Sunday, November 3, 2024

The Long Days.

 We did not have wild turkey today, as you may have gleaned from my replies to comments yesterday. We had chili instead, the first chili of the season. Tim got up early Saturday and high-tailed it out there to where the turkeys had roosted. As he approached the hemlock, he saw that they were already on the ground. He did not want to risk getting closer and frightening them off, and it was too far to take a chance on a shot. So...he chose to leave them be so that they would (hopefully) continue to come back to the hemlock to roost. Fall turkey season lasts one week, so he has until the 9th.

So...I stayed at home working on chili, and putzing around. Tim came home from church, ate lunch headed up to his hunting spot with his son to change the direction of his tree stand and to talk 'hunting'. 

Tomorrow is a funeral. It is also a city council meeting at 6 PM. In September, we received news from the city lawyer, the city was going to settle with us. We were told that it had to be done correctly...that it had to appear on the agenda, and the discussion and ensuing vote had to be recorded in the minutes. We were told that this was all a formality, that the discussion had already happened informally, and that it was a matter of doing things according to protocol. We were relieved...except that they have never put it on the agenda. It has never been discussed and recorded in the minutes. The vote has never happened. 

I see in tomorrow's meeting, right after roll call, there is an acknowledgement of guests and the floor is opened to public comment. At this point, I've e-mailed the lawyer to tell him that I planned to be present at that meeting and to speak, unless he had any strong opinion why I shouldn't. I also e-mailed the city admin office to make sure that it is possible for me to attend the meeting at this point. 

It will never stop rankling me that a city who bragged about having $4 million at their disposal should be able to simply ignore this situation for months. We have provided them written correspondence and copies of bills, and received no response from the city. We hired a lawyer in June. We finally got an agreement in September, which it now appears that they will simply ignore as long as possible. How is that right? If I ignored my tax bill to the city, they'd take care of that in short order. There would be a lien on my house. If I ignore a parking ticket, they send a constable to the house. There would be interest and penalties accruing for late payments.

Argh! 

So...I will attend the viewing with my family, and I will duck out to attend this meeting at 6PM. Hopefully, I will be given first chance to speak, and be able to scoot right out of there and get back in time to attend the funeral at 7 PM.

Initially, it struck us as an odd time for a funeral, 7PM on a Monday, but Tuesday is election day, and it is important for people to be home in time to cast their votes. She was a beloved mother and grandmother and daughter and sister and wife. Some folks have quite a drive, so the time makes perfect sense in that light. This is an important election. 

I will be glad when that election is done. A lot of people are afraid of what will happen after the election. I'm not. I can't even worry that far ahead. 

First the election. At least that will stop all the political ads. They are getting worse by the day. 

2020 was a real nailbiter for me, but in the end, tRUMP lost, and eventually things settled down. I have to believe that 2024 will work out the same. I saw an encouraging thing...I live in a red county, but the last 'map' I saw showed it as pink, which means it is no longer so strongly republican, and I can say that I've seen more democratic signs in yards than I've ever seen, which is encouraging. 

We shall see, people. We shall see. The polls close at 8. Then the tallying begins. I will hold my breath and I will wait. I really don't expect to see this settled, not right away and I doubt that I will sit and watch election night coverage. In the words of the star spangled banner, I will simply get up the next morning and see if the flag held through the night. 


45 comments:

  1. I wish you luck at the meeting. It really is difficult to fight city hall but you're almost there.

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    1. It's just aggravating that they hold us to standards that they will not themselves be held to.

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  2. It must be infuriating to go through even more with your claim. You could well be in a position to sue the city, not that you would want to go through that.

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    1. It is infuriating, Andrew. They are not acting in good faith and I guess we just expected that they would.

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  3. Well I hope it works out - it sounds a bit tricky that it’s not on the agenda and no mention of the decision,. Jean in Winnipeg

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    1. The lawyer says he has assurances in writing from the city's lawyer, so that's something, I suppose.

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  4. I was the Fiscal Officer of my township for many years, and also of the Fire District. Both are the lowest rank of legal political entities. All governments in Ohio function under Ohio Revised Code. All business of the entity must be conducted in public, in a public meeting, minutes taken and recorded. No business can be conducted, discussed, acted upon except in a public meeting. A gathering of two or more officials is an unauthorized, unrecorded public meeting if any business is discussed. Penalties are stiff.
    I know Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth and I do not know what regulates a commonwealth. I cannot believe it is legal to conduct business in other than an open, advertised meeting.
    Best wishes.

