Return of the Wednesday Wanderings

 This may be for faithful followers only.

I used to do this type of post that would wander from topic to topic.

Well, as I re-anchor what my blog is for, I'll wander for a little while.  Some of these may be developed later.  Others may just sink into the ether.

HEALTH UPDATE

As some may know from prior posts, I am now struggling with type 2 diabetes. 

After they finally realized I couldn't swallow metformin, I started Rybelsus, which is the pill form of Ozempic.

Within a month, I lost 12 pounds.  Also, my first lab work shows a reduction in blood glucose from 133 to 86, and an A1C reduction from 6.7 to 6.1.  

They have changed my pill from 3mg to 7mg.  I thought maybe I would lose more weight, but instead it has stabilized.  I'd love to lose more, but the important thing is my numbers are way better.

A word about being on Ozemopic—it wasn't something I demanded.  I just needed a pill I could swallow.  It is a bit embarrassing to me now that MAGA idiots like Dr. Oz are promoting the drug so heavily, even just for weight loss.  I swear to you, my primary goal is not weight loss.  It's controlling diabetes.  

My blood pressure, on the other hand, has not made similar improvements. Weight loss, exercise, or diet will not get me down to teenage levels of blood pressure readings.  But I'm monitoring more closely, and time will tell.

POLITICAL UPDATE

The corporate Democrats caving on the shutdown and insisting that the ACA credits be preserved is heartbreaking, but, sadly, not unexpected.  You know they are gonna Lucy with the football that thing.  No surprise that any promise the Republicans make means s--t.

Things like this make me proud to call myself an Independent Progressive and not a Democrat.

By the way, you do realize that when the Republicans call it the Democrat Party instead of the Democratic Party, they are hurling an insult?  The press used to note this to Republicans who would slur this, but not anymore.  Now it flies unchecked so much that I think many of you don't know it's wrong.

ENTERTAINMENT UPDATE

I haven't given up on the Top 100 20th Century Science Fiction countdown.  It takes me a while to find and see them.  I'm using a dozen or more sources, including premium and free streaming services (I make no apologies for being a streamaholic).  I also use the library, and if it comes to worst, I am renting them.  It all takes time.

I'm also thinking of a list of my top ten favorite movies.  There will be individual selections, as well as categories.  I would name Blazing Saddles as a favorite, but I would also highlight all my other Mel Brooks favorites.

I may post about what I am streaming and my recommendations.  Right now, I am watching the third season of Invasion on Apple+ TV.  It's not bad, but some episodes move slowly, and the storyline sometimes diverges into things that make you want to go - Could you please just get back to the story?

RELIGION UPDATE

Yep. I'm still at Grace Episcopal. Yep, I still work part-time for the church.  It gets frustrating around budget time, but I'm hanging in there.

The image above is designed to draw in unsuspecting readers. It kinda speaks for itself.  There's some uproar about a woman who called religious entities with a plea for food and formula for her young child.  Of course, the mosques and Hindu temples were all in.  Of course, the Christian Right churches were declining to help. Of course.

The Christian Reich is a heretical embarrassment, and I just pray that genuine Christianity survives it.  We are making a very, very bad impression, folks.

WRITING UPDATE

It's frustrating, but I'll try to do better.  I need to re-establish a writing routine, but it has been fairly elusive.  Wish me luck.

I am not getting my Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine subscription in time to compete in the Mysterius Photograph contest.  That is deeply frustrating to me. I may need to find other flash fiction contests to compete in.

FAMILY UPDATE

Alison and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary with a stay on St. Simons.  It was brief but good to get away.

Benjamin has survived the shutdown, and his job is going well.  He likes the work and the people he is working with.

I've enjoyed soccer conversations with my two older boys, and get video messages from my Granddaughter, Retta.  I would love to show you pictures of her, but there is an understandable ban on any pictures on Social Media.

PET UPDATE

I love Scout and Pixie.  Scout and Pixie love me. Especially around meal time.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28

September Wednesday Wanderings

I've been absent from the blog for a while. I would apologize, but I just think that's the way it will be now. Rest assured, I'm not abandoning my blog, even if I can't get to it every day.

PERSONAL HEALTH UPDATE

I'm doing pretty good. I have blood pressure problems and am prediabetic, but I'm doing my best to mitigate those with exercise and diet and shutting out MAGA world when I can.  

I am affected by rheumatoid arthritis, which primarily affects my knees, feet, and legs. It is difficult to sit at the computer for significant stretches when I am in a flareup, like I was until recently. Consequently, during those periods, I write less.

I have received help from my physician's assistant and am on the mend. This is good. I will visit my granddaughter soon and wanted to be as mobile as possible.

WORK SITUATION

I have acquired a part-time job. Yes, it's in accounting and bookkeeping, which is not my favorite, but it's for good people and is only about 10 hours a week. It should help family resources so we can maybe travel more.

UPDATE ON BLOG SERIES

I still want to write the final installment of Getting Off in All the Wrong Places. It's difficult because current events keep overtaking what I want to say. But rest assured, it's still fulminating in the back of my mind.

I also will work towards another installment about the 100 best science fiction movies of the 20th century. I'm going in reverse order, starting with #100. I stalled out at Cocoon; it's not available to stream anywhere. They have also not made a new DVD in many a year. But, thanks to the great resources of our public library, I was able to borrow a DVD of Cocoon! Only to find out my DVD player no longer worked! Not to be deterred, I purchased a new DVD player via Amazon. It came in yesterday. It is installed, and I hope to watch Cocoon as soon as today!

I will post fiction as it comes to me. Currently, I am entering a flash fiction contest in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine - wish me luck!

I will also post about other things—politics, public library support, and family stuff, both current and nostalgic—as time and inspiration allow.

HARRIS/WALZ 2024!

The debate last night was incredible. She was personable, communicated effective plans, and she just wound him up. She stayed calm but strong, while he was loud and angry and incoherent and lying nonstop.

Has anyone else noticed, and I don't mean this in any negative way, that Kamala's voice style and tone are similar to Judy Garland's? 

This remenided me of what the debate was like. It was like Dorothy scolding the Wizard of Oz for being a fraud, with a symbolic Toto ripping back the curtain to show what a manipulative, empty suit Trump really is.

There is no there there. And now the American people know it for sure.

Will this move enough Trumpeteers that I don't have to stay awake at night worried about the outcome of this election?

Probably not. But one can dream.

I'm ready for Harris to click her heels and bring us back home.

I Wander on a Wednesday

 The blog title is a lie.

