Personal

Thursday, Thursday 😄

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The weatherman says it’s a lot less humid out there, and it’s going to drop today, but I wouldn”t exactly call this morning’s commute refreshing and it still was pretty humid throughout the night at home, maybe from all that rain we got last evening.

Last night was a real soaker for the evening commute. 🌧 I didn’t bring my rain coat for riding home, but it wouldn’t have helped. It wasn’t raining when I left my office, but by the time I rode downtown 🚲 the water was over the curbs in parts of the road. I guess it was a free bike wash, but then again, it’s was more then the bike that got washed. I got to the bus, and the driver, said just get on, bike and all, you looked a bit soaked.

The ride in this morning was drier, 🪵 they’re cutting up the tree blocking part of the bike path this morning. DIdn’t get in the office quite as early this morning, 📂 but still early enough that I shouldn’t have to use time for non-legislative work as I’ll have my hours for the week. Last night, I was in bed a little after 7 PM 🛌 as I’ve been getting up earlier and after getting so soaked, I just kind of wanted to bed down and listen to some podcasts and relax. I prefer getting up early when it’s cooler out. On vacation though I’ll probably stay up later, as the sun still doesn’t set to relatively late, and I want to spend evenings watching the stars by Foster Pond 🐸 especially now that my new phone works well with the star mapping app. 📱

Still chewing over weekend plans, 🏕 I am thinking about staying local, and probably just hammock camping on Saturday night, maybe finding a creek to soak in and do some reading 📚 and maybe just do a single night in the woods. I was in Schoharie last weekend, and I’m not sure if I want to do Vermont or the Adirondacks, especially if I’m leaving on Thursday or Friday of next week for the Finger Lakes. I should spend some time cleaning and preparing for my vacation this weekend. 💼 Plus it wouldn’t be a bad thing to ride to work on Friday, as I haven’t been doing as much riding this week due to the humidity and bad weather. 😅

Well, a week from now after work I could be on my way to the Finger Lakes, but I’ll probably wait until early Friday to leave. 🛻 Very early Friday … BEFORE rush hour. For the Love of Bacon 🥓 opens at 7 AM, so I just can’t get to Interstate 88 before then, but other then that I want to be to Ithaca before the lunch time rush hour. I might also stop at Annuto’s but that doesn’t open until 9 AM I think and I am not 100% sold on it… it’s better in the autumn obviously.

I want to get camp set up early, because we don’t have coverage in the office in the afternoon, 👩‍💼 so I want to be set up at camp before I have to remote into the system. 🤖 Plus I have a very specific campsite in mind at the National Forest for the week. 🌲 And I need time to stock up at a farm stands. 🍇 🌽 Note that’s plural.

I’ve considered leaving Thursday evening and going out to Long Pond in Greene 🏕 but its a pain to overnight one night with a full week’s worth of toys and gear packed in the truck, and by the time you get started in the morning, it won’t save that much time, if I leave very early on Friday. ⏲ Plus, I want to make sure I have enough bacon. Granted, I could go to the Piggery in Ithaca. 🐷

Dangerous rhetoric and an assassination attempt

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Former President Donald Trump is a threat to our democracy.

The scary thing about that statement is that there are people who actually believe it. Not that I love Trump or think that his policy preferences would be good for our country, but let’s be honest — when it comes down to it — he’s just another officer in the government. He like every other government employee has specific responsibilities and obligations and has to follow the law or face legal and political consequences.

The President can’t be charged in court — personally — for his official duties but that does not extend beyond official duties provided for in the laws and the constitution. The President can’t be charged for a crime for what he does based on law. For example, starting a military enforcement action in Iran or directing additional immigration officials to the Southern Boarder. But he can be for personal acts, such as taking a bribe.

The thing is such rhetoric is not only untruthful it’s harmful to those who are mentally unstable or prone to violence. Politicians are grown ups, they are the official voice of our country. They should be careful what they say, nothing their words will be widely reported and interpreted by millions of Americans.

Climbing the Hump Again 🐪

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Since Monday evening I’ve been watching the thermal sensors on my computer carefully, ever since I brought the laptop home, and it was complaining about the fan not properly spinning up on boot. Things are running a bit hot especially but actually within the recommended limits. I’ll have to see if I need to clean the fan or replace it, maybe this weekend but it’s working okay except when I push it hard.

