12 of 12

So I'm doing my 182nd 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.   

02:14.  My first wake-up. 

710 was snoring badly enough that I had to turn over and tug on his pillow (not a euphemism) so he'd readjust and stop.  ...so, of course I took a pic of some light creeping through our bedroom door. 

05:18. Self Portrait #1604. 

I had a horrible night of sleep. Snoring (not mine). Vivid dreams and some hallucinations. There are days I truly don't want to get out of bed - yesterday was one of those.  .....but I did. 

The shot was accidental, yet it's a perfect representation of me at that time. 

06:01.  Breakfast waiting to be made. 

06:38. Cheese Tax being paid. 

....as I made 710's lunch 

06:57. Staples order. 

I'm making a poster to for No Kings. Sending it to Staples to print out. 

07:30. Morning Run. 

It was honestly the shittiest run I've had in months and months. 6.2 miles and I struggled every step. 

09:28. Mid-morning snack. 

16:22. Provisions.  ...but less than 12. 

16:51. Staples pick-up. 

My anti-BLOTUS poster didn't print out how I wanted, so I'm going to have to pivot somehow. 

17:13.  Flying Dog Daycare Pick-Up

19:39.  Cheeseburgers off the grill. 

It's as much cooking as I wanted to do last night. 

21:14. Dessert. 

I couldn't decide between Oreos or an ice cream sandwich. So I didn't. 

the Last of My Kind

In the post title, one of Jason Isbell's songs, he sings:

"Daddy said the river would always lead me home / But the river can't take me back in time / And daddy's dead and gone / The family farm's a parking lot for Walton's five and dime....."

I found the lyric clever and cutting, not knowing at the time that before it was named Wal*Mart, the stores were called Walton's Five & Dime. 

I can count on one finger how many times I have been to Wal*Mart to purchase anything. I traveled to Boise for a business meeting and somehow forgot to pack socks. Their store was open 24/7, so on a Sunday at 23:00, I was buying black acrylic socks. They didn't carry anything with cotton fibers.  

Shocking. {said with sarcasm, obvi}

What is shocking is that one of the Walton heirs spent a few million dollars on a full page NYT ad yesterday touting the No Kings protest which I mentioned two days ago. 

My honest to g-d first thought was, "fuck, now we have to shop at Wal*Mart".  But the store is disavowing any association with the heir or the ad. 

So, phew - bullet dodged on the shopping aspect. 

Still, what a break in the ranks, no? 

Granted I know zilch about the Waltons, except for the fact they're all billionaires. Whether they purposefully do it or not, they cater to the MAGA crowd. It's just a socio-economic circumstance, but no doubt they feed into it for return customers. I'm assuming below them is Dollar General. 

I don't think MAGA knows the difference between the store / board / other Waltons vs this one Walton. 710 tells me they have called for a boycott of Wal*Mart. 

Where they fuck would they shop? 

That said, if Wal*Mart took a financial hit due to a boycott, I wouldn't really care. Two birds. One stone. 

And hey, if that ad increases the No Kings attendance, so be it. Though I don't think a lot of the Wal*Mart demographic are NYT readers. 

Sure, I could be wrong - but I think we know I'm not. 

Song by: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Ad (?) of the Month

Technically, I don't think it's an ad per se. 

A short film?  PSA? Something entirely different? 

It doesn't matter.

It doesn't take a lot to bring me down anymore, but sometimes it doesn't take a lot to make me feel good. This made me feel good. 

Maybe it's an ad, maybe not. If so, it's for Happiness. 

Site of the Month

Getting this important one out of the way, so those of you in the U.S. have to time to plan. 

June 14th - this upcoming Saturday - is the No Kings protest. 

It will directly compete with the Kim Jon Un BLOTUS parade for himself.

The No Kings site has the following on their home page:

They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings. 

While I think we all know who "they" are, it would be best - IMHO - to call out whom of which they are speaking. They need to be held accountable. 

That all said, this Saturday there are nationwide protests against this fascist regime, their backers and supporters. 

While I get that it is 'No Kings', we are really talking about dictators here. I didn't really joke about my strikethrough of Kim Jong Un, as I see BLOTUS as heading that direction. Maybe it's a fine line, or maybe King sells better than Dictator. 

Still - I urge all to go to the site and look for the location closest to you and join.  Locations are here. Type in your zip.  It looks like Ohio has about 60-70 locations throughout the state, many in deeply red areas. 

