Still miss the comments on Lori Anderson's blog - but i guess she is either too busy, or just fed up with sifting thorough trolls.

Thing is, it's not about the vehement disagreeing; the (real) trolls think they have to use really gross language to supposedly get their point across.  Well, don't know Mrs. Anderson personally, but can guess, she is plaun done with troll drama.  But still, miss the comments - and the links to other people's blogs.  Blogs, written by regular people, are about the only thing on the net - besides for real KJB sermons - i look forward to reading/listening.

To borrow today's post from Pastor Crippen's "Unholy Charade" blog - the difference between "Fred" and Dirk.

Fred is an "upstanding christian" - ya know, all Scripture-ese ... when it suits him.  But look out - and if you value your puppy, don't let the little critter wander onto Fred's perfectly sculpted yard.  Why?  Ask your other neighbor, whose gray cat was found obviously having been brutalized.  Oh wait a sec... don't,  the old guy is still rather broke up about it.  There's no proof, of course ... but anyone can add 2 and 2.  

Then there's Dirk, who lives a two or three houses down the road.  He's a rough character, who rides an annoyingly loud motorcycle.  His house and yard could, eh ... use some work - but when you can barely make the mortgage, because of ... whatever.  

Fred is also on the home-owner's board - and various other orgs - when you have money, you have time to hob-nob ... and stick your nose into other men's matters.  Funny though, Fred keeps his distance from Dirk - go figure.

Yep, Dirk has a temper - used to drink over at the CreekView, but they won't serve him anymore; as for the other place ... meh, too yuppie.  Frankly Dirk isn't quite sure why, but boozing and bar-fights have, over the past years, lost their thrill; perhaps an age thing?  Oh wait a sec, Dirk isn't even 40 - in fact, a few years shy.    

But he does recall one particular day - because it was snowing outside - stopping off for a few after work.  Just sitting at the bar, minding his own business.  Nearby, these two other guys were taking about something - nothing major, nothing monumental.  Wasn't even the tone of their voices that grated on Dirk's nerves.  It was the JCs and the GDs, every third word.  Dirk didn't finish his beer, but left enough to cover it and a  (generous - because his gramma had always said ...) tip, then walked out.

He thought about his Gram from time to time.  Of course, she had passed on years ago.   As a boy, Dirk had stayed with her - actually, more often than not; his parents, well they had issues.  More often than not, she took him to church - a real one, where the Word was actually preached ... about the Lord who had alot of mercy.  But, the same Lord also hated sin, and cast unrepentant sinners into an eternal firery hell - that stunk, bad!  

Needful to say, our flawed hero didn't want to go there.  Talk about a tough kid coming to terms!  And yeah, there was change.  Dirk, though still short-tempered, wasn't quite the terror to the other boys to which he had formerly been.

Though not much of a Bible reader, here and there, over the years, he did peruse his KJB.  If you were to ask him his favorite part, he'd probably tell you about Jephthah (Judges 11). And no, unlike Fred, who's about like a walking Bible encyclopedia, Dirk might know somewhere about which book - maybe.  But, although our hero is short on articulating, there's Scriptures which, from to time, seem to pop up out of thin air.  More than once, but don't ask him to explain ... it's just that, more than a time or two, these pearls somehow kept him from getting himself in some real dutch.

In short, it doesn't take the Mott's apple guy, with his horticultural degree to determine the probability of for-real fruit (of repentance) growing (though slow) in Dirk's heart.  

Not so, with Fred - that guy looks all nicely nicely.  But he's vicious - just ask his family ... no wait, you may not want to know.  And they probably wouldn't (know how to) tell you.

Tarrot, yoga, chakras...ssso witchiepoo, so boomer. Not surprised, concerning the blog-post, and especially

who wrote it.  The woman's posts typically have atleast one I in every sentence - I this, I that, and I about everywhere in between.  Bold red-flag on a blustery day, from the get-go.  One of those, "I got mine (neh, neh, neh)," and the self-satisfied smirk is written all over her face.  Yeah, there's a photo, right at the top.  What is it with women and selfIes anyway?   Ya don't see men running their faces - nope, guys just post and run cameras about the bridge built, the engine restored, the 12-point buck ... ya know, actual accomplishments.  

