A New Lease on Life

 So... the MD called with the results of the stress test (which I found online).  As expected, all is normal -- no blockages, no heart murmurs or hiccups, nor anything else.  Indeed, I am in the 94th percentile of heart health for my age.  Rah.  Now, the acid reflux... that is pending, as this involves a gastroenterologist, I am sure, or another round of tests.  Sigh.  To be sure, I am glad it is not the heart, but I fully knew it would not be; as I told the nurse at the stress test, there is a family history of heart trouble, but I don't eat and live like my parents, so...  I mean, I have had salmon more this month than in the entire lifetime of my mother, and I eat more fruits and vegetables in a day than Mom did in a week.  Let's not forget the exercise....

A thrilling win for the Blue Devils tonight.  OK, it was; for a while it looked like Duke was in control, but then the Wolfpack would come back and I would be pulling my hair out.  To be sure, NC State is also a good team, and everyone plays up for Duke, but...   anyways, this could be me, but the entire Duke schedule/retinue of work for the Selection Committee is...meh?  What's the big win?  Ok, Xavier (though at the time it was not quite as regarded as such).  Iowa?  Ohio State (ha!).  A nail biter over Oregon State? That's it; loss to Kansas (albeit close) and a bunch of non-conference drivel.  In the ACC... a home win over Miami.  I realize the ACC is a "balanced" league this year, but... they've lost to Miami (big), the Hokies, Clemson, Wake Forest, and NC State (big).  The "loss" to Virginia, too.  Most of their wins are against the lesser echelon of ACC teams.  Ok, they have wins against Pitt and Wake and now NC State, but...  it just seems unimpressive.  

Stress

 So, today I took a stress test for the first time.  I have been suffering intermittently with acid reflux the past few weeks, and more recently I developed this thing where I began to have shortness of breath.  This, as you can imagine, is not on the Mattgenda, so I called my MD.  He suspected asthma temporary caused by acid reflex (and this is a thing!) but of course we have to rule out cardiac issues... so last week I had the chest X-ray (clear) and today I took the stress test (results seem to be good).  The process itself was... interesting?  I had hoped to read on the treadmill, but that was not possible, as I had to hold on to the bars.  They attached the electrodes to my chest and side, put me on the treadmill, and off I went.  It wasn't too bad -- they start at a speed and elevation, and turn it up every three minutes.  I had no problems until the last set, when the breathlessness kicked in, though I finished the regimen in question.  It was funny; they kept telling me when I was at a goal of my age group, so I was like "just tell me when I have passed my goal" and sure enough, I kept at it til I was indeed well past it.  Not sure if the staff expected that, but... coronary patient I may be, but a heart attack in this case was more than acceptable.  Now I wait for the results, which I think will be fine, so we can actually treat the acid reflux.  Sigh.

The worst part about it was the 24-hour fast from caffeine.  This, as you can imagine, was almost intolerable for me; not that I needed it, especially on a Sunday, but the fact of the matter is there are plenty of times where a delicious -- and enervating -- cup of coffee is just what the doctor ordered (at least, Dr. Feelgood), and... well, it was not possible.  Sigh.  Anyways, my first cup this afternoon, was simply heavenly, as were the next three that followed.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/26/us/printing-money-treasury.html

Interesting!

The Slow March of Progress

 Interesting day today... I was in the shower and felt nauseous; I was like, WTF, so I checked my blood sugar and it was low -- it has been a while since I had that symptom of low blood sugar.  Funny thing was... I didn't really do anything to cause this; my sugar was fine when I tested when I woke up, had a normal (for me) breakfast, insulin was fine...it just crashed.  Oi.  There are days I truly hate being a diabetic, and that was one.

Anyways, Mass was quite nice -- readings were a bit long, but all was quite beautiful.  Then off to the food pantry for a bit (nothing arrived since we left yesterday, phew) and the gym.  Then it was home to catch up on some work -- my CEO was not pleased, but I will be missing some time this week and I, at least, want to be equal in time.  (I doubt that anyone wants to see my "What is a weekend" gif from Downton Abbey.)   But putting the time in was good -- and then I decided to hit the gym again, as I need a double, and a leg afternoon is good.  I finished the Adam Smith book while doing cardio -- 13.  And I was like, gee, I feel like I achieved something.

The rest of the night... well, my usual night -- dinner, reading, and immersing myself in the little details -- food pantry, SVDP stuff, paperwork.  It does need to be done...

I was amused by the decision by the PD and other papers to ban "Dilbert" due to his rant, which is...if not racist, borderline at best.  But...now Elon Musk is saying that he is right.  Are they going to ban Tesla?  Not cover SpaceX?  I assume if Elon wants ads in their papers they will turn him down?  I myself would love to see that, actually...

Mattie Takes A Day

 My streak of blogging regularly ended last night -- I had made 20 daily posts in a row, I think.  I had planned on doing so, but...not sure what happened, but I was gripped by, how shall I say this, intestinal distress?  I went to Holy Name for the fish fry, and it was quite good, but I think the combination of the food (the baked potato was quite large) and the buttery portion of cabbage and noodles was too much for my not-so-iron stomach.  I got better through the evening as nature took its course, but... sigh.  I am not quite as young as I was.

Today was my last day of managing the food pantry, thank God.  OK, it was not too bad for the month -- calm, quiet, no pain in the butt clients, and today was not very busy, sadly.  The roads were quite treacherous this morning -- ODOT seemed to be of the opinion of it will melt in a few hours -- and I think it kept the crowd down today.  It was also quite cold; we could feel it getting warmer as the day went on.  Anyways, we did rotate some stock, got rid of most of the produce, gave away the rando blankets that remained (ditto for adult diapers and some gloves), and pushed most of the snacks and fish that we accumulated.  

