🏣 on FE 28

 🏣 closing out
errands this AM. return a T Shirt to Repair Cafe from 3 yrs ago. the folks kindly gave it to me. I sat and helped and realized - not my ease of comfort job. 
mainly electrical, small appliances. to be fair. these items were built for obsolescence and soon.

Hate working on plastic units. the screws are small and the screw holes wear out quickly. thus coffee makers, curling irons and that ilk.
oh and watches. the Cafe provides free batteries and service [ me ] . that I could do

thus, didn't go back from 2 1 / 2yrs

' boro, sunny and warmish for FE and the breeze cold and light
well, at least I brought home lunch

🏎 XXVII of II

 🏎 HOPE is coming. We will slowly warm. a degree or two off and on but definitely, the predictions are for temperatures at 32 or above

yesterday tho' the downspout got iced up. will need attention today

WELL ! the melt is on ... maybe for today only ..... but you can see the white stuff disappear

🚇 for FE 26 ...

 🚇...... closing out the month .....

sunny day. cold ish and damp ish. Ah. winter hanging on w/ grit and determination
global wa rming, eh.
I'm sure there is a spin on that theme that explains this winter

SNOW. COLD so Canada

ran errands this morning.Shoppers Drug and on the way - Top Binz, the leftover store. Like Amazon rejects.
Ah. today was  $ 1.50 day [ for anything ] or more accurately, rag picking day
I left w / no rags

And finally, I got a pedicure. All of 2025, bending my left leg was a pain or caused pain
today. now healed or only inconvenienced ...... had to try

 I felt great, there, and after and now.  Thanks

🚧 ...when its slick and greasy

 🚧 Prediction s were quite varied w / streamers and clippers possible 

Overnight, the volume was not great but a layer of snow is down
roads are passable but slick and greasy looking [ all from the comfort of the den corner desk

As well, snow volumes were likely even Wed day time 

I shovelled the side walkway as the crew kinda stopped short of the back sliding doors

Not bad. Light for the most part

🎰 for a sunny day

 🎰 Feb 24

' photos keep stopping ' window message pops up thru out the time that I use the Chromebook. Yes, its happened before and went away after - I did something. Clear the cache or uninstall / re - install the photo app. 
Again. then

' boro in a respite mode, awaiting more snow. However, today, below freezing but welcoming, at least

On the whole. it is gratifying to do a search on Google - and you find this photo glitch isn't yours alone. I mean the answer shows up in a few beats.

" you are not alone "

the story. I know that I bought a rug cleaning [ hand held ] machine to clean the boat carpet. Thus, I searched and not finding ' the green machine ' , I asked A ... to look at the cottage. 
No. And A .. said ' I'm sure that you said that you would take it home '.
OK. no luck. garage, basement ...... no green box
Duh. Its a Dirt Devil, rug and upholstery clean machine [ box is off white ].
Had it in my head, green machine !

End of saga. used the Dirt Devil, last night. Results are unclear. 

🚠 Feb 23

 🚠 the ' boro got a light dusting. The crew came late afternoon to remove an inch, then the light dusting. And there will be no melt for a few days

Well, when you live in the land of the silver birch [ traditional song lyric ]
you get snow and beavers [ yepper, in the song ]

what is simple

really. as in register for your Canadian Revenue Acct.
what is your line 11500 amt. OK, that was 6 min searching
got better, what was line 15000 amt [ better, only 3 minutes ] BTW this is a timed session, 18 min max

and a whole lot of quick reading, and ' no ' mistakes [ maybe ]

We shall see said the Zen Master

AND at first it said do you have a code and ID. well, I don't think that they gave me one

🦺 .. the more it snows ....

 🦺 tiddly pom .....

on Feb 22 , colder and snower [ that's a Canadian word ]

🐇 ... bunny on your doorstep

 🐇... camouflaged in grey - white fur .....

snow flurries all day. and I need to go north to Richmond Hill for a funeral.
it will be a last minute decision based on road conditions

Drive up was messy. Drive back busy and better overall 

🧦 for 02 - 20 in the ' boro .....

 🧦..... the rain in Spain .....
came here.

 light rain for hours is predicted. my view confirms this

the follow up. as per predictions 
in fact raining still. and that was the AM into 3:40 P

managed a coffee date w / friends 

⛩ and the aftermath

  ⛩ in the ' boro. a damp day. gray and windy. but warmth started about ten.
melt is on

icicles fell or were knocked off. driveway black and clear

thus. icy pellets / sleet / freezing rain. not that I can tell

I shovelled off the west back deck, b / c the crew did the side access to the deck and the east side deck. Surprise light snow and bits of ice. There was ice build up in the downspouts and I shook the ice out. used the heat gun to speed up the melt.

then I poked the nearest icicle and -> snow avalanche - 200 # of ice and snow detached itself in a chain reaction
this occurs b / c there were heating cables turned on. instead of hanging from the roof or gutters, these icicles hung on the snow bridge over the gutter. 
# 200 lbs of ice on the ground is # 200 that doesn't need the gutter 

❄ ... ' this is the winter of .....

