June 6, 1944

history.com

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war." -- President Ronald Reagan

Fuzzy reminds us that today is also the anniversary of the Battle of Midway. That naval encounter was at least as important to winning the war in the Pacific as the invasion of Normandy was to defeating Hitler. In fact, Midway was almost a larger gamble. The Navy went in all or nothing and a defeat at Midway likely would have set the war effort back years against the Japanese.

Float like a butterfly

It is raining. It is a steady rain, the kind we need after a pretty dry spring. My yard already looks better for it. I'm sure the farmers are delighted as the corn pokes through the rich black dirt. I doubt my neighbor is so thrilled. His daughter graduates from high school today. They have spent the past several weeks preparing. I know they have fixed up their backyard in anticipation of an open house. And it is going to rain all day long. My daughter and SIL are going to a wedding. A rainy wedding day sucks too.

Mohammed Ali has passed. The brash young man turned into a sage old one. He was a great fighter. The best of his generation. Perhaps the best of all time. Of course the "who is the best" conversation is always a matter of perspective, time, and loyalty, no matter if you are arguing boxing, quarterbacks, pitchers, or bass players.

Have a great Saturday.

Friday Frappe

I spent a couple of days this week working my way through western Michigan. There was nothing extraordinary to report, just routine work, driving, hotels. After my last visit yesterday in Three Rivers, I cut straight down US 131 which turned into Indiana 13. I took 13 through Amish country. I saw several dudes on bikes, hat clamped firmly on their head as their beards waved in the breeze of passing cars. Several of he horse-drawn vehicles were work wagons, not the enclosed black buggies we usually associate with the Amish sect. One large wagon going the opposite direction was pulled by big draft horses pulling four abreast: that one really had traffic backed up on the highway.

I passed through Syracuse and the lake country and down through Wabash and in Marion I switched to highway 37, which took me to within a quarter mile or so from my garage. The whole trip was as boring as this account. The only bright spot was while surfing he static-filled airwaves I found the Cubs game on the radio. I have to admit I found the sounds of he ballpark far more entertaining than another afternoon of talk radio or British History podcasts.

It looks to be a beautiful day today, but rainy this weekend.  I suspect that will not keep the wife from dreaming up a project or two for me to tackle.

My coffee cup is empty and work becons. have a great weekend.

Please don't eat the salad

Yesterday I stopped at a Big Boy for lunch. I sat down and ordered. After the nice waitress brought my diet Pepsi, I went to the restroom. When I went in someone was in the stall groaning. As I started to do my business at the urinal he flushed. The man walked straight out of the restroom, not bothering to wash his hands.  I zipped, washed and using a paper towel, opened the door. I saw the dirty old man. He was up at the salad bar. 

That is why I don't buy the salad bar. 

There is a reason I don't often tune on that side of he dial

How is it that so-called experts can be so ignorant? I was switching through the radio today while cruising to customer visits. I landed on PBS to hear a discussion of Fascism. The members of the panel all were gravely concerned of the neo-fascists in Europe and their "right wing extremism". Then they got on Trump. One "expert" said that Trump had the same facial expressions as a classic Fascist like Mussolini or Hitler. First, can you really determine political tendencies based on facial expression? What a crock. Worse, with every syllable these miserable jerkwad political hacks showed their complete lack of historical and political understanding.

Mussolini was a Fascist. Hitler was a National Socialist. Neither was right wing. Both sought big-government solutions. "Right wing" and fascism and socialism are diametrically opposed. Mussolini and his Fascist Party rose to power opposing the conservatives! This panel of experts and the old hag hosting the show clicked their tongues in consternation over the coming fascist wave that was overtaking he EU and America. How damn ignorant can you be? Worse, people listen to this auditory bag o'crap and believe the batshit ignorance, thinking they are intellectually superior to us hayseed right-wing nut jobs. Thank goodness I could change the station before further misinformation and ignorance wasted any more of my precious brain cells.  Is the left completely made up of nasal talking, smug, self-righteous, ignorant, poorly educated, politically and historically moronic blowhards? I don't know, but there was a whole herd of them spouting their nonsense on PBS today.

On gorillas

Let me get this out of the way. I love animals. In any choice of saving an animal or a human, the human wins. Sorry, EOS.

Shooting that gorilla sucks, but if the zoo keepers, the folks that probably love animals more than you or I, thought the little kid's life was in danger, then they did the right thing. It does not matter how the child got in the pen. It was either/or.

Those twitter idiots proclaiming an animal is equal to a human are pathetic. Show me an animal that has built a car. Show me an animal that can set a broken leg. Show me an animal that invented antibiotics or band aids. What animal cultivates to grow his food source or has domesticated other animals. When the "Planet of the Apes" starts and the chimps have guns, we will will talk.

Until then, I say a four year old is more important than even the last gorilla on Earth. Yes, your dog or cat may be more precious than some of the human scum that walks the planet. I don't doubt it. That changes nothing. A human life is far more important than any animal.

Circus peanuts and Coffee

I am sore as heck this morning. The wife and I busted our collective butts yesterday. I borrowed the SIL's power washer. We did the front porch, the back patio and all of the patio furniture. We also sprayed the NW side of the house. The siding was taking on a green tinge from mold, lichen, or perhaps space alien spores, I don't know, I am a doctor, not a botanist.  I know the siding was green and slimy and the house looked like crap.

That side of the house never gets any sunlight. The big willow blocks the morning sun, and the house next door blocks what little other light might filter in. Cleaning down low was no problem, but the upper story sure was. I climbed up on the ladder to get what I could, then pulled out the extension ladder to get a little higher. But a 15 foot extension ladder does not get one to the top of a two story house. In fact, the ladder came to a stop less than halfway to the eve. So I drug out a big extending painter pole and attached a window washing sponge on the end.  We wet down the siding up high and used the sponge to scrub off the green slime. My shoulders ache from reaching up and my butt muscles are sore from clinching while trying not to let the back pressure from the washer blow me off the ladder. Getting old sucks. But the house looks great. Next week we get to trim bushes and try to destroy more of the pernicious ground cover the previous owners planted in the back flower bed and around the big willow.

I keep waiting for that weekend where I get to sit around and do nothing.

I don't think it is in the near future.

Reflect

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
 
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

Cannonball!

As I look out the old blog room/tv room/granddaughter's room window I see a brilliant blue sky and grass and trees so green the folks in Ireland would be jealous. It is already in the 70s. It may rain later. It may not. It might at your house, it might at mine. I don't know. I don't care -- it looks to be a glorious day and perfect kick-off to summer.

We are heading off to our friend's house for a pool party. Swimming, food, beer, stogies, and laughs are in the plans. I may even break out one or two of my good sticks to burn. Why not? They do no good resting there in the humidor.

Yesterday was uneventful. The granddaughter spent the night Friday, but went home early. We cleaned the house. Then I listened to the baseball game. We grabbed a quick bite then went to the store to get stuff to make for the cook out and party today. Woohoo I'm not sure how I stood the excitement.

What? I'm making corn salad. Take a couple of cans of drained fiesta corn, a diced up green bell pepper, diced onion, a cup of mayo, 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar. Just before serving, stir in a bag of crushed chili cheese Fritos. Sounds gross, I know, but it tastes great. Trust me on this, I lie way less than a Clinton. It is easy and delicious and everyone will ask you for the tecipe. The wife is making the best brownies ever. Buy one of those pans that makes little square brownies. Press ready made chocolate chip cookie dough in the bottom of each square. Plop on a Reese Cup. Yes, in every square. I know! Make a brownie mix and pour evenly over the cookie/peanut butter cups. Bake. Cool. Eat. There may be a few calories involved.

Now you wish you were hanging with me today don'tcha? Well, I suppose you long for that opportunity every day, but even more so today. I have not even discussed the burgers and brats and cakes and other good stuff that will be available. Did I mention fine cigars, beer, and other grown up drinks? All served pool side? Yes, some days it is good to be me.

I hope you have a great day. I am going to try to have one myself.

Just Thinkin'

I just finished reading one of the better novels I have read. Matterhorn is a novel of Vietnam. How accurate the portrayal is, I will leave to those who were there. The story is compelling in any case.

