My conservative BiL has been surprisingly good about not buying into Trumpness. I think he's hoping it's a momentary aberration on the Right. Which, yeah. Hope is free, I guess. We have biweekly Skype calls, and I get to watch my niece drag him leftward in real time. It's delightful. On the other hand, a cousin who I'd thought better of is posting Blue Lives Matter and Support the Police stuff on Facebook. Makes me tired. Or maybe that's the resurgent insomnia.

ETA:

I raise you a fancy Vegan restaurant that doesn't have desserts.

Boooo! If you can't have meat or dairy you've gotta have dessert. Otherwise you're just paying for someone to punish you via food.

I expect mainstream Republican elected folk will flee trump like the rats they are, but what happens to the foolish followers? How will their beloved talk show hosts spin all this? I fear the gun toting militia types, but the 'average man' follower is going to be without a rudder. I suppose until the next shyster comes along. Why do they believe these guys? It just baffles me. I am baffled.

Also, Skinner was sick all night and I have many piles to deal with after I coffee up. He must have really been sick because he even ran outside a couple times in pouring rain. Poor pup. I fear that the turkey skin I chopped up and put on his food (very little I swear) was too fatty for his delicate system.

On a brighter note, the super long lines in early voting just warm my heart. Trying to suppress the vote seems to be backfiring quite nicely. Stacey Abrams must be so pleased with the turnout in Georgia.

I saw an article that in California, someone is putting up fake ballot deposit boxes ... sigh ....

JenP, glad to hear that you've come through what sounds like a health nightmare. Steph, sorry to hear about your father ... I keep hearing people who don't seem to think women - or "females" - are actually human beings.

In real estate, DC prices still seem to be high. I don't even look at real estate prices; there was a whole movement of people from the suburbs into town, which drove up prices for both renting and buying. I moved this summer and am finally getting my boxes unpacked - I found my tea kettle! - but am still organizing. I like the new place - it's much better managed and maintained than the old one. And a recent op/ed piece by the man who owns the management company was about his father - back in the day - advocating for equal housing opportunity, which made me happy.

It is good to hear you are settling in well, Todd. Moving is always awful, but after so many years that much more complex.

I can't believe how much STUFF I have ... and this is after getting rid of a lot - hundreds of books, bags and bags of clothing. And this move was bad - they managed to break some things and stole at least one ... I'm still going through the suitcase with my jewelry, but it looks like they got some of that. I have to go through the entire mess to find out. sigh .... And I'm still trying to figure out how to light my oven (no pilot light). It's an older model, a Hotpoint 3/4 size (they told me). I don't mind having to light the oven, but the question is where to apply the match. I'm getting tired of cold food.

Oh dear! Gas ovens I have had usually had a small circle opening at the front center to light. Here is a video I found that shows what mine have looked like, about half way through. [link]

Yes, I am trying to go through my stuff and cut down. It is quite the process. I'm really sorry about the broken and stolen items. Are the movers taking any responsibility?

Aw, Toddson, you have reminded me of when I at one point had a Hotpoint fridge and a Frigidaire stove. I am easily amused.

Can you find the model number on your oven? There should be a tag on the oven door. With that googling how to light it should be easier, there are a ton of manuals online. Is it possible you have an igniter? I think my fake wood stove is like that - no pilot light as such but a push button igniter so no match needed either

I'm sitting here, watching the Amy Phony Barrett confirmation hearing, and accidentally developed a new game to play with Republican Senators. It's called, "Wait. I Hate this One the Most!" It's like King of the Castle, but the new challenger always wins, so it's a bit predictable.

Related, we really need congressional term limits. I don't want to live in a gerontocracy.

I am in a lousy, fucking, rotten mood. And I can't help but feel that it's here to stay for the next 22 days.

I feel exactly the same. All I have to offer is that now there are only 21 days. (And whatever nightmare comes after.)

Yup. I just got off the phone with my dad, who said (among other things) that Trump is the one controlling Putin, Trump has kept Covid deaths down, and Trump hasn't done anything to harm women.

I want to believe it's the hallucinations, but no; he's just always been a bigot and I try to ignore that I was raised by someone who doesn't find people of my gender (who he refers to as "females") to actually be human. And, you know, also believes his own facts.

Oh, Teppy.

I didn't mention this last night: Dad said his hallucinations have decreased dramatically, although they're not 100% gone. So that's a very good trend. (Although the willfully ignorant bigotry and misogyny is a very bad trend. [Is it a "trend" if it's lasted 78 years?])