It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… What do you mean, no!?!?
- On Monday I finished watching “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition”.
- This week New York received over a foot of snow.
- It was 29°F this morning when I went to Lowe’s for more cheap “top soil” (it’s really mulch marketed as top soil, but at least it’s all I need and cheap) to backfill my garden beds.
- Yesterday I received my first Christmas card of the season, which was oddly postmarked on December 22, 2020. I guess the USPS has caught up and is getting ahead of the game this year!
I will say that it was a bit odd to receive a Christmas card from my brother one day prior to his birthday. I mean, he is a master of sending cards late, but this was impeccable scheduling!
Happy Birthday, Bro!
(btw- once Apple’s expected delivery date for the MacBook Air I want to buy is fully in March I may pull the trigger. I have to wait in case I go to Florida for mom’s birthday. I’ll let you know.)
Yeah, I went to Lowe’s again… I may get out into the backyard for an hour or so this afternoon, and definitely will tomorrow. Not only do I want to start making more progress toward completing the garden plot (soon I will need to have plants in the raised beds!), I have a bulk waste pickup scheduled for next Tuesday and need to get more debris to the curb before then.
Besides, I need the exercise. 🙃
What else is new?
I sat around watching YouTube/Netflix/Hulu videos last night; that’s not new.
I struggled to get software downloaded so that I can work on some side projects for my professional portfolio; that’s not new.
I didn’t do any German studying last night; that’s not new.
My knee still pains me a little, my elbow more than that; that’s not new.
So, I guess nothing else is new!
Stay warm.
Stay healthy.
Stay happy.
I do not have to get out into the cold weather until this afternoon’s doctor’s appointment because I received an email last night at 9pm stating my COVID test this morning has been canceled because they periodically close testing locations for a day to clean and disinfect them. So, I re-booked for tomorrow but the time is less convenient (I’m not sick, just being cautious). When booking through the health department, I clicked on close to 3/4 of the list of testing sites and there were no appointments this week(!), except for Piney Grove church. I tried to book through CORE (the trolley barn) and they wanted my insurance information, so nope. Supposedly you currently don’t have to pay anything but I have a hefty deductible that I’m not sure comes into play for COVID testing or not. I guess I could call and ask.
I’d say “yay, hump day!” but I’m not sure this weekend’s weather is going to allow for as much COVID-times fun as I’d like. 🙁 I’m hoping it will be warm enough tomorrow to perhaps go for a hike.
Yeah, I’m not about to give insurance info for a COVID test. I wonder if it’s too cold for the folks at Piney Grove…
Fun will be had, don’t you worry.
I can’t believe how winter weather wussy I’ve become! I’ve missed two hashes this week (read: also opportunities to get out of the house) due to weather. Mostly, some COVID factors too. My 2018 overachieving hasher self would not approve!
Lol, I’d pile on but the truth is that COVID and my injuries have made hashing a lot less fun. The wind the past two day has made going outside really undesirable. Just saying.
Paulie, are you sure you can’t just fill the bottoms of your planting beds with dirt from “the other side” of your yard, and/or some other bulky organic (or in-organic) materials? It seems you’re having to spend a lot on soil that may not be necessary? I bet Maureen still has a pile of mulch for the taking from her fallen tree. I know you are more knowledgeable than me, but I just saw someone on NextDoor in this same predicament and it reminded me. Or can you place a bulk order from Lowe’s and have it delivered to at least remove the back-and-forth driving?
I’ve looked at many alternatives…
I am now digging deep enough where I could Hugelkultur, placing sticks and whatnot in the bottom of the garden bed.
Currently there is no “other side†of the yard since that land is covered with tree limbs/trunks and English ivy. If I do manage to get to the soil there it will be used for leveling the final garden beds and pavers.
I considered bulk soil purchases, but they are just as expensive and I am really concerned about large trucks and the state my overhead power line, and driveway — see also: renting a dumpster for a basement clear out.
The mulch outside Maureen’s is much coarser than what I am buying, and I have no good way to transport it to my house. If I ever get a wheelbarrow I may inquire to get mulch for other purposes.
And if you found a CoA location that had bulk mulch, you’d just need someone with a pickup truck! I wonder who that could be….
Mickey came home yesterday. It was a reasonably calm homecoming with lots of face to face time across the fence. As the sun came up this morning, he was pretty twitterpated, but they all found each other and calmed down. Debbie will take him and Phinney over to Bear Creek for a little ride.
Got a little ride in last night- nothing too exhausting.
Was reminded yesterday that this weekend will be the bi-annual Officials Summit- virtual of course. They have 4 hours planned for each day and some interesting topics. Now if I can remember to sign in and watch!!
-FP
I need to start getting back on the trainer. If STU doesn’t happen (as I expect it won’t) I hope to be invited back to Steve’s for a weekend of riding and camping.
Some interesting emails received this morning:
One (actually two) from RoadID which to me looked like spam sent from someone who hacked their database. It may not have been spam, and if it wasn’t then RoadID fucked up because I moved it to the spam folder without opening it.
One (actually two) from Goethe confirming that they have moved out of Colony Square (the way I hear it, their lease was not renewed for some reason). Of course in-person encounters haven’t occurred since last March and probably won’t start again until Fall. If Colony Square pulled the plug I think they made a huge mistake because office space should be plentiful and reasonably priced this year.
That is curious… buildings will be begging for tenants when we go back to “normal”.
The Fed (actually the Board of Governors) said WFH until at least the end of June. No surprise.
So much for keeping Mickey separated. He’s jumped a 4′ barbed wire fence and joined the herd.
And Paulie, I just came across this on Youtube- how to repair plumbing under the concrete slab:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFIcRlAOFw0
Busy day – spent a few minutes at Mercedes Benz this morning getting my 2nd shot- WHOOO HOOO – I’m done for now.
They have it pretty figured out- way too many people working, I hope they aren’t volunteers & are getting paid. Temperature check outside in the cold (you’d have to have a hell of a temp to not pass that test). Check in at 1 desk with our ID, fill out a very easy form, hang out, they call your name & you go see one of MANY people giving shots. Wait 15 minutes, go home. Got a bag of disposable masks from someone outside (no idea who they were with, but they forced me to take them)
Allan was “working” – not sure what he was doing, he got the parents in & out – Mary’s a mess, so he got her a wheelchair to get her moving thru even faster.
I didn’t realize Mary was that messed up, I heard about her shoulder but didn’t know about any other injuries. Hopefully she gets some relief soon.
you know, old people dont’ bounce back fast at all. Shoulder broken, thumb on the opposite hand, and whatever wrong witht he knee.
Ouch, even being an older person she must have had a hell of a fall.