Happy Birthday CBLMW. I know the next year will be filled with love, joy, good fortune and happiness. You deserve the very best life has to offer. You have always been a force for change and helping those who need it, I hope you realize people see this and appreciate all you do. Enjoy your special day! Sending you good wishes.....

Well, I have to say-- all things considered, this was as good a day as I've had for the past year.  

Didn't get much sleep last night (as usual), but woke up easily.  Made early Sunday breakfast at 5am and got started with the Sunday chores.  You know, strip the bed and put fresh linens on it, clean the kitchen, fridge, freezer and  put stuff down I might need, clean the cat box, take out the trash.  Normal things.  The weather was so great today, blue skies, slight breezes and about 73F, so I threw as many windows open as I could to air the place out. I love doing that!

I wanted to make scones, but forgot to get dried fruit (craisins, golden raisins, cherries, etc.), so I walked to Target to pick up a few things.  It was so nice out!

One of my plans for the day was to make beans, so I'd put some on to soak overnight, I got started on them as soon at I made it back home,  Bacon, onion, spices in the pot first.... my house smelled so good!  Rinse the beans a zillion times before adding them to the pot with a bunch of water.  Turn the heat way down and cover.  Add more spices along the way with diced jalapenos and chilis and viola!  Delicious!  I put a pork roast in a couple hours ago, so I'll have them with that and some vegetables.  Tomorrow it will be a bean and cheese burrito for dinner.

So my house smells like scones, pork roast, beans and vegetables.  Heaven!

I did my Sunday afternoon routine of setting out clothes for work tomorrow, getting lunch together, soaking in the tub, washing my hair and all that stuff early today and my goodness, when I looked up and out the window, the gently moving palm trees looked like they had the glittery filter people use, you know the one that sparkles?  It was amazing!  Now, I don't really drink wine any more as is gives me headaches, but I made an exception, took some preventative pills and got a glass of Chardonnay.  I love Sundays like this!

I just checked and the roast is about 10 degrees from being able to come out of the oven and rest and I'm just about ready to relax into Sunday evening.

I hope you all enjoyed your day as much as I did mine.  It might seem like a boring day to most folks.....but for me, accomplishing normal, drudge type chores in beautiful weather felt exceptional today and I am grateful.  This year has been so challenging, I treasure times like this.

I hope this bodes well for the week ahead..........

(not checking for typos this time, it is what it is!)

This is going to be a post about this and that.  Nothing exciting.

So, as you know, I accepted the challenge by my friend to watch all the Marvel movies on Disney+.  I've watched all of them at least twice and most three times.  My first pass through was over a long weekend where, I think, I got three hours of sleep, lol!

The movies are much better than I expected!  The only titles I didn't watch three times were Ant Man (great movie, but I just couldn't with the scenes of ants swarming over things....I'm almost phobic about ants. Oddly, I was okay with Ant Man and the Wasp!), Doctor Strange (again, great movie, but I just didn't feel the need to see it again), Black Panther (I really LOVED this movie, but it broke my heart to watch it), Iron Man 2 (I just didn't care for this one) and Thor: Dark World (I love Chris Eccleston, but Natalie Portman didn't seem like she was interested in being in the movie, so she was really distracting and it took away from the movie).

The titles I've watched the most?  Thor: Ragnarok, Captain America, Iron Man (the only one I'd seen before the challenge and I think I have on DVD somewhere), The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I was surprised at the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies.  First time I watched them I didn't really care much.  They were "meh".  Second time, I really liked them!  I think one of my favorite sounds in the world is the sound of Drax laughing.  It's such a big, hearty laugh.  I wish I knew someone who laughed like that!

Another surprise hit for me was Captain Marvel.  I first watched it late in the list (it was in phase 4), and it seemed out of place.  Watching it after Captain America, it made more sense.  Probably best that I didn't have any expectations going in to it.  I knew next to nothing about the character and really only watched it so it would advance the storyline of the overall story arc.  Such a good movie!

My final takeaway - Nick Fury is a complex and very interesting badass and I should have seen more Halloween costumes of him over the past how many years since these movies have been released.

