Four Days To Go!

 

Four long years of waiting have come down to four days of waiting to end our great national nightmare, the end of the Trump corruption of America.

If you haven't already voted, vote now. 

Vote in person or if you have a mail in ballot, take that ballot to an authorized drop off box. 

DO NOT TRUST THE POST OFFICE because Trump has corrupted the Post Office with the appointment of his political lackey Louis DeJoy.

Four very long years of the greatest danger our country has ever been in.  I was going to say "in my lifetime" but actually the history of our country.

Trump and his Republican enablers and his racist cult followers (yes, they are all racists, let's not tiptoe around that obvious provable fact) in four years have almost destroyed what American stands for.

Their rampant corruption and racism has left a stench across our country that will take years to repair.

Trump has damaged relations with our allies that hopefully can be repaired when Joe Biden is elected president. 

And worst, Donald Trump through his catastrophic failure of leadership in managing the COVID pandemic was resulted in the deaths of over 230,000 Americans. The blame lies at the door of Donald Trump and his Republican enablers. I don't blame his cult followers as much as I blame his Republican enablers because they knew better. They know and we know who they are and we will never forget them and their failure to fulfill their Constitutional oath of office to protect us. They have all failed and now we will hold them responsible for their cowardice and failure. 

VOTE!

One Week Until The Election!

 

Only a week to go folks until the election! 

Finally, perhaps our great national nightmare will end with the election of Joe Biden as president. 

I have to admit I'm nervous, concerned that Trump and his corrupt, unpatriotic Republican enablers will somehow muddy up the waters and steal the election like they did in 2016.

Both Bill and I have already voted by mail. First time in his life for Bill. Of course we both voted for Biden. The receipt of our votes have been confirmed.

Wow, what an exciting time to live. History is being made. 

So much damage has been done by Trump and his traitorous Republican enablers and his racists (and yes, they are racists) MAGA cult followers. 

Trump and Turtleman (Mitch McConnell) have succeeded in packing the courts with their ultra conservative lackeys. Those judges will repeal a woman's right to choose, health care for those with pre-existing conditions and same sex marriage. Sound like I'm exaggerating? Oh no, this is WHAT they WILL do.

So if you haven't already voted, go out and vote NOW. 

END THIS NIGHTMARE OF TRUMP

Fasten Your Seatbelt It's Going To Be Bumpy Night

Two weeks from today voting for the election of the president of the United States will end. 

Hopefully, our great national nightmare will come to an end and Donald J. Trump will be soundly defeated. 

Hopefully, Trump's Republican enablers in the Senate and the House will be voted out of power, never to hold power again for at least a generation.  Those Republicans, by their cowardice and silence in the face of Trump's many crimes against the United States do not deserve to be in power ever again.

Four years ago on my birthday (November 9th), I was in Philadelphia during my annual visit with my good friend Pat and Don. I had expected to celebrate the election of the first woman president of the United States. Instead I was shocked to learn that Trump (and the Russians) had succeeded in stealing the election. I along with many other millions were in shock that Trump had actually won. Probably even more in shock was Trump that he actually won. He only ran for president as a branding opportunity but there it was, he and the Russians and his poorly informed base succeeded in putting this con man game show host failed businessman in office as the president of the United States. 

In the past four years Trump has worked relentlessly to divide us as a country and to trash our alliances. He has made us less safe. His greatest crime is his catastrophic failure of leadership in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands have needlessly died because of Trump's vanity in not wearing a mask.

This time two weeks from now we may know who the next president of the United States is. As Bette Davis's character Margo Channing famously said in "All About Eve", "fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night."

Monarch Butterfly In Our Backyard

Our backyard had a welcome visitor late this afternoon, a monarch butterfly. I read in today's local newspaper (which is published twice a week) that monarch butterflies were beginning to hatch in the Villages of Five Points butterfly garden. Lewes is only about two miles from our home and backyard. This monarch butterfly was probably from that garden. The article said "As cooler fall weather comes ito the area, monarchs begin their annual migration of thousands of miles to Florida and Mexico. The garden of midweek, a plant critical to the life of monarchs, is helping to repopulate this iconic species, which has been on the decline for several years Scientists say the population has fallen to less than 30,000 monarchs." Just think of the trip this monarch butterfly will make to Florida or Mexico. What a stroke of good luck that I happened upon this monarch just as I was taking one of my videos of our backyard. Maybe this is a sign.



It looks like I'm settling into blogging once a week or less. Caring for Bill is taking more of my time. I am still working two nights a week at the hotel (business is good) in addition to mowing our backyard at least once a week now. Which reminds me, it needs mowed.



We've already voted (by mail), Bill for the first time. Of course we voted for Biden and Harris.  Hopefully we won't be surprised this election cycle like we were four years ago. Three weeks to go until Trump and his enablers are voted out of office. Can't happen soon enough and we get back to decency in this country.



Bill and I had another COVID test a couple weeks ago. We both tested negative. I don't know anyone who has the virus.  We're still practicing safe measures. Bill doesn't go into the store with me now except Ace Hardware, and when we do go in we're masked up. I work behind a plexiglass shield at work and am also masked up although not all of the hotel guests are wearing masks. I offer them a mask but I don't get into any confrontations. 