Anyway, ms.I'm-so-that is - oh, big surprise kiddos - went on (again) about her witchiepoo dabbling.  Tarrot cards, and summoning that snake that is coiled at the base of the lower large-intestinal area - (that's almost funny, where the devil hangs out) are chakra-groupies really that clueless???  Yeah, silly question.

Was considering making a smart-aleky comment on the woman's blog, but Scripture says - of people who reject the Gospel - to just leave them alone.   As in, can ya spell, pearls and swine?  So, i won't name the blog, or the blogger.  Namely: why bother - it's not like she's the only has-been who gets an ego-boo from dabbling in demon-dooey.  

What is it, with old women and witchcraft anyway?   Nothing new, evidently - just the same-old, same-old authority issues ... ( which shoulda been off-loaded at age fourteen or so :/ ).  Stories from generations past, generally depict the most destructive, the most scary witches as hags.  

And yeah, have had a smirk on my face while writing this post.

Another trend - and yeah, there are exceptions, but we know what exceptions prove ;)

Anyway, the bucks-braggers - even if, they're telling the truth - tend to squeak when they walk.   Now, what proof have i, daring to question the honesty of my so-called "better$."   Well guess what, Scripture often mentions the wealth of the wicked.  So, mr or ms - or whatever buncha-weirdo combination of letters ... :/ - go rail at the King of kings himself (yikes, think i'll hotfoot off to a safe distance).  

Anyway, it takes no statistical genius to notice that alot of people are either playing house, or simply playing the field.  Yeah, it's more profitable, moneywise, to remain sIngle.   Spouses are known to get their work-hours cut (and have a really big car repair bill) get sick or die - and if the life-insurance is wanting ... a decent funeral costs atleast ten thousand.  Oh wait a sec, most people just cook 'em and can 'em - that's less than half the price...no big box, no limo needed.

Anyway, it wasn't long ago, i had wondered, why does the Lord make such a big deal over people choosing to shack up?  Oh yeah, had even wondered if the Lord was simply choosing to be a hard-nose.  It wasn't until, not goo long ago, someone - think a KJB preacher, if i'm not mistaken - said this about cohabitation: the relatIonship is based on a lie.  And it doesn't take a Bible scholar to know, lying is the devil's area of expertise.  It's one thing if the car dealer, or your boss lies to you; it's way another, when the person you share a bed with, has his or her own agenda - one that doesn't include you.  Not that married people don't bail on one another - it's just that in a marriage, you can lose more if your spouse realizes game over.

The best retirement advice i had read on one of the boomer-blogs was: get a push-mower. While retirement remains

a few years away (oh well, could be worse - what's the point of bragging bucks, while rejecting Scripture...oh, don't wanna go there).  Anyway, while i have too much lawn. to mow with a push - and very prefer to keep the lawn service; it's expensive, but the team has it all done within 45 minutes - the push will enable me to deal with scrubby areas, which will remain at this time.  Using a chainsaw would solve much of that, but chainsaws scare me.  Yes, i would love to have a perfect lawn ... that and other project$ done...

The blogger who recommended the push, did so for exercise sake.  Right now, am loping brush, but by winter, most of that will be loped, raked up and turned to ash - per the handy-dandy burn barrel.   Look forward to when that is done - dirty, sweatie, gritty job.  So, there remains plenty of exercise equipment in my own personal gym :)

Anyway, sort of related to retIrement planning and LIfE$tyle, was a recent comment, concerning the probability of older people saying what just isn't so, concerning (gaag) dating.  Well, the thought occurred to me, yesterday while working in the yard.  If one area of life is showcased as something, which it's usually so not, it's very probable that the money-show - yeah, eat-yer-heart-out (plebe) at MY 1/2 mil I have in the bank ... is more like monopoly money than the real thing.  In short, if there's one (boomer) lie, there's bound to be others.  

my beef about the moneyshow is, how it raises the unclean spirit of envy and covetousness.  Yep, even Asaph - ASAPH - came down a really toxic dose of it.  Almost killed him.  Ya know, it's not like Asaph was just some clerk doing mail-runs.  (Psalm 73) 

And you thought covid was contagious.

