I see lots of positive economic news stories- are they just getting them out of the way so they can tank Biden all summer or is it just undeniable at this point?
Also where the fuck is everyone?
John Cole started Balloon Juice early in 2002. Those who have followed along know that this has been quite the journey.
This post is in: 2024 Elections
I see lots of positive economic news stories- are they just getting them out of the way so they can tank Biden all summer or is it just undeniable at this point?
Also where the fuck is everyone?
by John Cole| 42 Comments
This post is in: John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road", John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"
Many of you have asked how Steve and Maxwell are doing. And the answer is they are doing fine. We kept them segregated in a separate room for two weeks, allowing the dogs to get used to them, and then slowly integrated them. At this point, we have free range kitty all day, and they are given free run of the entire house and back yard. At night time, we put them in their crates, although once or twice we have let Maxwell stay out all night. They’re fine either way.
As to interactions with the dogs, it really is an example of how reacting differently to an environment can have different results. Maxwell is spastic, and for the first couple of weeks spent the entire time hiding and hissing at things and basically being a little punk. Curtis and Jack both completely ignored him, but Thurston, being an asshole, messed with him every time he got riled up.
Maxwell was/is most concerned about the bigger dog, Jack, who has had several cats and we have seen pictures of him lying down with a cat sleeping on top of him. Jack is completely uninterested. But Maxwell acts like the man is after him and freaks out a little every time he sees him. So Maxwell basically slinks and stalks his way through the house, blending into corners and moving under tables and basically mission impossibling the entire house.
Steve, on the other hand, the very first time he walked out of the quarantine room just walked between all three dogs and fucked off into the bedroom and climbed into a pile of clothes in the closet. Just sauntered right through them, completely and totally indifferent. Yesterday, within 30 seconds of each other I watched Maxwell do is highwire act to get around Jack who was creating a logjam near the hollway, and then Steve walked in, saw Jack, and just walked UNDERNEATH HIM to get through the hallway. Like didn’t even pause. Just walked right up and walked underneath him. I swear Jack nodded at him and the old dudes have some sort of aged bro code going on.
And before you ask, Thurston is still alive. He’s losing weight and his coat feels great and he is still a complete and total throbbing asshole.
by John Cole| 99 Comments
This post is in: John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road", John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"
I’m starting to feel a little better- the cold portion of whatever this was is abating and the aches and pains are subsiding and it now just sinus headache. So I got that going for me.
We have lots going on this weekend, to include painting the living room, so I made a big batch of my version of tuscan bean soup and some guac and pico de gallo so that we don’t have to worry about food while we’re working. It’s also bulk trash pickup next week in our zone of Tempe so I am going to be hauling a bunch of stuff she had wanted to get rid of but couldn’t because she is wee. And because you ask me every time and I forget, here is the way I made the tuscan bean soup this time:
In big pot (I just use a dutch oven), brown four italian sausages (mild) that you have cut into 3/4″ coins. When browned, tong out all the meat into a separate bowl.
Deglaze with white wine. Add a diced sweet onion, two minced shallots, a couple stalks of diced celery, couple cloves of minced garlic, 3-4 carrots cut into 1/2″ coins. Push that around the pot with the wine as lube and soak up all the brown stuff.
Add some herbs de provence or italian seasoning and some bay leaves. Throw in a knob of butter. Add some grated pepper. Add a squirt of tomato paste. When you got the veg where you want it, add a quart of vegetable stock, a couple cans of cannellini beans (drained and washed), a can or two of diced tomatoes, and a cup of heavy whipping cream. Throw in a parm rind. I had some fresh thyme I let dry out on the windowsill so I put a little of that in, too.
Let it cook on super low for a couple hours. Don’t forget to throw in a parm rind. Salt and Pepper to taste. It’s a super hearty “meal” soup that is relatively inexpensive, and most of the ingredients are already in a kitchen where a lot of scratch cooking is done. So yer gonna have the mirepoix, the beans and most everything on hand (canned beans are something you should always have a couple of every variety to use when you need and you can always replace them super easy because they go on sale ALL THE TIME so just pick em up then). Basically the sausage and the whipping cream are items you’ll have to pick up. Fresh spinach goes well with it, too.
And yes, the recipe changes slightly every time because it is based on what I have on hand. At any rate, the color Joelle has chosen for her living room is Chartreuse:
I bought a test pint and put some patches up on the wall, the boss ok’d it, and that’s what we are rolling with. Not sure what to do with the trim.
