Bfth's Boring Blog

 So far this year I've taken 5 full days off and 3 half days off.  Actually I thought I had asked for a half day on the 17th, but it turns out I put in for a full...a fact I didn't realize until I logged in at work in the afternoon.  I started doing stuff and then realized I probably shouldn't be...talk about lack of awareness!  Oh well, I still have plenty of time to take off this year (before the days disappear).  However, once again my "vacation" is really not one, but a way to accomplish things that I can't do when I'm in an office.  How sad is that?  (Or is this a fact of life for others?  I'm guessing it is... Tell me that it is!) So what was today's "vacation" about?   Well I took the day off because like in April, I had to go to the MVC ( https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/a-visit-to-mvc.html ).  Only this time it wasn't for MY Real ID, it was for my son.  While he is perfectly capable of doing this o...

If you know me, you know that I have not a sports fan. I'm just not into it. I don't watch any sports really. I mean, yes, I watch the super bowl, but I don't even remember what teams played. And in all honesty I was watching for the commercials and the halftime show.  (Let me just say that although I'm not part of the bad bunny demographic, I thought his show at the game this year was really good. Am I a fan? Not really. Do I have any of his music? I do not. But it was entertaining and upbeat and we need that.  End of comments.)    I am so not sports oriented that while I may be able to name a few local teams, I most definitely could not name them all!  There's the Knicks and the Nets (so far so good), the Jets and the Giants, the Yankees and the Mets...and???If I could name more I would and those I would name or guess to name, I might not know what sport they play. Is a baseball? Is football? Is it basketball? I don't know.  (Don't hate me) ...

  I t's Flag Day here in the U.S.  I've written about this before:   https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/june-14.html .  What do you know about this holiday?  Let me put out some facts  On June 14, 1777 the Second Continental Congress resolved:  "that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."  (No mention of Betsy Ross...unfortunately her story probably is just that and not fact.  Sorry Betsy.") "In 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand, a young schoolteacher in Wisconsin, asked his students to observe what he called the flag's "birthday." He had them write essays on what the Stars and Stripes meant to them... Cigrand spent the rest of his life expanding it. He wrote articles, gave speeches, and pressed anyone who would listen to set aside a day for the ...

 You KNOW I'm a walker.  I'm also an EASY hiker. (Meaning I'm a bit too old and uncoordinated to do anything difficult, but if anyone wants to try with me I'm willing!)  When I spent most of my time in NJ, I would walk before sunrise and then go off to work.  During Covid, I was doing some serious walking (because I didn't have to be any place...I just had to get home and get to work.)  I have done over 5 miles in a stretch.  Which for me is a lot.  It also takes a lot of time because I don't do a 12 or 15 minute mile.  I USED to be able to MAYBE hit 17 minute mile, but these days I'm more 20 minutes or even 21.  Not great, but... I still try to walk when I can wherever I am.  But it was a LONG cold winter so walking outside wasn't really a thing for me for a LONG time.  (Much too long.)  But I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, even if I'm not moving as fast or as far as I used to. When we moved to the Poconos, I t...

  Dear Dad, If the world was fair (and we know it is not) we would have been celebrating your 90th birthday today. I would have taken the day off and come down to see you.  And in the fantasy world, Steve & James would have come too.  You would be 90, but mobile.  I would have brought you a cake (vegan so I could eat too).  We would have talked about the Knicks win last night.   You LOVED basketball so much and I wish you were here to watch these games.  Let's face it, I don't care about the game (sorry), but I am thrilled at how NY is doing (except for game 3 which was cursed with bad juju and we don't want to talk about that) and how this uniting the tristate area (and other areas as well I suspect).  Again, while I am not a fan of the game or any team in particular, I LOVE the enthusiasm and the joy that this is bringing to the area.  Anything that brings people together is a good thing in my book. I think of all the games you...

  We don't really go on vacations.  I take vacation days from work, but are they really "vacations"?  So far this year I've taken time off to go the MVC (or for you non-NJ people...DMV).  I've taken time to take my son to the MVC (a different one because the one closest to us didn't have appointments until the end of July/early August).  I've taken time off to pick up my son from college.  I've taken half days for medical appointments.  As a matter of fact, the most vacation time I've taken over the past year has all been geared around "things" that had to be done and couldn't be done on a weekend.  (Or avoiding going back to NJ with the sinkhole issue on Route 80.)  As a matter of fact, the last "real" vacation I took was in September of 2024 (which had been planned in May of 2024) when I met my college friend, MA, in Orlando and we spent just under a week (Saturday-Thursday) at Disney World.  And that was the only time I c...