November 24, 2020

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 24, 2019, neat claw marks.
Five years ago today: November 24, 2015, another mid-Florida town.
Nine years ago today: November 24, 2011, WCGW?
Random years ago today: November 24, 2008, I hate vibraphone.

           Funny thing about south Florida, it is geared to inefficiency. As soon as you arrive here, an immedidate collection of little things start going wrong. It varies just enough that you cannot develop a routine to best it. I can define a lot of what is at the root of all this. Non-American cultural ways are common. They devise a system that suits themselves rather than the customer and push that system on you. That’s the big picture. The small picture would be Starbucks this morning. After my blood tests, I stopped to use the WiFi.

           There is no sign or view from the out side or in the aisle up to the till that anything is wrong. After you pay for their crappy coffee, you round the divider and find all the inside seats are blocked. There is no inside service. You step outside and every table that is not in the blazing Florida sun is taken. So I had to go, unpark, drive to Panera, park, and buy another coffee. Multiply that by a hundred and that’s the Florida experience. The bastards know damn well if you knew there was no comfortable seating, you’d go elsewhere. So they pull this stunt. What do you expet, these are the millennial “world war eleven” bunch.

           Next, my A/C gives out. I go to Wal*Mart and discover the regular $4.88 cans are sold out. You can ask yourself how a Florida autotive department can run out of such a necessity. They had another brand at $9.88 each, so I got one. Only to discover the standard nozzle doesn’t quite fit. I got around half the can in there. Next I had my tires flipped around on the rims. I went to my old shop and they examined the undercarriage. It is not a solid piece but two metal bars. Looking closely, they are bolted in place. The bad news is both seem to be bent in the same way. The tires are riding on the edge just enough to wear the tread at that important spot away. To be clear, I simply had each tire flipped around on the rim so the othe edge gets worn. This extends the life of the tire to around 1,200 miles and infinitely the cheapest option at this point.

Picture of the day.
Jerash, Jordan.
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           I’ve located my doctor at a new clinic a half-hour closer to my cabin, This raises the option to go home first, recover from the previous month, and zip in for a morning checkup. It depends if the new location accepts my current insurance, who, may I add, I am very dissatisfied with. They demand a lot of information that has nothing to do with medical and every last scrap of it winds up on the Internet or in the hands of telemarketers.

           This is a priority now because news from Tennessee is so-so enough that I must be prepared to head right back. While the news isn’t bad, things have changed enough that I would want to be there if any decisions are made concerning the pets. The smaller dog, who seems quite aware he is losing his big pal, has been showing signs of distress. I don’t anthropomorphize much, but I have no doubt animals know when the end is near.
           I just got the call, Sparkie is at the emergency vet. His leg is swollen terribly and it may be some kind of bite. This catches me in a situation where I may not be able to have my own issues taken care of until middle of next week. Of course, I’ll keep you posted, this is a journal of the important things around here. Daily, and I’m the first to admit how things have changed so much over the years. They’re supposed to. There is no word yet, but I suspect this little guy, Sammy, has lost his companion.

           If you think that’s all the medical for today, no way. We all love to hear about other people’s petty lives, right? Because when they get sick, it is due to bad living and, of course, they are being punished for their evil lifestyles. You’re in luck, I have something for you. A llump or swelling under the left jaw,. Gives me a sore throat on just one side, so it’s not COVID. But painful to swallow, won’t react to painkillers much, and has affected the eustacheon tube for a mild earache. If I have to check into emergency, I’ll be here another day.
           To counterbalance that, we’re going to make a turkey for here. JZ is a great cook but don’t let him shop for bargains. I kicked in an extra $20 with the condition he get the best of everything he buys, but the turkey does not have to be gigantic. I’m in constant discomfort, but wise enough to bring my own coffee fixins for such visits. A touch of vertigo this morning kept me here. JZ, a total non-computer type, is amazed how the little Bluetooth speaker can be moved around the house and thinks the neighbors can hear it. The guy who plays his TV loud enough to hear from the can thinks the wee speaker can blast through walls.

Last Laugh