Report from the OP, June 16, 2024

Today makes a week I’ve been working on this post. One way or the other, the Publish button is getting hit tonight.

Starting with the global situation, I think I’m starting to see some “wheels within wheels” stuff going on. I’ve found that I’m not the first with this particular one, but it appears as if President Poopy Pants or whoever is running him is trying to cook up an October Surprise. It seems that every time that the Ukraine-Russia or Israel-Hammas fights start to move toward negotiations, good ol’ Uncle Sam steps in with a “peace proposal” that neither side will take and boom, we’re back to fighting. I think what we’re going to see is a peace proposal that will be made and approved by all concerned just before the US elections, giving Slow Joe a big boost at the polls, and obviating the need for even more blatant cheating than in 2020. Current developments in the Mideast may prove me wrong. It will hardly be the first time, right?

I also wonder about the Russia-China bromance. Who is using who? I suspect that while Russia is getting a lot of under-the-table support from the Chinese, the Chinese are not only using Russia to keep the US busy somewhere other than the Pacific, but they’re bleeding both the US and Russia of military funding and material right before something big happens. In our case, it’s that pesky Taiwan thing again, but in Russia’s case, it’s to drain them of money, men, and material to make them an easier invasion target sometime after the PRC takes Taiwan. The Chinese share a long land border with the Russians and several of the old USSR’s former republics. I think China may have designs in those areas. Cutting Russia off from Vladivostok might be a good idea in Chinese thinking. Sakhalin Island might have some interesting things to see. Kazakhstan has a lot of fossil fuels, uranium and gold. Tajikistan seems to be a minerals storehouse. Kyrgyzstan has fossil fuels, gold rare earths, and uranium among others. If you are on a quest to become the world’s next and only hegemonic power, all these things would certainly be important once the sanctions balloon goes up and the rest of the world decides that cutting you off is a good move.

Here in the US, President Donald Trump was found guilty of 36 very curious charges in a New York court that legal pundits and authorities all question. This was pre-ordained by those in power, and on July 11. I expect to see him get a suspended sentence and house arrest–in NYC, natch. That would seriously limit his ability to fundraise and hold his famous in-person speaking engagements.

Hunter Biden has been found guilty of all three counts on his gun possession trial. Nasty ol’ me wonders if this is Hunter being thrown under the bus in an attempt to gain some legitimacy for the verdicts against Donald Trump. I await a Biden pardon or sentence commutation of his wayward offspring, or less likely a Hunter suicide while in custody.

There’s a big uptick in Leftist activity across the country. There is some “Red Line” or “Free Palestine” or something similar almost every day somewhere in the country. Leftist groups are also holding various “How to protest” trainings and various other educational tidbits, some online, that is highly reminiscent of the recent “Summer of Floyd” organizing push. When Trump carries the election, expect to see everything from the morons in their pussy hats to the black bloc shock troops and things we haven’t seen before.

Fuel prices have dropped. I’m buying 87 octane gas for $3-3.05/gallon, although if you’re not paying attention, some stations will nick you for $3.40. Diesel is $3.70-4.00/gallon. Even though some of this decrease must be the current election shenanigans, some of it may be demand destruction.

Grocery prices haven’t dropped. “Oh boy, inflation printed at 3.3%, which is so much better than the 3.4% we expected!” Spare me. All the increases from the last few months are still with us and still slowly draining bank accounts and running up credit card bills. I’m surprised that domestic calls aren’t sky high and that divorces aren’t swamping the court system. Maybe they can’t afford expensive things like bail, and half of nothing is still nothing.

The company Son works for, that manufacturers implrments for tractors and skid steers, laid off about 12% of their workforce Thursday. The layoffs were totally in the production areas of the company, with no one on the office staff getting the hook. Hours for those remaining have been cut. Son is still employed, thank God. He does have money set aside for such an emergency.

Ultralocally, something I should have noted a good while back, Thing 1 is now walking and talking. She’s been walking for a bit over a month and talking for around 3 weeks. Her gait looks just a little awkward at this point, but she’s. Then there’s the talking. It’s just single, distinguishable words for now, but it’s talking. Everything is “yucky”. 🙂 Her brother is still ahead of her, but she’s catching up fast. Word from the medicos is that she will probably stay in occupational therapy for some time to come. Physical therapy seems to be drawing to a close. Everyone has heaved a sigh of relief at these developments.

I seem to have finally (knock, knock) beaten The Yuck. I still have no idea what it was other than “a virus”, but it waylayed me. I’m still fighting a low energy level, but I suspect forcing myself to get up and move will help that. The last few days I’ve set myself a daily goal of “I need to accomplish this, this, and this”, and every day save one I’ve succeeded in meeting those goals. That one day was excessively optimistic on my part anyway. I’ve also had to internalize the concept of the “recovery day”–that’s where we old guys overdo it and need to take a day “off”. For me, that looks like playing with babies, getting some computer-based stuff done, or working inside. This is complicated by the advent of our first string of 90^o+ days. They aren’t so bad as summer goes, and the humidity is nothing like what it will be in a few weeks, but when you have zero acclimatization to it, it’s draining–but I sleep well at night.

The Things Mom and Dad along with the rest of Dad’s clan have decamped for the coast, so we’ll be left with a Thingless house for the coming week. Mrs. Freeholder and I are going to attempt to catch up on some of the more important things that need doing around here. There is a pickup load of junk to haul to the dump, the eternal yardwork to tend to and so on. I’ve spent every hour I could stand for the last week working on these tasks, but there is a list 2000 items long and one me. If I have to have all this stuff done before I die I’ll live forever. 🙂

I have discovered how to deal with the stress that comes from knowing that you simply can’t keep up with the list as well as you used to. I’m working hard at setting realistic goals for the next day only. Then I will have two or three “stretch goals” for that day, just in case things go unexpectedly well and I have extra working time left. If the weather is too hot or it rains (and we could use some rain around here about now), then there is always house cleaning or working my way through that massive mess in the basement and the garage. If the day becomes a migraine day, I have a long list of 15 minute items that I never do just because they’re such short items, and it often takes more effort to set up and tear down than the item itself takes to do. Except on my worst days, I can usually manage one of these. With a little luck, the ball gets moved forward every day.

Man, what I wouldn’t give to have the physicality I had in my younger years, when I didn’t appreciate it. Youth is truely wasted on the young.

It’s time to feed Daughter’s cats and water the rather massive container garden she’s planted this year. Out here.