Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Crucfiy

I actually considered saving this for my xmas day post, but I think some of you might have that even that might be too over the line for me. 

As if!


It totally explains why we've never really seen life from other planets / galaxies / solar systems here on this blue marble 

Just because I laughed at the comic doesn't mean it is not 100% accurate. That might have been why I laughed, now that I think about it. 



Song by: Tori Amos

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Giving Up

If Pee Wee Herman has taught us anything it is not to masturbate in adult theaters in Sarasota, FL.*   And that Christmas is the time we should be thinking about others. 

Those two statements might exclusive of each other.........or perhaps not. 

I am happy to contribute to certain charities or good causes / organizations throughout the year, but for the holidays, I almost always wait for today. 

You got your Black Friday. Small Business Saturday (vitally important!), Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. 

While I should do more for the Saturday portion, I always participate in Giving Tuesday. We do. But I spearhead. 

Our shelter from where we got Sophie and Shep is on the list. Our LGBT Center makes the cut. The Cleveland Food Bank, yes. And Bellefaire JCB.  That stands for Jewish Children's Bureau. 

The latter is among the nation’s largest child service agencies providing a variety of behavioral health, substance abuse, education and prevention services (not just Jewish children - all children!). They are also home to the Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sister program. I am proud to say we have had family involvement at Bellfaire since its inception - or near about. 

Most - though maybe not all - organizations who participate in Giving Tuesday usually comes with a match.  If you give, say, $100, your gift becomes $200. Or someone else donates an equal amount in kind. 

Bellfaire is a little different. They have lists of children, infants to late teens who are in need of any kind of gift for the holidays. Things they don't have the means to acquire, but would like. They have wishlists not unlike your kids or nieces and nephews. I am always happy to pick 2-3 children and get them what they want, and maybe a little more. 

Though we are happy to donate throughout the year, I do try to make it during match times. 

Tomorrow, well......today......I will contribute to these fine organizations who help the underprivileged  - be it human or animal, or who are helping the marginalized communities. 

The places I am giving are not even scraping the surface of the need out there. My resources are limited, as are everyone's (well.........unless your Bezos or Musk, it seems).  I hope others out there pick up the cause and do what they can. 

I know except for my animal posts, most of you think I have no heart - and this is where I get to prove you all wrong. At least once a year. 

.....and I learned it all from Mr. Herman's Christmas Special. 



*at the ripe age of 16, I was in that very theatre watching my possible first porn. It plot revolved around King Midas and everything - and I do mean everything - turned to gold !


Song by: Donny Hathaway

Monday, November 28, 2022

My Music Monday

End of the month. I suppose I could have a theme for December, but we'll see.  Right now, no. 

Today you get a new release from Morrissey himself. 

The man, the pain, is on tour of the States, so to speak. He's cancelled half of his dates so far and, surprise surprise had a hissy fit at least of them and walked off stage in the middle of the concert, never to return. 

The shame is, normally I like his music, but he's a lot. 

His new album. which he is calling his best ever, is delayed or cancelled depending on which report you read. And it is extremely unclear if that is Morrissey's decision or and edict from the record company.  I can see it going either way. 

I mean, I like his music, but you gotta figure it breaks even at the very best. As a business, would you want to have to deal with the likes of him for scraping by or losing money?  Sometimes you gotta cut your losses. 

That all said, this last week, someone released a new song from said disk: "Rebels Without Applause". 

Granted, I've only listened to it twice, but I can safely say, it's not "his best ever". 

Whomever is playing guitar is trying far far too hard to sound like Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr. ....and it's not working. 

"Rebels" is fine enough for background music, but I'm not cranking up the volume to play like I would for the Smiths or some of his solo work. 

Maybe the rest of you Morrissey fans have a different take than I.  Love to hear it, if so. 




Sunday, November 27, 2022

One Love

I know I have some international readers here, which means they might be legally obligated to like "football".......or as us Yanks insist on calling it, "soccer". 

I liken soccer to be hockey without the ice. 

As is usually the case, the Simpsons nail the difference between the U.S. and well, everywhere else, with a clip you can find here (which I won't embed). 

But as you might know (not you Jon), the World Cup is currently going on.........in Qatar. The country being of Muslim reign has some questionable human rights standings. Better than some middle eastern countries, but still abysmal in many ways - including literally being whipped, three years imprisonment and up to and including put to death. 

Those last two includes things such as homosexuality. 

FIFA - the governing body of Football, the soccer kind - and the International Olympic committee HAVE got to do better at having countries host that don't continually violate human rights. 

Yeah, I get it, there are no countries - the U.S. included - that don't have some egregious human rights violations, but I think these organizations could do a little better at having host countries not putting people to death for, you know, living. 

It's easy for me to select the homo right, right?  I'm not a woman or an Apostate. Hell, in half of the places these committees select, being a Jew by blood alone - forget practicing - is a violation that is punishable. 

