CHECKS, BALANCES AND SHOTS (November 2/116 or not)

 

To paraphrase a book I read in school, "A Weed Grows on Metal Roofs".  At least that was my observation the other day. Who would have thought that wily weeds would find a crack or crevice in metal to spread their dubious noxious selves-looked very untidy. The owner should get on that. Unless they are starting an Italian style roof garden. Myself I would go with evergreens. 

CREDIT CARD CIRCUS After many years of satisfaction with two major credit cards and a debit card, I finally decided to bite the bullet and apply for one at a wholesale club I frequent to save 15 cents/gal on gas. Simple right? Let the games begin. At the store they actually staff tables pushing their cards, not to mention the techie guys who accost you walking down the aisle to push the latest tablet, phone, television, robot (made that one up). The customer service lady (who claims many years in banking approving credit-she lied) said they probably won't even check my credit. As the card is part of the Capitol One family, of which I already have two lines of credit, I agreed. Filled the app and got an email immediately that my credit was frozen and I needed to undo the freeze and they would keep the app open until Nov. 25. 

I knew my credit was frozen as I did it, so I immediately thawed it for a week the same day. The following day I get a letter saying I'm denied as they can't check my credit; call their number if I disagree. Well with no debt, an 850-credit score and more than adequate income one podunk store is sadly mistaken on my credit worthiness. Geez, you get multiple approvals in the mail for pity's sake. My theory is they don't like people who pay their bills-just a working theory. Anyway, I dutifully call the number and hear the same malarkey (thanks Biden) so I reported I am currently thawed and can they redo it? She said I have to do it online-no really? So, I go online and guess what? You can't reapply you silly woman-you've already been denied. Next, I call the super-secret Capitol One credit numbers the "bank lady" gave me and they say I have to reapply to the number they sent me in the letter! As stated earlier, I already have two lines of credit with Cap One already so the "bank lady" knows not whereof she speaks. I point out they already refused to do that-apply online-which of course leads to a denial per previous denial. Subsequently, another novel comes to mind "CATCH 22". I upgraded to Club+ status and am saving 5 cents a gallon. What a bunch of maroons. 

ALL HALLOWS AND JELLOS (shots that is). Saturday night and balmy weather brings out a lot of ghosties and goblin heads. Also, a lot of teenagers and old people looking to score. I am known for handing out Butter Shots schnapps so there were suddenly 2, 3, 4 adults accompanying one token kid in costume. No prob. I tried jello shots (orange and black cherry for theme) as distribution is much simpler and hey, who doesn't want a shot of vodka disguised as an innocuous little cup of jello-heh heh heh. However, when they start showing up a dozen at a time in a farm cart, it gets a little rowdy. With the neighbors playing some awesome music and running their smoke machine, it was a pretty cool scene. My favorite was the half dozen Dalmatians accompanied by their very own white hair/dark hair Cruella. One doggie turned down the treat as she was "not drinking tonight". I assumed she was the designated doggie who volunteered to steer the rest home, 'cause I'm not sure how she works the pedals with her doggie paws. 

My sister is a election challenger and staging station for the canvassers, which meant she had to keep her porchlight on until 9 pm Halloween night. Not sure what she used for a wayward treater after 8 o'clock, so I assumed she handed out campaign literature. Bet that "candy" got scrutinized. She found the election challenger portion interesting and uplifting. No problems with bad actors, just an array of people eager to vote...a lot of people eager to vote. 

As far as the grandson's choice of Halloween party ensemble, the debate was whether he would make a better John Lennon or Ozzie Osbourne. Now our musical boy is a thoroughly modern music buff, but he cut his teeth on his parents 60's to 90's preferences. He can enjoy ACDC and Phil Collins right along with Turnstile and Bruno Mars and he is mad about the boss-Springsteen. He even soloed a difficult rap song at his first concert. Well Ozzie was the overwhelming choice and he killed it, right down to the crosses and tats. As his voice has already deepened, he definitely could carry it off. 