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    1. Closed meetings can be used to discuss litigation, and make a plan. Supposedly the plan has been made. They simply are not moving on to handle it in an open meeting.

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  5. This election has been very stressful. It is worrying people in other countries.

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    1. I don't think a lot of people even see that, Red.

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  6. I think I waited until morning the last two times. I can tell you that my heart sank in 2016, but I wasn’t surprised after the Comey bomb.

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    1. You know, I had to look that up. I'd forgotten about that little thing. So many people have attempted to align themselves with power and it has, almost without exception, come back to bite them. Comey was no different.

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  7. All the best for your meeting and the opportunity to call out the recalcitrant council. And for a suitable result to the election. I’m biting my nails watching from far off New Zealand. Margaret

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  8. Best of luck on both counts 🤞

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    1. A lot going on, isn't there? And here I sit at 3:30 in the morning...

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  9. It's an anxious time all round for you. Good luck with it all.

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    1. It's not a anxiety, really. It's just this overwhelming drive to be done. Just git 'r done, in the venacular of my people. LOL.

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  10. Everything crossed for you in regards both political outcomes Debby - and sympathy for your loss. I have just had a visit with my parents and my father chooses to be poisoned by Sky News. Every person that I know who has a bit of political nouse and a worldwide view is very concerned about the Oompa Loompa. It keeps me awake too.

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    1. We live in strange days. I'm sorry you have your version of Fox news there. That really does poison people's minds, to the point that they'll point to everyone else and claim that we are victims of 'mainstream media'.

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  11. 100 percent I will not be watching any news coverage of the election. This whole outrageous dt thing has sickened me to my core. I have lost some friends over it, and I am not sad that I have. May the Force be with you, Debby, at the meeting. It all comes down to holding people accountable for what they clearly are supposed to do; if we don't stand our ground, we are simply run over. Some people do not have it in them to fight the big fight, and I think that agencies of all types factor this in. No consequences for them, so they sally on, doing what they do. It's not right. And that doesn't always seem to matter. Grrrrr.

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    1. Oooh...don't get me started. It seems to me in this day and age, that there is a great love of power. And once people have power, they seem to have great difficulty using that power appropriately.

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    2. Sigh, I could get started, too. It is my belief that we are a nation, and a world, of wounded children, in the bodies of adults. If we are not taught how to emotionally regulate as children, and most of us are not because our parents were not taught, and their parents, then the damage just continues. The only way for anyone to deal with pain is to lash out at others, especially if you have power. HOWEVER, there are those of us who are working to heal our wounds so that we don't work our shit out ON others. And I pray with a fervency that I don't usually have that Kamala will reign, and the healing for the U.S. can begin.

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  12. Part of my "right" leaning tendencies is always due tot he inefficiencies that governments represent. From you small town city government to the one that governs our nation, nearly everything when investigated, is a model of inefficiency. Thus I always have a hard time understanding why people want to give them more money or more power to control our lives. Of course, private companies are no better and for many things, someone has to do it in the end, but it always rankles me at how much waste governments of all sizes waste.

    Hopefully you get time to say your peace and hopefully it provokes a response in your favor.

    I'll probably sit up and watch the election results, per my tradition, though I'm fairly certain with as many mail in ballots and some of the obtuse election rules the "right" has passed in some states, mine included, that I will be like you, going to bed and looking for the flag the following day. My prediction though is that I might have to stay in bed until Thursday before I can see that it is waving on one side of the field or the other.

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    1. I hope to see the dust settling by week's end as well. You remind me of a relative. He hates government in all forms. His words. But the fact of it is this: government is necessary. Rules are necessary. Hating government is a simple cop out, which gives the person a right to bitch about all government, on and on into perpetuity. I accept it as fact that there will always be some facet of government that annoys me to no end. It's the way of it. However, I will choose the candidate who is not actively choosing to impinge on my own freedom to be part of this imperfect system.