And Qatar is all about the no 'mo issue. And FIFA, in their wisdom, have forbade players to criticize or protest in any way, as to not upset the host country. 

Fuck. Them.   

FIFA and Qatar. 

Now there are One Love armbands that are showing up. FIFA is threatening to sanction its players and teams who wear a One Love band would get a 'yellow card' - which sounds like 'double secret probation - that could make them ineligible to play in future matches. 

Germany, you know, who once killed millions of Jews (or at least allowed it to happen), are protesting the possible sanctions, by being photographed covering their mouths, showing the intent that they are being silenced.  Germany, has come a fuck of a long way in the past 70 years. 

Seven European nations (England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales) politicians who are in Qatar for the Cup are now wearing the armbands.  Good for them. 

However, the same countries put out a joint statement to not wear the armbands so players would not be sanctioned and banned.  Bad for them. 

Stand for what you fucking believe. It's a game. I get it's a business and so very visible for your country, but at what cost? 

As some LGBTQ organizations have said, the arm band is nothing more than a token gesture. And it didn't make the dramatic statement they wanted to. 

Fuck Pride in Football group too. 

Oh, pretty please - tell me, tell us all, what you think is not 'token' and the actual dramatic statement you need / want / or think will change minds, 

Clearly, FIFA, seven European nations and Qatar clearly think the arm bands are actually disruptive. It doesn't have to be two guys going at it near the goal. Items like this that chip away at the hate, the repression, the inhumane aspect of it all is valid and extremely important. 

If the teams had balls - pun intended - they could withdraw from the Cup and make the statement. 

I suppose that is the dramatic statement that pride group would be thinking.  I'd be for that as well. But in the meantime, let's do what we can, and take what we can get. 



Song by: Bob Marley & the Wailers

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Short People

A Saturday post-holiday post. Dog post. No cats today.  I haven't seen one this last week.  Shame. 

REMEMBER:  Two weeks or so for you to get me your pet pics, for my annual blog-reader / friends entry. Make sure you give me the name of each pet so I don't screw it up.


He has anywhere in the house to sleep, but Shep chooses my ottoman a lot. 
I go without - for the man of the house. 

We found a new hiking spot on Tgiving. 
Steep elevation and it was muddy and slick. No one fell, but Mother Nature tried. A lot. 

Bailey checking out turkey day possibilities. 

New sofa with an ell just for him. 
He didn't take the hint and he nuzzled up next to me during my nap. Worth it. 

On that hike, we happened upon the only other hikers. 
It went ok. 

Bailey makes her move. 
"Stupid short legs", she says......


Song by: Randy Newman

Friday, November 25, 2022

when the party's over

I've made it no secret over the last 20 blog years that Thanksgiving is not my favourite meal. 

It's fine and all, but for all the work - and there is a lot of it - it's like any other meal that's over in a short amount of time. 

Of course, there is the clean-up, which just adds insult to injury. 

Keep in mind, this was just a dinner for three.

Honestly, I don't know how - or why - my mother did this meal for ages. It couldn't be just to have her kids around. I've met us. Trust me, that "reward" does not outweigh the effort. Turkey was my dad's favourite meal, so that's why she did it, but that's what turkey breasts are for. 

And that is what we had. Like a 7lb breast. Yes, it stops us from using the bones for stock and soup, but we have enough meat for sammiches.......but 710 wants to try turkey hash, with which I'm fine. I have no preference one way or the other. 

The rest of the day was relaxing. A slippery, muddy hike, but in a new location........and a nap. 

The nap may have been the best part of the day, though I had some weird dreams.  Hope your days were good. 



Song by: Billie Ellish

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Thank U

I gotta say, it's tough to have a day of thanks when in the last week there are a bare minimum of four - FOUR! - mass shootings. 

There is the fact that I guess I'm thankful no one I know has been a victim of any of those shootings. 

Yet. 

I mean, there seems to be a huge uptick in these acts of violence. ....and that's saying something since we seemed to have plenty already. 

I'm thankful I'm not Elon Musk. I just read that Tesla's stock dropped $300 million on the last few weeks - which may or may not (totally did!) coincide with his Twitter debacle. 

Better than not being Musk, I'm glad I don't own Tesla stock. I do love that no major company has advertised on Twitter since Elon took over. I hope it dies a painful and public death.......and soon. 

In reality, of course I'm thankful for many things. Mainly my close friends. In a lifetime - but mostly the last three years - they have kept me sane. Sure, my antidepressant has helped, so thanks to "my friends" at GSK too. 

I have a stable job, income and housing - which can't be said easily in this country. I more or less have my health. I'm trying to be healthier, but you know............sugar. And alcohol.  I'm thankful to have both of those!

You guys are great blog readers and some of your are bloggers yourself - so thanks for keep coming by. And for some of you, it has been great meeting you over the years. 

