a Gallon of Gas

Granted, I have not been driving much, and even when we went on our mini road trip two weeks back, 710 did most of the driving, but did all of the petrol filling. 

While I knew gas prices were getting up there, I honestly had no idea until the other day when I had to put fuel in the tank. 

$6.29.   .....for 89 grade.  I don't even put 91 (or is it 93?) in my tank. I wish I had looked over to see what the higher grade was going for.   

I should clarify:  $6.29 in Ohio. Not California or Hawai'i - which are usually the states with the highest prices at the pumps. 

From the gas station I headed to the grocery store. I take the small carts because, it's two of us only and we don't need that much. 

$194. It used to be about $110-120 a few months back. Granted, some of it was caonola and olive oils that will last us months on end, but other than that, the rest of the stuff will be gone in a week. If they were sugar related, they'll go faster.

$8-9 salmon is now $12.....and climbing. As is everything else. 

Since the average voter is stupid as fuck, they don't see a direct corralatioin between the two. There is. 

They worry about their gas prices only. They don't take into account the freight guys who carry the food from point A to B. Diesel is even higher and well, someone has to pay fuel increase to get their Pork Rinds Light™ to the dinner table. That would be the food supplier(s).

One reason - but not the only - is why your food prices are higher. And that is partially - if not fully - the price of doing war in the middle east. "His" actions effectively block the world's oil supply and well.......poof....maybe this is considered trickle up economics. 

How this doesn't impact the mid-terms is beyond me. But I'm skeptical at best. Again - the average voter is stupid as fuck and look at the 12,083 things MAGA has ignored for some false idol. 

Oh yes - I purchased 100 of those stickers in the above image for $8. Some of the best $8 I've ever spent. I pass them out to family and friends to use, and I adhere them each and every time I get gas.  ....and will continue to do so. 

In theory, I could use them at the grocery store, but I think grocery stores have more cameras. 

Song by: the Kinks

Money Talkls

Bobbi Fleckman was fucking genius. 

Say all you want about Fran Drescher, but her portrayal of Fleckman in This is Spinal Tap was perfection. 

And her delivery of the line in the image to the left was extremely well delivered. 

Fleckman isn't wrong either. Money talks. 

The Cornell Daily Sun - a student run newspaper - published a letter from an alumnus who just decimated the University, their President and their Board. 

I am so glad he wrote it; and even better than the Daily Sun ran it. 

I got nothing but bandwidth today so......why not share it? 

The below was twatted the next day. 

Yes. Money talks and bullshit walks - B. Fleckman

And thank you Mr. Fuentes for your letter. Regardless of what Cornell does - don't put them back in your estate planning. 

Song by: the Kinks

Circle Dream

I guess I'll take one step towards normalcy at a time. I suppose I don't have much of a choice. 

But it's two steps forward, one back. 

Last Friday PT said I relied too heavily on my cane and to carry it for a reminder, but not use it - or not use it so much. I took it to heart. 

Yesterday at PT, the first question was: "where is your cane?".  

Now it seems I'm favouring my bad leg and walking with a noticeable lean. So they adjusted my gait and told me to go back to a cane.  

Sigh. 

As steps forward go - I had been doing the single stair with both feet method of walking down and up the steps. Last Saturday I was halfway down the steps when I realized I was doing the one foot in front of the other method - you know, like normal people. Progress.

I can do it on the way up the stairs too, but it is more difficult and I feel it more. So depending, I might do it either way while ascending. 

Since getting my Apple Watch in March 2023 and then setting (or resetting) my exercise goals on said watch, for about 3.5 years, I closed all three rings (movement (calories), exercise (minutes) and standing) for almost 1000 days in a row. 

That came to a screeching halt on that fateful August day. I had completed the red and green portion, but blue - standing - wasn't really happening with a broken femur. 

This is where my OCD - in this regard - also came to a screeching halt. 

There was no way I was going to get a caloric goal or movement - while in the hospital or recovery. At least not without resetting my goals to next to nothing. As it was, I had to take off the watch in the ED and it went home with 710. 

I had to gol cold turkey without checking each hour - and yes, it's sad to say that is what I would normally do. 

It was freeing in another regard. 

But once 710 returned to the office, it went back on - mostly to get help if I were to fall at home and not have my phone near by. Barely any stats would come across. Maybe the stand one, but probably not to close the loop.  No way was I burning calories by sitting around reading......even if I used my finger and / or read really fast. 

