Observations Friday 24 AUG 2012

Busy, busy, busy.

More tubs have gone out to recycle or donations. More interviews.

With Todd Akin and Hurricane Isaac, late August is just a little bit less boring. Most amusing, in fact.

Eating fruit, now, for snacking. Drinking fruit juices and water. The End Is Nigh.

Geese Heading South- In August

In the last week I noted geese headed south, a month or so early.

The critters know more than we do about the weather...

Generational Marker?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-live/2012/08/sandra-day-oconnor-bushgore-decision-may-have-sparked-131128.html?hp=l7

Sandra Day O'Connor: Bush-Gore decision may have sparked declining approval of SCOTUS

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor suggests that declining public approval of the court dates back to the controversial Bush v. Gore decision, which decided the 2000 presidential race.

"That was one that was widely talked about at the time, as you know, and involved the public in a presidential election," O'Connor said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation." "And that could be something that triggered public reexamination."

She said she wasn't sure if people thought the court had become too political.

"But I suppose that's part of it, yes," she said. "And of course, anytime you're deciding a case involving a presidential election, it's awfully close to politics."

She cast the deciding vote in the case, but she demurred on taking responsibility.

"I don't see how you can say anybody was the deciding vote," she said. "They all counted."

O'Connor said she has no regrets about her vote.

"No, I mean it was a tough deal; i[t] was a closely fought election; and it's no fun to be part of a group of decision makers that has to decide which side the ball is going to fall on," she said.

Ache And Pain Day.

My body is paying the price for all that moving. My left shoulder, in particular, hurts. My back is stiff and sore. Good thing I bought the big generic Aleve bottle from Walgreens. I stood down the planned lifting of heavy stuff, and travel ideas beyond *very* local are cancelled. It is a good time to just do things sitting down, and not feel guilty about it. Better than an accident brought on by weakness/strain.The hands are a bit klutzy as well; I would give myself a -2 to dexterity due to strain.

Lots of time on the computer coming up for career searching.

I Love My Back Yard

Big, flashy storms moved through last night. I got to watch them come in from the Doghouse's back yard. It has a much better view of the sky than the undisclosed location, which was in a valley, with a street alignment that was off 45 degrees from the grid. Magnificent view of the storm here from my small ridgelet. The night sky is better here.

It felt good.

The Runs Of August

Apologies to Professor Tuchman. :)

The move back from the undisclosed location is virtually complete. All the tubs are back, and filling the living room. This beats having to haul them upstairs from the basement for sorting. All other items seem accounted for (but the CD collection will need to be inventoried). Total costs for transport and storage, round-trip, approach $2,000, about $50.00/mile. Approximately 10,000 miles were driven between 15 FEB and 3 AUG 2012. The car had been averaging 7,500 miles a *year*, previously. I'll leave the other costs out.

I cleaned out the refrigerator, today. Shop and Save is discontinuing their Marie Callendar chicken pot pies, so I am filling the freezer with them (at a 23% discount). They have these things called "vegetables" in them, so, it's a step up from my nearly 67% fast food diet for the last few months. Over the last six months, I've gained about 12-15 pounds. Not good. The heavy exercise seems to have helped a bit, but it will be a long time going. Now, every time I get a fast-food urge, I go to the store with a $10.00 budget (the usual expenditure). Soup is an amazing value, and makes for a disaster precaution as well. 2 liters of root beer are eighty-nine cents! This is a big change from the $1.50+ soda's I had been buying on the run. Water is now being introduced as a drink! Mon Dieu!

I will miss the Hostess goodies I had been snacking on, but I think my weight and health won't. Rats!

Time to head back to the store- I've got space in my freezer, still.

What Mitt Romney Is Hiding In His Tax Returns

He paid all his income taxes to Israel. :)

48 Tubs Left

And, a sign of the times: The metal frameworks for two old twin beds went *poof*, long before the trash truck arrived.