New Month...Old Problems

Welcome, October! With each day that passes, I'm just grateful to be alive and not out my mind. And, with a new month, we have a government shutdown. Whatever. Shut it down. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't when you're dealing with Donny T. and his minions. You either cave and give them what they want or don't cave and they take what they want anyway. Donny and Friends control the House, the Senate, and the Executive Branch. If they can't pass legislation on their own with that much power, then they can kick rocks. I really hate to see the government shut down because I depend on government services like other folks (the TSA, etc.). But this current government is so ridiculous and hostile that it's not even worth trying to work with them. 

Speaking of work, I had a rough day myself with an annoying coworker who seems to think that his projects should be pushed to the head of the line before anyone else's. I had to try and set him straight about having reasonable expectations. I'm working with a very reduced workforce and I'm doing the best I can with what I have. That means I have to prioritize my work. This guy didn't want to hear it. I had to loop his manager in also, but they're such cronies that he probably just ignored the whole thing. My manager also was looped in but he's largely useless when stuff like this comes up also. I'm grateful to have a job, but working with annoying people is annoying. I need a vacation!

Bizarro World

Let me get this straight. Our POTUS is more concerned with what late-night comedians are saying about him rather than dealing with the on-going problems in this country (inflation, high food prices, unemployment, etc), right? And free speech is only free for some people? Huh? Are we living in Bizarro World? The alternate version of the USA? 

Every single day, it's something else. Every single day. It's only been, what, nine months into this administration, yet it feels like nine years. It's hard to try and block out the noise when it's all noise. 

All Aboard the Crazy Train!

After a really nice Labor Day weekend in my home state of Michigan, I returned home this week to chaos again. I have more electrical work scheduled for tomorrow to, hopefully, fix things the crazy wiring in my apartment. I am optimistic that tomorrow's work will wrap things up for good.

However, I'm not as optimistic about the nutjob running the US Department of Health and Human Services. For everyone who voted to confirm RFK, Jr. (especially the physicians who voted for him), I say, "You have no one to blame but yourselves for this disaster!" To all of the people who voted to confirm him, you chose to let this guy drive the crazy train and we're all going to pay for that decision. How do you let a guy, who's not a doctor, has no medical or scientific education or training, and who's, clearly, a few cans short of a six-pack, run Health and Human Services? I bet Donny T wouldn't rely on RFK, Jr. for advice on his own medical care, so why should we? 

Every week (almost every day) there's more ridiculousness from this administration and its cronies. I try (I do) to avoid the hot mess that is the US government right now, but it's hard to block it out when so much of it impacts my life and the lives of others. Just when you think the shit show can't get any shittier, it does! 

Old Stuff

Here in Chicagoland, it looks like summer is finally winding down. The kids are back in school (or going back soon) and the weather has cooled off. We've had a hot and muggy summer here this year and I hated it. A few weeks ago, whenever I turned my air conditioner on in my bedroom, the power went out in my bedrooms and bathrooms. After fipping the breakers in the basement, the power still didn't come back on and I ended up having to call an electrician to come out. I live in an older building and the wiring isn't great here. The electrician did some work earlier this week and things were fine (at first) but after he left, I noticed an outlet behind my bed wasn't working, so I had to call and have the electrician come back out. He said he'd have to come back with a helper and try to figure out what the problem is. Great. In the meantime, while I'm awaiting his return, I'm living with bedroom walls that are lined with blue electrical tape (see the photo below) until I can have them patched and painted, but I can't do that until the electrical work is totally done (whenever the electrician can come back and finish the work he started). I knew when I bought my place back in 2018 that the electrical system was janky. Most of the rooms in my apartment only have two outlets. It's not ideal, but I make it work and I had not had any problems until a few weeks ago. The next place I live (and there will be a next place, I'm sure) will have to be more modern and have in-unit laundry. I'm so over sharing washers and dryers with others, but that's another story for another time.

In other news, I also found out I have to have a tooth pulled. The tooth I had a root canal on back in 2020 is cracked and has an infection at the root. My dentist advised me to have it removed and replaced with an implant. Great. I've been reading up on implants ever since I got the news and you can't get one put in right after the extraction, so I'll have to wait several months for my gums to heal. That means walking around for months with no tooth! At least the tooth in question is in the back of my mouth, but I'm still not happy about it. This is what happens when you get old! My tooth, like my apartment's electrical wiring, is breaking down.  