Oh - and of course a husband and dog! Always grateful for those two. 

Enjoy your day and long weekend, should you have it off. Don't over eat. It's turkey - so not worth over indulging on that. 

Rest. Relex. 




Song by: Alanis Morissette

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

I Can't Run Forever

I can count on two fingers people I've mentioned this item of info. One being my husband, and not so oddly, he wasn't the first. Mystery keeps the marriage alive, no? 

A few weeks back, after I was able to start running again, I bit a bullet and signed up for my first 5K. The next thing I did was text Morty to tell him. 

For a quick recap - Morty is a bestie who has run about 172 marathons - at least one on every continent! -, a few Ironmans, a few triathalons - so he knows a thing or two about running. And no doubt I was looking for some validation in a safe space. And I got it. 

It was only a week ago last Sunday that 710 knew about it. Then, only because, I chose the site of the race to walk the dog and he wondered why I selected that spot. So I told him. You'd think he'd have seen the charge for the race, but if he did, he didn't put 2 + 2 together. 

There weren't a lot of runs left scheduled for 2022 and I was opting anything that wasn't "Turkey Trot" or "Reindeer / Santa" related. That, and the window was closing on decent weather. 

As it turns out, that last part was a 100% pie-in-the-sky thought. I knew it would be chilly, as it is late November in Cleveland. I texted Morty this, and got his response. 



Honestly, it could have been something my cross country coach said - forty two !! years ago. But he made me laugh. He usually does. Morty that is, not my old coach (who is still alive!). 

But it wasn't chilly.  It was cold. 19F, but felt like 9. If the wind wasn't blowing it wasn't going to be a huge problem.  Or so I thought. 

We got 4" of snow the hours before I had to leave. Not a speck was cleared, so it took me longer to get where I was going. Of course, six miles from us was blue skies and dry roads. I made it with 15 minutes to spare - but I don't like that, as I was already anxious. 

I was pretty geared up to run in the cold. The windproof gloves were a big fat lie, but my hands didn't feel cold until the turn, then they were just fucking painfully freezing. 

Outdoor running is completely different than indoors. Besides the elements, you have to set the pace as opposed to the treadmill making you keep up. Outside I have no concept of time or pace. And I have no one set focal point, which is a problem and distraction for me. 

The airhorn signaled our start and I started my very carefully cultivated playlist. 

I didn't plan on two things:  

1. My shorts. I peed right before the start. Except in my haste I forgot to tie said shorts. This wouldn't have really been a problem if the phone didn't weigh down the shorts.  It turns out, with gloves on, and at full pace, I can somehow tie my shorts without breaking stride.  Crisis averted. This might have been the more impressive thing I did all day. 

2. The cold air and my lungs. 

This last one was more problematic. The frigid temps made my asthma kick in at the turn. It's not that I can't breathe, but I cough. A lot. This made me take three breaks from running - though I walked. It was only for 20-30 seconds each time,  but I wasn't thrilled with the start - stop - start - stop cadence. 

Even though I refuse to look at the control panel of a treadmill, I had an idea of how I was running and how long. Here? Not so much. I felt sluggish, I felt off my game. All of that said, I anticipated a longer run time than I was doing in training.   ....and that wasn't with factoring in the cold. 

In my pea brain, I was thinking somewhere between 41-43 minutes. That was up from the 34-35 minute training time I had been doing. I even had a 45 minute playlist, just in case. 

Before I rounded the corner to the last few hundred yards, I was telling myself, "well, this was a fun experiment,  but never ever again."   Then I was near the finish line and saw my time. 

31:28. 

I was thrilled. Honestly. I mean, I didn't show it or anything, mainly because I was still coughing, but internally I was questioning everything, especially all my misperceptions about my pace and my abilities. 

Save once, I never neared that time in training. And that one time?  The day before my stress reaction. 

I won nothing. Had I came in first in my age group, I'd have 'medaled', but I cam in fourth. This is not a brag. An 8 year old and an 80 year old got better times than myself. 

Listen, I was happy to finish. That was my one and only goal. That I did better than expected was great. I love that 710 and Morty were texting my entire race. The downside is: I now feel I need to shoot for a 10K, but hopefully only when the weather gets better. This will give me a few months to train. 

I'm making no promises. 



Song by: Hembree

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Shoot 'em Up

I would say I have 'no words' but I have plenty of them. 

The problem is: I've said them all before. Multiple times. 

Multiple scenarios. Multiple minority or marginalized groups. Zero attempts at solutions. 

Zero. 

It is easy to focus on the gay angle here. It's a hate crime. I get it. It is. But honestly, aren't they all?. Jews. Arabs, Gays. Blacks. Asians.Women. 

You might not get the 'hate' label when you kill first graders, but you're not really winning any points there either. 