Well, that was a pleasant surprise - the contractors-bucket did not contain

used motor-oil; it was full of ice-melt.  While i prefer rock-salt, because it works better.  Still, that's one less heavy bag to deal with, come November.  Anyway, the bucket was dirty on the outside - so yeah, i cleaned it.  Yep, don't like dirty ... anything - even in the shed.  

Also wanting the shed to be reasonably tidy, wanting the hedge-trimmers to be clean, as well as other things?  Is that neurotic?  No.  That's a girl thing.  That's even in the Bible, women being keepers at home.  In short, it's a gal's God-beatowed nature to want to keep things clean - or at least reasonably grunge free.  

So, point of this post is:  yesterday at work, was treated to an interesting conversation.  Though, wasn't at all surprised with its proceedings.  Two men co-workers were delightfully filling each other in, about their wives terrific incomes.  The wives make alot more than their husbands.  Nope, no surprise there.  The two husbands have gainful jobs, but with wifey working a power-job, there's plenty left over for hobbies (gag :/).

Being widowed, and living alone (and keeping it that way), i happily have the time to keep things tidy.  When you share a home with someone, of course, your time is not your own.  There's less time to keep things neat, and work involved in that process.  Now, add a full-time job, plus the commute...

It's said that more divorces are initiated by wives.  Maybe so... after all, there you are, (stressfully) working both shifts - and very grateful to the gubment diversity/inclusion legislations (which generally, exclude the most qualified for that tertific-paying job).  Well anyway, wifey might get to thinking, after awhile, hey, what do i need him (and his cluttery hobbies) for?

Think i know what the hold-up is about. Only so much mail can get processed, and sent out the door.

That is, considering ... (a few posts back ... nuf said there ... not really ;/ ).   Anyway, the entity, neither gives an email address; and predictably, good luck getting through to an actual human - to ask a very routine and general question - per the phone number.  Once again, strongly suspect, this all has to do with ... nuf said :/

Well, last night, saw an article on the (shallow) news-trough, that clued me in, as to the hold up.  In short, has to do with keeping people from falling through the cracks (big ugly serious ones...from hell itself).  And too much of the situation (where people NEED gubment support) comes from that same pit.  Sadly, many of these same people, somehow have money for ... things  which alot of (lower) middle-class (home-owning) folks, simply cowboy-up and do without (vegas) baubles. 

And anyway, is such a blessing to NOT experience pangs of terror when approaching the mailbox.  Such a blessing from Above, to open the box, and find - yet again - nothing or nothing but junk mail.

So, the mailing i've been waiting for...uhm, could use it, but guess will just have to wait.  More later.

Well, that was an interesting article - what little was available for the non-sub$cribed. Anyway, was able to catch enough of it, and it went a long enough way to answer

as to why first-world nations are upper-shelf.  The article concerned average retIrement ages.  Looks like the US, as a nation, retires significantly later than a particular and very large third-world nation.  Breaking news??  Don't think so.  i recall, going on half a century ago, hearing in school that Americans - on average - work longer hours than most - if not virtually all - other national groups.  Here in America, we get blazing hot weather down south, but unlike other countries - with similar weather - American work culture does not support the some three-hour afternoon break.  Oh, wait a sec, in other first-world nations - where they have snow in winter - the shops open around seven, close at around noon, and open back up around three, then close at around seven.   So, that's five hours in the am and four hours in the pm.  So, the shop is open for nine hours.  Here in the US, the stores - back in the day - were open from about nine to nine.  Twelve hours.  