At least in a physical sense. I don't intend to go anywhere today. Except for short walks.

Monday, I went to the local library and read a children's story. Tuesday I did my Treasurer thing at the church. Today, I have no outings scheduled.

Not going out does not equate to not doing nothing. I'm writing this now, for example. I have other exercises as the day goes on, including sciatica exercises and the treadmill.

I was out for a walk before the sun rose. It was only about 45 degrees, but I wore sweatpants and my Michigan sweater. I had my earphones on, listening to a podcast.

I'll read today. I will read some online comic books from my Marvel and DC apps. I'll read one physical comic book (today's is Action Comics #1061, and one short story from the current issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. I also may read more of The Matlock Paper by Robert Ludlum. He is most known for creating the Bourne character (like The Bourne Identity).

At lunch, I will watch an episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.  I've been tracking my food this month, recording it on a spreadsheet. This is to help me stay in balance more than anything else. The major goal is to help control my blood pressure and blood sugar. I have lost a small amount of weight, and my blood pressure has improved this month. I hope to keep it up. I have a long way to go.

Then there's always Fibber McGee's Closet. Currently, there is a large number of trading cards I am trying to organize enough to offer in trade to a comic or card shop. I'm really not concerned with making money off them. I don't want to keep them, but I would rather give them away than throw them away.

Was I disappointed by the Lions loss to the 49ers? Yes, but I'm not angry about it. Was it wise for the Lions to keep going on fourth downs? Probably not, but that is what the coach is known for and what brought them this far. I'm not in any way knowledgeable enough to question a coach's decision. I barely understand most of what's going on on the field.

Anyways, that wasn't what the NFL scripted. They wrote it for the 49ers to play against the Kansas City Chiefs and for the Chiefs to win so that Taylor 'n' Travis can endorse Biden and sweep him to a second term. Or some insanity like that. I find right-wingers ten times more confusing than I even find football.

Tonight, we'll continue with the fourth season of For All Mankind, the brilliant alternate history show that my son, Greg, helped edit. We're at about 2003, where we have a working base on Mars, and the President is Al Gore. Those are two things I devotedly wished for that didn't happen.

I know that nothing I'm doing today sounds that useful or interesting. But it's retirement, and I love it.  

Soon, I may need to do something to earn a bit of money. But that's not today.

Maybe tomorrow. We'll see.

Wanderingly yours.

T. M. Strait

P.S.  Grammarly was not functioning this morning. That happens sometimes. Would love to see what it said about my sentence with the triple negative!

P.P.S Grammarly worked this afternoon.  Only had to make a couple dozen changes.  I did overrule it on the triple negative.  Sometimes ya just gotta break the rules.

Sporadic Re-Entry: Wednesday Wanderings

 

These are many evenings after Alison and the little dogs go to bed, Cocoa Bear stares at me. She knows if she keeps it up, I might give her snacks.

Ok, there's no maybe to it. I give her snacks. She has her cognitive treats, a joint health treat, and some soft chew dog treats. Look, she's fifteen. I'll feed her whatever she wants.

She had a rough go about a month ago - barely able to walk, very disoriented. But she is much better now with the vet's help and our love and care. Yes, she's old. Yes, she gets confused. Yes, she moves slowly and takes long naps. But she's a good dog, likes to be with me, and eats well.

UPDATE ON BOOK SALES:

I got my check! After OHC's commission, I took home a whopping $39.75! Don't laugh. That's $39.75 more than I made last year!

I need to reorder more copies of my books so I can do it again. If you are interested in my books, please check Amazon. Most are available for no charge if you use Amazon Kindle Unlimited. I know I will never get rich doing it, but it is fun to have readers.

Wish me luck in reorganizing my life to write more.

UPDATE ON BENJAMIN

Benjamin is in the 6th week of his 6-week internship with Warner Robins Air Force base. He has garnered a full-time position after the internship is over. He'll have to transition from dorm housing to an apartment by July 28th. We helped him look some last weekend, but he still needs to secure a place. Sometimes, as parents of a young adult, you have to learn to step back and let them find their own way. It ain't easy.

UPDATE ON THE LIBRARY

Alison and I have grown to love our local libraries very much! We participate in two book clubs, the Mystery Book Club and the True Crime Book Club. It's a great joy to be discussing books with fellow readers. And we often go off-topic! Some people read the hard copy, some use e-readers, some use audio, some watch a related program, and some just bluff. It's all good!

Alison goes up to a knitting/crochet group once a week. I read children's stories at the Pierce County Library. I love reading aloud to people, especially children.  I do female-voiced characters sometimes. I guess I can get away with it because I'm not in drag. Drag StoryTime may not be my thang as a performer, but believe me, I got no problem with it.

Another new great thing about the Library is that they have added access to the Kanopy streaming service. I'll post a blog soon about how absolutely awesome that is!

UPDATE ON GRACE EPISCOPAL

We have a priest in charge now, contracted for the next seven months (or six - I'm not sure). He is Father Donald Holland, who is a friend and a Waycross resident.

My favorite thing to do in church is read the Lector's reading and/or Prayers of the People. Reading aloud - it's what I enjoy most.

My desire to be involved with the church ebbs and flows. Right now, I am more at an ebb. I have less enthusiasm about it right now. Maybe soon, the feeling will come back.

UPDATE ON THE TRUMPOCALYPSE

One of the things that I've learned in the True Crime Book Club is how long even the most obvious killers take to come to trial. The most recent we read took six years for an arrest and another three years to go to trial.

What does that mean? My hope is that Trump would have completed trials and verdicts before the Presidential Campaign got into swing.  

Those hopes are dashed. It has been so slow to get indictments, and then you find out it will be months or even years before the trial, even under the best circumstances. Right now, all we're seeing is why wealth and privilege rule all in our society. Trump's major tactic is to obfuscate, lie, draw attention to others, and most of all - delay, delay, delay! And his plan is working.

If only conservatives would turn on him instead of trying to shuffle the last deck chairs on the Titanic.

But I've hoped for that for almost eight years now. I guess it's not gonna happen. I guess they'll just turn a federal (or state) prison into a White House.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Absentee Ballot

 

As you can see, Ellie is riveted by the soccer game between USA and Iran.  

Alison and I have become devoted soccer fans (or what is known everywhere else in the world as 'football'). We love Atlanta United in the MLS and the Portland Thorns in the NWSL. We are thrilled to have a competitive USA team in the World Cup/

But that's not my only reason for following the sport. It's a way for me to communicate with my far-flung older boys (Greg in Pasadena, California, and Doug in the Catskills of New York State). It gives this aging introvert a chance to text each other while we watch the games. I get to know more about their lives and just share everyday bonding. Do I love soccer? Yes. Do I love even more being able to share time with my boys? Absolutely!

