- Standard and Poor’s has reduced the United States’ credit rating from AAA to AA+. That’s still pretty good unless your country’s currency is the standard for international trading, which the dollar is, but maybe not for a lot longer.
- The rating company said part of the reason it made the rating reduction was the bickering and brinksmanship on the part of the White House, Senate and House. So, naturally, reacting to this news, the Democrats and Republicans blamed each other.
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Well, I answered my own question about what I considered premature back to school sales. School started the first week in August at least in some parts of Georgia and it starts this week in Florida.
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Encouraging news: when I went to the store, a little boy was standing near his parents’ car and without being told, he got way out of my way as I pulled in to park. On the other hand, three adults walked behind my truck as I was backing out.
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Summer is over. On Friday, I was at Home Depot and they had a big rack of flowers for sale in front of the store; a big rack of mums!
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While I was at Home Depot, the skies opened up and we had a cloudburst. After I paid for the stuff I needed there were lots of people standing under the overhang at the front of the store. But I’m not water soluble, so I walked to my truck, and came home. I wouldn’t do that around here in February, but it is August so I might as well enjoy it.
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I’m pretty sure now that the format problems I’ve encountered with this blog are due to the fact that I’ve been posting to the blog using more than one Internet browser.
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I know I’m part of a very small minority of US men here, but I don’t like football. I understand it, I even played it badly as a kid, but I don’t like it.
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I don’t like reality TV either, nor do I understand it.
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I didn’t have to empty the attic entirely to have the electricians do away with knob and tube wiring. I did get most of the stuff out though. Before we put anything back, my wife, daughter, and I have agreed to throw away a few more things that are still up there and to throw away some stuff rather than take it back upstairs.
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Progress report on the remodeling: I’ve painted the ceilings in the hallway, foyer, one bedroom and the living room. I’ve installed the pot lights in the hallway and the ceiling fan in the living room. I had an electrical inspection, but have to be re-inspected because I took down some of the ceiling fixtures so I could paint. I’ve put them back, so I’m ready for another inspection. I have also stained all the woodwork that needs staining, but I have to put urethane or varnish on it to finish the job. Once that’s done, I can paint the walls in every room except the kitchen and the two bathrooms.
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We pulled up the carpet in the living room and found lovely, inlaid hardwood floors. They’re badly stained and need some minor repair though, so I’m getting a floor finisher in to tell me if they can be saved.
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The thing that’s going to take the most effort is paying the electrician. With all the knob and tube wiring we found and replaced, that bill comes to around $4,000!
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The Lowe’s I was in last week had a deal going where they would install overhead light fixtures throughout your whole house for $249. That doesn’t include the cost of any new wiring. I have six overhead light fixtures in my house and I’d replace them myself before I’d pay anyone $249 to do it for me.
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I love to go to the beach and I have a pass to get into the beach for free, but I’ve only been once this year. I’m going to fix that this week.
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You’ve probably read that all-time record high temperatures were reported in various places across the USA something like 9,000 times in the month of July. But I also read a story in the Las Vegas Review Journal kind of complaining that it hasn’t reached 110 degrees in Las Vegas even once this summer.
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