An... adventure? in Book Seven: Reconstruction 2020

So… one of the things I promised myself I would do with this “quarantine time” is to tackle my reliance on alcohol. I would say that it is okay or not that bad but… Sunday, I drank one drink. Good on me. The night before? I killed an entire whiskey bottle. The night before that? An entire margarita bottle. SO… I decided I would take active intentional steps to make healthier choices. AND if it helped me lose weight, get sexy, or feel more physically fit in general or in the bedroom?? So much the better!

That being said? Sunday, I gave Nala a 3 mile walk. Last night, I gave Nala a 75 minute walk… difficult to guess the mileage but between 3 and 4 miles most likely. After which, I played outside with her, cooked dinner, cleaned my car and bedroom and basement and did laundry. Then decided to tackle

I… didn’t make it very far.

During the 3 sets of 20 knee strikes, I kept almost stepping on Nala… who was dancing around me and jumping thinking that I was playing a new game. After knee strike 60, my legs were barely able to keep me upright. Then I started on the squat punches. My legs REALLY wanted to quit there and I started feeling like vomiting was inevitable. As I lay down to do push ups, Nala was CERTAIN this was playtime. So as I did my first ten, Nala was licking my face, my hands, my arms, my legs. As I started my second ten, she started getting aggressive with a push, “PLAY! PLAY!” So I thought, “I have to get her outside now.” On the walk upstairs, I could barely make it. I legitimately had concerns that I’d have to sleep downstairs simply because I couldn’t complete the trek up these damned stairs! Got her outside. Tried to finish the second set of 10 pushups. No luck. Then I did have to puke.

SO… not that it is at all surprising I guess but without access to a gym, plus a sedentary job, depression, increased alcohol intake… yeah. I guess I’m not exactly in fighting shape right now. Something to extremely work on!

So, you may have noticed that while I am typically vociferous about President Douche, the last time I wrote anything specific here about him/the campaign was approximately one week ago. That was not out of horror at the debates last Tuesday nor was it out of respect when Trump fell ill. Frankly, those are both events I would have absolutely jumped on! But between jury prep and my own little issues, I simply haven’t had the time or energy. That’s still the case but I do have to say this

Walter Reed is a military hospital that serves a military function FIRST and a medical function SECOND. If the words of Commander Sean Conley seemed confusing and more like a shill for the president than a doctor? You have it right there in his title. He isn’t Doctor Conley. He isn’t Commander Doctor Conley. He is Commander. Therefore under the same obligations of office that anyone in the military would be. Which is to obey the Commander in Chief and do as he says… unless your ethical obligation to the Constitution says otherwise. WELL it has been very apparent these last four years that too many people in places of power see their obligation to the Constitution means “If his demands to lie go too far, quit.” COMMANDER Conley openly misled and hid the truth because his Commander in Chief required it. In fact, everything about Trump’s COVID weekend is underlined by this concept of “The King was in his Court”. WH staff released multiple photos showing “Donald working hard despite being in the hospital” but the datametrics showed (a) all of the pictures were taken within 10 minutes of each other; and (b) piss poor prop management. This last one is described that way for the sake of humor. Several of the papers Trump was ‘diligently working on and signing’ were, but for the signature he was filmed adding, BLANK. Which is humorous and we say piss poor prop management because both through my time in the theater and through my friends still in the industry… there is a damned obvious theatrical rule: never use a blank prop if writing is expected. It doesn’t matter if this is Stage, TV, or Film. One wrong angle, one wrong bit of lighting, any possibility for the audience to SEE that the prop is blank… is piss poor prop management… which is what the President’s people did.

Then… the first of the disastrous and disrespectful fucking stunts. WHILE hospitalized with a highly contagious, pandemic level virus, that has killed over 1 million people globally… Trump decided to do a little “motorcade parade”. First: NO DOCTOR not under military command structures would have allowed a hospitalized patient to do a “Queen’s Wave Parade” while admitted to the damned hospital. That’s bad for the patient and makes the hospital look fucking stupid. Second, you have someone ACTIVELY experiencing (allegedly) COVID and you’ve put him in a vehicle (so no social distancing) elevating the risk to his Secret Service and Driver. ALL so Trump could try to project the “Tough Guy Machismo Persona” he so admires in Putin.

Next… while he, allegedly, “cleared the qualifications to be discharged” (remember, from a hospital based on Military Command Structure not Medical Best Practices), the doctors still subtly urged (so I would say Openly Implied) that Trump may want to stay in the hospital, or take it easy for a while, because while he was being discharged he’s still only 4 or 5 days from first symptoms so his condition could worsen and he’s still super contagious. BUT OF COURSE Trump didn’t/doesn’t listen to that. Trump has been saying it ALL YEAR that he doesn’t trust doctors and is really “a science genius” because his uncle was one (and this is painfully true) so Donald has openly said he is a scientific genius because it is in his blood, in his genetics. EUGENIC DEVOTION. This man thinks that because his relatives were smart or great or successful… THAT is all he needs. Because genetics controls EVERYTHING and the only way to get the world “right” is to (1) promote the good genes; (2) eradicate the bad genes. If we were discussing cancer? Okay. But we’re discussing people… so very much NOT OKAY. So, Trump says “Whatever, it’s my hot body, I’ll do what I want.” And is discharged.
At which point he says people don’t need to worry about COVID. REALLY?! REALLY DONALD?? Like… Herman Cain who caught COVID at one of your superspreader rallies?? A wealthy man who could afford excellent health care and yet still died of COVID… no worries? Dar’Yana Dyson, 15 years old, dead by COVID… no worries? Jose Reyes, 54 years old, dead by COVID… no worries? Valentina Blackhorse, 28 years old, dead by COVID… no worries? John Leake Jr, 40 years old, dead by COVID… no worries? Wogene Debele, 43 years old, dead by COVID… no worries? And here’s the interesting thing… yes, White People are dying, too. Most of the list I found sharing stories and heartbreak? White People who died of this were largely over 60. All of the dead under that? Were Black, Latinx, Indigenous, or immigrants. SO… again, friends… listen to WHO and WHAT Donald cares about. Fuck old people, fuck BIPOC communities. As long as angry, affluent White people vote for him… “don’t worry about COVID”. It is his eugenic utopia as it spreads through all the people, killing those he deems genetically inferior.

