Ridiculosity

 I started the week with some optimism. January 4 marked 125 years of Utah statehood! A lot of the media coverage talked about the celebrations that erupted on January 4, 1896, but they didn't mention that the formal celebrations took place on January 6. (It took some time to work out logistics!)

We welcomed a new Utah governor. Spencer Cox is a wonderful man of true character and integrity; the ceremony took place in St. George because he wants to represent all Utahns. The anti-maskers were protesting at the inauguration, which shows that we picked the right guy. The anti-maskers deserve to never be happy as long as they remain anti-maskers. In a world where you can be a Spencer Cox Republican or a Donald Trump Republican, you should always be a Spencer Cox Republican.

That evening, there was a celebratory broadcast on TV. I tuned in, but it wasn't great; it was just local performers and was meant to support them. I'm all for supporting local; I just didn't think it was must-see TV. 

Then, there were fireworks in all twenty-nine counties. I parked my car in Eaglewood so I could see Farmington's fireworks from a distance. I saw them, though it was a little boring watching them from such a distance alone in my car. (You just have to do things to make this bland time of year a little less bland!) The radio was supposed to provide a fireworks soundtrack, but the music started right as the fireworks ended.

Then the next day, I just happened to find my first-grade art project from Utah's centennial! Utah's birthday is the United States' half-birthday.

Rainbow trout and blue spruce are no longer state symbols!

On January 6, I was happy to learn that Democrats were winning Georgia. It's not like I'm a flaming liberal, and I'm generally happy with different parties being in control. But the Republicans have proved they are largely corrupt right now (Spencer Cox and Mitt Romney notwithstanding), what with supporting an evil, narcissistic bully and not taking a pandemic seriously.

Then the events of that day certainly bore out my opinion of Republicans. I don't have much to say about that day that hasn't already been said. It was clearly a day of the far-right doing bad things, yet it baffles me that there are still Republicans who are trying to make the left the bad guys. All this nonsense haunted me while I did a run that day in North Salt Lake's industrial areas.

This road was closed because the road was torn apart! I found a spot where I could safely cross a little stream.

The whole thing affected me. Lately I've been getting a lot of those car warranty robocalls, and on the morning of January 7, I got another call. Instead of hanging up, I actually pressed 2 to speak to a representative, and I told her off.

This act of sedition has made January an even worse month. January is the worst! And this January, we're not having snow. That could be nice, except that it's still cold, so we're still getting inversions, and there's still icy patches on the sidewalks (because of entitled jerks who don't clear them). If we're not going to have springlike weather, we should at least be getting helpful snow.

January has already blown its chance to be an improvement from 2020. Here's hoping for February.

While I'm typing this, I'm watching a mini-marathon on TV of Gilligan's Island in honor of Dawn Wells (Mary Ann), who died of COVID-19 just before the New Year. The show is absolutely ridiculous, and I absolutely love it. And it really isn't more ridiculous than real life these days!