In reality, school shootings are far more common than gay clubs. This isn't the way I want gay men to be more involved in gun control, but let's take a tragedy as a catalyst to some kind of solution. 

Sorry - I laughed internally when I wrote that. 

Not about the gays, but about the solution. One with a republican House. I mean, it's not like the Democrats did a fucking thing when they had the White House, the House AND the Senate, or even had a more even balance of SCOTUS. 

No. There is no viable solution, because one will never get passed. I'm not even sure when will ever get proposed. The GOP won't - and the DNC can't. They cannot risk losing a single vote for anything, so they won't ruffle feathers and we let them not ruffle. 

I somewhat get Dan Savages and others have tweet (are people still doing that?) that are anti-cop when it comes mass shootings and how gays brought down the shooter. And yes, there were many failings by law enforcement in many situations. But that's a very limited view to get a bunch of 'thumbs up' emojis. 

I also think it's different being in a school, club, house, theater, synagogue when it happens versus being outside and not knowing exactly what's going on inside. Personally, I'm not BLOTUS, I wouldn't just run into the school like he said he would - assuming he could actually run. Doubtful anyone reading this would either. 

And don't say, "but it's their job". Of course there is a possibility of death, but it's certainly not in the job description. 

But if you were in any of those places, it's a run, hide fight situation. And that is exactly what happened. And I do think I could be part of any one of those, because let's face it, I'm fighting for my life. That it benefits others is almost a coincidence. 

Yes, the GOP (DeSantis) has a role in this with their truly continual denouncement of gays and cultivating hate and dismissiveness, but no one is going to hold him to it. He's going to be the 2024 presumptive GOP nominee - so, we need to be prepared for that. 

I believe: STRAIGHT WHITE MEN RULE! is his campaign slogan. 

We are fucked. 


This would all be so exhausting if it weren't all so predictable. 



Song by: Bone, Thug & Harmony

Monday, November 21, 2022

My Music Monday

I don't have a plan for today. So I scrolled through and stumbled upon Fleetwood Mac's "Thrown Down". 

This came from their last full album, 2003's Say You Will

This their "classic" line-up, minus Christine McVie, and she is sorely missed. That said, there area. few shining moments on this disk - but just a few. 

One of those is Stevie Nicks' "Thrown Down". 

If you're looking for stellar, 1970s Nicks, look elsewhere. Her voice is octaves lower and her range is extremely limited. She was about 50 here. Now she's 73-ish. Yet it works. Mind you, it works mostly due to Lindsey Buckingham's arrangement and backing vocals. 

Nicks allegedly demoed this for a 2001 solo disk, which didn't make the cut. 

If you can get past the shift in her vocal abilities, it really a well crafted song. One that should have been a single from that disk. It's possible they might have even gotten airplay. 

I said, "possibly". 


Sunday, November 20, 2022

Ad of the Month

Another 'monthly' segment that isn't. Or not consistently.  I'll try to be better. 

I had 'heard about' the new Belvedere vodka ad starring Daniel Craig, as himself. I had heard that Taika Waititi directed it. 

Waititi is the director of JoJo Rabbit and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, both of which I enjoyed. As I wiki'd him, it looks like he did two Thor movies too. Those, I did not see. 

Even before my friend Jon sent the link to the ad, I read that Waititi was worried that Craig couldn't dance but as it would turn out he needn't be concerned. 

I'm not so sure.  He should have been more concerned. 

Craig is fine, I suppose, but he's not a triple threat. I'm not even sure he's a double one. Sure, he looks good in a wifebeater, you gotta give him that. But it's doubtful 'dancer' is on his CV. 

There are brief, but obvious, similarities to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" that starred Christopher Walken in a similar dancing role.  Mind you, believe it or not, Walken is indeed a trained dancer. Waititi had to know all of this, and usually he's more original. Though again, he did do Thor........twice, so maybe he isn't always original. 

Still it's a good distraction. It's too long to play on tv and it might give Belvedere a little name recognition, but it won't get me to go out and buy any. 


Saturday, November 19, 2022

Between the Two

WARNING:  in today's post you might have a cat sighting. No, it's not ours. We're not there yet, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be. I think that came out right. 

Before I forget:  my annual BlobbysBlog Reader Pet Pic Post is coming in a few weeks. Should your pet like to be part of it - and even if they don't - send them my way.  Let me know who is who. Don't make me start chasing you down individually.  As always, there will be an 'in memorium' section.  Let's celebrate their lives, not mourn their passing.  Start emailing them to me!

Now, on with the show................

On Saturday or Sunday, Shep will put all his weight on my knees to get me to take him somewhere. He is quite the master manipulator. He always wins. 

We have a new sofa downstairs - not that you'd know it. 
We must keep it covered for Sleeping Beauty. It's new - we'd like to keep it that way for a while. 

Scoonie 
Or, the Scoonmonster, as I like to call him. 