Sposed to be a big rain storm tonight. I plan to sleep right on through it.
by John Cole| 51 Comments
This post is in: John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road", John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"
Sorry I did not post yesterday, but I was sick. Had felt run down and achey for day and the just got wholloped. Went to bed last night at 6:30 and woke up at 8 am. Feel better but still run down. Also love opening up the bills at the end of the month that’s always fucking fun. Pisses me off paying for electric even when I am not there but am on that payment plan you pay the same amount year round because you never know. It’s like you spend the whole month thinking about fun things to do and then the bills come and it’s like “wonder what is on netflix.”
/oldmanyellsatclouds
by John Cole| 58 Comments
This post is in: John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road", John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"
I am tired and cranky and that is all you are gonna get out of me.
by John Cole| 95 Comments
This post is in: John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road", John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"
Another perfect day today weather wise. We did a lot but it doesn’t feel like we did much. We went to breakfast with her friend Buzz who is basically her Tammy and they have been a bonded pair for close to 30 years, and I had never met him before. Went to First Watch which is typical chain breakfast (don’t get eggs benedict the hollandaise is NOT made in house and wretched or if it is made in house that person needs to be fired but probably publicly shamed first).
Then we went to this massive antique mall called the Brass Armadillo with is a lot like the antique market I go to in Steubenville, where it’s just a space filled up with different and mostly unattended dealer lots and you just grab what you want and take it to the people up front and they sort out who the money goes to. Ironically enough given our thread the other day I discovered a couple caches of Revere Ware and I briefly entertained picking up a couple more pieces and then just taking the stuff she had to goodwill or to anyone who would take it. Still might, they had a bunch so I can think on it.
Pretty much just browsed there for a while, then went home and just sat outside on the patio for a couple hours. That was nice.
Joelle is trying to downsize/rightsize her furniture situation, so we were hitting these places for the right piece and the right price, and at 4 pm we drove to an estate sale where Joelle had arranged to pick up a MCM hutch and credenza, precisely what she needed. We have to go pick that up next Saturday.
Other than that, we had… fajitas again. I could honestly eat them every day, and it was the best kind of dinner- already cooked and already paid for. Now it’s off to the couch. I see that Taylor Swift’s boyfriend won his sportsball game.
*** Update ***
I am such a clown, I forgot that at the second place, the estate sale, I was standing there minding my own business when out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of red so I went over and looked and there was this beauty of an office chair obscured by sold stuff:
It was not yet sold so I snatched that bad boy up for 50 bucks like I was robbing someone. Damned this is every bit of 50 lbs and all that solid metal base and thick ass pleather. Could not pass that up. Could probably list it on ebay for several hundred and flip it in a week if it wasn’t an item that wasn’t perfect for her tastes.
I’m sitting in it right now. They used to have this in the old computer lab in the 70’s with those steel desks that weighed 50000 lbs and I always though they were the ibm model m of chairs. It says that it is a Sturgis or at least there was a patent for sturgis pedestal chairs on it but other than that I have no idea what it is. I’d wager it is at least as old as me.
by John Cole| 56 Comments
This post is in: John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road", John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"
Absolutely lovely day here in Tempe- just perfect weather. I love being able to walk around her back yard with no shirt on and let the air and sun hit me. And yes, she has an 8′ fence so I am not horrifying the entire neighborhood.
Now that you have that visual in your head, we’ll move on and let you savor it a bit more. Now think of the photo of me in the bandanna/fishnet stocking sleep apnea mask. Swish those thoughts around a while. Good stuff.
At any rate Joelle and I did not get the living room done, although we did go through all the drawers and gathered all important paperwork and got rid of all the old electronics attachments that were decades past usefulness. At one point we were in the kitchen and I said “I think I’m pretty much done in the kitchen.” ANd I am. I have it to the point that it is a serviceable, functioning kitchen- yoiu could basically make anything you wanted in here, AND I have it organized in a way that makes sense for Joelle’s way of thinking and categorizing information, and not only that, I have everything at hobbit height. We’re both very excited about that (and Joelle sincerely is this is not just me being a crazy person and speaking for her).
We also did a bunch of other stuff around the house, changed the sheets, Joelle did a bunch of laundry, etc., so as our reward we went to this place called the Dirty Drummer. It’s a pretty great little place.
It’s basically a dive bar/burger joint with a stage carved out, and they have live music. It feels like a rockabilly bar right out of SoCal, and the clientele play the part. The whole thing feels very Tarantinoesque, and back in the day when I was on the bottle it would have been a nice beer place before going out for the real drinking. The kind of place where they would unironically drink Schlitz and Brian Setzer would be on heavy rotation on the jukebox.
They had a band from San Diego playing, and they were fun, and I had a reuben and tator tots and the lady had some wings. It was very good, and they had an impressive flat top and a well oiled crew.
We’re home now and I am struggling to keep my eyes open.
*** Update ***
I forgot to upload the picture!