Mattie is a moron

Another long week -- lots of work -- and of course I am bedeviled by sleeplessness and low blood sugar attacks (I am monitoring one now).  Oi.  But we persevere.  One advantage:  I have books due back at the library that cannot be renewed again, and this will help me to finish at least one of them before I need to return them.  I can of course re-order them, but... there is the inconvenience factor, and the fact that I am too damn busy to get my reading in.  Oi.

Had dinner with my friend Ted at LJ Shanghai today -- he had never been, and his wife is much less adventurous than I am (or Ted) -- and it was quite good.  I was ravenous -- worked through lunch -- and of course I wolfed down the pickle noodle soup; not like the Polish version (no cream base) but still good.  Indeed, a bit mellow, and not so much that it fills in the broth.  I need to try some of the spicier dishes, but they are a bit warm, and I need to bring milk, bread, or both.  I would say it is aging but I have always been like that, so...

The ‘Betting Coup’ Shaking Up Horse Racing - The New York Times
Interesting.  I mean, as the article suggests, it happens more often than not....or it can, just hard to prove.  But, this seems a little...brazen.  As I like to say, the slow play works best.

So, a bit ago I knocked over a water cup.  I thought I had wiped it up, or miscalculated the amount of liquid in it, as I discovered just now...I now have 12 papers of varying importance lying on the kitchen floor, as spread out as possible, in the (hopefully not) vain hope that we can put Humpty Dumpty back together again...oi.

Soirees

So, last night I was laying on the floor, answering some emails, and of course I nodded off...and woke up at 4 in the morning, lights on, laptop on, etc.  My carbon footprint will be most unpleasant.  To be sure, I guess I needed the rest, but I must really stop doing that sort of thing.  Of course, I am, doing it now, but a large cup of coffee is next to me as I type away.  Joy of joys.  Anyways, I tried to go to bed, failed, and ended up making some coffee and doing some laundry.   

Then it was off to the OC. Very quiet day; the count was off -- all that GOP prosperity, as I say.  More seriously, most of the bread and produce went, the tables were wiped down, and all the computer stuff was entered properly.  The month has been a bit off, not sure why; normally it picks up about now.

Anyways, while I had some work to do, I did take a couple of hours for a summer of fun and off to Country Maid Ice Cream Parlor and Orchard; I have passed by the place many a time, always wanted to go, and... the ice cream was quite good -- mango with a waffle cone.  The orchard I was a little surprised -- not a lot of apples, but then I looked at their schedule, and I realized it a bit off season.  I picked up some produce -- tart Paula Red apples and large peaches.  Quite delicious...I will have to go back in apple season.

Work has been busy, as with other things...funny; the paper pile seems to be getting larger, the links and articles are increasing, and there is much to do.  One thing that went well -- I got school supplies to the parish school AND some gift cards from our OC parishes.  Even have bulletin content for the next week, always good for the proper exploitation that everyone loves...

A Day of Sighs

Long couple of days -- lots of work and other stuff.  I would like to think it will ebb tomorrow or the weekend, but let's just that I am not exactly sure about that.  To be sure, it is the silly season, but it is a bit sillier than usual.  To be sure, some of it is just a compressed calendar, but... stuff just cascades and it is not exactly fun.

Sherrod Brown leads Husted by 8 as inflation tops Ohio Senate poll | Fox News
This is not fun.  To be sure, none of the OH GOP candidates have exactly run an inspiring campaign, but I would think in a blue year, this would be the time to do so, right? I should think we have the cash, so at least we are on the air, but the ads are mainly attack ads, and you need to be for something, not just against.  Just saying...

The Initiative That This Top House Republican Said 'There's No Excuse for Delay'
This could be me, but this should have been 1) Sooner 2) Faster and 3) More Often, as then we would have something to run on.  I realize there are a lot of things going on, but stamping out fraud should be an easy win, and with the plethora of red states out there, there are ready allies in the fight. OI.