Bless them souls and honor them Saints-November has arrived. 💚  💙💛  

 Peace Out/Stay Strong/Love Your Neighbor/Eat More Cake/Drive Efficiently/Salute a Vet/Respect Flannel/Don't Plasticize Your Life/Fish Be Where You Find 'Em/Don't Fear the Needle/Choose Wisely

PURPLE WORKS TOO (October 25/117 or not)

FUN WITH APPLES As there are not a plethora (love that word) of eating establishments in the lake area, we ended up at Appleby's. Yeah, I know. They do, however, have a 2 for $25 deal-ieo with the usual mark-ups if you go rogue on ordering, but all in all a decent deal. The wait staff person seemed somewhat new-friendly but a little uptight about things. First there was major consternation over the two sides issue. I am not fond of potatoes and usually ask for none or a substitute if possible. "You have 2 sides and your substitute for broccoli is green beans" (bleeaa). Also, they were out of broccoli. What is steak without the broccoli people say? Or I say. I vetoed cole slaw as I was already getting a salad.  Do you want two green beans? In what world does one want two green beans.

Apparently, it is impossible for our wait staff person to walk away without fulfilling some standard of side dish protocol. No doubt a vigorous training session for new employees with an emphasis of give the people MORE than they want. The OH at this point was highly amused while I was trying to make it simpler for the order to just go through sans potatoes. Finally, to save her from becoming more agitated, I said "fine, just give me the potatoes" crisis averted. NOTE: I ended up giving the OH the potatoes and ate his cole slaw-I know, I know. All progressed calmly from there and I had a surprisingly good sirloin cooked correctly. 

As the final act our server cheerily comes by and says "so are we splitting the check"? What is it about 2 for $25 are we missing here? I wanted to say what 12.50 apiece and what did we drink-would have led to another hour of misguided conversation if we were mean. The OH and I made eye contact and just rolled with it. At any rate I am happy I was able to train staff for Appleby's and didn't stiff on the tip. 

EARLY VOTING I thought about signing up to work the polls, but I suppose someone would dig up my blog and send the ICE boys even though I'm third generation citizen. A subversive working the polls, 1st amendment be damned. 

 

DEJA VU On the news they mentioned MIOSHA had cited the DOT for the two road worker deaths. DOT claimed they had not received the citations and denied culpability anyway. Happened to me when two guys took a nap in a sewer vault (they survived). After working multiple hours on the incident, I came down with a bad cold and was off work when the citations arrived-they always knick you on training. The Public Service director was waylaid by the press and claimed no knowledge. They were sitting in my inbox. He berated me on the phone for not knowing what was in my inbox (days when paper was still a thing) and then had to apologize when he realized I was home sick. Seems like the boss should have taken the heat not me, but. I still find it amazing that I have no poker face, when playing poker, but can manage it when I'm being yelled at. 

BOAT BEGONE The weather cooperated, and it was "smooth sailing" to dry dock. We didn't tell her we were going to leave her outside for the winter as I'm sure she would not have approved of losing her comfy spot in the barn. Another week of appointments, deliveries and heading back to the lake for Halloween. Finally, a neighbor has joined in, so we have music and another reason for the kiddies to traverse our non-sidewalk, streetlight lacking street. Those candy bars and jello shots are not going to eat themselves. Well, worst case scenario, I suppose we could improvise. As we are immersed in an area that sports multiple government jurisdictions, it's a crap shoot when the Howling hours start and end. I figure 5:30 to 8:30 to be on the safe side. 

                                                       

So prep for all those lost souls about to invade your spaces and pray for all the Saints that follow. It actually is a set of Catholic feast days. We've just made it more interesting.

Peace Out/Stay Strong/Love Your Neighbor/Eat More Cake/Drive Efficiently/Salute a Vet/Respect Flannel/Don't Plasticize Your Life/Fish Be Where You Find 'em/Don't Fear the Needle/ Choose Love

BLACK IS THE NEW ORANGE (October 18/118 or not)

WEEKEND WOES Sorry for the delay my ever-suffering readers. Busy weekend as Saturday I was tied up eliminating the rotten fruit I got from BJ's. Though the good news is I have thoroughly tested the spanking new commode and I am here to say a higher, longer design is definitely a plus when the ravages of bad fruit attack. Believe me, on hauling my suspect fruit to the store I did get my money back, if not my dignity and I didn't even have to float a bad review for incentive. Sunday was wrapping up the pontoon for the season. We are giving the offspring room back in their barn by storing at the local marina. Expensive but so much easier than hauling back and forth on the trailer with me nervously following waiting for a trailer tire blow-out or worse. Plus, the kids get the other half of their barn back. 