I am a student of history. I particularly like military history. The Vietnam War has long left me perplexed. I am certain I have not studied enough, but I fail to understand the rationale behind not directly attacking the North. The Vietcong was virtually eliminated after the 1968 Tet Offensive, so the US could have easily moved the offensive North. Why didn't we attack Hanoi and flush the Communist leaders? Why didn't we launch a strong campaign across the DMZ? The North Vietnamese would have been forced to bring the troops out of Laos and Cambodia to protect from this invasion. What was the purpose of a war of attrition with no military objective beyond killing as many of the enemy as we could find? Did we really believe the USSR or China would go to nukes over a shithole like Vietnam?

I am not alone in my skepticism over the tactics and strategy of our efforts in Vietnam. The classic war novels of the era echo the futility and waste of the efforts of a generation of Americans. Coonts, Berent, and Marlantes are just a few who have raised these questions.

A real question for all three of my readers

I have a work email account. I use it for work.

I have a personal email account (actually three). I use these for personal emails.

I don't send personal emails from my work account. I don't use my personal emails for work stuff. It is a pain in the rear, but I carry two phones during work hours*. It is a pain, but such is life. Even when my phone was used for both work and personal, I kept the emails separate. ALWAYS.

Do you use your work email for personal stuff?

Why would we even accept that Hillary Clinton would need to use a separate server because she used her work email for personal stuff and her personal email for State Department stuff? The very intent of the bathroom server was to avoid Freedom of Information Act requests. What was going on that she wanted to hide from you and I? Is it your argument that a person so incompetent that she cannot figure out how to set up and use two separate email accounts (or have it done for her) is qualified to be President?

When you Clinton supporters can answer these questions and explain why it is OK for a Government Employee to use systems paid for by you and I for personal business I will listen to why Crooked Hillary should be President. Until I get a reasonable answer I will just consider her a lying, corrupt bitch.

I guess that was not so politically correct huh?


*I also do not use my work phone for personal calls.

What ever happened to Chuck Cunningham anyway?

The weather app says it is not going to rain until around eleven this morning and then it will clear up. It is 7:30 AM and raining fairly hard. There you have it. But the models ate accurate for global warming 100 years in the future, we are told. Chalk me up as another heretical skeptic in the climate change religion.

It is Friday and a long weekend. Woot! I hope the weather cooperates.

We had a summer-type supper last night. I soaked some thin boneless ribeyes in Dale's Sauce and threw them on the grill for steak sandwiches.  I also grilled some corn on the cob and baked a couple of spuds. The corn was so-so, it is early, but all in all a pretty good feast. A slice of fresh tomato would have been perfect, but my plants have at least a month before I start getting fruit.

What the heck, how about some Friday music? This tune could be my theme song.

I'm special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention give it to me

Am I right?

Have a great Friday

First Timer

Those of you who do not have the privlege of living in God's favorite locale might be shocked and amazed to learn that the Indianapolis 500 has never been broadcast live on TV here in central Indiana in my lifetime. In fact, 1949 and 1950 are the only races ever to be telecaster live.  All of my life the Indy 500 has been blacked out. This year, the 100th running will be televised live. No blackout. The Speedway has announced a total sellout. Estimates are placing the expected crowd at 400,000 to 450,000 spectators. Take that Woodstock. Every one of those race fans will arrive and depart the track on a two lane city street.

I have been to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing (insert proper trademark here) three or four times. One year I went twice but the race was postponed due to rain both times so I'm not sure that counts. The guy who had the tickets took them back when the race was finally run another day. Being at the race is cool. There is nothing like the opening lap for sheer sports excitement. But getting there and getting home? Blah.

But I wil get to watch the race live. I don't know, I have always listened on the radio, that is Memorial Day weekend tradition around here. We shall see.

Stuff that makes me smile

The Early Bird Avoids Sunstroke

The neighbors are getting a new roof. The process started just after six this morning. I'm not complaining. I know what it is like to do that job. I roofed in the summer during my college years. I did not do much shingle work. Mostly, on those jobs I carried bundles of shingles up a ladder, wishing I was dead by ten o'clock. I spent nearly all of my time on big industrial flat roofs: schools, nursing homes, and one very large factory in particular. The work was hard, dirty, and dangerous. I also made a lot of money. I was pulling in $500 to $600 a week for a summer job. In the early 1980's that was very good part time pay. I also remember how brutally hot it got. We started early too.

I tell myself I couldn't do that work today and I would be right. I did help a guy roof his garage a couple of years ago and more than held up my end. I have no desire to go back to mopping tar. I'm way too old for that shit.

WTF Obama?

As near as I can tell by reading the news, Obama thinks it right and proper that Vietnam be able to defend itself and will even provide the weapons. You and I, good Americans, he does not think we should have that right, even when it is right there in the Constitution. Even if we are willing to provide our own guns.

Is there any totalatarian government, communist mofo, or American enemy's asshole that Obama won't bend down and kiss?

Dear Chick in the Hat

If you think America sucks so bad you should leave. Find that place you think is so wonderful. Have you seen how blacks are treated in Europe? Maybe you know of a place in Africa that has a better standard of living than what you now enjoy. Chinese and Japanese hate foreigners. Have you seen how aborigines are treated by many Australians?

You think you are making a political statement. The only statement you are making with your "America was never great" headwear is a statement of your ignorance. 

While I'm up here on my soapbox, "eat shit and die" is not a death threat. It is rude, but no more. And don't act surprised your hat has generated hate mail and comments. That was the reaction you were looking for.

Sunday Sundae

"Maybe you will go get us some donuts in the morning" said the wife as I headed for bed last night. So I slipped on my shoes and jeans and yesterday's T-shirt and drove to the donut shop on the other side of the highway this morning. Apparently, some other wives mandated Sunday donuts too. There were three guys in the place, including me, ordering up long johns, jelly filled, and traditional yeast donuts. Strangely, all three of us were sporting baseball caps. The youngest wore the Orioles, the other guy had on a Yankees cap. Me, of course I sported a Chicago Cubs hat, blue with a red "C".

When I got home I realized there was a pebble in my shoe. I'm not sure how it got there. Those old shoes have been through a lot. They are worn and dirty. I bought them five or six years ago. They are white leather Adidas. The trademarked three stripes are unusual in that they consist of two blue stripes and one red in the middle. Those old shoes sure have travelled while on my feet. They have trod untold miles. They have been to Mexico, Belize, the Bahamas. They've walked through the VI and both French and Dutch St Maartins. Those old Adidas stomped around on the Great Wall of China and protected my feet through at least 14 different states. There is a scuff mark on the right heel from where I routinely rest the foot on the floor while pressing the accelerator. The insoles lost any support long ago. The inner padding and liner is worn through at various contact spots. 

I have a "new" pair of leather Adidas in the closet. I wear them as my "good" sneakers. The stripes are boring black. I know white shoes are old man shoes, but the colored footwear seems odd on me. My walking togs are bright red running shoes, believe it or not. They are so light you think you are walking on air. Both of these pairs of shoes are really comfortable, but I like my old ones. They fit just right, even though they look like crap and, if I'm honest, they hurt my feet after long hours of wear. 

I felt he same about my old Asaics. The ones I wore all of the time before I bought the Adidas with the red and blue stripes. I never wanted to wear the new shoes, I liked the old ones. Now those Asaics are my mowing shoes.

Change? I'm not a big fan.

Prolifically Pontificating

Friday, Friday, Friday.  It is pay day too, so it is a double good dang day. I have a whole day load of paperwork to do for work.

I fried up some salmon patties for supper last night. They were good, but the house still stinks like fish this morning. We left the patio door open most of the evening and lit a candle, but the whole place smells fishy. The slight lingering odor is far counterbalanced by deliciousness. Salmon patties aren't a regional thing like breaded tenderloins are they? Think crab cake made with salmon instead.

It has been a while since I threw up some Friday music. I'm not going to today either. Instead watch this hilarious video of a prevaricating Clinton. Here is a perfect example of a lying politician who will say anything to get elected. But Joe, she used to sleep occasionally with a president, so she is qualified. GMAFB.

Have a great weekend.

OK, here is a little brain cleaner to wipe away visions of the Hildebeast:

We need to bring back rail riding

I got home late yesterday evening from a quick 3 day road trip that started Monday around noon. I drove just over 1,100 miles. I flipped on the Cubs game late. The game went into extra innings, with good guys emerging victorious in 13 innings.  It was after one when I went to bed. I was not ready to get up when the alarm in my bladder sounded at 6:30. Since I get up at 6:40 anyway, I just stayed up. Come on coffee, do your thing.