Hamilton!

I just read a couple of articles online in the NY Times about the musical Hamilton and that it's the show's 10th anniversary. Wow. (It's also Leslie Odom, Jr.'s birthday today!) 

While I was in Alabama a few weeks ago visiting family, my sister insisted I watch Hamilton on Hulu, so I did. (Well, I watched most of it.) My sister is a big Hamilton fan and loved the soundtrack before she even saw the play. I, on the other hand, heard some of soundtrack songs and was underwhelmed with a lot of the music and, ultimately, wasn't interested in seeing the play. No offense to Lin-Manuel Miranda, but hip hop and history just are not my bag, baby. While I enjoy some of Hamilton's music (the Schuyler Sisters, the King George bits, The Room Where It Happens, in particular), I'm not crazy about most of the tracks. I also didn't think Miranda had a strong enough voice to play Alexander Hamilton, especially when he was sharing the stage with much better singers like Leslie Odom, Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Jonathan Groff and watching the production on Hulu made that painfully obvious.

Clearly, my opinion is in the minority given the acclaim, awards, and money that Hamilton has made over the years, so what do I know? I'm glad so many folks enjoyed the show, the music, the cast, and the message of Hamilton.

Too Hot!

I returned last night from spending a few days in Alabama with my family there. For many years, I've avoided going to Alabama during the summer because it's just too hot, but I went this year and, while I had a great time, it was way too hot for me. My glasses would steam up whenever I went from an air conditioned car or an air conditioned building to the outside. I don't know how folks live there in the summer. The heat is oppressive and it doesn't cool off. Even at night, it's still warm outside. Ugh. 

I did have an opportunity to go to a Montgomery Biscuits ballgame last Friday night and had a great time. I've said before that I have a love/hate relationship with Alabama. My father is from there and I've been going there to visit since I was born, but I don't think I could ever live there especially now during the second term of Donny T. (Ugh.) But I do enjoy visiting and I have a time share on the Gulf (of Mexico...suck it, Donny) that's very relaxing. Maybe I could live in Alabama if I lived in or around the Gulf area, but probably not! 

The artwork below was taken from the Alley, a hangout spot in Montgomery near the Biscuits' stadium.

I Thought It Was the Fourth of July

Since the 4th of July is upon us, I keep thinking of the Soundgarden song by the same name. It's such a great song. (Chris Cornell, we miss you!) I've had a lot going on over the past few weeks: a colonoscopy, a visit from my sister, stress from my day job, etc., so I'm looking forward to doing nothing for the holiday weekend (well, nothing that's going to stress me out). I'm taking Monday off too for an extra long weekend. I need a break.

While my sister was here, we went to see a performance of Pagliacci at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. The performance was put on by the Opera Festival of Chicago and it was great. I am not an opera person and I was reluctant to go, but my sister really wanted to see it and I love a clown, so I said, "Okay." I really enjoyed the show. The guy who was Pagliacci was excellent. Everyone in the play was excellent. Maybe I need to reconsider my views on the opera and expand my horizons more often.

Have a safe, happy, relaxing 4th of July holiday!

Beating the Heat

We're having a bit of a heatwave in the Chicago area this weekend, so I'm staying indoors in the air conditioning. It's a good weekend to do some reading and catch up on some TV watching. This past week was also time for me to have a colonoscopy. With a history of colon cancer in my immediate family, I have to be vigilant. Thankfully, everything turned out fine. The prep was the most awful part. With all of the medical advances made, you'd think someone would be able to create a better-tasting prep solution because Trilyte sucks hard. Ugh. I miss the days of drinking that stuff from the green bottle (that was taken off the market, I believe) and taking laxative pills. I was glad to get the procedure over and done with so I could have solid food again. I'll get back on my regular eating plan starting tomorrow, but for the weekend, I've indulged a little. 

One thing I haven't been doing is writing. I've been struggling with the story I've been working on. I don't want to abandon it, but I need to make it a priority and get it finished. If I don't have a good draft done by the end of the summer, I might have to kick this one to the curb and start on something else. I'll cross that bridge if or when I get to it.

