AMEN!

I am so sick of him. I am sick of the sound of his voice, his whining, his grifting, his mere existence. I just want him to disappear and return to the pits of hell from which he came.

Yes, We're Moving

Hopefully for the last time.

We saw the new (old) place yesterday, and after seeing what had been done to the house, it was an absolute no brainer to tell Amanda and James we wanted to move back in. (For those of you who have been following less than 2 years, there was a fire.)

I mean, the moment we walked in—even though the place is still not ready for immediate occupancy—it was like coming home. That's home with the capital "H."

The house has been completely rewired and brought to up to code. The entirety of the A/C system has been replaced. A new heat pump has been placed on the roof (the previous one was on a slab at the back of the house) and new ducting has been installed throughout the house, bringing ducts into rooms that previously had none. The work was done professionally, and is being inspected by the City to make sure everything is up to snuff.

The kitchen as well is being completely refurbished, including new appliances. This weekend James is hip-deep in refinishing all the existing cabinets (which had been pulled out completely to allow for the installation of new drywall and electrical). It makes sense to refinish and reuse these cabinets; they're in great shape, original to the house and made of solid wood.  (Something you're not going to get from IKEA.) They're being finished in a medium forest green color, and they're planning on putting in white quartz countertops…and a dishwasher/disposal! (Neither of which were present in the house previously.) And speaking of IKEA, James and Amanda obviously liked the IKEA under-cabinet lights we'd installed when we lived there, because they're putting in permanent ones now and have replaced the single overhead light fixture with a series of recessed can lights.

We're losing the gas range (with the exception of the water heater that caused this whole fiasco, the house is now all-electric), but Ben, surprisingly, is fine with that.

The color scheme of the house has also been changed. No longer landlord beige throughout, it's a bright white with accent walls in several of the rooms painted a rich blue-gray. It looks good.

They're letting us pick out the new ceiling fans that will be in each room, as well as making a few other recommendations.

The only disappointment is that except for a new floor and a coat of paint—and I assume the refinishing of the vanity cabinet, the bathroom is remaining as it was. One of our requests was a full width, full height mirror over the vanity instead of the 1940s-era medicine cabinet, so that will be done as well.

So when are we moving? James estimated that he will have the place ready by the end of January. I think that's optimistic, but maybe the fact that we're moving back in will be the impetus he needs to get it finished. Since our current lease ends at the end of December, we've notified our current landlord that we'll be exercising the month-to-month option he offered, and we'll be out of here by the end of February.

Moving is going to be a bitch, but I'm more confident now that 2023 might actually be a good year.

Saturday Groaners

Old age comes at a very bad time.
When you finally know everything, you start to forget everything you know.

Santa has been watching you all year and has decided you're not naughty.
You're mentally disturbed.

Kid talking to Santa in his living room: A drum set?!
Santa: Yes, because your parents were naughty this year.

Man entering a meeting: Sorry I'm late, I broke down on the way to work.
Coworker: Oh no, is your car running OK now?
Man: My car?

Waiter: I see your glass is empty sir, would you like another?
Man: Why would I want another empty glass?

My friend tries to impress girls by drawing realistic pictures of a Ford F-150.
He's a pickup artist.

We brought gold and frankincense for you, Jesus.
But wait! There's myrrh!

"All together" is written separately.
Separately is written altogether.

I'm lost and I've gone to find myself. If I should get back before I return, please ask me to wait.

The difference between playing the stock market and the horses is that one of the horses must win.

The stock market is the only legal Ponzi scheme.

You know you are getting older when "Happy Hour" is a nap.

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

Detour: Something that lengthens your mileage, diminishes your gas, and strengthens your vocabulary.

If you don't write to complain, you'll never receive your order. If you do write, you'll receive the merchandise before your angry letter reaches its destination.

On one trip we were stuck on the runway for seven hours. The plane kept driving and driving until we arrived at the rink and I realized we were on a bus.

My problem with chess was that all my pieces wanted to end the game as soon as possible.

Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do I.
The dog.

The secret of dealing successfully with a child is not to be its parent.