My plan is to run my eight miles first thing Saturday morning and then head right downtown for this protest. 

I most likely won't have a sign. I most likely will not be organized. But I'll be there - even as a number. Even as a voice. Even if it rains. It's only water. 

BLOTUS is such a frickin' snowflake that the number of people coming out to protest him could just level him. And let's be honest, there aren't enough National Guard troops for him to deploy and mow us all down, is there? 

Columbus has its Pride event on the same day, same time. Columbus gets over half a million people at Pride. Imagine what that would look like if that event did double duty.  ......and they're queer. OMFG, he'd be like the Wicked Witch and just melt. 

But this is our time. I dare say it is our duty. 

Take your phone. Record it. Use your phone should you come under counter-protests by MAGA or law enforcement. Have a plan. Be safe. But show up. 

There are other links within the home page of No Kings. Read through them as you wish. 

This really is important. It will be out of my comfort zone due to my anxiety and general uncomfortability of crowds, but I cannot espouse this in my blog over the last few years and not not show up. 

I get why you might not go or want to go, but I truly believe we are fighting for our lives. 

We can do recaps here on Sunday!

My Music Monday

The June theme is Blobby's Running Playlist - more unexpected tracks. 

This week, it's Ryan Adams. 

No. Not Bryan Adams. Apparently he loathes it when concert goers yell, "Summer of '69"!!!  I'm there for that. 

Adams is talented for sure, and I knew of him when he was in a band called Whiskeytown. But like many males, he's apparently a douche and has a few #metoo strikes against him. 

Still, I happened upon a song I'd never heard, "Gimme Something Good" and I kind of liked it. 

Oddly, it's somewhat generic. Released over a decade ago, it screams 90s rock actually. That's not usually a great thing, but to keep a steady running cadence, this works. The guitar work is steady and tries to be harder than it actually is, but that's kind of the 90s, right? 

.....and Elvira is in the video. So: WIN. 

the Real Me

I don't know how many of you folks are Pee-Wee Herman fans, but there is a great documentary on HBO (they're dropping the 'Max' allegedly) called Pee-Wee as Himself. 

To me, it is fascinating. 

The program (two long-ish episodes) was made with Pee-Wee's (Paul Rubens) permission and input, and started well before his death two year ago. 

The filmmakers did not know that Rubens had been fighting cancer for six years. 

Rubens was extensively interviewed and while he's not running the documentary, he's kind of running the show. 

During his interviews, he somewhat takes over and is naturally funny, but in a Rubens way, not necessarily a Pee-Wee one. 

And that differential is important. 

Rubens toys again and again with the director on his confidence in this process. As it turns out, there is truth in humour. 

I happened upon Pee-Wee in multiple David Letterman appearances way back in the early '80s. He was a delight to watch and loved Letterman's interactions with him. But from there it was to his movie, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and then to his Saturday television show. 

I'd probably seen Rubens before on one of his many appearances on the Gong Show (but not as Pee-Wee). 

Admittedly, I tried watching his first HBO special from the early '80s, before the movie or series, but I didn't find it that funny or that watchable. And it was poorly filmed. 

But in this doc, it shows how Rubens became Pee-Wee. And I mean, BECAME Pee-Wee. To a point there was no Rubens. 

They do the rise, the peak, the fall, all the things documentaries are made of. But it's a well-paced film and was interesting to me. And 710. I was glad they touched on post Pee-Wee, like Rubens in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie, not the show) and some other things. Sadly, they did not have his 30 Rock appearance, which was HI-larious. 

Rubens's family was very supportive of him when coming out (before he admittedly went fully back into the closet for Pee-Wee). It was great to see that kind of emotional support back then. 

Rubens opened up all his personal affects and collections to the filmmaker. Unfortunately, they never said what happened to all the thousands of times after his death. It'd be a great museum. 

I loved how they went into the creation of the Playhouse. They did a lot of detail on the first episode, but that was it. They left out how the writing and creation came to be. There is a lot on the visuals. They also never reveal (here) that Cyndi Lauper was actually the one singing the show's theme song. Lauper finally admitted it around the time of this film's release. 

Of course there are a number of people talking about Rubens and Pee-Wee. Reba the Mail Lady. Cowboy Curtis. Jambi. Captain Carl. King of Cartoons. Miss Yvonne. Chairy. Or the woman / puppeteer inside of Chairy. Many of them post-mortem at this point.   ......oh, and for some reason Debi Mazar. 

