A Tale of the Road

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So on Sunday last I drove down to the Old Line State, the storm yclept Isaias was in the process of making its way up the Eastern seaboard of these here United States and I would, by necessity, have to drive right through it.

Yay ...

The day began with temperatures in the 50s, overcast, but dry. It was not to stay that way. Two hours in, roughly 1100 local, somewhere in Connecticut, the first drops of rain splatted upon my windshield as I sat in the parking lot of one of the multiple service areas along I-95. I remember thinking, "This does not bode well."

It did not.

Before setting off I checked the radar picture, both via Weather Underground and the Weather Channel. Yup, things were going to get sloppy.

I'd love to talk about all the lovely fall foliage I saw, which I did see along I-195 between Providence and Fall River, but what I saw mostly is what you see in that opening photo.

Yeah, moving clouds on the interstate, somewhere encased within each cloud was a motor vehicle. The really big clouds concealed 18-wheelers. To say that extra caution was warranted would be something of an understatement.

Something indeed ...

Only saw standing water in one place, and that was south of Wilmington, DE. Well, truth be told I didn't see the massive puddle (not quite the size of Lake Superior, but ...) until Blue was in its grip.

Fortunately I was not traveling at a high rate of speed but fast enough where the sudden slowdown and sheet of water engulfing my vehicle were startling to say the least. I think I went from 35 mph down to 10 mph in less time than it takes to say that.

I was surprised and somewhat pissed at myself for not paying attention. A momentary lapse which could have proven deadly had it been on the interstate and going faster.

One thing I will say for the latest instantiation of Google Maps is that the user community (via Waze, now owned by Google) reports various things like low visibility, flooded roads, and members of the local constabulary stalking the starship captains.

Guess they missed that one.

At any rate I arrived alive and somewhat the worse for wear at Chez Nuke et Tuttle only an hour or so later than normal. Fortunately traffic wasn't that heavy, lot of "brake tappers" out there though, you know the type, guy hits the brakes a half mile ahead and the "brake tapper" will follow suit.

"Dude, just take your foot off the gas!" I would bellow each time it happened. Still and all, can't be too cautious I suppose.

Better than the asshats who ride someone's bumper and have to be on the brakes constantly.

"Dude, just pass him!" I would bellow in those instances.

Good thing The Missus Herself wasn't aboard, then I'd have to "suffer" in silence.

I do get carried away with "commenting" on the skills (or lack thereof) of the other folks on the road. But my word, why are so many incompetents on the road?

I know, I know, I spent seven plus years driving with the very best motor vehicle operators in the world, so I'm spoiled a bit.

Still and all, I got to where I wanted to go. And that my friends, is all that matters. 

And You're Here, Because?

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Bruh, I'm on the road, heading for the Mason-Dixon Line. Go read those folks on the sidebar.

No, really ...

Is this what hiatus looks like?

Hell, I don't know.

Be seeing you.

Gotta maintain "the streak" dontcha know?

Nothing to Say

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I think I'm going to go deep and run silent for a bit.

The world has gone insane, everyone wants to howl in my face about politics. I've had enough internet for a bit. See you on the flip side. Going to Maryland to unwind.

I've got nothing to say ...

Nothing to Say

Ian Anderson

Every day there's someone asking

"What is there to do?

Should I love or should I fight?

Is it all the same to you?"

"No," I say, "I have the answer

Proven to be true

But if I were to share it with you

You would stand to gain and I to lose."

Oh, I couldn't bear it, so I've got nothing to say

Nothing to say, nothing to say

Every morning pressure forming all around my eyes

Ceilings crash the walls collapse broken by the lies

That your misfortune brought upon us

And I won't disguise them

So don't ask me will I explain

I won't even begin to tell you why

No, just because I have a name well I've got nothing to say

Nothing to say, nothing to say

Climb a tower of freedom paint your own deceiving sign

It's not my part to criticize or to ask you to be blind

To your own pressing problem and the hate you must unwind

And ask of me no answer there is none that I could give you wouldn't find

I went your way ten years ago and I've got nothing to say

Nothing to say, nothing to say

Nothing, nothing to say

Nothing, nothing to say

Nothing, nothing to say, nothing to say

Nothing, nothing to say, nothing to say

Nothing, nothing to say

We'll see how it goes. Posting everyday has become too much. So ...

Going in Harm's Way ...

