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| The British HMS Sandwich fires to the French flagship Bucentaure (completely dismasted) into battle off Trafalgar. The Bucentaure also fights HMS Victory (behind her) and HMS Temeraire (left side of the picture). In fact, HMS Sandwich never fought at Trafalgar, it is a mistake from Auguste Mayer, the painter. (Source) |
Athletes who perceive that there are great wrongs in this world which can be changed by not standing for the National Anthem. All they are doing is turning the average fan away from a game which used to be loved.
Insanity reigns supreme in some places. It sickens me...
No, the opening painting has nothing to do with the opening paragraph of this post. The painting pleases me, what's going on in this country does not. I just wanted to let you all know that I am paying attention, it's not all beer and skittles at Chez Sarge. Would that it were, then I would have greater peace of mind.
But on to better things, I don't believe in wallowing in tragedy and farce, which is what constitutes most of the news these days.
As I mentioned the other day, it has been a long, tiresome week. Nothing to do with work, that actually proceeds well. The job is interesting and the people I work with are talented, I just wish that the spreadsheet cowboys would stow their status taking, get out from behind their desks and deal with the real world.
It would also be nice if unicorns were real.
It is a Saturday evening as I write this, after a busy day. The Missus Herself is once again at the beck and call of the progeny so it is just the feline staff and I manning the ramparts. While manning the ramparts I noted, with some surprise, that the laundry was not doing itself.
After all, I will normally place my soiled garments in a certain location within the domicile, and some few days later they will return to my dresser, no longer soiled but smelling fresh and neatly folded, ready for me to don once again.
Alas, the magic is apparently gone, the clothes, used towels, and other sundry items did not clean themselves and did not return to a pristine state all on their own. I, much to my shock, had to do that myself. Oddly enough, I was able to operate the washer and the dryer without damage to either machinery or garments.
I must speak to the love of my life about this once she returns home. Perhaps she knows how the magic works?
Unusually for a Friday night I retired well before midnight, round about 10 PM as I recall. (Normally I would've said "2200," but I'm feeling all "civilian-like" as my time in the Air Force falls farther and farther into the dimly remembered past.) Truth be told, I was exhausted, the feline staff allowed me to fall back into slumber after turning to at some ungodly hour of the morning (it may have been six-ish) to provide them with sustenance.
Again it appears that the magical powers of this place have fled, the cats used to be fed without my intervention on the weekends, now it seems they have forgotten how to open the little foil packets on their own. Perhaps they're being willfully ignorant as a protest that the matriarch is not on the premises.
At any rate I fell to bed early and slept late, only to be awakened by a plaintive call from The Nuke inquiring as to why I did not respond to her text messages of the evening before.
"You sent me a text? Hold on."
Seems that indeed she had sent me a text, two as a matter of fact, around midnight. I told her that I had been sleeping when they arrived. As to the call we were currently engaged in, was there something she wished to relate?
"We were worried, thought that maybe you were dead."
"And yet I was not awakened by Emergency Services breaking down the door to check on my condition. Why, if I had been in distress, now would be far too late to check up on me." I told her, tongue in cheek.
"Well, we weren't that worried."
The kids worry when I behave out of character, such things as going to bed at a reasonable hour and doing laundry.
Yes, that's not like me.
That is all I have to relate. It is late (as I write this, not as you read it) and I need to do a few things before seeking repose in yonder bedroom (at the other end of the hallway as it were).
Pray for a brighter tomorrow, the barbarians are among us, yet they haven't taken over, yet.
Let's keep it that way.
Another painting which has nothing to do with this post, but it's a good painting and it pleases me.
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| Action between U.S. Frigate Constitution and HMS Java, 29 December 1812 - Charles Robert Patterson (Source) |
Yes...Magic does fill the air when the other is near, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt does indeed.
DeleteMiss some of that magic this morning as I stuff quarters in the machines down the hall.
ReplyDeleteBeen there, done that. I feel your pain.
DeleteI know not of such magic.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a natural process, something which just happened.
DeleteUntil it didn't.
Your opening painting raises an interesting question. Could it be that Auguste Mayer is now doing illustrations for the New York Times? After all, shouldn't a classy publication like the NYT have a classy artist to provide fake illustrations for fake news?
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
DeleteExcellent observation.
I keep looking for an Android app that will handle these issues but so far, no joy!! But thanks for the paintings. Aircraft and sailing ships always improve my day.