Here's a picture of the celebration as America goes up 1 to 0 (the final score). Christian Pulisic dramatically gave up his own body to score the goal, colliding with the goalie, injuring himself, and was out the second half.  

-----------------------------

Oh yes. I forgot. The title of this post is Absentee Ballot.

We have a crucial election coming up. Georgia has a runoff and must decide between the professional and highly competent current Senator, Reverand Raphael Warnock, and Texas resident/Trump sycophant Herschel Walker. Seems like a no-brainer, but given the MAGA impulses that overrule common sense among many in this state. and the blind partisanship that leads people to vote for people THEY KNOW THEY SHOULD NOT, this election is much closer than it has any right to be.

Georgia Republicans, in a fit of voter suppression frenzy, have changed the runoff from nine weeks to four. They originally had scheduled only five days of early voting, with no Saturday voting (a big ef you to working voters). My son, Benjamin, is away at school and will not be here for the initially scheduled voting days.  

He started filling out an absentee ballot request form online a couple of weeks ago but hit bureaucratic snafus when it required steps that he could not readily complete. By the time he came to visit us for Thanksgiving, he had completed the form but had yet to mail it.

MEANWHILE...Georgia courts ruled that Saturday voting could not be barred. I read that some Georgia counties were now offering Saturday voting.  

We went to our county election board and discovered that our county was NOT offering Saturday voting. Okay, fine. Benjamin turned in his absentee ballot request. They looked at it, said it was fine, and that they would mail him an absentee ballot to his college address that day. I thought they could just give it to him, but that is not allowed. It has to be mailed. Fine.

I'm not trying to say anything negative about the election board. They have been friendly, polite, and helpful. They understandably have to follow the rules. They were also frustrated that the legislature had created such a tight turnaround time.

I checked with Benjamin this morning. He had yet to receive the absentee ballot. Look, Benjamin is very busy right now. He is trying to prepare for some very stressful finals and end-of-the-semester projects. He is trying to do the best he can.

At this point, if he gets the ballot, he'll have to overnight it to be sure it gets back in time. Do I hate the idea that he has to, in essence, pay to have his vote counted? I'm not thrilled, but the vote counting means more to us at this point.

Benjamin is not alone in this. Post-election analysis shows that GEN Z (Benjamin's generation) had an outsized effect on the election. Young people made a difference.  

So, this runoff will be hard for many college students to turn around in time.

But that's not a bug of the Republican election changes. It's a feature. They want to minimize the youth vote, and this is a wicked clever way to accomplish that.

I wish Georgia would go to an instant runoff system like they have in Alaska and Maine. Then we wouldn't have to go through this mess.

But Georgia probably won't do that. It makes too much sense.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Proud Warnock Voter

November Seconds

 

Just a short one today, and thematically unsound to boot. Feel knee twinges, so I need to make my desktop time short.

It's November already. I didn't write Monday or Tuesday - involved in Church Treasury work that disrupted my schedule. I know I'm writing less, but maybe next week will be better. Yeah, right.

With Reverand Kit retired, there's more to do now. We have to cover more bases.

I'm preparing for two speeches. One as part of the Church Stewardship campaign this Sunday. And then Monday at the Regional Library Board. I will do my best to adopt an extemporaneous style and not write everything down. It's a risk, but it may help the speeches seem more natural.

We distributed candy on Halloween night. We had a good crowd, but it was down since the last time we did it. There were a wide variety of costumes, although Harley Quinn and Spider-Man had a slight edge. Harley Quinn's history is varied. Sometimes she's a villain, sometimes a hero. There is an all-age version, a teen version, and an adult version. I'll have to do a blog story about it sometime.

Time keeps on slipping into the future, although there is a slight blip as we repeat an hour to adjust back into standard time (bye, daylight savings time). Someday we'll end this mess, as whatever point for it has long since passed. But that would take an act of Congress. Good luck getting those people together.

Seeing examples of it in France and now Brazil, I like the runoff system of electing the President. It guarantees whoever wins will have the majority of votes (at least 50% plus). Yes, I know. Our constitution is not set up for it. But it should be. It helps diminish the possibility that extremists can capture the Presidency. 

I posted this meme yesterday on Facebook. To clear up any confusion, this is meant to warn you to vote against fascists and fascists-wanna-bes in November's election. And by that, Rev. Pavlivitz and ME are referring to NOT voting for Republicans who are MAGA, deny the 2020 election outcome, deny teaching the truth about history, deny the LGBTQ+ their rights, want to cripple democracy and move towards a Christo-fascist state. To think anything else is delusding yourself and misconstruing what facsism is.

Knee twinges.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Wandering Wednesday Wrap-up

 

Ellie has the right idea of what retirement should be like.

Unfortunately, I can't quite take on her attitude.  I feel driven to accomplish more than that.

It's been almost a full year since I retired from accounting.  I spent the first few months organizing and then selling a large chunk of my comic collection.  In doing so, I earned more than I would have working the whole year as a part-time CPA.

I've written some, read a lot, participated more at the library, doing my only accounting holdout as Treasurer for our church, slow-binged a number of TV shows, taken more walks, and increased the lever of house and yard work that I do.  We took a trip to see my new grand-daughter in New York, and also spent time with Benjamin and his roommate Eddie, a student from Sweden.

If you can read the magazine in Ellie's picture, you can see that it's a schedule for Turner Classic Movies.  So, yes, I am trying to watch more classics, particularly silent films.  I am trying to start with the oldest films and move my way forward.  Righrt now, I've started a Harold Lloyd classic, Hot Water, from 1924, an episodic comedic look at married life.  I watch about fifteen to thirty minutes a day.

I just finished up being in a play, Harvey, a comedy about a man who sees a six-foot rabbit.  I had been in it as a Freshman in high school and reprised the same part, an elderly judge.  Same part, less makeup. We had small but enthusiastic crowds.  I had fun, and the people I was acting with were a joy to perform with, but I think, at my age, about one play a year is all I care to do.  It's fun, but it takes a lot.

Being home, I could watch a lot of the 1/6 hearings.  It's scary and unprecedented to pursue criminal charges against a former President, for this and for his other myriad crimes, but the true danger to the republic is to let him get away with it.  No one should be above the law.