So I went to cut the grass today and the thing was idling... hard.  I made two passes and the mower died.  I realize it has worked since I was in middle school, but I would prefer not to replace it now; so I will make a service call and hope it is just age-related stuff.  It has been a couple of years since I had one...at least I can weed-whack tomorrow and remove the weeds and the ditch.  I guess I could charge it 20 times and do the whole yard...

Mattie Meanders

Another late night -- and low blood sugar -- and here we are.  To be sure, I am being productive, cleaning out the emails and going through stuff, and the mail pile shows that the kitchen table is slightly emptier.  On the other hand...it was a long day, and I should probably be resting or something.

Last night I went to see my friend Jake, who moved back to CLE.  He bought a fixer-upper in Tremont, and while I do not like Tremont...anyways, his place is sort of nice -- the parts that are done and the parts he is doing.  The rest looked like Baghdad.  Yes, he can do it, and yes it is cheaper, but... weird, as his place is not that old, which made me wonder who the hell lived there before him.  Anyways, he had a couple of cocktails -- we were on the third floor, where he is creating a lounge, when the few too many he had caught up with him, so he raced to the second floor (one does get steps in in these places) to be sick.  And we wonder why I so rarely imbibe.  Getting home was an adventure...first I made the wrong turn, then when I got to the W.7th exit it was closed, and the detour was basically down along the river (I assume by the loading docks) until you got back at 9th and 77.  Oi.  I had not been down that way, but it seemed there were a dozen places to hide a body...

The Canadian Secessionists Who Love Trump - POLITICO
Interesting, but I wonder if Canada will let them leave...

‘King of the Hill’ Is a Roadmap to a Better Conservatism - NOTUS — News of the United States
I should check this out; never a huge fan of the original, but I did like it, and it was one of the few shows that was... representative of conservatives.

In tight Senate race, Peggy Flanagan can't escape the f-word • Minnesota Reformer
Democrats Are Blaming Each Other Over Minnesota’s Welfare Fraud Scandal - WSJ
Who are they kidding?  They were ALL in on it, one way or another, and they ALL should be dangling from the tallest tree via the shortest of ropes.  But they will not...

Catching Up

 There are two truths to my life now... one, I don't sleep enough, and two, I do not blog enough.  I suspect they are related.  But, here we are.  Let's recap:

Wednesday I worked late and made a jello for a family fest -- my cousin turned 60 Thursday and of course we had to have a surprise party.  No, the party was fine -- as an introvert in a family of extroverts, I do what I can.  Lots of people showed, and we managed to keep it a total surprise, which was pretty cool.  Matt being Matt, I went home and did some work.  Anyways, Friday was work -- got a project out the door while doing all of the normal things, which was an accomplishment -- and then I did some paperwork and such.  Not nearly enough, of course, but most.  

Saturday was OC duty.  The count was 110 -- a bit low, which I attributed to GOP prosperity, despite the craptastic jobs report.  Crowd was mostly good (no keys walked off), the produce was given out, tables cleaned, etc.  Then it was off to the gym, some errands, home a bit, and off to the family poker night.  I was given a pass from jello -- I made one Thursday -- and instead brought Farinacci's pizza (the family loves it), where I discovered the bridge was back -- the highway exit open, and the long national, carbon-emitting nightmare is over.  Actually, it does look quite nice, and with the extra lanes and stuff, traffic should flow a bit more smoothly.  But, it did take a while...

Today was...odd.  Didn't do as much work as I wanted -- work work and SVDP stuff (though I did most).  Didn't feel well; not sure what.  Not cyclospora, but my stomach was off (there are few living things in Chateau Mattie) and I feel like I am getting a UTI, of all things.  To be sure, I had pizza twice this week, and I cannot remember the time when that happened.  Lots of feastings, lack of sleep, stress...

Once again, Duke’s non-conference schedule is no joke
Dare I say this is to be expected?

Insults, Expletives and Fat-Shaming: Vance Trolls Critics on the Right and Left - The New York Times
Dare I say that I think I - and a lot of other Republicans -- love this about the guy?  Let's face it, a lot of these people are humorless scolds, and that makes it so much the merrier!