Frightening Times

Happy Pride Month! I know I'm late acknowledging Pride Month this year, so apologies for that. The mood is definitely subdued this year due in the US due to the current government administration that has done things like strip Harvey Milk's name from a U.S. Navy ship. (Whiskey Pete strikes again!) Ugh. It's hard to stay positive as you watch MAGA (Morons Are Governing America) in full force. Ugh again. 

I read an article recently in New York Magazine that's titled Could You Prove You're a Citizen? You think because you were born in the US and have a US birth certificate that there's no way you could be rounded up and deported to El Salvador, but think again, folks. People are being rounded up by ICE and not even allowed an opportunity to call anyone for help. And what kind of help could you provide? What if your family presents your birth certificate to the authorties and the government thinks it's phony? What then? We're living in frightening times, folks.

Still, we have to try and stop ourselves from going crazy over every awful thing this administration is doing or trying to do. Pride Month is still going on and people need to celebrate who they. Block the noise, folks, or try to block as much of it as you can. Live your life. Love who you love.

This Time, Last Year

Last May before Memorial Day, I spent a week in Madeira, Portugal and had a great time. This May, before Memorial Day, I went nowhere and I don't plan on leaving the country this year either. I'm really glad I decided to go to Portugal last year because I highly doubt I would have traveled to Europe this year. There's so much anti-Americanism overseas due to the reign of Donny T. that I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling outside of the country right now. A lot of overseas travelers don't feel comfortable visiting the United States either and I totally understand their discomfort. Aside from Donny as POTUS, I'm sure many fear having to deal with immigration over here. What if you're denied entry? What if immigration officials decide to put you into some kind of "holding" facility while they determine if you're worthy enough to enter the country? Who needs that kind of stress for a vacation? And the US is losing international travel dollars each day. No more floods of neighboring Canadians coming to town to enjoy the sights and spend some cash. And the immigration fear doesn't start and stop with non-US citizens. American citizens also are having to deal with surly immigration officials if they leave the country and try to reenter. Immigration staff can demand that you unlock your cell phone or just confiscate it entirely. Things are really scary and uncertain right now, so I'm choosing to play it safe and just stay home this year. 

But, I'll always have the memories of my trip to Portugal (and the pictures too)!

Random Observations

Congratulations to the new Pope Leo XIV who hails from my current home state of Illinois. I'm not Catholic, but I was on Pope-watch last week like many others waiting to see who would be chosen. I was shocked to see that an American was selected and a guy from Chicago at that. Huh! Good for him. I hope he follows in Pope Francis's footsteps and keeps fighting the good fight for those less fortunate in the world.

In less inspiring news, the US is bringing in white South African Afrikaner "refugees" now. Ugh. Just what we need in this country: more racists. As if we didn't have enough already, right? Give me a break. Just when you think this government can't go any lower, it does. Pathetic.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and this is always a hard holiday for me because my own mother is no longer living. My mother died nearly 30 years ago, but I still miss her. One year on Mother's Day, I was out and some poor guy wished me a happy Mother's Day and I told him, "Thanks, but I don't have any kids and my mother's dead." He looked at me, startled, and hurried away. I should have just said "thank you" and that's what I say now if someone wishes me a happy Mother's Day. I don't feel sad about not having kids (because I would have been a terrible mother, I believe), but I do feel bad because my own mother isn't around. To everyone who was able to enjoy another Mother's Day with mom, good for you and cherish that time with her.

Sinners and Church-goers

I saw the movie Sinners over the weekend and found it very entertaining. I purposely didn't read much about the movie so I didn't know a lot about it. I knew the twin brothers in the movie were opening a juke joint and that vampires were involved: that's it. What surprised me about the movie was how downright bizarre some parts of the film were. The Irish tunes and dancing took me by surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting to see a Riverdance performance in the middle of a film about Black folks in the American South in the 1930s, yet there it was! 