She's a great hanger-oner. Pee Wee and Madonna. I was kind of annoyed at her talk on how Rubens was finally back to himself years after the bust in the Sarasota adult theater, when she didn't know Rubens before that. 

Overall, this was extremely well done, but I think you'll find, like most things Pee-Wee related, Rubens has almost total control, including this documentary - whether the director agrees or not. 

The two episodes are a little over three hours long, but I found it entertaining and worth it. 

Movie: 04 of 12

Song by: Rosanne Cash

Normal

Not the best animal week, but I do 52 of these a year. There are bound to be some average shots. 

We went from early Spring weather to August. 

Shep deserved a creek visit after daycare. 

Bailey on ride home from her daycare. 

Behind bars. 

Actually he was just at the gate while I was doing yardwork. 

Bailey went to daycare for the first time ever. My sister says she needed to burn more energy. 

Love the pictures they took of her, but adore the report card. 

Song by: Foo Fighters

Girl Fight Tonight !

OMFG. 

If for nothing else, the last day has proved that life is just an extension of high school. 

Though, it's all just mean girls. Honestly though, I don't know which one is Regina George! 

Musk and BLOTUS might both be Martha Dumptruck - though that is from Heathers, which may have been the original Mean Girls. 

This girl fight might actually bring on the destruction of the world. Or at least put this cunt-ry to a screeching halt. 

I'm putting Musk's above tweet here just for historical purposes. I'm assuming everyone has seen or heard about it before this publishes. But when / if someone looks back at this blog-thingy, there need to be semi-context. 

This didn't start the pissing match, but it escalated it. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what started the butt-hurt feelings of both of them, but their shell is thinner than onion skin, so you know it didn't take much. 

Now, Elon's revelation isn't news. I think everyone knew BLOTUS was on Epstein's flight logs. So unless there is evidence he fucked an 11 year old, it matters little. Actually, in this day and age, if it is released he fucked an 11 year old, nothing will change for him.   

Nothing. 

And if Musk knows this (and you know he does), why hasn't he kicked a sexual predator off of X?  I got banned years ago for wishing harm on Mitt Romney's family. Not a threat. Just a wish. 

Mekka-Lekka-Hi-Mekka-Hiney-Ho.

But there is no one in Congress who would treat him any differently. Nor his cult followers. 

BLOTUS, in retaliation has threatened to cancel billions of $$$ worth of contracts for Space X, Starlink, Neurolink and Tesla. 

I mean, they never should have been put in place at all, but this is an administration who doesn't understand 'conflict of interest'. 

The back and forth between these two gals, is somewhat funny, but I also know how they like to distract this way from bigger things - happening or to come. 

But even if this is all really happening, it's enough of its own distraction to harm the U.S., assuming we have anything left to harm. 

Still - porn stache bitimoji Blobby is eating this up.  Kind of. I mean, I haven't read a thing that isn't a tweet that has gotten to me. But I'm not sure BLOTUS can win this one. Elon probably has shit for days on that guy - and while I hate him too, I'm here for it. 

Of course, I found the below to be HILARIOUS. 

I'm not sure anyone is gayer than Nathan Lane, but I hear Patti LuPone is free. 

Song by: Julie Brown

the Globe

Yesterday was Global Running Day.

The date actually changes, as it really is the first Wednesday of June. 

This is my third year in participating in this event. Each one is just kind of a cluster. 

Sometimes it is weather. Sometimes (always, so far) it's the inability to stay on schedule. 

This year it was definitely crowd control. 

I couldn't venture to say how many people were there. The first year it was about 900, last year 300. It was closer to the former this year. And a lot more who didn't / couldn't make it. 

Door to door it should be 20 minutes for me. Try almost 70 yesterday. Half waiting to get off the off ramp. And then the inability to partk. 

When we actually ran and 90 minutes later (and 30 minutes late), there were STILL cars lined up on the off ramp, both east and west bound. 

The race is untimed, though I'd venture to guess every seasoned runner timed themself. I did. And in theory I had a new PR, but I don't count it, because no one else is. 

Oh, that "PR" is no small feat. It was 95°F and the haze (and smell) from the Canadian wildfires were heavy in the air. The walk from my car to the run, I coughed the entire journey. 

There was heavy turnout from both my running groups. That was weird, so it turns out trying to split my time meant I really hung out with none of them - though I did find time for my running wife. So, that was fun. 

