Cry Harder

 So, here it is, Tuesday.  I don't work.  I'm happy.  It's a bit on the nippy side, with temps in the mid 20s (F), though they're expected to rise into the mid 40s (F).  For the next three days we are under a snow flurry warning.  That's right, no snow is expected, but flurries can swirl around us at any time.  Wow.

I did work yesterday and it was pretty meh, except for a couple who want a backsplash installed.  Wait, that's wrong, they want us to design a backsplash.  I had talked to them a while back and he had explained to me that they want back splash for two sections of countertop, but behind their stove they want a different type of tile with a special tile border.  I told him we don't do that, we do not design.  So, he went to another associate who told him the same thing, but went ahead a set up a measure because the customer wanted to be measured.  Yesterday this customer showed up with a list of different types of tiles expecting me to put each one into a graphic display so he and his wife could see what they looked like.  Once again, I told him we do not have that capability, that we are not designers.  What he's trying to do is get us to design a backsplash for him on the cheap, rather than pay the $$$ to a designer.  It is not going to happen.  

With all the backlash regarding Biden's pardoning his son, I have to tell you, this is how I'm feeling.

For those who haven't realized it yet, the biggest problem with the American people is that most of them are simply dumb.  The number of anti-vaxers grows because they have not experienced a measles epidemic, have not dealt with the fact that the kid down the street died of measles, or chicken pox, or mumps.  The last time there was a bad outbreak of one of those "childhood diseases" in which children died was back in the late 1940s.  So, of course they don't understand the benefit of vaccines.

Because Americans have never had to deal with an authoritative regime, their patently ignorant.  Too many of them feel they are so far removed, are so caught up in their own tiny little worlds, they do not understand how such a government will easily ruin their lives.  We are a very dumb people.  Too many are enamored with influencers they cannot tell the difference between honesty and deceit. They prefer non-thinking to reasoning, because thinking hurts their brains.

Justin Trudeau flew down to Mar a Lago unexpectedly thinking he might talk to the Orange Anus about tariffs, and how terrible they would be.  He found out Orangey has absolutely no idea how tariffs actually work.  I would have thought that Justin would have realized by now that for Orangey will never admit to ignorance.  He is never wrong.  He's also dumb as a fucking brick. It's my understanding that Trump, as well as those at the the table, thought Justin amusing.  Hopefully, Justin has now realized that the only way to deal with Orangey is to take a page from Claudia Sheinbaum's playbook.

Lock Him UP

 The thunderstorm on Thursday night brought a windy Friday as a front moved through Central PA, and today?  The temps are cool and overcast.  This will many of you down south jealous, and probably a lot of you in the Midwest, but our temps are only going to climb into the low 70s (F) today.  I can live with this, though I'll have to water my little garden since the wind will dry everything out.

The fungus which effected the leaves on my nectarine and peach trees has also done some damage to the fruit.  I don't know how much of the crop has been ruined, I guess I'll find out over the coming days.  And, speaking of the nectarine tree, this year I do have nectarines, however they're about the size of a manzanilla olives.  I haven't cut one open, but I'm suspecting is mostly a big pit.

I saw this in the NYT this morning, call it a little treatise on election denying Republicans.  This group will never believe the truth.  Ever.  They are becoming modern day Confederates who will never believe the war is over, that Lee actually surrendered, or that Trump is a malignant force out to destroy Democracy.  I do not doubt for a second that they are decedents of that group of Americans who stayed loyal to the crown during the Revolutionary War.  These are people who need an authoritarian leader, that one thing Democracy will never provide.  Their souls vibrated with the need to say "Shut up!  We're in charge."  The sad truth is that when they do manage to get themselves in power, they cater only to their own wishes, leaving everybody else to just rot.  They are a very selfish group of people.  The reality we need to face is that when they lose, they need to be punished, which creates a problem.  After the Civil War, Confederate leaders were just allowed to go home.  No punishment was levied against them.  That was a big mistake.  They didn't learn.  Ford pardoned Nixon because... well, maybe he thought it was the civilized thing to do, or maybe he thought it would keep the country unified.  Big Mistake.  He should have served jail time.  That pardon sent a message: you can pretty much get away with anything if you're president.  And not only presidents.  Oliver North, a Republican, was found guilty of going through Iran, our enemy, to weaponize the Contra rebels in Central America, and when George H. Bush, a Republican, was elected president he pardoned North.  Holy Shit Bangs!  We have been sending the wrong messages for decades, which is why we have to deal with the Trump Shit Show.  How do we stop this?  End it forever?  Simply lock that asshole up.  Lock up Scott Perry, and Eastman, and Navarro.  The punishment needs to begin now, otherwise they will continue to do it over, and over, and over again. 

