Perambulations

 Leap Day!  Very exciting, I guess.   Actually, it was; we had Employee Appreciation Day at work, and I snarfed a cookie.  I note this because this is the first time I have ever experienced this in my working life...  so I was somewhat pleased.

My sister and I met for our monthly dinner -- getting it in just in time -- and I selected Lotus Thai House in Seven Hills... and it was quite good.  Bit of a kick at the end, but we liked both of our dishes and Michelle even took something home for my brother-in-law.  I would definitely go back.  My sister and I both noted that for every diner in the restaurant there were FOUR Doordash/Uber Eats orders.  This is fine -- good for them, actually -- but as we noted, those things are pricey.  Indeed, I have never used this service for that reason...and the fact that I like to get a full sense of a place by eating inside.

I have decided -- reluctantly -- to look for more bathroom contractors and see what we can find.  Grr...my sister, of course, chided me for being unreasonable that I would get this thing scheduled in a month or so.  Oi.  I feel like a curmudgeon and haven't actually done anything, as I like to say.  Alas.  I guess I could ask the one contractor I liked if they could do ALL of the work and buying...

Getting to work this morning was an absolute catastrophe.  The crashes on the innerbuilt bridge on the East Side (of course) clogged up the highways I normally take, so... well, no big deal; I can swing West on 480 to Clague, take that to 90, and then complete my commute.  Ha!  First of all, lots of other people had the same idea I did (mainly, as one guy at the gym said during the last snowstorm, fugly chicks with Biden stickers who drive slowly in the left lane; I need to tell him how right he is next time I see him), so not only was that road more full, it was also clogged, as said fat chicks were going 20 miles under the speed limit.  Once on Clague... it was closed at Lorain, so I drifted west on that road for a few miles until I hit Stearns (which becomes Crocker), and aside from the efforts of said fugly chicks to clog up that road, I eventually found my way back to 90, but it added a full 30 minutes or so to my drive, to say nothing of wanting to pull out every hair on my head.  As always, I thought "dad would be proud," as I was able to find my way from point A to point B using common sense and NOT asking for directions/using my phone... 

Is it me, or are we (well, not we) missing something?  Namely, of course Hunter Biden is going to swear he is completely innocent of everything.  That is what criminals do, and why he should be given the benefit of the doubt is mystifying to me, given that he is a recovering (ha!) addict -- a group of people not exactly known for trustworthy behavior -- and is under indictment for the various crimes he admitted to in his autobiography?  I am not exactly surprised that no one in the press is mentioning this, but I am a bit perturbed that no GOPer is calling out the press and the Dems for this.  Odd.

Wrestling

 Yesterday I just was tired and crashed... I felt it hard and that was that.  It actually felt good; I wouldn't say that I got 8 hours of sleep, but I got 7... I need to do more of that, obviously.  Not only will I never get rid of this cold, but I will feel better -- livelier, more energetic -- if I can get some rest.

Confession day in the Diocese today; I went to St. Charles in Parma (on the way to the gym) and it was... fine?  I am sure that I have been inside the place, but it has been decades.  Pretty there; not St. Stan's nice, of course, but quite contemplative.  Of course, at the gym my car key broke off the holder (the plastic seems to fall apart) and there was a string of obscenities, so I should have gone right back... I also left my CGM in the truck, so... it was a disaster all around.  

Kyle Filipowski Defies The Odds, Starts For Duke Against Louisvil (outkick.com)
Yeah, that was my thought exactly.  I mean, if he is that badly hurt, why not rest him against a sub-par Louisville team?  I don't doubt that he tweaked his knee, but... if we can't win without him against a crappy team... what are we going to do against UNC or some tough team in the Tournament?  Or... just have a hissy fit about the court storm and move on.  Oi.

I guess I am beginning to stress out about this bathroom renovation; most of the bids I have gotten involve ME buying most of the stuff and them installing it, and... I guess I feel that if I am getting a contractor, it is their job to handle that sort of thing; I know a couple of people who had to handle the ordering and such, and.... it didn't go well.  I am more than tempted to start again and start emailing and soliciting bids again.  Ugh.  This is actually worse than dating, and that is something for me, as I am... inept at dating to begin with.

Upset Special

 The plan tonight was to plow through stuff, and it is sort of accomplished... there are a few things I want to do tonight, but I had also wanted to hit the hay earlier as well.  Tomorrow is another day, I guess...

