🧑‍🚒 summertime and ......

 🧑‍🚒 yes. we have H / H. A / C got turned on EXCEPT it took 1 / 2 to figure out how to turn on cool. No, you don not make the number go to 75, cuz it won't, that's a marker. You. Set a schedule - day, time and temperature

All good. and we are cooling down 

🫧 on the twenty first of Junius

 🫧 the bubble explanation. Bubbles form b / c the soap reduces the surface tension of the water. The soapy solution [ soap is a surfactant ] then clings and a shape is allowed that reduces the strain or load. This shape is the sphere

' boro. a reasonable day is expected. always a chance of rain in this slightly humid and warmish environment

for sure heat is on the way

Sequitor. I'm rewatching ' Sandman ' the life and times of the god of the endless. The ' dream king '

The storyline is that an amateur magician/ necromancer / bad dude accidentally captures the Sandman ( temporarily unprotected).  By holding the incapacitated Dream King, the magician dooms Humanity to live their dreams or nightmares 

To re - establish his Realm, the Sandman must retrieve his lost talismans. 

One such item requires a trip to Hell. While waiting outside for an invite as per God protocol watching the sinners w/ torches queuing up for their fate. Matthew the companion blurts out ' they make you bring your own fire to Hell ? ' 

.

🏵 about this

🏵 { Since 1999, millions of people have expressed themselves on Blogger. From detailed posts about almost every apple variety you could ever imagine to a blog dedicated to the art of blogging itself, the ability to easily share, publish and express oneself on the web is at the core of Blogger’s mission. }
the above is the introduction to ' Blogger ' 

ah. the art of blogging ?  OMG. And here I am venting to the ether

' boro. gloomy. a cool day that represents comfortable as opposed to the coming heat wave. Next week, the H / H factor will be stifling

🧭 on finding your way

 🧭 Jun 19 edition

' boro is gloomy. We were actually, warm to hot  yesterday but cooler today. And rain is possible

the latest app or feature from Google [ recall, we are Google captives in this house ] is ' Notebook w / AI '. I imagine it is much akin to a diary. Imagine, you can blog every day

while doing coffee w/ B ... , a week back, I asked for a report on traffic going home. I figured that I was asking the right person. He uses Maps on Google and requests a set of directions and apparently, you get traffic reports

🛻💝 XVIII of Junius

 🛻💝 " we are offering a complimentary evaluation for your vehicle, by the used car manager "
no thnx.

' boro, looking good out the window.

Oh. hired a neighbour to paint our front door. Approx 20 yrs ago [ or more ],  I painted the steel doors that represent our entrance. Blistered and cracked but of course, this is a surface phenomena. The doors are steel.
    One day, a morning session and afternoon one, ta da done

The part that I ordered arrived at Honda. With Raz $ 1.64. Bet the packaging and delivery cost more. 

The plastic [ of course ] clip holds the hood support rod in place under regular driving 
I'd been using a cable tie to keep the support rod held down

🛻 Jun 17

 

🛻     Booked the 7'30 AM appointment at Honda

M ... Said " why ? " 

The advisor asked for the whole day b / c the Ridgeline needed 3 recalls 

Thus. Recall # 1 factory tonneau cover [ mine was aftermarket ] no dice

Hood latch could snap off or displace [ hood flies up at speed ] 

Wiring harness that support lights and camera may fray on repeated bending

No charge. And done on time. Yea, the two recalls

Still. Done 

🛣 a new way to go

 🛣 there is a toll road that crosses the top of the city approx 100 miles. Recently, 26 miles became free. Conveniently, this is the route to the Q ' . Thus, I drove the # 401 to # 412 and cut up to #407. Easy and efficient.
Coming back due to traffic [ yes, still there ] I travelled a more circuitous route at the western end of the planned trip. Slower, but way less aggro, all considered

Ah. The Q '. that is a little more like my usual stories. I organized fishing equipment. By now, you must have figured that my forte is organizing. Not doing but organizing.

Last year, to my chagrin on every fishing trip to Q ' at some point [ when I needed something the most ] I said ' why isn't Z or X here.
Thus, today, it was basically, put fishing stuff away properly. So, mission accomplished ?
Sort of. I sorted and readied 7 fishing rods. Pulled out and put away and pulled and put away for the afternoon.
Plus I got down to the dock and fished for half an hour

Rate the day ? definitely, a six

Relaxing. No
Necessary, maybe

Fifteenth Jun

 ' boro. Beautiful ! day

Shopping at El Tigre del Norte for the essentials as in milk, eggs, Cheerios, relish 

And returning 3 pants for M. ...

Big deal was smoking a Mahanttan short rib chunk

But. BBQ was filthy. A fall and winter dust and clingy crud removal job

And inside. The replacement briquettes kept falling thru the grid That I cut to size. Added a finer grid to prevent the briquette cascade every hour

Then I used Jack Daniel s whiskey smoker pellets on a aluminum plate. Meat went on the offside from the heat. After 2 hrs, it was into the oven

Result. Bingo. Best smoked meat of the year

🤸 tumbling, tumbleweed

 🤸 or not

' boro weather is fine. Sun electrifying everything out there. 

Stage 2. We cleaned the windows inside. Of course, its real easy to see the streaks outside now.

I used the vacuum b / c the dust and crud build up was extensive.

13 days in

 Well. Get off your ass. Out there for Spring cleaning windows

Job done. India Pale in hand

🛀 scrub - a dub - dub

🛀 .... boy in the tub ..... AND this is post # 4460

' boro, a little lacklustre out there and certainly overcast

Actually, a reasonable day w / a dash of humidity 

Got out for odd jobs. Vacuumed the truck floor. Replaced the washed fitted mat .THEN the same amount of time to clean the Shop vacuum ( fluff and such made up of  the lint from the dryer screen )

Remember when ...... for Jun 11

 

My birthday coincided w/ our Trip to UK. 

Relatives, were kind enough to remember and mark the day w / small tokens. At the Marina facility shops, they found the brass plaque. Mounted on the card from another friendly kin - we get the momento above

' boro. slightly overcast [ smoke again ????? ] And the temperature should rise.

💅 painting the extreme

 💅 or not

' boro. weather is not summer but a useable day.I perceive a slight haze [ smoke ]. pleasant 

Thus. I'm taking a magnesium supplement as advised by M ... s friend. Firstly, for leg pain and secondly, as a sleep aid.
the side effects or main effect may be the laxative action of the magnesium citrate 
recall that magnesium is the main active in many stomach pharmaceuticals

[TUMS etc ] milk of magnesia etc

🤖 ninth of the month

 🤖  ... does not compute

' boro weather is indeterminate. hazy still but there is cloud cover

🪂 VIII of the VI

 🪂  do a little each day. b / c anything beats nothing.

thus. yesterday. I checked the service notes and receipts on the truck. all is good or a least in hand

' boro weather dunno. cool ish. dull. [wildfire smoke ? ] at best, a day to get things done

Motivation is curious 

Landscaping guy did a great job. Tidy up and prettify 

Today. Trimmed the front bush, ragged to orderly. Plus the scarecrow pine hangs down in masses and blocks the front door view from the street side  ( safety factor)
the ' scarecrow ' seems to employ a system of branchlets that droop [ actually, grows down ]
BUT the effect is to block the view of the front door from the street. I think that the front door should be visible from the street

Done 

Motivated  

🚣 coping ....

