dog. She went downstairs this morning and began panting heavily again. Now, she's laying down and her breathing is normal. This happened to Biggie, too. There's a certain point in an old dog's life when stairs are no longer possible. One of the things I didn't know about boxers is that they are prone to heart disease and either climbing a staircase, or going down one, leads to undo exertion. My first boxer, Gertie, died of a heart attack when she was 5 1/2 years old. Is she becoming an invalid? Probably. And so I'm going to have to start asking myself at what point has the quality of her life deteriorated to the point that we need to make that last trip to the vet.</p><p>Yesterday, as is the case on most Tuesdays after I work the weekend, was a day in which things were done, but not everything on my to do list. The kitchen windows have been cleaned, inside and out, and the new valances arrived; they need to be washed before they're hung.</p><p>Late this afternoon I'm going to an informal Marriott reunion of sorts. This is the 2nd one I'm going to and will probably be the last. The days I spent in that accounting department were 40 years ago and, except for seeing one or two of the people, I really have little desire to reunite with most of them. </p><p>And I thought this was appropriate now that Trump is the official GOP candidate.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcmchoObbFBENbKctuZpGFFES4ubXf79Tdg6EhFdXMzubRrmdD7GVnhFKyzmsL_j0qCcrrAqdXtnQaIKMpCeUMTAIZ3wysQqWZ04U5e1OGdTt_54XS1yhkDMta4j1yINnGau8mDeWbKK2qfv6pqAreUbpA9Tns6p0f4tHDePzVW1bIjl1E4QEwEpIrgH0/s441/Trumpers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="441" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcmchoObbFBENbKctuZpGFFES4ubXf79Tdg6EhFdXMzubRrmdD7GVnhFKyzmsL_j0qCcrrAqdXtnQaIKMpCeUMTAIZ3wysQqWZ04U5e1OGdTt_54XS1yhkDMta4j1yINnGau8mDeWbKK2qfv6pqAreUbpA9Tns6p0f4tHDePzVW1bIjl1E4QEwEpIrgH0/s320/Trumpers.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This has long been a problem for Republicans. Seriously. They believe their opinions are the only ones that count. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know the truth in the above statement and yet Republicans seem totally oblivious. Now keep in mind, in their tiny minds, the only fair elections are those in which they win, everything else is fake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And Ken Buck, another Republican in Congress is retiring... next week. That's fast. Usually, unless there are health issues with either themselves or their families, they serve out their entire term. When he leaves, the razor thin Republican majority will be sliced even thinner. This is how it goes.</div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-19862391609764131252024-03-12T09:24:00.000-04:002024-03-12T09:24:00.704-04:00Set Design<p>Outside the temps are already in the mid 40s (F), and they're going to be zooming up into the mid 60s (F) today, and by Thursday they should be at a scorching 74 (F), that is if the forecasters are correct. Sadly, a quick look at the long range forecast indicates they're going to be dropping back into more seasonal temps. This is a good thing. If it was already this hot in March, I have no idea how hot the summer would be and don't doubt that scorching would not be a strong enough adjective.</p><p>Work was boring yesterday. I had a brief talk with my manager about my scheduling. Some time back I'd mention that I wanted my Monday start time to be 0930, and that was the case for some time, until yesterday, when once again it was 10:30. However, I went to work at 09:30 per the previous discussion I'd had with HR and discovered the error. So, I work my shift. If it happens again, I suppose I'll have to have another chat with HR.</p><p>I did sell some window treatments (roller shades) to a customer who was... nice, but not the brightest bulb in the box. She was in her late 20s and wanted shades with all the frills, a glittery glint hem at the bottom and everything that goes with it. The spent $1700 for 3 blinds. He applied for a credit card and got one, with a credit limit of $1000. They thought he'd have a higher limit, telling me he was a contractor and made $900,000 last year, however, they didn't mention how heavy their debt load was. Honestly, the fact that he supposedly made that much money and was applying for credit card suggests to me that they're either up to their eyeballs in debt, or he simply didn't make as much as he claimed.</p><p>Seeing this pic from the Oscars makes me think the person in charge of set design is almost a genius.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7AVZGXq_vtBInijUHe9QKp07NIbf7T5Iz3pdCjeWIAKwwlL3KiT9skZc2gLmiwu8Q1-xRMhP67yff5V7jNjJmxYM66A1cGAk5Ha59ouZlfFRuB4ymhcmapAKS-GwmbnhDXIB3Ce4yWWnzSw9PvUvePEw_7RoFx2bfASqlfroQEKFSH3QVc9rR2nuFlUR/s916/Oscars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="916" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7AVZGXq_vtBInijUHe9QKp07NIbf7T5Iz3pdCjeWIAKwwlL3KiT9skZc2gLmiwu8Q1-xRMhP67yff5V7jNjJmxYM66A1cGAk5Ha59ouZlfFRuB4ymhcmapAKS-GwmbnhDXIB3Ce4yWWnzSw9PvUvePEw_7RoFx2bfASqlfroQEKFSH3QVc9rR2nuFlUR/s320/Oscars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those who missed it, Ronnie DeSantis "Just Say No" anti-LGBQT bill just took a big one on the chin. <a href=" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sexual-orientation-gender-id-can-talked-florida-classrooms-lawsuit-set-rcna142870">Teacher will now be able to talk to students about gender orientation issues with out fear of being fired.</a> In fact, Ronnie's anti-Woke campaign is dying on the vine, so to speak. Mom's For Liberty meetings now draw protests, and Bridget Ziegler, also known as Mom for Three-Ways is refusing to resign from her position on the school board. That would mean giving up the power she so desperately maneuvered to get.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And don't you find it interesting that Robert Hur, the Trump appointed official who did the hit piece on Biden's mental facilities has resigned his position with the DOJ. Lies and deceits have their consequences. Transcripts of his conversations with the president have been released and people now know that his report was heavily cherry-picked and exaggerated, and had only one purpose in mind, to make Biden look weak.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and the Orange Anus has stated that he's open to cutting Social Security benefits if he's elected. I'm betting Republicans will not be able to take that to the bank.</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-26924072701557137202024-03-11T08:31:00.003-04:002024-03-11T08:31:33.680-04:00I'm Just Ken<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's see if I can write this quickly, I slept a bit late and I need to be at the store by 0930.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have sunshine, and a lot of wind. Under a wind advisory we are, and it's predicted to continue for most of the day, with our temps climbing up into the mid 50s (F). Tomorrow we'll be up in the 60s (F), and our afternoon temps should stay that warm throughout the rest of the week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday at work end with a spud. I'd gotten approval last Monday to leave early since the Oscars were starting at 7 and that's my punch out time, however life intervened. One specialist had his schedule changed, another left at lunch, and a third called off. Business was slow for most of the day, until.... 45 minutes before I was to leave. The most aggravating thing was the man who called on the phone and wanted to know about indoor/outdoor carpet. Many questions about cost, product, and date of installation, all of which take time when your trying to explain things over the phone. Did I mention he was.. gruff? He wanted precise figures and we can't do that, even our computer generated estimates provide a range for what the cost could be. He found this difficult to understand. He wanted a specific time for the measure, this never happens. I spent over 20 minutes on the phone with the customer and in the end he told me he stop in at the store today so he could pay his measure fee with a check. There are certain interactions which need to take place in person; a phone conversation simply doesn't work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because of this, I missed the first 2 minutes of the Oscar ceremony. Boo! Hiss!