Then it was off to get my taxes done -- I will about break even in the end, which is about what I expected.  Not too bad -- the new job and the slowly decreasing mortgage interest deduction will make it harder for refunds going forward, though that is not exactly a bad thing.  I mean, paying off the house and making more money is a desirable goal!  Then I went home and laid down...and when I woke up, it was dark -- I nodded off for nearly five hours, which on the one hand was good (I was tired and needed the rest) but I also wanted to be productive, and that hardly qualifies.  Sigh.  Tomorrow is another day.

I am more than halfway through book 13 -- a combination bio of Adam Smith and a discussion of the myths/ongoing influences of him on economics.  It is quite interesting, of course, but a bit deep, and of course, the usual things of life interfere... at least the Duke game was only mildly competitive so I got some reading in then, but when one sleeps a day away...

Plowing Away

Another busy day today -- lots of work, but this is good.  I ended up not going to the gym this morning -- low blood sugar -- but that was fine, as I was able to plow away at the latest project.  I also hit the library and did some banking on my lunch break... yet another perk of the work from home gig, having time to handle minor affairs as needed.  Quite nice.  Tomorrow I will need to do some food pantry stuff, like calling some people and setting up stuff for next week.  Funny; my stint managing the OC will be ending for the month, which will give me more time to handle East District affairs.  

The Alabama hoops story amuses me immensely.  Legally, I guess the argument is that while he may have given the gun used in the shooting to the guy who did it, Miller didn't know the use for it, so... I don't think anyone actually believes this, but it has enough of a patina of plausible deniability to work, and that is the key.  Considering he made the game-winning basket in OT and is a key reason that they are a potential #1 seed... well, that is far more important than any old "participation in a crime" nonsense, right?  In a world where Deshaun Watson has a job and a fat paycheck for actually committing a crime...

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/opinion/do-mask-mandates-work.html?fbclid=IwAR37oqjX6nTxfOfsX1hRt-r_yi-bRtBXcwnXSZtw-g5M86Ce6Nh8Znrvz6E

Now they tell us?  I assume of course that there will be absolutely NO recriminations for the people who created this, correct?  No one is going to ask Dr. Fauci (save for Rand Paul), right?  Course, even I have stopped wearing masks at the OC... I guess if the argument was "they probably don't help but if you feel safer wear one" it would have been acceptable, but then only 42 people would have worn one, so...

Watched an interesting (and short) documentary, "Long Way Home," about the integration of baseball and the problems black and dark-skinned Latino players faced while breaking into the league.  I wonder why the clubs didn't do more to protect their players; some did, but most seemed not to do anything... I guess the idea was that they could not, but I suspect either they didn't want to, or just didn't think about it, which is sad, because I think it would reduced some of the problems faced by the players are they traversed the country and broke into the big leagues.

These Forty (plus) Days...

 Long day... I woke up slightly earlier than usual to make sure I was up for 6:45 Mass.  I will admit I thought about rolling over and going back to bed, but my usual motivational method -- only Hope and Changers sleep in and miss Mass -- worked like a charm, and I was soon up and at them.  As always, I was glad I went, as I sort of liked it -- the aesthetics, I mean.  For a few minutes (before they cranked the altar lights on) it was quite beautiful in the dimly lit church, with the opening prayers and the shadowy figure on the altar.  Very medieval, in a way.  Now, usually you would get the holier-than-thou feeling walking about, but as I just went home (icy rain when I left Mass) and talked to no one but through Zoom... well, it was not quite the same.

Anyways, after another hectic day (but productive), I cut out just before 5:30 and zipped out to Holy Family -- one of the few parishes that actually serves a fish fry on Ash Wednesday.  It was... good not great?  Lots of food -- much of it carbs, oi -- and the cabbage and noodles was decent (cabbage cooked too much!).  Looking at the list of parishes with fish fries, I decided that I will do a West Side/East Side rotation, and definitely try to hit some new places.  Then it was off to the gym for a nice workout and some extended cardio (which was needed, and not enough at the same time).

Finished book 12 -- Hinton Rowan Helper's The Impending Crisis, an 1850s period piece about why the South should abandon slavery, using facts and figures (economic data from the census, quite interesting) and the testimony of historical/current figures of the day.  Obviously, the argument didn't take...  I ordered a few more books from the library, on the theory (misguided at best) that by seeing the pile, I will read more, independent of the other 900 things I have to do.  But if it helps...

https://scitechdaily.com/surprising-research-reveals-rampant-violence-in-early-farming-societies/
This could be me, but isn't this obvious?  I mean, taking over someone else's fields (especially in times of drought or other scarcity) means that you have more land to feed your family and people, and removing the other inhabitants from the equation means that you don't have to feed them.  Not saying that this is the best way to go, but it makes sense, economically.

https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2023/02/an-ongoing-stimulus-in-the-economy-for-years-to-come/

I hadn't thought of this, but it makes perfect sense...if you are not really affected by rising mortgage rates, you have more money to spend on other things.  My rate is 3.86%, and while I feel miffed I didn't refi when I could have gotten 3%, I really cannot complain too much about it.  I do have a HELOC with rates that have climbed, with the result that any extra cash is now used to pay that down faster.  That and obviously fund all those parish fish fries during Lent...

The Last Day of Gluttony

 Funny; I had planned on meeting one of the last two SVDP conferences today.  So, I drove out to St. Therese in Garfield Heights, and lo and behold...everyone decided that they had other commitments and called off the meeting.  Alas.  I did talk to the parish receptionist, who told me about the group, and I left her my contact info, so that someone from the group could -- if they wanted to -- call me.  In the meantime, they will be meeting next month, so I can crash that one as well.

Super busy today; got a big project at work and ended up working late on it, which is fine -- I want to get it done!  But it will be taking a while, so the extra couple of hours might just be worth it. 