It looks as if it is finally going to warm up a bit. I am ready. That also means I will have to spend my weekend working outside. The wife has a list of stuff to do as long as her arm; take out another tree, clean out some flower beds, rebuild the raised garden, power wash, clean all of the windows inside and out, plant flowers. My back hurts already! Don't worry, she will get in there and help, giving me the evil eye every time I suggest a break.

I avoided hammering people at work yesterday over an issue where I was right. I have mellowed in my old age. I avoided the snarky emails, the pointed barbs, the overwhelming need to have all involved acknowledge my "rightness". I got what I wanted, there is no need to leave folks battered in my wake. Boy, was I tempted though.

Have you seen the video of Hillary lying for thirteen straight minutes? Hilarious. Did you see the Governor of New York saying that we just have to expect corruption in government? Not hilarious. It does say a lot about those who seek political office. Since most are lawyers, I shouldn't be surprised.

Hump Day Hostility

It looks like it is going to be another thousand mile week, and it is only Wednesday. The next person who says they "bet my job is fun, traveling around" is going to get punched right in the neck.

Don't worry, I will be OK.

Hurry up, slow down

Apparently Wisconsin is just like Illinois -- it is illegal to drive with cruise control.

If I could not hold speed better than the asshole drivers in those states I would sell my car and take the bus

Wondering minds want to know

Hillary says she is going to have Bill be in charge of revitalizing he conomy. Isn't this an indictment that the economy isn't doing too well?

Secondly, isn't putting someone else in charge of the economy an admission by Hillary that she can't handle the job? After all,  it has long been the Clinton mantra that it is the economy, stupid. Six months before the election she is admitting she needs help on the most important aspect of he job.

How many big banks, oil companies, Arab kings, or Chinese manufacturers have given Bill money directly for speeches or contributed to the Clinton Trust Fund? Can we truly expect him to work without conflicts of interest? Would you trust him with your wife or daughter? Why would you trust him with the economy?

Can anyone offer a compelling reason to put these sleazy people back into the White House? 

Playing the blame game

Global warming is kicking our ass today. It is in the thirties yet again this morning, at least it is sunny. Oh well. My coffee is hot and I don't plan to hang around outdoors anyway. I imagine I will survive. To date May has been decidedly March-like.

I doubt you stopped by for a weather report. That, you can get from any number of channels on the television or radio. I am not sure why you stop by. I could tell you how I managed to miss mowing large sections of my yard yesterday afternoon. Since in our new Obama world nothing is ever the fault of an individual, I will blame my idiocy on a tree. I will fault the maple in my front yard to be precise.

I like to mow a different direction each time. You know, across one week and up and down the next. Yesterday I thought I would get fancy and go diagonal. To get the proper angle I cut a swath down the middle, corner to corner just above the tree.  I did the top half and the attached side yard. Then I did the part on the other side of the driveway. I then put the mower away in the back shed. As I was trimming I realized I forgot to mow the bottom half of the front yard. #%^*^%#!  I dragged the mower back around front and started on the lower diagonal. The tree has a small flower bed around it so you have to go around it.

I mowed up to the tree for a few stripes, then around the blocks that guard the flower bed. Then I went around to the other side and mowed the three or four strips on the other side of he tree. I shut  the mower off and pushed it around to the shed at he back of he property. As I started trimming around the tree I realized I still had not mowed the bottom quarter of he front yard. I did the top half and quit. I did the quarter around the tree, but still not the lower quarter of he square yard. Son of a....

I dragged the mower back around and mowed the last few strips, mumbling curses all the while. I once again pushed me mower to the back of he lot, put it once again back in the shed and resumed trimming. My trimmer ran out of string. 

I looked longingly at the garage fridge. I knew beer lived in there. Instead, I wound new string and finished the yard. I had no one to blame for my high level of dumbassery except the maple tree. I sure as heck ain't taking the blame.

I'm not going to mow diagonal any more either. 

Wake up birds, ya lazy bastids

Good morning Blog World. It is a cold spring morning here at the homestead.

So far the weekend has been realitively uneventful. Some friends come over yesterday evening. We went out for a burger and then came back to the house to play Euchre. They left around ten and I was dozing off by 10:30 on the couch. I stumbled off to bed in the middle of the 11:00 news. I promptly woke up at a little after four. Curses. I tried for an hour to get back to sleep before I gave in.

I have to mow the lawn today, unless I wait until tomorrow. I suspect a nap may also be in order. Perhaps  I will watch a little baseball.

Ho hum, ho hum.

Magical Moments

A great magician can transform a vase into a rabbit because he directs your focus everywhere but where the change is going on. This is called misdirection. You focus on his right hand while the left does the big change.

Today we have severe cuts in the military, rising debt, a $2 trillion budget, the administration lied about a horrible treaty that will allow Iran to get nukes, threats from North Korea and China. There are assaults in our freedoms through political attacks in the courts by rogue Attorneys General. A Presidential candidate has demonstrated bad faith at best in setting up an illegal server. Terror attacks are blamed on a video. We have an IRS that targets Americans based on their political views.

We are worried about who is using which bathroom.The news can't stop talking about a reality star running for President.

Obama promised to transform America. We are watching the hot chick in the low cut dress.



*for the record, I wrote this post at 11.43 am this morning, but did not want to put up too many posts at once.

Why Trump?

This is why people are voting for Trump

The Pandora Effect

Sources say the Obama Administration is telling all school districts they must accomodate students based on what they "feel" their sexual identity is or risk losing Federal Education funds. The rational for this is the Title IX equal opportunity act. Thus schools must let boys into girls restrooms and locker rooms. This also means boys can play on girl's volleyball teams. This means a young man who may be a sixth player on the basketball team can now start on ne girl's team. It will happen. For some schools winning is everything. Scholarships could be on the line. I would "identify " if it meant free college.

Watch out Boy Scouts. The left hates you already.

Never before have so few disrupted the lives of the majority.

Jerkwads dead ahead

I was eating my breakfast this morning in the hotel: bacon, eggs, fresh pineapple, a few spuds, and coffee. "That Guy" was sitting a few tables over when he got a phone call. He was dressed in a tailored suit, the cuffs just the right length to show off his expensive watch. He was important. So was his call. I know this because instead of speaking quietly at his table, or moving out into the lobby, or stepping outside, he proceeded to pace around the restaurant. As he wove between the tables we could all hear how tough a negotiator he was. This was heady stuff, his phone call. He had to be on his feet because, well I supposed he imagined he was quick on his feet or something. The waitresses managed to be quicker yet, as they dodged around Mr. Important, never spilling coffee nor omelettes. I cast my strongest looks of disdain and disgust in his direction. I could feel the vibe from others directed at the jerk. Unfortunately, his suit deflected my castigating looks. An Important Guy like that never notices the small folk.

Ketchup on hot dogs should be a felony

I just had a couple of Chicago-style dogs for lunch.  You can have your Coney Island crappy hot dogs  (yes, you know what I mean Erica, if you are out there). I'll take a red hot any time: an all beef dog, neon green relish, onion, tomato, pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt.

I would probably choose thin crust NY pizza over Chicago deep dish, But when in old Chicago I try to get a good hot dog or a hot Italian beef.

It is a long day and my head still hurts. But my belly is full of good food.

Basics of Hamster Milking

Stupid weather. My head aches like it was wound in a wet leather strap and left to dry and shrink. It is foggy as old London here in my top sekrit local.  At least it is not raining.

I used to stay here in this 'burb all of the time. That translates to every month for about 8 years. I used to stay in a Hampton Inn, but it got worn. Plus there was no eating joints near. I moved up the street to a Hilton Garden. I just stayed there in March as a matter of fact. When I went to book this trip the HGI was full, so I tried the Hampton.  It too was full.  There was a new Embassy Suites near so I booked it.

It was right behind the Hampton. And now there are all kinds of restaurants back here too. I guess it has been longer than I thought since I stayed at the crappy Hampton. I guess I will sleep at he Embassy Suites again the next time I'm here. Look, I'm a guy of habit. If I find a hotel I like, I go there again.  A few weeks ago I chose a hotel in Wisconsin based on the German restaurant next door.  I had not stayed there in 4 or 5 years, but I remembered the good eats.