The tease-article (and, absolutely NOT, am i going to send even one skinny dime to those reprobates) had said the large third-world nation's average retirement age was an entire decade younger than that of the US.  We'll with shrinking families, that nation over there wants to raise the age a year or so - and evidently, are getting some pushback; their government didn't just become aware of the situation, just two weeks ago.  But the pushback...  Now the leaders can no longer simply ignore the elephant in the boardroom - it's awakening, and we all know that critters (and humans) take a certain call shortly after awakening.

Seen it play out a few too many times ... am talking about the elephant in the room,

that we dares'nt talk about.   Oh so want to post some very politically incorrect stuff, but am at least smart enough to know, it's best such a post goes into my paper diary - if that would ever get read, i'll likely be in a big-box, six feet under, by that time.  The topic deals with ... well some folks are better at (reasonably successfully) navigating through the rat-maze than are others.  But, 'nuf said.

Lori Anderson, in a recent post on her "Transformed Wife" blog posted a resonating article - about older women giving crappy advice

to younger women.  Not exactly breaking news.  A wife who used to live in the neighborhood had received a truck-load of that.  Yep, her slightly older neighbor (but shoulda known better ... to butt the flock out of the young wife's business) would ... ya know, do the (not so) covert victory dance.  This all went down years before $social-media.  Well anyway, of course, it wasn't nosey neighbor's fault that the younger wife's marriage went bust - but the high-hatting nosoid biche sure didn't help matters with her, "oh, look at what I bought...and guess where we're vacationing ... bla, bla, bluck!

So, Mrs. Anderson's post is very much needed - especially nowadays, where everyone and their cousin is on picture-perrrfect.   Basically, a young wife has enough to deal with - and so does her husband; financially strapped couples do not need to be reminded (by their frienemies) what they don't have. 

Another blogger, Peeps, has noticed that when the chips are down, people disappear from those show-sites - after all, people aren't much interested in real life.  Life .... where you're using old baskets as planters, because clay pots - which used to be inexpensive, and available about everywhere - are only sold at pricey garden shops ... for an arm and three eyeballs.   

Had to laugh at how a (for real) preacherman described social-media photos (lots of 'em).  He goes, "that's me in the coffee-shop, that's me leaving the coffee-shop, that's me shopping for summer gear, look what I bought, here I am at the picnic ...  The sermon portion concerned discretion.

Another trend i've noticed, over the past year: google's news feed is not only shorter, but the articles

resemble more a sub$cRIPtion lure, than simply news articles.  Not long ago, you could read all kinds of news, without some popup blocking your entire screen.  Yes, as are annoying, but you can pass them by.  Uhm, isn't it enough to plow through ads (which, by the way, saw a few products that i was interested in) while paying for internet service?  Of course nnnoot, it's never enough.  

Another trend i've noticed is a limit on keyword searches - it's as if google won't allow me ... and nothing at all skanky.  Oh, speaking of, while perusing an article, an ad came up that showed a black skull with horns.  What the hey was that all about?  Frankly, was a bit curious - but oh no, so not going anywhere near that ... death-skank, betcha, that's the direction.  No thanks!

Basically, what the recorded minority female voice said was ... "uh, we don't talk to (mere) customers over the phone." Surprised yet?

Was just a general question.  Sad thing is:  per the website, can't help but to suspect they're not being quite on the level.  If six weeks, instead of three is the actual average turn-around time, than why can't they just be up-front about that?  Why?  Not because they're cruel, but because there's alot of people out there who are in financial straits.  Unfortunately, at the same time, doesn't help that situation, when a spare $20 this week, and a spare $10 the next, gets peed away on lottery tickets, or whatever other prole junk.  Come the week after, the $30 or $40 needed for some unexpected need is not available.  Adds up, and only lengthens a frustrated angry queue.  

