Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Bric-à-brac*

Am Trödelmarkt
Theo Mesker
I don't have much to offer today. Counting today, I have two more days of work until I start my Christmas break. A glorious seventeen days off, all for the price of just three vacation days. A good deal. But in the meantime I am grouchy and curmudgeonly to the extreme.

I urge the denizens of Congress to "get off my lawn." Sick of their antics I am. Oh well. By the way, Sarah Hoyt has an excellent rant on her website. Do read the whole thing. While I don't like to "look away," I plan to do so until the holidays are over with.

The weather was atrocious on Tuesday, delaying further work on Operation Marble Throne Room. The contractors do all their sawing and cutting outside so as to not disturb the inhabitants of the manse and so as not to generate too much dust. For that I am truly appreciative. But sawing and cutting outside is hard to accomplish in the mixture of sleet and rain that filled the skies on Tuesday.

Our contractor is doing a bang-up job and I'm pleased with the results so far, as is The Missus Herself. As she is the one who must ultimately be pleased with the final result, it's a good thing that she is happy so far.

Of course, she has switched directions in what she wanted a couple of times. She is much like the government in being unable to stick to a design and then wondering why the cost of the thing increases.



Ill-tempered sea bass, instead of sharks, I feel your pain Dr Evil, really, I do.





* Miscellaneous objects and ornaments of little value.

28 comments:

  1. Thanks for the link but that gets the blood boiling at this early time of the day plus it's below outside, zero that is ......(boil!). The attempted gun grab efforts in VA are particularly troubling and I hope the turnout there on Friday is larger than I expect from what I've been reading. Enjoy your holiday vacation, it'll zip by fast. Not seeing any precip in our forecast for the next week so maybe that will hold for your part of the country. Oh good luck with any remodeling changes, hope they're not too $$$ otherwise that retirement date may be altered ....:)

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    1. Sigh, the retirement date has indeed been altered. It's the filthy lucre that keeps me showing up for work. Seriously, the pay is really good.

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    2. Everybody has priorities and not trying to criticize but money on the deathbed don't equal time with loved ones.....jess saying that for myself. When it came time to stop there was enough ($$)to get by for myself, and the realization that money doesn't guarantee that anyone will be around come the next day. You're a lucky guy Sarge, family and a good-paying job you like.

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    3. I am truly blessed and I thank the Lord every day for that.

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  2. My first rule of any construction project is it will cost at least 2x as much, and will take 3-4x as long as initially planned. This rule is based on 60+ years of observation of my parents renovation efforts, as well as my own as a homeowner.

    So far as the farce going on in Washington...I find it beyond sad, not to mention scary. I have only dipped in on occasion to listen, and have read some of the transcripts, because I start yelling at the radio as I drive down the road, which is probably not a good driving technique. Christmas music is so very much better for my blood pressure. Plus, it is only played for a month or 2 every year.

    Enjoy your vacation sir!!

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    1. So far I'm impressed by the contractor we hired. He keeps his word, he explains what he's doing (and why) and he's been very receptive to what my wife wants done. The subs he's hired are also really top notch.

      Copy that on the blood-pressure inducing madness in the nation's capital, I tend to keep a weather eye on it and don't panic at all. What will be will be.

      I am looking forward to the opportunity to relax. No big plans this year, just Christmas with my Mom and my brothers and their families. Keeping it simple you could say.

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  3. Speaking of those denizens of Congress, have you read President Trump's letter to the speaker of the House? It very much lays out how much they are denizens and how good we actually have it.

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    1. Yes, I happened to see that this morning. Congress has much to answer for, it's too bad we, the voters, are not holding their feet to the fire.

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    2. Re: holding feet to fire...

      November is coming. Not a threat, but a promise!!!

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    3. In many places the people are restricted as to what they can do before elections, as not everywhere makes recall easy.

      And, really, let the bastards continue to hang themselves. And they'll end up with a Boris Johnson style victory come 2020.

      Possibly the best political advertisement ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj-YK3JJCIU

      Yes, it's the famous Love Actually Boris Johnson. I wonder how much his self-depreciation and sense of humor had in guidng the anger of the British people in their recent election. Whatever, it worked!!!

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    4. What a great commercial! Enjoyable, watchable persuasive.