ReplyDeleteA semi-rant sandwiched between paintings of ships.
DeleteSee what I did there?
Yes and it was very well done. When Kendy goes to conventions with her Red Hat ladies, I am also stuck with the laundry chores. Many times while doing the laundry, I've considered becoming a nudist but then I recall the image in the bathroom mirror after I shower and I continue doing the laundry!!
DeleteHahaha!
DeleteA bit after moving into this castle, the Lady of the Castle requested (requested, snort) that the Castle Magician and Fixit Elf create a magical portal from the floor of the bathroom linen locker to the dungeons below. Said portal was to be used to transport soiled clothing from the living areas to the area of cleaning.
ReplyDeleteAfter a few muttered spells, yes those words were definitely spells even though they might have sounded like curses, the portal was created. The clothing appears in the dungeon basement very near to the machines of cleaning and drying, and the clothing is detained in a net laundry bag.
That was around thirty three years ago and it has worked out awesome. We are in a rancher and by luck the bathroom linen closet was almost directly above the washer and dryer.
Great paintings.
Good post!
Ah yes, the Castle Magician and the Fixit Elf, I know of those beings.
Delete(And thanks John.)
We know the outcome of the scene in the last picture because the Constitution is still afloat at berthed at Charlestown.
ReplyDeleteLoved the post because I can relate to the situation all the way from the top down.
I will occasionally still do a load of laundry.
I'm a rebel like that.
Good man!
DeleteMrs Juvat is manning her store, and the first of the laundry has just "magically" been loaded in the washing machine. Skip, us rebels, we got to stick together!
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
DeleteThanks for the post and the pictures ( of paintings ). In our home, I am the laundry master. My mother made sure that my brother and I knew how to perform all household chores, cooking, cleaning, etc. It has generally worked out well.
ReplyDeletePaul L. Quandt
The Air Force semi-trained me in laundry duties. That has helped.
DeleteWe will not speak of the dishonor of the judge as he used his position to attack his Commander in Chief. Fallen times indeed.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, as the saying goes, Dogs have masters, Cats have staff. (My dog purrs when contented, and apparently thinks I am staff and furniture. Sometimes it isn't bad, but when a 116lb Rottweiler wants to lay on your chest, well, it can get somewhat uncomfortable. And at least she has stopped trying to knead the soft part between the uprights, if you know what I mean.)
Your comment about laundry reminded me of Black River Coffee's video, "The Dishwasher is Broke." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnCboICPrVQ
Feel free to peruse their other videos. Just don't do it while drinking actual coffee. If I actually made coffee, I would probably buy some from them.
Dishonorable judge, aye.
DeleteLoved the videos, yes, I watched more than one. I may need to look into their coffee offerings.
Black River Coffee has a great video series.
DeleteThat reminded of this video about the Magic Laundry Basket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqQgDwA0BNU
Hahaha! Another YouTube channel to watch! (Not sure that I needed that but...)
DeleteAre you sure there wasn't some free association going on in the back of your mind with the selection of HMS Sandwich for the opening mutterings?
ReplyDelete"She was Richard Parker's "flagship" in the 1797 Nore Mutiny made up of 28 ships. The ship was later used to hang the leaders of the mutiny."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sandwich_(1759)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spithead_and_Nore_mutinies#The_Nore
/
L.J.
Heh, there may have been. Alexander Kent covered the Nore Mutinies in one of his Bolitho novels.
Delete;)
As to the dreaded laundry... They can take my non-high efficiency Speed Queen washer and dryer from my cold, dead hands.
ReplyDeleteAs I have been known to, well, sweat in 40 degree weather, I have learned to do my laundry.
And I love my Speed Queens. Mine. Not the wife's. MINE!
What is the fetish about Speed Queens, you may ask? They are the Sherman Tanks of the Laundry World. Rugged, tough, all-American engineering. No frills, no fancy 'oooooh' features, just plain washers and dryers. The company still makes analog models.
I know. I'm weird. I admit it.
I even do dishes.
What are these "dishes" you speak of?
DeleteThey and their associates called "pans" and "silverware" are things that must be kept clean and hidden away in storage spaces lest the wrath of Mrs. Andrew is incurred.
DeleteI swear, like pets and small, "dishes" and their ilk can see the light of day for a millisecond and suddenly require bathing and putting back in their appropriate locations.
Are these the things the female of our species uses to ward off demons by crashing them together? Loudly.
DeleteYes, and frequently.
DeleteYou too?
Delete