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I know there are those of you out there who don't watch the Oscars because of lapsing attention spans (thank god I'm not that old), or claim it's too long (it was shorter than Killers of the Flower Moon), and so didn't get a chance to see John Cena's full frontal (I'm waiting for Bob's comment on that one). Joy Da'vine Joy Randolph won Supporting Actress, as expected, but how many of you knew that she was born in Philly, but grew up in Hershey, PA, and graduated from Hershey High School? It's nice when you get to see local talent win an Oscar. I hope none of you find yourself in the same boat as Donald Trump, who posted how bad the ceremony was on his Truth Social, or got to watch Jimmy Kimmel's response. As usual, the Academy doesn't always vote the way the public thinks. The highlight of the evening was, of course, Ryan Gosling's performance of I'm Just Ken. From comments I'm seeing on the BBC and Le Monde, everyone around the world love it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VhWqpvGq6b4" width="320" youtube-src-id="VhWqpvGq6b4"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-7830900726831546502024-03-10T08:52:00.001-04:002024-03-10T08:52:20.388-04:00Katie Britt Lied<p> Hello to later hours! For the next... oh, so many months, the sun will not set in the evening until I am home from work. I like that. As we age, driving at night can be a bit of a bother, especially in drenching rainstorm like we had last evening. Wowza! Did we get rain! Well over an inch fell soaking in and nourishing the roots of all my bulbs, and tubers, and bushes. I have tulips sprouting out all over the place, and after this week they're going to pop even more because start on Tuesday, our daily temps are going to be hitting the low 70s (F). Will summer be a scorcher?</p><p>Retail was slow because of the constant rain, which occasionally reached deluge status. You know it's heavy when you can hear it pounding on the roof of the brick and mortar, orange home improvement retailer I work for on weekends. Yesterday, you could hear it pounding!</p><p>Because I do work today there will be no rowing, slow running, or cycling today. Not only the times change, the Oscars are tonight, at a new time. 7 P.M. rather than their normal 8 P.M. On Sunday, I work 10:30 - 7:00, so a change was necessary. Last Monday, I asked if I could come in early in order to leave early, and got the approval. So, I'll be leaving the house at 0930 this morning, or perhaps a little earlier. Sometimes, we gotta do what we gotta do. </p><p>As expected, I will be watching the Oscars this evening, the only award show I watch. I know who'd I'd like to see win, and who will probably win. Ryan Gosling, for example, without his performance Barbie would have been just another comedy, however I think the Oscar will go to Robert Downey, Jr.. I don't think Oppenheimer will walk away with everything, there were just too many very good films this year. I can see costumes and set design going to Poor Things. Joy Da'Vine probably has a lock on the Best Supporting Actress for The Holdovers. Adapted Screenplay is anybody's guess, it could go to either Oppenheimer, Poor Things, or Barbie. Tonight should be very entertaining.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOzqGjOnM9XZnfwZr5TByBY3pCTEUC9FWQFdXFfKI1KGm5MdyglQNSPZZrM-2nbt_a3uYwAj8gNMnYyjQ8WVeudQcqTAfXMVr-sLDw94dEn2mw6h287CpsEOhQENwkc70gsG-Gfrx8fFl3YvR49TwJK9nVb8ZziEIxceET8CQSzDd4tNxH_DLcpD_xUum/s276/oscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOzqGjOnM9XZnfwZr5TByBY3pCTEUC9FWQFdXFfKI1KGm5MdyglQNSPZZrM-2nbt_a3uYwAj8gNMnYyjQ8WVeudQcqTAfXMVr-sLDw94dEn2mw6h287CpsEOhQENwkc70gsG-Gfrx8fFl3YvR49TwJK9nVb8ZziEIxceET8CQSzDd4tNxH_DLcpD_xUum/s1600/oscar.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And, to no one's surprise, it turns out that Katie Britt lied about the sex trafficking victim. She didn't have a chat with the victim, Katie met her when Katie was part of a 3 senator round table 2 years ago. And that sex trafficking? That happened while George W was president, down in Mexico City. Conservatives have zero ethics, they will lie about anything and everything to try and stay in power. Her spokesperson admitted this, but, as was expected, said Biden was to blame because.... Republicans need to blame him for something.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-17660900467690970792024-03-09T09:10:00.002-05:002024-03-09T09:10:46.992-05:00Respect<p> Well, Saturday has arrived and there is 100% chance that we're going to have rain, not only today, but the entire weekend. Temps will sink into the upper 40s (F), which is about normal for this time of year. Sadly, my grass is looking a bit green, and that means it'll soon be time to get out the mower. </p><p>Yesterday was sort of a day of accomplishment. The living room aquarium was cleaned; still trying to get rid of that pesky black algae. Editing was done. Stuffed cabbage rolls were made... though, I've discovered using ground chicken rather than ground beef leaves a little to be desired. It's a fairly easy dish to make, but the strong cabbage flavor overwhelms the chicken... as does the garlic. Still, I tell myself, they are healthier. Sometimes, however, you need to put flavor before health, especially when most of the time I'm eating healthy. </p><p>Otherwise, yesterday was pretty nondescript. Some cleaning. Some polishing. Some exercise: 30 minutes on the treadmill. Today I want to row for a bit, and because I'm working, I'll get my steps in. Last Sunday I had over 15,000 steps which with the size of my stride was over 5 miles. </p><p>Right behind my store is the Navy supply depot. It is large, possibly the largest on the eastern seaboard, and employs thousands. It's one of the reasons why we tend to plow through depression and recessions; they never lay any of those thousands off. This morning I found a picture of what it looked like circa 1950. It is much larger now.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5PV1ilXhGZbLMQIqiav2EawKt4JZhBMnA4EZ7XOhC5mAKJnCrTSDdkVNfuOSSQdbYd3FUvviHR_dXzFPnPai4jrnrLR_upRQb308dMIdnSQwB94lOkEjM9czqCGxdbkxUClLO3r2Et2iNxXvp27TWBcXGXKhhzzzekTDabCyTRnBoDXZEh3maUfipPDD/s2728/Navy%20Depot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="2728" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5PV1ilXhGZbLMQIqiav2EawKt4JZhBMnA4EZ7XOhC5mAKJnCrTSDdkVNfuOSSQdbYd3FUvviHR_dXzFPnPai4jrnrLR_upRQb308dMIdnSQwB94lOkEjM9czqCGxdbkxUClLO3r2Et2iNxXvp27TWBcXGXKhhzzzekTDabCyTRnBoDXZEh3maUfipPDD/w400-h141/Navy%20Depot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the fallout is still... dropping from Biden's Sate of the Union address and I find it amusing. Fox is blubbering through a cavalcade of phony theories regarding his clarity, and his message. Many are chortling and Mikey Johnson's flummoxed look, the multiple frownings and the shakings of his head. People are noting that when Trump was speaking, Pelosi gave him the respect he didn't deserve, though she did tear up his speech after the fact. Not petulant Mikey Johnson. He needed to make sure the MAGA cult knew he disapproved.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As expected, Republicans are finally admitting they liked Kim Britt's performance as a Stepford Housewife, and I'm not doubting many of them are secretly praying she gets nominated for an Emmy.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-17079842185398635042024-03-08T08:42:00.000-05:002024-03-08T08:42:01.385-05:00The Rebuttal<p> Friday is upon us! And it going to be nice, warm, temps in the mid 60s (F), but definitely not a precursor to the weekend, which will be filled with overcast skies and drizzly, showery storms that are more of nuisance than anything else. </p><p>The weather will have a dampening effect on the garden center at the large, brick and mortar, orange home improvement retailer where I spend time on the weekends. One thing I have noticed is that usually around this time of year, when people begin getting their refund checks back from the government, business in the flooring department picks up. This year there hasn't been much of a change. Sure, we're a bit busier, but not like in previous years. I'm betting that those big heads down at corporate failed to predict this and gave us a flooring plan that's unreachable.