Gassing up gussy was a bit of a hassle. You always store with a full tank to discourage ice build-up. That meant hauling huge gas cans to the gas station, back to the lake and pumping into the fuel tank. As I did the pumping part my job was easier especially since we invested the $50 and got the battery-operated type. We have hand-pumped before and putting 18 gallons in is one long and nasty process. 

                                                                                   

This week is filled with appointments, lab tests and another trip back to put the boat to bed; cleaning up leaves and, hopefully, mowing a last time at the lake. So just a few highlights. Thanks for checking back-makes my numbers look good!

EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT I am convinced the social security system is rigged to make it impossible for people to access or get questions answered. In a rare and happy surprise, we got our SS checks a week early-ruh oh. Not very trusting, I assumed someone made a mistake and I looked sideways at this windfall thinking they would probably come back in a year and demand it back with interest. Fortunately, I am solvent enough to wait and assure a second set of payments didn't arrive on the appointed day, which didn't happen.

But again, as I do not trust our keepers in DC I tried to get some sort of explanation. Being tech savvy adjacent, I tried googling early SS payments for some explanation. No dice. Checked my usual sources-nada. Checked the bank and payment was normal. Went to my SS account and it cheerily said my next payment was due on October 14, as per usual.  Second ruh-oh as scam lights up my brain. 

Whether on purpose, due to lack of employees, DOGE's purge or the general take-over of AI, calling the special phone number offers a very pleasant robot that offers three choices, none of which applied. Becoming impatient with the "human" it's a take it or leave it situation and eventually you get hung up on. If you try the local number, you get shipped to the same 3-answer-pick one-robot. I pity the older folks who do not have the expertise, equipment or patience to continue to dig and get the answers they need. I used to say if I had access to a phone and a laptop, I could pretty much run the world. (Now apparently, you just need a megla maniac, complicit Supreme Court and Congress). No longer. The system is rigged against you. At any rate I never did resolve the early payment issue so that remains a mystery..which reminds me...

MYSTERY EXPLAINED If you have ever been plagued with the question of what happened to one sock when you unload the dryer and lack a matching twin, I may have a partial answer. The washer is somewhat complicit. Moving the wet to the dryer, I discovered one errant sock hiding beneath the rim of the washer much like a desperate barnacle clinging to the side of a shrimp boat. It was very nonchalant about the whole thing and acted like, of course, I was going to join my brother sock, you just had to ask. Call me suspicious. But how they make their way out of the dryer vent to the outside I am still flummoxed to explain. 

ELECTION THOUGHT Please vote-nothing is a given. Whether they seat any democratic winners remains to be seen as I discussed with our finance advisor as we debated the future. But I am becoming more impressed with Addul El-Sayed. Unlike his un-worthy opponent, he is not afraid to answer the tough questions, whether it's faux news, debates or hecklers with sane, calm responses. Wow sense and  integrity in a politician. Also, without insulting, and name-calling is refreshing. As for our local congress person running for re-election, he ducked every town hall or open questions, but his ad campaigns make him look like a choir boy. Though not fond of his dem opponent, I still see that total commitment to the orange man regardless of what the ads say. Also, anybody else notice the lack of yard signs this year? Ponder that.

Ok time to go out and help haul in our Spring/Summer collection for the winter, sigh, and batten down the proverbial hatches. So Peace Out/Stay Strong/Love Your Neighbor/Eat More Cake/Drive Efficiently/Salute a Vet/Respect Flannel/Don't Plasticize Your Life/Fish Be Where You Find 'em/Don't Fear the Needle 

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE-staying home cost us two elections. 💚   💙💛

ORANGE IS THE WORD (October 11/119 or not)

 RANDOM If you don't think men can multi-task, watch how many take a newspaper, or in today's vernacular, a cell phone into the bathroom with them. Though the big question is do they wash their hands afterward? Anon./just kidding it was my quote.