(Now safely into this post - oh yeah, definitely an advantage to be located on a cyber side-street of a side-street - can post what am really thinking, for whatever that's worth :)   Anyway, cannot (nor will not :) help but to think, more stuff would get done, business would run more efficiently, if there were more (oh horrors) white guys on the job.  For most of commerce history, it was time-proven that two men could get way more done than five chattery women.  And ya wonder why men earn, on average 20% more money than do women.  

"Talkin' bout my generation," (The Who) The song goes on, "hope i die b'for i get old." Well, we're here, and we're old. So, what about it. Saw a post on a boomer blog, which started out

with some good sense stuff.  The article focused on 50 and 60-some women - during and after the change-of-life.  First thing mentioned concerned diet - eating salads instead of pizza, that sort of thing.  Then about the second sentence in ... so boomer ;/ The article goes right into - with a hot-linked advertisement - ways to keep a certain area of the female reproductive system from (it's inevitable) shriveling down.  And yeah, i know the name of it, and can even spell it, without spell-check, but, eh, too racey; don't want the skank-bots even near this blog.

Uhm, so what's the point in keeping something beyond it's (fallen) natural time horizon?  Think it's related to gray divorce, and singles over 50, in general.  It's all about non-repro (feministic) fun and games.  Barely a thought concerning alot of men over 50...excuse me, but those blue pills, which the media deceives men into taking, can bring on heart issues.  What?  Older men's lives don't quite matter?

But anyway, this is real life - not yet another "Golden Girls" teevee fantasy, where each week, one or more of the 50-something women are getting ready to go on a date (with a man - the show ran prior to the lgbt..abc nonsense).  Come on already, at 50-something, isn't time to give up the fornicating already?  The reality is: the only reason (for the very most part) that guys are even remotely interested in dating older women is: yep, she's buying...that is, shelling out good money, for what?  Fornicating.  What a waste, and on top of that, if you were a fly on the wall, what the guys are telling their friends...

Btw, the female preservation products are wonderful for older Married women.  Yaay, that such products are available.  

It's a tragedy, not a transition. An article on google about gray dIvorce, came up yesterday. While, dIvorce is down among younger people, for boomers (are we surprised:/...

the splitting-up stats have about jumped.  It's one thing for a marriage to go bust when the individuals are in their 30s - there's still time to acquire, and pay off houses, and save atleast some funds toward retirement.  But at 50 or 60-something, that window is about shut.  All and all, the article - sadly - gives wives another reason to only trust their husbands within limits - and a solid reason for the wife to outsource the kids to strangers, while she goes to work.  And goes against her nature to claw her way up the ladder - not because of greed, but because a $18 an hour clerk job isn't realistically enough.  And neither is a promotion available just down any hallway.

As an aside, to get a promotion, you atleast have to almost lie about the great things you have done for your employer in your current or past job.  Uhm, almost lying is, uh, at least a bit uncomfortably close to lying.  But it's a fallen world.  Interviews...ugh!  And you atleast almost have to brag - bluuck!  "Sell yourself" as being a "good fit" ... what are we?  A pair of pants?  Anyway...

The article advises adult children to seek out therapist$ for themselves and their splitting up parents, in order to make the "transition" with minimal drama.  Yep, the agenda smell$.   Transition...my foot!  

Ya wonder why younger people aren't even bothering to marry?  Gram and gramps splitting up is a clarion call (from the pit) to the grandkids - and most definitely, to "grand girl" (that boomer term just reeks feministic...bleech :/ ) - that marriage vows are mere clanging symbols.  Come to think of it, am not even sure if lifetime vows are even made much these days.  i understand that during many (so called) marriage ceremonies, the couple speak their own new-agey fluff before whomever is conducting the function - in other words, "to have and to hold" until one, or both of us, decides otherwise.  

One of the things pointed out in the article, was that many gray-dIvorcing couples has held off the split-up while the kids were still in school.  On the surface (how typically boomer) sounds magnanimous.  But we all know - and the article even alludes to - the adult children will wonder if their childhood memories were a lie.  And of course, here's where the therapists come in for their take - uh, what is it?  Some $150 an hour?