 🚣 Friday was a visitation pre - funeral. We drove some miles East to the venue
A sombre but not not stifling feeling.

' boro. the look is on the dull side. we are dealing w/ smoke in the air.  a mild haze 

Apparently, our air quality, is poor

📇 re - newing old ties

 
📇 ...  a former student, now friend reached out post re - union
we went to breakfast
Terrif !

Barry D ...... always took the time to pop by and chat
guess nothing changed

' boro. is damp and dull looking

🍪 ... a sign of the times

 🍪 ... does a cookie represent Life
as in :
 Life is like a cookie.
a treat until you bite in and then ..... cookie is no longer whole
or
.... so many possibilities / so little time

further : the Gardner's came and conquered. the decision was that weed pulling and landscaping had no appeal or I wan't interested in that type of labour
Yesterday, they went at it. Simple, glad it wasn't me 

thus, good choice

sunny in the ' boro and approaching ' hot ' status 

dentist this AM for a cleaning

🦻 update

 🦻 we hired landscapers. not for the first time but ...... I am having a bit of angst about the need to do this

however, ' needs must '

🍥 LG

 🍥.... ' life is good '

' boro weather is improving. actual warmth is around

🪸 working on the first 1 / 2 year

 🪸 ..... moving right along

' boro is intermittent - everything, sun and not sun, flirting w / rain possibility

we joined the home delivery crowd. veal cutlet sandwiches from Californai Sandwiches

👾 dernier jour

 👾  a lot happened this month. We were overseas and engaging w / M ... s relatives

we both had monster colds. M  ...is finally, starting to kick hers

' boro weather is indeterminate. we are much cooler than yesterday w / rain threatening

🛌 closing out the month

 🛌  continued

' the dreamer ' position for sleep

yes. slept w / a pillow between my knees. slept thru the night, no staying awake bouts

tired feeling ? yes, but much better than yesterday [ day 1 ]

Maybe, good   We shall see said the Zen Master

it has started. I'm hiring people to do work around the house and in

👀 " dreamer " or ......

 👀 ... the ' soldier '

May 29. What ?
these are sleeping postings that are neutral. Meaning low stress. Dreamer is on your side w /  a pillow between your knees. I chose this one.
Alternately, on your back flat out [ or a slight support for your knees, a towel ]

Both are meant to keep both knees off the bed. The ultimate goal is a relaxing posture for the night

Result. I slept thru the night BUT do I feel tired. Almost exhausted.
to be fair. most mornings are like this, lately

perhaps, you can't catch up sleep in one night

dreary in the ' boro. rain fell and will fall again

💝 om May the 28 th

 💝.... the weather in the  ' boro
yesterday broke the mould, warm and little wind a summer day optimized
today, and following, shows a pattern of rain and unsettled conditions

truly, I don't feel that I've had 2 ' normal ' days in a row for a month and some weeks. Certainly. UK travel was unsettling or I never settled down comfortably
and since coming home [ approaching 11 days or so ] w / the cold and getting back to Canadian life, really, uncomfortable is the word

we shall see said the Zen Master

in summary. medically, my hip and inner thigh pain is becoming a non issue, most days. to be sure, I've adjusted to the problem re : bending and putting on socks

prior to travel, I purchased wool socks. supposedly, comfortable, wicks away moisture and dries faster than cotton. the socks have been all that. Plus, the socks are ankle height, and much easier to put on
I didn't realize that the wool socks don't snag on my toenails as much [maybe, later as they wear, so far so good.
yesterday, was ultrasound and X Ray of the hip area. we shall see said the .........

the house. for approximately 3 months, I have done less maintenance and general fixing up then I thought that I'd done in past years
I imagined that I had recognized and realized that I need to pull back from doing many chores that involve lifting and ladders [ mostly ]

🧭 on the 27 the of Amy

 🧭  ' ... finding your way in the world today ..
... takes everything you've got ......  [ from Cheers, the TV sitCom ]

feel that way - especially, the last 10 days. travel and a cold and aging
however. 4 weeks ago,my hip ached and the inner thigh [ as reported ]

however, returning from our trip [walking and not much else ] the hip pain has been minimal or almost gone

ah. the good and the bad. always

🧛 on May 25

 🧛 this week, the most exciting element is a ' ultrasound and X Ray ' double header. 

I suppose if you moan and whine enough, then you should get the ailment looked at. Yes, the left hip is going to be imaged

🐦 on the 24 th

 🐦 at the school
where I taught for 29 years and months and days. my pension was exactly that 29 yrs but missing 30 by a month. water under the bridge
there is Reunion Day for the students and staff since 1971

a session in the afternoon at the school itself followed by a night time get together, near by

originally, I was to attend a breakfast at 9 AM then visit the school [ running from 11 to 6 ]. And get to the nighttime event

I've pulled back. Now. Visit the school for a few hours and rest and attend the night get together

Follow up. Skipped the breakfast thing w/ friends. I got to the school at 11 AM [ official start ]. I enjoyed a 2 hr and bit stand around, meet and greet former students and staff. Very Enjoyable.
I needed a break by then and headed home. Relax etc

I arrived for the Evening Event on time. 10 or so people were already in the room. I bought a diet coke and chose a table at the back where 4 or 5 people were sitting. I thought that I would introduce myself and stay a few minutes
Of course, knew Caroline and then Cathy and turns out that I knew their brothers and sisters. In all, never left that table. People decided to come to the table and I sat.

Such kind and thoughtful people. Sadly, I discovered a former teacher had passed the week before and a couple of students had sad news too of ailing siblings

My hearing was overwhelmed and after an hour and some, I said farewell. 
There was an alternate get together down the road. I was tired and deaf.
BUT I had promised to try to attend both. I stopped and repeated the process. Kind and thoughtful former students.

Tired. Came home

🍥 into the third week

🍥 ... follow up. caught a cold in UK, flew home and still lingering effects

rainy is the forecast but the weather will clear for Saturday

🎴 XXII of V

 🎴ah, yes, the flower of the deck

rainy  in the ' boro. Dark clouds all day and steady wet

the kind of day where you accomplish much but look back ..... huh, you say 

🧑‍🚒 May 21

 🧑‍🚒 .... a dull looking day out there

then the rain came and stayed

however, snapping out of the doldrums of the week. I got out and had the truck washed. I got new keys cut

Whew discovered that we only had two sets of keys for the new front door lock. On loaning out the one for next door, yes, one left
the problem arose b/c most occasions, I don't need a key [ only my phone ]. 