Feeling nostalgic, the daughter has been posting old Facebook pictures of her son as a baby/toddler. Upon mentioning it to the grandson, he was less than thrilled. So Grandpa said maybe Nana should start posting baby pictures of your mom. "Please do" he responded. 😅I don't understand as both hers and his are absolutely adorable. What is it about being a male teenager that makes it so embarrassing? Though I may get the same reaction if I follow through with Grandpa's threat. Mother always said our daughter was the most photographed child in history, and that was before cell phones so maximum effort was involved. That was during the OH's photography stage as well.

FEELING ALL HALLOW Went to the lake with one of the tasks being stringing up the Halloween decor. We have quite a collection out there having given up on our local neighborhood. Despite a plethora of school-agers around us, they do not beg in our neighborhood. No doubt the lack of sidewalks and streetlights has impacted the number of houses around us who even bother distributing. Though we loyally walked literally miles through our expanded neighborhood when it was our turn in the begging business. Fortunately, it tired the daughter out pretty well too so Dad and I could confiscate a few choice pieces, as we performed our due diligence by examining the loot for suspicious packaging of course, while she crashed.

 At the lake we actually have a spinning pumpkin head lighthouse to mark the spot. Though I usually provide Butter Shots for the over 21's, this year I am attempting vodka Jello shots. At any rate, we are known for treating both sides of the age gap by providing the big candy bars and booze. Oddly enough only the parents of the older kids take the drink. The cute itty-bitty participants usually have conscientious parents who believe the holiday is about the kids.  They'll learn. My own father would accompany us with his pith helmet (no I have no idea how he obtained it) and was known for accepting the odd beer or two on our rounds. Then sometimes we'd hit our cousins' locale in Grosse Pointe Woods (the big houses) while our parents partied. Now that's Halloween. As dispenser I usually just wear a long cloak over an all-black outfit and tall boots; warm and fashionable. 

BIZARRO WORLD One useless event this week included giving "special retirees" $90 to offset Medicare, not everyone and not much more than a bucket drop. Meanwhile millions more "special" people will be losing health care. With all the money we're saving shutting down foreign aid, whole departments, research, firing half the government workers, etc., etc. the national debt must be dropping like a rock. Oops guess that money is needed for the continuing destruction and building of new federal buildings and monuments and gold gilding statues. Also sad is the so-called architect of all the destruction has the artistic taste of a mud-encrusted horse-haired weevil butt. Everyday costs go up and the band plays on.  Oh yeah and there's that pesky war that has bankrupted pretty much the whole world. And just in time for mid-terms, transportation secretary has signed orders to suspend all those pesky refunds airline passengers used to get when they get bumped, delayed, cancelled. Playbook for how to fire up the base. 😖

Also, we got rid of "Woke" so marmie could maul/kiss his new assistant and compliment her parent's breeding ability. Since we were so obtuse on what constitutes civil behavior, we needed to "mandate" human dignity, but unfortunately identifying appropriateness is considered too hard for those fragile magats. Calling a normal, respected, intelligent person (Jack Smith) a "dirt bag" after he calls out the inquisition on erroneous information is now the norm for highly placed individuals. Playground bullies always were bereft of an adequate response when confronted.  

EVERYBODY'S A'TALKING It's pretty much feast or famine in the recording world. Or should I more correctly say, when it looks like I'm dead in the proverbial river for content it always shows up, in multiples. I was cussing the lack of response to meet my monthly guota of podcasts when two people responded with their questionnaires intact and I already had promised two others. Holy tomato. I was able to suggest one move to February, and I am trying to talk MIOSHA into January to do their year-end wrap-up to accommodate my latest influx of talent. So tentatively, our topics are "Suicide in Construction" which if you haven't heard is a growing epidemic; "Emotional Intelligence in Safety Programs" "MIOSHA Wrap-Up", "Lock-out Programs" and "Technology and AI in Safety". Plus a couple of randos who have expressed interest-though are technically not yet the old bird in the hand so to speak.  That should get me through to the April conference where I pick up a couple interviews right at the conference, so feeling pretty stoked as they say. Enough already so...