</p><p>I got a 10 mile bike ride in yesterday, in Japan, on an old railway line that's been converted to a cycling, walking trail. The route was very flat, boringly so. I did not make it one of my favorites and will probably never ride it again. While it was nice to get in the distance, I would have rather spent the time climbing a few very small hills. That was not the case.</p><p>While Biden was giving his State of the Union Speech last evening, I was at the movies watching Dune 2. It is, as so many people are saying, very good, the kind of spectacle movie goers haven't seen in a long, long time. That being said, I must also say that if you've read the books, you know liberties were taken in the writing of the screenplay. That being said, the movie is still amazing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U2Qp5pL3ovA" width="320" youtube-src-id="U2Qp5pL3ovA"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And, of course, last evening, Joe Biden gave his State of the Union speech. By most accounts it was very good. Conservatives hated it because they've spent so much time and effort into making their base believe he's feeble. That was not the case. Many, who are not conservatives, said it was a fiery stump speech. I understand MTG heckled, and Biden heckled back, that's something Republicans are not used to dealing with; part of their shut up, we're in charge mentality. Unfortunately, we are now in campaign season and I'm so glad I don't watch TV with commercials, no political ads for me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The funniest part of the evening, at least from what I'm reading, was the Republican rebuttal by someone named Katie Britt who spoke in a soft, almost whispery voice from her kitchen. That's right, her kitchen. Did they really believe that the old housewife and mother image, speaking form her very well appointed kitchen (she's wealthy), was really going to impress the largest voting bloc in America? I did watch some of it but found the saccharine phoniness to intense. That being said, if anyone out there watched the entire rebuttal, can you tell me if the camera panned down to show she was standing there barefooted? You know the old Republican saying, women should be barefoot and pregnant.</div><br /> <p></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-48639072074044588012024-03-07T08:30:00.007-05:002024-03-07T08:30:43.500-05:00Worst Case Scenario<p> We have Sunshine!</p><p>Out in my backyard, the temp is 48 (F), and it going to get warmer, up into the upper 50s (F) to low 60s (F). I don't mind this. That being said, the cold doesn't really bother me either, though this past winter was anything but cold. I've heard last month was the warmest February on record. That doesn't surprise me either. What makes me laugh is those numbnuts who will tell you "they've only been keeping records for 250 years, so this past winter is not a precursor of Global Warming." I actually work with someone like this... </p><p>I got a row in yesterday, 20 minutes, over 3000 meters. I liked the row, I didn't like the video which was filmed by someone rowing through a wealthy community in Florida, where every house had a boat dock. I couldn't help but think that these people earn way too much money. But then, this is Florida, the home white booted Ronnie DeSantis, where the state legislature is pushing through bill that will decrease what employers need to do for employees during periods of high heat. I've been to Florida, in the summer, when the temps easily top 100 (F), and the Republican politicians are more concerned about cutting business expenses and growing profits than they are with humans working in high heat environments.</p><p>Remember Ronnie D? Here's a snap in case you forgot.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDPQMXcbuvyzR3tVYcs71WxG5V4sgVidIFKl8iImI7gKpfAMNxEcIgmLi3UuBB9FlIW-airvF-_YhxrCviTr-iFrHY6CFD5RZni8z76DNFNZitJ2wWt8DvsQ1KLgZlSYpkVcjVMD01GAfGZ6gKfda0b6OsMizt1BiVBYhyZstdIfS-cz-mSbEA5eFaapY/s1140/DeSantis%20Whites%20Boots%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1140" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDPQMXcbuvyzR3tVYcs71WxG5V4sgVidIFKl8iImI7gKpfAMNxEcIgmLi3UuBB9FlIW-airvF-_YhxrCviTr-iFrHY6CFD5RZni8z76DNFNZitJ2wWt8DvsQ1KLgZlSYpkVcjVMD01GAfGZ6gKfda0b6OsMizt1BiVBYhyZstdIfS-cz-mSbEA5eFaapY/s320/DeSantis%20Whites%20Boots%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And Nikki's no longer running for president. Honestly, I'm not surprised, campaigns cost money and many of her backers started pulling funds. The bit that Republicans would like to bury is that she was quite successful in illustrating to American how many Republicans are dissatisfied the current party and it's presumed candidate. Even though she lost almost every primary, she easily syphoned off 33% to 37% of Republican voters. Republicans are also desperately telling themselves that in the General Election those voters will come back and vote for Trump. I don't know about you, but I find it fascinating to see how easy it is for some people to blow smoke up their own ass. Those voters may not like Joe Biden, but that doesn't count, what does is the fact that they see a Donald Trump presidency as a worst case scenario for the nation. They see the lies, the deceit, and the corruption, and, as a result, are going to sit this election out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The State of the Union speech is tonight. Unfortunately, I'll be at the movies.</div><br /><p></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-42009216705576587342024-03-06T08:10:00.001-05:002024-03-06T08:10:25.782-05:00Dense Fog<p> We are under a dense fog warning! Good thing the sun has risen, otherwise we'd be stuck in one of those good, old pea soup fogs, the type where you can't see the pavement beneath your feet. I'm not planning on going anywhere, so my car will be one less that's not on the road.</p><p>Yesterday was fairly quiet around here. There are two more small places sections of tile in the kitchen that still need to be grouted, one of them was done yesterday. This morning I want to seal everything that's been done so far. The curtain rod over the sink needs to be hung, that shouldn't take long. I have to order the valance that's going to get hung there. Really, these are nothing more than the finishing touches. I like the end result. It's a new kitchen, most of which I did myself. As I tell people in the store, save money and do it yourself if possible. Not only will you be rewarded with the buckos you didn't spend, but also the pride of you accomplishment.</p><p>I hit the treadmill yesterday. 1.67 miles. Today I'll either be rowing or riding. </p><p>The big fish tank was also cleaned yesterday, and the new Greek statuary added. This is what it looks like now. Oh, and there is sad note, the last of those Koi angel fish passed. I really liked those angels.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ50vdNgeJfjMe-IyNlxof8ayFziwM_dkx_wVqVjcqZ8G-qmqQI8UqVcrpoWpThyf699kJRtEBxEXzJziDuuexuih86fnjbwr5myIfhEEt7TlXWro9f-Q1efxnHbrrONrZ0KE75VQ-BBZAgoyWdRQ-7SseMfhHYYIki5cj7S97kYaviI5hsgO7EGPgACKh/s3024/20240305_221708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1965" data-original-width="3024" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ50vdNgeJfjMe-IyNlxof8ayFziwM_dkx_wVqVjcqZ8G-qmqQI8UqVcrpoWpThyf699kJRtEBxEXzJziDuuexuih86fnjbwr5myIfhEEt7TlXWro9f-Q1efxnHbrrONrZ0KE75VQ-BBZAgoyWdRQ-7SseMfhHYYIki5cj7S97kYaviI5hsgO7EGPgACKh/s320/20240305_221708.