On other topics, with the new strains of the virus, the insurrection, the subsequent shameful actions of the GOP and all the legends we have lost this year, so far 2021 has been really crummy.  People I know still believe the election was stolen, so I have to hear comments about that, which sucks.  One of my co-workers transferred to a different office this week and the main guy on his team is a nightmare and, until the replacement starts and learns our systems, everyone else has fill the void.  That guy makes mistakes and blames everyone else, so I'm not thrilled to have to deal with that. I miss my work friend and have to deal with his shitty team member.  BAH!

Trying to look to the future though and I'm sure it's going to get better.  POTUS Biden has been doing great things (in just one week!), the vaccine has begun rolling out and we don't have to hear about Trumps tweets every two minutes.  Such a relief!  I don't feel as tense as I have been for the past four years.

I took my handsome Gotham to the vet for his annual check-up for his hypertension and renal issues and, thankfully, the vet said everything is great.  Bloodwork and physical exam were better than I expected (his weight is good too, 13lbs!).  He said "whatever you're doing, keep it up!".  That means lucky Gotham gets to be spoiled for another year.  He's turning 15 this summer, so I'm prone to getting anxious about his health.  

Reading a really good book by T.J. English called "The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob". Very interesting look at Irish organized crime in NYC (specifically Hell's Kitchen) from the late 1960's through to the 1980's.  I'd read about and watched documentaries that mention them in relation to Italian groups (the DeMeo crew of the Gambino's in Canarsie), but I'd never read anything from the point of view of the Westies.  The main individuals are still alive too.  Micky Featherstone and Billy Beattie are in Witness Protection and the rest are or until recently have been in prison (Jimmy Coonan).  I was surprised to learn there weren't hundreds of people in the gang, but really only a few dozen!  So if you are interested in New York Organized Crime Non-Fiction, give it a read.  

I also just finished "The President Street Boys: Growing Up Mafia" by Frank DiMatteo.  This book focuses on the Gallo faction of the Colombo Family (formerly the Profaci Family).  If you can get past the grammar, language  and formatting issues, it's a good read as well.  Normally, you only hear about the Gallo's as a footnote to "Crazy Joe" Gallo's life and you really only hear about Joe Gallo as a footnote to the murder of Joe Colombo.  You never read stories about the crew itself.  I've always been interested in learning about Larry Gallo (Joe's older brother) and Albert "Kid Blast" Gallo (Joe's younger brother).  This book was written by the son of a close associate, who himself was also involved with the family.  If you're looking to read about the lion they kept, Carmine Persico or Joe Colombo, there are better books (two written by the same author).  They are small entries here.  There should be more books about these folks.  That being said, I haven't been able to bring myself to read "The Mad Ones" by Tom Folsom.  I saw a show he was on and just couldn't bring myself to buy or read it (yet), but hey, I might change my mind in the future.  Frank DiMatteo actually lived this stuff,  Plus, he has one of the best book titles ever (I just had to buy it) "Brooklyn Gangsters: 70 Square Miles of Blood and Balls". HAHAHA, that title is so great!

I don't read about organized crime and true crime exclusively, even though I know it looks that way!  To be honest, apart from "A Promised Land" (Obama), there haven't been many new books I've wanted to read.  Besides, watching 20 Marvel movies multiple times takes up a lot of time and limits what I could be spending reading. :-) 

Well, I guess I should do some chores.  The kitchen isn't going to clean itself.... 

 I'm not sure if I mentioned this in  my last post (I probably should have read it before posting this one, sorry!), but a close friend of mine has to test twice a week for Covid, so I figured it was safe to invite her over for Christmas.  It's also her birthday, so we celebrated that too.

Before she came out, I called my folks Christmas morning.  It's not the same as being there with them, but we talked about when I would be able to go up there.  Unfortunately, my dad believes a lot of what is on conservative television/websites and he has decided he doesn't want the vaccine, even though he's in the group that should have it.  I can only hope that enough people where they live get it and they reach herd immunity and he can be safe.  Maybe it was for the best that I decided against going to stay for Christmas?  Sometime after the inauguration is probably a better plan, pandemic or no pandemic!  I'm looking forward to it.  I haven't seen them in such a long time.  

