I Think

I am, at this late stage, barren.

Thursday, but it feels like Saturday. The sun has broken through the clouds, for the first time in a few days. I need to get the dog a new bed for the cooler nights. I think Monday may be the day I put the octagon table together, although I would feel better about it if I could wait a few weeks more. Meanwhile, there is lots to do to get my shed and equipment organized. I took back the company paint sprayer, giving myself extra floor space.

I am gratified the government is back in business, but discouraged that nothing was actually settled.

I am not temperamentally suited for growing the wheatgrass. While I enjoy drinking the juice, I will probably not do it, long term.

These GOP battles that only destroy jobs, income, and financial security for our country is a lose-lose for them. I hope they keep it up! They (the Tea Party) might disappear from US politics for good. February isn't soon enough!

They (Congress) kicked the can down the road. How impressive...NOT! Watch all the spin-meisters create a brouhaha over what 'good' they've accomplished ... meanwhile ignoring and all the back-door deals that were made re earmarks.

Earmarks: Speaking of back-door deals, I've already heard of $2.7B dam construction deal for McConnell's home state of KY that he got other neighboring states Congressman to endorse and get in front of ... thus removing him from the direct line of fire due to pork-barrel issues.
http://news.yahoo.com/congressional-deal-includes-nearly--3-billion-for-kentucky-dam-project-001012679.html

Not surprising; that's how congress has worked since its creation.

Pork barrel.
From Wiki.

Yeah, but they've perfected the art of pork-barreling to a fare-thee-well in modern times. Or better put in other words, they've removed any caring of public discovery.

This KY dam project is one of the earmarks that allowed them to re-open the 'store'. It was attached to the deal that re-opened the session.

I just posted about an article in the Don't tell me there is no evidence for Evolution thread. In part, it reads:
Our family tree may have just lost a few branches.
A complete skull found in the Eurasian country of Georgia could be evidence that early hominids are actually all members of a single species. The view challenges long-held ideas about human evolution and could upend decades of classifying early hominids into different species, such as Homo erectus, Homo rudolfensis and Homo habilis.

Going to make smaller items to offer for sale. In this wet weather, my boards are simply unable to dry enough to be used. I have patterns for other items, such as a fence board cutout of the state of Texas, which I sold a number of in years past. There are two sizes, some painted, some plain, some with a small shelf on the face - Whatever comes to mind. There's garden angels and other such stuff too. -Maybe a couple of weeks from now, on the big table. Meantime, time's a wastin.'

Beautiful day, after it rained nearly all night.

I cut out four of the Texas shape fence boards yesterday. Just have to fasten them in the back and do the individual things I wrote about. It didn't take long, but it required cutting sixteen shaped-pieces with a jigsaw.

Sharing the computer with mrs edgarblythe for a while.

Heyhowyou? Nice morning, so far.

The death of coach Bum Phillips stirs memories I cherish. It was during the Oilers craze I met my wife. We all got carried away with the football, in those times. I was an avid Steelers fan and everyone else loved the Oilers. We had a lot of fun. Underneath it, I respected Phillips and mourn his passing.

Going to work at what I sneeringly call my job today. More sidewalk repairs.

I may make several garden angels this week. I used to sell quite a few of those. Have to search a pattern later. I look until I find one by others that I like and then use it to inspire my own. Never direct copy.

I was intrigued by an angel-like image, which had Monarch butterfly wings. Such wings, too complex to produce rapidly for a small sum. Still looking for ideas.

I finished the sidewalk repairs. I don't know what today holds in surprise, at work.

I understand more and more why people leave a2k. So many threads are joyfully savaged by people you would never allow into your kitchen for coffee.

All afternoon, I kept feeling that it was Friday. The end of my work week. Ah, it was the end of the work week. But it was Tuesday. My wife mentions that her mother, who is in a nursing home, is always asking what is the month. It is easy to see how a person in such a place might lose track of time. After a few weeks, I seem to be doing it too.

My recent exposure to assisted living facility was an eye-opener. Lots of people in there are either elderly with varying degrees of memory problem or nearly elderly with a need to have full-time nursing etc. I felt a bit humbled when a lovely little old 92-yr-old lady had to correct me about which day of the week it really was.

