August 3, 2023

Yesteryear
One year ago today: August 3, 2022, not one Korean instrument.
Five years ago today: August 3, 2018, my worst subject.
Nine years ago today: August 3, 2014, do you know any?
Random years ago today: August 3, 2006, babysitting, Me, babysitting.

           I did not find the van license bulbs, but we wound up over in Medley at a cafeteria with great coffee. Miami has successfully squeezed out all the auto recycle and parts places. The big lot, if I recall, was “Sunrise Auto Parts” and it is now a vacant field bulldozed down to the bare coral. There appear to be five or so lots left, none of which have a selection of KIA parts. I stopped at the market for some ribs. The celebration is my tipping the scales below 200 pounds for the first time since they put me back on statins. Read and weep, because I’m still losing. No, I didn’t say this was my weight, Elliott. It’s just a picture. (He’s the soccer player guy who thinks he’s Charles Atlas.)

           Lemon marinated ribs, and I cooked the rice. Everybody thinks they can cook rice until I show them the right way. Last evening we were at JZ’s sister-in-law’s place playing that Rummy game. I just don’t have the incentive to get any good at it, but I did win one game. I’d rather play the regular card game, this version uses tiles you pick up and arrange into standard Rummy patterns. Three of a kind or run of the same color. It’s a busy game but allows plenty of visiting.

           That’s where I learn the version of things that gets passed around. They did not know that the Reb and I have know each other 35 years. Some of the older family members still think I’m some barfly that JZ befriended back in the Churchill days. By the way, Churchill’s is gone, it’s awaiting the wrecking ball. Yep, once the two English guys sold out, gone was the atmosphere and personality. Actually, I knew all this because I’ve seen how regularly what JZ says gets “adapted” to what they think is the universal right way. I think most families are like that.

           We stopped at Publix for veggies, about the only thing I’d buy there since they went Chapter 13, or maybe that’s not right. The provision whereby they have to close all losing locations and keep the profit centers open in hopes they can ever pay off their creditors. Here’s a typical Publix rip-off. Three packs of soda for $9.09 if you buy three. So, how much if you buy one, you understand you will have to pay close to regular price ($5.88) unless you buy three. At Publix, if you buy one, it is still $9.09.

           JZ and I have a plan. We are going to get him up and running with his email. His sister set up the account with gmail. Duh, this is the sister that is supposed to be an expert. Gmail is for the lowest mentality that exists, but I figure use it to get some mileage. No sense setting up a secure account if he winds up having to ask all the “experts” for help. This is my first real dealings with an iPad, and it suffers many of the same defects as the rest.
           Instructions to press buttons that do not exist, screens with no exit buttons that will not close, and tons of “you’re supposed to know” crap, like the e-mail has no send button or sent folder. You press this small blue up-arrow and rely on total blind trusting faith that the system worked. Is that millennial enough for you?

           This wreck was on display at the junkyard. It is riddled with bullet holes, but not from any real action. It was used for target practice in the Everglades. I don’t know from these old cars and to JZ, everything before 1960 is a Studebaker. So this is, by default, a Studebaker. Except for the woeful condition of the body panels the thing might still be drivable. Anyway, we had ribs and I sat down with a book and fell asleep. So he watched TV. That means there are some sad and lonely women out there in Miami who did not meet any fun guys today.

Picture of the day.
Luxury golf cart.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Stopping back at the apartment for coffee, did I mention the ribs? Yeah, well they were so great we made the rest and went over to the Pinecrest library. JZ is able to check his e-mail, but I don’t have the patience to set that iPad right. It must have taken hours, but somebody seems to have gone through that unit and enabled every possible gimp feature. And no, it was not a matter of restoring the defaults because some of those were gimp-friendly as well. I cleared around thirty of them, including that annoying on-line shopping flash screen. But I could not find the command to lengthen the time-out feature to longer than 30 seconds.

           An example of what gives would be the gimp capitalize first word. Only a gimp does not know how or needs help with that capital letter. The thing is, when the skilled labor goes to type, they will hit the shift key. Does this computer recognize that? No, if you hit the key, it makes changes the result to the small letter. Only a imbecile would come up with that, this is not a computer error. Some actual live human axxhole had to go in there and program it to do that. After about 30 of these gems, I got it working well enough. But we went on a regular computer for the rest of the session. Once this guy uses e-mail, he’ll glom onto it.

           As you may know, JZ is convinced (like most men) that women only like tall, handsome, rich types. So he rides a bike because they also like guys who keep in shape. I’m walking past and what’s this? Look at this tire, worn down to the threads and then some. That’s really classy, JZ. Some chick is going to see that and think, “Wow, this guy needs a wife to let him know when he’s missed something.”
           Yes, the Miami-Dade library system has blocked GAB. Years late, but that’s the sort of whiz kids and geniuses you get on the payroll in these troubled times. He wants to check the downtown library tomorrow, though I’ve pointed out it is the same system. However, that libray is in a complex that includes the museum of natural history. His sister and I were there around ten years ago. I’d link but Google has totally messed up the blog search command to where only single words work and it cannot be set to highlight the word when it finds anything. And no, Ken, I cannot just search on the word “museum” like you would, and find one or two mentions.
           They have GAB completely blocked, you can't bypass it by using your own laptop like before. I'll bet they are losing sleep that so many people saw the material before they censored it. That's your sure sign of an XYZer, they cannot stand anybody even being aware of the other sides of a story. I talked JZ into going for a shop at the Dollar Tree on Dixie. It was once unique in having a large craft section. Sadly, that is now all taken away.
           I was at the library until 11:00AM, buying two used books. "Bank Accounts A World Guide to Confidentiality" and "From T-2 to Supertanker", the history of oil tankers from the Second World War. I finished the audio-book about Rommel, which in probably less than 1% of the tale. Wait until tomorrow, I think I'll head back in the morning. Miami has lost all charms for the academically inclined. Also, regardless of your politics, the pushy Mexican-Cuban mentality is enough to disgust all bu the most brain-washed liberals, the type that would let their daughters get raped just to prove how tolerant they are. I mention it because it is a much worse factor than even five years ago. The number of traffic accidents has reached third-world proportions.

Last Laugh