I had a trip to the OC today -- we got a good deal on hot meal supplies, so there I was handling that -- and I discovered that we get deliveries of CFA leftovers every two weeks...and it basically fills a freezer each time.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if the hot meal people do not use it for their dinner... it piles up, unless we give it away.  No one, or very few people, of course, knew how much there was, how often it comes, etc., until today...when I told everyone.   I mean, this is fine, but... I wish people would tell us this stuff and not just assume that we know.  Hmmm...

Dr. Phil Schools The View Ladies On How Covid Lockdowns Harmed Sc (outkick.com)
This is... sad but good.  I mean, if it takes Dr. Phil to talk some sense into these ladies... this is indicative of a different problem, though.  No one was ever punished for these poor decisions, no one has really suffered any loss of reputation, or career, etc... let's not even discuss the whole letting kids get run into sex trafficking rings and such, either.  For all of the talk of the President complaining that the bipartisan border bill could solve this... the fact of the matter is that there are things he could do without engaging Congress at all...I think the man would have a bit more credibility with Republicans -- or the public on the border -- if he was seen as actually doing something.

I cleaned the upstairs bathroom today (and did laundry, not that I didn't do anything) and now I am leery of actually using said bathroom.  I guess this problem with take care of itself in a few days, but for now I will be getting extra steps in by running up and down the stairs even time I want to drop a bomb, or something.

Crazy stuff in the TOC tonight, and Cris Pannullo -- the odds-on favorite to win the thing -- fell hard in the first round.  Losing out on Daily Doubles -- credit to Jared Watson for making big wagers -- didn't help, but... I and everyone else in the US was surprised by this one.  Definitely a St. Peter's over UK moment (many of you Jesus-haters would use Lehigh or Mercer as an example) but it is why people love the Tournament... 

Transitions

 I am still more than a bit bemused over the court-storming debate going on.  First, of course, is that if Kyle Filipowski was run into intentionally (and I am not sure that that is the case), said fans should be drawn and quartered.  Second... no one likes losing, but I suspect that if Duke had played better -- especially down the stretch in the second half -- and won the game, this is moot.  No loss, no court storm. etc.  I do not like the idea of getting rid of court-storming; in a world where fun is increasingly becoming few and far between... why deprive fans of celebrating a win?

Speaking of downers, I finally took down the Xmas stuff and the tree today.  Not sure why, but I do not like it -- put me in a down mood for much of the day.  Christmas is over, for one... two, I didn't celebrate it enough.  Three, of course, is that I do miss the joy and the pretty-ness of the season, and having all the decorations and a tree up reminds me of that.  Took me a while to get here -- how many years did I not have it up -- and I feel badly about that, especially as Mom loved Christmas, and it sort of reminds me of how I am a failure of a son.  Taking the tree to the compost pile -- something that brings such joy and happiness is NOT garbage but deserves a chance to become something else green again -- was also sad, but...  It is a new season, with Lent here and Easter coming, and that sense of rebirth for that.  

Solar storms, ice cores and nuns’ teeth: the new science of history | Science | The Guardian
Interesting!  I love stuff like this, as we should never eschew a chance to broaden our knowledge of the past.  

Who Should Regulate Online Speech? | David Cole | The New York Review of Books (nybooks.com)
Dare I say that maybe no one regulates the Internet?  I guess I would prefer a system where people are free to post content -- offensive or not -- as they see fit, with little government intervention...  

"Far From Heaven" was on TCM this afternoon and I had that on... it was interesting.  I would NOT say good; for all of the fawning that the TCM host made about it, I think it is the movie Hollywood makes when it wants to preach about racism -- well-meaning intentions are good enough.  I mean, could anyone say that anyone was better off at the end of the film?  I don't think you can...

Back in the Blogging Saddle

 A two-day hiatus... can't have that!  Wednesday I went to bed early, for a bunch of reasons, namely this cold and the fact that I am just...tired.  Hell, I nodded off tonight for a bit.  Not good, as I wanted to do things!  I guess I have done things.  First, my MD's medical assistant (or, I hope it is her) made another series of mistakes on my prescription refill, so... I made an appointment with a new physician next month.  Oi.  I think we all know how I love change, but incompetence is worse, and... there we go.  