Peace Out/Stay Strong/Love Your Neighbor/Eat More Cake/Drive Efficiently/Salute a Vet/Respect Flannel/Don't Plasticize Your Life/Fish Ve Where You Find 'Em/Don't Fear the Needle  💚  💙💛

                                                                         

                                                                               

WELCOME OCTOBER (October 4/120 or not)

"Next time you're shopping ask the cashier what their favorite candy bar is, buy it and give it to them. I did that today. I used self-checkout, but I still think it's a nice thing to do...

CHESTNUTS ROASTING ETC, ETC The next generation of music makers has arrived. My mother, sister and her son are great singers and now the grandson tried out and made the second choir at school today-the Carolers. I keep threatening him that we should go sing karaoke together, though the only place I have ever done so has been in the UP in college towns. As nobody knows me or knows my temporary locale they are stymied from bringing the pitchforks and torches to assure I refrain from singing in public again. 

This budding baritone said he tried out as:  as his buddies were doing it; they needed male voices; he's been taking voice lessons and; 3/4 of the singers are female. Though he actually never mentioned the fourth reason. However, I know boys who took Home EC based on the F/M odds, just saying...

CIDER'S A'POURING Day drinking is a thing, especially for us old folks who need to sober up and recover before bedtime. Which is a way to introduce our trip to Uncle John's cider mill. Wonderful during a weekday with lots of parking and very little bulging family groups. As of course, this is an annual rite of Fall to pick your apples and ride to the pumpkin patch to get your orange jollies. Especially comforting is unlimited access to two, yes only two one-seater bathrooms. There must be a lot of peeing in the back of the barn during the peak season I'm just saying. After the ritual of fresh cider and donut, one moves to the tap room to sample the slightly harder stuff-less sweet and fizzier. 

We had the bar-istas to ourselves but were focused on the hard cider. I decided not to purchase any extra and I never did try their wine which I imagine would be too sweet for my palate anyway. Mission accomplished though I had to throw out 1/2 of the OH's cherry cider. I am known as a wine "finisher" and can't stand to see any left in the bottle, but on this stuff I passed. I swear we are too hooked on our sweeteners, and flavoring that we don't even know what things taste like in their natural form. I always drink coffee black myself, partially because I'm not buying a $7 cup of sugar and I am still able to have a cup even if there are no enhancers available. A definite advantage on remote workplaces where the black stuff is derived from an unknown source and has been percolating for a very very long time. Brownie points are given for my acceptance of the nasty stuff. One must build credibility in imaginative ways. 

REST OF THE WEEK JP's new choir practice forces him to miss the bus on Tuesdays and Thursdays (they have to learn nine songs in the next six weeks) so we will pick him up whenever we're around. Brought him home Thursday after the first practice and he was bubbling over while yelling insults to his buddies out the window as we drove by. When I asked, he of course wanted Chinese food for dinner, then remembered I'm not a fan and quickly tried to backtrack. He's such a sweet kid, but I assured him Nana could manage. He's like his Mother in that they always choose to accommodate others before themselves which is refreshing. 

Otherwise, usual week of non-events ending with getting my butt kicked in Euchre. We've been playing with our good friends for over 50 years always pairing up with the other half's half. That way I said we wouldn't insult each other and sulk-wrong. I bitch at Dave like he's family. I said maybe it's time to consider switching partners, begging Jan can I pair with you as your hub is losing his edge.  LOL. 

Ok. Getting ready to go out and get stabbed as we actually believe in vaccines. One in each arm assures soreness in both, but only one trip. 

Peace Out/Stay Strong/Love Your Neighbor/Eat More Cake/Drive Efficiently/Salute a Vet/Respect Flannel/Don't Plasticize Your Life/Fish Be Where You Find 'Em/Don't Fear the Needle

                           

DESPITE ALL ODDS (September 27/121 or not)

"If you're depressed, you're living in the past; if you're anxious, you're living in the future; if you're at peace, you're living in the present" Sartre? Confucious?  Naw, Hallmark. Not bad though.  