I wasn't really paying attention when they gave out medals. They hadn't in the past, but it was a nice gesture.  I was halfway back to my car when I realized it was a medal from a St. Patrick's race that didn't happen last March due to severe thunderstorms. So, I'm in possession of a medal for a race I did not run. 

I know they were being nice with the gesture. But what they were really doing was trying to off-load all the bling they couldn't get rid of three months ago. I won't be keeping the medal. I didn't earn it. And in my dotage, I might be questioning whether I had run that race. 

Still, I went out with my peeps - and behind one woman who I do not think has showered in 2025 - and ran my second 3.1 miles of the day. I ran the same amount before dawn. And today, I'll be adding another 5. 

For all my kvetching about the event, I am extremely appreciative I get to participate in this event - that my legs, feet and hips still move me forward. 

Oh yeah, I've gone back to the porn stache for a while. 

Song by: Big Audio Dynamite

Milk

My plan for June wasn't to do a post on Pride daily, but I'm not sure how the next 25 days are gonna go. 

Alcoholic and State Secret Revealer, Peter Hegseth has ordered the USS Harvey Milk to be renamed. 

I suppose this shouldn't be shocking, but it kind of hit like a gut punch. 

Since he is a dick, Hegseth, not Milk, he could have chosen to do this at any time - months ago, or months from now.

Waiting until Pride I'm sure was well planned out. 

But - that's not all. I mean, of course it isn't. 

Since their white male egos are so incredibly fucking fragile, other vessels named after prominent leaders are also on the Navy's renaming "recommended list." 

Among them are the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez and USNS Medgar Evers.

Let's see: Black Male. Jewish Female. Black Female. Hispanic Female. Equal Rights Female. Hispanic Male. Black Male. 

Not a white dude amongst them. SHOCKING!

I'll assume they'll all be renamed after BLOTUS, Oliver North, Robert E Lee, John Wilkes Booth and the likes. I'm sure Jeffrey Epstein is on the short list too. 

710 said he waits for the day someone will change these all back. But that's the thing. They won't. Should there be another election and should someone with half a brain get the job, all of this shit that has been done will stay that way. New leadership will move forward with some things, but decimated / eliminated departments will stay that way. Naval ship names aren't going back. 

Someone said something about 'thank g-d Elon is gone' (I don't know if that is actually true or not), but even if he is, the damage he has done isn't gone and isn't going anywhere. That will remain in place the rest of my physical life. 

And if I have to post shit like this over the next 25 days, that life is gonna be short. 

Song by: the 1975

Unbound

Unfortunately, Pride month started with a bang. Literally. 

Actor, Jonathan Joss was murdered on Sunday. 

I only knew Joss from Parks & Recreation as the leader of the Wamapoke tribe, Ken Hotate. 

There were a tons of recurring ancillary characters on that show, but I loved this guy. Every scene he was in was gold. 

I understand he was a voice actor also and was on King of the Hill, but I never watched that. 

News reports have Joss and his husband (until yesterday I didn't know Joss was gay) were shot at by a neighbor and Joss was hit and died at the scene. 

Joss's husband said the shooter had yelled homophobic slurs before firing. He also stated they had reported harassment to authorities in the past. Police say there is no evidence the shooting was related to sexual orientation. 

I'm sure not all the information has yet been processed, but they have the shooter in custody. 

This is a reminder of why Pride is so important, especially these last few years. At this point, it should not be about the beer gardens and dance floors after the parades. LGBTQI+. are being threatened in ways and frequency that is just ticking up and up. 

With MAGA and their minions, we are truly under attack. And I expect that to remain for the rest of this administration's term, should there ever be another election. 

Stonewall was a riot. I suspect we will be having another one sooner than later. Floats and rainbows are not going to do the trick. Personally, I never thought they did. But I believe action is coming......and needed. 

Song by: Robert Robertson

My Music Monday

I've decided to try a theme for June. New music is great and all, but time for a change. Some of this will be new for you folks.  I'm guessing. 

I'm going with 2025 Running Playlist. 

I cultivate new playlists for each running season. This is the first time that two songs haven't carried over - and had been on all my previous ones. But I try to change it up to keep me interested - which is a tall order, I might add. 

The tendency is to skew more towards the Rock genre, and usually male driven at that. It usually keeps a better pace. And I should say, I only use music on the treadmill or in races. Rarely in ourdoor training do I even bother with it. Still, I think it helps me both focus and keeps me distracted at the same time - just in different ways. 