I won't be going to Philadelphia this year to met up with Pat.  The border is still closed between the US and Canada. Next planned trip is February when we're scheduled to take our annual two week stay in Palm Springs California. Hopefully we'll be able to make that trip.  This will be a year since I've been with Pat in person, although we do talk every day on FaceTime. I miss our get togethers but we're both saving a lot of money.  More money saved for future trips. I already have over $1,500 in airline ticket credits, which they say is good until the end of 2021.  Will this pandemic be over by then? I doubt it. I don't think life will get back to anything approaching normal until well into 2022. Yes, not until 2022.  Hope I'm alive then. One thing for sure, I'll be OLD (80). 



One blog post I've been thinking about writing is all the recollections I'm having of past episodes of my long and wonderful and interesting life. I haven't written my memoirs yet and probably never will but I think I will post some of those life vignettes. I'm finding these memories release very pleasant endorphins from my brain or in others words, remembering make me feel good. 



Some of these memories I've written before in previous blog posts but many I have not. Some of the memories aren't pleasant but part of my growing up. Of course all this comes down to answering the basic Question of Life. Why are we here? I think I know why.  I think we're here to contribute to the betterment of life by giving.  Yes, giving, not taking. I know that's where I get my greatest sense of satisfaction. Now that I am Bill's caregiver, I feel fortunate to do so. I cannot imagine where Bill would be in life now if I wasn't here. That may sound self-serving but it's not. I can imagine where I would be in life if Bill hadn't entered my life. Probably a big mess, if I was still alive. Too many times I choose the wrong path in life and when I realized I did, Bill was there to back me up.  Not everyone would do that. Bill would and did. 



These days I take Bill out for at least one ride a day. Somedays we go out for two rides. Will Bill's failing vision he so appreciates seeing the different colors and scenes. I reminded Bill this morning that for the first sixteen years of our relationship I didn't drive. I didn't even have a car.  I didn't take up driving until we moved to Downingtown, Pennsylvania from center city Philadelphia in 1980. Then I had to get a car. For many years we both had vehicles. About six years ago Bill got rid of his twenty-five year old Jeep. I've been driving ever since, a complete role reversal. 



That monarch butterfly that I by chance happened upon in our backyard today has a long journey ahead of him (or her). For Bill and I, our long journey (of life) is about to end. It's been some life folks. What a trip.

COVID Testing Delaware October 2020

This has been one busy day. 

This morning at 9 AM we had an appointment to get our second COVID test at Parking Lot A at the Sussex Technical College in Georgetown. I was unsure where this location was because Sussex Tech has a sprawling campus right off the very busy intersection of Rt. 113 and Rt. 9, two of the busiest highways here in our little state of Delaware. 

Of course when I drove our ten year old red Subaru Forester into the parking lot, a horn beeped right away. Apparently we were in the wrong parking lot. Of course. Highway workers were in this parking lot painting new lines while they stood around in groups of half a dozen or so talking.

After some inquiries I found the parking lot where the tests would be administered.  Members of the local National Guard were setting up canopied tents with boxes of medical equipment. They all looked quite attractive in their green camouflaged cargo pants. I was directed to line up my car next to several cars who had arrived earlier than we did. Obviously they knew where they were going.

Like the Delaware DMV, they were quite organized. Yesterday we got our annual flu shots (in the rain) under similar circumstances at the CHEER center in Milton. 

This was to be our second COVID test. Our previous one was a swab stuck up our nose (that was fun, try it). This test would be a swab of our saliva in our mouth that we had to administer ourselves, put in a container and toss in a green barrel on the way out. 

That was our activity in the morning. In the afternoon was Bill's annual visit at the VA with his new doctor to review the results of his labs from a blood test he took last week. Yes, another new doctor. This time a nurse practitioner. She was nice but new to Bill. The VA has a too fast turnover of doctors and nurse practitioners. 

Bill is in good health. As I often tell him, he will outlive us all. In fact, his nurse practitioner has to double check his labs because she couldn't believe at 92 years old, Bill had such good labs. 

Bill is slowing down though. Hard of hearing and legally blind now because of his macular degeneration. Now he has trouble getting up from his chair. Easily confused. Uses the wrong words more often. Forgetful. Getting older.

Because Bill's appointment at one o'clock, I didn't get my daily nap in before I went to work at the hotel. I'm slowing down. 

Tomorrow I mow the grass. Then I relax for the weekend or at least try to relax as I worry about the Criminal in the White House and his Republican enablers try to steal the election. I won't be right until Trump is defeated and removed from the White House and Mitch McTurtle loses his Senate Majority leadership position in the U. S. Senate. I'm still stunned that over forty percent of this country are firmly in the Trump cult. What is the matter with these people? Surely it has to be more than that they're just racists (which they are). How anybody can continue to support that thug, lying con man. One of the great mysteries of our time.

I'll clear my mind when I mow our grass tomorrow.

UPDATE: Trump is in the hospital after being tested positive for the COVID coronavirus. We received Bill's test results back, he's negative I haven't received my results back yet. Of course I am worried now. Am I next? I haven't been feeling the best lately and I am exposed to all those hotel guests. Worrying time now folks.