Thursday I had a work meeting and it seemed that all four of us had slightly different ideas as to what we should be doing... odd.  Anyways, we had Pub Quiz at Rustic Grill... we had to sit at the bar, as they lost our reservation (I had gotten a text confirming it, deleted it because, of course, why would I, right) so we had to sit at the bar.  The comment made by one of my teammates that they want to have a Pub Quiz but can't handle it seemed apt, as -- on pasta night -- it took us an hour to get dinner.  Alas.  On the other hand, we won... there was a 19-way tie for third with zero, as everyone blew the Final J! question... save for us and one other team.  Yay!  It did mark a nice end to the day, I guess... 

Today I committed the slightly cardinal sin of being late to Stations -- forgot I couldn't turn on to Broadway from Warner, had to make a Uie -- but I stayed for Mass, which I guess made up for it.  Fr. E seemed to do a world record to get it done before Polish Stations, and while it was a bit quick... it was nice.  Had dinner at St. Monica's, and it was... good?  Bit pricey, but they didn't fuck up the salmon (always good) and they serve on real plates with real silverware... I think they are the only parish I think of that offers that, which is... pretty cool.  I didn't see anyone I knew there, which is mostly good, but a bit odd.

The Patton bio is done and I stacked the deck for progress by moving some 300-page books to the forefront of the pile -- I am on six books for the year now, but some reading (never mind the pile of Games magazines) and a few of them crossed off will get my list going down and my own sense... feeling better.

KSU-Akron was tonight and... well, normally this is a big mid-major game, but tonight... not really on big TV.  Alas.  KSU is having a down year, and a game that might have moved the needed for them... well, not so much this year.  Akron seems to be good and balanced this year; one just hopes nothing bad happens to them in the MAC Tourney... that season is soon to be upon us...

Hooping It Up

 Lots of interesting stuff in the college hoops...first, an impressive post-game fight between Incarnate Word and Texas A&M Commerce.  I mean, these guys got on ESPN!  More seriously, while on the one hand, they will get some punishment... I guess I rather like the idea of people caring so much that they want to start fighting.  And, in the words of my second-favorite Democrat (Stokely Carmichael)...nothing gathers a crowd from so far and so fast like a burning police car.  Or, a big fight.

Next, I was bemused by the comments from Rick Pitino about his team.  In the old days, of course, his comments might have had some merit, but... nine of the guys on the roster were players he brought in, so... I guess it is sort of like Coach Prime at Colorado, or, continuing the theme of hoops... Memphis.  Good start, now a miracle to make the Tournament.  I find it fascinating that -- especially Pitino -- shouldn't be able to see that a team that beats the Little Sisters of the Poor will struggle in the conference part of the schedule.  Then, there is poor Dennis Gates...

I also couldn't help but note that UVa won 49-47 and then lost by 33 or so by VaTech... I don't know, I am glad Tony Bennett won that championship a few years ago, because... This could be me, but... his style might have worked a decade ago, before the transfer portal, or even, if you, will, before the cable era, but now...at one point it could have worked -- if everyone in the fast-moving, high-velocity ACC does one thing, and you do another (like Boeheim and his zone), it can work, for a while, but it can't be the only gimmick in the toolbox.  But it does seem to me that his stuff works sometimes -- teams can get lucky or face a team on a bad night -- but I am not sure how much longer this works.

In the meantime, I hung with a friend of mine who bought a house in Avon Lake a while back, and now that I am working out there... it was nice, but it was interesting, watching me interact with my friend, his wife, his kids, and the yappy dogs.  We all had a good time -- no one complains about homemade Taco Tuesday -- but I was not exactly depressed to come home to my quiet residence.  

Rankings

 Funny (not really):  I have been stressing about work lately (imagine that) but Sunday morning Fr. Steve (of all people) gave a homily where he said that one had to wave away the pessimism present in our daily lives... and I realized he was correct.  I prayed some more on it and today was... better.  Much.  Calm, orderly, went through a few projects at once... I hope this continues the rest of the week.  Of course, some of it is me... I do need to be a bit more disciplined, and we all know how I love discipline...