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And our 2024 presidential election is going to be a rematch between Joe Biden and the Spawn of Satan. I don't know about you, but I find that rather amusing. Personally, I think both candidates are too old to sit in the white house, unfortunately that is now a moot point. There is not going to be a sudden entry in either party that going to dazzle America. I'm not worried about the election, though I am concerned about what might happen after Trump loses a 2nd time; he's a terrible spoilsport and is a complete failure when it comes to handling losses. Believe me, he would have no problem attempting to start a civil war just to save his orange ass. In fact, one of the things we can count on is him growing more erratic as time passes. You see in his addled brain the key to success is extremism, that's what his cult loves. Unfortunately for Trump, America is very Centrist and his extremist shrieks and shouts will hurt him. As someone said, he was extremely lucky back in 2016, people still believed polls. In 2020, his cult was a full force and he lost. Heading into 2024 he's lost about 30% of the Republican vote (something he desperately needs) because of the Insurrection, and because of his activist Supreme Court (think Roe v Wade). Independent voters are not going to make up that difference, in fact that last point, Roe v Wade still has American women seething. All Trump is going to end up doing is wander around in a dense fog of his own creation as his mind slowly slips away.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-12746966161207431172024-03-05T08:22:00.000-05:002024-03-05T08:22:04.664-05:00Polls<p> Rainy Tuesday has begun. Temps are going to hover in the upper 40s (F) and low 50s (F) throughout the day, and we will have drizzle. Yes, the soaking rains are upon us for the next 3 days. The only bad thing is that all my bulbs are going to be growing like crazy, and I'm not going to doing any yardwork in the rain.</p><p>Work was, as expected, very slow yesterday. How slow you might ask? Well, I got in over 15,000 steps, which is a bit over 5 miles. I was going to but some small things I still need to finish the kitchen completely, but I'll be honest, when quittin' time came, I definitely wanted to quit and go home. </p><p>Cori gave me the cover art for The Body in History yesterday. I can't wait to show it to you... but not today. There is that long wait until the book is finally published, which will be, if things keep moving at their current pace, in mid April. For those of you interested, the entire process from my writing down my first notes to publication takes about a year. There was a time when I felt they need to be on the market as soon as possible, those days are past. Working with audiobooks is partly responsible. Also research, I find I'm looking at so many different sources. I'm growing more communicative with my editors, as well. I find talking about how things are developing, and why things happen the way they did, a lot of fun. </p><p>I cancelled my subscription to the New York Times this morning, mostly because of this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5mWoPXpy_mU8vg-FPjrtq2mXzDdF3oal9RTaMYS3Uq5C6dF9bTNxDglS6LWS5Ai9FvxEBSkxhvF36hjT0Xivs5uaUWsLiRGgciXQxdJ9dXHfvd5R2QIX3eq3eK6WgxhMRv5CJRi4JeddZoBwCuLnpaxLGF5u-meW2nkVlGRsfQTrMZvH0_DwQ7Jt_T23/s444/polls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="444" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5mWoPXpy_mU8vg-FPjrtq2mXzDdF3oal9RTaMYS3Uq5C6dF9bTNxDglS6LWS5Ai9FvxEBSkxhvF36hjT0Xivs5uaUWsLiRGgciXQxdJ9dXHfvd5R2QIX3eq3eK6WgxhMRv5CJRi4JeddZoBwCuLnpaxLGF5u-meW2nkVlGRsfQTrMZvH0_DwQ7Jt_T23/s320/polls.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the past few days the New York Times has been reference a poll the commissioned to basically disparage Biden. Luckily, more and more people are beginning to understand that polls are terribly inaccurate, not that there wasn't a time when they were much more dependable. Now, however, there are some serious issues. What the NYT needs to do is detail for the general public how the results they get are achieved. Most people don't know that a certain percentage of their pollsters make are to landlines. Who still has a landline? Being a flooring specialist, I have to list the best form of communication for a customer and those with landlines that they use are all older and more conservative; this automatically skews the poll. Pollsters need to hand dial, they can't use robocalls where they can pick up once a connection is made; the vast majority of people will not pick up an unknown caller. That fact alone is enough to invalidate the poll. Still, will see a poll and run around like their hair is on fire.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-82957866459117389622024-03-04T07:21:00.000-05:002024-03-04T07:21:00.363-05:00Blair Mitch<p> And so, a new week begins. </p><p>Yesterday the day was sunny and the temps climbed into the mid 60s (F). It was such a nice day, such a shame that I had to work. Today's going to be the same thing, at least for most of it, but then clouds are going to roll in. For the rest of the week temps are predicted to be in the mid 50s (F) and we're supposed to have rain. Of course, those are the days I'll be off.</p><p>And, as I said, I did work yesterday, and it was slow in the afternoon. Very slow. I had thought the warm and sunny weather might begin to bring out the lawn and garden customers, but it didn't. I guess people are beginning to realize that early March is still... well, too early to begin planting. One of the things I did during all my free time, was wander through the garden department. One of the things I noticed was that the price of dahlias has gone up. Last year you could buy 4 for $12, this year their costing 2 for $10. What a shame everybody feels they're allowed to be greedy.</p><p>My neighbors were very quiet when I got home from work last night. There was a half hour period during which I could hear a radio playing, but then that was silenced. I'm planning on having a little chat with her tomorrow.</p><p>As I was wasting time at work yesterday, this caught my attention. I think this would be a fairly funny movie: the Blair Mitch Project.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGuJhOJ1wcG1FkMYYfmVNTk4fvDxfJqwJie2dPhU9E22ZNippkSKy-4EkHIa61NBhwZ8HDxwluxkgUQ1-to3pbfLYRCK1-iLOdbvzstGblN3Mp9bIoXEdC3u9Kxgy7SNpkM2bcrsbHQmJib77SO6pwqKsP0mXSW8zWfnIqtWE1Rdqs3qqS_WPKnw0Q9Sp/s444/Blair%20Mitch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="374" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGuJhOJ1wcG1FkMYYfmVNTk4fvDxfJqwJie2dPhU9E22ZNippkSKy-4EkHIa61NBhwZ8HDxwluxkgUQ1-to3pbfLYRCK1-iLOdbvzstGblN3Mp9bIoXEdC3u9Kxgy7SNpkM2bcrsbHQmJib77SO6pwqKsP0mXSW8zWfnIqtWE1Rdqs3qqS_WPKnw0Q9Sp/s320/Blair%20Mitch.png" width="270" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's possible that today we might hear from the Supreme Court regarding Colorado's decision to take Trump off of the ballot. This should be interesting. I had thought that they'd refuse this and then rule that he wasn't immune. Instead, they played party politics with the immunity, which means they're going to treat the ballot issue the same way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And, what about Nikki Haley winning in DC. There are rumors that she's doing fairly well in Virginia, as well. I wonder if she realizes that if Trump begins to see her as a threat her life might be in danger. He might go too far in emulating his Bro Blow Vlad and and Nikki might accidently fall out of a window, or eat a ricin poisoned sandwich.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-82733136871950403372024-03-03T09:02:00.003-05:002024-03-03T09:02:37.043-05:00Voting Republicans Straight to Hell<p> And so here we are on another quiet Sunday morning, some people are sleeping late, not me, though I did laze around for a little bit longer. The sun is shining bright in through my window. Lily is sleeping on the bed. The temps are predicted to rise up into the 60s (F) this afternoon. We have 16 more days until Spring arrives. And soon... the end of Daylight Saving Time.</p><p>Yesterday, work was slow. Not that I wasn't busy, I did deal with the occasional customer. I have flooring installation ($6,000) that should be going through today. And I got 2 measures from customers who had I had talked to previously. That does happen on occasion. Sometimes people need to go home and sort things out, look at their finances and decide if they're going to spend the money. So, I had 4 measures last week, beating expectations.</p><p>One of the things I learned from my visit to the eye doctor was that my corneas move. Both of them. They move a little when I blink. The result is that sometimes they will feel very dry, hence the drops. I hate eye drops, and this is not a daily thing. Sometimes I go months without them feeling dry and scratchy.