sell, sell, sell

 I am in the process of selling a house. It's amazing how much work goes into it.  This wasn't my residence, but my father's.  After dad passed away my brother and I decided to sell it.  We briefly thought about renting it out, but neither of us wanted to go into property management at this point in our lives. 

The place needed a little work.  A gardening crew performed miracles with the yard and a very good cleaning person made it sparkle.  Now, today, it's on the market and we'll see if anyone wants to buy it.

carpets

 My house has carpet. Over the years I've come to view carpeting as a dirt catcher and nothing more. My brother replaced their carpet with hardwood.  When my dad bought his house it had tile floors throughout.

So, I'll get me a house without carpet, I thought.  I went out looking for places and found none.  I guess I could get minre replaced, but that isn't cheap.  So, I had the carpet cleaned today. It has that dampness still, although they did a nice job.  To be continued. 

Weird Westerns

 I'm not all that happy with the local library, which has sharply curtailed services.  Nonetheless, I requested something just out from University of Nebraska Press. It's: 

Weird WesternsWeird Westerns

Race, Gender, Genre

Fine, Kerry (EDT)

It's rather expensive by my tastes, but for some reason the local library agreed to order a copy. The paperback is around $35 and the hardcover around 70 as I recall.  I don't know if it is worth it. My friend Bob Vardeman and I were talking about the then-upcoming book last Spring at Wild Wild West Con.  He said, "Getting academics involved in Weird Westerns is all we need.  He may be right.  But I edit and talk on Weird Westerns a lot and feel an obligation to stay informed.  When it arrives I'll look it over and maybe even review it.  In the meantime, I simply mention its existence and if one is so inclined, one can try and get their library to order it, too.  

Housing

 I've been looking at various housing places.  I have a perfectly good house, except I don't like it.  But it is not easy to decide if I want to go through the hassles of selling the existing place and moving to a new place.  It's not like I have to move. I just sort of want a nicer place.  That's the nice ting about open houses--you can check a place out and not have to register with some Realtor. 

Random thoughts on virtual stuff

 This will go down as the virtual year.  We can't meet in person. The Democratic Convention pushes on. In some ways it's better as there seems less rattling on by blowhard politicians  People seemed to like the little views of the states as they cast their delegate votes.  However, some cons this fall are making the plunge into virtual reality.  I won't be joining them.It just doesn't seem right somehow.  

It's no just that my antiquated computer can't handle this.  Heck my former doctor dumped me as a patient as he was only seeing people over computers.  Sure, it's cheaper to go to Mile Hi Con if you don't have to drive to Denver.  But isn't driving [or flying] half the point?  What will they have but a couple of hours of chit chat on a computer screen and we call it a con now?  I suppose so.

groceries?

 The last two times I've gone grocery shopping I've ordered online and tried to pick up stuff.  It's been really hot and I just thought the convenience might be worth it.  Sadly, both times I got home to find a full third of my order was missing.  I'd put do not substitute in the instructions because of my poor experience with that. Damn.  This was even worse.  So I drove back to the store.  The cookies I didn't get were right there on the shelf. The pasta I wanted--right there. Hell, the canned goods that were not available were right there.  

Whyfore?  I don't know for sure, but my impression is these people pulling the orders are so overworked they have to fly through the stores to  keep up.  Either that or they simply don't give a shit.  Well, I'm not going to waste my time with online shopping nd it is time to switch stores.

Yard

  So, I was surprised to get a letter my home owners association. My front yard seems okay. I've been pretty busy with my dad dying and all.  Yet another complaint about my yard.  Surely they must be mistaken.  Then I looked at the back yard. Yikes.  How can so many weeds grow so fast. I decided to throw in the towel.  I called a local company that does weed control.  I  decided to give up managing them myself. The weeds won.  

Thanks for sharing that, congressman

 I don’t usually put politics on this blog, preferring to amaze my readers with my wit and such.   Well, this is a different sort of amazement.  Not long after Senator Kamilla Harris was declared the VP running mate, I noted a remarkable comment from a congressman from Mississippi or Alabama that simply astonished me.  He was pointing pout that she isn’t a real Negro because she wasn’t from Africa, but Jamaica.  Apparently, we’re still importing slaves from Africa and that’s only where Negroes come from. Her parents emigrated from Jamaica. I guess that was what he meant. Actually, the senator is from Oakland.  That’s where she was born and that’s where she grew up.  

Bigotry takes many forms.  I found the remark so strange it left me speechless.

green beans

 I sometimes eat at Cracker Barrel. They're one of very few restaurants that has green beans on the menu. I find I rather like fresh green beans.  Beans that are frozen or out of a can just are not the same.  But freshly cooked green beans with just a hint of bacon grease are pretty darn good eats.  

Over the years I have found dogs go nuts for green beans.  There's some kind of bias in thinking that dogs only eat meat. The truth is they're omnivores  much like bears if they were out in the woods fending for themselves.  And dogs go nuts for green beans.  Cook fido some, let them  cool a little, then try it.  By the way, they tend to like other beans, too.  But green beans is a dog's idea of heaven.

Now, over the years, I have come to appreciate that.  I didn't like them much when I was a kid, but have come to appreciate them as a sort of comfort food.  

Pseudo Sports

 Well, I watched my first baseball game with no audience.  It's weird.  I still don't see why they couldn't have let in disadvantaged kids and spread them out really good and have some life in the stands.. This just ain't right.  

Good grief

 I was sitting in the shade yesterday and I felt woosey.  I thought I was going to faint.  Then I looked at an outdoor thermometer.  Yikes.  It was 110 degrees in the shade.  I placed  cold towel on the back of my neck and started feeling better right away.  I have found that is the best way to rapidly cool somebody down.  Welcome to Arizona in August.  

Bleach or Pinesol

 I've been trying to clean  my house today.  I hate cleaning, but it needs doing.  One particular problem I always seem to have is mold in showers--the pink kind.  It just follows me around everywhere I live and regardless of climate. I am always battling it.  People say use this or use that.  I think bleach and lots of it is the best mold cure.  Now, as for toilets, I favor Pine Sol. The problem with Pine Sol is it kind of stinks. Right now my windows are open because of the strong smell of bleach and Pine Sol.  

democracy

And on the subject of democracy, I'm working as a poll worker for the Arizona primary election.  

Will he go away?

There's a lot of talk that Trump might not leave even if he loses the election.  The thinking is he'll claim some sort of fraud and refuse to leave.  It's not up to him.  The electoral college sends in their ballots. The new Congress declares who the new president is. It is not up to the outgoing president. Article II, section 1, paragraph 3.  

Nixon wanted to declare martial law and stay in power during the Watergate era, but he had no support anywhere.  His cabinet wanted nothing to do with it and neither did the military.  Third world despots do this; they get in power and you can't get rid if them.

How'd it get to be August?

This wasn't like a normal summer.  I couldn't go anywhere.  A lot was going on with my father's health and with Covid19 options were limited. And now it is August already.  

August isn't looking too good, either.  But we'll manage.  In a few days I'll be working as a poll worker. Yep. I'll be taking people's ballots and taking those people without ID into the back room to work them over. Well, probably not on the latter one.  I think it's probably my turn to help keep the voting franchise working.  They must really be hurting for help if they hired me.  Then we're doing an estate sale.  There aren't any fall cons to go to. I think they're all cancelled.  I note Bubonicon in New Mexico was named after the plague, ergo they should continue to hold it and have a contest to see how many people die.  That's not true, it's cancelled.  

They don't even seem to have snow cones anymore. It was really hot yesterday and I was thinking a banana snow cone would work, but no one's selling them.