Happy Thanksgiving Eve.

The President is out of the office… again.

Gas prices are soaring. While The President tried to blame it on gouging on the part of the stations, that’s not really playing well because the price of crude is up by quite a bit. This is what happens when you have supply chain disruptions.

Let’s face it, even if you take the politics out of the situation. It is, at its core a supply chain disruption. When the government decides that pipelines can’t be completed and targets other pipelines for closure higher prices are the result.

Add to that problems induced at the ports, where foreign oil comes into our supply chain and well, the prices have no choice but to go up. It’s a basic supply / demand situation. Then if you add the apparent lack of truck drivers into the mix creating more of a supply constraint it’s pretty damn obvious that prices at the pump are going to go up.

In California we see this every single year. As California switches from the “Summer Blend” to the “Winter Blend” at California refineries there’s always a supply burp. Prices go up and rarely come down. Since California regulations prevent importing non-California gasoline, the good people of California are always under the heavy thumb of Sacramento.

The image below from Despicable Me says it eloquently. If you have any question, we’re the person being crushed.

“Welcome to my world,” to the rest of the country. Get used to it for at least the next 6-8 years. I specify that time frame because with a screw up of this epic proportion even if Biden is voted out, it will take 2 to 4 years to undo the damage.

Biden says he’s running again in 2024. I’m wondering if his next presidential run will be from a hospital bed instead of his basement.

Enough of that, here we are at the beginning of the Holiday Season. It’s supposed to be a time of family, friends, and football.

But then in my warped little brain, I see the following conversation happening in the near future.

No dear I’m not watching football. It isn’t any fun anymore because it’s not just about the football. Now it’s all about “Educating” us on the error of our ways. So this year I just want to enjoy family, friends and a nice meal.

Oh right. Family and friends must now be looked at with suspicion.

Has Grannie had her COVID booster? She hasn’t? Oh well, send her back to the old folks home. Your friend Sharon hasn’t had the vaccine? Well she’s not welcome here! It doesn’t matter if she’s already had COVID, she’s unclean!

So what, if she’s the godmother of our children and you’ve been friends since kindergarten. She’s officially unclean we can’t take the risk to our children! Tell her she can’t come. What? No-one in the family has gotten their booster shots? Well then, I guess we’ll just eat alone.

What do you mean we’re not having a turkey this year? It’s not in the budget? How can it not be in the budget? We’re having tofu? What about the pies, what about the green beans? We’re not having those either, why not? There weren’t any at the store?

What is happening?

Oh right. We all have to keep tightening our belts until the New Administration is able to “Fix” all the messes the horrible Orange Man’s old administration left behind.

Say, it’s cold in the house let’s turn up the heat, it’s 55°F in here. I’m worried that the kids are too cold. What do you mean that we can’t turn up the heat? We can’t afford that either? Can we afford to turn on the oven? What? You’re going to cook Thanksgiving dinner over an open fire, that makes no sense.

We can’t afford to turn on the oven either? Uh yes dear, I’ll go dig a fire pit in the front yard. Yep, I’ll cut down the tree in the back yard. Good thing I’ve got a chain saw. Oh I need to go get some gas for it…

What? We can’t afford gas for the chain saw? Oh, You got me an ax for Christmas? Okay I’ll get to work. Can’t we just break up the furniture? Oh, that’s for later when we’ve used up the trees in the yard.

Why are you assigning me the gender specific role of chopping down trees and digging fire pits? Doesn’t that send a bad message to the children?

Yes dear… No I wasn’t implying that you should do all the work. I was just asking… fine! I’m going out to the garage, my phone should be finished charging in the Tesla by now.

What do you mean the Tesla is dead? Oh right, I forgot about the wind related blackouts this month.

Hey honey? What’s this Carvana paperwork about you buying a 1965 Volkswagen and there’s something else about immigrating to Mexico?

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Yawn…

Hope everyone had a good Labor Day.

It was quiet here, thankfully. We didn’t even have the usual garage sales. That was a bit strange, but it meant that the neighborhood was quiet.

Even the crazy folks on the next block weren’t screaming obscenities or arguing with the voices in their heads.

I was forced to be quiet because I’m nursing a bum knee. It’s getting better but only incrementally. On the plus side, if I stay off it I’m not in pain. That means I can, in a mostly guilt free way sit on my butt. Even the dog has figured out that something is very wrong with dad.

Yesterday, I got antsy and used my chain saw to help a neighbor, (who’s just recovered from knee surgery,) thin out some plants that grow between our properties. I heard him trying to get his chain saw running several times, to no effect. He was grumbling but not cussing about it. I figured that the neighborly thing to do was help out.

It was nice, he totally got that I’d be moving slow and was content to point out what he wanted to cut down, then let me get situated and do the cutting. He handled removing the material.

It worked out well. I really needed to be outside being productive, if only for a short while. I only paid a small price for being up and active. Spending the rest of the late afternoon with my knee up.

I know, we’re not supposed to “work” on Labor Day but ehh I needed to do something.

We’re already seeing signs of Fall. Some of the trees are just starting to change. On the one hand that’s nice because it means that it will start cooling off and usually brings the fire season to a close. On the other hand, it means time’s getting short for me to get summer projects done that have been delayed due to various injuries and disasters here at home.

I’ve got maybe another month and a half to get some caulking & painting done before the paint won’t setup correctly due to temperature swings. Much as I hate to do it, I may have to force the knee into service a little before it’s ready.

Have a good short week.

Happy Thanksgiving

I’ve got a couple of draft blogs that I’ve been working on.

They’re political in nature and very opinionated.

In view of the holiday, I’ve decided to hold off on them for a few days.

This should be a period of days that we put aside all the turmoil. A time where we breathe and enjoy our loved ones.

For the next few days, lets leave our weapons by the door and just relax.

I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving weekend.