Monday had more rain than I was expecting, so we spent more time in bed than we might have. All the pets were more than happy to sleep the day away. I did try eating some oatmeal, but that didn’t stay down so I didn’t try anything else. That was followed by severe dizziness again, and that stuck around far longer than it should. I don’t know if that’s from dehydration (yes, I’m drinking water), COVID leftovers, or the Chemo. I’m glad I haven’t fallen.
The kids seemed to have had a good day. G went to the salon after school while Tipper went to robotics. Neither one was very talkative when they got home, though, and, hmmm… no one did their chores. That’ll be a fun conversation when they get in this afternoon.
I did manage to watch about three quarters of football. The Bengals may have gone into the game being a two-touchdown favorite, but the Commanders showed that their defense can make one hell of a stand in the red zone and that rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is the real thing. Washington won the game 38-33, and even that doesn’t capture how pitiful the Bengals looked. Of course, that was better than the other Monday night game, where the Bills ran all over the Jaguars, 47-10. The only time that game was close was before the Jags got on the field.
Kat fell asleep mid-scroll. I’m not kidding. Her phone is in one hand, the other is poised for scrolling, and she’s dead asleep. It’s so cute!
The death toll in Lebanon is now over 560 following two days of Israeli bombardment. Someone needs to intervene, but I don’t think anyone has the guts. We’re not going to see a cease-fire in the region until everyone is covered in blood. The sheer stupidity of it all is mind-boggling.
I’m not sure how this is possible, but the last full-sized K-Mart is just now closing. The discounter was failing long before Sears Holdings declared bankruptcy in 2019. This final store in Bridgehampton, NY, on Long Island, will close its doors forever on October 20. Those of you who are younger will never know the thrill of hearing a blue-light special announcement in the store.
Your diet isn’t working. Severe obesity is on the rise in the US. All 50 states and territories posted obesity rates higher than 20%. We’re committing a slow suicide, and paying for it with higher medical costs. Have we reached a point where we just don’t fucking care? That seems to be the consensus.
Stephen & Evie Colbert have a cookbook. The Late Night talk show’s host is getting pretty close to having his wife as a full-time sidekick. Audiences don’t seem to mind. Many even enjoy the romantic back and forth between the couple. This still isn’t likely to be enough for him to capture a coveted Emmy award.
Two Outer Banks Homes Collapse Into the Ocean in North Carolina. The article tells you that this is the ninth home to fall into the ocean in the past four years. What I find more disturbing is that this is the third home to collapse this year. I used to camp along the islands of the Outer Banks when the boys were little. This development is both sad and frightening as a special way of life on these islands is dissolving.
Tuesdays are often shit-hits-the-fan days. It’s still early, so who knows what could go down today. One thing’s for certain: I’ll most likely sleep through it.
Remember when I used to actually do things?
Morning Update: 10/15/24
Yesterday was full of surprises, the biggest of which was PELICANS at Eagle Creek! Jen and I were out again, along with her daughter Ali, to see if we could catch some larger birds than we had the last time out. There was the usual collection of smaller birds floating on the water, and we caught a handful of blue herons and egrets wading around the shoreline. We first saw a couple of pelicans out in the middle of the lake and considered it unusual, but they were too far away for either of our cameras to get a good shot. But then, as we came around the North side of the land bridge, the first group flew in right over our heads, the shot above. Over the next several minutes, more came in groups of three, five, or seven. In total, nearly forty pelicans were taking a breather along the shallow water.
Why is this a surprise? Because pelicans don’t belong in Indiana! Sure, one might occasionally find one up around Lake Michigan during the summer, but we’re too far inland for them to be interested in hanging out here. More often, they prefer the warmer climates of Southern California and … Florida. Our best guess is that Helene’s winds blew the sea birds up here and now they’re trying to get back home before frost hits tomorrow night. I’ll share more pictures in a separate post later this morning.
Then, I came home, took a nap, and went outside to find that it rained? Not a lot, nothing more than a brief shower, just enough to leave droplets on top of the trash bin and make the road wet. But, there wasn’t any rain in the forecast yesterday morning! Conditions with the advancing cold front were just right to generate spotting showers around the region. More could pop up today. The cloud cover prevents air tempts from dropping too low. Only when the skies clear Wednesday night will we see frost.
Solaris wants you to know that he thinks human life is silly and that we should spend more time napping in the sunlight and cleaning ourselves. In fact, he’s decided that if a human touches him, he needs to clean the filthy area immediately. I gave him pets as I sat down and now he’s ferociously attempting to remove the stink from his body. Too bad that desire for cleanliness doesn’t extend to things like cleaning up his vomit from the floor.
Other news? It’s concerning that the UN is concerned about the safety of their peacekeepers. This is a sign that no one is playing fair and none of the leaders can be trusted. None of them. Just toss the Geneva Convention out of the window. War crimes are being committed daily and no one is doing a damn thing about them. I have ideas, but they’re probably too extreme.
North Korea is throwing a hissy fit, blowing up roads and rail yards in its own country. Those with multiple children will recognize this tactic of throwing toys all over the room while yelling and screaming in frustration. Why? Who the fuck knows. Perhaps the tomato slipped out from their cheeseburger. Maybe their wearing the red outfit when they want to wear the dirty brown one. Possibly a sibling walked past without saying anything. North Korea has a brain deficiency that doesn’t allow them to progress and grow. And their diaper stinks.
Oh, if you’re one of those selfish people who thinks that the US needs to seriously crack down on immigration, I hope you’re ready to pay more for milk. You see, the price of milk has long been regarded as a bellwether for families with children. When milk prices rise, family health declines. Dairy farms rely on migrant labor because lazy Americans don’t want to work seven days a week. Most milk cows have to be milked twice a day, every day. No exceptions. Take away the migrant labor and… you see where this is going, don’t you? A hard line on immigration almost immediately relates to higher prices on the most basic necessities. Perhaps we need to rethink our approach.
I know October is a spooky scary month, but most people prefer their horrors to be pretend. Russia, however, is making them real. As the trial in the death of a British woman in 2018 began yesterday, we found out that the vial containing the poison that killed her had enough to kill thousands of people. That only one person was killed was not Russia’s intended outcome. Let that sit and simmer in your nightmares for a while.
FEMA workers change some hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina after receiving threats. You would think that people would welcome those trying to help them. That doesn’t seem to be the case in the backwaters of North Carolina where apparently Fox News is the only television station anyone watches. One person was arrested yesterday for apparently attempting to carry out violence against federal aid workers. Maybe next time we let them drown.
I know, that statement is cold, harsh, and inhumane. I’m over all the stupidity, though. When people are trying to kill those who want to help, we’re no longer in a position to offer them humane support. The election is getting tighter as we move closer to November 5 and whether or not the election is peaceful is a serious concern! Who the fuck have we become? Last week, Australia sentenced a man to prison for giving a nazi salute in public. There’s no tolerance there for the kinds of stupidity that lead to people being killed. The problem with the US taking that approach at this juncture is that we’d have to jail a quarter of the population! We have become too tolerant of the type of speech and behaviors that lead to violence. We have become too tolerant of rhetoric that marginalizes immigrants, LGBTQIA+ populations, and women. Continuing down this path inevitably leads to a fall that makes what happened to the Roman Empire look like a child’s birthday party by comparison. We must vote better. We must scream louder. We dare not sit silent.
I’m glad I’m old and probably won’t live to see Mad Max become a reality. There’s little question in my mind that the US, and perhaps the world, is headed in that direction.
Don’t mind me, though. I’m just going to sit over here and drink coffee and take pictures of birds.
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