This is Day 259 of The First Ohio Shutdown, Day 19 of Ohio’s Curfew Kerfuffle and Day 195 of The America Biden Voters Prefer.
We’re fine on this Monday.
Deb and I were raised by a generation that was just coming of age on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Americans who grasped the gravity of what happened 79 years ago today. The attack on Pearl Harbor, and the world war that followed, changed them.
It also revealed who they could be — The Greatest Generation.
As kids we were schooled by our elders in purposeful sacrifice and unapologetic Americanism. We heard their stories of gathering next to radios to hear FDR urging the country to action, of dusting off family rifles and bringing them to school to practice on a shooting range which the week before had been a gymnasium, of rolling up sleeves and enlisting to fight, or of going to work in the factories to support the war effort.
These days it’s common to hear it said that September 11, 2001 is “our Pearl Harbor.” The parallel is natural, I suppose, but I’m here to tell you that it’s an insult to The Greatest Generation. The truth is that we have no idea.
With the exception of committed Americans who interrupted young and comfortable lives to serve in the war against radical Islamist terror — and they all deserve our gratitude — what’s happened to this country since 9/11 is disgraceful. We’ve sacrificed, sure, but what we’ve given up has made us less American.
And don’t get me started on our response to a virus with a 99% survival rate.
On this December 7th, then, we should honor The Greatest Generation without polluting the observance with the shame we bring on their legacy.
As I predicted yesterday, Ohio’s Fearmonger-In-Chief today announced that the state’s 10pm curfew, which was set to end on Thursday, “is going to have to be extended.” He offered no details, nor did he provide a scientific rationale either for the curfew or its extension.
What, then, did he say?
“We are now in a very dangerous stage.” If you’ve been paying attention, that’s the same tub he’s thumped for nine months now. The spot we’re in is always dangerous, doncha know, or precarious, or critical, or something awful.
Apparently feeling the need to be even gloomier today, he added, “December, January, February are looking very tough.”
Always with the fear.
Richard Michael DeWine is a source of noise, not leadership. He reminds us daily that we are not “in this together.”
Temps here at Second Chance Ranch stayed in the low 30s all day today. Snow was in the air, off and on, some of it collecting in cracks and crevices. Deb and I turned Ernie’s heat on, ducked inside and continued the nesting process.
She’d given the fridge a deep-cleaning over the last few days, but lingering funk in the freezer led us to a decision — today I removed the original-equipment icemaker and tossed it in the trash. Notoriously difficult to maintain and, once contaminated, even harder to clean, we bid a heartfelt “good riddance” to a complication we don’t need. We’ll happily use simple ice-cube trays.
Later I settled at the helm and started making it my own. That began with cleaning all surfaces, of course, and then either relocating or removing items that don’t suit me — unnecessary mounts and numerous patches of stick-on velcro, for example. I tidied up some of the under-dash wiring and, with Deb’s help, I re-routed a couple of audio cables from my side of the flight deck to hers.
I disconnected the old CB radio and pulled it out, setting it aside while we decide what to do. I’m not sure if we’ll reinstall it, replace it with an all-in-one handset or do without. We may go with an entirely different radio-communications setup. We’ll see.
The most oddly satisfying part of my work in the coach today was time spent laying on my back under the dashboard, my head shoehorned between the steering column and the pedals, peering up behind the radio and HVAC controls. The contortion helped me confirm that there’s nothing in the way of installing a RAM mount on a blank area of the dash — nothing behind it, and very solid. That was a most excellent discovery, because it clears the way for setting up the helm just the way I want it.
The day ended with a visit from a like-minded friend who’ll be helping us with some of the interior electronics. The three of us evaluated the current scheme, brainstormed alternatives and settled on a plan. It won’t be fancy, just useful, and we’re looking forward to seeing it take shape.
Such is our life these days. We’re making steady progress on our plan, and we’re havin’ an ever-lovin’ ball with it.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #OhioAgainstDeWine