Hops at home

[Hopalong]

There's a couple months' pipeline backup on cellulose, so wound up with blown-in fiberglass. I think it feels warmer in here already. Done and dusted.

Crow procedures update:
1. I am not on a schedule.
2. Crows are not on a schedule.
3. Crows come in the yard and march around impatiently.
4. A couple who seem to like me best add caws to get my attention and perch fairly near. We chat a little bit. (Some still spook when I suddenly walk across living room.)
5. If I'm wandering through adquately caffeinated and spot them thru the big window, I come out and toss the peanuts. They wait until I go back in.
6. Then they swoop right in and gobble. Sometimes a few spat with squirrels who are waiting too.

It works fine and always feels happy. Trying to be scheduled just didn't.

hugs and caws,
Hops

[lighter]

Nice to read your update, Hops. The crows are lovely birds.  So big, black and healthy looking.

 We're fighting a bug of some sort.  Testing Neg 3 nights in a row, but that might change tonight.  All 3 if us voted in masks today.  Done and dusted.

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Awww, Lighter. I hope it's not one of the damn variants. Keep testing!

This week I went 3 times to cardio PT, for which I'm verrry grateful. Same time, I was gobsmacked by the giant hole in their precautions. They're really good at limiting the number of people (no drop ins, fixed exercise times) and disinfecting everything, but the mask requirement is a joke. Low-ceilinged sealed space, zero fresh air (some comment about "upgraded ventilation" but you can't detect it). Folks huffing and puffing on machines (I always ask for the more isolated ones.)

Both staff and 90% of the (older) recovering heart patients are wearing only those little blue paper surgical masks -- big gaps at the sides -- which were months ago deemed totally inadequate against the virile variants that zip through the air. (And there's no vaccination requirement.) They should be wearing N95s and at least educating folks about them! They also all cluster together at the monitoring counter ....so forget distancing.

Oh, right. It's a health-care corporation. I rest my case.

I use a KN95 covered by a cloth mask, because that combo is equivalent to an N95. Exercising in a double mask is weird (gasp) but I'm adapting. Had a big argument with myself about it and decided I have to risk it because it'll save my life, basically. I used sanitizer so often I'll need a hand transplant before I'm done.

I'm tedious about it, but consistently tedious! Heard an encouraging report about the possibilities of future vaxs that will eventually get us past the scramble-and-boost that's the best science can do right now. They're working SO hard on it. This virus is different; people forget the "novel" part. Apologies for the rant!

And GOOD on you and your Ds for voting early.

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

The masks and distancing and testing don't add up to make much sense to me, Hops. Everyone in my circle has had Covid. Some very serious and some less so, but everyone.

You do what you can,then stop worrying.....good on'ya for getting to your appointments and getting the most out of them.

We had another night or Neg Covid tests, so I think it's just allergies and regular colds.  I swear by the xylitol nose spray to stop secondary infections, I usually get. I travel with it in my purse, daily,bc self care usually goes down the tubes when I'm layed low.  I can at least do THAT one thing, if nothing else.

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Most people in my circle (more elderly I'm sure than yours, and mostly highly-educated because my church is my main orbit and the denomination draws more than average advanced-degreed folks) have not gotten covid. Most are quietly (unlike me) going about wearing N95s, minimal mingling, social distancing consistently, using delivery or curbside, trying not to expose others or themselves. Some (like me) haven't eaten indoors at a restaurant once in three years. For me, the various deprivations aren't really that, they just feel like necessary adaptations if I want to go on. I squawk but I do it.

It's all tedious but in purely rational terms, it does make sense to me. I yak about it a lot because I'm so determined not to get it if I can avoid it since it could upend my life with permanent bad consequences (not just the short-term illness). Those consequences would be worse than present worrying (for me). I believe one can avoid it. Everyone I know who did get it took a specific, proven extra risk. Freedom. A misunderstanding of nature-consequences has dominated the country for emotional herd-behavior reasons, unfortunately. Despite all the opinion and hysteria (in either direction) ginned up online and in media, which has led to a societal meltdown in so many tragic ways)--the virus doesn't care if we declare our own reality. (We all do, in different ways.) Evolution don't care either. Honey Badger.