What's up with the butch hair-cuts? And yeah, i get it, when you're 80 or 90-something,

normal everyday things, like brushing long gray tresses, is not only a hassle, but a pain in the shoulders, wrist and fingers - that won't bend, or unbend.  But taka-looka-round...the butch-cuts are on alot of middle-aged (and) young heads.  Whatever happened to a woman's long hair being her glory?  Well, the answer to that is a no-brainer.  

Womanly beauty, in general, has been - over the last 50-some years - systematically scoffed at, and crushed.  Don'cha know, us women - if we want even some respect - must adapt to (supposedly) masculine chatacteristics ... ya know, like the stone-busting ms.ceo, who, of course, can (supposedly :/) outswat anyone on the racquetball court.  Never mind, we all know - but dare not say - whadda bragging-ars'd biche she is.  Worse than that, our grossly un Godly society expects regular women to envy that Jezebel - there's Psalms speaking about people being envious of the wicked; yep it's a gender-blind waste of time and energy.   Anyway...

if i live long enough, there could come a time, when these silver tresses will have to go.  But until then, and somehow after - Lord Himself willing - am determined to hang onto feminine characteristics ... ya know, like long poofy skirts - instead of pants (which make women look fatter ... i am fat enough as it is, thankyouverymuch :) 

So yeah, wanted to call "the baby ugly," but doing so, on someone else's blog...that's not polite.  But at this blog, i'm a callin' it for what it is: that haircut is bbbuuuuuck ugly.

Lunch is soon over.  Bye :)

Seventeen year locusts - yeah, i know they're not really locusts, and are called by some fancy science name ... but anyway, just by listening...

had noticed, they started coming out in late May.  Make alot of noise, no problem.  Early this month, began hearing - once in a while - what sounds like a small drill.  Hhmm, was thinking maybe one of the locusts had just gotten back from the hard-ware store, and had to show his buddies.  It wasn't until a few days later, and the "drilling" becoming more frequent, did it occure to my great scientific mind :), that the drilling is coming from the female locust.  Could be wrong, but i think, when she lays her eggs upon a branch, she doesn't want them to slide off when a storm comes and the wind picks up.

Another thing i was wondering about is.  Do female "locusts" lay more than one batch of eggs, or does she hold off drilling, until she has been able to do the deed with several males?  Yeah, sounds skanky, but locusts aren't people; if they're having an ongoing orgy up there in the trees - and maybe they're having a really good time - but whatever the case, they're having super-sex (i guess) for one reason only.

Yep, to make little locusts, who will hatch from their eggs, in about three weeks; some of them will manage to evade predators, make it off the tree, and to the ground, where these youngins will dig in and down about ten-ish feet, find a tree root and live off the root's moisture and nutrients for the next seventeen years - that is, if some sort of underground predator doesn't get 'em.  So, the ones that don't end up as something's supper, come mid to late May, will surface, climb/fly to the trees - and ppaaar-tah.

So, i guess the party is soon to wind down, because i've been hearing more drilling going on.  Per previous cycles, had noticed they were about gone by early July.  

Btw, source is:  google.  

Seventy percent - almost three out of four people (supposedly) say they approve of

sodo marriage.  Betcha, atleast for some, yikes, they're hesitant to say otherwise - people can lose their career status, if not their very jobs, for no better reason than politely stating that homosexual activity has no redeeming value, for either the individuals nor for society.  Yep, you don't even have to believe the Scriptures to know that certain things are just plain twisted.  Meanwhile, there are many, and probably a significant majority, have no beef whatsoever about two guys or two gals getting (uh-hem) "married." 

