HIP & NECK

I got 9,710 steps yesterday--a new PR! Sadly, I hoped to get in a nice, long walk this morning, but I was only able to garner 3,154 steps. Because I slept-in & took Brianna to pick up her car from the shop, I waited too long to get started. It was already 85 degrees [felt like 87], & my neck was really bothering me. I've had a flare-up of the DJD in my neck, which--despite yesterday's PR, which was probably a fluke--has really hampered my walking. Looks like another round of PT for me.

MY HOBBIES

I realize that my prattling may seem tedious, but bear in mind that it's my blog, & it serves as a journal to help me cope with my anxiety & depression. Contrary to popular belief, I do have several hobbies. I've been trying to walk more to help with rehabbing my hip. I read a lot. [More on that later.] I collect hotel shampoo, conditioner, & soap, which has gotten more challenging, since more hotels are not providing these luxuries. Sadly, I haven't fished at all this year. My favorite bass pond is overgrown with weeds, & we didn't make our annual trip to David & Carmen's chalet on Little Island Lake near Park Rapids, MN.

WHAT I'M READING

I finished reading "Doc," a fictionalized biography of Doc Holliday by Mary Russell. It really didn't focus on his role in the shootout at the OK corral. It focused more on his time in Dodge City, his life up to that point, his TB, & his growing friendship with the Earps. Now I'm reading "Where Men Win Glory:  The Odyssey of Pat Tillman" by Jon Krakauer, one of my favorite authors.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

Lois & I are continuing our quest to watch all the Avenger movies in chronological order. Last night we watched "Ant Man." When Brianna's not here, we watch "Star Trek Discovery."

RESOLUTIONS 2022 REVIEW

* Lose at least 12 lbs. Losing an average of 1 lb/month seemed doable. I lost 2 lbs in AUG, so I've lost 7 lbs thus far. With 4 months to go, I'm going to have to hustle. B-

* Cross 2 things off our bucket list. We visited Key West & Dry Tortugas NP in FEB. We have a Hawaiian cruise scheduled later this year, so it looks good. A

* Have fruits & vegetables at least 4X/week. Does vegetable juice count when it's used for a Bloody Mary? I'm going to count it. A

* Walk at least 4X/week. My hip problems made this difficult to achieve until last month, when I started walking most days as part of my PT. C

* Publish my 365-day devotion book. Westbow Press has published my book, & I've been promoting it. A+

* Write & publish another 365-day devotion book. I'm into AUG. B

GPA:  B+

HILL TEMP CHALLENGE

Today's ratings are based on forecasted high temperatures. Source:  wunderground.com at 12:14p, CDT.

* Fayetteville, NC, Lois' little brother John, 92

* Wichita Falls, TX, Lois' little brother David, 94

* Norfolk, NE, Lois, 95

* Ft. Walton Beach, FL, Lois' little sister Anita, 89, feels like 105

* St. Petersburg, FL, Lois' older sister Kathy, 90, feels like 111

* TODAY'S CHAMPION! Kingsburg, CA, Lois' older sister Wanda, 110, excessive heat warning.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE CALIFORNIA

"Death Valley braces for 124-degree temps as heat wave broils." Drudge Report, 9/1

"CA asks residents not to charge EVs--days after announcing gas car ban." Drudge, 9/1

"With energy grid unreliable, Gov. Newsom announces all cars to be wind-up by 2035." Babylon Bee

"Residents become chief export of CA." Babylon Bee

LIKE TEXAS

"Gov. Abbott plans to bus more to sanctuary cities across America." Drudge, 9/1. Which I think is hilarious.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Girl Scouts of the USA have unveiled a new cookie for the 2023 sales season, but you won't be able to buy the Raspberry Rally in person. This one particular cookie will be an online-only deal. The organization wants the girls to learn entrepreneurship through their own online businesses by building what it calls 'relevant omni-channel selling skills, pitching to customers online, & providing convenience to purchasers . . . ' Cookies will be shipped directly to the customers. What is a Raspberry Rally? The Girl Scouts describe it as 'a thin, crispy cookie infused with raspberry flavor & dipped in a chocolaty coating,' dubbing it 'the sister cookie to the beloved Thin Mints.' The Raspberry Rally only will be available to customers online." Norfolk Daily News, 8/29 