Life on the road is not the dream you imagine. I may as well make it as pleasant as possible.

What would you do?

It looks like it is going to be a most unpleasant day to drive. Rain and wind are forecast in every direction. The severe weather that hit the Great Plains yesterday will visit the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes today. We don't need the rain, my yard is like a bog as it is. My flower beds ate quickly becoming weed beds. I haven't had time to pull, chop, or spray the various unwanted greenery in preparation for planting some flowers. It has been too cold and wet to plant anyway.

Here is a conundrum for you. I'm really interested in your feedback. A local pizza place has a Yelp (insert appropriate trademark here) coupon that states you can get a large pizza for $10. They routinely take $10 off the pizza. The coupon is very clear on the deal. Do you tell them of the mistake or just chalk it up to good fortune if you get a great deal? About fifty percent of the time we go there they ring the pizza for $10 off. Even the manager has made the mistake. What would you do?

It has to be a joke

According to the internet, and we all know stuff on the internet is true,  there is a motion afoot to draft Mitt Romney as a third party candidate. Romney? He lost in the primaries to the guy Obama thumped in the 2008 election.  Romney? Isn't he the guy who lost by a very wide margin to Obama in 2012?  In fact, he lost worse than Johnny McRino did in 2008.  Is Romney today's version of William Jennings Bryan who lost 3or 4 elections a hundred years ago?

No wonder they call the GOP the stupid party. Why don't they just push for a Romney/Bush ticket? I bet that combo would garner fewer votes than Johnny Manziel received for NFL MVP last year.

Tell me why

Happy Monday. I hope you had a good weekend. I did, and that is really all that matters. My daughter and SIL took my wife to brunch yesterday, and I went too. Good for me. I took the wife to dinner last night. I got to participate in that too, even though it was Mother's Day.  In between brunch and dinner, she went shopping.  I did not participate in that, I stayed home and watched the Cubbies. They won.

I worked in the bearing business for more than 25 years: manufacturing and sales. While I made monumental efforts to never bring work home, it is inevitable that my job or events of the day entered into the routine conversations with my spouse. That said, do you think those conversations in any way qualify my wife to discuss an HM212049 tapered roller bearing in a wheel end application? Then why in sam hill would you think occasionally sleeping with Bill Clinton makes Hillary qualified to be President?

The fact that Hillary knew Bill in the Biblical sense was her sole qualification to be elected Senator, and her accomplishments there are scant at best. Her tenure as Secretary of State was a disaster in every way except increasing the coffers at the Clinton Foundation. If nothing else, she clearly showed a distinct lack of judgement and an obvious desire to escape Open Door laws in her private server scandal. On the bright side, she has a strong track record in investing.  Perhaps she can take some tax money and invest in cattle fuotures. She could eliminate our debt in no time.

Mommy

Best wishes for a Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there.

Content worth waiting for

For some reason I woke up at five this morning. I peed, grabbed a drink of water and tried to catch another forty winks to no avail. Such is life.

I failed to put up a post yesterday. That too is life. I did start a long political rant Thursday afternoon. I have not finished it yet. Right now it is a rambling collection of half-thought ideas. Of course that makes that particular post no different than most of the content around here, but I want this particular one to be good. It may or may not ever see the light of day.

It looks to be a rather decent day. It is slated to be warm and sunny. I hope to get the grass cut. I think we will go to visit my mom, an early celebration of Mom's Day.

I think I will go get some fresh donuts this morning. I have been a good boy, I deserve a donut. I don't know, though. I got a haircut yesterday and donuts today could be excitement overload. I'm going to have to pace myself.

Hurry up

We had Mexican food for supper last night, a Quatro de Mayo celebration, I suppose. It did not really occur to me that it was Cinco de Mayo Eve at the time. Almost too late, I remembered to hang my green card on the fireplace.

 As usual, I made my own salsa. The jalapeno I tossed in was hotter than heck. Sometimes I have to put in two, this time one was plenty. In fact, I should have seeded it before I tossed the pepper in.  But it was still good stuff.

It is cold as heck this morning. Damp and chilly. Once again the global warming has failed to have an impact, as early May does a perfect impression of early March.

If you loved me you would come over and fix me some biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Bring the ingredients with you. I may have a can of the Doughboy's biscuits in the 'fridge. I have milk and flour. Just bring some good sausage. I have coffee and juice. See, I am trying to meet you half way. What time will you get here? I am hungry now.

The wife is going to dinner with a friend tonight. I am on my own. That is nothing unusual. I am on my own for dinner two or three evenings a week. Usually, I am on the road. Tonight I will be at home. I may throw some chicken on the grill. I don't know. Right now I am more worried about getting some B&G. Are you almost here?

Feel the Bern

For one of the few times in my life, my primary vote counted for something. I proudly cast my vote for Bernie Sanders. He won Indiana's delegates, due in part to my support.

Not really. I chose a "R" ballot. You didn't really think I voted for that communist mofo did you? But it was with great glee we watched the returns crawl across the bottom of the TV screen showing Hillary losing yet again. Can you imagine the shrill anger and panic behind closed doors at her campaign headquarters? No doubt f-bombs and ashtrays are flying.

The Trumpster won big. GOPers better take note, the Donald is picking up lots of blue dog democrat votes throughout the rust belt. That is not a bad thing. I am no Trump fan, but whatever it takes to defeat Clinton. Another four or eight years of the Democrats will doom us. Obama claims his economic plan has worked to a T. If 0.5% growth is what he considers success, then I guess he really does want to destroy the country.

It looks like we are looking like a Trump/Clinton choice come November. I will once again lament the choice. As I have said for a long time now, is this really best we can do as a nation? Out of 300,000,000 people these are the choices to lead the free world? That is a sad state of affairs indeed. I have no doubt the citizens of ancient Rome had the same lament starting with Claudius.

My polling place is around the corner. Literally 100 or 150 yards from my house. I walked over around eleven to cast my vote. I had to wait about 15 minutes -- a long time for a primary election. As I was walking back hiome I heard a voice call my name. WTH? I don't know anyone around here. I looked and it was my son-in-law taking an early lunch hour to cast his vote. I guess I do know someone.

It is again cold and wet. I could write those words as the weather report five out of seven days since about February. I hope you have a great Wednesday.

Woo Boy

Woo Boy, it is election Day. I have been anticipating this for weeks. Not the voting part, but a temporary end to the barrage of political ads. At this stage I can honestly say I hate them all. Not the just the ads -- the candidates; local, state, and federal.

We had some pulled pork and I decided to make some onion rings as a side for supper last night. The first onion I pulled out looked good until I sliced it. The center was black as Hillary's heart. Luckily I had another onion. The onion rings were first rate. I got the batter just right, not too thin nor too thick so it gave a nice crispy coating.

It is misting a little rain on this chilly May morning. I wish I could tell you I have big plans. I don't. I'm working on a big spreadsheet for the boss and I still have customer visit reports to write. A boring day is in store. I will head over to the polls in a while to do my thing. That is it, a glimpse at my sorry life.

Sweet Nothings

Severe weather -- thunderstorms, tornado warnings, hail -- all rolled just north ans south of us last night. Warning boxes were all around, within a mile or two, but all we got was a few sprinkles of rain and a spectacular light show in the sky.

I have a weird phrase of surfer music looping endlessly in my head this morning. The ear warm is doubly irritating not only because it plays the same bar repeatedly, but I cannot name the tune. Come on brain, if you have to play music, at least play enough of the song that I can recognize it! 

two more days and we will get a releief from the political ads. At least until fall.  Hurry up Tuesday!

Now it is back to the old grind. Have a great Monday.

I Need a Cuppa Joe

It is not raining yet, but it is going to.

I didn't sleep well last night. I was hot, then cold, then hot again. The wife must have been the same. She jerked the sheets and pulled the blanket up and down all night. She gets hot and  throws the blanket on top of me. I kick it to the bottom of the Ned. She pulls it up because she is cold. Rinse and repeat.

What he said.

Part of the wife's problem is she slipped and bumped down a flight of stairs the other day. She is sore as heck. Her back and arms are bruised. Her elbow is sore. Her right butt cheek is completely black and purple. It makes me wince just to see it. I think she stiffens up in the night and then it hurts when she moves.

it says busy, busy, busy on my table, table, table

It looks like it is going to be a rainy weekend. I suppose I'll have to mow after work today. Expenses are due by noon. I better get after it. How about a little music to start off your Friday?