For a while I've been trying to weave some R.E.M. into my playlist and it's been very hit or miss. I usually delete whatever track I'd chosen, but this last go-round I have a picked a winner. 

"Pretty Persuasion" from the band's second disk, Reckoning, and honestly, it's one of my favourite songs of theirs. Why it never occurred to me to include it earlier is beyond me, but it truly works. 

When it finally made its way through the rotation at the Glass City Half, I was passed a l-o-n-g stretch of huge speakers that were blaring something off Thriller, which drowned out half of the R.E.M song playing right in my ear. That said, I didn't really get to hear it while running until the Cleveland Half two weeks ago. And the song truly works for pacing. 

I always feel Mike Mills' backing vocals were undervalued by the listening public, but I think they truly made the band. 

Baking with Blobby

I guess I could just retitle the Baking segments as "Eating My Feelings".  I do that more with desserts than I do with meals. Not that I don't enjoy dinners too. 

Pure white sugar holds a special place in my food pyramid. Save having diabetes and loosing limbs due to it, I'm sure to just keep ingesting it as much as I damn well please. 

My last Baking post was an unfrosted cake, as is today's post. As there are eggs (oh yeah, and whole milk) in this, it's about as close to 'vegan' as I'm getting. There is no butter. In its place?  Olive Oil. 

Yes, this is called the Everyday Olive Oil Cake. 

It's easy to put together. Super easy. No mixed needed other than your whisking hand. Like my last cake it is also single layer. And there were suggestions on how to gussy it up in other versions, which I considered, but thought - let's do the basic to see if I even want to try different versions. 

But let's get to it. 

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cups (150g) unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 cup (198g) granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda rounded 

1/2 teaspoon table salt 

2 large eggs 

1/2 cup (100g) extra-virgin olive oil* 

3/4 cup (170g) milk (whole preferred) or plant-based milk (like oat, soy, almond) 

zest of 1 orange 

1/4 cup (57g) orange juice 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

*Choose an olive oil that’s fresh-tasting and fruity, rather than assertively grassy or bitter.  (I honestly don't know how to do that. I used what we had in the pantry.)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. 

Lightly grease an 8" round pan and line the bottom with a parchment round. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs and olive oil until emulsified; the mixture should look creamy and yellow. 

Whisk in the milk, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. 

While whisking, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet; continue to whisk until well combined and no lumps remain. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown on top and springs back when gently pressed. 

Remove the cake from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack; allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edge of the cake, turn the cake out onto the rack, and allow it to cool completely. 

Cut into slices and serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, a large dollop of whipped cream and berries, or on its own. 

Store any leftover olive oil cake well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cake will become moister and more flavorful as it sits. 

This is a keeper. Easy to make. Moist. Tastes great. Simple, clean flavours. The orange isn't overpowering at all.  710 loved it. And it does taste better as it sits. 

I learned from the last cake to only use the confectioner sugar as you serve. If you do the entire cake, and are not using the entire cake, it eventually just absorbs into the cake. However, if you're serving this at a party - which is a perfect forum for this dessert - dust the entire thing. It looks good. 

I'd also do some of the variations of this going forward. 

Tips from our Bakers 

To use different flours: Swap out 1/4 cup (30g) of the all-purpose flour for 30g of any of the following: almond flour (about 1/3 cup), fine yellow cornmeal (about 3 tablespoons), white whole wheat flour (about 1/4 cup), or rye flour (about 5 tablespoons). 

To make a grapefruit or lemon olive oil cake: In place of orange, use an equivalent amount of zest and juice from a lemon or grapefruit. 

To make a chocolate- or nut-flecked olive oil cake: Add up to 1/2 cup (85g) finely chopped chocolate or toasted nuts (about 57g). 

To make a mini olive oil cake: Halve the recipe and bake it in a 6" round pan. Watch the bake time, as it will likely be closer to 25 to 30 minutes. 

To customize the flavor further, add extracts (like 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (blech), 1/2 teaspoon natural maple flavor, or 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia) and/or spices (like 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cardamom or ginger or a pinch of fennel or coriander).

Come on Home

It's a dog week. Zero felines this go-round, sorry to say. I'll try to work on that. 

Memorial Day walk. Someone in the 'hood decorated. 

Spring time flower pose in some metro park. 

Zero is having the time of his life in his new home with Dith, Norman and Bosch. 

