All my troubles

I will not lie: since last week’s big Season One finale of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United State Capitol, I’ve been thinking about the tsuris that putting together a post-insurrection video message to the country cost Cadet Bonespurs. And I may or may not have watched the outtakes from that recording session about a squillion times.

It is rather sick-making that this disgusting husk of a humanoid had the nuclear codes for any period of time. But it’s rather delightful to watch him choke on saying he lost and to notice how he blames everything else for his inability to read. For example, we learned that “yesterday” is a hard word to say.

So, here’s the McCartney classic, “Yesterday”, which is not, in fact, at all hard to say. For any normal human being.

 

 

Not like the others

I was exiting the tavern at the local golf club one night when I noticed the child booster seats parked on the window sill. I like repeating patterns.

Frankly, given the height ratio of chairs/banquettes to tables, I think any toddler sat in these chairs would be at about eye level with their dinner.

However, what got me was that someone obviously left their take-out meal there. Maybe putting up their umbrella?

 

 

Hi, there

I hadn’t realized that hibiscus bushes can thrive in this area, but they can. I don’t think they’re native, but I’ve seen them around, either obviously cultivated or maybe left behind from someone’s gardening project.

Viz:

And the thing about this one is how enormous the flowers are; like, 6" in diameter:

 

Hitchhiking

 I was taking a mid-day walk Sunday (silently humming Noel Coward’s “Mad Dogs and Englishmen”) when I noticed this guy was hitching a ride.

I didn’t mind him, and my walking pace didn’t seem to bother him. But when I got into the sun, he disappeared.

 

 

 

Gratitude Monday: a drink of water

I’m grateful that we here in the District They Call Columbia have not been experiencing the extreme heat that’s afflicted much of the country. And, indeed, the type of extreme temperatures that have hit Europe and the UK this past week. Don’t get me wrong—it’s hot and miserable, but no more so than any other July around here.

Still, I was monstrously grateful yesterday morning, when I hit about the three-quarter mark of my four-mile circuit, to see someone had set out an Igloo cooler of water with cups on the W&OD Trail. It was only in the 70s, but that water absolutely hit the spot for me. And, I’m sure, other walkers, bikers and joggers.

When I got home, I still chugged down a liter of SodaStream fizz, but that cup of cool water on the trail was a blessing.

 

 

 

 

Keep smiling, keep shining

The Kennedy Center has finally got round to honoring Gladys Knight, the Empress of Soul. So I’ve spent some hours running through her discography, which—frankly—has been balm to my soul.

Her voice is like honey and her delivery is pure power. What took you so long, Kennedy Center?

I almost chose “Midnight Train to Georgia”, to also honor Fulton County DA Fani Willis, who may beat NY AG Letitia James to indicting the Kleptocrat. (I can live in hope.) But I finally settled on “That’s What Friends Are For”, because friends are everything.

You're going to want to crank up the volume.

 

 

 

Wild kingdoms

I guess the only time I’ve posted about garden critters was on my visit to Sedona in January. Well—that wouldn’t include displays for Halloween or Christmas, obvs.

But I do take note of how people dress up their yards on the regular. Viz:

 

Customer service

As a rule, I don’t showroom. Unless I’m going to a Big Box store to check out an appliance or piece of electronics; then I’ll generally order it online (or even from a smaller retailer) because they’re pretty much a pox on civilization.

And for the past several years, I’ve bought my walking shoes from Potomac River Running, a small chain local to the environs of the District They Call Columbia.

(Even though a couple of years ago one of their salesmen tried to pawn off a pair of men’s shoes on me. That was weird.)

However, in recent weeks, I’ve tried to buy Asics Kayanos to replace the pair that’s a year old, and the salesman kept telling me they don’t have my size in stock. I’ve asked when he expects to get more, and all he’ll say is they get shipments of new merchandise on Tuesdays and Fridays, and I could check back then.

Not even an offer to get one of the other shops in the region to send some over.

So last week I finally went online and ordered two pairs from Asics, which arrived in three days, and cost me marginally more than a single pair would have cost me from PRR.

Enough is enough.

 

 

Home on the hydrangea

It’s time for the hydrangeas of 2022, I think. I love these shrubs, how the color of the blossom varies by the soil content, and how you can even find different colors on the same bush.

Enjoy.

These three were on a single shrub in front of the running shoe shop:

And these are just random examples around the 'hood:

 

 

Gratitude Monday: yoga

As I’ve mentioned here last week, I’ve got some issues with my knees. Getting cortisone shots helped considerably, but what I’m grateful for today is the almost-regular yoga session I had on Friday.

After skipping one lesson because of pain and inability to bend my knee, then two severely-modified sessions to accommodate the inflexibility, Friday’s lesson was probably about 95% of usual. Including sun salutations and nearly-full child’s pose. I was a bit ginger about getting into the knee-bendy warrior poses, and I put down padding for the camel, but—man, it felt so good to get back into the full Monty.

Also, I realized several hours later that all the stiffness and discomfort were gone. And Saturday and yesterday, I was back to my full morning walking circuit. If that’s not worthy of gratitude, I don’t know what is.