He talks to us daily. I do the same back. We've never been close physically, but I love him. 
He has a great bark. 

BTW, the upstairs sofa is covered for the same reason. 
I find it hard to believe he's comfortable this way. And like Petey, I love he uses a pillow!

This is Allie. 
Yes. Allie Cat.  Go ahead, say it aloud and then roll your eyes. I did. 

Allis is Otis' successor. They are the house cats at a local independent bookstore. She let me pet her and love her.  Otis is still around, but he's officially retired.  And she's pretty. 

Sleepy boy. 
The man is a pack animal for sure. He's super attached to us, which is nice. But he slept like that after last week's outing to a park. Precious. 

And no, similarly coloured brisk weather outerwear was not planned. We're not THAT gay.  Honest. 




Song by: the Bangles

Friday, November 18, 2022

Rocket

So, the Artemis rocket went into space - finally. 

As I mentioned, my friend Kristen lives south of Cape Canaveral - and on the beach. She sees many a launch without leaving her back patio or the shore. 

This launch was no different, except that it happened at 01:00. 

While I'd love have seen that launch, I'd have been asleep hours before. Perhaps the rumble would have awoken me. 

....oh that's a lie.

Even yesterday I overslept, which is almost never the case. And not by a little, but by about two hours. I mean, luckily I was on day two of jury duty, so my day started later than if I were going to work. 


....and I got texted at 'the duty' because apparently I set up my blog to post at the wrong time. 

Still, to see the most powerful rocket launch ever must have been something to hear, feel, see. 

Honestly, I haven't read a lot about it, but I'm assuming since I've seen no headlines otherwise, that it didn't blow up (ooooh, they found Challenger debris in the Atlantic - like decades later) and I haven't heard of any snafus........so maybe all is good 

This seems to be all NASA and no MUSK.  That makes me happy. I'd say it doesn't take a lot, but we all know that. is a big fat lie. 


Song by: Def Leppard 

Thursday, November 17, 2022

the Judge

Honestly, I'm torn about what to write. 

Jury duty is clearly the easy route.  The much delayed Artemis launch is good - though I only know it went up in the middle of the morning  I saw a friend's post from her house in Florida of said launch and the images she took.  We could discuss the debacle that is Ticketmaster, Stub Hub and Taylor Swift.  Oddly enough - in that order.  Oh, and today is our 12th wedding anniversary. 

There is one thing missing, of which I'm not willing to discuss. At least not at this point. Hopefully not ever. So I'm not saying it here. 

Of course, being so vague, future historians will scratch their heads when pouring over this here blog-thing trying to figure out when, how and why civilization collapsed  - as there is no reference. They'll just have to dig out the microfiche and start to cross-reference. They'll figure it out.  Eventually. 

I'm going the easy route: jury duty. 

O.M.F.G. As an operational "expert",  wanted nothing more than to fix the debacle that is the Cuyahoga County Court System. It's doubtful that other municipalities have that much better or different processes. Prove me wrong.............please. 

Maybe the jury duty system isn't. but I'm not sure the judicial system which is supports is doing anyone any favours. 

Yesterday, there were a known 15 cases that might need juries.  Might. 

There are roughly 400 potential jurors in this room for those trials. Civil trials don't even get 12 jurors, so if you do the math, most people won't be picked even with the weeding out folks during the voir dire process. 

It took seven hours before "they" decided there would be one - ONE - of the 15 would need a jury. 

I don't know if the others took plea deals, or opted for bench trials. We just sat for seven hours, including a 75 minute lunch. 

To be honest, it wasn't even great people-watching time. I thought it would be. I was wrong. 

Yes, I COULD have worked remotely there the entire day. but I'm so burned out at work, I opted not to log in, even though I brought my laptop.  I was smart enough to bring a book. An actual physical one. 

You've read over the last year that my core group is back to a very unofficial book club. We all read one book at the start of the year. And some of us have participated in other tomes. I think with this new book, we are all reading it or on the docket too.  See what I did there? 

It's a 191 page book, so I read it all during jury duty, and oddly not one word during the 75 minute lunch. I went out into the cold and walked. But I did so enjoy the book, Swimming in the Dark.  I'm still processing parts, but overall it was well done. 

So today I go back, sans book, and expect more of the same. 



Song by: twenty one pilots

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Wrecking Ball

Two and one-half years later it came down. 

Our old house, that is. 

We moved about two and one-half years, ago, selling our own home shortly thereafter to a physician and his wife. 

From the negotiations, we knew their plan:  tear down the residence to build a new / modern one in its place.

I totally get it. 

That was one of our options as well. Spend a ton renovating what we had, and live in reno mode for 18 months; buy a new house; or tear down this and build something new. I won't lie - C. was a good option - save having to live somewhere else for a year and a half. 

Clearly we didn't and we were happy to move one. 