I'm LOVING it. 

Pic-a-nic with Shep. 

We had turkey and cheese sandwiches. He had some turkey and cheese. 

It's like Jurassic Park, but cuter. 

Song by: Mary Chapin Carpenter

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 have never not purchased an Arcade Fire disk (save their first one) on the day of release. Pre-ordered them, actually. 

I have never not purchased an Arcade Fire disk.  Until now. 

I didn't think it was possible for the band to put out a disk worse than 2017's Everything Now.  Until now. 

While I have listened to Pink Elephant in its entirety, several times, on-line, I have not put down any money for it - other than what we pay for Apple Music. 

I am a hypocrite in this regard. 

710 and my friends will chide me for actually buying my music. And I do. Or did. The artist deserves to be paid for their work. But for my conscience and my wallet, I can't spend a dime more than we do on Apple Music for this album. 

10 songs. Three of them are mostly synth musical interludes, two barely lasting one minute each. These are somewhere between droning and ambient music. I'm sure in the band's mind there is a good reason for them - but it is lost on me. 

I don't think it should go unnoticed that the band is coming off a tumultuous time:  leader, Win Butler has had multiple allegations of sexual advances towards women, and at the same time (probably on the notice those would be coming down the pike) brother Will Butler jumped ship from the band. 

Honestly, I have not listened closely enough to lyrical content or themes, should there be any. Sonically, this is just a misfire. Distorted vocals are not great. The synth drone goes on over many songs ("I Love Her Shadow", "Ride or Die" etc). Not having Will Butler's guitar work is also a hindrance. The work here is lifeless. 

I can't even point out a good song, to be frank. Daniel Lanois, who co-produced the album was either stifled or fell down on the job. He is one of the better producers out there and he either does nothing, or has nothing with which to work. 

So I take it back (to a degree) what I said eight years ago about Everything Now - at least that has one redeemable song, which is one more than Pink Elephant. 

Before anyone thinks me being a naysayer, I'm not the only one who feels Pink Elephant falls flat. In just over two weeks, the album no longer appears on iTunes or Billboard's Top 200 album charts. This disk sank faster than an anchor dropped into the ocean. 

Save Me

May is Mental Health Awareness Month - if you didn't know. 

I didn't. 

At least until last week. 

I thought I'd touch on it before the month slips away. 

A while back, I vowed (maybe too strong a word) to try to break the stigma on mental health issues, but documenting some of mine. I feel I have been only semi-transparent - which makes me believe I have my own stigma with which to deal. I'm trying to change that. Good of place to start as any is right here. 

Did you know when you call to make an initial appointment with a psychiatrist or psychologist, the first question they ask isn't what your name is?  Nope.  

"Are you having suicidal thoughts?"

Depending on your response, the second question is: "Have you made a plan to harm yourself?".

Yes, you should be able to deduct how I know the second question. 

As odd as it might sound, the question, and my answers, were a little jarring. Even to me. And I was experiencing these first hand, but never had to verbalize anything outside my own skull. It is a weird mirror that is held up - and an uncomfortable one at that. 

At least for me. 

And since I called a number of places, these questions seem to be the standard. 

I am coming up on two years since those phone calls. I had some low-lows and some stability. There are, as of yet, no high-highs. There might not be. It's all a metaphorical dance. If I can stay away from the low-lows, I call it a win. 

I've made no secret that my lows as of late come from this administration. Vile. Cruel. Destructive. I guess I didn't know or think I'd see evil coalesce like this in my lifetime. I am flabbergasted daily and daily I'm surprised that I'm surprised. The hole, the evil, is just never-ending, and they just keep digging. 

The post image was of my monitor at work. And yes, I had a post-it with 988 on it staring back at me daily. It wasn't like I needed to remember the number. It's not even necessarily that I needed the number. The post-it did keep me in check though. Just an important remembrance that there was someone should I ever need someone. 

That post-it looks like it is hanging on a thread. Somedays I know how it feels. 

BLOTUS and RFucKer Jr were planning on defunding the the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 

Seriously. 

Just do away with 4-1-1 while you're at it. Actually, I don't put that past them either. 

As of a few days ago, funding for 988 seems to be secure (breath is not being held). However, they are looking to shut down a specialized line for LGBTQI youth this upcoming October.  You know, National Coming Out Day. 

I shit you not. 

America has a youth mental health crisis, and LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. 

