At Mid-Week

On this day in 1607, the Virginia Company made landfall at Cape Henry, Virginia.

It’s mid-week and I continue to juggle multiple projects. I’ve given you the list.

What I haven’t told you is that, in the next five weeks, I have five, count ‘em five, board meetings at my day job.

‘Tis the season.

It’s all good. It’s what we do.

I’m not sure if I should tell you that, in addition to my retirement countdown, I have a side column of “number

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of board meetings left.”

But I should take my own advice and live in the moment. So I shall leave in each of those board meetings…one painful minute at a time.

Sorry, did I type that out loud?

I cannot let the day pass by without recognizing that the first born has a birthday today. I tell of his arrival here: An Interruption.

He is now older than I was when he was born. Seems like I’ve been talking about age a lot this week.

Much has transpired since that day when I was planning a small visit for 150 state legislators to meet with the President. I told the receptionist I’d have to call my wife back.

“Fletch, you’d better take this call.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Very, very, expensive history.

Happy Birthday, son. May all your dreams come true.

Including the one where you buy your parents a beach house.

RANDOM LINKS OF INTEREST

Virginia BOE approves changes to K-12 history standards, including lessons on racism
WJLA
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s approved standards say that history and social science “will be taught in an objective, factual and age-appropriate way” and that “parents should have access to all instructional materials utilized in any Virginia public school.”

Biden Announces He’s Been Told He’s Running Again In 2024
The Babylon Bee
“I’ve been informed that it is my intention to run for re-election in 2024,” said the president to a large potted plant instead of the crowd of journalists behind him. “As an exemplar of progressive ideals, it is my duty to lead this country to a better future, or so they tell me.”

Trudeau says he ‘never’ forced anyone to get vaccinated — despite enforcing vax mandates
BPR
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked during a Q&A Monday that he had “never forc[ed] anyone to get vaccinated,” despite both he and his government pushing multiple vaccine mandates during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHAT I’M READING



WHAT I’M WORKING ON

I’ve added more designs to my ETSY shop and more are coming.

I’ve now finished the third in the Stations of the Cross series. This is The Sanhedrin Tries Jesus.

KD Kitties will soon be offering a shirt on ETSY. For now, check out their Redbubble site.

KD Kitties

There’s another CAT and PIG book in the works. Maybe two. For now, please keep buying and sharing these.

Available on Amazon

Sound of the Guns runs June 22 – July 14, 2023 at Firehouse Theatre.

June 22 – July 14, 2023


American actress, singer, and producer, Carol Burnett, was born on this day in 1933.


 

Tuesday Realities

I applied for Medicare this weekend.

While my retirement date is much further away than I would like, the magic number birthday is coming up. So my classmates and I are all filling out the requisite forms.

It is time, Frodo.

I have to admit it wasn’t as exciting as getting my driver’s license, or my first

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passport.

It’s just one of those rites of passages and I’m okay with that.

Hey, I’m all about the senior discount for the early buffet.

It’s an admission though, of knowing that I have less time in front of me than behind. I’m also okay with that.

I mean, sure, I’d like to be able to feel young again. I’d like to be able to diet and lose 20 lbs. in two weeks again. There’s a list, but you get the idea.

I have a retirement countdown. A co-worker used to have a countdown clock in his office. I’m not ready to go there yet because I don’t want to have the office discussions. But I do have an app on my phone.

Here’s the thing. I know how much time I have before I can retire. I don’t know how much time I have left, if you get my drift. None of us does.

I don’t know that I’ll have time to get to the bucket list I posted yesterday.

I just want whatever time I have left to count. To not feel like it’s being wasted.

Know what I mean?

It makes me sad to think that I had to be almost 65 before I really began to grasp the concept of living in the moment. Maybe the pandemic helped with that.

Sure, there are always things to look forward to. But today’s not too shabby either.

If nothing else, I’ve got my Medicare card to look forward to.

Take the victories where you can get ‘em folks.

Yesterday was also an okay day, but it was an absolutely crazy news day.

  • Susan Rice out at the White House.
  • Don Lemon out at CNN.
  • Tucker Carlson out at FOX.

Links to stories are below.

RANDOM LINKS OF INTEREST

Majorities don’t want Biden, Trump to run in 2024: survey
The Hill
Most Americans in a new poll don’t want former President Trump to run for the White House in 2024, and a majority doesn’t want President Biden to run for reelection, either, as he prepares for an expected campaign launch that could come as early as this week.

Count me in on that survey. Whatever you think of them, they’re both too old. We can do better.

We won’t. But we could.

Trump’s insane lies on DeSantis trash successful conservative policies
New York Post
Trump is not just slamming an exceptional Republican governor with his stupid attacks, he’s attacking the very best Republican policies and the model Republican state.

BREAKING: Tucker Carlson leaves Fox News as they ‘agree to part ways’
The Post Millennial
The statement reads: “Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.

Fox Corporation sheds $962 million in market value after announcing Tucker Carlson is leaving the news network
Markets Insider
Fox Corporation stock fell as much as 5% on Monday and erased $962 million in market value after it was announced that Fox News Media parted ways with host Tucker Carlson.

Don Lemon says he has been fired from CNN
NBC News
The news comes as Lemon has been at the center of a string of controversies over his on-air comments and treatment of female colleagues.

Susan Rice to Step Down as Biden’s Domestic Policy Adviser
The New York Times
Ms. Rice oversaw some of the Biden administration’s most polarizing issues, including gun control, student loan relief and immigration.

Revised Hospital Chart Has Patients Rate Pain On Scale From Zero To Watching ‘The View’
The Babylon Bee
U.S. — The American Medical Association has officially added “The View” to its pain scale to help patients better understand what is meant by the term “worst pain possible.”

WHAT I’M READING



WHAT I’M WORKING ON

I’ve added more designs to my ETSY shop and more are coming.

I’ve now finished the third in the Stations of the Cross series. This is The Sanhedrin Tries Jesus.

KD Kitties will soon be offering a shirt on ETSY. For now, check out their Redbubble site.

KD Kitties

There’s another CAT and PIG book in the works. Maybe two. For now, please keep buying and sharing these.

Available on Amazon

Sound of the Guns runs June 22 – July 14, 2023 at Firehouse Theatre.

June 22 – July 14, 2023

BORN ON THIS DAY

American singer, Ella Fitzgerald, was born on this day in 1917. (died 1996)