Smiley's Tomatoes

Smiley is super proud of his tomato crop!

A Great Time

It's blurry because it was nighttime and under a porch light,  but it was great to see my older two cracking each other up. @Jellystone

A gracious and dignified lie, well told, was a work of art to a man who understood life - Alan Furst

RIP Sir.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Junie! Welcome to double digits baby! - Lisa

Lisa's at Country Springs for LK's birthday (prepaid before the card number was stolen) and while the kids are having a blast, neither the TV nor fridge are working. The front desk clerk wasn't going to do anything about it until Lisa had me call; they've now been moved. The clerk is the same one that took my reservation last week, and she's just about as ornery and unhelpful a front desk clerk as I've encountered. And brother, I've known a few in my day.

My Efforts

I know, it looks like turd.  But I did make a cake for Junie's family party tonight,  and you didn't,  so shaddup.

Junie's Custom Birthday Cake

Margie S---y  made another storybook cake for us....gorgeous. Confetti cake inside with hidden heart candies on the inside. Junie loved it!  - Lisa 

Declaring myself sick of cutting the lawn, I drafted Smiley into doing it Sunday.

I'm trying to get OJ hooked on one of my favorite shows, Quantum Leap.  I think it's working: I woke up to Lu marathoning this show. I feel like I should leap out of here myself - my parenting duties are done, and have not been for naught. :) 

A Quote

A great way to improve your attitude about life is to significantly lower your expectations. - Me (and probably someone else)

The hip went whacky at around six and I took a handful of Tylenol and went to bed.  A heck of a way to spend an evening off.

Smiley's  having another homemade popcorn stand outside my house. It IS the best popcorn you'll ever have. Stop by and buy a bag.

update: his stand closed for the day. One hour of work = $12

A Blessing?

An example of the Lord working in mysterious ways: on Friday when I asked for my paycheck my boss laughed; we're paid biweekly and I'd gotten the week wrong. With all heart I thought it was payday, and planned the week's bills accordingly. The week before, my paycheck had gone to the mortgage and phone and utilities. I had barely wet my beak from it, and so, in my head, had forgotten all about it. This was a disaster in a week that will feature LK's birthday party and our vacation. But BUT. . . if I had got a paycheck, it surely would have been stolen in the card scam. In 2004, when we were victims of bank fraud, the bank returned only half of the loss, per their (then current) policy. I don't know if that policy has changed, but in theory I could have been facing a much bigger loss. So, looking on the bright side, Friday's "disaster" was a blessing in disguise.

Our Credit Cards Were Cloned!!!

As if we needed more problems: our bank card was cloned and physically used in Indiana,  a state we haven't been to since 2005. I froze the card,  drove 20 minutes across town at the request of the bank to get a temporary replacement,  discovered they don't do such a thing,  and drove home.  So,  to recap: account drained,  no bank card to use,  and I have a shitty bank. Yay us

update: Our bank cancelled one of our bank cards  Saturday when I reported the fraud. One.  OF THE TWO.  And not even the one that was cloned! So more charges in Indiana,  driving me from a frightening $15 in the bank when I reported it,  to negative $56. The bank alleges they will review and discipline the employee from Saturday,  but meanwhile I'll have my answer and money within ten business days. FML

update: Although it's paid in full, Junie's upcoming birthday party requires a cc for incidentals. When I spoke to the manager and explained the card situation, she cheerfully suggested using a different card - then acted like I offered to give her a disease when I said we only have the one. I'm 43, my only debt is the mortgage (and in recent years, law school), and that's precisely because we have avoided credit cards since college. What a world.

update: The money taken AFTER the bank failed to turn off the card has been credited to the account. So at least we're not in the red. That's good news.

The Popcorn Stand

Despite my predictions of failure,  Smiley has made six bucks peddling his popcorn outside. He does make the best popcorn EVER,  so that helps.  The threatening skies do not. I think the shop will soon close for weather.

My Thoughts

I'm really sick of hearing that history measures a civilization by how it treats the old and the infirm. It's quaint and noble and I wish it were the standard, but it is hogwash. Nothing could be further from the truth. No one cares that Egypt built the pyramids with the lives of untold numbers of slaves; it's a tourist destination. No one cares that Rome was brutal to its enemies and literally left its own unwanted babies at the dump; we marvel at their engineering and use Latin in the sciences. No one cares that the British Empire kept its poor in rags; we dress up a child like Tiny Tim each Christmas for entertainment. History remembers who you conquered, what you built, and the arts and science you left behind. Right or wrong, all else is forgiven after time has passed There isn't room in a 25th century textbook to talk about Denmark's health care system or the 

I wrote the following based on a strong rebuttal that used Biblical history and literature on poverty and suffering

to counter my points, along with his own beleifs

Exodus isn't history, and the Old Testament doesn't put a value judgment on Egypt's slavery, merely their choice of slaves. After all, the Hebrews had slaves of their own, condoned by the word of their Pentateuch. Nor do the Gospels condemn the Romans for Jesus's death, putting it forth as a betrayal of Gods son by Gods people, through an intermediary. Good thing too, as it would have been awkward when Rome became the expanding force of the religion and the home of the Church. The Bard and Shelley may have done the proper artistic weeping, but like their modern counterparts it didn't stop them from accepting royal commissions and titles.

Let me amend my statement to read "The grand scope of history and the population viewing them in toto do not care. . ." I thought it obvious that not (literally) everyone on Earth feels identically (about anything). But I guess it was too far a leap. 

Let me Out

It's one of those shifts where you're just waiting/hoping for an excuse to grab a box,  empty your desk, and walk out.  Sadly,  there is the mortgage to consider . . .

That's a Horrendous Estimate

Today, online, I watched an artillery shell being detonated, It had been found buried in a field in France 100 years after it was fired

Some estimates say it will be 700 years before all of Europe is cleared of WWI era ordinance. That's crazy.

School Uniforms

Uniforms don't have anything to do with bullying, nor do they save you money. However they will guarantee the teen b.o. will be worse because their clothes are changed less often. Needless to say, we opted out all four kid [from the MPS mandate] - Lisa

He Sucks

Jim Acosta doesn't deserve a job as a YouTuber,  much less a national reporter.

Dunkirk

A spectacular,  non-linear telling of the famous evacuation where even the character names are unknown,  the better to represent their common experience. I was in tears by the end,  not from sorrow but pride and gratitude: as I told Parker on the way out,  there will never be a greater generation of men,  or one to whom we all owe so much.

Black Orchid

Rollicking good fun,  and no monsters or aliens to be seen! It's like Verity Lambert returned to produce the 5th Doctor!

Sam Shepard

RIP. I remember him best from "Country," although I know he was an accomplished playwright. 

En route to Bay Beach

Lisa is on her way to Bay Beach with the girls. Junie was already in a bad mood when they left, OJ gets carsick, and YaYa  is a teenager. I wish her godspeed.

As Smiley and I have the place to ourselves I suggested a house party and strippers, but Mr. Rules Keeper prefers to make popcorn and "enjoy the quiet." Ugh. #RaisedHimWrong

Just argued with a liberal who hasn't heard of Charlie Gard.  Apparently, neither Occupy Democrats or Maddow talked about him (I'm shocked), which means he should expand his news sources just a wee tad. I've turned off notifications for the post. No use arguing with the brainwashed.