After all, why not?  ALOT of hetero-marriages aren't for-real either - uhm, no breaking news there.  The new fishing rod and bass-boat for him, the yoga classes, the nail salon and the girl's night out (to watch some half-queer dude do a striptease... barf!) for her...while the kids get shuffled to and from daycare.  The wife sees no other viable choice but to take out a divorce-insurance policy - in the form of full-time employment (and then doing the full-time domestic second-shift).  Whadda mess, but anyway...

Sorry, (so not at all sorry) but any couple that goes before a lawyer to have the in-case-we-dIvorce papers drawn up, prior to seeing the preacher or jp (or ship captain) ... and you can betcher boots most, if not all, "gay marriages" are prenup't.  Taking after hetero-marriages, obviously:/  In short, these papers are, in reality, more about "when" one or both pppaartners wants a(n easy) dIvorce,  and less about "if."

Shift fixing to start.

At the risk of being rude ... oh wait a sec, 'am allowed to type freely -

within reason.  And yeah, strive to keep it courteous - like wheeling a barrow uphill.  But anyway, have noticed smugness among my age-group - the I got mine sort of thing.  About every third word being ... "I."  I this, I that, and I about everywhere else in between.  It's almost funny when the old hasbeens go harping about the 20-somethings' selfies.  Wouldn't have anything to do with Size 8?  Would it?

Well alrighty then...here's a brag story.  Saturday, while running an errand, ahead of me in line, stood a beefy man (guess around 70) and his (guess early teenaged) grandson.  The young man looked as if he'd look like his granddaddy in about 50 years or so.  Just love this (Republican) area.  And a resounding YYAAAYYYY to that old guy, YAY, that he has a grandSON who is fixing to one day resemble the patriarch :)

We live in a society where it's all about girls - as if boys don't matter.  Well boys' lives DO matter.

Hospitality goes beyond the look-at-my-new ... and are-you-impressed mindgame - makes ya wonder

why you were invited over, in the first place.  Hhmmm, can't you also help, but to wonder if the entire show has been sponsored by master-kard?  But anyway, for those of us - on limited, or just plain prudent budgets - hospitality can be other-person centered.

Whether or not the plumber had noticed - and it doesn't really matter, because the Lord sure did notice - the clear and clean area under the sink, does indicate appreciation for the work he does.  He's not getting any younger, and surely he's done work in some grimey places.  Well, why not one less grimey place to work in?  And then thanking the man, for real - knowing even that bill is gonna be a ... holy moley!

Hospitality also takes the form of a trash can that is reasonably clean, both inside and out.  An unspoken, thankyou for the (hard) work you do.  Maybe the chimney sweep doesn't notice the grit-free area around the wood stove - much less, the clean room - but by the time his workday is done, his clothing and person will be gritty enough, thankyou.  He doesn't need any more from this customer.  In the yard, after a wind, going around and picking up any dead branches, so the man who comes weekly to cut the grass doesn't have one more thing to mess with his mower/blades.

As an aside - but very not really - selfish lazy family-menbers are known, too often, to kill hospitality, period.  This neat-freak blogger, has seen exactly this play out, a few too many times, among too many people.

There's a Scripture - and i don't recall where in the Bible - but it speaks about drunkards, whose tables are full of vomit.  The preacher, who referenced that Scripture, had noted that (selfish/lazy) drunks/druggies are usually sloppy people.  Hhmm, does it take a degree in quantum physics to understand how demoralizing it is to keep a place tidy, when sharing quarters with such a pathetic worthless?  Btw, i adamantly refuse to use that white-washed tomb of a word that denotes an illness.  UH-UH, covid is an illness - drunkenness is just plain, a seriou character flaw.  This blog is a no-coddle zone.

Got some leisurely tidying up to do. (Being Sunday, can't get too much into work.)  Bye :)

Women's work undervalued? Yeah, tell that one to the man who empties your garbage -

in all kinds of weather; bet summer is especially fun, since not everyone is reasonably clean about their recycling and  garbage/cans.   Talk to the man who repairs garbage trucks - even ones that have been emptied and hosed out, still they leak smelly fluids;  and what about the trucks that quit while loaded?   There's a reason why soup cans and other food containers need atleast rinsed out before being tossed in the blue tub.  Then there's the man who comes over in the truck to pump out the tank.