There are a lot of religious themes in the film and, over the past Easter holiday, I'd been thinking a lot about my own religious upbringing as a Lutheran. During holidays like Easter and Christmas, I think a lot about going to church as a child and how much I enjoyed the songs and the services. During the Easter season, we often sang a song called "Christ Arose" and it's always been a favorite of mine. I was fortunate enough to not have a traumatic, negative experience going to church as a child, but I was still brainwashed in some ways by certain religious norms that my parents and our church home followed that I wouldn't follow now as an adult. For example, it took me many years (like into my 30s) to wear a pair of pants to church (when I was still a church-goer). I'd been brainwashed to believe I had to wear dresses or skirts to church. Then, one day, I just wore pants. I'd seen other women wearing pants and I finally broke down and wore a pair too. If you weren't raised like I was, you're probably wonder what the big deal was to wear pants to church, but it was a big deal for me. I recall one time years ago when my father refused to go to church with my stepmother unless she changed her clothes. She wasn't wearing pants (God, forbid!) but she was wearing a denim jumper. It was a plain dress, but my father felt it wasn't good enough for her to wear to church and sit beside him in the pew while he was wearing a suit. So, what did my stepmother do? Did she say, "I'll wear what I want and don't sit beside me if you don't like it?" Of course not! She went and changed her clothes.  Brainwashing, folks!

Decade of Fun

In the "By the Book" feature in the NY Times, they sometimes ask authors what book have they read that they consider as "guilty pleasures." My feeling is that no one should feel guilty about reading a book, but if I had to specify certain books as guilty pleasures, I'd have to go with books by Bret Easton Ellis. As someone who was a teenager in the 1980s, I read Less Than Zero like a lot of folks my age along with Ellis's other books. His work was so different from what I'd been reading at the time and I enjoyed it. I'm reading his latest novel, The Shards, now and it's entertaining. I saw Bret years ago at the Barnes and Noble in New York around Union Square. He was doing a talk and Andrew McCarthy was there also. They were discussing the movie version of Less Than Zero (that Andrew starred in). Bret talked about seeing the movie and realizing as he watched it that none of the text from his book actually showed up in the film. (I think they did use that "people are afraid to merge" line in it, but I digress.) What surprised me was how perfectly calm and likeable Bret seemed during that chat. I was expecting him to be a jerk, but he wasn't! He was funny and entertaining. I was also surprised to see so many younger people at that reading. I was expecting the crowd to be filled with people who were my age (Gen X folks), but we were outnumbered by the Millennials. 

I told my sister Bret must feel like he lived his best life during the 1980s because he sure writes about that decade a lot. I just don't understand writing about a specific time period over and over. But, to each his own, I guess. I loved the 1970s because I was a kid during that decade and didn't have the pressures that come with age back then. The 1970s were tacky and ridiculous, but I loved that decade. However, I don't want to relive that time. I don't want to relive the 1980s or 90s either, although the 70s, 80s, and 90s are all looking better and better compared to what's going on today!  

Visit (While You Still Can)!

Back in 2017 BC (Before Covid), my sister and I went to Washington, DC and visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture (AAHC). We had a great time, enjoyed a great lunch there, and checked that visit off of our respective bucket lists. Back then, Donny T was in office, but too busy causing chaos elsewhere to bother with worrying about local museums. Well, the tide has turned now with Donny's second term. Now he's grumbling that museums like the Museum of AAHC cause further divisions in society and he wants JD to look into them (i.e. cut their funding). Give me a break. My suggestion for anyone interested in seeing the Museum of AAHC (or any other of the Washington museums that focus on minorities) is that you do it ASAP before Donny/DOGE/JD/Whoever shuts them down.

I, personally, would like to visit Alaska and I'm hoping to do so before Donny decides to give it to his Russian BFF, Vlad. Am I being paranoid? Maybe, but like a guy told me at a job interview once, "The paranoid have enemies too!"

$5.97

Eggs were going for $5.97 a dozen at my local Aldi today. That's about .50 cents per egg. Thankfully, I didn't need any, but my grocery bill from Aldi and Mariano's combined was over $100...for one person. And it wasn't like I was buying lobster and pricey cheeses (no gouda for me today). Grocery prices are still out of control, yet our POTUS was at the White House earlier this week begging folks to buy Teslas to help his buddy Elon out. Poor Elon. His ugly, janky vehicles aren't selling so, according to Donny T,  Americans should pitch in to help the world's richest man out by purchasing his Swasticars or truck. How tone-deaf can you be? Extemely tone-deaf, apparently. People are losing jobs (including many people Elon fired from the government), grocery prices are off the chain, and housing costs are increasing (on top of everything else), yet Dumb Donny wants us to buy a new car from his rich friend? Yeah, right. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I wouldn't give a dime to that dude. Let him go back to his home country of South Africa and beg for money. Let his fellow Afrikaners help him out by buying his cars and Mad Max trucks. 