Of course, today was Fat Tuesday, and paczki day.  My sister told me that Breads and Beyond was good, and they had special flavors, so I decided to go there bright and early this morning (more or less).  And... there were three people when I arrived, and three when I left.  I got two -- key lime and peaches and cream -- and they were quite good!  The only drawback was that they were top/bottom half, and thus the fillings runneth over every time you took a bite.  Now, I am not sure they were worth $3 each, but... for once a year, it is worth it, I guess.  Tomorrow will be a day of much needed fasting, I can assure you.

https://ritholtz.com/2023/02/wfh-vs-rto/

Exactly right; I don't commute any more, and in addition to the savings in gas and the prolonged lifespan of my car... well, I do have more time -- time I can spend at the gym, getting dinner together, doing food pantry stuff, etc.  It's really quite nice, honestly...

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/21/michigan-christian-nationalists-00083251

I might be missing something here, but... a bunch of people who believe in a certain political philosophy went out and got themselves elected to something.  Isn't that how democracy is supposed to work?  I didn't see anything that services were being cut or something like that; that might happen, and it might be that the voters think that is a good idea!  I mean, just because the writers of Politico might be opposed doesn't mean that everyone else has to be against it, does it?  (I think we all know the answer to that one.)

Social Justice: Meeting by Meeting

 I was off today -- Presidents' Day -- but I had some work I wanted to do and make up some time for time I have missed/will miss.  So I logged on this morning and finished something I was working on for our CEO.  Well, both my CEO and supervisor "caught" me working on the off day.  At least they were amused; I think my boss has resigned myself to the fact that I feel the need to give the company 8 hours a day, no matter what.  Plus, I can now start the next project fresh and clean tomorrow, and ideally complete that one.

OC Board meeting tonight.  Small crowd due to illness, vacation, and prior commitments.  But, it went well!  We discussed a host of issues -- the expected surge in client visits due to the dropoff in SNAP benefits, how to handle repeat client visits, eventually going back to in-person visits, rearranging how we operate, even surveying clients not only demographic data, but whether they want drive-through or walk-in.  This, actually, is a smart idea, which is why I didn't think about it.

The only downside to all this social justice stuff is the follow-up; in most cases, one bulk email will not do, and I have to email/call 3 or 4 different people with different questions.  This is hardly a catastrophe, I know, and if I was less detail-oriented it would be less of a chore, but it is important, and the follow-ups do provide some measure of clarity and direction to the OC, so...

https://twitter.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1627671760421134336
This is hilarious!

The Saddest Day of the Year

 Took the Christmas tree down today.  It went much more quickly down -- once I started -- than up, for a bunch of reasons.  I had planned on going from top to bottom, but as anyone who has ever spent 20 minutes with me knows, my grand plans quickly degenerated into something far less stellar, and I ended up taking down the "toy" ones first, and then the ball types.  I used the flashlight on the phone to search the tree for any leftovers, and sure enough...it didn't work, as I missed one when I took the tree out of the holder.  I put it in the compost pile -- such a good tree does not deserve the indignity of the trash heap!  Sadly, I broke one ornament -- it hit the ground and then another one slid off.  It was one I wanted to keep for sentimental reasons, and I could not help but feel that combination of douchebag, Democrat, and used tampon putting the pieces parts in the trash bag.

Anyways, the living room is back together, mostly; I could re-compress the couches, but tomorrow is another day.  I decided that it was more than high time to clean the bathroom, so I did that as well; the trash bag is now almost full, so I may as well find some more stuff to cull.  I think I will develop a kidney disease or diverticulitis before I flush the toilet again, though the main issue, if you will, is that the heat vent is next to the toilet, so as long as it blows, it will kick up dust and such.  Sigh.  At least with the warm spell it blows less.

I spent a couple of hours this evening trying to get through the last issue of Games magazine, as the new one has arrived.  Fascinating how some puzzles I just plow through, and others are a real muddle.  More sigh, I guess.  I realize the mind does not work as well as we age -- I sense it while watching J! -- but I can assure you I do not like it.

The arrival of Lent means, well, many things, but one of them is of course that I need to plan my fish fry visits.  I do look forward to hitting new places and returning to old favorites, but there aren't that many places around here I have hit, so unless I spread my wings...

Inflation

 So, my great tire odyssey was...anticlimactic?  I woke up slightly earlier than usual and reported to the Goodyear place on Ames right at 7 when they opened; just me and a couple of techs.  I pulled up, they filled up all the tires, I turned on the car, and lo and behold, no warning light!  I gave the tech an SEC handshake in gratitude, and he seemed...confused?  Maybe he didn't expect it, but to me, it was more than worth it, just for the peace of mind.  

Anyways, off to the food pantry; I arrived promptly (if early) at 7:30, and, of course, there were a couple of clients in line.  Mind you, we generally don't start serving until 8:30, if not later.  Alas.  I do enjoy getting there early, before everyone (especially when I am managing), as I can sort of mentally plan what to give out, what to prioritize, etc.  We had lots produce, so that was priority one -- everyone got a 5-lb bag of potatoes, lettuce, peppers, and fruit (apples and oranges).  Also bread and some random snacks, in addition to the meat and canned goods.  We were steady but not terribly busy (90, instead of the 120 we have had) which was fine, but we pushed slightly less produce in consequence.  Alas; that we really cannot control, especially as many clients don't want that much.  Anyways, it was a good and fairly smooth day, always a plus.

Finished book 11 yesterday:  Manifest Destiny's Underworld, which concerned the rise and fall of filibustering in pre-Civil War America.  Quite interesting, actually; lots of stuff about why the went, what happened to them (generally nothing good), and the fact you could argue that the distrust of America in Latin America stems from them (even 150 years from the time!).  I also thought that now...well, Haiti seems the place you could almost get away with it today; maybe not with the gringo thing, but a failed state, lots of opportunities for "Security" and thus profit... one can almost see it.  Almost.

https://aeon.co/essays/what-was-it-like-to-grow-up-in-the-last-ice-age

This was quite fascinating!