Ah. what happens w/ no internet or WiFi hook up. 
We shall see said the Zen Master

🧑‍🔧 a wee look back

 🧑‍🔧  .... on the 20 the of May. Coffee and typing, sunny view out there

Thus. on the recent trip to the UK. Decided that instead of the blog, I would add a hand written diary of happenings. Initially, I was pretty industrious ...... obviously, the trend did not continue
In fact, that notebook had jottings from the 2020 trip to Florida. OK. 
what happened ! I was getting a cold [ that sounds weak ]. Perhaps, thinking of home. We were both tired. We commiserated and I know that I was planning the packing and other doings for getting home

 

🦥 a slothful day

 🦥 or productive one

overcast and dull, out the window. we are green and growing

🐣 🐤 🐥 ...... and on

 🐣 🐤 🐥 unfortunately, the yellow on my lawn is dandelions. The dandy's have found a new home

of course, I wasn't here for the crucial growth spurt period. meaning that the dandelions have established themselves

oh well, dig ' em out

🎀 🌿 a double ....

 🎀 🌿  my attempt at creating a new icon [ no, I cannot join them together ]

rainy and dim out there

coffee [ yesterday s and re - heated ]

still fighting this cold / cough. Of course, not quite comfortable ...... stuffy, temperature regulation is poor. Just off, sub normal.

if you're wondering, this is typical cough and then cold comes on
what fooled me, is that, I usually, start w/ a sore throat. 

💤 the aftermath

 💤  it seems that I conveniently forgot, L .. M .. s first rule of travel

Do not leave home. You see once you have blown thru that ..... well everything after is your fault

for the last 3 days in UK, I was stuffed up and doing little coughy fits. In order to fly, I purchased head and cold meds [ w / caffeine ]

yessir, suffyness gone but [ you got it ] couldn't sleep the night before the flight.

Thus tired and groggy I got ready

Finally, realizing that I had my allergy meds w/ me [ non caffeinated ] What a ' dopey feeling. My head cleared up but sleeping on the plane was never going to be easy

and was not

 I was super warm part way thru the flight

At present, w / nighttime flu / cold / cough meds on board. I feel slightly light headed and a bit tired

⏳ travelling day in the Jolly Ol'

 ⏳ yessir, we are on the move. 

1.   Staines upon Thames to LGW, from 7 AM to 8 :10 AM

2.   LGW followed by a hour and a bit wait in queue at the airline. Problem was getting across the city timely to LGW, thus better to be early .

we were. an expited sortie thru security, very efficient and non stressful

our wheelchair guides were pro s for sure

however, the operative term is better early than never "  we overheard a couple tell the information officer " we missed our flight. what do we do ? '

3. we were carted to the plane 

 4. we survived the flight. Folks said ' great flight '.  I was screaming in my head [ b / c I couldn't hear properly ] GET ME OFF THIS PLANE !!!

5. service transfer was capable and the last lady porter, got us to luggage and thru customs
She transfered M .. in her wheelchair to our pick up point for the limo

TERRIFIC

🦠 it will grow on you

 🦠 and or never stop growing, take your choice
Alright, honourable mention

Hello to BTopenworld and all who sail in her
you and yours were marvelous hosts and go to buddies
many enjoyable chin wags and such
I am glad that we made the effort to hop the pond

hoping that you read this. you said you would 

🥮 by any other name

 🥮 on the 13 the of May 

On the off chance that  K ... has started reading the blog
Hi to Ashford. on a sunny day

🧭 051225 is the date

 🧭 ...... marking your way in the world
and don't get lost 

easy to say BUT how often .....

sun is trying in a hazy view and you can feel the humidity 

🐼 the eleventh of May, '25

 🐼 ... in a panda - less land .......

sun is out the ripples on the water. stuff is definitely alive. very comforting looking out there

coffee, not so great. a hodge podge affair so not the coffee s fault

her name was stefka simone [ I know, I use no names to protect individuals ]
exceptions to the rule. great service at the bank. a pleasure to deal w/ and there were long term benefits from her help
I spent a day trying to recall that name. finally, ' pop ' the first / last name was there AND w /in minutes Yessssss...ss I knew that I 'd got it back.

🎴 ten days into May

 🎴  ... the ' flower playing ' card
I'm assuming its from ' twittering birds or

a vista

 this morning in Devere Cotswold Watery world. A big and spacious living area - water scene in front, cruising swan and shore birds [ coots or moorhens ???? ]

photo to follow

thus celebrating kindly people - thoughtful and productive
ALL around us.

🥮 ah the eigth of May

🥮 ... we are in England for VE Day

somehow an added dimension being here

some notes.
breakfast came from Lidl. A clean modern and savings glory kinda place. Guessing here, but likely 20 - 30 % below other venues
To wit. My egg and prawn sandwich [ tasty and all ] cost 1.89 GBP vs 5.37 at Pret Manger.

M ... s pain au Chocolat was .69 vs 2.75 at Pret

now the walk is triple the distance [ Lidl to Pret s location ]. Still. 

🍘 Mai septieme

 🍘 ...... or May 7 2025 and we go on ...

thus, simultaneously [ maybe ] I was keeping a pencil and paper account of the day. thinking that I preferred or have always needed to hand write notes and entries

for cross - over here is a potential [ hand written ] entry

Mahonia Lodge report. This cottage affair is found on the grounds of Mercia Marina, Willingdon near Derby. Originally, a canal boat basin and docking facility, Mercia has become a focal point for many other aspects of outdoor / non city life.
Added amenities include shopping and dining and tours both nautical and terrestrial.

M... s cousin and second cousin owned canal boats at Mercia. Thus, this weekend we rented a cottage on the surrounding grounds, minutes from the basin. The well appointed cottage was a three bedroom affair w/ one bedroom, en - suite, and a bunk bed style room for 4. Nicely done in wood trim and fully kitted out. Plus dishwasher and laundry.

a thoroughly enjoyable venue and home this weekend to a family re -union

🍹OK Dokey May the 6 th

 🍹 ... and the world ticks on

and on ......

.... and on

Still w/ you and typing away to the ether
ether / or and more

follow up. health news. the hip pain and inner thigh strain / hurt are still present
reluctantly, not to get carried away, I think the overall discomfort is decreasing.
Surprisingly, the flight w / the stretched out positioning we had ....
maybe, taught me how to treat the discomfort
and / or the attention that I have been giving the problem exercise etc are helping
I noticed that I'm developing skills on sock and pant putting on...... straight leg and not bending overtly.

Live and learn 

🏞 " May the Fourth Be with You "

 🏞 .......  long ago in a galaxy, far, far away  ........ there were .......

sunny and cool bouts of clouds

🌿 May 3 rd

 🌿 ..... happy birthday to E .... 
she is 23

sunny and brightly cool

🧞 on the first of V

 🧞 and dancing round the May pole. we won't

sunny and warmer of the year. like ---- summer

⏳ ending the IVth month

 ⏳or real close

sun and spring for sure. enjoy the warmth. revel in the days

live in the moment

I use the expression but I'm not sure that this ends up being what I Do or Accomplish

sounds good

🎀 and in ...

  🎀  glorious sunshine. hope springs eternal

🍁 on the 27 the of the IV th

 🍁 a bout of increasingly spring ish weather is in the offing

apologies. day blossomed from this AM. SUMMER but cool

🐯 again !

 🐯 .... closing out another month

whew. jetted by that one

we are in spring. today is a cooler version. duller and pregnant w/ rain

🌅 looking forward is ....