Got a surprise while recording my latest poddie last week. As I started my first question, I call the icebreaker where the interviewee gets to do a short commercial on who they are, who they work for, what they want to promote, etc., etc. he turned the tables on me. He stated that this was my 60th! podcast and thanked me on behalf of the Conference (he is the Board Chairperson) for all the creative work. Cool. Even more interesting, is it meant he actually thought to check how many there were. I am sometimes more impressed by the effort than the accolade-I just float that way. On the other hand, I've been doing these for what, five years now?

SPA-LIKE WITH A WOW FACTOR (thanks Sue) With a final sizzle, reference due to the electrical problem, the bathrooms plural are done. No drum beating or clashing of cymbals, but Yah! Turns out a neutral wire was MIA on a downstairs plug impacting all their brother and sister plugs. Old house, old electrical which we seem to be replacing one room at a time. Not to mention (I said don't mention) our hot water heater decided this would be the most fantastic time to crash and burn. Well, there was no noise and the object is to keep from burning I suppose. Thank you "This Old House". My new heater is set a tad higher which means hand washing dishes is now an endurance sport. In the water heater's defense, though it is very pretty. Oddly enough, as with the electrical inspector who came during the electrician's troubleshooting during the inspection, the building inspector was there to sign off on the bathroom remodel while we were busily installing a new water heater. Which, of course, means he has to come back to inspect the water heater install. How inefficient of all of us. Disasters should occur more conveniently. 

I am happy with the price and appearance of all the remodeling, but it's worth noting our contractor was sporting a giant new pick-up the last time he was here. Glad we could help. Though I really think folks just getting that one-day tub to shower remodel are paying too much, considering what my two bathrooms cost. The contractor agreed and said those commercials really piss him off. Also, that sexy shade of green I picked is now starting to appear in new houses and actually as a car color-I've already seen a couple. Ahead of my time  

SOCIALLY SPEAKING I wish the dems would just explain the difference between socialism and social democracy (Nordic way). Free enterprise and capitalism remain, but the social network is funded so people are educated, fed, housed and have medical care as part of the "social" contract. That's where the taxes go. Though I think it funny that marmie thinks he's insulting dems by calling them communists when he grovels at the feet of Putin, Xi and Un, communist dictators. He needs to have that explained sometime. 

A GOOD MAN Sorry to hear of Mayor Hollister's passing last week. He was a tremendous leader, and I enjoyed several interactions with him when I worked there. I still recall Monday morning meetings where he would throw out a topic and let the directors react and debate, watching carefully, then make a decision. My boss and I were meeting with him on a worker comp issue, and he wanted my opinion on a course of action and doctor, when I called him Dave-thought my boss was going to have a stroke. "Mayor" she said. Politicians be weird but he didn't seem to mind. He was known for bringing the Lugnuts to Lansing and campaigning to keep GM here, and as one of the founders of the Lansing Area Food Bank but how many people know about his compost worm farm on the 10th floor that the kids loved.

 Personally, he supported my asbestos, bloodborne and drug and alcohol testing programs, though we tangled on the three strikes you're out for positive blood tests.  He also asked our department to bring some programs to life that I facilitated like the city-wide seatbelt campaign (Put a Belt on It) creating the first all-City employee picnic, creating a down payment plan for city workers buying a house in Lansing called L-Hope. He was a man of vision with the expectation of trust for people who worked for him. Truly a defender of the people with optimism and determination despite his Parkinson's diagnosis.

AND THEN Noting a sign on the automatic door "In Emergency/Push to Open" and waiting too long I decided to call an emergency and pushed. The darn thing fought me.

Peace Out/Stay Strong/Love Your Neighbor/Eat More Cake/Drive Efficiently/Salute a Vet/Respect          Flannel/Don't Plasticize Your Life/Fish Be Where You Find 'Em

                                                 

SEPTEMBER GRASS IS GREENER (September 20/122 or not)

SIGH So tough being MSU, Lions, Tigers fans. Well, maybe next year becomes an ongoing mantra. Last week, for MSU the defense didn't show up and this week it was the offense. Taking on the 3rd ranked team in the nation and holding their own until the 2nd half, then the defense holding and waiting for the offense to acknowledge the effort. The blue and silver almost blow a 21-point lead and then help the Bills inaugurate their new stadium with a pre-ordained loss. The tigers of course...continue to trade their best players. Hopefully, the mantra will change to this year. However, when expectations are low the ability to delight doesn't take much. 