Alison and I have been able to take some day trips together.  Monday (Indigenous People's Day) we were able to spend the day in Brunswick.  I don 't often take pictures of meals, but this was an important discovery, Wee Pub, that had one of the best shepherd's pie I ever done et. If half the Shepherd's Pie looks different than the other half, that's because I was stirring and sampling before I took the picture.  Yeah, I'm not really adept at the art of culinary photography.

Beginning soon this second year of retirement from accounting, I hope to refocus slightly.  This should mean more writing, but it may mean less blogging.  I really need to focus on something that may at least theoretically bring in money.  I don't know if I can make much.  It would be awesome if I can make at least enough to cover our streaming services, and some of my book/comic purchases.  That may not happen, but it would be super cool if it did.

For fun, I'd like to go back to learning how to draw.  It's just something I've always wanted to do.  Maybe I'll even share some of my art on this blog.

👇

Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

Can't Stop that Wednesday Wandering Feeling

Let's start our Wednesday Wanderings with anothe picture from Alison, taken during her Saturday photography walking tour.

For the sharp-eyed frequent blog reader, that is our church, Grace Episcopal!  Looking good, eh?  I'm not hep to architectural styles, but that looks kinda like in the Spanish family. 

The building has been around a long time.  Over 150 yrars?  Something like that.  It is a very beautiful and spirit-filled church.  It does require quite a bit of maintenance.  Sometimes I wish we were able to focus more on outreach spending than building maintenance, but we manage.

------------------------

I posted this calendar of the 1/6 hearings on Facebook, just to keep people informed.  And well, yes, as a mild outreach to my friends who still like the smell of Trump's posterior region.

My surprise was the kickback from some of those who normally support me and those of us who beleive Trump should be held responsible.  They commented about how the hearings won't accomplish anything, that the hearings won't reach the people that need to hear them. that they were mere entertainment or spectacle.

I have too much hope and faith in me.  I can't stop thinking of how Superman never gives up, how leaders from Martin Luther King, Jr and Ghandi fought against overwhelming odds.  Don't tell the odds, man!  I know how bad they are!  I know this most likely will not change the minds of the Trumpeteers that surround me, that they will zone it out as if it is not happeneing at all.  I KNOW ALL THAT!

Nevertheless, it needs to be said.  The story needs to be recorded, if for history if nothing else.

Maybe this generation will not wake up.  But perhaps a generation or two down the road will see it and turn to their elderly Trumpeteer family, and go, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Of course, this is premised on the far right not suceeding in controlling public education and filtering what is taught, especially history.

I know.  I'm a windmill tilter.

--------------------------------------

My comics are sold.  This should help us manage our finances, reduce our debt, and help us plan for travel.  There are places we wnat to go (Ireland and Great Britain, Canada, New England) but primarily we want to be able to travel to see our far-flung family.  I have a grandaughter in New York that I am aching to see!  

------------------------------

Over half year into accounting retirement and no, I'm not bored.  I'M LOVING IT! I have plans that I hope to get to, but the biggest one I'm already doing - ENJOY LIFE!

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Please note, Grammarly did not attach, for whatever reason.  I'm sure they are some real grammatical stinkpiles in this, but hopefully I'll be able to correct them at a future date.  Or not.  Whatever.

Wednesday Wishes

 

Sorry for my prolonged absence. I guess it's just the way it's going to be. My routine varies more than I expected.

Alison didn't work last week - the school system she worked for had their Spring Break. It was good just to spend time with her - readin' and chillin'.

I wish I could develop a better routine. There are too many things I want to do. I would like to get back to writing the second volume of History of the Trap. I want to promote the writings I already have, including a novel I have finished but have not tried to find an agent for. I would like to return to daily drawing lessons - I don't expect to be any good; it's just something I've always wanted to do. I want to see more old movies. I want to read more.

I wish I could do more for others. I am devoting more time to church, both in attendance and as Treasurer. We have Holy Week this week. I attended a mass yesterday and will be attending services for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. I want to use my superpower more - reading aloud. I will be reading at Ware County library for Children's Hour on June 14th. I would love to do more. I am doing a much greater share of the housework than I did while working.

At first, I was happy with how much money we had coming in. It was more than adequate to meet our needs. But now I have a granddaughter in New York, and I just wish I had more money to travel and even rent places and such. My oldest son, Greg, is in Los Angeles, and my youngest son, Benjamin, has a year left in college and then will wind up who knows where - most likely very far from us. I don't desire to be super-rich, but I would like to have enough to see everybody.

I wish I could finally focus enough to lose weight and exercise more - the goal being to help with high blood pressure and lower blood glucose (I am prediabetic). This week, I've reinstituted my chart for the food I eat and tracking weight, blood pressure, and blood glucose. If I'm going to be alright, I will have to keep it up.

I wish the country and world would get their act together and finally do everything possible to prioritize combatting global warming. I want my granddaughter to have a livable planet to grow up on.

I wish people (particularly those who live around me) would stop supporting authoritarian fascists like Trump and DeSantis and return to the principled conservative opposition we once had in this country.

I wish these same people would stop demonizing and persecuting the LGBTQ+ community. I am so sick of progress of this country being held up by phony culture war issues I could chuck a tuna bunwich.

I wish the Russian people would end the Putin regime, withdraw from Ukraine, and restore some semblance of democracy.

I wish income equality were to be addressed.

I know that the midterms will be dominated by inflation. And if you think voting for a Republican is somehow going to help. I wish you would explain to me why. What in the world do you think they will do?

I wish Firefly would come back.

Well, that's enough wishing for now.

Except for I wish you all well and...

Blog y'all soon!

Rising Wednesday Wanderings

 I know.

I'm a lazy git.

But I do like walking. Especially my early morning constitutionals.

It stays darker later. Thanks to the shift to Daylight Savings Time. That's ok. Very soon, the only time to walk will be the morning, as we will proceed to the nine-month HOTTER THAN HELL period in Southeast Georgia.

Creating a successful balance between exercise and diet has been a lifelong battle. Periods of losing weight are rare. Periods of gaining weight are less rare. But, most of the time, I hold my own.

-------------------------------

Zelenskyy will be speaking to our congress in just a few moments. I hope somebody is chaperoning Lauren Boebert and Majorie Taylor Greene -those two skipped Courtesy Day in school.

We should do everything we can, but they may not include a no-fly zone. It certainly won't be boots on the ground.  

This is our generation's battle against autocracy. I pray we are up to the challenge.

------------------------

I follow soccer and am a big fan of Atlanta United of the MLS. A year or so ago, I wanted to branch out and watch the Premier League (what Ted Lasso strives for) and asked my son Greg what team I should follow. He recommended Chelsea. They were good to follow as they won more often than not.