So I don't know what is going on. In the past week or so videos won't start unless you go to YouTube to watch them. It is not just me, either.  Other sites have the same issue. I don't know if it is because I'm posting on an iPad or a bigger issue. The Man always seems to ruin stuff just when it is working fine. First it became impossible to post pictures to blogger from the iPad, now this.  I suppose you get what you pay for.

Edit. It is only on my iPad that I cannot watch the video.  I guess Google is trying to make life tough for Apple users.

I need my mommy

When I was a kid heading out the door for school my mom would make sure I wore my coat if it was chilly. Yesterday, I tossed my suitcase and briefcase into the car. I grabbed a couple bottles of water from the garage 'fridge and backed out of the garage. It was not until I stopped for lunch that I realized I had left without a jacket. To no surprise, the further north I travelled, the colder it got. Then it started to rain. By the time I left the hotel for supper it was in the low 40s and raining. I had on my dress shirt. I had to turn on the heat in the car. It is cold this morning. My customer will wonder why I don't have on a jacket.

I'm an idiot. I guess I still need my mom to say "Joe, put on a coat". But I don't care what she says, I'm not gonna put on those stupid f-ing rubber boots like I had to wear as a kid.

Behind the Mask

The Left is who they are. They don't hide what they want to do, but they do obfuscate.   More than two hundred years of history shows what happens when hard leftists are in charge, the classic examples being the French Revolution, the USSR, Mao's China and Cuba. Destruction of society norms, death, re-education, fear. No wonder leftist hate the teaching of history.

The path to leftist power has a roadmap. Sow chos, destroy religion, cause economic and political turmoil until the People cry out for help, which only comes through the State. Lenin did that way. So did Hitler, Mao, and Castro. Totalitarianism sneaks in under the guise of revolution.

For well over a century the left has tried to crack America. It started with the anarchist reign of terror that morphed into the communist push of the twenties. Since the 1960s the leftists have done their best to destroy religion and old fashioned morality. They have infiltrated the universities and education fields. They were behind the anti-war movements and more recent Occupy movements. Leftists embrace Climate Change and any movement that directly attacks Judeo-Christian values and most importantly, capitalism. The idea of the invisible hand is as loathsome to a progressive as any deity.

The State can tolerate no religion. The State is the most jealous of gods. Why are we suddenly arguing about bathrooms? This is not an issue. Does no one find it interesting that the funding for the unisex bathroom push comes from an accused child molester and ardent Progressive?

Who is it in modern society that wants to tell you what to drive, what to eat, how warm to keep your home, and even what you have to accept as right and moral. I hate to spoil your beliefs, but it ain't the evil righties trying to tell you how to live, what words to use.

stuff you did not learn in history class

Democrats have a long history of shitting on America.

Go ahead, watch the video. I dare you.

Impatience is no virtue

I understand your impatience. I know you have all been waiting with anticipation for my opinion on the Tubman-Jackson $20 makeover. Your long wait is over. I don't care.

That's right. Look, Jackson was the true founder of the Democrat Party. He was a racist assswipe. He trashed the White House, had no respect for the office and there is compelling evidence he was not even born in America, thus not qualified to even hold the office of President. He was the original Trump; a pure populist. The model for the modern Democrat.

Harriet Tubman was a leader in the efforts to free the slaves. Brave, devout, and tireless. Her exploits have been detailed extensively in recent days. But in fairness, if you, or I, or almost anyone, made a list of noteworthy Americans to put on our currency, I doubt Ms Tubman would have made the top 50 on any list, unless you said it had to be a minority and/or female compilation only. Go ahead, jump in your time machine go back a week and look at your list of 100 greatest Americans. Tubman is not on the list is she?

I think there are plenty of folks more worthy than either Jackson or Tubman to be placed on our currency. Welcome to modern America. Western Civilization is not even an offered course at Stanford, Washington and Lincoln do not get a holiday, but MLK does (not that he isn't worthy, but Lincoln did far more for African-Americans and Washington is the Father of our Country). History and civics have been replaced with social studies in our schools. Modern Americans know virtually nothing about our founding, our Constitution, or our history.

Should we honor someone instrumental in helping runaway slaves, who was a key player in the operation of the Underground Railroad on the $20? Absolutely. That is why Levi Coffin will be honored on the $20 bill. Except he is an dead old white guy.

Rock a Hula

I make no secret of the fact that I enjoy Elvis' movies. They are silly, and mostly bad, and a way to pass an hour and thirty minutes, just being entertained. I like the 1960's beach movies for the same reason. I don't need a deeper meaning or comment on society to be entertained.

At some point Elvis became "Elvis" and that guy was almost a parody of himself. The money, the relentless fame, the Cadillacs, the drugs, the movies, the jumpsuits, and Vegas* all made him bigger than life. In his movies he basically played the same role: Elvis. Lost in the hype was the fact that the man could sing, really sing.

The King was a generation before me. He peaked before I was born in 1962. it was not until my teen years and my addiction to watching old movies on late night TV that I really began to appreciate his talent. Elvis has been lampooned for his acting. He was no Spenser.Tracy, but there was no actor alive who could look good with some of those scripts. "Forgettable" is a generous label to apply to some of the soundtracks he was forced to perform. I think we can agree that often the quality of the music was not the same as we find in the golden age of Hollywood musicals.

But sometimes he hit a home run.



*in much the same way this blog has become a parody of itself. Without the fame, the money, the caddies, or the drugs. Alas, not even the jumpsuits. Probably, because unlike Elvis, I never started out with talent. 

Why, you are soaking in it

I slept late this morning, perhaps because it is chilly inside and out. I sleep better when I'm a little cold.

The rain over the past few days has really "greened" up, well everything. I will need to mow again this weekend. I have to get the flower beds cleaned out think about power washing the patio and porch. Work, work, work. I need to re-build the raised garden. The 2x8s that surround the bed are rotting. I may just take it out altogether. The previous homeowner built it and I don't think anyone would have labeled him a carpenter. All we have ever planted is tomatoes. I do love me some summer 'maters.

We didn't really have the extra money, but we bought the granddaughter a new playhouse for outside. It is one of those heavy plastic models. We also got a little slide. Since the little one will be here most days this summer she needs stuff to do. My granddaughter loves being outside. I'm sure we will get a kiddie pool at some point.

My coffee cup is dry and so is my limited well of blog content. Have a great Saturday.

I said I was sorry

I made it home about dinner time from my swing this week through Wisconsin and Iowa. I was tired and when I'm tired I tend to be an ass. I walked in the door and before I even dropped my bags the wife flipped me a fiver and asked if I could go to the grocery and pick up some corn chips to go with the salsa and Mexican stuff we were having for dinner. I quipped that "I just spent seven hours in the fucking car, just what I want to do". The response was uncalled for, especially the swearing part. I don't usually drop the F-bomb at, or in front of, my wife. I was immediately sorry.

After supper I plopped on the couch. The wife was doing laundry. I dozed a bit. I asked her if she wanted to watch some stuff we had DVR'd so we could watch them together. She said in a little while: she was re-arranging her closet. She really was, she had ignored and forgiven my earlier snarkiness. She knows my mood immediately after a long road trip. I flipped on the Cubs-Reds game while I waited. Jake Arrieta was tossing a gem. The Northsider's bats were pounding Reds pitching in the top of the third. The good guys continued piling up hits while the boys from The 'Natti did not.

The wife came down in the middle of the seventh. She dug out the popcorn maker and we watched the end of the game. She was not as excited to see Arrieta twirl a no hitter as I was. She does not understand the rarity. She seemed incredulous that the pitcher got so much credit when he had only six strike outs. I don't care, it was a masterful performance from a pitcher in the zone. I'm glad I saw it.

For no other reason than it is Friday here is a tune from one of the greatest movies ever:

I'm sure it won't be long before some genius in Hollywood thinks this movie should be remade and modernized. Instead of wild parties, the Delts will probably write mean stuff in sidewalk chalk.

I don't know

I saw the trailer for the remake of "The Magnificent Seven". How do you improve on the original? I suppose the remake of "Yrue Grit" was not bad, just different, and perhaps this remake will be the same. I have the same mixed opinion about the upcoming remake of "Ghostbusters". What next, redoing "Animal House"? Why screw with near-perfect classics?