Honestly, I'm surprised it's only 4x more likely. 

In theory, 988 could (and would) take those calls, but counselors for this at risk youth population have specific / deeper training. It would be nice if all counselors could be trained to this level, but who knows. 

Naturally there is no surprise that this administration would target anything gay to just be that much more hurtful. That they are youths is just a plus for them. They do like easy targets. And do hate the homos. 

You can understand how this country, as it stands now and the direction we are going, is making it necessary for this service. I get "they" don't care, which is why it is doubly important to have such a phone line. 

Song by: Fleetwood Mac

the Bug

May in Cleveburgh = Midge season. 

Apparently there are numerous kinds of them, and I should have asked Geo to write up a piece on this, but I didn't so I am sewing this together with the internet and all its infallible wisdom. 

Nothing here is going through fact checking or peer review. 

Midges are an insect, they’re often mistaken for mosquitoes. 

It is the time of year we in the 216 start seeing them again. They prefer to have the water hit about 60 degrees. 

This is the time that they come out as adults. Midges live the majority of their lives as eggs, larva and pupa in bodies of water like Lake Erie. Once they hatch, their life spans don’t last very long. 

Yes, they rise from the bottom of the lake, from the mud and come inland. 

As you can see from just regular radar, there are enough of them to make them look like a storm. 

They live about five to seven days, but it's not like they are all "born" at once. While they will be present all summer, not nearly in the numbers they are now. But those 5-7 days stretches over at least two weeks. 

We live inland, so while we have it bad, it's worse closer to the lake. We have not walked Shep there for a bit due to the volume. Even at our house, just walking down the drive we encounter thousands - yes, thousands - of them. 

You can keep your mouth shut, but it doesn't stop them from getting in your ears, nose and eyes. Glasses helps. A little. 

Open the car door for a second and expect to get a number in your vehicle. 

Despite their swarming nature, the insects don’t pose any threat to humans. They are non-biting midges and  are totally harmless. 

Me? I hate anything in numbers. Ants. Bees. Midges. People.  Dollar bills I'm fine with. 

One does not dare walk by a hedge or bush without unleashing swarms of these things. Dog walks have just been horrible. One weekends, we have been driving south by about 30 minutes just to lessen the impact of them. 

I thought they were waning, but last evening's dog walk tells me that was a lie. 

We have to wait until Fall to get the Mayfly / Canadian Soldiers which are similar to Midges. They are just as plentiful and just as annoying. 

This is not our window screen, but the number of these on each of them on the west and north side of the house look just like this. 

BTW......the mom and baby deer are no longer in our yard seemingly, but they are nearby.  This did not stop the mom from chasing us down the street again last evening, while a dozen Hispanic roofers across the street watched, pointed and laughed.  We're gonna get beat up by a girl!

Song by: Dire Straits

Deer Dance

I don't think deer usually kill humans, but...........never say never. 

This gal, yesterday, intersected Shep and myself as we went on a morning walk. It was in the middle of the street and it just took me by surprise. Neither Shep nor I saw her until she was right there!  She was not afraid at all. And within five feet of us.

Shep was so surprised he didn't even bark. So we just hustled along and I sent 710 that pic. 

Fast forward a couple of hours and we pull into the drive after a big hike with Shep. The deer is at our window on the left front of the house. As we pull closer in, she has got a fawn with her. A very small one. 

We get stared down as we open the gate and drive in. Shep, oddly, is oblivious. 

I go in the house and see the mom and baby in our beds at the other end of the house. The baby can barely stand and walk. I'm guessing it is a day or two old - tops. Cute as fuck though.  It eventually lays down in the ground cover and is so small you can barely see the tips of its ears. 

Fast forward a few more hours. We take Shep for his evening walk. The deer are nowhere in our front yard, so we assumed they moved on. 

WRONG. 

We get to the end of the drive and onto our sidewalk and the mom shows up from around the far side of our house. And she is protective. Fiercely so. 

It's not enough we kept moving. She starts to follow us. 

It's not enough we cross the street and pick up the pace. So does she. 

We stop. She stops. But at too close a distance for my liking. She doesn't look big, but I'm guessing she weighs 710 and my poundage combined. And she can charge should she want. 

Just then we see a young woman (19 ish) walking  her dog on the other side of the street towards us, the side with our house and the baby. We yell out to her about a baby deer, and she sees "our" deer and goes "awwww".  I'm like, "no, she is protecting her baby".  