Yamato running machinery trials off Bungo Strait (outside Sukumo Bay) on 20 October 1941
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Alas my fair readers, I bring you a rerun from twelve years ago. It's not my fault ...

Well, actually it is, but I did stumble upon this old post and liked the pictures enough to re-share it with you.

Sorry, but you get what you pay for ...

😉

Battle of Jutland

31 May - 1 June 1916

If you've been following the blog for a while, you might have noticed that I tend to be a bit "aircraft centric." (No, really...)

From time to time you'll see an armored fighting vehicle trundle across the screen but I'm mostly about aircraft. Military aircraft. Though there was a post a while back with pictures of non-aircraft carrier type ships, that's been rare. Normally it's things that fly that I'm all about.

Today I break from that tradition. For I do love things that tend to be painted gray nowadays and steam in harm's way. (Whether the shade be battleship-gray or haze-gray, it's all the same to me.) In other words, I also have a thing for warships. And not just the gray ones.

I must confess, whenever I head down to Norfolk, or out to Sandy Eggo, I have the urge, no, the compulsion to head down to the Naval Station and see the warships. I get as excited as a little kid spotting a toy store or an ice cream truck in these instances.

For instance, last month out in Sandy Eggo as The WSO and I were traversing the Coronado Bridge (leaving Coronado), I spotted haze gray warships off to the right...

"Whoa, stop the car WSO, I need to get a picture. WARSHIPS!"

"Dad. I am not stopping the car on the Coronado Bridge."

"But I can see at least two Arleigh-Burke class destroyers and - wow - I think that's a cruiser..."

"Dad. I. Am. Not. Stopping."

"<sigh> Alright."

Warships, I like them.

Now some of you may be wondering what I mean by a warship. (I also have a few readers who may be wondering, "What's a warship?") So let me enlighten you. A warship is capable of meting out death and destruction to the enemy and surviving to bring it's crew home again. The photos which follow are what this Old AF Sarge thinks of when someone says "warship."

USS Constitution
An old warship.

HMS Victory
Another old warship.

USS Wisconsin
A retired warship of WWII through Desert Storm vintage.

USS Nimitz
Nuclear powered aircraft carrier, no guns but definitely a warship.

USS Cowpens
An Aegis¹ cruiser.

USS Donald Cook (foreground) and other warships meting out death and destruction. (USS Donald Cook, DDG-75, is an Aegis equipped Arleigh-Burke class destroyer. As are the two other ships in the near distance. In the  background - on the left - is what appears to be an Aegis cruiser.)

USS Virginia
Not haze gray but a very potent warship.

USS Nitze
Arleigh-Burke class destroyer

USS Curts
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
(About as small as I would go and still call it a warship.)

USS New York
San Antonio class Landing Platform Dock (LPD) (Some would not consider her a warship. I'm sure the 360-man crew and her 700 embarked Marines would beg to differ. 700 Marines can mete out a lot of death and destruction!)

Expect to see more in the warship department here in the future. Not to mention famous naval battles. I have neglected this area of warfare long enough!

John Paul Jones
Father of the US Navy
"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way."

Bonhomme Richard and her consorts
Captain John Paul Jones, Commanding

¹ The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin. It uses powerful computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets. The name comes from Greek mythology: The aegis, as stated in the Iliad, is carried by Athena and Zeus, but its nature is uncertain. It had been interpreted as an animal-skin or a shield, sometimes bearing the head of a Gorgon.

Mondays Ain't So Bad Any More ...

OAFS Photo

Had to dash out to the store on Monday, as I stepped onto the deck, I marveled at what a lovely day it was. Warm with a cool breeze, which reminded me of how late it is in the year, October has scarcely begun yet it felt like fall, really felt like fall.

The angle of the light is different, the colors of nature seem more vibrant, more alive, as if knowing that soon the earth would be frozen and gray, so let's live it up now.

I feel much the same way.

Anyhoo ...

Knee is much, much better. I can go up the stairs with great agility, going down is still something of an adventure. Nothing hurts but my brain keeps reminding me of that day when the damned thing wouldn't bear any weight at all.

So I go down the stairs with a great deal of caution. I have no desire for The Missus Herself to come home to my lifeless carcass lying at the bottom of the stairs because I threw caution to the winds and faceplanted.

Did that once not that long ago going into the basement from the backyard. Going from bright sunlight into a darker space. What's worse is that I had changed to progressive lenses in my spectacles after having been assured, "oh, don't worry, they change much faster than they did back in the day!"