Remaking old successes is nothing new in Hollywood. Epics like " Ben Hur" and "The Wizard of Oz" were remakes. Still, aren't there any new ideas out there?

Where the heck is my safe place?

Some people are offended by chalk on the sidewalk. Others go crazy if a white dude wears hair braids. Others are offended by gays, non-gays, wannabe gays, or dudes dressing like chicks to get a cheap thrill in the ladies room. People are offended that people are offended when men shouting "Allah Akbar" start shooting up breakrooms, parties, and art shows. Some are offended that people eat pork, others are offended that a person offers a quick prayer before a meal. Everyone seems to have their tightly-whiteys pulled tight up their ass crack over something these days.

Yet no one is writing, shouting, or trying to criminalize the most offensive thing in our modern society. Yes, faithful readers, I'm talking about perfume and cologne. There is, until the coming change in weather (warmer/colder/wetter/drier/fires/ice/storms/drought) plenty of soap and water. Try a shower. You don't need to bathe in man-perfume. You may like it, but most of us think you smell like a Parisian whorehouse, and not in a good way.

Just this morning, I was deep undercover in the hinterlands of eastern Cheeseheadistan, choking down my Hampton Inn powdered eggs and watery oatmeal, when a dude plopped down at a table a few feet away. The wave of odoriferous scent slapped me in the face. It was as if Channel 3,5,7,and 9 tagged teamed with a musk ox to roll in the shattered detritus of a flower shop. Man, was it offensive.

And how about the women who find the need to surround themselves with a Pepe le Pew-like cloud of fragrance just to buy bananas and hamburger down at the local Kroger?

I find the whole overbearing fragrance issue so troubling I think I'm gonna put on a white robe and go down to the university and chalk up some slogans on the sidewalk.

Historical ADD part 2

My brain works in strange ways. Once I start researching something I cannot quit. Take my Saturday morning for example. I started out watching the Judy Garland flick "The Harvey Girls". As usual I read the IMDB info about the movie. This was before the opening credits scrolled off the screen. Then I did some research on the Harvey restaurants. There was a tidbit that the Harvey chain ran the restaurants when the "Oasis" opened on the Illinois Tollways around Chicago in the late 1950s.

This led me to research the Oasis rest stops. I learned that Howard Johnsons took over from the Harvey chain in the 1970s. That led me to wonder whatever happened to all of the HoJos? I did not know HoJo owned the Ground Round chain. I used to love the Ground Round. Much to my surprise the chain still has locations in the east and upper Midwest, including in one of the places I visited last week.

I shut off the movie because I was bored, partly because I was not paying attention since I was researching tangential stuff.

Yes, I drive my wife crazy. Late in the day Saturday I mentioned that I was surprised that the Ground Round chain was owned by Howard Johnson's and that some were still open. She gave me that "What the heck are you talking about" look I know so well.

Hey, did you know Standard Oil developed the Oasis rest stops on the Chicago Tollway...?

Slip Sliding on the Slippery Slope

If you think you are a woman, you should be allowed to use the women's restroom or locker room, no matter your genitalia, says the latest politically correct position.

If, a marginally talented high school basketball player were to decide he now identifies as a she, should that person be allowed to play on the girls' basketball team?

Should there even  be separate boys' and girls' teams? Shouldn't the best player play, regardless of sex?

One spring night

Here is a rerun from 2010.  It shames me to read old stuff and see the effort I once put into this hobby compared to current efforts.

April 18, 2010

One spring night

It was a typical spring evening in New England. The night was cool, but the man sweated underneath his clothing. The sounds and smells of the town were around him. He shifted his weight nervously as he waited.

He looked across the harbor at the dim lights of the city. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He glimpsed a tall steeple of a church in the distance. The white steeple looked a ghostly gray in the night. The church moved him to mutter a silent prayer. He was lost in his thoughts for a time.

:There". A voice said beside him. The distant steeple glowed with a lantern hung in the belfry. A second light followed. The man leaped aboard his horse.

"Spread the alarm, 'tis by sea". he said and spurred his mount into the countryside to warn the militia of the surrounding towns. He set off on the Lexington Road to warn Adams and Hancock. The British army was on the move. They must not be arrested, the arms of the colonists not confiscated. The man had not a thought of his own risk, the hard earned wealth he could lose in an instant. Fighting tyranny was worth any price.

He stopped at selected houses and taverns along the road. His whispered message "The Regulars are out", sent other horsemen into the countryside, warning the appropriate 'Minutemen' in Middlesex County. There was no shouting. The message spread across the fields and through the villages with silent efficiency.

Within a few hours the man had arrived in Lexington. He met with Sam Adams and John Hancock. His companion from Cambridge joined them a little after midnight and along with a third patriot set off towards the nearby town of Concord to warn the militia there the British were on the move to collect the arms cache hidden in Concord.

As the man and his companions, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, reached the hamlet of Lincoln, they were stopped by a British pickett. Dawes and the Doctor escaped into the dark, but the man had no choice but to submit. As dawn broke the man was being escorted toward the marching army -- back towards Lexington.

Nearing the town the officers and the man, silversmith Paul Revere, heard shouts. Soon shots rang out. The militia had mustered. The colonists had no intention of starting a war. Their only intent had been to bluff the Authorities. As the shots rang out the three British officers made Revere dismount. Taking his horse they rode toward the distant fighting.

Revere walked through the cemetery to the house he was at just a few hours earlier. As citizens and the British Army scuffled on Lexington Green, Revere helped John Hancock and his family escape. As the party fled over the hills, Revere saw the militia he had helped muster fall back toward Concord and history.

Humdrumiest humdrum imaginable

I mowed the lawn yesterday. I'm waiting on it to warm up just a bit more so I can take a walk, then sit on the patio and burn a stogie.

I need to go to the giant home improvement store after bit to get some stuff to repair some broken floor trim. I also need salt for the water softener. The water is so hard around here you can almost chew it.

That is all I have planned for the weekend. I'm sure the One In Charge of doing stuff has a long list of chores I should do. I will do my best to endeavor to persevere.

Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

It is Saturday and once again I am up an hour earlier than my usual wake up time. I think I'm looking at the situation all wrong. Instead of complaining that I woke up early, I should consider that I am excited for the weekend and do not want to waste it in bed.

Yeah, I don't really believe that either.

We went to downtown Indy last evening. I like to go downtown. I enjoy the old buildings and I'm just nostalgic enough to envision what the heart of the city might have looked like 75 or 100 years ago before suburbia changed everything. While Indianapolis has revitalized its downtown area, it is still, like most cities, a shell of what it once was.,

Yesterday, it was sunny and in the seventies with no humidity and I sat at my desk and worked. You probably did too, but I suspect I'm the only salesman in central Indiana who did. I did listen to the Cubs game while I typed reports and prepared for next week's customer visits. I won't lie, I caught myself staring out the window on more than one occasion.

There is a remote possibility I could have an opportunity to move into a different position. Next week as I drive more than 1,000 miles, I can assure you the prospect of no longer living out of a suitcase will appeal to me. On the other hand, it has been 20 years since I had to get up and go to an office at a set time to work. Ask anyone who does it, life on the road is not the fun you think it is. Work travel is not the same as vacation travel. That does not mean I don't enjoy my job. I'm 54. Do I still want to be on the road ten years from now? She has never said, but I suspect my wife would not mind if I was gone a little less. The prospect for the office job is slim anyway, but it has made me think about things a little. I probably jinxed it by even mentioning the possibility.

It looks to be a glorious day. I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Side deals

The house next door has been a minor eyesore ever since we moved here. It is a rental and the two previous tenants just did not care about the property. Flower beds were overgrown, the yard mowed sporadically, snow was never removed. The last inhabitant left bags of trash and garbage piled on her back patio, old carpet in the driveway, and a garage full of junk when she left just before the sheriff tossed her out.

The house was sold at auction last December. The new owner has been working on cleaning up the property, inside and out. Alas, he is going to offer the house for rent, but at least the property will be in much better shape. Today a couple of guys are working on repairing the overgrown landscaping. They are digging out the weeds and stray mulberry bushes that have sprung up in the years of neglect. They are bringing in new topsoil for the flower beds. Gutters have been put back up.

