Ugh!

Isn't that a fitting word for today--in more ways than one?  Outside here it is in the upper 80s or lower 90s, with humididity [sic] to match.  I was doing things in the back yard and Michael came to ask me something, made a face, and asked, "Did you just get out of the shower?"  No, Bopp, that is called "schweat."  I was drenched.  And it got a few degrees hotter later in the afternoon.  The next three days are forecast with the same humididity [sic], but even higher temperatures.  Will the 100+ degrees in Las Vegas next week be a respite from this steambath?

I do read the comments that are posted here.  Gus and Pat have had some really good thoughts recently.  I really liked Pat's characterization of Trump and Clinton, "Nope and Noper."  I hadn't seen or heard that one.  It's great.  As always, comments are welcome, even encouraged.

I saw a wonderful car decal last weekend.  You, no doubt, have seen the ones that read "26.2," signifying that the driver (?) has run a marathon.  And there are those for various other distances of road races.  The one last weekend read, "0.0."  I laughed and laughed  Take that, you runners!  And, as you must know, I am one of those runners.

Today was/is election day.  I voted, of course.  I didn't like many of the candidates, but didn't write in any names.  I did enjoy, however, voting for four precinct delegates to the Oakland County Republican convention.  All four ran as "anti-Establishment" candidates.  I don't remember if they also id'd themselves as "anti-Government," but the way things are now set up, aren't "anti-Gov't" and "anti-Estab" one and the same?

If you have not read any novels by Daniel Silva, do yourself a favor and pick one up.  His protagonist is Gabriel Allon, a restorer of the finest artwork/paintings, who doubles as a nasty Israel agent.  He can be really nasty, but he's also very intelligent.  As I've said about other authors/novelists, if only 10% of what Silva writes is true, whoa!!!!!!  He is really a good writer.

BTW, I just reserved a rental car for 5 days in Las Vegas.  I always bid on Price Line and get pretty good deals.  Here's one for you.  The taxes and fees (federal, state, local) are more than the price of renting the car!  Doesn't something seem very wrong about that??????

Over the course of the past few weeks, more people have exaggerated or even made up (I am convinced) things they said they did/accomplished.  I have written before about my amazement at that.  Why do they make up things?  Even worse, why do they make up things that are so obviously not true?  Maybe it's part of that "15 minutes of fame" thing.  I don't know.  But there's the other end of that spectrum, too.  On Mon, Carrie and I ran a tough run--tough course with some not-so-gentle hills, a pretty good pace, and 80 degrees and high humididity [sic] to boot.  Yet at the end, because we walked some of it, not much at all, she was disappointed and thought we didn't do very well.  I tried to boost her a bit.  I don't know if I succeeded.  Does she not realize she did something that 95% of the US population couldn't do?  I wish there were more like Carrie and fewer of the fantasizers!

Who didn't see this one coming?  Some indictments are coming down in the Flint water crisis case.  And, guess what, all of those so-far charged are the little guys.  Yep, none of the top doggies......

Several folks have tried to convince me to vote for Clinton in Nov.  Their rationale is that Trump must be defeated.  None tried to defend Clinton as a legitimate candidate for President, only that she has to win so Trump isn't elected.  Nope, I'm not falling for that and I told them so.  In fact, in a lengthy e-mail to one of them I not only explained why Clinton doesn't deserve to be President, but urged a vote against her (as well as against Trump).  One of these folks tried to put the burden on me if Trump (or Clinton?) is elected.  I was having none of that.  It's not my fault that  the misdeeds, arrogance, etc. of the Establishment Republicans and Establishment Democrats have led to "Nope and Noper."  (Thanks again, Pat!)  As I told one of them, who suggested that a lot of people have sacrificed so I could have the right to vote, "I have no intention of not voting.  I will vote.  I just will never vote for Trump or for Clinton.  I value my right to vote far too much to waste it on the likes of Clinton or Trump."  I might well have added most Democrats and Establishment Republicans.

OK, out to finish a bit more work before getting dinner started.