Lying bastards. "Faster" is a relative term, back in the day it would take them a minute or two to "undarken." Nowadays it only takes maybe fifteen seconds. When I need to be able to see "right fire trucking now," that ain't good enough.

Next pair of eyeglasses will NOT have that feature.

Oh yeah, going into the basement to get something as The Missus Herself and I were doing something in the backyard and we needed something from the basement. Bulkhead was open, light was on at the foot of the stairs, but truly I couldn't see squat once I left the sunlight.

As I stepped I realized that I was NOT on the last step but on the penultimate step. As I went into freefall I had one thought, "Well, this sucks."

Fortunately, I learned how to fall when I studied martial arts in Korea. Not that I was a great student, but learning how to properly fall so as not to let gravity kick one's ass, I got pretty good at that one thing. Okay in others, but in falling, I was a freaking ninja.

Anyhoo, I hit the basement floor and rolled, taking the brunt of the landing on my not insubstantial derriere. Yes, I was butt hurt after that fall. But nothing was broken, nothing was bleeding and I wasn't even sore the next day.

Of course, I was in my 60s back then ...

I remember when my Dad hit his 70s, I was kind of amazed at how much he had slowed down. Now?

Right there with ya Dad!

Yes, I'm slower but I'm still formidable! (Using the French there, it sounds cooler. You know how I am with languages.)

But yes, Mondays used to suck (unless it was a holiday). Now?

Well, they ain't too bad at all. I do what I want, when I want.

Been working my whole life towards that. It's nice to be there at last.

Ciao!

OAFS Photo

Septober¹

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Up until a couple of weeks ago it was all polo shirts and cargo shorts here at Chez Sarge. The air conditioning was blasting and Your Humble Scribe was comfortable in his lair. Then ...

Septober happened.

Early September in these parts is nearly indistinguishable from August, the days are hot but, unlike August, the nights start to get cool. Not cold mind you, cool, think mid-60s. But then the days start leaning towards coolness. Cool enough that I decided that the air conditioning could be shut down, an open window would suffice to cool the Sarge.

One night I awakened and discovered, "Damn it, it's cold in here."

Threw on a blanket and went back to sleep. That day I realized that we were now in that hybrid month which some call Septober. Days are sometimes cool, nights are sometimes cold, like mid-40s cold. A decision was required ...

So I made it, I decreed that the mini-splits would be switched to heat mode so that I would not lay shivering in my bed at night, no, I decided that warmth was good.

With no one to gainsay my decision, comfort returned.

Until this week. I awakened one morning rather overheated, the instruments here at Chez Sarge indicated that the overnight low was 70, yes, 70 degrees.

What?

Actually that's pretty standard Septober weather. Even though the calendar says October, bits of early September keep creeping back in.

So the heat was turned off and the night became comfortable once more.

For a couple of days it's been cooling off again at night. As I write this (Saturday night), the outside air temperature is 55.

Septober, when a pair of months can't figure out which season they need to be. Summer? Fall? Or perhaps a taste of early winter? (Which is rather mild along the southern coast of New England. One of the reasons we settled here rather than in my homeland of Vermont. Well, that and there were no jobs in Vermont for someone of my level of experience, education, and training. I suppose Burlington would have something suitable, but I refuse to return to Beijing on the lake.)

So, as of right now, the heat is off, the windows are closed, and ...

Yup, supposed to rain on Sunday.

Cold and wet, you're a classic my dear Septober.

¹ Miss you Scott.

Well, I've Got The Time, Haven't I?

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A few years back, an acquaintance of mine, well a friend really, friend on Facebook but some of those become the "real deal" over time if you share common interests. We did, he is a student of the Napoleonic Wars, as am I. He posted some pictures on Facebook of this game he was playing with a friend of his, out Chicago way.

He posted a few times with pictures and commentary as to how much they enjoyed the game. I was intrigued, so I looked into it. It's a game system really, as I discovered when I ordered it. You really only need the very first module to enjoy the game, which is probably what most people do.

I ain't "most people."

The game is Commands & Colors: Napoleonics by GMT Games. It's colorful, it's fun, and it satisfies my need for really great visuals. But, being as how I wanted the entire set, the original and all the expansions ...

I have a lot of work ahead of me. The game uses painted wooden blocks with stickers on them to represent the various units of the Napoleonic Wars ...

OAFS Photo

The gray blocks are units of the Prussian Army waiting for their stickers to be applied ...