 🌅 ..... the ticket

a sombre day out the window as I type. 
positive notes. grass is greening. crocus came out and seemed happy

🦠 .... ' we all live in a ......

 🦠...yellow submarine ...
or so the song goes

on April the 24 . coffee, typing and dark outside
and for sure the temperature indicates spring 
I think we hit mid 60 s this afternoon

wondrous day, makes you believe in Santa Claus

💤 April 22 in the year 2025

 💤 ....... is the apt emoji b/c I took ' ZZZZZ sleep ' gummies ' Slept thru
However,I'm still groggy

' boro is dull but the sun wants thru

The backpack dilemma. OK, watched a YouTube video on my large backpack, Targus Voyager 1.
yes, loads of pockets and sleeves. Discovered that the protective zipped pocket lined w / foil was NOT for film etc
BUT a cooler / keep warm bag [ alright, it took me 15 years to figure that out ]

of course, now I am leaning toward, taking the bigger backpack.
a) the recommended backpacks have these storage spaces
b) the biggest pack pack might help while we are transiting in England

👁 ' what it is bro '

 👁The emoji 👁️ represents a single human eye looking forward. It's different in shape and style compared to the pair of eyes emoji 👀, which are more rounded and look to one side. The single eye emoji is also commonly used with the mouth emoji 👄 to create the "It is what it is" face: 👁️👄👁️.

sharing 
coffee in hand and typing. hello ether. are you receiving ??????? 

further. the 2 nd hack for the Survivor backpack. I mentioned the shock cord web modification, sort of " OK "

Next: two clips are now available slightly above the side pocket or water bottle carrier. Their purpose was to prevent the water bottle from falling over or out
THEN discovered a water bottle [ former ' ice tea ' container ] that sits quite nicely thank you, w / out needing a top lacing 

🎴 as April flows along

 🎴yes. we got rain
but the season has turned. less uncomfortable. get out weather is here 

follow up. I tried to ' hack ' my backpack. It is a Survivor 25 [ L ] from Regatta.
this is called an EDC [ everyday carry ] pack.
I was travelling to England and was using a dedicated Electronics backpack. Of course, compartments galore, padded and attachpoints for accessories. And heavy.

I saw a guy w/ a EDC approx 25 L [ I didn't know those terms at the time ]
While in England, yes, the Survivor was on sale for $ 18. I was going to use it all the time
Fast forward and not really.

As a last attempt to take this to England. [ see, this was what was supposed to happen ] I tried a hack to make the Survivor slightly more utilitarian [ and not heavy ]

the Survivor came w/ a shock cord loose web on the front of the pack. Meant for a jacket or wet item [ obviously, it could dry there ]. Problem was, all items tend to fall thru, eventually.
Solution, use a large  [long ] Zip tie to form a frame and make the bottom of the web stronger and more substantial

The Zip tie is strong but the way that I zipped the black Zip made the ' new improved ' shock cord netting - not stretchy enough. Meaning the space does not expand much or accept odd shapes

Today, is hack # 2. Stronger webbing but increased flexibility.  

We shall see said the Zen Master

The hack ' re do '. Alright, stayed w/ the heavy Zip tie. But, this time, I left the ends free ( not joined in a big loop.

I found a light shock cord and threaded the light line thru the Zip tie ends  Thus, a relatively stiff lower frame for the web net and flexy sides ( allowing stretch )

Untested. And all the while, I thought ' R U taking the computer backpack ( yes, like before ) '

🚅 and the 19 the of April is here

 🚅 ... we did get rain
plus the skies look threatening again. Mild temperatures, tho '

🏣 April the 17 of 2025

 🏣 ..... the ' boro reports

we will be sunny it seems w/ temperature doing a 50 + / - a bit

however rain moves in for the Fri / Sat of Easter

hang tough, elbows up and .... fight ,fight 

Pain follow up. Yesterday was Ibuprofen free. Did the wall stretch and w/ a bit of discomfort finished the day

This AM. Wall stretch [ still sore ] back to bed, stretch a bit
when I got up, wall stretch, and minimal discomfort

We shall see said the Zen Master

📅 nope the 16 and April

 📅 .... an icon from the display

further
the new exercise. today, Ibuprofen free. Usually, one pill in the morning [ or 2 ] to start, mostly pain free.
but. this morning two sessions standing and one while in bed. I believe that this will be a pill - free day

The DR. confirmed the YouTube diagnosis. ' can't put my socks on syndrome ' or hip arthritis

scheduled for X ray and Ultrasound.

sunny and tending to warm and rain in 2 days

💡 15 of 04

 💡' boro report. no whining. temperature is around 45 + / - Yes, Gray out there 

follow up. Dr T .. is going to see me today. The topic hip and groin pain or ' I can't put my socks on ' syndrome

BUT a day or so ago, a YouTube video said ' try one of these two stretches for pain relief '
and this would be video # 5 saying the same thing

Last evening
Up to the wall. forearm braces the body and push your off side hip into the wall. Yepper, hurt a bit
but I stepped away from the wall, greatly reduced pain. Un - freaking - believable !

now to be fair, the lady said that this is an ' unloading ' of the stress. Not a strengthening move

BUT what a relief 

🌉 aprilus 14

 🌉 ... in the  ' boro
dull and wet. all day. but warming c.f. the last two weeks

thus
the Duet experiment I.e. using a table was a flop

decision then. carry the Duet and use as a tablet / laptop or take this Chromebook clamshell

Advantages to the clamshell
this is our everyday machine that both M .. and I use.
would appear to be faster and functionally superior

Why ? don't know. the Duet has a ARM structure that was supposedly suitable for an app friendly machine

On the health front. I'm booked to see the family Dr. I have been putting up w/ groin pain / hip stiffness aching for a month

Oops! this condition is likely hip osteo - arthritis, diagnosed via You Tube

🧱 ... just another brick ...

 🧱 ... in the wall or post # 4 407

sunny in the ' boro. branches are still

our temperature will be 45 - 50 for several days  

" hello testing testing

 so this is an attempt on Sunday morning to use the Duet as a tablet thinking that at the airport, a tablet could be handy and a tiny bit lighter maybe.

 The alternative means carrying the clam shell Chromebook that we use normally. 

 oh well we're just going to give it "

Above in quotes, is a dictated script that needed lengthy and painful editing. Too, painful

evaluating this attempt ......

crapola in spades

and during editing, I was reminded that typing on the tablet is barely easier or fruitful than typing on our Pixel phones

☔ Aprile is now at 12 th

 ☔ ....... or past the third of days

' boro gets the symbol for rain
overcast and dreary looking

BUT no snow

🧋 celebrate or ....

 🧋.... languish

every day is good, somehow

even in the sleety gray, the snow is cleansing [ alright, that s pushing it a bit ]

🎀 slugging it out

 🎀 ... we will get spring
takes time
' winter stays long, this high up ...'

at least there is sun but cold ish

wind is still

🌨 ... this could be the last time ...

 🌨 ... oh, no, oh oh , no ( Rolling Stones )

a dusting for the ' boro
gray out there and flurries

brilliant sunshine. cold lively wind for the afternoon

⏳ .. the moving finger

 ⏳... writes
and having writ moves on ...

sunny BUT snow is in the forecast. Boo !