I've said before, I had no true affection for the house. It was a home, because we made it one, but it was a lot of work.  A lot!

We told no one of their plans. Other places had been replaced by new construction and the neighbors weren't thrilled with that. So when one of them told us, we could have gotten Independent Spirit Awards for our acting ability. 

But that knowledge bomb was dropped a year and a half ago. And no movement anywhere. 

Now and then we have to drive past the old hood and each time we'd say, "well, she's still standing".  Yet I can say that no longer. 

A doc at work told me it was happening, as he lives a few houses down.  I called 710 and he went over to look. It is quick work with a bulldozer. What took months, if not longer, to construct probably came down in 90 minutes. 

You can't tell, but our bedroom is still partially intact. It sits right before the remaining chimney. 


The chimney that was peeling cement. Repatching that there?  $11,000 !!!!!    So you could see the thought process on tearing it down to build something new. 

As I had no affection for the house, I had always assumed I'd have no thoughts about it coming down. After being told about it, and seeing the pic, it felt weird.  I can't tell you what kind of weird, because I don't have that figured out and probably never will. 

The era is gone. The house was 112 years old. Or 102, depending if you go by the census or the county records. One of them is off by 10. Between us and the previous owners, we had it for 41 of those years. 

It's true: you can't go home again. Especially if it's not there. 



Song by: Emmylou Harris. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Guilt

I should have something about which to write, but I don't. Not really. 

This week, I have the potential for jury duty, though we are now two days in without the need for me. 

They have needed me on a jury, I mean, I haven't even been called. I call the night before to see if they need me the next day. So far, it's a big fat goose egg. 

Honestly, I'm torn. I feel so many times juries get it wrong. So do lawyers and judges. I'm sure if I were there, I could correct injustices and make the world a better place. 

But on the other hand.........I don't wanna. 

I have been beckoned thrice for this.  Once in 2009, where I was never needed to come down to not get selected for a trial.  The second time was in the height of Covid. They weren't even having trials, yet they were still sending out summons to be a juror.  I got excused for that one too. 

You know what they say - third time is a charm.  If that were true, JLow (not a typo) would still be with her third husband.  But Friday, I did not get on the list for Monday. Nor Monday for Tuesday. 

That said, they're creeping closer to my number. I fear - yes fear! - I'll be headed to the justice center for Wednesday - Friday. 

I don't mind being on a trial. I just don't think a lawyer on either side wants someone even halfway educated. The justice system preys on the uninformed and railroads far far too many people.  So while I don't think I'll be selected, I do think I'll have to sit there for days to not get selected. 

And worse, if I do, you just know I'll have to poop in the middle of some great testimony and have to sit there and clench before I finally have to throw up my hands and yell at the judge, "I'm out of order?  YOU'RE out of order! The whole system is out of order", just so I can go pooh. 

Dis! Missed!! 

Actually, I know a way no one would pick me. I have some covid masks that say "Black Lives Matter".  Most defense attorneys would want me. Zero prosecutors would. 

That said, it would be absolutely horrible to wear that mask and co-opt and entire community just for self-gain. So I shan't wear it.  I could put it on after I get seated and watch people crap their pants.

More pooh references. 

For Monday, my 'draw' number was nowhere near close to who they requested show up. For Tuesday it was a lot closer.  Perhaps. will be there later this week. 

Just to be out of the office for 2-3 days, this seems worth it.  I'll probably get excused when / if they ask if you have family member who are in law enforcement. 

If nothing else, it could make for an interesting post or two, no? 



Song by: Marianne Faithful

Monday, November 14, 2022

My Music Monday

A bit ago I wrote about Peter Bjorn & John and mentioned the two had produced Chrissie Hynde's solo disk, Stockholm almost a decade a go now. 

The album is underrated for sure. So much so that there seems to only be one video from it and not every song is available on YouTube......and according to my friend Jon, the disk isn't on Apple Music. 

That's sad. Especially with the crap that exists out there forever. 

But I thought I'd sample one song, "You're the One". I like it though, if you truly listen, it's fraught with cliches. But it certainly beats the Pretenders crap of "I'll Stand by You".   And Hynde pulls this off. At least I think she does. 

There are a number of songs I could have picked and maybe should have picked.  But you get what you get. 


Sunday, November 13, 2022

12 of 12

 So I'm doing my 151st 12 of 12.

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore. Erik is back and I think he's picking up 12 of 12 again. 

06:33.  Still in bed. I know, right?  But even at 03:00, I start with Spelling Bee. 
I'd say about 91% of the time I get the pangram (or one of them) first word out.  I made 'Genius' seven minutes later. 

06:59.  Boosted. 
I got my Covid booster on Friday. Until then, I'd been Moderna brand loyal, but I was having a hard time finding it. I had an opportunity for Pfizer and took it. 

My Moderna shots had me achey at best and feverish at worst. Pfizer?  Not even achey. Almost like I got a placebo....which was a pangram the other day. 