OAFS Photo

A closer look at the stickers, which are applied front and back to those wee wooden blocks.

OAFS Photo

I've finished the units in the first module, which are the British, Portuguese, and French armies (each expansion adds more units to the various armies, the Highland regiments of the British Army didn't show up until the final expansion kit, yup, irked me that did). I've also completed the Spanish, Russian, and Austrian expansion kits. I'm working on the Prussian Army now.

Three of the expansion kits add various bells and whistles, they also add the capability of fighting larger battles where you can have multiple human players on either side.

I waited until I had everything before starting to work on putting it all together, I like knowing that I have everything there is. Bit of a quirk of mine, dontcha know.

Doing the wooden blocks and stickers is easier than the alternative ...

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But I've got those too, multiple boxes of small scale (13.5 mm figures) covering the American Civil War, the American Revolution, and (of course) the Napoleonic Wars. I optimistically bought paint sets for the French and British figures, knowing full well that if I paint even twenty figures I'd be lucky. But you never know ...

After all, I've got the time, these hobbies help fill that time.

Hopefully the grandkids will appreciate this stuff someday!

Salad Quest

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Four plus weeks into my monastic existence I was growing rather tired of what I was eating. Nothing fancy mind you, but altogether boring, and rather lacking in leafy green vegetables. Well, rather lacking in any sort of vegetable at all.

Now as a callow youth I could get by on nothing but meat and potatoes, as I age though, my body lets me know that it needs other things, roughage comes to mind. No need to get into any sordid details there, suffice to say, we were lacking in that area.

So ...

(Caveat: if you've a mind to give me advice in the comments about diet, exercise, vitamins, blah, blah, blah ... Hold your water, I'm too set in my ways to change now. So if I start seeing comments to that effect, don't be surprised if they get deleted. Share your own experiences if you will, but bear in mind, I'm set in my ways and I'm grumpy as hell without my better half around. Her return will do me a world of good, I, and by extension you, must be patient until she does.)

Anyhoo.

So Monday night I'm thinking about eating, gave a thought to going out to do so, but I haven't gone out to a dining establishment by myself in a very long time. Hated that back in my single days, I'm sure I still hate it. So it was get take-out or get delivery. Take-out would require going forth into the waning daylight, dealing with traffic and, what is sometimes worse, dealing with people. Don't get me wrong, I get along fine with most folks, but there are days I'd rather not have to do so.

So delivery it was. Pizza? While I do love pizza, getting even a small one means eating pizza a few days in a row. Or throwing out whatever is left over.

Whilst perusing the Domino's menu (hold your water, I LIKE Domino's) I thought about one of their "not bad" sandwiches. But those are hit or miss, did the kid loading it into the oven plan to pull it out on time? Or would it arrive rather too crispy like the last one did?

That's when I did a double take as I scrolled ...

Salads? Domino's has salads?

Why yes, yes they do.

They have a classic garden salad and they have a chicken Caesar salad (in my area, their website speaks of a third type we don't have here). As tomatoes and I do not get along (it's the seeds man, my colon cannot abide them) so I went with the chicken Caesar. I was also desiring the protein. I'm an omnivore leaning towards the more carnivorous aspect of that diet. So, I ordered it and was prepared to be, well ...

Underwhelmed springs to mind. However ...

The salad arrived, I noted that it was prepared by an outfit called Ready Pac Foods, Inc. and came with all the necessary things to build a chicken Caser salad. Each component had it's own packaging so that things weren't all jumbled up, soggy, what-have-you.

The lettuce was crisp and tasted very fresh, after adding the chicken, the croutons, and the shredded parmesan, I pulled out the salad dressing packet. Ken's Foods, LLC, a brand I've had before and found to be most satisfactory and rather tasty.

All told, it was a most excellent salad. And filling as well. I had ordered a sandwich as well (chicken bacon ranch if you must know) and as I ate my salad with relish, I looked at the sandwich and said (out loud, with me in the house all alone), "Poor thing, I don't really need you, do I?" (Spoiler alert, I saved it for later, wished at that time that I had another salad.)

So later in the week, that would be Wednesday, when I went to the food emporium to procure my rations, I looked up beforehand whether or not the store had some sort of pre-packaged salad thingamabob, now that I knew such a thing existed.

Lo and behold, they did, bought three of 'em I did (on sale they were).

As I left the store, feeling rather proud of myself, I realized that I had voluntarily sought out and purchased something healthy to eat. There's a first, right there.