Later in the day I made a roast with roasted potatoes ('cause, come on, you have to make roasted potatoes when you make a roast!) and a flourless chocolate cake for her birthday dessert and she brought amazing sides.  Mushrooms in a cream sauce with tomatoes and spinach, Mac and Cheese with peppers, Mashed Cheesy Buttery Cauliflower, and Roasted Broccoli.  Add that to the hummus and pita chips with chips / salsa, PLUS we had mimosas! ...... conservatively, I think I probably gained 10lbs from Christmas alone.  In my defense though, I didn't have breakfast or lunch and we ate all of that over the course of about 8 hours. Yikes! For the first time in a few years, I guess I'm going to be like the rest of the bloated, overfed Western World and back on an eating program January 2nd.  Nothing crazy though!  

We watched Wonder Woman 1984.  It was okay.  I think I probably would have liked it better on the big screen.  You don't notice as many things when you aren't looking at everything at once.  Does that make sense?  The acting was great, but to be honest, I expected a bigger part for Cheetah. Plus I figured she was going to be scary or at least kinda vicious.  I think I also thought it would be more 80's.  Or at least more accurate 80's.  They made the criminals at the start of the movie kind of dumb.  I don't think folks were  that stupid back then, at least not from what I remember. It also needed to either have more stuff explained or edited out entirely.  Maybe they'll come up with a better edit when they do the DVD?  A director's cut or something?  It wasn't a waste of time or anything..... just kind of "meh".

Later, after Wonder Woman, we scrolled through Disney Plus and watched some fun stuff (Forky Asks a Question).  I saw they had a bunch of superhero movies.  If you can believe it, I haven't seen any of the Marvel movies, apart from the first Iron Man, so after I finish up watching all of the episodes of The Office (it leaves Netflix on 12/31), my friend is having me watch ALL of the Marvel movies.  Jeez, there are 20 of them!  I re-watched Iron Man already, so 19 to go.  Yikes.  Disney Plus has a playlist that helps with what order to watch them in.  So far, everyone I've talked to about it has told me that Captain America: Winter Soldier and Thor: Rangorok (sp?) are the best two out of all 20.  I asked her if I needed to watch Iron Man 2 and she said no, except that it's the movie that introduces Black Widow, so I may want to watch it for that. I tried watching it once before and kinda never finished. Ah well, I guess now's as good as any to watch them, it's not like there's much else to do.  I certainly don't want to do chores or take down my tree just yet.

Work tomorrow.  BAH!  Lot's of last minute year-end stuff.  I've got three client meetings/calls scheduled all fairly close together, which I usually avoid, but they gave me no choice.  I hope they don't run long.  I also have a wild card client I was supposed to talk to this afternoon at 3pm (when I'm usually logging-off for the day), but they didn't answer their phone at 3pm or 3:30pm, so I left a message for them to call me at the office in the morning.  Fingers-crossed everyone calls me as planned and we can get their stuff taken care of.  I don't want to push anything back closer to the 31st, it's too stressful.   

Well, I think I want to stop looking at a computer.....

Be safe out there folks!

Well, Thanksgiving went well.  Quiet around the house, which was nice.  I'm used to not doing anything on that day since I always work the next day and this year was no different.  I got the usual invitations to go to small gatherings at friends' houses, but I stayed home.  I thought is was weird that folks were still inviting me over during this pandemic, but it was nice.

This morning I had to call my parents and break the news that I wont be able to visit for Christmas.  They took it better than I thought they would.  I know it's the right thing to do, but I'm still sad.  This is the first Christmas in my life I won't be spending with them, and who knows how many they have left?  I hope they have a lot of Christmases ahead of them, but what if they don't?  If I could make the drive up there, I would still have gone.  My bubble is small and (knock wood) I don't have the virus and no one in my bubble has had it either.  My original plan was to start working from home mid-December, get tested, then isolate for a few days, rent an SUV at LAX and make the drive, return the car to the airport closest to my parents' house and then rent an SUV to drive home, work from home, get tested and then go back to "normal".  My dad was adamant that he didn't want me driving through the mountains in the snow and ice, so that plan was rejected.  

We decided I would (if allowed) go and celebrate the holiday in late January/early February, once the lockdown is lifted and the vaccine has been administered to older people, as well as the front line workers.  Being that they are both in their 70's and both have some health issues, I'm hoping my parents will get theirs sooner rather than later (both doses).  The population size where they live is nowhere near what it is here in Los Angeles, so I hope that works in their favor as far as availability goes.  I'm guessing that my demographic won't be in line to get anything until July or August at the earliest.