Anyway, I'll try not to rant too much more about it here, and I'm sorry. Anxiety over friends gets me hyped up I think because friends are my (only) phamily. One dear one has recently been exposed and it's been a heartache to watch her host a houseful of young people who just flew across the country and aren't wearing masks in her home in common areas because as an old-school -- and old at 80 -- hostess, she just can't bring herself to ask them to. She whispered it to me over the phone, sounding scared.

I'm glad your approach is working for you, Light, mentally and physically. And I learn a lot of good from your examples and ways of thinking that has often changed my direction!

hugs
Hops

[Hopalong]

My apologies to all for a bit of ranting in this thread. I'm done, promise.

I read an article that smacked me in the soul, and it jangled me up. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/06/how-close-is-the-us-to-civil-war-barbara-f-walter-stephen-march-christopher-parker

Got a grip, now. It'll need renewing. Whew.

hugs
Hops

[Hopalong]

Home is community too, I figure.
So some difficult times locally have hit hard.
A terrible shooting and lives lost battered the heart.
I didn't react much at first out of numbness, but it sank in.

Otherwise, the cold is creeping in. No snow yet but it'll come.
Crows continue to make me happy. So fat and confident and
beautiful. Love the way a few familiars talk at me without
taking flight, and how much more quickly they come to the
feast as I go in or out and move around (they can spot me
through the window but don't take off as often). Pooch
doesn't bark at them though they know she's here too.

The yard's in good shape for winter, except for the ruined
hostas. Hope some of them come back anyway. All is well
in the house, which may be a bit warmer because of the
new insulation. Sure hope so!

hugs
Hops

[Meh]

My apologies to all for a bit of ranting in this thread. I'm done, promise.

I read an article that smacked me in the soul, and it jangled me up. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/06/how-close-is-the-us-to-civil-war-barbara-f-walter-stephen-march-christopher-parker

Got a grip, now. It'll need renewing. Whew.

hugs
Hops

Facebook censorship doesn't quite jive with a free thinking society. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59486397


The whacky singing Nina put an emphasis on voting.

Nina Jankowicz: "and not support their lies with our wallet voice or VOTE" 


Twitter's ex CEO Parang said: "Why should I differentiate between whites and racists."


Parang's Twitter had been meeting with the FBI already.


A group connected with a recent beheading is still on Twitter that was never taken down by the Agrawal team.


"But there is a potentially easy fix. Regulate social media, and in particular the algorithms that disproportionately push the more incendiary, extreme, threatening and fear-inducing information into people’s feeds."

Is censorship easy?

National Victims of Communism Day is on November 7th.

Watched the Sialkot lynching live on Twitter. It was a blasphemy killing people acting in barbaric ways and recording it with their technology smart phones. They have a ritualized way of killing people that ends with burning the body. I think the US just agreed to send more money there for "climate reparations."

People say there is a civil war looming though don't you think the govt would step in and stop something like that. The military certainly can.

Iran has already set up systems to ration food with biometrics and are also using it to monitor Sharia Law hair criminals, you know women who don't have their scarfs on are breaking the law. Hair censorship.

There is certainly a cognitive war. What do they call us now 'neural infrastructure' I believe.

When things really go to hell they can use the white people as scapegoats for everything. They have already amplifed that particular narrative.

Testosterone is on the decline so the civil war will be a cyber war?

https://www.urologytimes.com/view/testosterone-levels-show-steady-decrease-among-young-us-men

So many issues. Anything could happen. More mid-level violence and stochastic terrorism.

Meh. I can't help myself. I have to respond to the constant narrative of white supremacism I'm tired of hearing it.