Interesting week as we are trying to get the final pesky details finished on the remodels. Nothing like frantically fixing an electrical snafu when the electrical inspector shows up for the inspection. The good news-after installing two brand new GFI's we passed inspection. The bad news; the original snafu showed up again this morning-argghh. Still need installation of a grating and I can't find the little paint pens they gave us to cover a small strip of cabinet that did not get its color wash in the 2nd bathroom. 

PICK YOUR OUTRAGE From the myriads of disgusting incidents from mr. dementia this week, what kind of pathetic garbage threatens to destroy another man's (war hero and beloved president) memorial because they won't put his own name on it. Plus, now calling the obscene 250-foot arch blocking the view of the Lincoln Memorial and defacing Arlington National Cemetery a defensive installation to get around any challenge. He's going to put ammo, drones and snipers in it-OMG. Not like the Capitol of the USA is literally swarming with military and bases. Little tin soldiers crammed into the arch to leap into action at the moment of threat. A trojan horse so to speak-I'm dying here. 

OLD STORIES Rode over to Novi last week for a Safety Conference meeting where the appearance of normal road was constantly obscured by road construction. Well, that's one reason to welcome winter. We have two seasons as they say, winter and road construction. I rode with the current MSC president and paid by buying lunch (gas would have been more expensive-lol). He's an ex-MIOSHA construction enforcement supervisor so of course we critiqued the various road activities. Good thing we're both retired but those workers are living on a prayer. FUN FACT:  I used to work with his father, a former MIOSHA Construction Director. God I'm old.

 The Dad tried to help me when I was at the BWL when they hired "farmer brown barn builders" to build a storage shed (for TNT-I'm not lying) on one of our properties. They were, shall we say, not conversant with certain rules and I feared an accident - no the TNT wasn't in it yet. Anyway, Joe came out from MIOSHA and tried to "ed-gee-cate".  However, despite our efforts they did manage to knock the structure down and one guy suffered a broken leg. One really hates being right. 

After the BWL I continued to wreak havoc at the City within my first few months of course, because I'm a rule follower. First by interviewing/interrogating a company on their asbestos survey (unbeknownst to me a big supporter of the mayor). Secondly, accompanying a wage and hour rep on his survey of a construction site to determine if they were paying prevailing wage - a requisite of most government jobs. When I realized he was climbing up into an attic full of, wait for it, asbestos, I had some small concern as I told him to GET OUT NOW! When I explained the health evals, personal protective equipment, training and monitoring that needed to happen to mitigate his exposure some of his various gaskets were blown. He had his boss a well-known defender of the little people try to intimidate (never a good tactic with me). Not backing down, I countered with the City Attorney. I won. Actually, this dude and I ended up with a good working relationship, and he is a mover and shaker himself in a very public position these days. 

NEW STORIES This week I'll be doing a podcast interview on Emotional Intelligence (EI) with our current MSC Board Chairperson. Easy interview so we're just going to wing it. Putting the theory into practice so to speak. Considering the different generations in the workplace understanding is sorely needed. The younger folk are into relationships and not "working 'til you drop" for a hearty handshake. Smarter than us oldies perhaps. Then I have 3 feelers out for the month of November so hopefully one will shake loose before my deadline. 

Took the grandson bowling last week ahead of his league start and the teenager is emerging. Our usually bubbling over buddy was more reserved and has cultivated that little curling lip they tend to get. Polite and respectful just not as social as we're used to. He's a bit judgmental these days too and asks hard questions. An interesting twist. So just going to enjoy each stage as it happens.

Our hummer (hummingbird) has been stoking up for his long trip south, perched on the feeder for long periods of time. I understand they put 30-40 percent of their body weight on before leaving so I'm guessing straight-through, no bathroom breaks. I keep thinking well, this is the last day but then he shows up right about dusk and dips his thin little straw deep into the fake plastic flower and goes comatose. 

Peace Out/Stay Strong/Love Your Neighbor/Eat More Cake/Drive Efficiently & Less/Salute a Vet/Respect Flannel/Don't Plasticize Your Life/Fish Be Where You Find "em