</p><p>Stevie Nicks is coming to Hershey. I'm not going. She was good with Fleetwood Mac, however, I was not overly impressed with her solo career. Out of curiosity, I did a search on her and was surprised to see that she's 75. I didn't think she was that old.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/03/magazine/isabella-rossellini-interview.html">And there was an interesting interview in the NYT with Isabella Rossellini this morning.</a> I follow her on Instagram and she is fascinating. She turns out to be very interesting. Besides acting occasionally, she lives on a farm and raises sheep. We're the same age, and honestly, while I think I do quite a lot, working a sheep farm is not something I'd have any interest in doing.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFBv78qZOlCTf3SyvZ84879ZDRBy0eREPPQQXizbPybvT3ZxgAcighCF1I5NrJ-eClz85KeSsxqAryZ1o5wkr1hk_6y4BQ3e8Ccg7BzLZj0Lqahhmp07WElasrog_FVBy-ZDgEqVardDCMHLqDwsGDY4WsTYXAYDMW-wePXl3XA4x0gjJpre-gMJYRpht/s1200/Rossellini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFBv78qZOlCTf3SyvZ84879ZDRBy0eREPPQQXizbPybvT3ZxgAcighCF1I5NrJ-eClz85KeSsxqAryZ1o5wkr1hk_6y4BQ3e8Ccg7BzLZj0Lqahhmp07WElasrog_FVBy-ZDgEqVardDCMHLqDwsGDY4WsTYXAYDMW-wePXl3XA4x0gjJpre-gMJYRpht/s320/Rossellini.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the things Republicans have whined and complained about for years was that Democrats managed to achieve their goals through activist judges. Thinking this was they way to turn a very Centrist America conservative, they managed to stack the Court in their favor. They forgot one big thing, however: that the vast number of decisions the Court reached when it was more Centrist appealed to a majority of people. Of course, Conservatives never really think about people; they want one thing, to tell people how to live their lives. As a result, there were shocked when, after the Court flipped on Roe v Wade, Americans started running to the ballot box. In 3 conservative states Americans have voted to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitutions, and Conservatives, with their tiny minds are, themselves, flipping out. They never understood that just being in charge is enough. And they are never going to learn their lessons. This court, by delaying Trump's immunity decision, is another example of Conservatives not understanding the American people. Instead, they have given Americans just one more reason to go to the ballot box in November and vote Republicans straight to Hell.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-17024309184162815292024-03-02T09:47:00.000-05:002024-03-02T09:47:01.189-05:00They Look Away<p> It's Saturday, and I'm not in a park, and it's definitely not the 4th of July. Outside, there is rain. This is what we call a soaker. A slow steady drizzle that's going to hang around most of the day. This is Spring weather. They used to say "April showers bring May flowers, however last year we had showers throughout March, April, and May with the sun finally putting a regular appearance in June. I can't wait to see how it plays out this year.</p><p>Yesterday was pretty meh. I did get a nice fast walk in on the treadmill. </p><p>My neighbors were loud most of the day. She warned 3 times after they moved in that they were loud, and since there is no insulation in the wall separating our 2 houses, I hear them. Sadly, they don't like it when I'm a little loud, and this past Thursday evening I watched Halo and while the dialog is quiet, the action sequences are loud. They will just have to deal with that the same way I deal with her playing the radio loud when she cleans, or them yelling at each other. This is how life works.</p><p>As I go through The Body in the Tower to prep the manuscript for audio, I find that I'm editing it once again. Some of the changes are small, words get changed to give a more precise meaning, and some things are being excised because they just aren't needed. Once this is done, I will republish the updated version; ebook in Barnes & Noble and Amazon, paperback in Amazon.</p><p>And I saw this and thought it very appropriate.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWfIaDTCbI4FV74equeJ5pSWL7k0IYiDNp2U5AvKpAgYL3_SocnweB8RAZzlHBYrcqd_XAtiFoNsYfBE-KkLSZcD3B7DoY2Q2p_FakPJapIUCZZpAvaXfbzikqK1yxEWrPCyM6yVCRz6L385UROnigYNGl9uf3DTUhjvPjhMyf_QQ891vX2MPfpBAQsrH/s447/Voting%20for%20Trump.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="387" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWfIaDTCbI4FV74equeJ5pSWL7k0IYiDNp2U5AvKpAgYL3_SocnweB8RAZzlHBYrcqd_XAtiFoNsYfBE-KkLSZcD3B7DoY2Q2p_FakPJapIUCZZpAvaXfbzikqK1yxEWrPCyM6yVCRz6L385UROnigYNGl9uf3DTUhjvPjhMyf_QQ891vX2MPfpBAQsrH/s320/Voting%20for%20Trump.png" width="277" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the things that does piss me off is the way the media picks up on every slip of the tongue that Biden makes, while ignoring the incoherent word salad spilling from Trump's mouth. The Guardian reported that Biden confused Gaza with the Ukraine, that was one of their headlines, yet they totally ignored Trump spewing out about languages coming into this country. He does this quite often, sputtering out nonsensical gibberish because his mind has lost focus. Trump does this frequently, and too often the media looks away, especially the print media. There seems to be a terrible lack of responsibility in their reporting. A day doesn't go by when they aren't publishing some sort of poll and the sad thing is that many Americans still believe polls. The New York Times is having big problems with this, thinking that headlines regarding Biden's age are going to generate subscriber interest. They don't. Almost everyday I go into Threads and see that someone has cancelled their subscription. If they don't stop looking away, and Trump manages to get elected, it will too, too late for them.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-36496969828549003262024-03-01T08:52:00.003-05:002024-03-01T08:52:55.759-05:00Boots on the Ground<p> The weekend is almost upon us, meaning I'll get to go sit at the flooring desk for 3 days beginning tomorrow afternoon. Can you feel my excitement in the air?</p><p>The temps outside are on the chilly side, 28 (F) the last time I checked, however that was a bit ago. They might be warmer by now. Our high to day is predicted to be in the lower 50s (F), in fact for the rest of the weekend temps are supposed to climb. Am I the only who thinks that these warmer winters portend to even warmer summers? Possibly not here in Central PA, but down in Texas, and Florida, and the rest of those southern states? I wonder how hot they'll have to get before the understand that Global Warming is an issue.</p><p>I didn't get any workout in yesterday. Instead, I attempted to make a giant chicken patty and was not too successful. The thing tastes okay, but isn't something I will ever cook again. Lily doesn't care. All the skin and things I don't want to eat are going to her, so last evening's and this evening's meals are going to be feasts for her.</p><p>The tank in the living room got a good cleaning yesterday. The black algae is back, which means I'm going to need to start up frequent water changes again. Not a problem. I don't think the fish like it too much.</p><p>And did you know some people will do anything for a free pair of shoes?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ujjEYBpkRNIoJPsFYSv__AkVa-PQnbsyYN-x1i-lIA0hH3tQGEuT6QKVyJ6ZT536s2h8PJoMlqU4GwdyRnIK3scIql2CIw9oT7cZ9RXeyE7nahf4Ff0iVPcgachsT6auYf81Z9nGY23GwBvV36bNgx82UfYRvQ0pWO4bKS9uGJjRif-XeSnSkUxAF4O6/s563/Free%20shoes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="563" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ujjEYBpkRNIoJPsFYSv__AkVa-PQnbsyYN-x1i-lIA0hH3tQGEuT6QKVyJ6ZT536s2h8PJoMlqU4GwdyRnIK3scIql2CIw9oT7cZ9RXeyE7nahf4Ff0iVPcgachsT6auYf81Z9nGY23GwBvV36bNgx82UfYRvQ0pWO4bKS9uGJjRif-XeSnSkUxAF4O6/s320/Free%20shoes.