Saturday Randomness
The situation in Minnesota is horrible and scary and distressing. I do find comfort, though, that so many people are out in the streets protesting this bullshit.
The New Yorker has all of the cartoons lately.
I mean, I see them on Facebook, not in the magazine, so I have no idea whether they are new or not. But man, I FEEL THEM.
I love this group, at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, where people make signs in protest, and then take pictures with a drone. Well done, is all I have to say to that.
I found this man at last Saturday’s protest charming. Not so sure about the muscle shirt under overalls with a ton of body hair and a big ole beard look, but the fact that he’s wearing his daughter’s backpack won me over big time.
Also spotted last weekend, this dog hanging its head out of the window of the car. It did perk up once or twice, then went back to hanging its head. My thoughts were funny first (hung over?) then upsetting (feeling puny because of chemo treatments?) then more blasé (probably just the way the dog likes to live their life).
I came across some canned chicken and corn on my walk the other morning, and had no idea what to think. Well, I did know what to think, which was, ‘take a picture for my blog’.
We had a foggy morning the other day, and I liked this kinda spooky looking picture, taken at one of our local parks.
What else. Well, we talked to an estate lawyer yesterday about setting up a trust, which is something we should have done years ago but didn’t. The good news is that we’re still alive, so it doesn’t really matter. I mean, we’ve had a will, but want to avoid probate. It is not a cheap process by any means, but important.
Our current comfort TV is old versions of Julia Child’s series, The French Chef, which we watch on YouTube. We especially like the earlier seasons, where she is awkward and stiff. She is such a delight.
We don’t have any big plans this weekend, aside from today’s protest. We all have Monday off, which is great. How about you? Do you have Monday off (assuming you are still working)? Any weekend plans?
34 Comments
Lisa’s Yarns
It’s quite bleak here but our community is really rallying around the vulnerable populations. If you want a laugh, google ICE slipping on ice. It’s horribly icy right now in the twin cities and these ICE agents don’t know how to deal with it.
Tonight I am going to something called Luminescence. It’s a light show with a choir singing at a large cathedral in Minneapolis. I am going with a good friend. She’s had a rough stretch as her kids go to Spanish immersion elementary school so her kids have been on lock down so many times in the last 10 days and her kids have classmates whose parents have been detained. Her and her husband do daily patrols before drop off so she is just emotionally exhausted. I am glad she can come to this event with me and get a bit of a reprieve from the horrors of daily life right now.
J
Your community has definitely been inspiring! I’m so glad you and your friends are going to the light and music show, it sounds like just the thing.
Birchie
Mega props for getting the trust set up. Sure you could have done it before, but you’re doing it before you need it, and that’s all that matters.
I have Monday off! And every other day as well! I only had it as a holiday for the last few years, though, so for most of my working career it was a work day for me.
J
Having the day of for MLK is new for me too, I think only since it became a Federal holiday. Though my company doesn’t give all Federal holidays…
StephLove
That foggy picture is cool.
My work is flexible, so it’s kind of up to me whether I take federal holidays off. I used to do it because Beth would have them off and it’s nice to have days off at the same time, but now she’s retired so it really doesn’t matter. We’re on a road trip right now so I’m working in little snatches when I can, without much regard for the day of the week. I probably will try to squeeze in an hour or two on Monday.
J
I hope you’re enjoying your road trip! I hope you don’t have to work too much on Monday. That flexability is really nice, right?
Elisabeth
It really is incredible how prescient humour can be in times like this. But also, it’s hard to come up with words to describe what’s happening in the US (and the world) right now. It all feels so very bleak.
This made me laugh out loud! “I came across some canned chicken and corn on my walk the other morning, and had no idea what to think. Well, I did know what to think, which was, ‘take a picture for my blog’.” TRUER WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN SPOKEN.
Okay, now I want to start watching old Julia Child’s videos! She’s such a hoot to watch.
J
The world is bleak, but as you say in your FIG and Happy Things posts, there is a lot of joy out there as well, right? I’m grateful for that.
Nicole MacPherson
The news is so bleak but those cartoons gave me a rueful laugh.
I’m glad you’re getting your estate stuff done – better late than never! It’s so important. We redid our wills when we moved here, the last time we had updated them was just after Jake was born, and he is now 20. Always a good idea to keep things current, it’s kind of grim but so important.
J
So many decisions, but it’s important for people to know what your wishes are.
nance
I get almost unreasonably happy when I see a doghead in traffic. Maybe that dog likes to look at the pavement rushing by underneath him, or the wheels of other vehicles spinning.
The New Yorker (which I do get in paper copy) does have very good comics, although many times, I find them stunningly sad because they are so on target.
I know you live in California–The True Bastion of Liberal Democracy–but I still feel gratified by the photos of protests there (and everywhere). They give me hope.