Just as I say that, the deer sets her sights on this woman and starts chasing her. Mind you, the woman never ever ever got off her phone. She's dragging the dog and running. Shep is all in arms, mostly at the other dog, and you'd think his ferocious bark would scare the deer.  Nope.  Not even a little. 

The three humans and two dogs make it to the end of the street, us going across the perpendicular street, the woman around the corner. Finally mom stops chasing and watches all of us. Then turns and runs fast as she can, turning back into our yard and to her kid. 

I can't say I'm thrilled about being stalked. But that said, I'm ok providing a place for this baby to get strong so they can move on. At least I hope they don't make it their permanent residence. 

I'm sure watching me wheel out the trash a little later was hilarious. I'm walking backwards when I can or looking over my shoulder the entire time. 

Later, as I was cooking dinner, 710 saw them in our next door neighbor's yard. 

She's gonna kill us. 

Song by: System of a Down

My Music Monday

This is a short-ish intro. I think I've posted the Fontaines DC a few times in the past - one in the fairly recent past. 

They have some decent songs, but only a few to which I come back. 

As many bands do these days, 6-8 months are releasing their album, they suddenly have a "deluxe" version available, usually with a handful of new songs to go with the original release. Often there is one good song in the new ones, if you're lucky.  And if you opt twice to basically purchase the same disk. 

I suppose this is why people use streaming services - to not pay for a new disk (assuming they even bothered paying for the first one). 

Anyhoo......they have a deluxe version of their last disk, and on it it has their one good song, "It's Amazing to Be Young". 

It might be one of the best songs the Psychedelic Furs didn't write or record. Meaning: it sounds an awful like them. Which, to me, is a good thing. 

I'm putting the audio on here, as with all the Fontaines videos, they build in a film with dialogue which completely interrupts the song to noticeable distraction. 

Something More Than Free

I love that BLOTUS is picking on Harvard. 

I mean, I'm not, but in a battle of wits, who do we think is going to prevail here? 

While it might be a long and painful road, but I'm picking the university. 

VonShitshisPantz gets so butt hurt at every little thing and it so retributive, I don't know how / when he has time to eat and sleep. 

I mean, he takes a dump right in his pants, so he's not wasting time with bathroom breaks, obvi. 

But fuck if I didn't go to Harvard's website to find the free courses - for you and for me. Honestly, we should all sign up. I'm sure it will put us on some list, but let's face it, half of us are already on 'some list' he and his cronies has drawn up.

• American Government: Constitutional Foundations
• U.S. Public Policy: Social, Economic, and Foreign Policies
• Citizen Politics in America: Public Opinion, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media
• U.S. Political Institutions: Congress, Presidency, Courts, and Bureaucracy
• Lessons from Ebola: Preventing the Next Pandemic
• Prescription Drug Regulation, Cost, and Access: Current Controversies in Context
• Leadership: Creating Public Value
• Justice
• We the People: Civic Engagement in a Constitutional Democracy

Granted, the 'Ebola' one might not be super applicable, but since Covid was on BLOTUS' watch, you know, it can't hurt. But some of the others are sure to get under his thin skin. 

Each course is hyperlinked so you can look at more detailed course descriptions. 

Just to reiterate:

All courses are FREE.  

All courses are on-line.  No needing to move to Cambridge, MA.  .....though I highly recommend hanging out on the banks of the Charles, watching the Bostonian men exercise shirtless up and down the river. 

The first and last classes alone seem worth it alone.

Song by: Jason Isbell

Saved by Zero

Saturday.  You know the drill. At least in theory. Who knows what will show up here. 

So. Much. Rain. 

The 216 certainly isn't in any trouble of being in a draught. Sometimes the rain just goes on for days and days at a time. That said, things are vividly green!

Meet Zero!

At first I thought Morty was involved with some kind of puppy trafficking, but it seems Dith has a new family member. No doubt he's nice and smart. I believe most poodles to be so.  I cannot wait to meet!!!

Pippa on her hind legs. Willow right behind her. 

My niece sent this my way. I'm not still watching them. 

Arthur, the gym dog. 

About once per week, someone who works at the gym stops in with Arthur. He looks like what would happen if you breed a golden retriever with a dachshund. 

He's very sweet, but still has razor sharp puppy teeth. 

Hounds doing Hound things on a grim and wet, cold walk. 

Zero and new brother Boche, meeting for the first time. All went well. 

Song by: the Fixx