🍁 VI of IV

 🍁flying around the yard

I put up baby flags in Tim Horton s cups for decoration. Sort of - All Canadian

' boro, outside is struggling to be spring. the light is there but cold ish

A follow up of .... well, aging in place

long ago, the decision was made [ by me ].
we did not throw away or sell or trade the living room sofa set. four pieces of teak furniture circa 1975. the reasoning was sound that you can no longer obtain real wood furniture [ well, not at reasonable prices ]. the sofa and two seater had removable cushions like seat cushions.
so, twice in the past, we recovered and or replaced the cushions. 
the cost was 1500 - 2000 dollars. fabric was good quality and great colour and pattern

of course, the current estimate based on 2004, allowing for Covid and the intervening years - $ 2 500 to 3 000.

instead, we ordered Amazon sponge slab one piece bottoms w/ attractive neutral blue covering. for back rests etc. I re - cut and shaped the original sponge to suit us. we used the Amazon cushion coverings which were all stretchy and able to take on the form that we wanted.

Well, all was good. UNTIL, we've realized that we are aging in place [ badly ]. I had ordered slabs that were 3 inches thick. THEN, we needed extra height using pads and cot mattresses. this change was to aid in getting up from the sofas
 Alright. but the slabs would slide on the false bottoms that we made.

the final solution, re - order the long slab [ three seater ] in the 6 inch height. the plan was then to re - cut the three seater, 3 inch slab and re - use the re - modelled slab under the existing 3 inch two seater slab.
the results was a three seater with a 6 inch height, check that
a two seater w/ two 3 inch height slabs.

The best laid plans .... turns out the two seater has a 7 plus inch height. ????? OK haven't a clue what happened there

overall, the new arrangement works. E Z to get up. our knees can't do the get up part w / out the extra height. the look is, not unattractive, and functional

the cost. in total for the tree slabs just under $ 900. of course, had I originally, got the 6 inch height for both sofas, maybe just under $ 700. 
but we couldn't know how we would need to re - adjust the height

the back rest cushions and arm rest etc are a little different for personal taste, eclectic but not outlandish. now, add in another $ 150 for these coverings

AND a not so intended consequence, at the QMH there a new floor cushions, that everybody loves. I didn't know what to do w/ the four [ covered ] cushions that were spare from the original set. 
I hesitantly, took them to the QMH. I planned to subtly suggest that these cushion could come in handy, someday.
So, someone helped carry the cushions in,  everyone grabbed their favourite size and sat down on the floor
Ta Da ! total utility 

 

🏣 Aprilius 5

 🏣 ..... part of the up and down of our weather currently, we are gray and damp
the bonus is a rise in temperature to close to 50 F

follow up. we are paying for broadcast TV [ yes, the expensive option ] and Netflix and Prime

unfortunately, our major source of entertainment and contact w/ the world

to that end we watched ' Hope St ', a soap opera, in an Northern Irish port town. 

we are slightly spoilt having watched some our favourite UK programming

🌀 ... unexpected activity ....

 🌀 is the notification
the home security panel noted a front window opened at 2 P
obviously, the system didn't get the memo ' it was close to 70 F in the afternoon '

... let in the sun and warm !!

the ' boro now

cool and sunny

🥻 III of the IV

 🥻 ... and the rains came. we were deluged and more

almost afraid to tour the basement

PLUS we will touch 60 F this afternoon 

Follow up: a report tracking weight control since Fe 9 / 25 which started at # 181.6. This morning, I recorded # 175. I' ve limited bread to once a week or less. However, corn, rice and noodles ( esp. Rice and Beans noodles and Vermicelli) are staples

AND I get beer daily if I want 

Thus. A slow march over two months. 

🈲 II of the IV

 🈲 has anything settled down ?
what does that even mean ?

' boro weather. still gray out the window. loud sounds from the street [ wind gusts]
AND we have much rain due for the day

🧝 aprieaus 1 st

 🧝the Father of Life brought us ice that falls. and today bright sunshine and cold ....
yes. its a fooly for sure

🌨 what a closing out .....

 🌨 .... for the month. we use the expression ' WE the North ' for the Raptors basketball team

however, no, not even close in re: Ontario. slightly N of us, say 100 km, the area is under state of emergency. ice covered trees and standing objects. downed power lines and the snap of branches dropping 

did we get rain last night, early evening. bucketing down. the downspout [ I altered it to be easier to reach and mend ] was entertainment central. water gushed out for two hours. much like a sluice gate 

follow up. dinner last night. was tempura. Yes, I have done this before. however, not in a long time. say three to four years

I had a ton of doubt or procrastination jitters. finally, bought the shrimp. not big but medium.  just in case, I needed to make sure that they would cook thru 
I happened to buy a crunch pack of salad. add a potato and there you go
turned out terrific.
secret steps. keep everything cold. shrimp peeled and rubbed w/ soya sauce. potatoes washed sliced and soaked in water and left in the fridge. potatoes were dried before being used
I pre coated the food items in corn starch 
all the veg came straight from the fridge

what a mess. guess, my lack of experience was on full display

result. was delicious. saved the oil and expect to try a repeat.

the batter was 50 / 50 flour and biscuit mix [ yes, packaged ]

🚅 as in dodging

 🚅 ..the worstest .....  the ' boro has missed on the direst of outcomes
yes. we have ice on the trees
but the roads look driveable
whereas. areas of Ontario were layered w/ ice on standing objects

🏩 danger, danger .....

 🏩  Will Robinson ..... the Robot

in the ' boro. cars are moving well. roads appear wet but not icy

We shall see said the Zen-Master

㊗ March 28 and the ....

 ㊗ ..... lion roars

yes. big weather news and alerts

ICE 

🏖 teaser

 🏖 ,,,, sun boomed out this AM. Temperature will reach the 50 mark.

THEN, Friday thru Monday, a prime setup for icy rain, sleet and all that God allows

Ugh !

the day is as advertised, bright and sunny but wind is up and cold

🙃🙂 for the XXVI of 03

 🙃🙂 we are in a stall, weatherwise. we cannot shake the cycle of wet / and cold

there will be a spike up but still the overall is cold

🎇 Post # 4389 on Marhcessa 25

 🎇 in the ' boro,  gray and grim is the look

we will start a warm up. a begrudging slow warm up

" winter stays long, this high up " [ Chris Bear Claw Lapp ]

from Jeremiah Johnson

we are not high up, say, 600 ft ASL. and still got winter. come on Chris ! give me a break

Follow up. YouTube. The Hisense TV is slow and lags [ on pressing the remote buttons ]. Yepper, not just my TV and my TV sounds like a petty issue. Some folks are screaming and.

So. what do you do ?
1. Unplug your TV from the wall for over 5 minutes. Second step, touch and hold the actual power button. 30 sec.
Finally, power on the TV using the actual power button [ not remote ].
If this fix works fantastic.

The nest fix is more hands on and curse worthy

ah. ' the struggle is the glory '

🌨 ... snow .....