08:39. Gym time. 
Today (well, yesterday) it was cardio (Peloton) and shoulders. 

11:53.  Getting ready for a weekend outing with Shep and 710. 

12:59.  I picked the park. We'd never been. 
There were ducks and herons there. And a lot of low lying water and swamps. But it was nice, if not cold. 

13:47.   The battery in my key died. Which made it very difficult to get into the car 
It turns it out it made if much harder to get the car to start. 

Turns out, there are places in some newer cars you can place the key to do an emergency start. Thanks YouTube!

....and yes, I know my storage area needs cleaning. Well.....I know it now. 

14:09.  Buying new batteries for one key fob. 

14:25.  Ahhhhh.....Flexeril. 
My back is a little jacked up, so why not? 

16:03.  'Hood leftovers. 
I love how they leave them on the curb thinking the garbage folk are just expected to clean up after their mess. 


16:27.  Loganberry Books. 
My possible all time favourite bookstore. 

I need no more books, but.........I was meeting Rebecca and her husband there. It was their 22nd anniversary, and I was in their wedding, so......   And I might have more books. 


16:40.  the Academy. 

Lord. I've been coming here since 7th grade. Do the math on your own time. 

We made our way down the street to the Academy for two drinks. Because, what bad could possibly come from two beers and a Flexeril? 

Our waiter looked just like Chris Eliot as Roland Schitt. Kind of acted like him too. We loved it. 


17:59.  Snow. 

The first snow of the season. It didn't stick, but......yuck. 

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Sunny

Saturday.   You know the drill. 

We've had an actual Fall this year. Decent dry weather, cool and warm. 
Lots browns. Shep blends right in on a hike.  Hounds. It's all about the nose. 

This is Sonny. Or maybe Sunny.
He / She / They were very cute.

....and he made the IG feed.  Yay.  Acceptance. 

We always bring water for the Dude. 
Hiking makes him thirsty. 

Tony.  He is SO handsome 




Song by: Bobby Hebb

Friday, November 11, 2022

That's All

It was my friend Sal's birthday two days ago.  Time got a way from me and I missed reaching out to him, but I called him a day later - or yesterday, as it were. 

I don't usually call many people on their birthday. My friend David gets one every year, but that is just to annoy him that I remember his birthday and he doesn't remember mine. It's tradition. Doug and myself are separated by only three days, so one of us initiates the call on his or my day. 

Oddly, the close gang, we just don't. I mean, we talk weekly and text daily. 

Still, Sal and I had not texted in weeks and hadn't talked for months - or more. He stumped me when he said "what's new?", because I didn't know when we last talked. I didn't want to bore him with shit I might have already told him - that is what Sunday Zoom Happy Hour is for with my besties. 

We managed to update each other on our lives. 

Part of it was our exercise routines - well, mine. Admittedly, he said he was doing nothing and should. I can't judge. I was that guy until this last March.  I showed him an image of my progress. 

Oh - nothing salacious, though I suppose it is all relative. I had shorts on. But that is all I had on - plus underwear under the wear. 

Did I get a: "hey looking good?"  or  "hey, you've lost weight" response?  

No.  No I didn't. 

I got this. 



....and he typed, "That's All". 


I. Was. Dying. 


In the original image, I can't believe anyone could even see my toe nails, let alone they're still sporting Halloween colours.  He claims it was the first thing he noticed. Actually, if he noticed anything else - the weight loss or toning - it was never mentioned. 

Fetishes go all ways, I suppose. Feet are never going to be mine. And until yesterday, I didn't know they were Sal's.  I mean, I still don't know that.....for sure, but I'm now making assumptions. 

Sometimes it doesn't take much to make my day, and this certainly helped. 




Song by: Genesis

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Hold On

I successfully avoided any news feed or social media platforms until about 14:00. And even then, barely got notice of who won and who didn't.  

Maybe I prepped myself enough and desensitized myself, or maybe it really wasn't as bad as I thought - and I kind of did the apocalyptical thing, so anything short of annihilation is kind of a win, no? 

Ohio is disappointing, for sure. We actually found and elected someone worse than Rob Portman. When you send someone into office who helped raise money for seditionists, well, you're kind of fucked. 

And make no mistake, we're fucked. 

....and not in that good way. 

As for places like Georgia.......JFC. You have morons and bigger morons running and they still win. They all get what they deserve. Yes, I get - at least of this writing - the one race is run-off......or something. But if you're tied or possibly losing to lying, stupid, SOB, you probably don't deserve to win in the first place. 

That's as far as I've gotten on the info scale - and maybe as far as I'll get. 

It is currently 20:39 and I can barely keep my eyes open.  So I will skip tv today and just got to bed early. 




Song: Sarah McLachlan

Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Bad Moon Rising

We opted not to turn on the television last night. I decided I would wait till the morning to see if the U.S. has ended the idea of democracy and being a republic. 