We had our quarterly OC Board meeting today, and there will be changes (not involving me); one of our long-time managers is retiring and we need to find a replacement... and so far, no one wants to.  Time, of course... well, I am not going to push the issue now.  Actually, the meeting went pretty well -- lots of stuff was discussed, issues handled, policies refined.  It ran a bit long (and with this cold of mine I was feeling it) but everything on the agenda was handled.  Phew.  Afterwards I decided to hit the gym -- I went this morning but wanted to burn some energy and thus did legs.  It felt good, even if I was lagging a bit.  I will put it down to the cold, but I suspect i am not as young as I used to be.  Hell, I am still feeling yesterday's Wrestlemania fest...

24-hour restaurants closing at unprecedented rates | Watch (msn.com)
This could be me, but... we shut down a lot of things that kept these places open during the pandemic -- bars, concert halls, even stores and such.  Those places employed a lot of people -- and had plenty of customers -- and once that went away... well, it's not exactly sustainable to keep them open, is it now?  I have been there a few times -- good grub -- but it is hard to keep ALL of these places open if the infrastructure to support them is not yet complete.

presidential_greatness_white_paper_2024.pdf (brandonrottinghaus.com)
Interesting... my first thought was that there was something of a modernist bias here.  I realize the government does more now, but...Kennedy as 10?  Biden as 14?  Odd.  Polk at one point was in the Top Ten of Presidents due to his successes -- war with Mexico, settling the Canadian border -- but now of course we hate the guy for the motives for the war.  Wilson seems to be dropping, and as we discussed before... that is good.  Coolidge at 34?  Do we hate prosperity that much?  Grant is climbing, good; Jackson falling... possibly.  I mean, like Polk, we can dislike his motives but the results were... well, there is the Second Bank failure and the Trail of Tears -- but I think we tend to forget that his philosophy guided a generation -- if not more -- of Democrats.  I would say Trump as well, but I doubt that the Donald has actually read anything about the guy...

Wrestlemania

 Surprising no one, it is official, I am back in cold protocol.  Actually, I don't feel too badly, just a runny nose, occasional chill, and annoying cough.  I would like to say I laid low today, but... the usual Mass and gym, followed by a trip home, where I completed the budget and some action items for a future OC meeting.  Joy.  Then a contractor arrived at 2.  He was actually quite thorough -- looked downstairs, examined the pipes and the electrical, that sort of thing... but five minutes later knocked on my door; he took out the mailbox while leaving my driveway (surprised he wasn't stuck) and did a thorough job of it. He said he would be over tomorrow to fix it... let's hope.  That should NOT affect by review of his bid.

I also went to one of my friends' son's bday party.  The boy is 7 and has ADHD, and, well, you could tell, as about half of the time the child was wrestling with me... I guess a catastrophe was avoided as no one went through the window or TV screen.  My shoulders and rotator cuff, not so much!  At least they loved the brownies I made; the usual ones but with the chips normally used for red velvet cookies.  (Normally, we used chocolate.)  Everyone seemed to like them, and while the chips were a little more likely to singe -- I had to watch them like Argus -- they were polished off with alacrity.  Bully for Mattie, who still has it in the kitchen, obviously.

Hunter Biden’s First Nepotism Job - POLITICO
This could be me, but this is the sort of stuff that should annoy everyone; this is the sort of stuff the US was founded for to avoid, and the fact that it is happening here...  I mean, yes, everyone does it, but that is even worse... I suspect GOPers are making less hay of this than they should because of these ties...

And, on cue, Jake Diebler and those scrappy, underdog tOSU Buckeyes upset #2 Purdue.  My not-so-secret plan to cause a bed-shitting in Columbus passed its first and glorious test.  I certainly appreciated the embrace between Diebler and Gene Smith, though I couldn't help but think it was the kiss between the mob boss and the soon-to-be-whacked capo...

Awake

 I should be in bed -- I feel the cold I have getting worse (feeling cold, sneezing a bit, that sort of thing) but I nodded off a bit before, and now... the sleep schedule is messed up.   Alas.  Plus it was a long day; I woke up early for OC duty and...  we had 75 clients.  Oi.  Between the snow yesterday (which covered the roads) and the blizzards -- yes, blizzards! -- this morning, most people just didn't show.  Yes, we had two periods of immense snow... very sad, because we had plenty of volunteers and stuff to give out -- produce, meat, etc.  This was a problem as there were leftovers, even when giving people more.  Alas.  Freezers will be tight next week, but... not much we could do.  If the Hot Meal people want to take some of this... 