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did see a juicy tidbit yesterday which might possibly explain the Supreme Court's decision in delaying Trump's immunity case, and, not surprisingly, it makes sense. This means it's probably not true, and is just another conspiracy theory, but let's be honest, it sounds logical. That tidbit is: they are delaying the immunity hearing because they do really want Trump to win in November because... Clarence Thomas, age 77, and Samuel Alito, age 73, want to insure that they are replaced on the court by Federalist Conservatives, something Trump would do to keep his orange ass safe. This being said, I think this is more conjecture than anything else simply because lose so many perks when they retire, and for Thomas that would mean no more Sugar Daddy sweetness for his bank account. And Alito? He can do more evil sitting on the bench than anywhere else.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-39351530125847909262024-02-29T08:43:00.008-05:002024-02-29T08:43:51.762-05:00Floored<p> Well, it's sunny today. Yesterday, as almost everybody knows, it was overcast, rainy, and windy. Overnight, the temps dropped down to the low 30s (F), and today's high is expected to be in the low 40s (F). So, while it bright and sunny outside, it's a bit on the cool side. </p><p>I had planned on getting in a fast walk on the treadmill, and a couple thousand meters on the rower yesterday. That didn't happen. Instead, I spent the entire morning and early afternoon finishing off the kitchen floor. I like it. Lily doesn't. I had path her way to the back door with area rugs. She'll get used to it. I think it looks great. White quarter round, and almond colored cove base are the only things left to do, and that shouldn't take long. Though, it won't happen today. I need to buy those things first from my local orange home improvement store.</p><p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/consumers-are-taking-break-big-home-renovations-projects-rcna140741">And, speaking of the orange home improvement store that I work at, Corporate has finally come out and said that Americans are no longer interested in large home renovations.</a> In fact, both orange and blue home improvement have come admitted this publicly. This is a problem of their own making. In fact it's a problem for all retailers who failed to grasp the fact that increasing prices in order to hit their profit goal with cost them in the end. Prices are beginning to come down. The American consumer is not going to bend blindly to corporate greed.<br /></p><p>Here's what my floor looks like.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXBrlmjsiQ4-vH1kK9teuysLIXtUjsGCEihAOtka1jwBdWq8TyrTFNxD79nKqO-t2W09nNyfbKyYomV56caIYTZiw43iBNmlCp3k0EMedQmzggUpDNvl1PFkUyQLLmJ1-i6BuSXGVBX9MWNv89os8UW1pYgF8l_Cef6V-EcH__Fq_DymJBcZxZl85QssO/s3445/20240229_075008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3445" data-original-width="2835" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXBrlmjsiQ4-vH1kK9teuysLIXtUjsGCEihAOtka1jwBdWq8TyrTFNxD79nKqO-t2W09nNyfbKyYomV56caIYTZiw43iBNmlCp3k0EMedQmzggUpDNvl1PFkUyQLLmJ1-i6BuSXGVBX9MWNv89os8UW1pYgF8l_Cef6V-EcH__Fq_DymJBcZxZl85QssO/s320/20240229_075008.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And like everybody else in the country, I was floored by yesterday's Supreme Court decision. We now have proof that not only are they corrupt, but they're gutless has Hell. Common consensus was that a guilty verdict in any of Trump's Federal cases would have killed his chances for getting elected in November. Now those Federal cases are on hold, probably until 2025. This is what the Orange Anus wanted. But it does more. Had the Court said he wasn't immune, Conservatives would have blamed them, this decision to delay things gets them off the hook, at least in their minds. Now, if Trump loses in November, it's his fault and his alone. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And there was some bright stuff yesterday. Trump tried to play let's make a deal by offering to pay $100 million of his $454 million fine and got rejected. Mitch McConnell is going to step down at the end of his term, which is in 2027. I'm betting he doesn't make it. He'd like to go out on a high note and instead he'll end up proving how big of a failure he is.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-90566389261329398422024-02-28T09:13:00.000-05:002024-02-28T09:13:17.397-05:00Tiny<p> Wednesday and we have thunderstorms and a high wind warning that will expire tomorrow morning. Temperature wise, we're supposed to top in the low 60s (F) today, before a cold front moves through, not that it's going to be that cold. Tomorrow, our high will be in the mid 40s (F), however by Friday it's up in the 50s (F) again. We have another 3 weeks before winter is officially over. </p><p>My eye appointment went well. I was wrong. I'm not on eyedrops for the rest of my life. I'm still... borderline. I suspect I will remain borderline. In fact, everything about me is borderline. My blood pressure is barely high enough for me to be on Lisinopril, if I take off 20 lbs that med will be gone. My cholesterol is, as you might expect, borderline. The more I exercise, the less borderline I become, meaning I am meaner when I am leaner. </p><p>Another thing about my eyes is that my vision is fairly stable. They didn't get any worse. My prescription changed only slightly. Because my eyesight has not gotten any worse, I can switch off between sets of glasses, so on some days I'll wear the blue ones, and on other days I'll wear the red ones. I'm actually considering buying a 3rd pair, maybe yellow or green. </p><p>And this made me laugh because we all know that Mike Johnson is small, we just didn't realized how tiny this little man was.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAjHXZLeWg2Aa5o_5SVVwe1KtzqLVFI2oiE0aD6fzmFErTK0k5zbZ-Eje5k-KTpSv7Y74DyNXxM38fhZeMN__4YnP_N7i5pFUHnPeZ3X1CflU2TOuAq2R8rUbRDe8Dvg8onBO4jwkxhW5NrVbd8eVe8VbDjBjl3dW9ZbgA8xi1cp__6G3L88hyalteboz/s494/Small%20Johnson.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="494" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAjHXZLeWg2Aa5o_5SVVwe1KtzqLVFI2oiE0aD6fzmFErTK0k5zbZ-Eje5k-KTpSv7Y74DyNXxM38fhZeMN__4YnP_N7i5pFUHnPeZ3X1CflU2TOuAq2R8rUbRDe8Dvg8onBO4jwkxhW5NrVbd8eVe8VbDjBjl3dW9ZbgA8xi1cp__6G3L88hyalteboz/s320/Small%20Johnson.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, for those of you who haven't been paying attention, the government is scheduled to shut down again on Friday. There was a time when Republicans could use these shutdowns to their advantage, back when they at least gave the appearance of knowing how to govern. Those days are gone. Mostly because miniscule Mike has chosen to bow down before the Orange Anus. Republicans don't seem to realize that these shutdowns achieve absolutely nothing. Having to punt the budget down the road every few months shows how badly out of touch they are with the real world. In the end, no matter how frequently they stomp their feet, they end up caving. And, shutting down the government, even for a few days, before caving makes them look even more incompetent. The truth is America is getting fed up with the "Just Say No," party saying "no," without offering an alternative, something they are incapable of doing.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-45337685836874255292024-02-27T08:21:00.000-05:002024-02-27T08:21:09.457-05:00Tulip Time<p> Tuesday tops the week with sun! And it's going to be warm, with temps climbing into the mid 60s (F). Sixpence said the temps were in the 70s (F) yesterday in the Chicago area, they should be our entre tomorrow... except thunderstorms are also on the menu, possibly a nice, booming desert before the temps drop back down to what is considered normal for late February. However, according to the forecast, that chill will be only momentary. We are in a transitional season.</p><p>I have an eye appointment this morning because I need to have the old ogglers checked. I have borderline glaucoma, so I know my optometrist is going to suggest eye drops again, she does suggest them at every exam. If I go on them, my appointments will be every 2 years, rather than every year. If only I didn't hate having to put a drop in each of my eyes every day. We shall have to wait and see.</p><p>Even though work was boring yesterday, I did manage to get 2 measures, my goal for the week... well, maybe I got 2 measures. One of them hadn't been paid for. The customer forgot his credit cards. I printed off his appointment and told him that he needed to call in and pay for it within 8 hours to activate it. He told me he'd call the store when he got home. That was around 5 minutes before I left, so I won't find out if he called or not until Saturday, when I work again.