Things Don't Sound Good for Cancer-Stricken Joe Biden – PJ Media
Remember when everyone was saying that he was healthy and could easily have a second term?  I mean, cancer and life happen, but in addition to the blithering idiot and senility... again, if we had any brains we would be calling people to the carpet for this, but...

Food stamp participation has been rapidly dropping. Here’s why : NPR
As someone who runs a community food pantry, all I can say, the more the merrier, and the sooner the better...

Still Awake and Alive

I know, quite a long time since I last posted....I have been busy with work, trying to get some sleep, etc.  Indeed, I went to bed without posting last night, but my blood sugar alarm went off, so... God is telling me to post.  Saturday was OC duty -- 140, about average, but there was some excitement.  One of our volunteers left her key ring on a shelf, and of course, it disappeared... our clients are Hope and Changers, of course, so this should be expected.  Eventually, a client said they "found" the keys, and all ended well, but...well, our volunteers know better, or should.  Oi.

‘Platner on steroids’: Max Miller abuse claims have Republicans silently sweating - POLITICO
Are we really surprised?  I mean, the man is a laxbro from St. Ignatius, and if you looked up "douchebag" in the dictionary... I am not exactly sure how he thinks he can win, and while she certainly comes off looking less than stellar, given all that is going on, I am not sure why he thinks he is sticking around.  Good Lord, all I can say.

A New Report Offers a Stark Warning to Centrists - POLITICO
Interesting but not surprising?  I mean, the Left has not exactly delivered on its promises -- sort of like Trump.  And, they are going apeshit with their ideas -- socialism, women are men, etc., and people are going to the right.  Can we deliver?  I doubt it, given all else going on, but...

Inside the growing vigilante movement to knock out Flock surveillance cameras | US news | The Guardian
I completely agree, of course; quite frankly, we need this thing for ALL of these cameras -- speed, Flock, license readers.  I mean, I guess I have some sympathy for Flock cameras, but given the general lack of "who watches the watchmen," I have more empathy for those against them.

Ramaswamy campaign, GOP allies sensationalize and distort facts in attacks on Amy Acton - cleveland.com
This could be me, but we all know where cleveland.com lies on the scale, so I cannot wait for them to discuss their long history of minimizing claims against Sherrod Brown, Ed Fitzgerald, Jimmy Dimora, etc.  Hold my breath I will not.

Awake and Alive

Long week -- crazy earnings season, other projects, and of course I need to do some SVDP work.  Oi.  Wednesday we had our quarterly Presidents' meeting, and there is quite the to-do list -- stuff to follow up on, stuff to tell my parish leaders, and stuff I need to expound upon; people do have good ideas out there, just have to go and figure them out.  Today was the West District meeting, and I went... one to see how they do things out there, and two because I wanted to scout out who was there...

My AC kicked on today, which was surprising because it seemed so nice -- bit breezy, not too warm, plenty of sun.  It was a little odd, and of course I had to run around and close the windows and the doors.  It was not on long, and then back to fresh air.  Bit cool last night but rather worth it...

I still have an episode of J! to watch; guess I will do it this weekend.  On the one hand, I have more time in that I am not chained to the schedule and 7:30 (as much as I can).  On the other, I miss it -- the mental challenge, the rigor, the fight against my mental decline.   Not fun, but at the very least I can track my brainpower.  Here's to hoping I am smarter next season!

I forced myself to boil some eggs -- I bought them when they were on sale at Acme, and they are on sale at GE, if you buy three dozen. Yes they keep, and you can do many things with them, but I suspect I might have ennui with them if I buy them all.  I bought a $4.65 watermelon at Aldi a couple of days ago, and I was like... I miss it, as it is good, healthy for you, and fairly inexpensive in bulk.

The Daring Mission to Recover World War II POWs From the Bottom of the Ocean - WSJ
Interesting.  I can only imagine the nightmare of that site, but committing to saying that we do not leave a man on the battlefield... it is an impressive thing.  Also, we didn't avenge ourselves nearly enough on the Japanese for ALL of their crimes.  Not only against our POWs, but Chinese and other native peoples; I realize most of these guys died during the war, but not all of them, and that fact that any of them were breathing in 46 or 48....