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  4. The stupidity, arrogance and just pure evil of the machinations taking place in Washington DC and in Virginia have me writing and rewriting and rewriting a rant, but just about every time I think they've gone too far, they take a Great Leap Forward (allusion intended.) So, well, part of me is chortling as they seem to be doing a fine job of measuring their own ropes, as some seem to be going for the short drop while others the long drop while still others are measuring out too much and will assuredly pop their heads off when they reach the bottom.

    So, well, rant sits while the nation seeths, and stupidity just keeps getting stupider.

    Virginia, well, looks like it may be the tempest in a teapot that starts off the boogaloo. Wide-spread insurrection even before the laws are voted upon, just upon the mere mention of said potential laws. What is quite amusing is the non-leftists using the leftists own tactic, that of declaring 'sanctuary' status, against the leftists. Though it really isn't similar, as the leftists use 'sanctuary' against legal orders and laws, and the non-leftists (which at this time in VA consist of center-leaning dems, independents, libertarians, contrarians, octogenarians and right-wingers of all types, excluding a few political RINOs) are using 'sanctuary' against illegal orders and illegal laws. The two are not the same. One is purposely setting up that drug-filled murder den as beyond prosecution, the other is vigorously enforcing the Constitutional rights of lawful people. Very interesting.

    So, well, rant shelved, as everytime I prepare to publish, stupid gets stupider, illegal gets illegaler, and immoral gets immoraler.

    Glad your 5-year plan on bathroom remodeling is progressing. Much hope that it will be finished long before the next great Snowmaggedon hits.

    And as to your job. If you enjoy it, and it enjoys you, why not? You will know when it's time to leave.

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    1. Have you considered that you not publishing a rant is what's causing the madness? (Which also deprives me of a day off from blogging. 😁)

      Apparently the city "elites" in the Old Dominion have gone quite insane. Let's hope they get their comeuppance from the people without too much bother.

      Though I think it will be a LOT of bother before the leftists are done destroying Western Civilization.

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  5. The political class disgusts me.
    The blog you mentioned informs me.
    I re-posted it. Thanks so much.
    Jeanie and I had a contractor like yours when we re-did the kitchen on the left coast. On time and on budget. The only problems we had with the entire project were with the subs. You should have heard my main man diss them out. Reminded me of cadet life.

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  6. We've done some tuneup work in the main bathroom, new window, several types of throne have been cycled through, the sink fixtures have been replaced a couple of times, new lighting, the door to the bathroom has been replaced, and most recently the door has been completely taken apart and glued back together. (glue joint failure)

    But the big redo is still waiting for the two parties to come to a meeting of the minds.
    (Hint. The subject has been under discussion for 75% of our more than 40 years together)

    I'm thankful your project is going well.

    Did you consider, cough, em, elder user needs? Step in shower, different height throne? Etc?
    We changed to an ADA height throne a few years ago, and the, uh, dismounting is easier.

    My choice on when to retire would have been different had I not grown to dislike the job.

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    1. I agree. The higher throne gives one more dignity in a potentially embarrassing abdication.

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    2. Dave. Now when we sit on a normal height throne, it just feels weird.
      "Help me Obi-Wan Thronobi, I've sat down and can't get up!"

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    3. John - Being a rather short(ish) fellow, the standard throne height seems to work rather well. But it is something to keep in mind for those considering a bathroom renovation.

      The tub height seems more than reasonable, it's what The Missus Herself wanted and who am I to gainsay her? I would be foolish to do so.

      Disliking the job is an excellent excuse to bail, I'm good so far. Staying with "TBD" for now.

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    4. Dave - Maintaining one's dignity is important!

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    5. John (again) - "Obi-Wan Thronobi," I like it.

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  7. Not to change the topic from $#!+ and $#!+ers, but that painting sucked me right in. Don't know why but it sure resonates with me for some reason. Didn't look hard but couldn't find much info on Mesker, other than he seems to have croaked in 1894 at age 41.

    I always liked Boris.

    Be of good cheer, the Christmas Sharks are just around the corner!

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    1. The painting is nice, it struck a chord with me.

      Yay, Christmas sharks!

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  8. Art suggestion for your Throne Room--

    https://artthatmakesyoulaugh.com/workszoom/562856#/

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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