Anyways, while we were not that busy, there was still much to do -- shoveling clear, moving stock, etc., -- and I was a bit cold and tired, so... anyways, I came home, where I baked some brownies for a church fest tomorrow, and then settled in to watch some college hoops -- Duke played at FSU, where McCain literally nailed the game for them.  I may have to reconsider my feelings about men with painted nails... I then -- after surviving that game -- was channel surfing and found YSU-CSU, which was also... a close game!  CSU won, good, and... it was impressive, seeing these teams literally clawing each other to boost their position in the HL race, but... at the end of the day, it is sort of superfluous, as one bad day at the conference tourney...and your season is over.  On the other hand, this is what makes mid-major hoops -- in many ways -- more compelling than a power conference matchup.

The pile of stuff on the kitchen table is... impressive, and not in a good way.  I have plenty to do tomorrow, but one of the things I should seriously consider is moving this crap to where it belongs, or, better yet, completely away.  I have been using it as an office -- warmer than the bedroom, the bathroom stuff is here -- but it is sloppy.  I also have some more OC paperwork to handle, so it could be an omnibus day of productivity, should I actually pull it off, and that is always doubtful around here!

Mehness

 Today was thoroughly...meh.  Work was not exactly fun -- meetings, projects of complexity, uncertainly, and, I guess, my own trepidation as to what to do (this is my fault).  I did have a metanoia, if you will, at the gym about this tonight, and may fire up the laptop tomorrow or Sunday and try a different tack.  But it did put a tenor on the whole day.  The contractor I was supposed to have over cancelled (a troubling sign).  I did have a good dinner at Holy Name (as expected) and had several pleasant conversations, so that was fine.  Stations was mostly fine as well -- first one of the year -- if a little sparse and they used a more standard version.  Oddly, my blood sugar was high after dinner, so I decided to do a gym double (I have J! stored, in theory).  I thought the roads were a bit snowy but mostly fine, but there were people who were literally going 30 MPH on the highway... and of course, not a cop anywhere to put a stop to this.  Oi.  At least I got some reading done on the Patton bio -- crossed the halfway point and got into WWII.  The email box is somewhat emptier, and I even went through a few bookmarks and such.  

Funny; this weekend there is supposedly very little to do, but I have potential stuff filling it in all weekend.  This is mostly fine, but there are some things I would like to do very much and if they are bounced or truncated, it will not be good.

Is it me, or was the Holtmann firing both overdue and too soon?  I guess I would let him finish the year, but maybe they think Diebler can be the guy?  Doubtful, given that the new AD is coming in and there seems to be plenty of cash to make a big move.  To be sure, if they go on and some run and, God forbid, win the Big Ten Tournament...well, that would be vastly amusing to me, as it would certainly force their hand.  

Uncancel Woodrow Wilson (msn.com)
Woodrow Wilson Can't Be Defended | National Review
I of course am on the side against Wilson, mainly because he was not that good of a President.  Certainly our foreign policy has been guided by his spirit (and there are plenty on my side opposed to that) but the fact of the matter is that on most other things he was horribly wrong, and all of the convincing in the world does nothing of sort.  Hell, it speaks to the greatness of Harding and Coolidge that they were the opposite of the man in so many ways!  No one, of course, seems to remember that.  Sigh.

Recovery

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and if there was one thing I learned, it is that you do NOT read the Penitential Rite usually said at the start of Mass.  I would think you would -- extra forgiveness in the Major Penitential Season is a good thing -- but I guess it is superfluous on Ash Wednesday.  It was a long day yesterday, as I went to early Mass (we are NOT Hope and Changers) and then decided to treat myself to the Neck Deep concert at the Agora.  On the one hand, with parking and ticket and fees it is sort of steep... on the other, one got to see four bands, I so rarely treat myself (though I did get a lobster sub from Jimmy John's, quite good), and why not?

Well, one reason is that it really kicked my ass.  Maybe I am getting old (I feel like Jane Scott sometimes as it is) but between the crowdsurfers and the jam circle... I was a bit sore at the end of it.  Let's just say that many who crowd surf should not, if you get my drift.  The third band -- Drain -- had quite a boisterous following; the jam circle was like being in a prison riot, not that I had that on my bucket list.  This would be fine, but I just wanted to watch a few bands and listen to music.  Oi.  Plus, I got home late (I did treat myself to a fourth meal of snacks as I was up after midnight, prolly all sorts of moral sins!) and by the time I went to bed, it was one.  