However, it has recently come to my attention that Chelsea is owned by a Russian oligarch, one who is close to Putin. Back to the drawing board.

I thought maybe Newcastle, which has a former Atlanta United player on it. Then I found out about they were owned b Saudi Arabians. Not much of an improvement.

Couldn't Jason Sudekis buy a team?

Of course, we wouldn't have to worry about this madness if the people of a city OWNED their teams, like the Green Bay Packers. I'm all in for that.

------------------------------------

I got my taxes back, prepared by my former firm. Yes, that's right. I don't even want to do my own taxes. But, the results look fine, and I'm thrilled to have somebody else do it.

-------

Just watched Zelenskyy speak. It struck me to the core. He recalled Pearl Harbor and 9/11 - attacks from the sky. He is pleading to Close the Sky.

I understand the fears of creating a broader war. But it is so horrible to watch this.

I pray we can safely help end this madness.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Days with the Dogs Wednesday Wanderings

 

Here's Boss-A-Man waiting in line to apply for promotion from my Semi-Retirement Dog to my Full Retirement Dog position.

Application accepted!

Position granted!

What have I been doing these last three weeks of retirement?  Besides bonding with the pets? 

Well....

whatever the hell I want!

Ok, it's not that dramatic.  Crazy Party Guy I am not.

I've been writing a bit more.  Although it's not the front seat driver.  At least not yet.

I've been reading a bit more.  I finished a thousand-plus page biography of Grant, written by Ron Cherno, who wrote the book Hamilton is based on.  Grant is a much more interesting and significant figure than I realized. For his time, he was very advanced on his ideas of civil rights and a much better General than my southern friends give him credit for.  His worst problem is that he had lousy condar (ability to detect grifters and fraudulent businessmen).  But what can I say?  Apparently, so do some 74 million Americans, as proved by the 2020 election.

And, yeah, I've been watching a bit more television than I was.  I see an episode of CW super-hero show each day. Currently, I am catching up on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, a really fun and imaginative time travel series.  When I do household chores, I have Buzzer on in the background, a ROKU channel with old game shows.  I am particularly fond of Password, where I can see classic celebrities in their prime, like Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched) and Jim Backus (Thurston Howell on Gilligan's Island).  With Alison, we watch a variety of programs, including streaming series.  We are currently watching You and are at a point in the series where it may have jumped the shark, where the characters are about to make a decision that doesn't fit in with any of their past behavior (Season 2, Episode 7).  Then later at night, I see the German series Dark, a very atmospheric time travel show*  - I can't begin to tell you how good this show is!

I've been exercising a bit more and recording what I eat (most days).  I haven't seen too many positive effects yet, but I'm not giving up.

I've been spending more time at my church Treasurer position and helping with the Sacks for Saturday program.  I have yet to help with the public library, but I have high hopes I can fight my shyness and get started.

The biggest special project I've been working is preparing my comic books for sale - preferably to someone who will buy them all.  It takes about four hours to write up and prepare a box - organizing and pricing, preparing spreadsheets to account for them.  I've done six boxes, and I probably have at least three dozen more to go.  So far, the accumulated value is exceeding my expectations.  

That's a broad outline of what I have been doing.

Chillin' with the dogs and enjoying life!

Wanderingly Yours, 

T. M. Strait

*if you get the impression I like time travel series, give yourself 20 Strait Line points!

Hidden Gems Wednesday Wanderings

This is not Teddy, Thurston Howell's teddy bear on Gilligan's Island.  As far as I know, Teddy is still on the island. Thurston remembered to take his white pants and an ascot home, but he left poor old Teddy behind. 

This is Bobby Bear.  He has been a companion of mine for many years.  He wears a leather jacket and sports a Bobby Kennedy for President button. I have many political campaign buttons, but this is the one that Bobby likes to wear because he is a bear of excellent refinement and discernment. 

American history was irrevocably altered by the assassination of Robert Kennedy.  And not in a good way. I'll save more discussion of that for my political posts.

----------------------------

Yesterday was our 25th wedding anniversary!  Yes, Alison and I have been married for 25 years! She is amazing, and I feel like the luckiest son of a B on the planet!  

We were going to go out last Saturday to St. Simons (where we had our honeymoon), but the rains were constant, and we 1) didn't want to leave alone our increasingly neurotic 13-year-old Cocoa Bear and 2) we didn't want to walk around all day in the rain.

That left us with our intensely romantic anniversary day plans - his and her annual eye exam appointments.

Both of us needed our prescriptions adjusted, so both of us are getting new glasses.  For Alison, she wanted to change up and make a different fashion statement.  Me?  Just get me what I had and git-er-done.

They did say two words to me that got me mildly shook up - EARLY CATARACTS.  Another little hint that I am aging.  The eye doctor indicated that it was pretty common.  Will I need cataract surgery someday?  He thought so.  When will I need it?  He wasn't sure.  Three years from now? Ten years from now?  Who knows?

-------------------------------------

The biggest thing I notice in my vision is that I need more light to read by, and driving at night is more of a challenge than it used to be.

Hopefully, not having to read tiny, scribbled numbers and words from a multitude of accounting clients will help ease my eye strain.

------------------------------

Wait.  Why did I call this Hidden Gems?

Oh, yes.  In addition to the eye exams, we, on impulse, went to St. Simons!  On our anniversary!  Woohoo!  

We debated many of our traditional favorites - The Crab Trap, Barbara Jeans, Tramici.  We felt like Italian but felt like something less fancy than Tramici (it's good, but it likes to stick less common ingredients into their dishes and to downplay the major function of American/Italian food - CHEESE). Finally, we chose a place we had never been to before - Sal's Pizzeria.

Well, even with GPS, it was a buggeraboo to find.  It was on a part of the island we had not been to much, and we circled a block several times to find it hidden in an alley slightly off the back of a street.

It was fantastico!  They believed in large servings (we got plenty left to take home) and in the power of CHEESE. Alison had Lobster Ravioli, and I had Chicken Parmiagana that was floating in a sea of CHEESE.

It was worth the effort to find and a wonderful anniversary dinner.  I can't show you pictures of the meal, because I didn't take any.  Honestly, I never take pictures of my meals to post on social media.  I just don't do that sort of thing.  If you want to do that, that's fine. To each his own.  I don't want to.

Ok. Well.  The truth is I'm eating it before I even think about taking a picture of it.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Post-Retirement Wednesday Wanderings

 

My office at work was decorated on my last day in accounting, Thursday of last week. I want to thank Chris for my making my send-off special, and also Nicole and Dean.  