 🌨... covers the fields we used to know .... [ Cole Porter ? ]

yepper. white stuff on the ground

' boro is cold to boot [ or wear your boots ]

🧋 Marchioness 23

 🧋whoa. flying thru this month

excitement has diminished on the street. birch tree disappeared in 3 h. well, some stumpy bits are free for the taking [ much has gone ]

' boro is cold ish [ 36 F ] however, we will warm

🧳 the ' boro on Mar 22

 🧳 perhaps, you are not aware. This blog has no followers.

Well, I think not. Thus, ' sending to the ether ' is a title and description 

 always claimed that this blog was therapy.

a dull morning to all intents and purposes. we are expecting 40 + F and a cold day to follow soon

further. my one follower [ that I knew of ] has passed away. somehow that doesn't seem right, the phrasing, I mean. thus, if you read this and disagree send a comment

🎪the aftermath

 🎪 the sun flowing down shows a 40 ft birch tree lying across two lawns.

 No flashing lights this AM but last night the street lit up like a carnival

the tally thus far. Insurance claims to hit $ 12 K. However, that does not factor roof damage that is underlying the superstructure

EeK !

🦠 we have reached the Spring

 🦠 of the year

the ' boro. expects rain and not bad temperature

we liaised w/ our tax accountant. we earned more and pay more in taxes

It's late, say 11:58 P and the phone is dinging in staccato fashion as Whatsapp is delirious 

a tree toppled in the gusty conditions 

so basically # 10 s tree fell over the fence onto the wires in front of # 8

Police, ambulance and fire are illuminating the street in red and white - strobe style

basking in the warming

 ㊗  ..... sun is the theme and look

thus, all day the roofers lifted and re-sealed, trying to avoid water seepage anywhere but down the roof to the gutter
the boss said ' 90 % ' sure that water will stay out
Funny he added ' w / water, no one knows why it goes where it does '

🏛 working on our roof

 🏛 .... today. Thus, mayhaps our drip problem will end. I haven't the foggiest about how bad our leak is

I mean we get 20 oz every now and then. BUT the thinking has to be any extra water soaking thru the roof is damaging

' boro weather is glorious spring - full sun and mild breeze

🥻 wearing of the Green

 🥻well, we are close to the 12 h of sunlight mark. minutes away

this is the cold ish day in the ' boro

the rain should be gone or minimal

and a lovely sunny day broke out

🌀 on March 16

 🌀 ..... in the ' boro.
P.S. or possible script - this is spring. walked out w/ out a jacket [ coat ] and was comfortable

rain is the theme and sometimes buckets

on follow up. today is weigh in day. Recall the starting date was beginning of February. a 181.2 lb result.
Sunday, weigh in was 175.6 lb records show a 175.8 reading in June 1, 2023 [ sounds like an earthquake monitoring number ]
as mentioned, tho', I am not suffering. To wit, a potato pancake topped w/ asparagus,bacon bits and a dab of chicken w/ banana muffin for dessert [ yeah, breakfast dessert ]

AS FAR AS I CAN TELL< NO ONE READS THIS blog but me
hello ' ether '

also while scanning YouTube feeds, a video discussed the dangers inherent in thinking that walking for seniors is a total solution for health overall.

the video went on to mention weight bearing exercises for the whole body. hopefully, I'm coming close to satisfying some of those benchmarks

✨ rainy springy day

 ✨ not officially, spring. BUT don't blame us. wishing and hoping and here something warmish is

Reprise. Weight control. Am I suffering. no, except for feeling sorry for myself.
there is some satisfaction in the results i.e. downward trend in numbers

also leaving out potato chips, cookies and bread is not the end
recall, I still eat potatoes, rice and corn [ these are also staples around the world, just depending ]. Plus, I refuse to give up the beer.
the beer helps me celebrate - everything

alive and kicking
sore,yes. but waking up and doing

thus. weight is down a little less than 5 lb for a month.Figure that I have still got 7 weeks to go.
setting realistic goals is always touted as a path to success

as well, did I note that my exercise schedule is every other day. BUT I added 25 minutes on the recumbent bike, in between. Firstly, at least the recumbent bike gets used. Secondly, mild exercise on the off days increases activity. Thirdly, considering my aches and pains in the lower region, I figure that its therapy

sadly, the truth is maintaining any weight loss is going to be unsuccessful, once you go off the regimen.  Sort of been there and done that. 

we are travelling in May. Thus, the 2 month window. Overall, I'm hoping that the effort is the reward or ' the struggle is the glory ' 

and, of course, if there are any benefits to keeping your weight under control, at least, I tried

🎇 " Frying " Day 03 / 14

🎇 yes. forecast seems to have been on the ball. we are in a warming trend, rain for two days but temperature holds than soars a bit

I do attempt to not lose track of items. thus below find a excerpt from February 13, 2025

{{  Results: Sunday weight 181 2 lb

Thursday weight 179 lb

And no this is not a one week trial. The intent is 2 months or total grumpiness whichever comes first 

Oh. beer gets left in for morale support 

History would indicate that 176 # is doable and 174 is a reach. However, the general story is losing weight and maintaining are different beasts

Thus a solid plan looking down the road is crucial. The current idea is a stage wise approach and allowing sufficient time to adjust to each level. I feel like # 176 is a reasonable sounding place but. . .....  }}

And the results are in after approx one month. The weigh in Thursday March 13 produced a 176.8 lb reading.

meaning that my weight has dropped a tiddle under 5 lb in the month.

I concentrated on using rice, potatoes as my main carbohydrate. more fruit and veg. And corn seems to be a regular item. The corn appears to bulk out my stool. Besides that I've always loved frozen corn [ esp Peaches and Cream var ]
Stuff gets left out as well. Cookies, pies and chips are avoided. Lately. M .. has been making muffins [ bran and banana ]and I will eat those 
I will eat bread but only sparingly. I mean store bought bread. I decided to leave out all the extra additives such as extra leaveners, sugars and preservatives.

Alright fans.  The last time that I was near 176 lb was February 2023. 
As mentioned, I set a time limit of 2 months. Thus nothing radical [ plus I left in beer, for morale ]

Little glitches have occurred such as overloading on sunflower seeds. The rationale was that the sunflower seeds take time to eat. Sunflower seeds are healthy but calorie rich. Apparently, very rich. I still eat the sunflower seeds but controlled usage.

I've been aching in the legs esp the left and for a week and bit have used the recumbent bike for motion [ therapy ] and extra activity

Hopefully, I will get a little less tubby and adopt some real changes in eating habits

Occasionally, I feel deprived. BUT when you can have a beer on a ' diet ' ? how bad can it be

🈲 swinging around the corner

 🈲 perhaps, a little premature to hope .... BUT have we reached Spring.

the temperature is / will be + 32 for today and likely ten days out

the lowest will be 38

XXXX fingers 

as a follow up. the roofer [ who speaks Mandarin ] came by to evaluate the water leak from the cathedral ceiling and skylight
not a simple fix. however, he is taking a layered approach. A .. did the translating. for approx 20min, I felt that there was give and take - sort of a stating of positions 
them. their faces seemed to relax. and there was consensus.
yes. the job can be done. the roofer drew a picture for the slow among us
it turns out that much of the conversation surrounded A ..s point that cost is a concern but that redundancy was not to be overlooked 
sort of more is better, in this case

yes. it will be a ' layered ' endeavour. 