Of course, this morning, I woke up early, and felt it throughout the day.  Work was not exactly fun -- a mix of fits and starts -- and thus when I came home I was... well, feeling it.  Blowing an easy final J! didn't help, either.  Watching South Carolina-Lady Vols and Caitlin Clark did boost my feminist credentials but has not exactly ended my malaise, so off to bed soon!  Funny; I did do some SVDP stuff -- follow-ups, emails, and such -- so it was not a total loss but on the whole I have felt this day was one of endurance and not achievement.  Alas.  Maybe with a semi-decent night of sleep, an early workout, and a refreshed sense of purpose...

One thing of amusement:  got a text from the famed Brandy today; I didn't want to inquire if she wanted anything (well, meeting for drinks, which I assumed would lead into a $100 dinner) so I instead just didn't open the message... I will account for it as "early to bed" and leave it at that.  Do I respond?  I guess I thought that ship had sailed (insert feelings here) and having her pop back into my life now of all times hardly seems... well, something to embrace.  

Lenten Eve

 Here I am, slightly tired but unable to sleep.  I went to bed early-ish last night, and of course... I couldn't fall asleep there, either.  Much tossing and turning.  Very depressing.  

In the meantime, it is Ash Wednesday Eve, and it hardly feels like Lent is here; I mean, Christmas was not that long ago (I still have my decorations up), and after the minor penitential season of Advent... now time for the big one.  I tried to prepare for the season by going through the email inbox (about half emptied) and looking through a couple of bookmarks (the list of which never seems to shrink) and catching up on various paperworks and reimbursements.  Rah.  I still need to watch two episodes of "Masters of the Air," the movie I got from the library, and various podcasts I saved.  Not good.

I couldn't help but notice that inflation was higher than expected -- especially for the stuff that counts, like food and rent -- and credit card delinquencies are at an all-time high.  No one, of course, will be asking the President about this, as it is not like he can answer.  Nor will they pepper KJP with questions...  for all of the people who are worried about Trump, I always want to ask them why on earth they want four more years of this.  Democracy dies not in darkness, but in economic catastrophe and a Potemkin presidency.  No one seems to mention that inconvenient truth, do they?

Watching the Duke game was... not exactly fun.  Duke was the better team, but Wake Forest is playing for their Tournament lives now (if you will) and it was obvious that they were playing harder for a while.  As usual, Duke turnovers were a concern; for all the talk of them not committing any (statistically) it seems they commit them at the most inopportune times, and I suspect that the weak non-conference schedule is when they padded their stats...

I was just about to declare the great bathroom contractor search over when another person got back to me... I don't know much about the firm, but one of Team XI has used them for her home renovations, and I have seen her home before and after, so... in some ways that it is the best recommendation overall, right?  No harm in delaying this a bit more, I guess, and then we have to play some financial reindeer games, as this project will be more costly than I expected, and while my finances are fine... I would like to keep them that way.

Not-So-Super

 Lots of stuff to discuss, I guess... Super Bowl was today, and I watched.  I will not be doing that again.  The commercials were meh, and while the game was exciting -- in so far as any close game was --it wasn't that exciting.  Actually, the commercials were dumb, let by the ones with the feet-washing and such.  Oi.

Today was Mass for my parents, and despite a few minor hiccups, it went fairly well...good homily, long hymn at Communion so I could make it to the choir loft (Mom would have proud), and post-Mass donuts as a pre-Lenten fest.  Not much Church gossip, as my sister was there, so instead we had family gossip!  Last night was a family poker party so there were always things to discuss.  Sadly, I was first out in both games; I did not get very good cards overall and when I got decent hands... well, others were better.   Alas.  It is gambling for a reason.  I made a sausage-eggplant casserole from the parish cookbook, and people seemed to like it; not everyone likes eggplant (I do) but the Italian sausage and the dicing up of the veggies hid it, I guess.  I also made a seven-layer jello...slaving over the hot oven, as we say.

Saturday was also OC duty (for a day that had an empty schedule, I had plenty to do).  We had very heavy and hard rain early -- the first hour or so was wet -- and it kept the count down (118).  A lot of people either didn't show (especially our walkers) or arrived late.  We did not have much produce to give away, which was fine, as we wanted an empty OC, and we did that... so that was good.  The day was fairly smooth, save for the weather; we were joking that we were ready for 150, and... well, these things do happen, I guess.