Still, this last Monday I returned to work and worked out at the gym. Mind you, the gym was not a huge workout. I can't. But me getting out and moving around got the color rings to starting inching towards each other. And yes, it took me from like 05:00 to 21:58 to close all three, but I did. 

Now, I was a little happy with myself, but also knew deep down closing these consistently again is weeks if not months away  But it was on move closer to going back to how it was. 

Yay me. 

Song by: 10,000 Maniacs

Cooking with Blobby

Wow. A cooking segment. 

Look how far I've come in seven weeks. 

I haven't look back to see the last time I've done one of these, but at the very earliest it would be early to mid-August. 

But I'm in a place where I can move around the kitchen and get things done - as long as I don't have to bend over to get kitchen items or ingredients. And hopes I don't drop anything on the ground that a grabber can't pick-up. 

710 found the recipe for Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts and it intrigued me. I feel bad that he's done all the cooking for the last six weeks. Technically he didn't have to cook (and didn't) that week I was in the hospital. Oh, he may have cooked once or twice. Who knows. But in the six weeks I've been home, he's done the lion share (read: all.   except when we were out of town).

I was feeling ambitious in my recovery and said, "oh, what the heck". 

So, let's see if I can fuck this up. 

Ingredients 

Yield: 2 servings 

I'm going to stop here for a moment. Two servings? 1 large chicken breast?  For 2 servings?????

I'm a grown ass man with a grown ass appetite. I'll let 710 defer for himself, but......c'mon. Let's just say we doubled at the least the chicken. Oh, and everything else. 

2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about ¾ pound) or 1 large chicken breast, halved horizontally Salt and pepper 

¼ cup all-purpose flour 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 tablespoons diced shallots (about 1 medium shallot) 

12 ounces assorted tomatoes, small ones halved and medium and large cut in wedges 

1 tablespoon capers in brine, drained 

½ teaspoon red wine vinegar 

Plenty of basil leaves (large leaves torn), for serving 

Preparation 

Step 1 Season the chicken breasts all over with salt and pepper. Add the flour to a shallow bowl or plate. Dredge the chicken by placing it in the flour, then turning to coat all sides evenly. 

Step 2 Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. When the mixture is bubbling, shake off any excess flour from the chicken and add to the skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the pieces over and continue cooking until cooked through, about 4 more. Transfer the chicken to two serving plates. 

Step 3 Add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and ⅓ cup water (this helps create more sauce and helps the tomatoes cook more quickly). Simmer until the sauce is reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. 

Step 4 Stir in the capers, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the vinegar. Turn off the heat and season with salt. 

Step 5 To serve, top the chicken with the basil leaves and the tomato sauce and season with black pepper.

......and I fucked it up.  Basil is in the name of the fucking recipe. Basil was sitting out on the counter. Basil did not go in the dish because Blobby is a fuck-up. 

I think it would have been a great addition to the dish, but guess what - it was pretty fucking good even without it. 

I was kind of worried that tomatoes and water weren't really going to make a sauce - and just leave me with stewed tomatoes. Sure the butter at the end helped, but the shallots were great and if I did this again (and I will), I'd double the capers. 

The chicken was prepared well. The sauce and warmed tomatoes were well seasoned and cooked just right. The sauce was light but flavourful. 

This is a repeat for sure.  .....but next time with basil. 

My Music Monday

For the most part, I can take or leave Taylor Swift as a recording artist. 

I think as a human, she's a decent sort. I think as a business woman she is smart and savvy. I think as an artist too many things sound too much alike from her other works.  

There are exceptions and I have about 4-5 songs that fit into that category. 

"Cleveland" is not one of those. 

Swift released a "new" album a week or so ago. It's actually her last album with 4-5 new songs added onto the original material. I think. Maybe that original material has been reworked, but I don't really know. 

One of her new songs gives a nod to where we live. 

Swift's now husband, Travis Kelce is from Cleveland - and most specifically Cleveland Hts., hence the nod to Cleveburgh. 

My friend Jon chided me the other day saying I must have the song on continual repeat. 

I do not. 

A week or so before the release, my brother-in-law sent a test saying he heard about this song and I think he was excited. Not so much by Swift, but by the would be exposure to the town. 

While I haven't spoken to him, I'm assuming he's heard the song and any excitement that might have been there has been quelled. 

I have heard the song once, while playing the video.  Both are disappointments. 