Just when I think things can't get any worse, they do! This country is going right into the shitter and it pains me to say that. It's hard to try and find some positivity in the world these days. I can only take comfort in the fact that I didn't vote for Donny. Yeah, he's hell-bent on destruction, but my response to that is, "Don't blame me!" It wasn't like he didn't warn folks that this was coming. I didn't choose chaos but, for those who did, you're certainly getting it now, aren't you? 

You Know What It's Like

I was sad to hear that Roberta Flack passed away earlier this week. I've always enjoyed her music. I was just listening to her song "You Know What It's Like" recently. It's such a great song and terribly underrated. RIP, Roberta! And even more celebrity deaths happened this week: Gene Hackman, Angie Stone, David Johansen. I remember when Johansen had a big hit in the 1980s with a song called "Hot Hot Hot" when he was going by the name Buster Poindexter. That song drove me crazy back in the day because it was over-played on the radio. "How you feeling? Hot hot hot!" Oy vey! 

I did my part to not shop or buy anything yesterday for the blackout protest. It kills me that some folks dismissed the one day protest claiming one day of refraining from buying stuff won't make a difference, but what about Black Friday? One day of shopping puts a lot of retailers in the black, but one day of staying home won't make a difference? Whatever. I'm also trying to curb my Amazon shopping habit and I canceled my subscription to the Washington Post (that ends this month anyway). Bezos needs to sell the paper to someone who will run it right. If that happens, I'll consider resubscribing, but as long as Bezos is at the helm, forget about it. I'd like to find another news source to replace WaPo. During the BC times (before Covid), my old boss used to get the Wall Street Journal delivered to the office and I'd read those (when he wasn't there). The paper had interesting articles. It's not something I'd pay to subscribe to because I don't want to help fund the Murdoch media machine, but I enjoyed being able to read the WSJ for free. 

Let's all consider ourselves lucky for surviving yet another week of Donny T and the Funky Bunch and their never-ending bag of bullshit. Every day it's something else. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does! All I can do is try not to lose my mind with this nonsense and focus on the positive things in life. 

A Vacation? Ha!

Someone I used to work with asked me last week if I was taking any vacations this year. I told her probably not! This time last year, I was gearing up to go to Portugal in May. This year, nothing. My family is trying to arrange a reunion in Florida later this year, but I don't know if that's really going to happen and I also don't know if I'll go if it does. I'd like to take a trip, but I just don't see it happening this year. If it does, I certainly won't be leaving the country. When I was in Portugal last year, the British folks in my tour group kept asking me how I felt about Biden and Trump. They were really interested in US politics and the last thing I wanted to talk about on vacation was US politics. I can't even imagine what it would be like for an American overseas this year. Oy vey and no thank you.

Lately, I've been thinking about trips in the US, like to one of the national parks or to Alaska, places I've never been before. But with Donny and Elon's government cuts, will the national parks even have enough personnel to run them? As usual, the people in power making decisions about personnel cuts don't care or don't understand what their employees do to keep things up and running. All they're concerned with is doing more with less people. 

Tomorrow is the Presidents' Day holiday. I sure won't be celebrating our current POTUS, but I'm glad I have the day off from my day job to relax. I can remember Portugal even if I'm not taking any big vacations this year!

Serenity Now!

Serenity now, insanity later! Rarely do I quote Seinfeld, but with the nonsense going on in the US right now, I feel I have to. Trying to maintain serenity now is very hard. As if Donny T's second term as POTUS wasn't bad enough, now we have to deal with Co-POTUS, Elon. Ugh. He's not even qualified to be POTUS since he wasn't even born here, yet he's certainly acting like he has the authority to run the government. Why doesn't he go back to his home country of South Africa and run that government? (They probably don't want him back.) I never thought I'd see the day where a private citizen, and one who's not even from the United States, would be in position to oversee the country's financial systems. How is this not a coup? Why is this being allowed to happen? Our government has really gone into the shitter with a swiftness. It hasn't even been a month since Donny's return, but the country has already descended in chaos. DEI is being blamed for airline crashes, a dude with drinking and anger problems is running the military, a foreigner (who also seems to have some substance abuse issues) is taking over the government's financial systems, some nut job wants to run Health and Human Services, and POTUS is talking about making Canada the 51st state and turning Gaza into a vacation destination. Oh, and eggs are $8+ a dozen around here. Every day, it's more insanity in the United States. Don't blame me. I didn't vote for Donny, but now I'm forced to deal with him and every stupid decision he and his sychophants come up with. Another kick in the crotch. 