I am vastly bemused by the brouhaha over the report on Joe Biden.  Can't anyone see this?  I mean, it's obvious to everyone, and the man has never been a brainiac to begin with, if you get my drift.  To say nothing of his gaffes.  Again, if I were a GOPer who really cared about winning, I would go after this; hell, even Donald Trump doing two hour town halls or so would be ideal.  I don't expect Joe to step down which in theory should make the job easier, but...  for all of the people who are worried about the stakes, this is as much as anything why they should be...

Back in the Saddle

 So, there has been a slight hiatus in blogging; namely, I got a suspicious email, so I took it to Geek Squad and had them run a full diagnostic on it.  Got it back today... they pronounced everything normal, and while I am skeptical -- and slightly nervous of having all of my deep, dark, and dirty secrets revealed -- their team seemed to think that emails are just... that.  We will see, of course.  In the meantime, all passwords have been changed and upgraded (substantially), stuff has been deleted or moved as a matter of course, and here we are, now, finally doing stuff that we enjoy (sort of).  As I like to say, no one could doubt my ability to imagine the worst... and then crow about it when I am proven right.

Making a jello for a family fest; I was busy with things -- work, changing passwords, minor stuff that came up -- so there was no time to make it today.  Actually, sort of frustrating today -- minor issues at work, no one was around to offer guidance (fine; Monday will be hectic), I had to go to the DMV to renew the OC truck registration (which was not too bad, just a wait), handle stuff at the food pantry (not a lot of produce or extras to give away, people may squawk), and the stress of the laptop issue... oi.  These things do happen, I guess.  But we all know how I prefer some simple, drama-free life.  Hell, even this morning at the gym, I couldn't lift (had to arms) because the BS Brigade was camping out in front of the stations.  I realize I have no friends, but while I do not mind social hour at the gym... not in someone's way.  Funny thing...you expect it from old people or women, but even the younger guys do it now.  Oi.

Finished Dominion this morning -- rather off the rails at the end -- and am now on book 6, a bio of Patton one of my PQ teammates gave me.   Just started, but it is long, which I need like a hole in my head.  We did play PQ Thursday -- first in a while -- at Voodoo Brewing in the PSRCH.  Not bad; all online (one team member submits answers on that medium which does speed things up, though it was hard for me to get used to) and the food was decent (lines are long and if you get there too late, you order during question time).  Not a lot of room -- I like a little space between teams.  We didn't win -- missed a couple bonuses and such that we didn't know about, which I detest as well.  I mean, it moved fast, good questions, and we will probably return, but... I am not opposed to spreading our wings elsewhere.

Backward and forward thinking

 Odd; worked late today, skipped the gym (low blood sugar, oi) and then came home, where I did everything but what I had wanted to do.  To be sure, stuff got done -- dishes, swept, dusted, evening prayer, boiled eggs -- but now of course stuff will have to be put off until tomorrow.  I guess this is largely fine, but... one has a busy week and weekend, and some level of juggling will be required.  As we say, adulting is hard.  At least I got a bid from a contractor -- bit on the high side, but very comprehensive, and I did feel comfortable (mostly) with them.  A few more torpedoes are in the water, so we have time, and I will probably check with the bank to see if I can afford it (Ha!), but... one way or another, a decision will be made.

Tucker Carlson Says He Is Interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin - WSJ
This is...interesting.  Now, it would be cool if he asked him actual questions, like why does he call them Nazis when he is engaging in the behavior itself, or how many Russians is he trying to kill.  I don't think for a minute he will, though, so what is the end game?  Not sure he needs more of the moonbat type of the GOP on his side.

Dominion is still interesting but has sort of gone off the theological rails, having hit Voltaire, the French Revolution, and the Marquis de Sade in quick and irreligious succession.  I think he has morphed from Biblical truth to human truth, which are similar but not quite the same, and even as he tries to link the two traditions, it is not exactly working...

It is now a week til Fat Tuesday, which means.... I need to figure out where I am going for my paczki.  There are many good choices, of course, but I do prefer the actual Polish ones.  Of course, the new Matt schedule might not permit this, so now I had better plot out Plan B...