When telling The Nuke about how impressed I was she asked me about the dressing, I said something to the effect of, "It comes with its own package of Caesar sauce."

That last word hung in the air for a moment before I corrected myself and said, "I mean Caesar salad dressing ..."

Alas, I was too late, The Nuke was laughing hysterically on her end and I had to chuckle myself.

Caesar sauce, I kinda felt like Paulie Walnuts in The Sopranos when they go to Italy and Paulie keeps referring to the pasta sauce as "gravy." (Which a friend of mine assured me that that's what it's called in New Jersey, gravy, not sauce. Live and learn.)

So that was my big adventure this week, salad quest. Last week it was new socks, this week it was going forth to purchase salad. The old dog learned a new trick.

Simple things, gotta love 'em.

Wet 'n' Wild

OAFS Photo

It was a wet day, a windy day, a chilly day, in short, a fall day in New England. A nor'easter is slowly coming up the coast bringing high winds, heavy rain, and lots of high waves along the coast. A very good day to hunker down and hope it all slides on by without causing any damage.

Oh, one more thing the storm brings: lots and lots of hype. The Naviguesser texted The Nuke and me from California late Friday night, worried from all the reports he'd seen in the media.

As far as I know Jim Cantore hasn't touched down in New England yet, though he might have for all I watch the lamestream media.

Weather on the telly and the internet is about one thing and one thing only, ratings. If they can get you to watch what they're getting all worked up about, more ad revenue for them.

I miss the days when they'd just give you a forecast and tell you what's actually going on. Instead they name storms now and hype them to high heaven.

Yes, weather can be nasty, but get a grip people, what will happen will happen. If nobody is evacuating the coast, then STFU. I've seen less hype with actual hurricanes. Perhaps because the Atlantic hasn't seen any of those this year, they media have to hype this nor'easter up. I dunno and I don't much care.

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The arrow pointing to the blue dot above, yup, Chez Sarge is in the midst of all that as I write this. This is going to be a slow mover, might not clear out until Monday. I can't tell you how nice it is to be retired and not have to go out into that mess. I do feel for those who will have to go to work on Monday.

The bridges haven't been closed yet (which they will do if the wind speed gets high enough, especially for big, slab sided trucks) but I'll you, it can get sporty on the Mount Hope bridge (which was part of my daily commute for over 25 years). Here's video from five years ago ...

As long as the power stays up, I'll be happy. I've done that "Welcome to the 18th Century" crap in the past and I'd just as soon avoid that.

So we shall see.

Keep your powder dry (tough to do in this storm).

Hunkering down in New England, it's what we do at times.

Ciao!

Simple Things

OAFS Photo

So the Sunday after my knee gave out, The Missus Herself went off to church, after making sure I was reasonably comfortable and somewhat mobile. The knee was still pretty sore, pretty uncooperative, so I was okay with staying home.

When she came back from church, she had those flowers in the opening photo. Seems one of the ladies at the church thought I'd appreciate the gesture of getting flowers.

Surprisingly enough, I did appreciate it, far more than I ever expected.

As you can see, they were very pretty flowers, and since the lady had put them in a simple green bottle it kinda made it even more special. Nothing fancy, just an old green bottle and some lovely flowers.

Who says a guy can't appreciate getting flowers? First time for me, I liked it.

A lot.

Big day on Thursday. Trash day, got my lawn mowed, an order of socks, vitamins, and coffee arrived on the doorstep, a real banner day. As I get older I'm starting to appreciate the little things.

If you'd told me when I was a kid that someday I'd get excited over getting new socks, I would've thought you were crazy. But here we are.

Might not be living large, but I'm living comfortably.

Supposed to be a nor'easter rolling in this weekend. Oh boy, good thing I have those new books in case the power goes out.

Now where did I leave those candles?*

* Just kidding, I know exactly where they are, and the thing we use to light them.

Kryptonite and Other Things

OAFS Photo

"You're going to turn into an English muffin if that's all you eat!"

Wise words from a friend of mine ...

The last time I was on my own for a spell I ate a lot of English muffins. For breakfast with butter and jelly, sometimes peanut butter and jelly. For variety I used different types of jelly. (For the record I avoid jam, many jams have seeds, seeds are something I cannot abide. Well, I can abide it, my colon cannot.)