J
Oh, I hadn’t thought that the dog was enjoying looking at the ground somehow! That’s a great change of perspective.
AC
I appreciate your protests both in body and online. We outsides tend to despair and wonder why they aren’t bigger and better, but it is what it is. He makes me sick in my spirit.
J
Half of the US is right with you on the sick in the spirit right now. I have no idea about the other half.
Noemi
Thank you for sharing all this New Yorker cartoons and memes. Bangers! I don’t see much stuff like that so I love when people share them. Also that guy with his daughter’s backpack made me smile.
J
I know, I loved the backpack, so sweet.
San
I mean yeah, ICE is the new KKK. You’re not wrong. Ugh. The news are just so awful right now, but cartoons and comedy help process all this shittiness.
I have Monday off, too, and I was waiting for an EO renaming the day to something else, like National ICE Day, or something. (NOT FUNNY.)
It’s been foggy here too in the morning and it does make for pretty pictures. I hope you don’t have to drive in this “foggy soup” 😉
J
I would not have been surprised if they had changed MLK to KKK either. Or ICE. UGH, no NOT FUNNY.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I can not bear the news anymore. Its just horrible what is going on. And not everything horrible makes the news. I sometimes wonder if we shoudl all die becasue obviously the world doenst need humans.
J
That’s how I console myself when I think the world could be ending…
Allison McCaskill
The protests are inspiring, even though the news makes me want to lie down and give up. I am up for anything that makes us able to laugh right now. And the chicken and corn — I nean, makes about as much sense as everything else? I am packing for San Francisco! Instead of Dubai! My suitcase is so confused!
J
Yes, we need to laugh. Don’t let the motherfuckers steal your joy!
Codex
Codex: Hello
The canned goods are part of an global movement to help people. I’ve seen chocolate and all kinds of food being left out often in giftbags. Nice, isn’t it?
J
I’ve seen this locally in Little Free Libraries, but never just food on the sidewalk like that.
ernie
I’m cracking up at the guy wearing his daughter’s backpack. Your memes do not disaapoint. The corn and canned chicken – that’s strange. ‘Prepare to die.’ A great line from a great movie. I do have Monday off. That was not on my radar when Curly and I planned our trip to Tampa. Of course, she had to be home for a conference b-ball game Saturday eveing, but oh, to have been able to stay for a long weekend. I’m hosting my writing group here Monday night. We usually meet at the library, but it’s closed.
J
Isn’t the dad sweet? I love him. I wish he knew how much.
I hope your busy weekend is a good one!
PocoBrat
J, These memes are hitting really hard this week…
That Inigo Montoya reminded me of this one I use for Networking with the first years
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
=
Polite greeting
name
relevant personal link
manage expectations
lol
J
LOL, that’s hilarious!
Margaret
I too am horrified and also afraid what the admin has in mind for mid-terms (cancelling them) and Greenland. What a disaster! I’m proud that people are protesting but very worried for their safety. No real plans this weekend. Do I dare mention the Seahawks game? That was fun to watch.
J
I’m glad it was fun for someone! I actually don’t care, didn’t watch. But it would have been fun to have a home town superbowl at their stadium.
Daria
Also have Monday off over here! I honestly wish I could only work four days a week. Wouldn’t that be nice?..
On Friday we watched a movie, on Saturday I went to Zumba and then my son’s birthday party in the afternoon.
Today I went to a cycle class and then skates in the afternoon.
It’s been snowing continuously since Saturday morning and it’s still snowing!
Not sure what to do tomorrow but we will come up with something- maybe go for a swim at the Y.
J
My company started a four day work week back in the summer of 2022, and I LOVE IT. I sometimes have to work a bit on a Friday, but I work from home and it’s seldom more than an hour or two. I worked a full 5 day workweek once last year, and the weekend felt SO SHORT. I told my husband and daughter, “I don’t know how you people do this!” LOL. For the first 18 months it was 4 8 hour days, then they changed it to 4 10 hour days, but that’s fine, I’d rather work longer and have a long weekend. And if someone wants to work 5 days / 8 hours, they can.
Stephany
The news feels so bleak and it feels very 1984 out here, especially with the way the administration responded to Good’s murder and pretending that she’s this domestic terrorist. It’s so horrifying. They have been doing some ICE trainings near where I live, and there have been lots of protests about it.
My mom had to deal with probate with my grandpa and it took FOREVER. There were also 8 people in the will and not all of her brothers were very pleasant to her during the process. I hate stuff like that! My mom made sure to get her ducks in a row so my brother and I wouldn’t have to deal with that.
J
I’m glad to hear that there are protests in Florida around ICE.
Also really glad that your mom has gotten things figured out around here estate. We are working on this.