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/business/inflation-food-prices-seniors.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20230215&instance_id=85399&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=31060267&segment_id=125355&user_id=f914b0e213c5e2b4265494b6d07fe88f

I made a post on FB about this, and... I still think I am correct.  Yes, some seniors are poor and can barely make it, but... I see plenty of others hitting the casino, or, as my sister likes to say, eating out while saying they can't afford to vote for the school levy.  I am willing to bet that seniors are more able than others to absorb these costs, mainly because of all the other economic advantages they have accrued over time, like high savings and 9,000 discounts; it's not too much ask them to cut back when everyone else has to as well, is it?

Adventure Abounds

Banner day today, sort of...started with a big fun social justice meeting on the East side -- part of our new alliance with the Hunger Network.  It was largely fine; lots of food pantries (mainly from that side of town), snacks and coffee, and the hottest church hall I have ever sat through.  Most of the meeting was about the cut in SNAP cuts; little advocacy, if you will, but more practical advice about how to cope with this -- making sure you have enough food to deal with the expectation of more people, how to suggest people go closer to their own neighborhoods, that sort of thing.  It ran long, sadly (obviously I was the only one there who has a real job, obviously), and there were plenty of superfluous questions...oi.  I sent a follow-up omnibus this afternoon, mainly to save time and to have stuff answered....and to save everyone else another hour in the sauna.

This afternoon I got another work project... this is fine (seriously!) though I am amused at the fact that I now have three things to handle simultaneously, sort of; I have a priorities list, of course, but the deadlines are... properly spaced out.  This is good, and the expectation is that I should produce detailed work and if it takes an extra day...so be it.  Quite different from the previous career...

My sister and I had our monthly dinner today.  It was her turn to pick, and she selected Samosky's Pizzeria out in Valley City.  It is far -- not terribly far, but it is over hill and dale to get there.  Valley City seems nice; a bit small, and I think it would take an hour to get through the downtown, but it looked interesting.  Anyways, the place was jammed when we arrived; not that I was surprised, given the dearth of places to hang around there.  I ordered a pizza, as it was a pizza place, and it was quite good; I got a BBQ one, and if I went back I would get one with the regular pizza sauce.  Half I took home, where it will be lunch or dinner for a few days.

The main problem was that on the way there, my low tire pressure gauge came on.  This was a less than welcome development, given that I was far from home, I have a nice and busy weekend, and it was 5:40 on a Friday night when this development occurred.  I mean, had this happened leaving the meeting, I had a whole afternoon to get it handled.  Now, I have to start my day slightly earlier and find a place open at the buttcrack of dawn to hopefully just inflate the tire...  sigh.

Joys Upon Joys

 I decided to get out of the house and I went to the Paczki Day celebration at the Polish American Cultural Center tonight.  I planned to arrive right at 6:15 (soon after opening) and...the place was packed.  The main lot was full, so I had to park on 65th, which was fine.  Quite the crowd, actually... I saw several people I knew there, which was nice, but it was sort of a cluster inside.  They had that setup where you buy tickets for food, which I hate, so I limited my menu choices.  But it was good; stuffed cabbage, pierogi, cabbage and noodles, and a delicious paczki.  All but the paczki were homemade, and as I know the cooks...well, I was not surprised.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2023/02/16/food-stamps-gop-proposed-cuts/
I realize the social justice community is doing some pearl-clutching about this,. but 1) We as GOPers should be cutting government spending, and this is as good a place to start as any; and 2) we need to get people back into the workforce, and this is one way to do it.  Now, as I always say, knowing my clients at the OC, a lot of these people are the last ones that should be working, but... well, if they can't cut it in the real world, they just might have to starve.  And I think we will all survive.

Speaking of government spending, if there is anything that this past week has learned...what the hell good is the Department of Transportation for?  Considering how Mayor Pete has done, one would think any GOPer of consequence would be calling for his head... and reminding everyone that they are failing us.  I would imagine anyone wanting to be President and trying to impress a GOP electorate would start by pointing out how much better off everyone would be if much of the DOT went the way of the dodo...

Strolling Down Memory Lane

I have to admit, I don't watch South Park as much as I used to, or should... but tonight was hilarious.  Obviously I need to go back to one of my favorite traditions.  Equally humorously, the hour before I watched the PBS episode of "Nova" about the ancient archaeology of Amazonia -- how people are now discovering the lost cities and civilizations of the region.  To be sure, much of it was due to racism and the sense that "primitive" peoples couldn't possibly build anything...but I wonder how much of it was due to the fact that until modern times and technologies, you really couldn't see any structures; they were simply buried under the fast-growing jungle, and it was simply impossible to see the there there.  Sort of like the remnants of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations...

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/arts/music/linkin-park-meteora-chester-bennington.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20230211&instance_id=85132&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=31060267&segment_id=125054&user_id=f914b0e213c5e2b4265494b6d07fe88f

When I saw this, I was...what the hell?  I heard the song today, and it was pretty sweet...  I sort of want to get the new album, honestly.  I remember when he passed away, and it was... well, like Christ on a stick.  I am not one to cry over bands and such, but certainly I felt the passing of Chester Bennington...

https://www.si.com/college/2023/02/15/assault-charge-former-texas-basketball-coach-chris-beard-dropped

So...does he get his job back?  I have discussed this before, but that is the problem with cancel culture... to be sure, something went down that night, but if there was no crime... 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/how-pat-buchanan-and-the-catholic-ghetto-conquered-america

Interesting read.  I am not quite sure it is a conquering, as we have yet to win anything, but... 