The "Consumer Report" on the item will come out a week after you've made your purchase.
Corollaries: 1. The one you bought will be rated "unacceptable.".
2. The one you almost bought will be rated "best buy."

Do I lift weights? … Sure, every time I stand up.

If God dropped acid, would he see people?

I just got out of the hospital… I had my mother removed from my back.

I liked Amsterdam… I spent $2,000 window shopping.

A jury is a group of twelve people of average ignorance.

Democrats Are Sexy. Who Ever Heard of Good Piece of Elephant.

The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then gets elected and proves it.

Tax reform is taking the taxes off things that have been taxed in the past and putting taxes on things that haven't been taxed before.

The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly,' meaning 'many,' and the word 'ticks,' meaning 'blood-sucking parasites.'

I like to date school teachers; if you do something wrong, they make you do it over again.

It's so annoying 'cause it's such a portable, good snack, but if you're a girl and you want to eat a banana all of a sudden you're in the position of like, how do I de-dick this delicious treat?

A study shows that ninety percent of men inflate the number of their sex partners, while the other ten percent inflate their sex partners.

This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible, this was terrible with raisins in it.

As you get older, the pickings get slimmer, but the people don't.

When you've been around as a while… you'll know that there are three types of sex… One – brand-new, kitchen-table sex; Two – bedroom sex; then number three – hallway sex… when you pass each other in the hallway and say 'f**k you.'

I was born when my dad was 50. It's weird growing up with a dad that much older than you. We'd go to the movies, and we're both getting discounts.

My girlfriend was really angry when I gave her a box of photos of all her old boyfriends for her birthday.
I don't know why, she said she wanted an ex box.

A child asks his father what an alcoholic is.
The dad replies, "See those 4 cars? An alcoholic would see 8".
The child says, "But dad, there are only 2 cars over there".

Why are model trains and titties alike?
Both are intended for children but it's the dads who are playing with them.

Heard on a Russian political discussion show…
Do honest politicians exist? Of course! But they are the most expensive!

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems.
But it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

My college professor once sat me down and said, "So you know, you're badly failing this ethics class."
So I slid $40 across the table and asked, "How about now?"

What's the difference between an anorexic and a shooting star?
One's all skin and bones, and the other's a little meteor.

In every koi pond of four or more, at least one is always fake.
You've got koi's A, B, C, and then the D koi.

Don't blame me! I didn't make these up!

Masterful Trolling

Social media users cheered as Democratic President Joe Biden masterfully trolled former Republican President Donald Trump's big "announcement" with a few announcements of his own.

Earlier, Trump announced he'd launched a new line of collectible digital trading cards priced at $99 each that feature images of him depicted as a muscular superhero with laser beams shooting from his eyes.

President Biden, not to be outdone, decided to post some "announcements" too, though these were of significantly more importance than the former President's foray into the NFT—or nonfungible token—market.

He noted via his official Twitter account that inflation has eased, that he just signed the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), which requires the United States federal government and all U.S. states and territories to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial civil marriages in the United States.

He also pointed out that his administration had just recently secured the release of basketball player Brittney Griner from a Russian penal colony, that gas prices "are lower than a year ago," and that the state of Arizona is now seeing 10,000 "new high-paying jobs."

The replies were epic.

Trump had posted on his troubled social media platform Truth Social that he would be making a "major announcement" without providing any details.

Some had speculated that his announcement would be related to the Speaker race currently dividing Republicans in the House of Representatives, where a faction of right-wing extremists has refused to support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's bid for the Speaker position once Republicans regain control of the House in January.

The cards were the subject of considerable ridicule online, including from Republicans who'd criticized Trump's rather inactive 2024 presidential campaign.

As of Friday morning, Trump was claiming the collection of trading cards had already "Sold Out."

Uh-huh.

As the great Ann Richards would say, "Stick a fork in him. He's done."

Quote of the Day

I don't like wearing masks. No one does. I love seeing people laugh and smile. But I will never understand how a measure to protect your health and others became a major flashpoint. The price of freedom is high. And it isn't wearing some cloth over your face." ~ Dan Rather