I can't figure out what this administration thinks will happen if the majority of our federal employees are gone. Where are these people supposed to work now? It's not like the job market is on fire right now. And what about the economy? If people don't have jobs and aren't making money, they can't buy things like homes and goods and keep the economy going. But no one wants to talk about that. Members of Congress and the Senate just sit on their hands, close their eyes, and let Donny do whatever he wants to do. Useless.

Love Is Free Anthology

JMS Books has published a new anthology called Love Is Free and all proceeds go to the ACLU. I have a short story in the anthology called "Whenever, Wherever, Whatever" and it's a Covid love story about two Chicago guys, Aaron Bailey and Jonathan Phillips who, after meeting on a hookup app, start a relationship. Things are good, at first, but then problems arise: Jonathan is closeted and Aaron isn't, Covid strikes, and family problems loom. Can love save the day? 

The anthology is available for sale now and there's a link in the sidebar to buy a copy. Check it out! I got my comp copy last week and I'm looking forward to reading it and enjoying the stories my fellow authors contributed (in addition to my own work). This book is coming at a great time with a great purpose, so I hope readers support our efforts and help us help the ACLU!

Escape from New York

I took a little trip to New York this holiday weekend and had a great time seeing some friends and seeing some shows. I just made it out before bad weather was moving in yesterday afternoon. When I was getting my checked bag tag at the United terminal yesterday afternoon, the airline had the nerve to ask if I wanted a voucher to take a later flight. Uh, no! Although I enjoyed my weekend trip to NY, I was ready to head home and sleep in my own bed last night. I also worried that I'd end up getting stuck in Newark if the weather really turned out there and I couldn't fly out.

During my brief visit, I went to see Wynton Marsalis for one of his Jazz at Lincoln Center shows titled "Cool School and Hard Bop." The show was excellent and I highly recommend checking out Jazz at Lincoln Center if you're into that kind of music while you're in NY. I also went to see MJ the Musical while I was in town. Excellent also. I love a good jukebox musical and the songs and dancing in MJ did not disappoint. 

I had not visited New York since 2023, so it was nice to get back to the city for a visit this year. I used to go frequently when I had to travel there for work, but those days are over now that we're mostly working from home these days. I miss New York sometimes, but I don't miss the high rent, the speed walking, and the crowds. I don't know how regular people can afford to live there now. I couldn't afford to live there now! I couldn't afford the apartment where I used to live in Brooklyn. It's too expensive for me now. I seriously downgraded my housing costs when I left New York and I'd glad I made the decision to leave back in 2013. It was the right choice at the time and I don't regret it. I had my New York experience and it was great, but I knew I would be leaving eventually. I wasn't in it for the long-haul, that's for sure. 

Happy MLK, Jr. Day! (I'm ignoring the return of Donny T.)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Having the holiday in the middle of the week is odd, but a day off is a day off, right? (I've actually been off from my day job all week, but I'll be back tomorrow, unfortunately.)

While 2024 wasn't a particularly bad year for me because I got to go to Madeira, Portugal in May and had a great time. (See the photo below from my trip.) I also survived another year, healthwise and workwise, so that's always good. I wish I could say I was looking forward to 2025, but with Donny T. in charge in a few short weeks, I'm not optimistic about the year to come. But, I'm blocking that noise for now and trying to enjoy the time now before Donny's regime comes back into power. 

My publisher, JMS Books, has an anthology coming out later this month called Love Is Free. (See the sidebar photo.) All proceeds from the book will be going to the ACLU. I have a short story included called Whenever, Wherever, Whatever. It's a love story during the height of Covid. 

RIP, Jimmy Carter and Nikki Giovanni (who I neglected to mention earlier).