I saw an opportunity. You might remember I cut down a dead ash tree a couple of years ago. Only two large pieces of the trunk remain. I went next door and asked what they guys would charge to haul away my big chunks of wood along with the neighbor's stuff. He charged me $20 and it was worth every penny. Now I'm sure the guys doing the shovel and wheelbarrow work are probably on the clock for someone else. I'm equally certain they will split my Jackson between them. What do I care? Two big old pieces of tree trunk are gone from my backyard.

Dandelion blooms and pernicious ground cover

Good morning fellow Earthlings. It looks to be a Chamber of Commerce kind of day here at the old homestead. It is a bit nippy this morning but it will be sunny and in the mid-seventies by afternoon. I can live with that. The weather quack is calling for more of the same all weekend. Yippee-ki-freakin'-yay. I have lots of yard work to do this weekend, so nice weather is a plus. It also eliminates any excuse to avoid the work.

I had a busy week traveling up and down the east coast of Wisconsin. There was nothing of interest to report and I made only one side trip; the drive-by of Lambeau Field I mentioned previously. That was not much of a side trip, it was about a mile from my hotel. In all, a busy and boring week.

This is riveting stuff, eh? Here is some Friday Music you will not click to finish out the effort:

Yes, Mannheim Steamroller recorded stuff that is not Christmas Music. My roommate had this LP back in college and we listened to it a lot for a brief spell. I copied the entire record over to a cassette at one point, but that recording was lost long, long ago.

bgdxbuyrgkmgxawhoo,jyfn

Snow flakes south of Green Bay were about he size of my palm today. Rain and sleet and snow marked most of the day. Such weather does not affect the postman and it did not deter me from visiting my customers. The sun finally peaked from the clouds in the late afternoon.

Staying the night in the Windy City 'burbs. How is it possible the Cubs are not on the hotel TV?

I've been reading old posts. Let me take the opportunity to apologize for the sorry state of the blog these days.

I noticed one of my old commenters has deleted a significant number of old comments. Interesting.

Drive-by shooting

I did a quick photo shoot of Lambeau Field through my windshield late yesterday evening. I got off a half dozen shots, none are scrapbook worthy.

The wife asked "Who plays there" to my texted image. I told her the Packers. She replied " Is that football?"

Sigh

old words

Here is a post from the early days of the blog:

April 22, 2007

Earth Day

Yesterday was Earth Day (I think) and I celebrated it by fighting Mother Nature and her minions. It started with the damn stupid robins assaulting my dryer vent again in a vain attempt to build a nest. The vent is bird proofed, but these dumber than dumb critters just keep trying. The banging on the siding and dropping of white shit down the side of the house finally pushed me to the limit. I crept around the corner and dropped the main offender with the pellet gun. That seemed to keep the other one at bay for the rest of the day.

Later, I embarked on a weed killing spree. I filled my industrial size pressure sprayer and commenced a chemical assault that would have shamed Saddam Hussein. Dandelion, clover, and some pernicious ground cover all were dosed heavily. I will not have much grass left when I am done, but the weeds will die, die, die. If a few tulips and ornamental shrubs take casualties, that is war and sometimes innocents take one for the better good.

For kicks I crossed the little brook and hit some of the weeds on the other bank, to keep them from spreading across like illegal immigrants jumping the Rio Grande. I understand the need for border control.

As I came back across the little bridge I saw a stick under the rail, I went to kick it over into the water and realized it was the tail of a fucking damn whoreson evil spawn of Satan lying in wait to kill me snake. I am pretty sure it was the same SOB that tried to sneak up on me last fall. For once I did not run in fear. I pumped up the sprayer to full tilt. I leaned over the rail and gave the serpent a mega-dose of weed killer right in the face. He dove over the side lickety-split. I fetched the hoe and spent the next twenty minutes trying to find him to cut him to pieces. I hope the weed killer makes it sick and causes a long slow death -- somewhere else. I intend to look for it to end its life today as the it will be even warmer this afternoon. I will not be able to enjoy my backyard and the little bubbling brook knowing the serpent of death is stalking me.

The battle rages.

Dear Democrats

These days liberals are focusing on women's rights, LGBT rights, and the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels.

How do you reconcile those concerns with support for Hillary Clinton when Saudi Arabia, a sponsor of terrorism, producer of fossil fuels, a place where women have virtually no rights, where it is illegal to have any religion but Islam, and where homosexuality is punishable by death, is one of the largest contributors to the Clinton Foundation?

Just wondering.

Picture This

View from guard tower on the Great Wall of China Taken by the author in 2013

I like pictures. Sometimes I think I take some that are marginally interesting. I prefer to take scenery pictures as opposed to pictures of people. I'm quite certain that says something about my personality to a psychologist. I like the picture over there on the left. You can embiggen it to your heat's content.

I think I have told you previously that my wife provides daycare for our granddaughter, Jo. Every day she sends pictures to Jo's Mom and Dad, who miss the kid while they are at work. The wife takes a lot of pictures of the granddaughter. More pictures than I imagined. In the 16 months since she was born my wife has snapped some 2,800 pictures of my granddaughter. Granted, most times there are 4-5 shots of the same thing. Infants and toddlers don't often pose or sit still for a good picture. Still, that is a bunch of snapshots. Thank goodness for digital pictures, film would have bankrupted us.

Last night, the wife, who could never be characterized as computer savy, asked if it was possible to organize her pictures into files. Since all are saved on an external hard drive I told her this was no problem. I created folders by year and month and moved the mass of pictures into the proper folders. Now the wife has to go through them and edit out what she wants to keep. She was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the project and now can work on it in small doises and create printed photo-books chronologically . That next step is her project.

Don't tell her, I did the easy part.

a story that may interest only me

We went to visit some friends last night and headed out to a nearby catfish restaurant for fish and onion rings. This joint is in a small town off the beaten path, but not far from the town where I grew up. After we ordered the wife went to the ladies room.* When she came back, my wife said she recognized a man sitting a few tables away. She asked our friend, who still lives in the area, if she knew who he was. Since we moved away almost 30 years ago, old faces may look familiar but change with time, making it hard to put a name with a face. Nope.

A bit later, my wife realized it is a co-worker of mine. The table was to my back so I could not confirm. Finally, since my wife was sure, I went over to say hello. It was him. And his aunt, who also works at the plant.

Why is this notable you ask? Well, there are only about 25 employees at my company, so 3 in one spot on a Saturday night is unusual, especially when you consider the restaurant is more than an hour from the plant, in a small town of less than 2,000 inhabitants, far off any major road or highway. What are the odds I run across two co-workers at a catfish joint 70 miles from their home and sit just a couple of tables away? This encounter is just one of the very many reasons I don't have a mistress.

*by herself, she is not one of those girls who needs company to pee

Are you freaking kidding me?

The ground is covered in snow. Well, the grass is poking through, but still...

It was like that when the wife and I came home from the movie theater last night. It is like that now. The %#*^# snow won't melt because it is only 29 F-ing degrees outside. We have had snow in April before and even a time or two in May, but usually it is flakes or showers, not usually accumulating snow. Maybe the Indiana AG outta go after the Virgin Islands AG for perpetuating the fraud of Global Warming upon the rest of us.

While I'm bitching and complaining, I cannot believe I'm awake at 6:03 this morning. I've been up past midnight every night this week. I've had to pry myself out of bed every morning for work. Now that it is Saturday and I can sleep in, I wake up early. WTH brain?

I hope you have a great Saturday.

Bye bye America

So it has started. The thought police are on the march.

We are no longer talking about science fiction, the dystopian future -- the fascists are now out to make sure you are on board with their groupthink.

Your Oweliian future has duly arrived.

I'm bored with song lyrics and lines from poems as post titles

Sorry I'm late getting to the old blog today. I have been reading An interesting article and watching a video about why dueling with a light saber could be dangerous. This is seriously cool stuff that puts physics in a context even a history major like me can understand.

This has been a long week. I think staying up late to watch baseball is taking a toll on my mind and body. I'll be glad when this west coast road trip is over. I also know that I'm staying up mostly because the season is new. The excitement will die down in the coming weeks and I won't find the need to watch every game.

What say I post a little Friday Music? Give me a second to pull out my iPhone. I'm going to post the video for whatever song comes up next when I shuffle:

There you go, some sixties pop to start your weekend. The Turtles broke up in 1970 after a few top 40 hits. "Happy Together" is notable in that it bumped "Penny Lane" from the number one spot on the US Charts. It stayed there three weeks according to Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge. But what is the story on the French horn dude?