"More than 20,000 people gathered in Bunol, Spain, to throw 130 ons of rotten tomatoes at one another on WED. The 'La Tomatina' festival is a 75-yr tradition for the city . . . Photos show party-goers covered head-to-toe in mashed tomatoes, with many of them having the foresight to wear goggles." Fox News Online, 9/1

"Record turkey prices could make for fowl Thanksgiving." Drudge Report

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH

"Door Dash introduces service to send someone to work out for you." Babylon Bee

"STUDY:  Junk food significantly raises risk of death from any cause." Drudge. Oh, crap.

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Pelosi calls restricting abortion 'sinful.'" FNO, 9/1. I'm sure most Catholics feel reassured by words from this well-known theologian.

"False alarm:  Evil Nazi facility that murders & sells baby parts turns out to just be a Planned Parenthood." Babylon Bee

"MSNBC historian compares Biden speech to Lincoln, FDR before Civil War, WWII." FNO. Bear in mind that these are the same people who tell us that there is no border crisis, no inflation, & that the Taliban are honorable people.

COROLLARIES TO MURPHY'S LAWS *

* Source:  Facebook post

> Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you have them speak.

> A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

> A day without sunshine is like, well, night.

> He who laughs last, laughs slowest.

> Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

> The things that come to those who wait may be the things left by those who got there first.

> Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish & he will sit in a boat all day & drink beer.

> God gave you toes as a way for finding furniture in the dark.

CHANGES AT CNN *

* Compliments of Babylon Bee

Drastic changes CNN is making to bring back viewers:

> Cut back to showing Jan. 6 footage just 19 hrs/day.

> Display the party affiliation & voting record of every anchor on screen.

> Win over the Jr. High demographic by renaming the network to PEE-NN.

> All shows will feature voiceover commentary from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

> Report the real news for a change.

MORE TRENDING NEWS FROM BABYLON BEE

"Supreme Court rules that urinals w/o dividers are unconstitutional."

"Atheist robot testifies how it evolved from a vacuum cleaner."

"Study finds 0% of leftists warning about over-population have volunteered to die first."

"Harvard to pay Elizabeth Warren $400,000 to teach class on why college is so expensive."

"Archaeologists discover King Solomon's 700 honey-do lists."

"Retiring Dr. Fauci begins selling vaccines out of trench coat in dark alleyway."

"Study finds 92% of Christian adults still picture Bible characters as talking vegetables."

 HOW DID WE SURVIVE THE 1960s? *

* Source:  Facebook post.

> Pregnant women smoking & drinking.

> Crummy car seats & seat belts. One of my earliest memories is standing in the front seat of the car.

> Smoking was emulated & encouraged. My dad smoked.

> Unsafe cribs.

> Trampolines without nets.

> No childproofing.

> Walking to & from school alone. Every day from kindergarten thru junior college.

> Going to a friend's house unescorted.

> Chewing sugary bubble gum. Especially the gum that came with baseball cards.

> Cereal with lots of sugar. A highlight of the day.

> Riding bikes without helmets. Always.

> Hitchhiking.

> Playing outside unsupervised all day. Not all day, but mostly every day.

> No sunscreen. Conventional wisdom was that a sunburn would turn into a suntan.

> Drinking from garden hoses. Yeah.

> Sleeping in the back window of the car on road trips. Yeah.

> Coming home to an empty house.

> Spanking & hitting. I got spanked. I don't think I suffered lasting psychological damage.

> Mercurochrome. Torture. Remember bactene?

> Unsafe toys. I don't think they were unsafe, but we played with toy guns.

SOCIALIST ARGUMENTS THAT DESTROY CAPITALISM FOR GOOD *

* Compliments of Babylon Bee

> Socialism was proven to work in the historical documentary, Star Trek.

> You might meet your soulmate in a bread line.

> All the bad examples of socialism aren't socialism, while all the good examples of socialism don't exist yet.

> Jesus was literally a socialist, probably.

> Under Socialism, everyone will get three houses like Bernie Sanders.

> After you work the land, you don't have to worry about where to store the crops since you give it all to the state.

> Eating crickets leads to weight loss-you're gonna look amazing!