It would have been fun to have a great song / anthem with "Cleveland" as the title. What you got as something that milquetoast would call milquetoast. You kind of hope she'd have a better chorus to go with the blah verses, but it barely picks up steam. 

I'm guessing Travis heard it and probably didn't want to overstep and end the honeymoon period too soon and told her "it's..............great.....hon", with his fingers crossed behind his back. 

Say what you want about the 216, we have some beautiful places here. Great parks, great scenery, great 'hoods.  You'd never know it from this hastily shot piss poor video. 

Swift isn't going to make it up and record a "Cleveland II", so we are stuck with this piece of crap. 

Perhaps others will like it more than I. 

the Right Stuff

I'm just gonna fess up to this right now. 

I knew of Wright State University. I knew of Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Both are in Dayton, OH. 

I know that the Wright Brothers were from Dayton where their bicycle shop resided and where they drew up plans for airplanes. 

It never ever ever ever occurred to me until we were about a mile away from Wright State that anything 'wright' related in Ohio went back to the Orville and Wilbur. 

Sigh. 

Ohio is the Birthplace of Aviation, not Brains. 

Anywayyyyyyy..............neither 710 nor I had ever been to the Air Force Museum, but we thought, 'eh, why not?'.  It was on our way-ish to Cincinnati and it was free, so.........why not indeed. 

First off, can I say, we were the youngest people there. Ok, there were some grandparents with their grandkids, but we were pretty much the youngest people there.  And I was using a cane. There were more walkers and mobility assisted devices than you could shake a cane at! ......and I'd know. 

The poor volunteer at Room 1 (of 4), the WWI room - and the Wright Brothers room too. I don't know how old she was but I wanted to lean down and say, ".....and honey, where were you during the Blitz?".   I think she would have said, "well, I was 27 then....."

We'd seen most Wright Brothers things down in Kill Devil Hills, NC.  They did NOT fly at Kitty Hawk, that's just from where the telegram was sent from saying they had flown.  But in this room was the evolution from 1903 to 1919-ish during the Big War. 

There was a WWII room as well. 

They had the fully restored Memphis Belle there.  And of course, this one. 

The 1940s was a better time.  .....a simpler time. 

......and the, we couldn't possibly know it would be poorly named plane 55 years prior. 

....and there was a room for "Asian wars" - they're phrasing, not mine - just lumping Korea and Vietnam together. I took no shots here. 

....and the Presidential room, that had way more than presidential stuff......which was basically only two planes. Air Force One (the one used from Kennedy - Clinton) and one plane used by FDR. 

Oh - and rockets. And missels. And ICBMS. And bombers.  Admittedly, the Stealth Bomber did look pretty cool, even with some stupid Dodge Charge tie-in. I don't get it.  $$$$, I guess. 

And while this is the "Air Force" Museum, I'm 99.1% sure that X-Wing Fighters and Tie Fighters were not USAF sanctioned..........or built.  Or flown. Or real. I won't lie, I was happy to see them. 

I said there was a huge missed opportunity not calling their cafeteria 'the Lunchpad'. 

There began a hotly contested discussion on if it was or not. 710 said it was with a rocket being there as the A, but "Lunch" was implied. I say the A was just that, and it was meant to be "Launch".  I still think (read: know) I'm right. 

Song by: Bryan Ferry 

Gimme Some Lovin'

Saturday is usually an easy post to draft and publish - unless you're lazy and procrastinating like I am. 

Actually, this can be done days in advance, but I'm doing it hours before deadline. Somedays it is hard to get motivated. 

Shep at one of our metro park nature centers. 

This Osito.  He was in Cincinnati visiting from Toronto. 

I asked to see him and was granted access. Osito was all about me. And biting my fingers. 

Mostly playful biting but he was not letting go. Eventually we had to part ways. 

Waiting and watching for Dad #1. 

Story of my life. 

This was one of our pillows at our hotel  in Cinci. 

We stopped in Columbus too. We visited Becca and her family. 

This is Zoey. She loved on us. Pretty pretty girl. 

This was as close to Boo as we could get. 

He wasn't a fan. 

And getting some love from Shep upon pick-up after we came back from our short trip. 

Song by: the Spencer Davis Group

Distracted

Fucking Eric Schmitt. 

I'd say he's a tool - and I'd be right, but not the way you'd think. 

Oh - EVERYONE was in stitches about his "foible" with Jack Smith's hearing and Schmitt's "mix up" of the Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

What kills me is that everything thinks it was a stupid mistake and he didn't do his homework.  ....except he did. 