It's now Wednesday.  Do I feel retired after almost a week since my accounting career ended?  Truthfully, not yet.  I've had a lot of chores and saved up stuff.  I think tomorrow, when I have no obligations to run errands or leave the house, might be when it sinks in a bit.  We shall see!

---------------------------

One of the things I was considering was how much emphasis I should place on this blog.  How fruitful is it?  I make no money off of it, and I'm not likely to.  Views have been in decline.  Most months, it's between 1000 and 1500 views (at its height, it ran closer to 4000).  

Even though I only posted seven new posts in October, traffic was up to 2100!  That was a positive.

In November, as of today, only three days in, I have over 5500 views!  I'm not sure what's going on.  Maybe it's a sign that I'm supposed to keep going with The Strait Line. Or perhaps I've been hacked.  Time will tell.

-----------------------

At this point, the only routine out of the house I have is to do the church treasury work on Tuesday afternoon and then to follow up with either helping my church with its Sacks for Saturday program or reading stories for Children's Storytime at the public library.

----------------------

I put up a poll on my group Polls R Us, asking what I should do now that I'm retired.  The number one response was...Write! Write! Write!  Well, who am I to argue with that!  I'll at least keep up with my blog.  I might re-engage with fiction writing.

Other leading responses were to travel (some budget constraints there), start a podcast (that would take some learning), and become an audio reader.   I would love to do those last two, but I will probably need some guidance.

------------------

What a stunner.  Virginia voted like it always does - the opposite of whatever party holds the White House.  It's tiring, and I wish they wouldn't do that.  But I think the media is reading way too much into the results.

It's true that even though Trump is out of office, we are still in a very dark place politically.  Biden's lack of 2020 political coattails is making things very, very difficult.  And 2022 promises to be a disaster.

All I and other like-minded progressives can do is stick to our guns on policy and hammer it over and over again. It's frustrating, I know.  And it's hard to think long-term strategy when the climate doomsday clock rapidly approaches midnight.

-------------------------

How 'bout them Braves?

Ok, that's all I got.  I'm glad they won.  I tried to watch the ending of last night's game, but my internet went out.

Maybe next year, the Braves will come back and defeat an AL team instead of a quasi-NL team.

Unless it's the Detroit Tigers...in that case, GO TIGERS!

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Genuine Wednesday Wanderings

 What the hay. Let's start off today's blog with a stolen joke.

We do have an abundance of Hunters in the area.  Hunter may be the new Bubba.

Benjamin's name is somewhat rarer, although there were at least a couple others in his public school grade.  It gets even rarer, though, because many shorten to Ben, or even (gulp) Benji.

----------------------------------

We are in the thick of a warm, wet summer.  I haven't seen projections for the next two months, but I'm guessing it will be hotter with less rain.  That has been the trend in recent years.

I don't think we've had a day yet where the high temp has been over 100.  Those days may be yet to come.

Unlike many here in Southeast Georgia, we don't want to go SOUTH for summer vacation (Florida, Caribbean, Cancun). Instead, we like to go north, where it might be cooler. Had we done that this year - boy! Would we have been fooled!  The Pacific Northwest, a favorite spot to think about, recently had temperatures soaring into the 110s!  Another area we like, British Columbia, got hot enough to cook the shellfish on its shores!

There may be no escape now from the effects of global warming and climate change.

---------------------------

Despite my best efforts to change, the rhythms of writing continue to elude me.

As I age, my goals and focus shift.  Yes, I would like to phase out my accounting career, but I am less sure about what takes its place.  I am trying to come to terms with my lack of success as a creative talent and am slowly learning to find joy in simpler things - life, family, church.  

That missing gap, where I need to earn a certain income range to properly contribute to the family's well-being, continues to only be filled by my part-time accounting career.  I may need to be happy just doing that.  I may need to learn to accommodate it, at least for now.

--------------------------------------

I'm not sure why the filibuster is needed.  The Senate is already heavily weighted towards smaller populations, highly conservative states. 

The whole idea that one party will ever have 60 votes, enough to stop a filibuster, is a fantasy.  It is also a fantasy that the Republican Party will ever compromise and work with the Democratic Party on anything significant.

If the filibuster was used rarely and done by Senators holding the floor (ala Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), I might favor it.  But it is used as a default position to end any legislation.  And we have too many problems in this country for the Senate to be trapped in permanent paralysis.

----------------------------

Maybe we'll see Black Widow this weekend.  If so, it will be my first time back in the movie theatre since January 2020, when we saw Doctor Doolittle.

I still am queasy about COVID-19.  There are so many unvaccinated in our area, and cases are starting to rise again.

Please get vaccinated for the sake of yourself, and for your family and friends.

Let's git-er-done, America.  We can lick this thing if we all work together.

Plans Laid Low Wednesday Wanderings

 

Home with the dogs today*, as I was yesterday.  I am laid low by intense arthritic pain in my driving foot, fever, and some congestion.  Alson had congestion problems a few days ago, and Benjamin has them right now.

It makes it difficult to sit and concentrate on writing, but I'll do my best.

---------------------

We got a new electric lawnmower, and it works pretty good.  Only thirty minutes to charge up, and then it runs for over an hour.  It runs longer than I can.

One of the things aggravating allergies right now is grass pollen. Our grass is fairly high (and more weeds than grass).  I feel like I need to cut it on the off chance it could help with the family allergy problems.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of rain, and if that weren't the case, I would still have debilitating foot pain. I feel real guilty about not getting out there, but I'm not sure what to do about it.

Oh, well.  If I can ever get it done, at least I have a great mower to do it with.

-----------------------------------------

I had hoped to get back into fiction writing.  But it requires a great deal of concentration, and between the pains and the meds, it is difficult to do.

But all is not lost.  It is giving me more time to plot out the coming chapters.

--------------------------------

I haven't seen anything about the next OHC Writer's Guild meeting.  If I can get my problems under control, I would go.  

-------------------------

We have a book/coffee shop coming to Blackshear.  I looked in the building that was constructed for it, and it seems pretty far along, at least as far as furniture and shelving.  I don't know how long it will be.

I look forward to donating books, and encouraging a special display of local authors (like me).

-----------------------------------

Is anyone excited about the Summer Olympics?  I look forward to seeing more of my favorite obscure sport, team handball.  I saw a match when the Olympics were in Atlanta.

It is a little bit scary.  Japan may be pushing it too early, as they have experienced a recent rise in cases.  Holding the Olympics is not worth people dying.

