December 11, 2021

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 11, 2020, my most visited posts.
Five years ago today: December 11, 2016, “I don’t need any help.”
Nine years ago today: December 11, 2012, looking at flip-flops.
Random years ago today: December 11, 2014, 40°F in Maimi

           Winter again and I’m not enjoying it. Thank goodness the USA has some places that warm-blooded people can live. A tour of the neighorhood shows the storm again barely missed this spot. Power lines were down less than 400 yards from here and the neighbor whose cats we feed when he’s away lost two of his remaining three trees. Big trees, see photo. He had five but the electric company cut down two last year. Other nearby damage includes a car stove in by another tree, a shed obliterated, and several transformers out of commission.

           The media is reporting a death toll of 80 to 100 and yet once again, I sept through it. We have a secure spot under the stairwell if things get hairy around here. The worst I’ve seen is a terrific rainstorm and being from Florida, I’m immune to those. And once more we have a large dog who trembles at lightming, I say it is more instinct than fear. Plus they know it means they can get up on the furniture.

           It was another study marathon, this time slowly mapping out the order that things must progress in. At first glance it seems a series of distinct steps you can memorize, but that’s an illusion. One has to keep returning to the list and deciding what route to take depending on the outcome of each individual step. We’ll get it but be prepared for failure. The trickiest par is that you cannot tell the client what it is until he signs an agreement that once he finds out, he cannot try to circumvent your service. A lot of the method is overcoming that situation. Myself, for now, I would jsut ignore that person and move on.
           I finally had to buy a special suitcase to carry around the binders and supplies required. While you might be tempted to do this all off a computer screen, good luck. Computers are no good at keeping files in order, if you are a messy person, the computer will let you lose files at the speed of light.

Picture of the day.
Bocote lumber (Mexico).
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           The Reb was busy all day and she does not show it when she’s tired. I used to be the same and say it is more due to determination to get things done before taking a break. Today was like that, so I got this brilliant idea. Neither of us has been to one of those Mongolian places where they prep the bowl of food you choose. I was mentally exhausted myself and had just finished walking the dogs, who were unruly the whole time. It turned out to be an excellent spot called “Bonfire” on the corner of Old Hickory and Lebanon Pike. We were unfamiliar with what to choose, but trust me, you’ll know by the time you every go back.

           You get a bowl the size you pay for, we chose the regular at $12 each. These are small steel bowls, not the red serving bowls seen in this picture. You choose a base of rice, noodles, cabbage, or what’s there. Then you pick from a large assortment of proteins, all you need to fill up the small bowl. I went for the spiced chicken, marinated beef, and white fish. Then, if you want, some veggies. I went for the baby carrots and mushrooms.

           There is an array of sauces, I went for the familiar Thai peanut sauce. They proceed to stir fry this for you on a large round grill, which Ii suspect is designed to drive your appetite wild. It is tantalizing, I’ll tell you that. They dump that on your rice (I chose plain white) and the bowl is yours. Portions tend to be large but odds are this is one meal you’ll finish. My guess is we’ll be back. The possible combinations would have to be calculated but if you include the 15 different sauces, it is in the tens of thousands.
           Call it an exhausting day. Because I can’t report more of it. I got home, sat on the sofa to pat the dog and fell asleep till 2:30AM. The only thing I remember as I dropped off was a report that Biden is missing a traditional president’s sporting event to avoid the crowd chanting his doom. Let’s Go Brandon. To anyone out in the world laughing and saying this kind of embarrassing thing would never happen in your country—that’s your own problem.

Last Laugh