Feeling my oats

 Dare I say that Duke needed that win?  Yes; losing to a crappy ND team would have been catastrophic.  To be sure, they almost pulled it off, though talent/home court/whatever came through in the end.  That three at the end...I didn't like the shot, but it went, and...phew.  Funny; I was thinking about ND and the Mike Brey situation with some of the Fun Runners in regards to tOSU. Now, Brey had earned the right to go out on his own terms, but two years of suckitude...well, time for a change.  I suspect he will do a couple of years on the ESPN circuit and then find an "ideal" situation.  I am not quite sure that Holtmann has earned the goodwill that Brey has, but paying two coaches is expensive, even at Ohio State.

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/02/yellowcard-celebrates-20-years-of-debut-album-ocean-avenue-with-tour-stop-at-blossom-in-july.html

Yellowcard is back together?  Mayday Parade?  Sign me up!  I hope the Ticketmaster crash doesn't affect me this time...  hell, Linkin Park has a "new" song out and an extended version of Meteora out, which I may just run out and purchase...

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/immigration/freedom-caucus-appropriators-see-open-lane-for-spending-slashes

I will believe it when I see it; hell, they can't even get rid of earmarks!  To be sure, any reduction in government spending will be welcome, but as with so many other things... GOPers say it and never follow through.  Maybe a President DeSantis would be...different.  I suspect his popularity among the GOP electorate is contingent on that potential of promise...

Odd; I felt...blah in the afternoon.  I don't know what happened, I just crashed.  Maybe it was not enough caffeine, not enough rest, something... but I have not felt that way in a long while.  I know I am not quite as young as I once was, but... this is troubling to me.  Sigh.

Progress of a sort

I've decided that as I am off Presidents' Day, I can take the tree down then.  In the meantime I decided to enjoy it tonight; it is nice, having it on a few more times before we say goodbye to Christmas.  I guess it reminds me of happier times past... but such is life.

I crossed another one off the NFR list tonight by watching "Pariah;" it's a modern film (2011) about a young African-American girl who is dealing with her crazy family and her sexual identity...  I wasn't exactly a fan of it at the beginning, but I think the film did portray the problems one has as one grows up; not that I identified with her, I certainly understood where she was coming from.  It was certainly better than "Hairspray" which does not exactly create a high standard.  812!

https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-puzzling-job-market-employment-unemployment-productivity-tech-layoffs-help-wanted-technology-automation-robots-ai-chatgpt-70d9e54

Interesting and largely true; I think the real issue is that technology, once it is introduced, tends to move more quickly than people realize, so there are concerns on both ends of the innovation cycle.  Of course, those who do adopt it -- and successfully -- access the lion's share of the rewards and profits, which is not exactly something to sneeze at.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/02/13/gen-z-driving-less-uber/

I don't know; maybe in the urban cores this is a thing, but it would seem to me that in most places if you want to get around, you will want a car...  I guess I don't have a problem with people deciding not to have a car (God forbid they think of the union workers losing jobs due to this, those wonderful progressives) but I think it would be ridiculous that they should decide that everyone else doesn't want one.

Bemusement

 So...I didn't watch the Super Bowl.  I got home at 5:30 from helping out at a fundraiser, hit the shower, had some dinner, and immersed myself in some other stuff, and then I sort of nodded off.  And here we are.  I think I will survive; the commercials will still be on for several weeks, and I can read the recaps.  I should have actually done something, but I did not, for a bunch of reasons.  Now I will read a bit before bed, which will be good.  I do have a chore list, and I should, in theory, do one a day, but life and stuff intervenes.  Alas.  '

I found that one of the stores from which we source meat and other items will no longer be donating to us.  On the one hand, this is sad, but on the other, I get that...they are a business, after all.  As for us, I told our operations manager "We will survive."  Yes, it does suck, and our clients will probably start getting less meat, but... well, let's just say that some of them could use a vegan diet.  We do have a board meeting later this month, so I am sure we will discuss that, but... again, we will survive.  

I was vastly amused by the bulletin insert at Mass today; basically, the big Diocesan plan for Catholic schools is... parishes that don't have one will be asked to support a parish that does.  To be sure, they are not whacking schools (expected by many, including myself), but... for all the ballyhoo, meetings, etc., they had... this is the plan?  I mean, I could have divined that one during the morning dump, and maybe even started assigning parishes to each other during the paperwork.  I don't want to think about how much these people are making, aside from the fact that we can be sure that it is more than I am making.

Mass was actually amusing, in that Matt way; I heard we were having anointing of the sick and laying on of hands, and I immediately wished for southern accents, cheap suits, canes flung through the air, and, of course the "Sea of Green," which to be sure, most pastors would want.  Then, of course, I realized I will saying Hail Marys til doomsday to atone for that one.  Anyways, since we had a bunch of healees front and center, I diverted from my usual Communion rounds and did them first, then the people in the center mid-aisles.  This was fine, but the Healing Ministry people then proceeded to try and direct me to the fact that I had not gotten to the people I usually serve first... which was indeed the case, as I had planned on hitting them last.  I was half-tempted to tell them that this wasn't my first 8:30 Mass, but it was probably theirs, so...I just rolled my eyes internally and hustled to the altar.  Sigh.

The End of the Day

 Duke clearly got hosed today.  Now, to be sure, no one is going to lose any sleep over this -- even I am somewhat neutral about this -- but for the refs to miss an obvious call... that is somewhat egregious.  Hell, they got it right in the Portland State-Northern Arizona miracle...why not in the big game?  More seriously, this is what I (and everyone else) loves about college hoops; literally anything can happen!

Food pantry duty today, and it was good.  The first hour and a half was a zoo -- I almost peed myself -- but it settled down, though the count was 120 (a bit above average).  We were able to get rid of the bottled water, most of the bagged potatoes, plenty of other produce (though there is still some left), and some of the various random things we found, like blankets and snacks.  We didn't get a lot of meat from our pickups this week (which is fine) so the freezers are largely empty.  Honestly, I think it is more problematic when we do have a lot of stuff from the pickups; they are over-ordering and that, in turn, drives up our costs when we consumers buy the stuff.  As I often say, if our clients are eating better than we do...that is a problem.  I am a Republican, after all.