</p><p>And I just zipped down to snap a pic from the side of the house to prove that we are rapidly approaching tulip time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrJgh0PSbaZhX7d5adWqPDDRBrolLHCDHCgXjArqknaBDpQM2nb4LapSyxAo-PGqMkpp8Xc1Ba1vIPfTRTem2qU8JmnA7vpjZQA3Yolbaov5yZ302m64PcZ05fvMjLbn0yvcdn3S83ESrVJSMyGYUHcKjQ0kzNy94-EQE2GPhdfL7t6JLDasWWpC318CF/s3024/tulip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="3024" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrJgh0PSbaZhX7d5adWqPDDRBrolLHCDHCgXjArqknaBDpQM2nb4LapSyxAo-PGqMkpp8Xc1Ba1vIPfTRTem2qU8JmnA7vpjZQA3Yolbaov5yZ302m64PcZ05fvMjLbn0yvcdn3S83ESrVJSMyGYUHcKjQ0kzNy94-EQE2GPhdfL7t6JLDasWWpC318CF/s320/tulip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And, if you've been paying even slight attention to Trump's legal woes, you see that his team of lawyers are not quite firing on all cylinders. His finances are liquid enough to cover appeals for the $454 (?) million he owes because of his crookery, and so those attempting to represent him are pulling flimsy legal straws out of their asses as they try to keep his ego from crashing into the wall of reality at a very high speed. Perhaps if he did have his foot on the accelerator things might not be as horrifically terrible as they are, but this is a loser who can't shut his mouth. They're trying to keep Michael Cohen from testifying at Trump's Stormy trial because Mikey's testimony will be a slam dunk for the prosecutor. That case starts in a little over 3 weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">His niece says his sanity is dangling. I don't doubt that, and I'm enjoying it. </div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-77447771617330509632024-02-26T08:15:00.006-05:002024-02-26T08:15:59.482-05:00Send $$$ Now<p>So, I put my phone on the charger last night, though it wasn't centered correctly and failed to charge. Dead Battery. Damn. I hate when that happens. This is only the 2nd time I can remember this happening. Now it's nestled in its cradle correctly and should have ready to go when I head off to work. In the mean time, I've had to use my tablet to get this morning's weather. Outside, we have partially cloudy skies and they're supposed to stay like that throughout most of the day. Temps will climb into the upper 60s (F). No rain today, that's coming tomorrow.</p><p>Lily is back to her normal behavior. Up and down the stairs with little to no problem. She has gotten pickier about her diet, however, she likes her food ground now, rather than the slices of meat she'd loved for a long time. </p><p>Yesterday, because retail was slow, I endured a long 8 hours of desk time, with occasional breaks to wander the store and talk to friends. How did I fill that time? Research for the next book took up quite a bit as the story continues to fall into place. And I also spent some time researching travel packages to Greece. I figure, I might as well begin looking now. Many of the include island hopping tours, they don't interest me. This one looks nice.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbN4HerXSqnn16czunwXzTLB3Qi_aF0SLwwFZPW4i1O9UhNp7qg_0Cbd7JP6jBIaiG49ZRxBn0tg_L42RYCfDJxlCZ_NQbNTzSS4rKeeb1OlctXw5HvIiHDdz3WhrYuG6CauaWWvZc7bf8oZLCspGa-9Op9JYLuN-KIuccrINvl-SU0puIPQx-dxqIHAO/s1100/Greece%20tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="1100" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbN4HerXSqnn16czunwXzTLB3Qi_aF0SLwwFZPW4i1O9UhNp7qg_0Cbd7JP6jBIaiG49ZRxBn0tg_L42RYCfDJxlCZ_NQbNTzSS4rKeeb1OlctXw5HvIiHDdz3WhrYuG6CauaWWvZc7bf8oZLCspGa-9Op9JYLuN-KIuccrINvl-SU0puIPQx-dxqIHAO/s320/Greece%20tour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href=" https://trumpdebtcounter.com/">And, if you're interested in seeing how much interest the Moral Degenerate is accruing here's a nice little website to keep an eye on.</a>.<div><br /></div><div>Also, Rhona McDaniel (sic Romney) has announced her retirement from the RNC. She's stepping down because the Spawn of Satan needs a new influx of cash, and what better spring to tap than the well of the RNC. Lara Trump is going to be the new co-chair. Remember, everything Trump touches dies. So, if you're a loyal Republican, send money now. Lots of money? Better yet, give them your credit card number and let them do automatic charges. <br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> https://trumpdebtcounter.com/</p></div>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-37923519601372350052024-02-25T09:04:00.000-05:002024-02-25T09:04:13.584-05:00Flooring, and other tidbits<p> Okay, so we've made it to Sunday, the end of the week, the day of rest, except for me. I always work on Sunday. Today is supposed to be sunny, too. Temps climbing into the middle 409s (F). Short range temps are to continue climbing, reaching the low 60s (F) by Wednesday. There is some rain thrown in there, but the we are nearly in spring, when spring showers drizzle.</p><p>I've finished more of my kitchen floor yesterday. It's... approximately 3/4 complete, and most of that area by the chimney, and under the refrigerator. I will need to have to do some serious cuts around the floor vent, but I don't see them as being so difficult as to cause much of a problem. After the tiles are in, there's the quarter round needing to go in around the perimeter, and the almond color cove base under the cabinets before the construction is finished. I will be glad. While it's taken me longer than I though to do this myself, the alternative would have been expensive. With the floor prep, the cost for someone else to do it would have been around $1000, and that's a conservative estimate.</p><p>Lily is back to being an upstairs / downstairs dog, and by that I mean she goes upstairs in the evening to go to bed, and then downstairs in the morning. The rest of the day she spends on the sofa in the writing room, or chewing on one of her snacks. She's eating fine. Her stubby tail is wagging again. What was her problem? Well, she has a cyst on her wrist that shrank in size, meaning there was some internal leakage, and she had a swollen gland on her cheek that caused her nictitating membrane to swell. All is back to normal. </p><p>SAG awards were last night. I didn't watch. But Oppenheimer continued to steamroll it's way through award season.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r0wjKGmDQJ4" width="320" youtube-src-id="r0wjKGmDQJ4"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As expected, Trump won the Republican primary in South Carolina. 59.5% of Republicans in that state voted for him, however, his victory was not a slam dunk. 39.5% of the voters chose someone else, mostly Hailey. He has lost the loyalty of these people. That is something the Republican party simply doesn't understand. They deeply believe the individuals who cast their ballots for someone else will automatically vote the the party's nominee. Nope. The only thing they can count on are the MAGA cultists. Rather than having to chose between Biden and Trump, many old school Republicans will simply sit on their hands and not vote. And, as several pundits have already noted, one guilty voted will send that number through the roof.</div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-15666874899791221432024-02-24T09:15:00.000-05:002024-02-24T09:15:19.362-05:00Separation of Church and State<p> Well, we've started one of those weekends that everybody is working for... Of course, that doesn't include everybody that I know, many of whom are retired, or else they work from home and pretty much set their own hours. Also, I do need to point out that being retired does not mean that you're going to sit back and wait for death to come calling. I have a very few friends that are waiting for this. I don't understand what's going through their heads when they tell me "they've worked their entire lives, and they're not going to work anymore." It just might be a form of laziness.</p><p>The weather's going to be fine today. Temps in the low 40s (F), chilling out overnight. Tomorrow starts a warming trend, not that we haven't been warm so far this winter, that will take us up into the 60s (F). By the end of the week we'll be in March. Spring is in the air, I can smell it.