Size

 Biggie threw - up a white sock he'd eaten.  Dogs will eat anything.  Now I have one odd sock.

We got the treadmill up into the computer / workout room.  Very heavy.  Some touching up of the walls will be necessary.  Assembly took about 3 hours, not because of difficulties, I just decided to take my time.  There was a lot of crawling, and crouching, and kneeling in screwing together and screwing on plastic parts to prettify the angles and joints.  I did a 5 minute walk / jog and started to learn what all of the buttons do, and and then I folded it up.

Biggie doesn't like it in the folded position.  Twice last night he got off the bed to go lay in front of the door to the Computer / workout room.  The 2nd time, I lowered it down to it's running position.  That satisfied him and he went back to bed and is still sleeping.

I see the Idiot Jerk pardon a bunch of people, 2 of his accomplices in his 2016, Russian aided, election steal.  He also commuted the sentences of 3 Republicans who were serving time for corruption.  This was to be expected.

Oh, and the banker for the Idiot Jerk, the one who oversaw his personal loans at Deutsche Bank has resigned.  I liked the bit where Deutsche stepped in when most banks believed him to be radioactive.  That happens when you default on most of your loans.  I'm thinking she knows that's going to happen again.  And it wasn't only the Idiot Jerk she was financially involved with, evidently Jared was also one of her clients.  I'm thinking this does not look good for Deutsche Bank.

And finally, here's a little Christmas song from Tom Goss.  Enjoy.

Rudy the G

Tomorrow's a holiday... I think.  Columbus Day.  I have off work because I'm scheduled to have off, so it isn't really a special day.  The weather is supposed to be nice.  Yard work is planned, as well as couple other chores.
I had a customer yesterday who relocated to the area from Long Island.  She and I had a nice conversation.  I said, "big culture shock, eh?"  And she nodded, "really big."  She grew up 7 blocks from Queens.  When I asked her what her biggest challenge had been she paused for a few seconds and then said, "I was surprised.  Everything was so.... white."  I told her "we're changing rapidly."  Someone who grew up in a very racially diverse city was surprised by how vanilla Central Pennsylvania is... or was.  Eleven years ago, when I started working at the store, seeing a person of color shopping our aisles was rare.  Not so today.  Not only are we diversifying rapidly in regard to color, we are doing so with nationalities as well.  Some speak English well, others don't.  Patience is a wonderful thing.  I helped 2 gentlemen yesterday who were looking for what turned out to be a water heater.  We turned it into a bit of a game, which was fun.  This is what terrifies the Republican Party and the White Evangelicals:  humanity as a whole.
I put over 45 minutes on the bike yesterday.  Rouvy said I was riding in Warm Springs, Oregon.  Since that route isn't recognized by Tacx, I was listed as doing a Power Ride.  They also listed me as riding 13.14 miles.  That's nice, not very accurate, but then Power Rides are never going to match mile for mile those attached to a route.
Yesterday the Idiot Jerk in the White House had lunch with his Henchie, Rudy the G.  Can you imagine what that conversation was like:

Idiot Jerk:  Shut up!
Rudy the G:  Yes sir, yes sir.
Idiot Jerk:  I said shut your fucking mouth!
Rudy the G:  Yes sir, yes sir.
Idiot Jerk:  There's a pardon in it if you shut up!
Rudy the G:  Yes sir, yes sir.
Idiot Jerk:  Well then just shut up!

And they used to be sooooo close.

Hhhmmm.  In case you're wondering, that pardon already has a price tag on it.

And then there's Honeysuckle

Here it is Monday and I'm on my 4th day of work  I work tomorrow, have 2 days off, work 3 and then there's vacation.  I can not wait.
The weather here was cold and shitty.  Our temp topped off at around 66 F - mostly rainy,  misty and overcast.  Not the type of weather you would normally expect in June.
I saw where the Idiot Jerk's toy lawyer Rudi Gazuti farted out some nonsense about how the President can pretty much do what ever he wants - sort of like a dictator.  He can end any investigation he wants, pardon anybody, even himself, should he feel the need... oh, except pardoning himself just might lead to impeachment.  However, once he's impeached he becomes fair game.  So, why would Rudi float this?  Most likely because he sees it as a test balloon.  If he feels enough people agree with him, well then the Idiot Jerk is going to fire and pardon at his own shit stained discretion.  You know?  If he feels he's getting a positive result then actual impeachment might not happen.  This selfish president, and selfish party, could care less about the country.  Tearing it to shreds means nothing as long as they are in charge.
Anyway, besides having tons of roses, I have honeysuckle spreading over the back fence as well.  Two complete different fragrances:  roses and honeysuckle.  One is full and rich, the other light and airy, the sweet and sour of the perfume world.  Here's a pic of mine.

I can't wait for the whole fence to be covered.