When I was breaking the news to them, my dad (a proud  GOP supporter), who never really talks to me about politics, other than a few jibes here and there that I ignore, went on about how **IF** Joe Biden wins the election, we are going to lose all our rights and how this is all the democrats fault and how much he hates Governor Newsome (and my mom hates their governor).  I'm thinking "They just told me that it's probably safer to put it off and now it's about politics?  and BTW, what do you mean **IF**?  Biden DID win the election, over a month ago!"  I didn't say anything, but I wanted to, LOL.

I guess a doctor they know told them or one of their friends that it's not as bad as the news says and not to believe what they see, then in the next sentence they told me how two hospitals are out of beds.  What?!??  I told them about a client of ours who is in their mid-80's with cancer was discharged from a local hospital, but then started having issues 2 hours later, so they called 911, the ambulance took him back to the hospital he was just discharged from and they couldn't take him because they were out of beds.  He had to go two cities over to a different hospital!  

I was told a couple of days ago that the asshole who lives downstairs that has been having all the barbecues and parties with no face masks or social distancing throughout the pandemic contracted Covid.  I told the guy who told me that it may make me terrible person, but I don't feel bad for him one tiny bit.  He hasn't taken this seriously and he put people at risk, including himself.  I guess he's okay now and I doubt he learned his lesson, 'cause like I said, he's an asshole.

I'll keep wearing my mask and being safe.  Hopefully, that will be good enough.  

I'm sad.

 It’s been a bittersweet few hours. 

The US election was finally called and the Biden/Harris ticket has prevailed. 

While crying tears of joy watching the wrap-up of the speeches last night, I checked my email on my phone and saw a message at the top from the Oils office with the subject “Bones” from the Midnight Oil list I’ve been on for decades.  I opened it hoping it would be news that my favorite bass player of all time was finally winging his way to Australia to participate in the upcoming Makarrata gig project.

Unfortunately, the email was letting us know that Bonsey had passed away. Cancer. It was a punch to my gut. All the air went out of me and I broke down in tears. It may seem odd to react this way about a bass player in a band, but this was BONES! I’d met and spoken with him many times over the last 30+ years. A kinder, gentler soul than anyone I’ve ever met. Wicked sense of humor and never an unkind word said about anyone (except maybe Trump). He had the voice of an angel (I have a list of songs I can recommend, but have a listen to “One Country” if you can). His bass playing was unequaled (in my opinion). 

I’m so grateful the Oils got the band back together and toured a couple of years ago. My friends and I went to many shows across the US (like we did when we were kids). The stand out being the first gig in the US back in Atlanta. I got to see the band, explore Atlanta more than I had in the past and see my friend Magnus, who passed away not too long after our visit.

My heart goes out to his wife, family and friends. Rest easy Bonesy. You are a legend who is missed by many.  We are heartbroken you have left us, but thankful for the time we had.  To build on what a Powderworker friend said: I hope you’re up in front with the driver, guiding the way and enjoying the adventure.  I’m glad you were able to hang on long enough to see Trump lose, knowing you could leave us safe in the knowledge that things were going to get better and the chance of peace, decency, equality and justice were back in the mix. 

I’m going to be sad for a while with this one guys. It has hit me hard. I know it’s selfish, but I can’t help it. He was one of the good guys.

I’m trying to keep my mind on my country’s potentially bright future.  That will hopefully keep me from getting too down for too long. Trump, Pence and their rogues gallery of fascists are on their way out!  If we can pick-up the 2 senate seats January 5th in Georgia, we can make meaningful changes quickly.  I have a lot to be grateful for, even if the next couple of months are going to be ugly and full of hateful noise and rhetoric coming from the Trump administration and his lunatic cronies.

Here is one of my favorites of the Bones photos I took on that last Midnight Oil tour in 2017:

 Another quick one. Talk to your friends about voting. This morning I was talking to a co-worker about random stuff and they mentioned how weird it was they hadn’t received their ballot yet. They plan on voting in-person, so I reminded them they’d need to bring the ballot in order to surrender it at the poll on 11/3.

I asked when they last voted and it was in the last primary. Weird! I said “we gotta check your voter status”. Sure enough, they’d been reclassified as inactive, even though they voted in the last election!

Luckily, the deadline for registrations here is still a few days away and they were able to get re-registered in time.

Please, have casual chats with your friends and make sure they’ve received their ballots! My friend almost missed-out on voting!!!