There's the man who comes over to replace nasty pipes.  That's hard work, in oftentimes tight airless spaces - same with electrical repairs.  There's a reason why the labor runs about $100 an hour - after about thirty years in the trade, a man faces things like knee surgery; and yeah, knees can be fixed, but they're never the same.  

Roofing is yet another tough job - 105 degrees up there, and the men have to move it - without sacrificing quality - because that storm wasn't supposed to happen until around 3:30-ish; it's 2:45, and those clouds are getting black.  So yeah, guess that's one reason why the back roof ran some 4k two years ago.  (It was in bad shape, maybe two rainstorms from a leak.)

Wanna talk undervalued jobs?  Our stupid politicians left our men to rot in Hanoi.  Our craven leaders, evidently, did not have the stones to demand our soldiers' release (on pain of sending the bombs to blow that certain pee-pot of a nation off the map). 

Don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but while the men sweat in grime as they repair our roads, or fixing the power line and clearing downed trees (while the wind refuses to go away) and traffic gets tied up - can't help but to notice,  it's usually a MAN who will let you in to that turning lane.  

Jus' sayin' :)

Ugh, that gimmee-fest will cost ... enough to cover a plumbing bill.

A co-worker is waiting on a family member to come over and fix the problem - hope she's not holding her breath.  Well, she must be a better person than me, because i'd of sent a gift-card (maybe, but then again, maybe not :) and saved the expense of travelling to the fest.  It's the old story of siblings who are about to retire with plenty of money (to do the show-and-tell farce-book shuffle) - while she's the one burning gas, and leave from work to care-give.  

Anyway, just had a plumbing issue last week.  So, called the plumber - took him the best end of two hours to fix it.  He does a good job btw.  Needless to say, the bill came today, and the check goes out tomorrow.  Avoid gimmee-fests because...?  Okay, call me a cheap-skate, but you won't (by the Lord's grace) have to call me about a past-due bill.

the pLandemic had arrived on our shores from ... not really sure, but wouldn't be surprised ... considering ... Anyway, over the last ten years or so,

the stats, here and there, had indicated about one out of five or six adults is experiencing trouble with paying his or her bills when they are due - bills such as electric, car payments (some people can NOT get by driving clunkers), phone (excuse me, but flip-phones on a 3rd-rate plan are less than reliable) and other basic needs - things that are at least borderline necessary, in order to function in a 1st-world society.  No apologies warranted.

Those stats applied before the kovid lock-downs.  So, the article that just came up on google, some real price-hikes that will show up on next month's electric bills, come as an annoyance, but not a surprise.  Thinking about it, per a link, there was another article that said one out of three adults was behind on his or her electric bill; the average unpaid balance was around $7 or $800.  Yikes.

Anyway, was thinking, the significant increase is probably because there's alot of people out there who are not able to keep current.   Ya think having been locked out from their jobs, because a few loud-mouthed (old) hypochondriacs had anything to do with the destruction of entire economies and millions of livelihoods?  Ya think?

So, will just have to tighten my belt.  But am not alone in feeling rather irritated.

Per another recent article that had appeared on google, President Biden is fixing to sock-it-to the upper-class; people earning over (i think) $3 or $400,000 - ya know, people who studied hard, real curriculums in college - are going to get taxed bigtime.  (Is that even fair?)  And guess where that tax-money is targeted. 

Yeppers, you guessed it!  Those funds are supposed to benefit families who are having trouble paying basic bills, like day-care (good luck finding that :/ ), health-care and school lunches.  In other words, to pay other people's bills.  Other people ... like the lady, over at work, who just quit her job, (a decent-paying job, like $40k) because she couldn't find child-care.  Yep, once again, a round of thanks to the loud-mouthed (boomer) hypochondriacs, for totally screwing up (young) people's livlihoods.