Homer'sWorld

 Things I am doing to remain sane:

1). Finished the second edition of my saloon book (reformatted, read twice for typos, new index).

2). Working on my next book, Food in Territorial Tucson. Finishing it, researching odds and ends.

3). Watching Dark Shadows. During Covid I purchased the complete box set. At the moment it is the Phoenix storyline.

4). Playing with my pets and Doug's new puppy.

5). Spending as much time as possible with my husband Matt, attempting to distract him from the awful things are happening.

^). Wishing every day that the Orange Monster and the South African Nazi would just drop dead.

We went to New Orleans in January so that I could present a poster at the SHA conference. I saw two people I knew there, including Ralph who I worked with in 2009-2010. I carried along 13 pounds of historical archaeological material, which I was able to get rid of.

Matt had gone days earlier than me to visit with his sister Lorie and her family, as well as friend Amy. Lorie, J. O., and Oliver had attended our wedding. It was nice to see them and meet Amy. 

Outside of the conference we went to a history museum, walked through very expensive antique stores, and went to the horse races on Lorie's birthday. We also took the ferry across the river and went to the aquarium, I was very impressed by that. Fishes! Also penguins. 

Fish.

Doug got a puppy, a mix between a pug and a Chihuahua. His name is Rowan but I call him Doug Jr. He is very cute. Ruby is terrified of him, perhaps because he runs around like crazy.

January 20th happened and it has been a shit-show ever since. Watching White, Christian Nationalism envelope our government. So far it has not affected my job, but I know that environmental laws will be targeted next after they eliminate all protections for LGBT, Black, Native American, and other minorities. I have been pretty depressed. I have avoided all traditional news media, just read the headlines of what JoeMyGod posts. Facebook and Instagram are run by a homophobic piece of shit, so no fun to go on there. 

To keep my sanity I have focused on my next book- Food in Territorial Tucson. Have managed to put together over 400 pages since November 18. 

I used to be nice, at least I thought so. I felt that Americans mostly got along, they we shared common goals. I thought when Obama was elected in 2008 that the United States had turned a corner.

Wrong. Obama's election opened a floodgate of White rage. The Boomers and their parents mostly hated the idea that an African American was president. Here in Arizona the hate was directed towards Mexican Americans. I remember when Tom Horne and the legislature banned history books that talked about the experience of Mexican Americans in Tucson.

And so 70 million Americans voted for the Orange Rapist. He is insane. A racist. They keep handing him pieces of paper to sign. Who knows if he understands what he is signing.

Ten of the last 11 recessions have been under Republican presidents. The likelihood that a fucking piece of shit who went bankrupt SIX TIMES despite being handed $400 million will cause another? Almost certain. 

They have been going after DEI and Trans people. And immigrants. LGB people are next. They non-Christians. The Nazi parallels are out there in the open for everyone to see. Elon Musk and Orange Felon both admire Hitler.

Wonder how bad things are going to get.

Well it is New Year's Eve and I need to post photos. Whenever we go to Joann's or that home store I make Matt pose for a picture.

Wreath.

Matt and I hosted a cookie decorating party on the 15th. I got up and locked the kittens in the cat bathroom so that I could finish decorating. I set out the ceramic trees and the plastic canvas village on the former tv stand.

TV stand.

    On the coffee table I put the IKEA tree with hand-made ornaments. Childhood toys were placed around it.

I had the Black GI Joe. Mother saved the box.

I had four trees in the Dining Room. The real tree smelled so nice and was covered with figurative ornaments.

Real tree.

In the corner was the red tree with crocheted snowflakes. Next to it was the flocked tree with Shiny Brite ornaments from the 1950s and 1960s.

Shiny Brite tree.

A bunch of new ornaments from Target were on top of the china cabinet.

A big crowd showed up for the party. I had made Better Homes and Garden sugar and gingerbread cookies. Also had finger foods- potato chips with onion dip, corn chips with salsa, deviled eggs (got eaten up quickly), crudite and ranch dressing (don't bother next year), little pickles and garlic-stuffed olives, cheese platter, and eggnog (don't bother with non-alcohol next year).

This year I bought squeeze bottles at the dollar store. Made about 8 or 9 colors of icing. It worked so much better than using sandwich bags.

Decorating.

Most of the cookies got decorated. They looked nice on my antique platters.

After the party ended we moved all of the living room decorations into the dining room. I have been going in there and just looking at all of the pretty things. 