Wistfulness

The Christmas decorations are down at church; it was quite different this morning when I arrived.  I still have mine up.  Honestly... I have not had the tree on as much as last year, and that is... sad.  Not sure why... I have kept it watered, and it seems to be in good shape, so I will keep it up a bit more, but I haven't really just sat and looked at it and enjoyed it.  Maybe after the excitement and joy of last year, putting one up for the first time in decades... but that is no excuse.  Course, I say that every day, followed by "I can do it tomorrow."  I am not quite a Christmas person, but...  hell, I went to Bakery 57 today for lunch they were advertising paczki, which also boggles the mind -- Lent is early this year!

Put some work on the contract job -- need to do more, for a bunch of reasons, even if it was nice to take yesterday "off."  It is interesting; keeping up with the world of agtech, learning about AI and other things.  Only drawback is that it is time I could be reading; all those fat books on the pile...

Watched "20 Feet From Stardom" today, which is a documentary about backup singers.  It was mostly interesting; I do not have the musical gene, of course, but I was fascinated/saddened by their careers; these people (mainly black, mainly female) are talented musicians in their own right, but to get a record deal, or series of records and hits, is in many cases damn-near impossible, often for... reasons.  Maybe now, with streaming and other media forms, it is easier to make a career out of it and get hits, but... still, a good look about something I never really considered.  Also, now up to 828 films viewed on the National Film Registry, and I just ordered the next!

I bit the bullet and contacted a few more bathroom contractors; while one bid is still pending (another thing to do tomorrow; track that down) I am now of course in the doldrums (if it hasn't arrived by now!) so off we go into the breach.  Sigh.  I am hoping that some other good things happen tomorrow -- food pantry stuff I applied for (cash and resources), work projects approved, a solid night of sleep -- but considering how things have gone in this department one cannot blame me for being slightly skeptical.

I decided to do a gym double today -- lifted after Mass and then about 6:30 I went to do legs.  Really, I should do this more often; only about 15 people were there, no competition for machines, and it was the solid workout.  I realize that Sunday night is not quite the prime gym night but it just might be for me...

Bemusement

 Two days without posting?  Well...reasons.  Ok, I was doing other stuff and wanted to get to bed, I guess.  Also trying to read and do things like paperwork (my updated OC budget is a subject we will nor discuss at this time).  We will discuss -- though we should not -- the Duke/UNC game.  All those turnovers!  Oi!  It really cost them the game; no doubt NC is tough, but... this could be me, but Duke definitely needs more big men; big and tall, if you will; Flilipowski is good but I am sick and tired of seeing him get bounced around.  I know they prefer a certain type of player, but...

Funny; OC duty today, and everyone was like "we won't be that busy," and I was like, we will easily make 150, and the count was...156.  It was not a zoo, but steady busy all day...I mean, the weather was good, it was the first of the month, and, as I say...the shepherd knows his flock.  At least we purged most of the stuff (like produce) from the main room and the fridges and rotated some stock in the freezers, so mission accomplished.  The clothing room has been... well, dare I say we are running low on clothes?  Not that this is a bad thing, but... just surprising.  Anyways, if we can do this all month -- I prefer less chaos in front -- it will be a joy.

Magnificat vs. St. Joseph girls basketball: Is 7½ minutes of dribbling worth all this fuss? — Matt Goul (msn.com)
This story amuses the fuck out of me; snark aside lesbian love triangles aside... for one, these are private schools, so paying $15K a year and having your daughter dribble, stand around, or not play... I can see how people are pissed.  Two... I would imagine a bench player would also be upset, given that... well, how do get better or opportunities to do so without PT, and if we have a dribbling exhibition...  Anyways, the family and my friends are still chuckling over this one,

As I had nothing planned today, I went to a short films showing for Black History Month at the CPL in Tremont.  This, of course, violated my rule about Tremont -- never go -- as there was no parking and the place is... well, a bit sketch.  Actually, the library was pretty nice inside; recently redone, lots of books (one working bathroom, oi) and a fairly nice space... I was impressed.  The films... two were good.  One was about Archie Garner and how he resurrected Hough Bakeries.  The other was about the Jesse Owens oaks -- he was given four in 1936, one was planted at Rhodes high, and now they are grafting them on to other trees and planting them.  Quite cool!  The other was about the role of a local church in the Underground Railroad, but... mostly it was about the art and theater exhibitions at the place, and I would rather be drawn and quartered than sit through anything like that again.  Now I sort of have a taste for Hough Bakeries, but not enough to deal with East Side driving...