And last but not least.... What is a woman? Nobody knows.

People with vulvas.
Chest Feeders.
Front Holes.

And if a person doesn't like those terms it means one is a 'Nazi' apparently. Yep, if you think people with vulvas are women you might be a white supremacist.

Okay, Yawn. Enough about the collapse of civilization I'm gonna sleep. Everybody just has to find their affinity groups, allies, tribes and klans and religions, cults etc.

[Hopalong]

I won't dip into all that, Mouse.

But I hope you're doing okay. Or maybe "well enough" will do these days.
Read your other thread and see you're not looking for comment there.

Hope nature is sending you some good messages.

Hugs,
Hops

[Meh]

You dipped into it when you posted an article about the supposed ever present looming specter of white supremacism. It's been a constant marketing method of Democrats... 

Racism has been redefined as an inherent quality of all white-skinned people AND only white people. The wonderful left has created different rules for different categories of people based on their skin color. They even claim that babies are racist now.


Anybody who doesn't vote Democrat is deemed to be the Kay kay kay these days.

The censorship they are calling for is the censorship of their political opposition; they claim that is the path to Democracy.

Women's rights activists now get death threats from Antifa the 'anti-fascists.' The SPL org has never marked Antifa as a hate group.

I won't dip into all that, Mouse.

But I hope you're doing okay. Or maybe "well enough" will do these days.
Read your other thread and see you're not looking for comment there.

Hope nature is sending you some good messages.

Hugs,
Hops

[Hopalong]

Fair enough. You're right.

I'm sorry I slipped sideways into the political stuff, Mouse.
My bad.

hugs,
Hops

[lighter]

Not sure where your Birthday petting zoo extravaganza farm trip post went but I'm so excited about it for you, ((Hops.))

You go get'cha lots of joyful hugs, rubs, holds and muffed up fur!  Our pug is an emotional support pug, very used to being flopped over, squished and rolled about with her chubs manipulated (at the top of her tail, back, neck and arms particularly)and ears pulled back (baby seal pug) or forehead furrows petted over her eyes or pulled back in mock surprise. 

You'll learn which animal likes back, ear or neck scratches and choose your favorites, what fun!!!!

I'm so happy to read your travel plan!!!  You have a big cuddly heart and that's so you!!

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Thanks, Lighter.
I'll totally love it and have invited quite a few people to save the weekend.
I'll be happy if it's two people or 10, don't care! And Poet's coming from Michigan.

In my past I've spent quite a lot of time around animals, on farms, in the Appalachian area where I worked, and used to ride (don't sit on horses any more). I've milked goats and cows, played with baby goats, helped shear a sheep, etc.
I always miss that pure happiness I'd feel around them, so the animal-sanctuary bday idea just popped into my head. It's about an hour from here, lovely drive.

Asked any friends who come to just give them a donation, since although they're not normally open to the public the owner was very pleased at the idea of a group coming. It's 400 acres of gorgeous mountains, woods and pastures and they have all sorts of rescued animals, for their lifetimes.

I will have happy moments thinking about it during the winter, since my bday comes just as spring gets serious. Can't wait. (One of my ways to care for myself minus family is to every so many years, plan a really fun time for my own bday.) I love seeing my friends meet those they don't know and just have a good time themselves.

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

I'm grinning ear to ear.....there's so much joy in that post, Hops.  Will pooch go along, or just your human friends?

[Hopalong]

Thanks, Lighter.

I think since I've never been with Pooch around farm animals, I'll leave her home.
She's getting on and though she'd love being around the people, I don't know how she'd respond to the critters, so I'd be watching her like a hawk instead of indulging myself in animal-snuggling bliss. I'd take her if I were going on my own or with just one friend, but with a group, I think it's best to let her do her old-lady snoozing at home and just come back wearing VIS.

Very Interesting Smells.

She'll forgive me, I hope.

hugs
Hops