</p><p>Another third of the kitchen floor was finished yesterday. I'm working on it again today. It's not time consuming, except when it comes to cutting the tiles. Supposedly, you should be able to cut it by scoring it a few times with a box cutter, and then snapping it. That, however, doesn't always give you a smooth break, so I'm down in the basement with a hand saw every time I need to cut a tile.</p><p>My daffodils are pushing their way up through last years leaves.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0jRt1TvSmTtJzctjqvxSY6JStXDz2xgJvvFlt7pGiKNjvsEfVf6zNYQaTGqZu6LK6DI98IxOJK1_3CFP8sP_JH6uhyphenhyphenCUaRtkvKekkth8ztELc3WNij6M6K93eYTDb5y7EjMUF7U0lFKFPQoKI9pM8ZlKHYAQWz7HA9UaPSs-qFWDLtRHCirh6cexx53S/s3035/20240224_085847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3035" data-original-width="1698" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0jRt1TvSmTtJzctjqvxSY6JStXDz2xgJvvFlt7pGiKNjvsEfVf6zNYQaTGqZu6LK6DI98IxOJK1_3CFP8sP_JH6uhyphenhyphenCUaRtkvKekkth8ztELc3WNij6M6K93eYTDb5y7EjMUF7U0lFKFPQoKI9pM8ZlKHYAQWz7HA9UaPSs-qFWDLtRHCirh6cexx53S/s320/20240224_085847.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And CPAC is happening. There was a time when this gathering of conservative crazies actually represented something other than... well... a gathering of Christian crazies. The Orange Anus spoke zombie-speak. One thing the media picked up on was his racist characterization of black people, the one where he said that black people like him because of his mugshot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I'm remembering correctly, it was a CPAC that they rolled out the golden Trump idol. That's when Christians should have kicked their concern into high gear. They didn't. They were too unabashedly delighted that the evil one was going to give them what they wanted. So happy were they, they told themselves he had to have been sent by God. Stupid people. They shriek and moan about all types of sins without understanding how evil actually works. It gave them what they were praying for, and they helped to spread the evil in return. Ouch! This is the reason our founding fathers decreed there was going to be a separation of Church and State.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-80261617101288581392024-02-23T09:27:00.000-05:002024-02-23T09:27:10.824-05:00America's Duty<p> Even though it's Friday, I keep feeling as though it's Saturday. Don't ask me why.</p><p>The skies are overcast. Temps are supposed to climb in to the high 40s (F), and there are showers on the way. Notice, that's showers, not rain, nothing that could be considered a steady soaker. Tomorrow, temps are predicted to cool off, slightly, but the the warm air the Midwest has been having will begin to move through the area.</p><p>I got a measure yesterday for cellular blinds. The young lady wants one, and it needs to be motorized because the window is too high to reach. The motorization is going to add about $350 to her bill. </p><p>And while I quite enjoy talking to older people, it's not all of them. Some people want you to feel sorry for them, it's how they convince themselves that they're special. Take the older woman I overheard at the post office the other day. She wanted a Post Office Box, but only for 1 month (you have to rent them for at least 3 months). She whined this story to the clerk: her husband died suddenly 2 months ago leaving her with a large townhouse that was too big for her, so she decided to sell it and move into an apartment. However, (and this is a big one), she couldn't move into the new apartment for 30 days, and the closing on her house sale was in 2 days and she needed to be out. And she definitely wanted those standing nearby to feel sorry for her bad planning. I listened, and said nothing, as the line behind her grew to at least 7 people. Finishing my business, I left, and I can tell you, the faces on those waiting were not happy.</p><p>When I got home last evening, I found the Lade of the House down on the sofa. She ate her dinner, did her business outside, and then went back upstairs to bed. I've decided that Lily is going to play the part of the semi-invalid for as long as she can. </p><p>And what about Alabama? Is a fertilized egg a person?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIKgSiX-obYOkfAG9ijjfc0GJKpp6T-u3K3dkE2jCijcCSwWrszfilOjJGj_a7WB047RHmqL-76Mi53Wr3j_pjAB38sHhOtdqUiiCZESRQz8HWMlwCdN_PBJiE-E8GfFlHfZlulxCjBPx5FY1tMPVy1rZhQkgq78fFaupqJ1xbKTbVleEXHH4mDoUGcfD/s500/IVF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="500" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIKgSiX-obYOkfAG9ijjfc0GJKpp6T-u3K3dkE2jCijcCSwWrszfilOjJGj_a7WB047RHmqL-76Mi53Wr3j_pjAB38sHhOtdqUiiCZESRQz8HWMlwCdN_PBJiE-E8GfFlHfZlulxCjBPx5FY1tMPVy1rZhQkgq78fFaupqJ1xbKTbVleEXHH4mDoUGcfD/s320/IVF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course not. But this is what happens when you put the Crazy Cracker Jack Christians in charge. This is the the religious extremism you see in Iran, except this crazy is in America. In the 3 days since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled fertilized eggs are people, the country has been in an uproar. It is the Republican party, the GOP, that has enabled these lunatics, and they are out of control. The party needs to be taken out of power. All you need do is look at the House of Representatives to see the GOP can not govern. In fact, they don't really want to govern, they just want to say "Shut up! We're in charge!" And it is every American's duty to take what little power they have away from them.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537843474894274857.post-85661697562218845662024-02-22T08:38:00.006-05:002024-02-22T08:38:59.915-05:00Upstairs Dog<p> Another short post because I work today.</p><p>Forecasters are predicting rain today. On and off showers are supposed to dampen the entire region, both today and tomorrow, and then temps will drop, if they're right. But then we're going to have another prelude to Spring with a warming trend. We've had so many preludes, I'm thinking maybe we should call them an overture.</p><p>Lily had decided that she wants to spend the rest of her days upstairs, lounging on the bed. She has a better view from the upstairs window, downstairs all she can see are the squirrels, upstairs, the FedEx and UPS trucks are visible almost half a block away. She goes up and down the staircase as little as possible. She's a senior dog. Biggie stopped, too, but he chose to stay downstairs.</p><p>I spent a big chunk of time yesterday cutting out one difficult piece of vinyl plank for the kitchen floor. Lots of cuts, in under the front of the dishwasher, then out for 1.5 inches for the dishwasher cabinet, then a horizontal cut for front of that cabinet edge, and then an 8 inch vertical for the outside of the cabinet. I was really concerned that I'd break the plank during the final cut because it's very narrow. That was the most difficult piece I had to cut.</p><p>Here's a pic I took of Lily eyeing the staircase yesterday. She waited until I was playing a game before getting drink of water and heading up to bed. Sneaky, she is.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTTW9GuUxz1TKdQq5I8901cJHiq6gKbU6m81NUSuraXyv66FA3Ab90Se-mP1vx26jRlbb2BP5qxPvEicyax0ECOFgUj3USVqWPgs9uHYhGSx7KKVnFk4z5SrlEgVcwT2YWGObep50vnCNxc_17ydaJCGvVL_aqBf0WaI8BVUmqT0iIj-SS_aXRnLrFKDB/s3714/Lily%20stair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3714" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTTW9GuUxz1TKdQq5I8901cJHiq6gKbU6m81NUSuraXyv66FA3Ab90Se-mP1vx26jRlbb2BP5qxPvEicyax0ECOFgUj3USVqWPgs9uHYhGSx7KKVnFk4z5SrlEgVcwT2YWGObep50vnCNxc_17ydaJCGvVL_aqBf0WaI8BVUmqT0iIj-SS_aXRnLrFKDB/s320/Lily%20stair.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And, of course, it's quite amusing how the Republicans are stammering terribly about their Russkie witness, the one who, at least in the eyes of the Kremlin, was going to give them the goods they needed to impeach Biden. And, who all knew he was a fake? Comer and Jordan for two. And now we have Republican Ken Buck saying everything is a lie. Ouch!</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dave Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10429379083970699093noreply@blogger.com4