Rode in at a little after 7 AM this morning, so I could be in the office by 8 AM to make sure I got my hours in for the week 🚲 as tomorrow I’ll be working downtown. Plus I had work to do. 📜 Just been so busy lately. Who knows what the weather will be like by evening, but I can suck it up and ride in the rain downtown to catch the express hoe if it’s bad or wait out a thunderstorm in my office. 🌩 At least riding in one way gets some exercise in. 💪 I am excited, my new business cards came in today. Why I didn’t order them before the vendor came in last month, or

Johnnycakes this morning with lots of onions and garlic from shauls. 🧄🧅 🥞 Topped them off with non-fat greek yogurt and included lot of tumeric. Also while on cooking with tumeric, I made up rice and creamy red lentils 🥟 which should make up a good lunch. I haven’t done many rice dishes lately, in part because it’s been kind of hot, and who wants a big pot cooking down on the stove, and because change is good, and because I still have too many carbs in my diet, especially when you consider how much oatmeal 🥣 I’ve been eating. Milled oats are so good with bananas but I”ve been eating so much of them lately. 🍌

Tired and busy. 😴

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Been trying to do better about getting to bed early this week, that heat really knocks you out. I know I could have air conditioning if I wanted it but I enjoy the fresh air, cheap rent and low power bills in the summer.

Rode in a little after seven o’clock this morning 🚲 so to be in the office at 8 am. Trying to build up some comp time in my time bank plus I had work to do. Need that comp time for the fall when I’m taking time off to help with the campaign committee. 🐴 Wanted to get to the office 🏢 before it got hot. 😰 Took the bus 🚍 home in the evening 🌃, I could see the thunderstorm ⛈ approaching and it poured by the time I got home 🏡. Got soaked but it’s fine as I was planning to change out of my jeans 👖 once I got home. The rain stopped and I rode my bike 🚲 to the grocery store to stock up. Just the basics – more frozen fruit, vegetables and tofu. Got quite a bit of other things from the Shauls farm stand over the weekend.

There are a few different supplies I should research and get before vacation 🏖 though honestly none of them are truly critical and I can live without. Still replacing the worn handlebar grips and getting a bolt on kick stand would be nice on the bike plus an extra lantern 🏮 globe and a bigger memory card for my phone 📱 for pictures and music 🎶 and other things to download and enjoy at camp. 🏕

Finished up on interviews for work, 👥and I think I have a short list but I want to double check social media and other files 📂 we have plus discuss with the supervisors. Then maybe discuss with the other unit directors. Finally ordered updated business cards 🎴 so I can hand out to vendors and future interviewees though I’m hoping not to do more interviews soon. Six job interviews on Monday made my voice hoarse and I was exhausted after a while. Did check ☑ all the boxes though for diversity and a wide variety of qualifications. I think I got a good sample and whomever I choose will be good. ☺ I’ve been involved with hiring decisions for years now as the Deputy Director of Research Services but I was always the second fiddle, ⚖ now the decision fully rests in my hands 👐 as does the direction and the future 🔮 of the agency.

I’ve been weighting my options for the weekend. ☀ Going to be sunny and hot but on the other hand, a week from Thursday or Friday of next week I’ll be heading out to the Finger Lakes. I’ve thought about hammock camping 🏕 in the back country maybe Saturday or maybe both nights this weekend but I should also spend time cleaning and preparing for vacation. 🏞 It would be nice if it’s hot to spend it down by a creek. ⭕ Or I’ve considered putting a tube in the Norman’s Kill by the New Scotland boat launch and doing some floating there. I thought about Schoharie or the Green Mountains ⛰ but if I’m leaving for the Finger Lakes for nine 9⃣ days in a few more days for summer vacation. 🤷‍♂️

I figure at this point the beautiful weekends will crap out come vacation 🌥 and it will be ten days of camping in the rain and clouds and generally cool. I guess good weather for hanging out up at camp, doing some cooking, reading and relaxing. It’s been a while since I had a totally cloudy and wet summer vacation.

Busing it to work today 🚍

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It was a good weekend but it’s very humid and there is thunderstorms heading this way plus I’m wearing long sleeve shirts and jeans as I’m trying to be a bit better dressed as I have several interviews scheduled for today.

Maybe I could have biked to work but it’s already hot and humid. 😰 The bus 🚍 and shuttle 🚀 is air conditioned. And I won’t get wet nor will my laptop. 🖥 I just have a feeling by afternoon it will be pouring, but even if it’s not it would be a hot and miserable bike ride home. So instead I’ll be riding on the air conditoined bus, feeling like shit when I get home.

Stayed out overnight at my parents house in my truck camper, 🛻 before heading home and showering. 🛀 Got things unpacked, ran into my landlord in the morning, their continuing the rebuilding of the unit next door. Apparently the building needs a lot of work.

They still haven’t sold that property down the road from my parents house. 🐷 It would be nice to live out in the country, though I am not sure if that’s right for me. I think the neighbors are too close, and while certainly the folks up the street have had some pretty big bonfires lately, 🔥 I’d still have to be much more careful what I burnt compared to being in the wilderness. It would be fun to have a place to raise meat and eggs, and cannabis but I’m not sure that’s the right place and I enjoy traveling currently.