Matt and I had gone to the 22nd Street Ace Hardware early in December and a staff person told me Santa had stopped by. Matt was dubious about us posing, but I insisted. It was the first time I had a formal Santa photo.

Homer, Santa, and Matt.

It was a nice holiday. We opened presents and I got Matt a pair of bridegroom ornaments, one brunette (me!) and one blonde (Matt!). He laughed when I told him I paid full price for the brunette and the blonde was on sale.

So the day after the election Matt and I got married. We had decided a few months ago that we needed to be married before the Supreme Court made some vile decision. Having an existing marriage contract would hopefully prevent our civil rights being taken away.

We invited a small number of people to the Presidio Museum and were married in the Territorial Courtyard in front of the arbor. I only cried a little as I read my vows. It was a sweet ceremony.

I had Patrick as my witness and Matt had his sister Laurie. Other folks there: Doug, Jeffrey, John G., Paul, David, John, Oliver, Juan, Lynn, Lisa, Amy, Kate, Ginger, and Wolf.

We are planning a big reception on the first of March.

Recording my thoughts. Well the election was weeks ago. And the shit show is going full force. Incompetent sycophants being put in positions of power. The Project 2025 fever dream coming true. Fucking evil Christians will be telling the rest of us how to live.

I was given a bottle of champagne. I am saving it for the day that Orange Monster dies. Hope to drink it sooner rather than later.

Two weeks ago an archaeologist I knew, not very well, died unexpectedly. He was 56. Life is cruel, he was a very nice man. Deserved to have a long life.

My kittens are now huge. How did that happen? Puff likes to knock things over. He also likes to watch birds on the computer. He is friendlier than Smokey Bear, who is pretty shy. I have had to modify my Holiday decoration scheme because they would destroy whatever I put up. The day of the cookie decorating party they will be locked up in the cat bathroom and the last few decorations put out, to be taken down immediately after the party.

Puff in the window.

Matt and I went to World Market, Michael's, and JoAnns, as well as the Gather Market and bought ornaments. It was good to think about other things than politics.

I make Matt pose for ridiculous pictures when we go to those stores.

Matt and Homer.

So the Orange Piece of Fucking Shit won. 

I don't think I have ever hated someone as much as I hate him.

When bad things happen to his supporters in the next four years, I hope they suffer. Really suffer. Anyone who voted for him, they deserve everything that is coming their way.

The last 12 recessions have all started under Republican presidents. I imagine another one will be here soon, because Republicans are only good at stirring up hatred towards minorities and giving rich people more money.

So anyways, end of rant. 

Next month I will have another lecture and a book signing. Then things cool off for a while.

 25 years and one month. I paid off my mortgage today. Four years and 11 months early. I guess paying $400 or $500 extra the last couple of years was worth it.

 Two weeks ago Warren sent me a message to tell me his husband Paul had died unexpectedly. Paul was one of the early group of gay bloggers and podcasters. I visited with him several times when I was in the DC area. We made a lemon meringue pie together one time, I well remember his worry about cleanup (his place was immaculate). During a podcast he ate a blueberry for charity (Paul had ARFID, an avoidant food intake disorder). He screamed when he discovered blueberries had seeds inside. We had a good time with that.

The last time I saw him in person was in 2006. We went to the US Botanical Gardens together and then to a winery with his then boyfriend, later husband Warren. At the wineries I pretended to know more about wine than I actually did. We followed each other on social media and I always sent him a Homer-made holiday card (he requested no glitter).

What month. Biden dropping out. Harris taking charge. The Democrats energized. I sent her campaign $200. When she wins I hope never to see the Orange Monster again.

I am doing a lot of surveys. Been all over the state except the northeast side. Caleb helped me out for a couple of days on my US 93 survey (34 miles total, walking).

Caleb and Homer.

A lot of enormous Joshua Trees on the north end, they are actually a type of yucca.

Caleb next to a yucca.

I went to Silver City to teach a historical archaeology class. The museum there has Mimbres pots- these are well known for the animal figures on them.

Mimbres vessels.

I bought plane tickets for Matt and I to go to Traverse City in October.

Smokey and Puff are getting big. I took them last week for their first shots. They weighed five pounds each, Puff a couple of ounces more than Smokey.

Smokey and Puff.

Another round of shots in a month and then they get "fixed." Turns out Smokey is actually a petite, pretty boy. I guess a replacement for Snowball.