------------------

I saw a story about a recent outbreak in Florida in an IT department of a government building. Of the seven people, six got COVID, four of those were hospitalized, and two of those died (a very high casualty rate).  Only one escaped unscathed and did not contract COVID.  What was different about thst person?  They were the only one who was VACCINATED.

Tell me again why getting vaccinated is not important?

Wanderingly yours,

T. M. Strait

*yes, I know.  The picture above shows sloths, not dogs.  Hey - MADE YOU LOOK!

Back in the Wednesday Wandering Saddle

 

Whew!

Formatting problems fixed!

Anyone who wonders what I'm talking about should look at the previous post.  Somehow, it flipped to HTML view instead of compose view.  But I figured out how to flip it off and return to compose.

ARRRRE YOU READY TO WANDER?

Woke up.  Got out of bed.  Dragged a comb across my....naw, I didn't do that.  What do I care what my hair looks like when I get up?

The first thing is to let the dog posse out and prepare their food bowls. I also do the cat creature.  I have to put her up on a table in the study to eat it, so the dogs won't get to it.  She is now too old and fat to jump onto the table, so I have to lift her up/

Ellie and Cocoa Bear get dry food, as does Pixie, although hers is a different food with smaller pebbles.  Boss-A-Man gets a mix of easy-to-chew-softer foods, as Boss-A-Man has very few teeth left.

I take Cocoa Bear for a walk in the mornings.  My foot/leg pains are acting up right now, so it's a bit of a challenge.  I know I don't get enough exercise, so as excruciating as it may be, I still feel the need to barrel through it.  Walking is painful, but I don't think it makes things worse.  I could be wrong.

------------------------------

I'm trying to discipline my work schedule to help give myself a little more routine.  I am taking Wednesday and Friday off.  This does not always fit the workflow, but I am determined to do it unless there is an emergency deadline.

---------------------------------

Mask policy has completely disintegrated wherever I go. I can't even say what's right or wrong anymore.  I will still wear a mask in most public situations.  

I was in Kroger Monday, and the sign in front now says that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in the store.  I wore mine anyway, out of habit, mostly.

While looking at a display of prepared fruit, a guy nearby saw me and started to engage in conversation.  He told me that he had done nothing to protect himself through this whole pandemic and had not gotten sick.  He attributed this miracle to God.

Disregarding the theological issues, one thing was clear.  This man was obviously unvaccinated, and he also was not wearing a mask.  

And that's the way I think it will be.  Most of those you see with masks are vaccinated because they were responsible enough to care about themselves and others.  In my opinion, the majority of those unvaccinated were not caring enough to wear a mask before - why should they now because we're on an "honors" system?

-------------------------

Speaking of going into maskless situations, I plan to attend an OHC Writer's Guild meeting Thursday night.  I have some fear and trepidation, but I will do my best to control that.  I also intend to do all I can to avoid leadership positions.  I don't need the stress.

---------------------------

I have had recurring dreams about being in public situations, and no one except me is masked.  Most of these have involved our church.  That nightmare came true last Sunday.  We had a vestry meeting Thursday trying to reestablish mask policy, accommodating the shifting guidelines of the diocese.  I thought that we had decided to continue wearing masks rather than putting special conditions on the unvaccinated.

That's not what happened.   On Sunday, it was decided before everyone got there that everyone there was vaccinated, so we didn't have to wear masks.  I tried to keep mine on for a while, but I soon gave up.  It's very confusing.  I know, for me, the mask may no longer be necessary, but it's been a way of life for over a year.

I'll get over it.  Eventually.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Wandering Across An Eleventy Minute Wednesday Window

 

I've set my timer for eleventy minutes.  I will stop mid-word when it goes off.

God, it's tough being a sports fan loyal to a specific set of teams.  Good run, Michigan, but not the ultimate prize.  Moments like Atlanta United winning the MLS Championship are so rare - just makes it all the more precious when it does happen.  Go Blue!  I'll never give up on you!

Speaking of Blue, I don't need a fortune teller to let you know where I'll be come mid-October/early November - I'll be in jail.  Why?  For giving water to voters in voting lines.

I'm already at my fill line with tax season.  Have I said that before?

Mornings continue to unpredictable in timing when I can write.  I won't give up.  I'll keep looking at strategies and readjusting.

We have four dogs.  That is a lot, but they all have different personalities, and they complement each other, providing us a rich tapestry of love and joy.

We continue to traipse across the streaming world in watching television.  We are currently watching The One on Netflix.  It centers on a matching service that uses DNA to match you with the one person on Earth you are most meant to be with.  It uses pheromone matches or something like that.  It's not too bad, a little too focused on the inventor of the process, and not the effects of the process itself.  I think it's like a British show.

And now for the most important thing I've ever told you.  It is this - what I need to tell you, what I want you to know, is that I w

Taking a Knee Wednesday Wanderings

 

There's my Boss-A-Man, ready to make my day better.  Always my pal.  Especially on those days when I don't go to work.

Interesting experiment here.  Usually, when I retrieve photos from my phone, I post them to Facebook and then save them to my desktop to use them here. I post them to Facebook only to me, so the only way you see them is through my blog.

I didn't do that this time.  I posted the photo to everyone.  It will be interesting to see how many likes and comments the photo by itself gets compared to the blog story.  I think I know which one is going to win.

--------------------------------

Personal health kvetch:  knee pain had receded but is now back with a vengeance.  Everything is painful - standing, sitting, walking, laying down.  I'm back to using Voldemort (Voltaren); maybe that will help in a few days.  I hate seeing a doctor, particularly during the COVID times, but I may not have a choice.

Y'all probably hope I do so I can quit kvetching about it.

-------------------------------

I have been reading the Sally Field book In Pieces, and I am up to the Gidget years.  She has always been a secret crush of mine and has remained beautiful and bright throughout the years.  Her trauma as a child is greater than I thought it was, showing you don't always know what people are going through.

No steaming service is showing Gidget, except for some episodes posted on YouTube.

---------------------------------------------

I really want to turn my back on Trump, but he and others are not making it very easy.  His delusional rants that he won are coming across more and more insane, and it makes me worry about those who are willing to go along with him.  He is doing one last grift before he leaves, squeezing millions out of his supporters that will help guarantee his lifestyle when he leaves office.  If he leaves office.

-------------------------------------------

Benjamin is closing up his last week of school, which he is doing from home.  He has a final today and a couple more later this week.  

It has been a strange college experience for Benjamin.  His social skills were really sharpening before COVID,  and I hope he can return to that sometime next year.

