As we near, hopefully, the end of the election season, one factor annoys me most: otherwise logical GOP friends who simply cannot, or will not, admit that Trump has been an abomination. I get conservative views. As I age, I have plenty more of them myself. I can't abide BLM, for instance, as they ally themselves with Palestinian terror groups. But being a conservative or GOP member is one thing. Supporting Trump is quite another.
I've always been proud of my ability to admit a mistake. I've found it quite liberating to live free from the burden of always being correct. I guess that's a rare trait.
In 1980 I got to vote for the first time. I registered a Democrat, which was my birthright. The Dem incumbent was Jimmy Carter. He was, in my opinion, one of the worst presidents we've had. I mean -- not a crook like Nixon, or off the charts like Trump bad, but wholly inept. The economy was awful. We had little international respect.
I had spent the summer before with several European and Israeli students. They all told me that an American passport used to be a big deal. A customs agent would see one and feel respect. Under Carter -- they laughed. A bunch of Iranian students, holding the US Embassy hostage, laughed at him.
Closer to home, Fidel Castro ate Carter's lunch. The Mariel Boatlift occurred, as Castro laughingly empties his prisons and mental hospitals and sent the inmates to Miami. Carter did nothing. No -- I absolutely admitted my party's candidate was no one I could support.
On the other side, I couldn't abide Reagan. So I voted for John Anderson -- a moderate Independent. I knew my vote wouldn't get my candidate elected, but at least I admitted my party's guy shouldn't get another term, either.
I hope enough Republicans do the same, and end this executive nightmare.
Meanwhile, closer to home, we had a busy week. D2 and Jonathan dropped off the big puppy, and she was a handful. By the third night, I was saying there could be no more overnight stays -- the dog was just too much. But she calmed down, looked at us with her soulful eyes, and finally got used to our lower energy house. She is invited back now.
When D2 and Jonathan came to fetch her, they were so happy. She's their baby girl. Wifey and I get this well -- before D1, our retriever Midnight and cocker Alfred were OUR kids. When we left my Mom and her friend Rose to dog sit them in '87, we would call daily from California to check on them. D2 and Jonathan are in that stage.
I had a repairman come to replace our icemaker. Alas -- even with the new one, no ice. The problem is, there's a major back log on built in refrigerators. Jeff and Lili ordered one in June and still don't have it. So I ordered a countertop icemaker -- due to arrive today. I figure that will keep me in martinis until we can replace the big, hulking fridge.
I also had a fellow come for an estimate for a new impact front door and side windows. I have accordions on many of the doors, but don't want them in the part of the house where they're most visible. I also had him give an estimate for 11 other panel windows -- I'm too damn old to mess with putting up panels and returning them to the garage.
The estimate for the whole job came to about 1/4 of what we paid for our first house! So I hedged -- got an estimate to accordion the remaining back and garage windows, and will pay for the new front door and windows to be impact glass. Once the job is done, my storm prep will be only pulling shut accordions -- a job that takes less than an hour.
I'm truly hoping that spending this money means we keep storms away for years. That would be best.
So -- another week nears its end. Wifey and I are headed to Aventura today, for an outdoor, socially spaced lunch with Paul and Patricia. We have to flee Miriam, our cleaning lady. It'll be the first served restaurant meal since March 12th. The Ds have signed off and encouraged it. So hopefully we survive this "less than Covid safe" behavior.
If not -- at least I can admit I was wrong to do it!
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