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    2. I don't hate the government. I just wish it did what it does best, protect our interests as a nation on the world stage, keep our infrastructure in working order and provide a basic framework from which the states and the people can build upon as they see fit. My only problem is that many look for it to run aspects of our lives it was never designed to run and it shows in how it actually runs those things. We get $1000 hammers or Nigerians receiving $8 million in FEMA disaster funds.

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  13. This issue with the city is seemingly endless. Good for you for going and speaking up.
    And was that venison chili you made? I have made vats of that stuff.

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    1. It was indeed, Ms. Moon. I had three packages of venison left, and I used one of them in the making of that chili. I love that you knew that!

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  14. You go, Girl! I'm glad you are going to the meeting to speak up for yourself and I hope you finally get results, Debby. I'm with you on holding my breath and hoping for the best results - Blue landslide!

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    1. From your lips to God's ears, Ellen D.

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  15. Well it's sure not chili season here yet. When I set out on my walk this morning (at 6:30) it was in the mid-70s and very muggy. I don't think I've ever cooked wild turkey, but for years I always cooked wild goose for Thanksgiving. (along with a store-bought turkey)

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    1. I have never eaten goose before. Is it a dry meat?

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    2. I think it could be, but it wasn't the way I prepared it. I'd cook it the day before Thanksgiving, then take it off the bone to be reheated the next day in its own broth. Depending on the type of goose, they can be fairly fatty, so I'd first steam it in a basket on the stove to cook off some of the fat. Then I'd put it in a dutch oven with apple, onion, beef broth, and seasonings to cook several hours at a low temperature. Now you know more than you probably wanted to! 🪿 It's VERY dark meat and I didn't really care for it, but my family loved it.

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    3. I have heard that domestic goose is fat, but that like a lot of game meats, wild goose is quite lean. I am always interested in things that I haven't tried before.

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    4. We normally hunted speckled-bellies, but sometimes came home with snow geese or Canadas. The snow geese are the "greasiest". I don't think I've ever seen a goose in a grocery store! I don't even see duck in stores here.

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  16. Fingers crossed the right person wins, it effects us all of course, there is a lot of tension around.

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    1. Yes. I think we are such a self centered nation that people fail to see how our politics affect the world.

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  17. We hear as much about your election as we do about our own. I'm just glad that here there is always a peaceful changeover. I saw that the police are preparing for rioting in parts of the US .

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    1. I am not surprised. There have been three ballot boxes set on fire out west. It's already begun. I think what will make all the difference though is that tRUMP is not in Washington DC to ramp up his troops. He can try it from afar, but I don't think it's going anywhere.

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  18. Municipal governments can be a real pain. No excuse for them dragging this out so long. I don't think we're gonna have a landslide, but I do think she's going to have a comfortable win. The MAGATs will lose their s**t and the orange gibbon will rant & rave but I don't think he's going to get anywhere. Biden is ready for him. Time to turn the page on that lunatic and move on.

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    1. I have to tell you, the media needs to stop interviewing him. Once he's been voted out, his POV does not matter anymore.

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  19. Even in my reliably blue state, our governor has mobilized the National Guard in case of violence. All of it makes me nervous and stressed but I've voted and donated. What else can I do? (besides fret, my superpower-LOL)

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    1. Well, have those ballot box fires been in your neck of the woods? I'm not worried. I'm getting up early tomorrow. Tim has a doctor's appointment, and so we're going to be over at the voting site when it opens. We don't know how the crowds will be, but we want to try to beat any lines, if we can.

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  20. How does wild turkey compare to commercial turkeys? I gave up on turkey years ago, too much work, not enough taste. We do miss gravy. I finally found an article on line that explained the ratio between fat, flour and stock, and from then on I was a turkey gravy maven. I hope she wins, I can't stand four more years of him, or RFKJr being in charge of women's health (Hah!!) or anything else.

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    1. Wild turkey is much drier. It doesn't have the juice of a store bought bird. The best way we have found to cook it is to put it in a pan, and lay lots of good quality thick cut bacon across it. The bacon keeps the meat moister, but also it gives the turkey meat an awfully nice smoked turkey flavor.

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I'm glad you're here!

The Old Fellas

It seems as if our snow is done, at least for this round. Tim went up to go hunting. He got another deer, so he's pretty pleased. Do we ...