I voted. I did what I could do, legally. But even the Ohio Attorney General (republicunt, of course), changed voting sites at 24 (!) historically blue locations two days before (!!!!!) the election. 

Nope. Nothing fishy there!

When you can't win: cheat.   That is the moral. I expect the worse upon waking. 

Sad? yes.  Disappointed? yes.  Surprised? not even in the slightest.  ....unless the dems truly win and take the senate. 

Anyways, I did go out and see that Blood Moon yesterday morning. 

The beginning of the lunar eclipse was to start a little after 03:00. And why, yes, I would be up, I'm not out. I have my morning routine and I had to get all my "games" in first - and I did. But even at 04:40, the moon was bright and no visible sign of it being blocked by a shadow. 

Mind you - 15 minutes later, when arriving at the gym there was a noticeable change. The partial part was in gear and the 'blood' part was starting to take affect.  I took a few iffy / mundane pics and went into the gym.  It was leg day. 

Leg day isn't exciting for me, though it is where I move the most weight - up to 26,000 pounds per workout when you take into account each machine, each rep and the number of sets you do. And yes, I calculate it all in my head as I'm working out. 

As I was doing leg extensions, I noticed it was 05:16. The peak of the eclipse was to be 05:17.  I grabbed my phone and walked out of the gym.........in shorts and a t-shirt in 46 degree temps. I had to walk across the street to a parking lot to get a good view.  And it was. 

I get the moon is 238,600 miles away - or some such nonsense - and I'm carrying a phone for pics. I am only as good as Tim Cook & Co. I know there are setting in said phone to make your camera better, but it also takes up a lot of space with your pics too. I didn't change a thing, as I was in a parking lot in shorts, in November at 05:17. 

Oddly, the nekkid eye was better than a camera. But I can't share my memories in picture form, so I had to snap away. 

You can kind of see the eclipse here.  You can clearly see the change in colour. 

It was cool to watch. And then, well, it was just cool - so I went back in and finished my workout. 

I want yesterday's moon not to be ominous regarding election day, but it is hard to separate the two. Maybe I'll be wrong. 

Maybe. 



Song by: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Tuesday, November 08, 2022

Fly Me to the Moon

Well, it's mid-term day.  And I am scared as fuck.  ....and it ain't because of the moon. 

This is a first real test since BLOTUS has gone and an insurrection has taken place.  And there are a lot of fucking whack-a-doodle candidates out there running. 

The ones out front?  All - and I do mean all - 2020 election deniers. 

Sigh. 

Not once - though I rarely watch news or political shows like Face the Nation - has one "reporter" asked these deniers if they think only BLOTUS lost, or if the people who won (i.e. other Republicans) shouldn't have if the votes were tampered with, 

I mean, stop these turds in their tracks.  Does anyone think that a bunch of Democratic voters submitted multiple ballots and votes only top of the ticket as a Dem and the rest as a Republicunt?  I want to see them talk their way out of that. 

It would nice to hold either the House or Senate, but I'm not holding my breath on both. I'm not even holding my breath on either.  Hence me be scared as fuck. 

Word on the street is BLOTUS is waiting until this election to announce his 2024 candidacy.  Fuck. Me. Hard. 

Here's the other timing device:  Musk: Twitter: BLOTUS. 

Mark my words, BLOTUS' reinstatement will come with the mid-terms and his announcement to run again.  You know what he's like on Twitter. 

None of this is coincidental.  And I'm not even a conspiracy theorist.  Well, maybe a little. 

I'd tell you all to vote, but I'd like to think my readership are responsible adults who do the right thing. 

Let's see how things wrap up tomorrow - though I expect a lot of lawsuits claiming election fraud with no clear winners for weeks.  I blame Bush and Gore on that one, and called it 22 years ago and most elections won't be decided by the voters, but the courts. 

I haven't really been proven wrong yet. 



Song by: Frank Sinatra & Count Basie 

Monday, November 07, 2022

My Music Monday

I didn't even think of a theme for November. And I'm too eff'ing lazy to consider possibilities 

It'll just be either random stuff, or if I can't find anything good, it'll be the shuffle method. 

Sometimes you find a song and you cannot remember why, how or where. That is usually not me. I remember a LOT of shit, but for today's selection, "Can't Run Forever" by a band called Hembree, that is not the case. I have zero recollection on how I stumbled upon it. 

Ironically, I don't run forever while listening to it. And I can't run forever. But I can make it through the the 3 minutes and 35 seconds.  I'm not the best at running, but I can manage that amount of time. 

This song came out in 2015, but the band's first full album didn't arrive until four years later.  Even their only EP came out in 2017. 

They have that not original but still pleasing sound that so many mid to late 2010 bands have. Walk the Moon, Tame Impala and others come to mind.