Wow, American pope. If he thinks JD Vance is a prick, that's good enough for me.

Yep

Wow, American pope. If he thinks JD Vance is a prick, that's good enough for me.

Exactly. But I appreciate that he had Pope Francis's support -- I really admired the way he lived and what he preached, as well as his bone-deep kindness. Says the lapsed Presbyterian atheist, of course.

Francis was the best pope of my lifetime, but he still headed up one of the most corrupt institutions in the history of Western Civilization. One which normalized sexually abusing children and the cruelties and exploitation of the Magdelane Sisters and provided ratlines for Nazis and enriched themselves at the expense of the poor and fostered so many tortured guilty consciences for gays and women and...you know the score.

I'm happy for a Less Harmful Pope, but fuck the Catholic church. Fancy robes do not mitigate the evil and human suffering it is responsible for.

I killed the thread with my Catholic Church enmity.

It's a glorious sunny day in San Francisco, and I got out of the house early to see the long morning shadows in the Panhandle. I wandered down to the bakery, taking pictures of flowers and sky, and got a freshly baked, and oh-so-delicious ham and cheese croissant, which I ate in the park with a medium latte.

Today I have Pilates at noon and then taking Emmett and Matilda out to lunch. A good way to end the week.

Although raised Catholic, it has been many decades since I associated with them. Yes, they are awful, but I've seen a whole lot of awful from quite a few organized religions, so not a fan in general.

Trying to be more serious about my health again, including dieting and working out, and trying to do things right. My doctors say that when you get to my age without having any of the biggies (heart disease, diabetes, cancer), you probably will get to 100. I expect that is the case, but every single issue I do have with my health is directly associated with my weight, so it has to be fixed. I'm pretty solid with Keto now, and swimming. I need to get back to my hip PT daily again. It's not a lot to ask of myself to just go down the elevator to the pool and gym once a day.

I think I am solid on the diet. When I visited my sister for her birthday, I didn't have the pie or cake, or anything else they snacked on, and we had salads when we ate out. Keto does take away the hunger and food noise so that is a big help.

Nope, kind of second that emotion, Hecubus. Got another rejection slip...it bums me out.

I'm pretty solid with Keto now, and swimming. I need to get back to my hip PT daily again. It's not a lot to ask of myself to just go down the elevator to the pool and gym once a day.

Just imagine me as a little tiny Mariachi band that is playing for you every time you head to the elevator. I cheer you on with "Spanish Flea": [link]

I think I am solid on the diet. When I visited my sister for her birthday, I didn't have the pie or cake, or anything else they snacked on, and we had salads when we ate out. Keto does take away the hunger and food noise so that is a big help.

I took Emmett & Matilda to a yakitori for lunch because it's skewers of meat cooked over flame. Very easy to stay protein heavy.

Is Matilda now more critical about the Japanese cuisine she encounters in San Francisco?

Is Matilda now more critical about the Japanese cuisine she encounters in San Francisco?

Actually she said the chicken karaage we had at lunch was exactly the way her host mom made it.

I have no doubt that there is ramen in Japan that's better than Marufuku Ramen in Japantown - but I didn't manage to find it while I was there.

We have really good Japanese food in SF, and a lot of the stuff Matilda likes best isn't like high end sushi but Japanese curry and Yakitori and Udon and Katsu Don and Onigiri. Not exactly fast food but the equivalent of diner food.

All the Japanese food in SF is made by Japanese chefs and families. It's not a super whitey version.

I haven't been able to find the duck ramen she had in Japan though, so there's plenty I missed.

All right, show of hands: How many of you, upon seeing a restaurant sign reading

Monster Chimichangas 10.99 5-6PM

would have immediately wondered "what kind of monsters are they made from?" like I did?