For supper I'd do an English muffin sandwich, sometimes two. A toasted muffin with meat and cheese and mayo. For variety, I'd change up the meat and often the cheese. (Though I'm mighty partial to cheddar, so it was only the type of cheddar that would vary. And that was between New York and Vermont cheddar, haven't gotten around to Wisconsin cheddar yet. Damnit I wish the Badger was still around to advise me on that cheese choice.)

My friend then hit me with that phrase above. So yeah, I had to change things up, I don't eat nearly as many English muffins as I did before. So I didn't turn into an English muffin after all. My friend saved me from that fate!

In the local supermarket not too long ago I saw those things depicted above.

Apple fritters? Yup, big fan. Used to get them in the fall at my old gig, Matt made them well. When I saw these in the store, I thought, "Well, why not, if they suck I won't buy anymore."

Well, they did not suck. Thing is though, way too much sugar. So I've had to dial that back a bit. Right now breakfast (unless it's with Liz and Tom) is a bagel and a cup of joe. That's it.

They call 'em apple fritters, I call 'em Sarge's Kryptonite.

Speaking of breakfast ...

Tuesday was the "up at the crack of dawn, eat breakfast, drink coffee, shower, then take Blue in to the dealership for some recall work" adventure. I had envisioned myself being stuck at the dealership for most of the day waiting as they won't deliver me off-island (too far) and everyone I know was either working or in Korea. Or living in another state ...

Turns out though that it only took about four hours and the dealership was kind enough to cart me across the street to Barnes and Noble. (Convenient of them to put a store near my dealership, innit?) Where I spent the morning perusing literature and having more coffee, there's a Starbucks inside the store, nice. (No whinging about Starbucks coffee, yes it's expensive and many of you don't like the taste. Personally I do, kinda reminds me of how they drink coffee in Germany, strong and kinda burnt.)

I was home shortly after noon which was much better than I expected. So I did a lot of whinging all for naught. Sigh ...

But I did pick up two good books by James Holland on the campaign in Italy during World War II ...

Source

Yes, there are two more he wrote, one in Sicily and one in northern Italy near the end of the campaign, those weren't in stock so ...

"Hi, Amazon?"

So all in all, a pretty decent day.

Pssstt, don't tell The Missus Herself that I bought more books. Thanks ...

Night Falls

OAFS Photo

As another day at Chez Sarge slides into the record books I realize that I absolutely hate being alone. On the gripping hand, I'm very particular about who I hang out with. We must have something in common, some shared experience. My immediate family, wife and kids, and by extension the kids spouses and kids, fall into that category. We share much more than just DNA.

I also have a couple of friends who fall into that category, they are family to me without sharing a single strand of DNA. We went through things together which somehow bonded us. At least that's how I feel. Our monthly breakfasts together are precious to me, they're the only people I'm not related to that I don't mind getting up early for.

So being on my own? There are times that it's all right, like when the sun is shining and the birds are singing. In the still of the night, I abhor this solitary existence.

And one other thing, I miss my cats, they were great company. As to getting more cats?

I'm working on that. Sort of ...

Chant du Départ Screenshot

Juvat pointed this out to me in a comment yesterday, make no mistake, I look at the numbers every day. I might even believe them some of the time.

Having been doing this since March of 2012, fourteen years to save you from having to do the math, it's not a real big surprise that we've had that many "hits" on the blog. But I assure you, I don't for a minute think that those are all legitimate visits.

Here's a graph of the numbers over time ...

Chant du Départ Screenshot

As you can see, most of the hits have come over the past year and a half. I see no reason to see how the Chant has somehow become so popular. It's more likely that Blogger's algorithm for counting these numbers is faulty. It's settled down to more reasonable levels lately, as the graph for the last year shows ...

Chant du Départ Screenshot

There are a number of huge spikes since October of last year, I often wondered how 150,000 people could visit the blog in one day, yet the hits on the individual posts, even over the past week, don't amount to nearly that much. It's either spambots or Blogger is really bad at counting.

It's all the same to me. I know actual people read what we write here and I'm okay with just a few people a day visiting us. As long as they leave comments, even just one or two, then I can justify carrying on. Until that day when I either run out of material, which has to be things I WANT to write about as opposed to things I CAN write about (big difference between those two categories), or I just get tired of doing this every day. Nothing lasts forever.

Anyhoo, time marches on. As for me, I'm going to bed, have to bring Blue in early on Tuesday (today as you're reading this) for some recall thing. And you all know how much I love getting up early.

Sigh ...