---------------------------

I stumbled into a conversation I did not want to pursue, lest it gets me into trouble. I said something about a change in relationship with a fast food place in association with Benjamin's college food service, and that it was COVID related, and a person hearing this started on how COVID protocols were making a lot of stupid things happen. a lot of unnecessary restrictions (I guess that's what they meant).  

I did not pursue it. But it was a reminder that I live around many people who do not take COVID seriously and think that the restrictions imposed are worse than the pandemic.

That's insane.

First, this area never really shut down.*  It's always been snotty and defiant here. And to me, it's the major reason we still have to deal with COVID for months instead of weeks. The people here do the bare minimum they're required to do (if that), thinking the restrictions are silly and inhibitive.

How much do we have to suffer because people don't take this seriously?

--------------------------------------

I should write more, but I do know it hurts to sit too long at the desk.  So, I'll call it a wander, and hopefully, move on to more coherent topics later.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

* Having a first implies there is a second and maybe more.  Alas, there is not.  I should fix it, but that is a thought process that is just too much for me this morning.

Sunset Over Beaufort Wednesday Wanderings

This was last week. We took a short mini-vacation in Beaufort, South Carolina.  This is the view of the sunset from the deck of our vrbo rental.  Vrbo stands for vacation rentals by owner.  I don't think it's completely independent.  Somewhere there is a big corporation making some money - shared advertising resources, maybe?

Anyway, it was a great time.  The place we stayed in was very nice and relatively secluded.  The town was quaint, not super crowded, and all the stores and masks required signs, which everyone followed without fuss or muss.  There were no contradictory snotty signs that said this was store was not going to 'inforce"* the city ordinance, as I have seen in both Waycross and Milledgeville.  I didn't even see the waiver of liability signs that tell customers that they can't sue if they come into your establishment and get sick as a result.

It's a shame when you feel safer on vacation than you do at home.

----------------------------------------------

How are you, Tom?  Thanks for asking.  I continue to have knee and foot pains, but their severity has been reduced.  If I'm cautious, I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

I'm using a medicine/salve called Voldemort**, and I put marijuana*** on my foot (until I runned out- now I'm going to go back to my dealer****).

I think I've figured out that my condition is aggravated when I sit too long in certain positions.  This would explain why it happens more on vacation, where I have long car rides or plane trips.  

I don't think it was the car trip to Beaufort - that was less than three hours away. I think it was the five days glued to the desktop waiting for the election results to come in.  I really wanted to be there when Trump officially lost the election.  Ironically, it happened when I had finally given up and had gone out for a short walk.  

If only I had interrupted for more short walks, I wouldn't be as messed up as I am.

For the whole election chronicle, please see my whole series entitled "Sort of a Live Blog."

----------------------------------------------------------

I won't dwell more on the election here, as I have plenty of other blog stories about it.  Suffice to say, it has consumed me this month.

--------------------------------------

The Michigan Wolverines are terrible this year.  And...so what?  This is not the year for records and championships.  This is the year for just praying that the students, staff, and others involved remain safe. Should Harbaugh be replaced?  Not something to deal with this year.  The students need continuity now more than anything else.  I have a feeling Harbaugh will find another opportunity at season's end, and Michigan will be spared having to outright fire him.

---------------------------------

COVID-19 spread and destruction are worse than ever right now. They warned us that if we did not get a handle on it by now, that it would rage in the Fall.  It was ignored in many areas, and lo and behold, it is now raging out of control.

It has been demonstrated over and over, in different states and other countries, that mask-wearing, social distancing, testing, and contact tracing can bring this under control.  In some cases, lockdowns may be necessary.  

This is not an issue of personal liberty.  This is an issue of personal responsibility, of giving a damn about your fellow man.  I am so disgusted by those who've turned it into a political issue.

----------------------------------

I am reading Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov, a play set in rural Russia.  It's in the public domain, so I'm thinking of updating to recent times and place it in South Georgia, with the goal of it being performed by a local theatre group.  

What I need to do is find an editable PDF version that will allow me to make changes.  To rewrite it from scratch might take me forever.

And I don't know if I want to sit forever in front of this computer to do it.  Not after what I've been through this last week. Viva la get up and stretch my legs more frequently.  Hopefully, I've learned my lesson.

----------------------------

Benjamin should be home early next week!  He still will have a couple of finals after Thanksgiving, but those will be online, which he can take at home. Then he'll be home until mid-January.

There was an outbreak at his college earlier in the semester, but that settled down after the College President threatened to crack down on those who were going off-campus for large parties. Benjamin has been super careful since Day One.

--------------------------------

Well, I won't bore you anymore.  For those who keep up with my blog, I appreciate you more than you know.  I'd share my writings even if it was just me and you and a dog named Boo, but it's nice to have reading friends.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

* seriously, a business in the area proudly displayed a sign that spelled enforcement as inforcement.

**Voltaren - sorry, it's not as funny as calling it Voldemort.

***Before I'm reported, I'm talking about a Hemp rub.

****by dealer, I mean Amazon.

No Politics Wednesday Wanderings

 

Although I have plenty to say about Trump's taxes and last night's debacle (I mean debate), I'm going to do my best for this final post of September to talk about things besides politics.

Ok, this is tougher than I thought.

Let me try again.

Here's my doggies attending a Cheerio's party.  They like me being home more.  I'm not sure why.

Anything else?

I found two of my books at Waycross Ware County Public Library, History of the Trap, and Crowley Stories!  They are in the back of the library, in a section for local authors.  So you can see there is quite a collection of us.  Do yourself a favor, if this is your public library, check any of these books today! My books are also available for purchase at the Okefenokee Heritage Center and Amazon.  Buy enough, and I'll be able to quit accounting and concentrate full time on writing.

Anything else non-political?

Look, I'm trying.

-----------

We may have to take down some damaged trees.  That will cost money.  I am so thrilled.

-----------

It's been a frustrating season for Atlanta United fans.  At least they're not becoming legendary like the Atlanta Falcons, who may be forever etching themselves as the go-to team for sports announcers when a team is blowing a big lead.  As in, "Are the Buffalo Bills pulling a Falcons today?"

-------------

I'm watching TV some.  I watched one of the worst shows ever last night.  It featured an uncontrolled bully running roughshod over everybody.  It was...

Crap.  Swore I wouldn't talk about that.

-----------------

Ok.  The struggle is real.  I've tried to be sweet and stretch my brain as much as possible.

112 more days until...well...you know.

Wanderingly yours,

T. M. Strait