And finally? As he returned to the White House… a place with a large staff, secret service workers, and various essential government employees… Trump “triumphantly ripped his mask off before entering.” Now there’s intentionally stupid, there’s reckless, and then there’s THAT. You were just released from the hospital. You are still ACTIVELY sick, allegedly. You are still VERY CONTAGIOUS. The barest fucking minimum would be to wear your mask so as not to infect EVEN MORE government employees. Because, and this needs to be remembered VERY CLEARLY… the Rose Garden event that got a shit ton of RNC people sick with COVID? Government Health Care takes care of them. ALL the people working for Trump that he gets infected? Government Health Care takes care of them. AND YET this is the same RNC that is actively, passionately, zealously trying to make it harder for the average American to receive health care… while also telling you not to worry about COVID, that COVID is a hoax, that the whole thing is a China Virus that we don’t need to be concerned about. And if that doesn’t piss you off? I can’t help you!

As to work??

WELL..........
got a little more information on the Out of County Case I had so many phone calls about yesterday. SEE, FOLKS… this is why I wish phone calls into this office were also about communicating ideas instead of simply getting me to do things. Because if I had the information, I could have been more helpful. Just having the, “What are you going to do about it?” doesn’t put me in a great fucking position!
Quick Story: 19 year old has been carrying on a romantic and sexual relationship with a 13 year old. They’re “in love” and refuse to comply with the law. All of this in a different county. They arrest him, charge him, he gets out on bond. But they’re so in love! SO… even while OUT ON BOND FOR HAVING SEX WITH THIS GIRL… he comes to my county where the girl is babysitting and they have sex… in the house where she’s babysitting. BAD BABYSITTER! This is why it is in our county and goes beyond simply a No Contact Order Violation. NONE of that information that I had until this morning.
BUT here’s the deal. In this other county? Kid is getting 20 years. I’m… not willing to give him MORE time than that. So sure, confess to the crime here and nothing happens to you. But frankly? I don’t know… maybe this is me being an asshole or just feeling tired but....
I find myself starting to reconsider some of the elements for something like this.
Because the 58 year old that was molesting his adopted daughter?? He’s getting 30 years. This 19 year old having sex with a 13 year old? He’s getting 20 years. And YES I appreciate that in the State of Iowa, she could not legally give her consent to this 19 year old… and yes, I don’t want older kids/men manipulating little girls into sexual relationships. ALL OF THAT IS TRUE. And the difference between a 19 and 13 year old IS significant as compared to the difference between a 36 and 30 year old. But I don’t know. Putting the 19 year old in prison when he was sexually molesting the girls he was supposed to be babysitting? NO problem throwing him in prison for 20 years. But this kid? I just… it doesn’t feel right to throw this kid into prison for the same amount of time.

In other work news, it is good that the AUGH stress of having so much to do is a good motivator for me! BECAUSE I knew so much was coming up, my instinct is “Okay, do now what you can that is attached to a deadline NOT related to the impending stress.” That way, yes, it is MORE stress but it is a distraction from the primary stress! lol. ANYWAY, last week to defer Jury Stress, I reviewed all the pending Charge Cases and filed charges. This week, with one eye on the ticking clock, I had scheduled my first two hours of the day to review charges again (anticipating multiple charges between beginning of last week and beginning of this week). AND… yes, there are multiple Charging Documents that need to be finished. Not a one of them is mine! Good to know! Preparation coming in handy!

So the rest of my morning is dedicated to preparing for Thursday. Which is… how many hearings/cases/trials?
26 hearings and 5 trials. But, as always, the big question is… how many Pro Se? Because if an attorney is involved? I can communicate, prepare, and work to resolve BEFORE Thursday. Pro Se clients aren’t as… helpful, in that area.
9 Hearings and 5 trials. So… I’m going to have 17 cases with no attorney. Hopefully… things go… smoothly?

Tonight looks to be a touch crazy but only because of my own laziness. I’ve kept my resolution/my word. The only portion of my house that I allow to get “out of hand” is the kitchen. Even still, once a week, I want to make sure I go through and take care of that Out Of Hand Place. Tonight is the night for that. I don’t relish or look forward to it, obviously. One of the biggest struggles is simply building the motivation to tackle it gung-ho! But that is my evening.
(1) Walk the Dog
(2) Play with the Dog
(3) Microwave Meal as Thoroughly Clean Kitchen
(4) Dishes by Hand if Dishwasher Full
(5) Clean Out Refrigerator
(6) Set Out Trash and Recycle
(7) Exercise (Finish Bond, if possible)

I realize it’s been a while since I showed off the adorable Puppy Princess… the Hound Hime… so here she is right before she got to go for last night’s walk!