Absence

 No J! tonight!  I completely forgot that the football game would preempt it.  While the one player had a commanding lead...well, one hates to miss J!, especially given it is a Tournament final and all...let's just say that while I don't necessarily think anything can happen, it's best to play it that way, for many reasons.

Iowa caucus tonight; I think the whole process is a bit odd -- vote or not -- but there is something quaint about it, and if it works for Iowa, well, God bless them.  I guess it is a question about margins and who else finishes where.  I am not quite sure where anyone else can make a stand.  Not that this is a bad thing -- if the people want Trump, and it seems they do (quite substantially, I might add), that tells us something about the GOP.  Now, I am not sure he can win the election, but, given the Biden-shitting-the-bed policy, the man has a shot.  I think we all remember 2016; Trump and his laser focus on the economy put him in the White House, and I think THAT -- and nothing else -- could put him back there.  As we all know that "message discipline" is not exactly in his lexicon (neither is lexicon, come to think of it), that could be... problematic.  

I got some call backs from bathroom contractors today -- two are scheduled for later this week, a follow-up call later as well, and who knows who was off and who was not... I guess this is progress.  I should probably get on expanding my HELOC and making sure the finances can be made.  As I told my sister, it really is a crapshoot; who knows if they do a good job, etc.  We all know how I hate uncertainly, but it is time...

I successfully "studied" for my lab "test" today and it seemed that the lab recorded its arrival, so take three will not need to happen.  Of course, the prior authorization for my prescription was unpleasantly delayed; not sure if the insurance or the MD is at fault.  On the one hand, I can see how people think that a big government plan would solve all this.  Then, of course, I think of all the times big government... well, I can only imagine how much more successful that would be.  Sigh.

One further advantage of a J!-less day; I decided I need to start on the backlog of media and watched another episode of "Manhattan;" I think it only lasted two seasons so I should be able to get through it fairly rapidly, even if I watch it on Kanopy, which limits (it is from the library and free) total consumption.  I was thinking I might need to get Hulu or some other streaming service, like every other person in America... lot of stuff I want isn't available (even some NFR stuff) and it might be worth the investment.  Of course, I have to pay for that bathroom, and that small amount... I know, I am ridiculous, even to myself sometimes.