Best of all. the roofer ended w/ ' I can come on Monday '. Yeah !!! The problem was going to be ' trying to squeeze ' a small job like our roof vs. the construction type summer jobs
Thus, we might have caught a break

🏩 12 Marchioni

🏩 ' boro is 32 F and pleasant, low wind and humidity 

Shopping at the Giant Tiger, feels Canadian and loyal

of course, all the merchandise was made in the far East

I delivered the tax package to the accountant. This endeavour is always filled w/ angst. Awaiting my latest omission or flub. 
we shall see said the Zen Master

now our temperature soars and the precipitation comes

⛽ ' boro and sun

 ⛽ on March 11

spring snuck in. warm and inviting

the high will be 47 F and a cool down in two days

🧭 Furnace is disabled

   🧭 as a follow up to Jan 26 [a cold house ] the furnace is ' off ' again
we have two warm rooms, fireplace room and bedroom [ space heater ]
we slept in the bedroom and it stayed 70 F for the night

Supposedly, the  HVAC folks will call at 8 A and set a time to come and replace a piece of the furnace.

I'm typing in the fireplace room 

Follow up. yes, a competent service tech appeared w /in the time window 

Sorted out the glitch and installed a replacement part for $ 250 and sold me a ' maintenance ' plan, to boot

We are warm. And further, the filter on the furnace cannot last 3 months or the normal duration.

We visited Savannah, Ga. Apparently, a large chunk of visitors are / were inspired by the movie ' Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil '

Guilty. Here. M .. and I had a relaxing four days. My preference is always - spend time just being there

That's travel. to me

🌞 not the sun s fault

 🌞 ... he got up all right
our clocks changed

and sunny
as reported our temperature is going from cold ish -> to way less cold

🧿 Mar 8

 🧿  ...the ' boro is a wash in sunlight
yes. cool ish out there.
but our clocks go forward Sunday. spring is a dittle away

🏘 VII of Mars

 🏘 the ' boro report says, sun w/ patchy sky and rising temperatures. and purportedly, above 32 for the week and bit ahead

as stated the snowpack is fleeing

㊗ 6 the of the III

 ㊗  a miserable cuss of a day, here in the ' boro

nothing overt. wind was biting, rain was measly and the temperature not comfortable

it was a doable day

🧋 weather jumble

 🧋 raining now. next, we haven't a clue. A little ice, a little rain and plenty of runoff to cause problems.

overall, the temperature goes plus 32 nearing 40 for the next ten days

and uncertain precipitation 

it doth pour. the good news is so far, all the prep that I still ache from, have paid off 
the water is streaming out onto the lawn

it is as bad as described, water everywhere and it moving

we get a freeze tonight [ not good that ] and temperatures are on the rise, subsequent 

🎎 March 4ward

 🎎 or not

" here comes the rain again ... " Annie Lennox [ ? ]

and we haven't a clue where the water will go or can go

w/ a fairly hard freeze too boot its will be anybody s guess

certainly, is dim out there

🚆 the sunset barrier

 🚆 ... I was a tad late but this fact was drawn to my attention
The sun is setting after 6PM as at FE 28 [ ? ] Last night it was 6:06 P
and the sun will set now earlier than 6 P until Oct 29

' boro, last night was cold and under 15 F 
we warm up to 32 or so and stay there for the week

further to the sunset info
someone else keeps track and is interested
to wit :

Toronto will increase sunlight time by and 1 1/2 h in March

🦠 in the ' boro

 🦠 and no footprints

yes. the melt is on. the snow piles are shrinking daily

notice. I may have mentioned that I am aching from gutter work. on the ladder chipping away for 2 days off and on [ and I thought that I was taking it easy w/ breaks and short intervals - wrong !! ]

A .. called and mentioned the roofer is willing to remediate the roof / damming problem. Then A .. said that the roofer has been struggling to keep up w/ all the calls from ice damming caused by the amount of snow and subsequent icing

Wow ! good to know that it is not only us

sunny. cold not passing 25 F even in the sun. however, temperatures leap into the 30 s for the week.

🎇 the ' boro on Marching # 1

 🎇 ... of course, this is wrong. the derivation of the month was from Mars [ likely ]

cold [ well, it did drop below 32 by a lot ]. the long range has our temperature hovering below 32 for another five or so days
then. a warming up for two weeks [ not warm, just getting there ]

its hard to look at the snow piles and think warmly or warmish

March 1 celebrates. Zero Discrimination Day plus Wheelchair Day

went out to Shoppers Drug Mart anyway. Yes. miserable.
However. pain meds were needed.
approx three weeks ago, I was on the ladder for 2 h at a time. chopping ice out of the back gutters. and shovelling the snowpack

I strained everything. Crotch to knee is stiff. sore upon waking and tolerable thru the day. w/ occassional aching spells
mornings see stabbing pains in the hip area. pop some ibuprofen and acetaminophen to get by 

today.  I went for the aceto + muscle relaxant. As well, bought more aceto and ibuprofen

so far. the acetominophen and robaxin seem to help, quite a bit

drugs are us. we are old  

BTW. our acetominophen is paracetamol [ UK name ]

cold as advertised and windy to the point of ugly

🎪 as we end the II month

 🎪 ' the boro. sunny but a mixed bag. unsettled. mayhaps snow / slush ????? might happen
the melt is on tho '
you can see the trickles [ floods soon ? ] on the driveway edges

and there is a load of snow to melt

🧲 well now

 🧲 closing out the month. Alison Krauss sang ' Get Me Through December '
and we can croak out ' Getting through ' ***** whatever this is '

the mixed bag is coating the ground. this is where snowflakes look like ' little balls '
temperature close to freezing, thus ?????? falls

on first appearances. cars are moving on the street. 

we shall see said the Zen Master

㊗ on the 26 the of the II month

 ㊗ a lull. that the feeling today. awaiting an unknown mess of snow, rain, damp and colder
there will be crap
good news. the run off situation around this house is good. downspouts are mostly running free and away from the foundation
however, the ground is frozen and the snow cover extensive and deeper than other years

we shall see said the Zen Master

✨ .... the ' boro reports

 ✨ ... not much
a thought. I was out chopping thru ice in the gutter [ again ]. W/ much success. The bulk of the back gutter is flowing.
to wit. water poured out of the downspout. two weeks ago, the downspout was plugged w/ ice. I dismantled the assembly and left the downspout hole open. Water flowed a bit, or more. The water barrel below got covered in a glacier
Thus, after clearing about 80 % of the gutter, I attached a short downpipe w/ angle elbow and an 20 inch extension. The water shoots out past the barrel.
the idea is that w/ a short downpipe that I can reach and maintain the structure from the deck and no ladder.
Today, maybe I can free up the last bit of the back gutter.