Yes, I don't even think this next thing is a conspiracy theory. 

Schmidt did what the GOP does best:  distract. 

He is / was a tool for the GOP. 

It never once occurred to me that Schmitt's questioning of Smith and throwing around terms like 'dirtbag' and 'perjury' were not 100% planned and staged - including the "mistakes". Or especially the "mistakes". .....especially if Smith actually testified and didn't opt to Plead the Fifth like Fauchi did a few months back (though that was totally justified). 

If I were a betting man, I'd say the GOP hoped Smith would Plead the Fifth and that would be the story they told. When that didn't happen, they went with Plan B. 

My guess is that Schmitt's instructions were to cause a sideshow - and he did. Perfectly.

All the news organizations, the internet, all of social media talked about the "accidental" misdirect and not about the hours of testimony where Smith didn't waver and answered each and every question - none of them flattering to anyone still tied to January 6th. 

Schmitt did his job. 

Oh, it's a shit job, but he pulled it off flawlessly. The foam core board with a so-called text on it that was shown for 1.8 seconds leaving everyone to wonder what it really said. It turns out it didn't matter. Schmitt went right into the accusation portion of the show. He even questioned Amy Klobuchar's follow-up questions. 

He played it perfectly. 

Someone had to be the stooge in this hearing and Schmitt either pulled the short straw or stepped up to the plate with gusto. I'm going with the latter. 

.....but no one is talking about Smith's testimony, I can tell you that. 

And this is why the GOP wins so often. They distract perfectly and it works in their favour almost every single time. 

Song by: Matthew Sweet

Attacked by Monsters

So, on last Sunday's call with the peeps, I brought up the Cornell rape thing, not really knowing much about it other than it was 7 against 1. Naturally, we were all appalled. 

What I didn't know is that it happened a few years back. 

What I didn't know - though suspected - is that campus police and administration investigated it and basically brushed it under the proverbial rug, as so many institutes of higher learning do. 

What I didn't know - and that I'm gathering from bits of social media posts - is that while two of the accused were expelled (no charges) the other five had to write an essay on why it's bad to rape. Or some such nonsense. 

Seriously though - an essay. 

Fuck, even the kids in the Breakfast Club had to do a day of detention!

Since the rape (yes, not 'an incident', not 'the event') is a few years old at this point, I'm not quite sure how this is all making news now, but I'm glad it is. I suspect it's from a civil lawsuit that was filed by the victim, but fuck - every social media outlet (ok, those of which I'm aware) have picked it up.  ........and posting individual entries about each of the accused along with pictures of the perps. 

So much attention that the DA's office is now looking into the case and considering pressing criminal charges. 

Doubleplusgood. 

Allegedly, one of the accused has been fired from his job at Wells Fargo.  Yay again. 

I'd say, innocent until proven guilty, but I'm not sure I can subscribe to that anymore.  Trump. Brock Tuner. Clarence Thomas. Brett Cavanaugh. Jeffrey Epstein.  Countless others.  Guilty as fuck and let off the hook. All of them. 

Someone has to start paying, and I hope it begins with these seven. 

I'm sure I've said this before, but I had / have never understood Snapchat.  Why it existed. What it did. Why it did it.  My basic understanding was that it held onto sent information for a brief period of time only to be wiped out soon after.  I am probably getting it wrong or oversimplifying it . 

If I am in the ballpark, there are so many cases where people retain their conversations and at least two of the accused have those. Let's hope it does them in. 

I've seen enough Law & Order SVUs to know that it will only take the weak link to sell the other six up the river. 

And if you haven't seen it, I highly suggest viewing Promising Young Woman. I'm not a huge Carey Mulligan fan, but she shines in this. 

It is not an easy movie to watch, but I think it's an important one. It was done by the same writer / director of Saltburn. I do think it's an important movie to watch......at least for aspiring rapists.  ....and for all of those who haven't taken sexual assault stories to heart. 

Once again, the accused are blaming the accuser. Rapists and Sexual Assaulters are the only one's who can be blamed for a crime. The days of implicating the victim should be over. It's smarmy and ugly. Unfortunately, it has worked time and time again.....................for white men......and one black Supreme Court Justice. 

Song by: Meat Puppets

Germany

When life gives you lemons..............well, you know the rest. Or should. 