I know I am not really a football fan, but as the years go on, I care less and less about the Super Bowl, so much so that I doubt I will watch the game (don't tell Roger Goddell).  I suspect they will be just fine without me...

Friday Night Lights

Watched "Hairspray" tonight, and all I can say is...it was not fun.  All-star cast, sort of, and I can see how some people would like that sort of thing, but, on the whole, it was a 90-minute drag (pardon the pun).  811, at least.  Had I not been following the CSU-Robert Morris game on my phone -- a barnburner in every sense of the word -- it would have been awful.  I don't think CSU can win the Horizon regular-season title, for a bunch of reasons, but...being a top seed would not be out of the reach for the conference tourney, and who doesn't love an extra home game or two?

I finished book nine -- The Great Baseball Revolt -- which chronicled how a bunch of MLM players in 1890 formed their own league and for all of one glorious season tried to do things their own way.  Of course, it didn't work -- money was a problem -- but it was viewed as a way to raise player salaries, which it did...for that year.  The book was good but there was not exactly a lot of baseball in it; lots of stuff about labor relations and such, but a 200 page book needs more than 30 pages devoted to the season.   Anyways, I need to crack down and bump up the reading pace if I want to remain on track for 50.

Funny, sort of; all of medical reimbursements were approved in the past two days and in consequence I was finally able to pay off some stuff that was on the credit card.  It's not huge, but it did add up, and it felt good to see the debt level decline once again, even in its own small way.  I am still committed to holding off on the bathroom until interest rates, or my HELOC, or both, come down to more manageable levels.  But I am getting a little antsy about this...

Was it me, or was tonight's Final J! incredibly easy?  Yes, I have a degree in European history, but...  at least I felt it was...

Victory!

 Weird; I had immense difficulties in trying to get to bed last night; I think it was after 3 when I actually slept-slept.  Odd.  I woke up at 8, which was later than usual but not exactly enough.  Course, I took lunch at the gym, where not only did I have a good workout, but weighed in at 190.8 pounds, which seemed low, given how I have been feeling the fatness.  Maybe I am not, but...  maybe I am just vain, as well.

Pub Quiz at Rustic Grill tonight, where... we won!  We had a narrow lead going into the final (most of the rounds were not Matt-friendly), but the final I knew immediately... and we were the only team to know the final answer, which surprised me (hard but not terribly so).  So, a glorious -- and numerically significant win (I will have to make theme cupcakes, or something).  We did win a victory gift card, but it expires before the next PQ, so either I swallow it (winning is the only thing) or I haul out there and spend on gas what I save on the card.  Oi.  Ok, more of a First World problem, but you get my drift.

Oi would better describe what happened when I got off the highway; the light was out, so it's a four-way stop, correct?  Not here on the East Side.   Some people tried to do that, but half the time four cars or so would just blow through the intersection.  Mayfield Village had a cop there, but he was mucking with the control and not actually doing police work, like directing traffic.  I eventually got through, but I could not help but think that it was very, very East Side.

Out and About

Good day today!  Busy with work, and to top it off we had a District Presidents' meeting.  I learn a lot from these things (downtown loved my list, for one) and while I always have a bunch of action items to follow up on, it is worth it...mostly.  That is the thing, though -- as with so many other things in life; always something else that crops up.  I guess it is not a bad thing, but something that needs to be done... especially if good comes from it.

I met a friend for dinner tonight; he suggested Red Lobster, and off we went... he thought it wasn't very crowded (the Strongsville locale), but to me, it was 1) we ate late and 2) there are 900 restaurants in the city, so... they all cannibalize each other.  Now, I had not been in one in years, and it was...pretty good?  A bit pricey, and I don't think the cheddar bay biscuits are quite the same (but 100 times better than if you make them at home), but you do get a decent amount of food... and it was decent.  I know I tend not to prefer chains, but there is something to be said for them...sometimes, not-so-different is good.  In other news, all this eating out... I am going to be Mattie the rotund at this pace.

One other downside of all these dinners; the links, bookmarks, and emails are slowly piling up, and I need to go through them, and read/sort/erase some of them.  Most are just cool stuff I see during the day and don't want to read on company time, and some are lengthy emails dealing with stuff I need to research and look over...  the problem, of course, is when I do not, and they just pile up.  I shouldn't necessarily feel all antsy about this, but like my listomania, any deviation from the "empty as possible inbox and bookmark column" causes me a form of angst.

SOTU

Tonight was the State of the Union address, and, as always, I was watching.  I skipped the fest the Fun Run Bunch normally throws and instead decided to stay home (trying not to infest everyone).  It was...fine?  Very long.  Certainly some things the GOP could support -- insulin price caps, strengthening the border -- but I would have loved to have seen Kevin McCarthy be the rebuttal speaker and spell out a bunch of competing priorities.  I mean, for one, the battles with Biden will be in the House.  Two, spelling out our priorities would indicate where the lines in the sand were.  Three...there is a belief, if you will, that McCarthy is just a big a lightweight as Biden, and running him out there with even a decent set of priorities... well, that would have been impressive.

Had my haircut in Lakewood today (looks pretty good) and afterwards, I just had this urge to get pizza -- been a while since I had some.  So I walked to the pizza place next door and got a couple of slices.  It was... good.  Plain was better than pepperoni, honestly, but it just felt good to pig out once in a while.  Like I don't enough as it is...

I actually spent much of the speech typing up an updated list of SVDP conferences in the East District, complete with services offered and that sort of thing.  I mean, it didn't take an incredibly long period of time, and I had a lot of the stuff lying around in my notebook, but putting it all together was not the worst thing in the world, and certainly our Presidents will find it useful.  If only we could all get together like good Vincentians should... I mean, that is also my job as East District President, but baby steps...