Furthermore, hearing their various opinions about the current state of the world or nation's events...was enlightening. I had lots of joy telling my corny jokes to these wonderful Alta kakas (senior citizens). They would laugh at them...even though I might've told them the same joke day before. It was great for my ego. I just made sure they had no food in their mouths when I said something funny.

They are a mixed bag, the elderly, much like the other people I know. I worked for and was befriended by many old folks at my job. The ones at the apartments were determined to enjoy their last years and fiercely resisted attempts by family to take their money and move them out. One lady, who was doing no harm, always had a few drinks in the afternoon. At her age, she is not going to shorten her life by drinking. She became quite jolly with a few under the belt. But her daughter found out and moved her away to a place she could be controlled. They often remained, too long. But who is to say those extra moments of freedom are not worth it, when the end is in sight? I would love to have the money to open an old folks home that was truly a home.

Yes...precisely. I'd too like to see an old folks home that is more like a home with caretakers that really take care. My sister's facility was a pretty reasonable facsimile, considering this is FL.

For a time, I though this man's one book on alternative treatments was spot on, until I realized that what he wrote didn't really help anybody. Also, he lied about a person I admire and helped get him put in prison. Now he is on the verge of getting his just deserts. I didn't read up on his weight loss ads and book, but that's what got him in trouble.

CHICAGO — A federal judge rejected an impassioned plea from a television pitchman for his freedom on Tuesday, ordering U.S. Marshals to lock up Kevin Trudeau for failing to pay a $37 million civil judgment.

The visibly exasperated judge had already ordered that Trudeau be jailed during a hearing in Chicago when Trudeau stood up and asked if he could address the court. The Federal Trade Commission won the judgment after accusing Trudeau of hoodwinking viewers about his weight-loss books.

“There are no more assets to turn over, your honor,” the 50-year-old Trudeau insisted during a 10-minute plea, at times striking a note of desperation. “I’m going to be incarcerated ... and I don’t know what to do.”

Judge Robert Gettleman seemed unimpressed.

“Thank you, Mr. Trudeau,” he said flatly. “My order stands.”

The judge then directed two marshals to lead Trudeau out of the courtroom and take him to a nearby jail.

Gettleman, like FTC lawyers, balked at Trudeau’s insistence that he is penniless — noting that he recently spent hundreds of dollars on cigars and a haircut.

On Tuesday, Gettleman added that he has seen no sign Trudeau was cooperating to verify where he does and doesn’t have assets.

“I haven’t seen any new information, only resistance,” Gettleman said. “This has to end.”

The judge said the only way Trudeau would get the message “is to incarcerate him.”

Gettleman didn’t say how long Trudeau would have to remain behind bars. It will be until at least Thursday, when there’s another status hearing scheduled in the case, Gettleman said.

The judge sent Trudeau to jail for one night last month, warning him at the time that he’d be sent back if he wasn’t more forthcoming.

A 3 or 4 year old toddler was found wandering alone, near railroad tracks, last evening. He and the parents are now reunited. It recalls for me a similar happening, when my son was that age. I left out for work, but returned about fifteen minutes later, having forgotten something. I found the door ajar, my wife sleeping, and a chair next to the door. My boy was gone. I traced his progress to the convenience store on the corner. The clerk told me he tried to hold him until somebody came. He slipped out and ran off. When I ran out of leads, I went home and decided to call the police. My wife met me at the door and told me the daycare, which was in the opposite direction, had called and let us know he had turned up there. This is why I reserve judgement in similar cases. You just don't know.

“Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires.”
― Sigmund Freud

Edgar: I don't always comment here ... in case you're thinking otherwise and chucking the regular habit, please keep these threads going. Understand that I'd rather listen to/read the small and big (philosophical) comments you make here than anything else in my morning on A2k or even the squawk box. Keep those cards and letters coming. You do good work, fella!

I am going through a difficult adjustment period, now that my job has become but a small portion of the week. It knocks the stuffing out of a person who built his week around working for a living. Well, I took a look at my drying out wood, yesterday. It is getting there. That will be some work. I can't keep buying material for projects until I do something with that. My wife has been able to work again. She gets to be useful. That's good for her esteem and, frankly, the money is a big help. I have found time to get back to some alternatives I use for my health.