As we obviously did not go to Europe this last week - and by all accounts, it was prefect weather for the marathon there - we will had the time blocked out, so we went away for a few days. 

When you can't go to Germany, I say bring Germany to you! And really, isn't Cincinnati just the Berlin of the mid-west? 

The question is rhetorical. 

There was no overwhelming desire to go to Cinci. It's been decades since we've been here. But just to get out of town was good enough.  While we hate to board Shep, it was nice to be able to go out to dinner or do things that didn't revolve around him, or worse, leaving him at home. 

As it would turn out, there were a number of German related things on this trip.  ....most of them at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base......which is actually in Dayton, not Cinci.  That's another post. 

Admittedly, I was put off by the title image sign - which is a replica of one that hangs at Auschwitz. 

Yes, it was for a display on US Aircraft going into Berlin during the way, but still.............It seemed way out of place even with the below installations. 

It seems everyone has a piece of the Berlin Wall. 

This seemed out of place for me too. I never see other bank nationalities in cities. 

Oh, unlike going to Germany, we ate Italian and Mexican foods. No spätzle, sauerkraut or schnitzel for us. 

Was it the getaway we wanted?  No. Will it have to do until next fall when hopefully I can run the 2027 Berlin Marathon?  Yes. 

Song by: the IDLES

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!   

I'll be upfront: I did not purchase Brandon Flowers new disk Thrasher. 

The premise has all been done before. Rock and Roll guy decides to put a heavy country edge on their music. I'm not sure why. It doesn't make them country. It doesn't make it any more accessible.  If anything, you'll paring down your core audience. 

It's Brandon Flowers with slide guitar and harmonica.  And a twang in his voice trying to emulate some of the older country greats (a bad Johnny Cash homage on "Does it Ever Change Your Mind"). 

Thrasher has its moments, just not enough of them. While "the Red Ground" is guilty of the harmonica and all, it still works. But not that I'd ever have it on repeat - assuming I ever purchased the disk. "Tiger Blood" is a would-be Killers song that he just gussied up with some Nashville sounds. That doesn't disguise it enough to be anything but a Killers tune. I'm not complaining - it is what he does best. 

My problem with the album isn't the overreaching to make it something its not, it is just Brandon Flowers. What he does with the Killers is usually fine (though not lately). He has what I call the Springstreen problem: always writing about something he was - eons ago. 

They've both broken out of their small towns. They haven't had hard times or blue collar jobs in decades, if at all. I get no one wants to hear them singing about their riches, but have you nothing else about which to write and sing?  The Killers made it work for the first 4-5 albums and then.......well.....it's fallen flat. 

Ditto with all of Flowers' solo disks. They each have a small handful of songs and little else. 

Admittedly, I keep coming back to listen. To hope. But I fear I might only be fooling myself. 

My Music Monday

As we are away for the week, I drafted posts over the summer to let me off the hook during this time in Europe. 

As we are starting in Berlin, it is just as well as give a nod to it with the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's song also named "Berlin". 

My thought was to do Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan", but I did Jennifer Warens' cover of it 12 years ago. And to be honest, she does it better than Cohen himself. 

But the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club doesn't get any recognition, and they should. "Berlin" is a perfect meeting of rock and pop.  ...more on the rock side, but it's a very accessible song. 

Why

 Today is the day.

Why, indeed. 

UPDATE:  today was supposed to be the day. I queued up posts months ago for when we were supposed to be in Europe for the Berlin Marathon so I wouldn't have to worry about crafting entries.  Honestly, I'm too lazy to change them now - except for this addition. 

Song by: Annie Lennox

the Walker

I wasn't paying attention and posted two entries yesterday.  I had pre-drafted a few for what was supposed to be our trip to Berlin so I wouldn't have to write while away. 

Well......that backfired. But if you missed, you can scroll back to see both posts. 

Today is just the animal post.........like most every Saturday. 

Shep got a doggie bagel from Einstein. 

Georgia - outside and beautiful. 

Tired Bailey. 

Shep on our outing to the lake the other day. 

It seems after a year, Simon has found the crystals hanging above my sister-in-law's dining room table. 

I got tennis balls. 

After five weeks of use, the rubber stoppers on the bottom just broke through, and it was metal on wood. No can do.  Yeah - it looks like I'm 93 with them on, but what a game changer. I glide everywhere - well, indoors. 

Shep isn't sure what to do about not getting the tennis balls. 

Song by: Fitz and the Tantrums