As well, I managed to breakup the glacier on the barrel and get that mess of ice out into the yard

So, looking at the results out there, I say in my head ' just in the nick of time ' [ as the water pours out of the downpipe ] AND then said ' what you mean is " should have done this two weeks ago "
However, the temperature is near 32 or like yesterday, 40. So much easier to work than in 8 degrees 

works report for the day. All the ice is gone from the backside gutter. And I added another 12 inches to the extension. Thus, outflow is much past the 6 ft distance from the foundation that I try to keep for the water outflow to the lawn 

🧋 and now .....

 🧋we need to monitor the melting snow. lots of it

slept til 7 AM 
coffee and typing

🏘 Out of the dome of ...

 🏘  .... cold. We emerge buried in snow. the warm air [ relatively ] is here. So, a balmy 32 F. + / - 
and the big melt will be on. As you've read, I've gone pre - emptive BUT was / will the snow transferral be enough

We shall see said the Zen Master

🈲 February 21

 🈲 or moving more snow. What is it ?

out back the snow piled up against the fireplace room window, maybe two ft high

I decided that a pre - emptive strike is to move that snow out to 6 ft from the wall. 

THEN out front.  lost 4 ft of driveway width or snow mounding. Only one choice, take the driveway back. You had to start somewhere. I opted to remove 2 ft of snow from the East side of the driveway. Thus, chucking clumps of hardened snow and snowblowing a whole lot more, I took back some 120 sq ft

more to go tho '

sunny in the ' boro, and a cold wind [ plain uncomfortable ]

 

🎇 and still cold

🎇 very cold. b/c in F the wind chill makes the feel 0 

weather more. damp ish and pregnant but nothing should happen re: precipitation

out front. I moved a small mountain of snow. the other day, I looked out and said ' boy, the snow comes right to the front window '. problem  : where will it go on melting.
answer. into the ground. however, there is a slight low spot in front of the window there. water tends to pond
well. I didn't want a mountain's worth of snow melt ponding there
call it pre - disaster relief

🐻 ' ... you're as cold as ice ...

 🐻  or we are. Yepper, another cold one [ not a beer, either ]
below 32 and feeling the prolonged 
like Steve Mc Queen, we are the ' cooler kings ' [ ref ' the Great Escape ]

the interesting result of the internet : is when I Google [ we are Google centric, for sure ],  that ' my ' problem gets 10 000 hits in a blink

well. the WhatsApp, neighbourhood watch has people discussing snow load and water problems i.e. leaks etc

not nice. but I feel like I'm not alone

🧰 is the theme

 🧰 ah, already the 18 of the month

We have cold and will have cold for days yet

I venture out today or right now. A supply run for the house

🧿 as the month marchs on { to March }

 🧿 you heard it here second
the weather guy feels [ not knows ]  that this last dump appears to be the end of major winter storms

and we are buried etc. the lawn service came and cleared our walk and drive

BUT the street is a mess.  a slight rise to the curve and that is death to some cars
guys got stuck yesterday before the big drop in temperature

AND a follow up : the downspout opening is plugged again

Managed to pry open a space but definitely some sort of longer fix is needed

🎟 waiting out the storm

 🎟 well, we are
others choose to dare the elements and the road s

we might run out of cheese and eggs
and beer.

here it is 3 AM and I am typing and wondering
why am I awake
answer : worried. all my work on the eaves-trough is backing up water in the gutters
yes. the downspout opening seemed to have plugged up
water is freezing in the gutter

the story : for two days or parts thereof, I hacked and gouged ice out of the gutter. I put down salt and attempted to produce a clear path for run off.

THEN yesterday from noon on, I watched snow build up. Next the icicles formed. Heavily, where I could not finish de - icing. And slowly the icicles moved closer to the downspout. I had meant to keep the downspout clear of ice build up. Typically, the icicles are run off from the roof, passing over the gutters [ filled w/ ice ] and hanging from the gutter

I figured, well, w/ the snow and melting and the downspout hole seemingly blocked again, that all the work from Fri and Sat was undone.

At 8:30 AM, I cleared the side deck and back deck w/ shovel and snowblower. I did notice that the water was dripping more from the downspout. Good, at least a tiny bit of hope, there.
After warming up, I thought at least try and put some salt near the downspout opening. B/c if there was any kind of path for water, keeping that opening clear was at least a beginning.
Out I went, sort of a feeble attempt to get things rolling again [ flowing I guess ]

I punched through snow and ice AND found EMPTY space beneath the snow cover w/ a thin layer of ice
YES ! the gutter was more or less open and able to move water. Some ice and snow BUT mostly clear.

Next. I borrowed [ stole ] a nylon calf length sock from M ... and filled the sucker w/ salt. I laid this salt tube over the downspout opening. Ensuring lots of salt and the salt will dissolve but the bulk of the salt stays

Not perfect but at least not a complete loss.

So, rate the weekend effort. Likely, we'd have to put the number at 7. Success. Some back tracking and retreat. There is a channel for water to move and maybe, I can keep this clear

🧊 de -icing

 🧊  .... chopping ice out of the gutters

yesterday 3 hr and today 4 hrs
WHY ?
b/c I have / had an ice dam form over the kitchen part of the eaves-trough
Picture
an ice waterfall flowing over the eaves-trough forming foot long icicles and dripping water onto the deck
NO. you don't get it
disaster city.

Solution : use electrical cables [ well. I didn't turn them on long enough or at the wrong time ]

Thus. I am a hewer of ice. In essence, the ice is locked into the gutters. You chop out pieces and try to clear the space in the gutter for water to flow
AND do not cut the cable in the eaves-trough

working in relay 20 minutes to unthaw my hands and revive - I finished w/ minutes to spare as the next snow storm begins

Yes. Snowy in the ' boro

🛶 like the canoe

 🛶 we 'dugout ' again. 
the story: couldn't sleep past 5 AM

a small portion of soup. typing
dark out there - of course

AND I have a frozen eavestrough and downspout
gonna have to chop out the ice

🐾 2 peat

 🐾  this snow load was big
apparently [ haven't been out ] the temperature was cold
lighter snow, fluffy ish

We shall see said the Zen Master

typing but no coffee yet

Got my coffee. Good that

The snow: actually, turned out quite heavy ish. Must have been damper out than I thought

I had been tinkering w/ the snowblower and got it firing. Thank goodness.

that snow was fairly deep on the wood walkway and back deck

Since Sunday which is weigh in day . I decided to adjust my eating regimen by concentrating on taking in starch as primarily potatoes and rice. AND cutting way down on sugar plus switching from crackers and potato chips to sunflower seeds. Also bread gets restricted to a ' need to " basis and not unlimited access

Results: Sunday weight 181 2

Thursday weight 179.

And no this is not a one week trial. The intent is 2 months or total grumpiness whichever comes first 

Oh. beer gets left in for morale support 

History would indicate that 176 # is doable and 174 is a reach. However, the general story is losing weight and maintaining are different beasts

Thus a solid plan looking down the road is crucial. The current idea is a stage wise approach and allowing sufficient time to adjust to each level. I feel like # 176 is a reasonable sounding place but. . ..... 

🔮a three-peat

 🔮the KC Chiefs failed to do it
BUT here in the ' boro we will
snow on the weekend, snow on Wed PM ish and another blitz on Saturday

not quite the same huh ?