One odd thing today...my CGM expired, so I ripped it out and put the new one in.  Well, it didn't register, and I soon found out why; blood was pouring out of it.  This has never happened before, so I removed that one.  I called Abbott to order a new one and to ask what is happening; used to be these things were like clockwork but this is the third in three months that didn't work, and, well, the whole blood thing was more than a little unsettling, to put it mildly...  

Downers All The Way

 It's odd; on the one hand, I do feel a little bit better... my nose is running less, at times I have more energy, but...today, especially in the afternoon, I just felt...blah.  Could have done a bunch of things, but I just sort of chilled.  I can do them tomorrow, or so, but... well, I should be more motivated to do something more than finish book #9 and start #10.  I should try to maximize sleep again, as maybe that will help with the health and the energy level.  To be sure, gallivanting everywhere yesterday might not have been the best choice, even if it was good in some ways.  I have a lot of stuff on the agenda for this week, so... now is not the time to go wobbly, if you will.  Actually, I keep finding other things to do and work on as well, so... I need to get cracking.  Tomorrow I may skip the annual SOTU party and conquer some of them while listening to the speech.  I did comment that maybe the jobs numbers were so good because everyone has to get a second one to keep track with inflation.  Course, if that were true, the labor market would be a lot better, and that would take out a hunk of inflation.

My hands are dry; even some cracking.  This is odd, given that it is the first time this year that it has happened and also because it is not that cold.  Hell, tomorrow it will be warmer than 50, and the weather is expected to remain decent all week.  Phew.  Not that I expect winter to magically disappear...

After the joyous win at home...going to Miami and getting blown out was not exactly on anyone's card... ugh.  To be sure, Miami is quite good, so maybe it is but a venial sin, but...  In other news, is Chris Holtmann on the hot seat?  It seems to me a bit premature to think so.  Obviously, something is off with the program, but as it does not seem that anyone knows what the problem is, I would think cutting someone without letting him try to fix it would be expensive and counter-productive.  But I don't think he will have a short leash next year...

The Belly of the Beast

 Quite the day... last night we had a family poker party -- which was quite fun, as we haven't gotten together in a while.  I made a seven-layer jello as my dish to share, which meant that I had a big fun Friday night, sitting around and reading and such while waiting for the layers to set.  Actually, it was fine -- I got to bed early and got some reading done.  Of course, the downside of family fun time was that I missed the Duke-UNC game!  I monitored it on the phone (the family was amused, as I seldom do that) but it was not the same.  At least they did win, and the Lord (and I) was pleased.

Today I went to Mass and thankfully the Blessing of the Throats was done; for a bunch of reasons, I didn't go to Mass Friday and get it done (namely cold and health, also I had some work to do!).  I think it came from downtown, honestly, and while I know some parishes did a communal one, we had an individual one... which was fine, though in this day of COVID, I was a bit surprised.   Then it was off to the food pantry to take some canned goods there.  I did notice that we have a large number of Keurig pods; boxes and boxes.  We never give them away, of course, because our clients don't have them; someone brought one in for the volunteers as no one likes to see a pot of coffee wasted, but...anyways, I made myself one and then hopped on the Opportunity Corridor to the People's Socialist Republic of Cleveland Heights.  

Today was the day I was to meet the SVDP Conference at All Saints parish, and since I was there, I figured I would attend Mass at St. Ann's as well.  Funny; the year I lived in Tremont, I never went there...hell, everywhere I have lived in town I could have walked to Mass somewhere but... Anyways, it's nice-ish; much more sparse than the Shrine, and attendance was about Polish Mass... I noted I had the only pickup truck in the lot, and while Mass was Mass (thank God!), I skipped the Fair Trade coffee stand, though I did wonder what their Pro-Life meeting would entail.  I availed myself of coffee and donuts (one can never have too much coffee) and then it was off to the meeting... which went quite well!  I started with my usual line about not being the Downtown Nazi (everyone laughed) and they talked with me about their ministries.  I stayed late to talk with them about issues facing our conferences/area...as I often say, while I am young for the Order (I rather enjoy this aspect of the gig), I have been around a while, and some of the internal politics and such...well, I remember every detail.

Anyways, then it was down Coventry to Mayfield and to Little Italy.  I was in the area so I decided to hit a place on the restaurant list, and I chose...Guarino's.  It was... ok.  I mean, I liked the food.  I went with the veal saltimboccha (never had it!) and it was fairly good; veal easy to cut, sauce was decent.  The side of pasta was quite good, and I liked the sauce.  I vacillated between the cannoli and the salted caramel cheesecake for dessert; went with cannoli and they were delicious if a bit small. Service though... I dined by myself, and at first they barely found a table for me, then it was ten minutes to get a server to arrive, and she was...not very attentive.  I realize I wasn't going to pile up the tips, but...  odd.

Then it was down the hill.  Driving through the East Side made me realize how little I missed it, and I was palpably relieved to cross the river again.  People really do drive like shit there, parking was awkward (I found a space on a side street, but the whole neck of the woods is sketch), and I rather like being in areas where you don't have to lock your car.  I didn't rush home, as I had to buy a mailbox.  Somehow, my door came off and I suspect I have not been getting any (mail!).  Oi.  First world problems.  Then, when I got home, my screwdriver was too large (of course) so I decided to walk off lunch and hike to the hardware store.  With the proper toolage, I (for now) have a regulation mailbox and an inflated sense of achievement.

The rest of the night...drank some tea with honey (still raspy!).  Caught up on some email.  Read a bit.  Typed up some notes and some after-action items for the week.  Planning to hit the hay soon, but I think we all know what that means...