Random Ramblings Volume XXXIII

Merle Haggard has passed away. I never listened to his music much.

It is National Beer day, hoist one at your leisure, if you are so inclined.

If I made a list of things I don't give a shit about, The Masters golf tournament would be pretty high on the list.  I won't waste my time making the list, because then I would have to care about the stuff on the list long enough at least to compile said list.

I had a weird dream last night. My old blog friend Big Dick would love this one. It involved a little person back in the 18th century Romantic Period when ladies wore those enormous hoop skirts and attended dinners and balls that lasted hours. Anyway, it was the job of the "table dwarf" to satisfy his rich woman patron orally during these fetes by hiding beneath her dress under the table. No, I don't know why that popped into my brain. Hola Big Dick out there in Twitterland. You are probably the only reader who would also find this idea amusing.

It is cold this spring morning. Snow is expected later in the day. Accumulating snow perhaps over the weekend. F-ing global warming. I cannot believe I'm running the furnace in April.

I am feeling much better today.

Have a fantastic day.

The thought police are here

Not so very long ago it was accepted scientific theory that the best way to treat mental health issues was to lock the individual up, give them electric shock theory or lobotomies. This was the consensus of the medical community.

Scientists once believed most maladies were caused by bad humours and the patient could best be cured via bloodletting. This was scientific consensus.

Remember the science of phrenology?  Look it up if you dont know what Im talking about. 

We look askance on the Inquisition and the idea that if, as a scientist, you disagreed that the sun revolved around the Earth, you should be prosecuted and punished. After all there was "consensus".

Today, we cannot believe that less than a century ago a teacher was prosecuted for teaching the Theory of Evolution over the accepted consensus notion of "creationism".

Yet, in spite of the concept that science is an evolving study, that discoveries are made by research and challenging existing notions, theories, and suppositions, seventeen State Attorneys General have embarked on a prosecution of anyone, company, or corporation who does not subscribe to the theory of man-made Global Warming.

That is terrifying. The proponents of the Climate Change theory, and it is no more than a theory-- thus not proven as fact -- have been unable to force societal change through legislation. The Climateers have been only moderately able to change our behavior through public opinion. There is left only option to force their opinions upon us through the intimidation of prosecution and punishment.

Do you feel that chill? That is your freedom slipping away. What next? What if you disagree with free healthcare, or higher corporate taxes? What if one of these AGs becomes a militant vegan? What if the AG of New York deems it a crime to blaspheme Islam? Will speaking out against abortion be next? Will pro Second Amendment advocates be prosecuted? What if you utter words against the political regime in office. Sixteen of these AGs are Democrats, yet those on the left have the temerity to label conservatives as fascists.

Say hello to the modern Torquemada.

More: If I was the CEO of ExxonMobile I would announce that effective May 1, 2016 gas prices would increase by $0.20 $0.30 $0.50 $0.75 (make it hurt) per gallon in the affected 15 states, District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands to pay for the legal costs associated with these political, anti-First Amendment prosecutions. 

I was out choppin cotton, and my brother was balin' hay

I cooked a chuck roast in the Crock Pot yesterday. Mashed spuds, green bean casserole and warm rolls rounded out the dinner. For no particular reason I dug out the good China and we ate at the dining room table.  That was the good part of yesterday evening.

About eleven o'clock the wife moseyed off to bed. All evening I did not feel too well. My head felt like it was clamped tight in a vise. I was achy all over. I was watching the Cubbies and felt like I was going to be sick. Diarrhea and nausea haunted me all night. I slept in short bursts, one minute shivering with cold the next I was throwing off the sheets in sweat. I had intense, strange dreams in between trips to the bathroom.  I think I might have a touch of the flu. I know at this point I have already crapped food I'm going to eat next week. Since the wife is fine I don't think it is my cooking.

Look at how devoted I am to you. I'm sick. Most people would likely be in the hospital, surrounded by doctors and caring nurses if they felt like I do right now. Yet here I am chugging out a post. That is dedication, my friends.

what he said

In a society where you can’t go five minutes without hearing someone scream “rape culture” or “it’s a war on women,” how is it that a threat to the safety, comfort and privacy of women in the bathroom is being treated like it is irrelevant? Read it all

It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day

The garbage truck just picked up my trash, the hydraulic arm dropping the big plastic bins curbside on this chilly April morning. I stayed up and watched the Cubs game and I'm paying for it today. I feel almost hungover even though the strongest drink I consumed was a diet Faygo grape soda.

Party down.

The good guys won.

I cannot believe there are so many voters willing to elect Bernie Sanders. Is it real support for hard line socialist / communist ideas or a rejection of Hillary? Here is a man who claimed in the past that the bread lines in Communist Block countries was good, because that demonstrated the rich were not hogging the food. We will not even get into his support of the Sandinistas and the Castro regime. This is the result of a failure to teach history. One half of our population was born since the Wall came down and have no idea what life under communism is like.

I'm so ready

Opening day.

I have been waiting since last October for this

Go Cubs Go.

Weird encounters

Monday. Cold. Sunny. The normal opening around here is now covered in Readers Digest condensed version.

Opening day for the Cubs. Will the lovable losers break out and win it all for the first time since 1908? I hope so, but I doubt it. The weight of expectations was too much in 1969 and in 1984 and especially in 2003. I am prepared to be disappointed. You might say I am optimistically pessimistic.

My granddaughter has a cold that has settled into her chest. She is 16 months old, so there is not much in the way of medicine she can take. Yesterday, my daughter and granddaughter ventured out to the grocery. The went to the posh market that refuses to sell partial foods. There my daughter encountered the original entitled rich bitch. I will relate the tale as it was described by my daughter:

The ERB pulls up behind my daughter in line. Daughter had a full cart.

ERB: oh my god look at her cart. She must have gotten her food stamps

Note, my daughter lives in a swanky suburb. She is a school principal, her husband a VP of a company. She does not look like, or dress like white trash.

Sweet innocent baby in cart(BIC): cough
ERB: oh my god that thing is sick. It will contaminate everyone.
BIC: cough
ERB: Can't you teach it manners? Make it cover its mouth.
Daughter: she is a baby,
ERB: it is disgusting.
BIC: cough ( Daughter covers babies mouth)
ERB: NOW YOU ARE GOING TO GET GERMS EVERYWHERE. I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU LET THAT CHILD SPIT GERMS ON YOU.

HUSBAND OF ERB: it is OK, calm down.

Other customers staring at crazy woman

ERB: You should not bring that...in public. This is just disgusting.
Daughter: ???
ERB: I am going to a different line.

Me, I would have wiped my hands on her food. But I am an ass.

A Blustery Day

The wind was howling around yesterday. At times it felt like the house was shaking. Blossoms were flying off the pear trees so fast it looked like snow. No, it really was snow for a while. My back yard was already littered with sticks from the big willow tree, now there are even more to pick up. At the height of the gale, the neighbor across the street lost about half of his tree. A big branch just snapped. There were reports of lost power throughout the area, but we did not have that problem. Today the winds are calm, but it is currently in the 20s. Brrr.

I was driving on the interstate last week. I came up on a jack off in a little blue Toyota who was doing about 60 in a seventy zone. In the left lane. I wax starting to slow because I could see the speed limit was about to drop to 55. Just at the sign the Toyota driver slammed on his brakes and slowed to about 40. Luckily there was a break in traffic and I could get in the other lane. I swear drivers are getting worse. Maybe we do need self-driving cars after all.

More college basketball happened. I did not watch. One more spring training game then baseball starts for real on Monday.

I wish I had tales of interest to share with you. My eleventh "blogiversary" passed a couple of weeks ago. There is that.

I think there is a ghost with a sense of humor living in my iPhone or else the software is far more developed than I thought. "just tell me that you love me" by Fleetwood Mac played and then was followed by "two out of three ain't bad" by Meatloaf: "I want you, I need you, but I'm never gonna love you..."  I thought it was funny. When I told my wife, she just gave me that look. Hey, that is the same expression you have on your face right now. The song juxtaposition is funny. Really.

Have a great Sunday.

Oh, oh, oh

Your shoe is untied

April fools

There is a spider on your shoulder

April fools