A Great Day for Social Justice

 So, food pantry duty today; it was funny, I woke up at the crack of dawn, got there early to make sure everything was spit and polish for the inspection...I arrived at 7:45, and there was already a client there (his engine was idling; for a Hope and Changer, he seemed unconcerned with his effect on global climate change).  I was fascinated.  Anyways, we had a lot of stuff to give away -- romaine lettuce, parsley, arugula, and produce, all of which was now or never.  Plus, there were random snack bags (pretzels, mainly), water, brand X sports drinks, and pop to get rid of, and, somehow we got soon-to-expire ice cream.  So, once I got the coffee started and recorded the freezer temperatures, I made sure to coordinate with the baggers and the other managers... and most went.  The count was 110, so... we gave out what we could.  Funny; we were short in the back, in the bagging area, so I moved myself there for a bit.  Half of the time I was not bagging, but bringing up boxes of canned goods, opening them, moving trash, taking sets of food bags to the front, and doing all the little things, but, of course, they all take time to do, so the guys bagging could actually assembly-line bag.  

Our inspection was today, too; I was glad she came during the morning rush (always good to look busy, even though we were busy), and I think it went well... she liked the set up, asked questions about the clients, and discussed how she wanted more demographic info... while this will be something of a challenge as we are still in drive-through mode, it is not impossible; heck, we could ask people one question a month or so and not really slow things down.  I will mull it over with the other comanagers...

Then, of course, it was home... I had some stuff to take care of here, and I guess I nodded off for an hour, as it is now almost 4!  Where the hell did the day go?  I mean, it's fine, life is meant to be lived, but I would have liked an extra hour to read or something.  I guess tomorrow will be my off day...

Friday Night Fights

Man, it was cold today, especially after yesterday -- it seemed the temperature dropped 20 degrees last night.  I decided with the cold, a full schedule this weekend, and plenty to do here, that I wasn't leaving the house...even if it meant skipping the gym.  Alas.  On the other hand, I did get a lot done.  Emptied some emails, did some reading, did the dishes, handled some paperwork... and, of course, I plan on getting to bed somewhat earlier tonight.  One of my friend suggested I have some tea with honey to calm my voice, which I guess worked, as I sound a little better.  Emphasis on little.

https://jesuitschool.substack.com/p/fr-martins-bridge-pt-1-crossing-into

This is a big bowl of WTF... ok, my first thought was that the whole church (or at least its leaders) are the biggest LGBTQ types out there, even without the Jesuits and their sophistry.  But reading the article... this is a bit much, even for me.  I mean, we are still Catholics here, and this moral relativism... is NOT who we are.  Good Lord, do people actually believe this?  And, of course, as I like to say...people entrust their children to the people who do believe in this.  Oi.

Another NBA fight... Austin Rivers and Mo Bamba, which was pretty impressive, as fights go.  Coming off the bench, a new and innovative touch.  This would be funnier if I hadn't said that with KSU-Akron tonight there should be plenty of opportunities for fisticuffs.  Alas.  

One Can Only Smile

 Amusingly, I woke up at 5 this morning, and could NOT go back to bed.  This would not be a problem, save for this annoying cold (and the corresponding voice loss) which I cannot shake.  Two or three days of full rest would be just what the MD ordered to get this put aside.  Sigh.  Also amusing:  one of the local TV stations did a piece on the CSU men's hoops team and its potential to win the Horizon League... and they go and get blown out by an 8-15 UDM team.  To be sure, this is the life of mid-major basketball, but...

So, I started reading The Cotton Planter's Handbook, or at least one of the many iterations of it, today.  Yes, it is Black History Month, but I think we all know that I order a bunch of books from the library, they come in, and I put them -- in any order -- on the living room table.  I could have put it back or upturned the pile, but that would be cheating, in a way.  Anyways, the reason why I ordered it was because while the book about slave trading in the South the author noted that many people -- most of whom never had (or would) slaves -- owned copies of the book, despite being (at best) yeoman farmers.  According to the author, he said owning such a handbook was aspirational -- someone who felt they were one good crop away from buying land and slaves would have a copy, if you will, to indicate to their neighbors, or themselves, of what was possible.  Interesting (to me).  The handbook itself is... well, they talk a lot about manure, and whenever they discuss field work one can now laugh a bit knowing that the planters themselves would be miles away from such a task.

Is it me, or are the latest allegations against Hunter Biden -- the ones about his personal assistants at work -- being brushed under the rug?  I mean, these are serious allegations, and they bring to mind consent issues, and if a GOPer was accused of them, AOC would be slamming her notebooks on them.  But, it's Hunter, and there is so much other sleaze, so... under the rug.

Eating Out

So...last night I met a friend for dinner (in town for work for a couple of days).  He is staying on the East Side, so I asked a couple of friends for places (bit more upmarket), and I specifically asked for "not craphole" places.  Some of the boys responded with... places on Shaker Square.  Sigh.  I was amused.  Anyways, I selected Cooper's Hawk -- never been, heard from others it was nice -- and it was...ok?  Good not great?  My friend didn't like the wine (I told him it was wine, that was the problem); I had chicken giardinera and it was...good.  My friend liked the pasta, but thought it was heavy.  But it was nice to hang out and chill for a bit.  Of course, I got home late-ish and went to bed, which explains my AM blogging.

I finished book 8 yesterday:  Ghost on the Throne, which looks at how the world of Alexander the Great unsorted itself after his death -- lots of war, killing off relatives, that sort of thing.  Interesting, of course, how everything quickly fell apart.  Not exactly surprising, and while I felt Eumenes deserved a better fate -- for a decade he was the quintessential survivor -- it was a good read.  I think I am ahead, if you will, though at the cost of neglecting other things (Games magazine, and I have yet to make the next recipe I planned).

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23574178/diabetes-insulin-pen-injection-cost-california

I think this is a good idea; not for any selfish reason, but... the whole idea of Banting was that insulin -- having been developed at such cost, with such delays, and literally being a lifesaver for people -- should be readily available at modest cost, and the drug companies have --` legally, mind you! -- promptly gone and shit upon that.  Not cool, and thus we have the right to go and make that dream a reality.  Like it or not.