 ❄ ... our discontent ... [come on, everyone quotes Shakespeare ]

and it is ! Again. a bleeding mix of snow and ice and whatnot.
the shake out. Scarborough might get 5 -6 inches of snow. Ice and pellets or freezing rain ... who knows ?

we are hunkered down again.  

' boro is white and high winds - that's it. our environment is storm

the aftermath. snow that was not too deep but heavy and sticky. Each shovel full was a load. The much feared ice / sleet / freezing rain didn't materialize or may still be in the offing.
The crew came and snowblowered the mess off the asphalt [ TG ]

The city plow went by - however, you had to have a generous spirit to appreciate its pass by.
The forecast said that this lot of white stuff might be difficult to budge.

So far. the really bad missed us

🧑‍💻 on FE 17 in the ' boro

 🧑‍💻 ... some preparation will be needed throughout the city.
Suggestions of a mix precipitation event - snow, sleet or ice
And snow could be a dump.

however, outside the window. sunny, slightly hazy sky

The plan. Make run to the donation store
Clear out : Xmas tree [ 6 ft ], electronics [ incl phones, wires , DVD player ]
Expecting some scrutiny re : tree and some electronics or wires or cables 
Pull up and read the signs. No one home. Thus, unload the lot.

Low on gas. At Shell pumps, the machine offered up to $ 50 use of Air Miles, yes. And they used Air Miles and Can Auto Assn. The window for carwash flashed by - I missed it. Went out the cashier and got a ticket
Oops ! line up was 9 cars at 5 min a go. That's right. Sat for close to and hour
Upshot, truck is sparkly clean and I polluted the environment

Hard to evaluate. Good or bad day

Sadly. there appears to be not much improvement in the junkiness of the workroom

Oh well.We take these days and times - as we go -and try our best

As well there was some snow clearing up on the roof. Decided that if I could knock some crap off the edges, ice and snow etc that that's less melt going down the pipes and less trouble down the road 

the aftermath. the work room is not as cluttered as stated. Picked up some garbage. Created a new pile of clothes for donation. Apparently, I am not size 34

thus. a good effort today

hibernate tomorrow. watch the sleet and ice and mayhaps snow careen around in the 50 km winds

🚝 on the 16 the of FEb

🚝 .... in the ' boro. sunny,blu ish skies. not much wind movement. temperature headed above freezing [ ? and pray ]

the internet. ask anything. lots of free advice. however. the best part is when you ask and get 32 000 hits
b/c then you are not alone

today. how to tell if the ' wool ' socks that you bought are WOOL.

yessiree Bob. take a strand and hold near a flame.
Wool curls away from the flame
Synthetics [ most likely ] will pill and ball in melting 

🏰 XV of II

 🏰 .... ' boro outlook form the window on the street. dull, grey skies and black road and white lawns

temperature to be slightly below freezing but a + + day is coming. wind is stirring

quite the OK day. Everything in moderation

✈ and yes. a flight is booked. London, UK

already asking, how do I avoid the jet lag [ mega jet lag actually ]

and it seems that my estimate of ' four days ' to punch thru jet lag was not extraordinary.

advice was to get out in the sun. avoid alcohol [ no ]. no napping the first day but wait til bedtime proper [ not sure about that one ]

 

💖 .. tis the Day

 💖 .... Valentino Day

' boro got a light dusting by mid afternoon yesterday, very little overnight. 

not much doing at the ranch

exercised. I've altered the place slightly. I decided to slowly rev up to 115 BPM by steadily pacing at 3 MPH. The goal to establish a heart rate and then back off the pace as I begin the calisthenics and weights etc.
I use a high bar to stretch my back and raise myself a bit.
I do push ups and leg / arm kicks
Free weights, include overhead lift [ front and back ] and curls
I practice motion w / the lacrosse stick and ball [ twirl and pick up the ball ]for variety
Free weights for arm swings and light curls
angled arm swings
back stretches and leg raises

Thus.my Average BPM is up [ typically, 113 to 116 ]. However, calorie burn is pretty much what I always achieve, a tad higher.
Overall, feel not bad or extremely tired. i.e. not exhasuted

 

🏍 .... along to Feb 13

 🏍  ... in the  ' boro, might hit 32 F. But sunny, and clear.

research as at now centres on UK flights
well, we are up to $ 9 500 all in [ oops ?]

sun is beaming and all sorts of possibilities exist

over the last six months, I've re - watched ' Arrival ' by Denis Villeneuve. Cast, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whittaker.
the story line is, Alien spaceships arrive and set up shop around the world. each region responds in its own way.
the main story is in the U.S. and Adams and Renner.
the alien [ called heptapods ] use a vocal language that is different from human sounds Plus a written communication that is ' alien ' Aha.
the written part is akin the circular paw prints. As you identify animals via their prints, the alien language of circles is like that.
turns out that the circles are modified and repeated to convey meaning. 
the kicker is that soon the linguists realize that the heps. are writing front to back and back to   front 
OR put this way, the heps. know what the final message reads before they start their circle dance
and likely, they experience past,present and future all at once.

got a little lost. At Xmas, I got gifted the book or short story ' Story of Your Life .... ', the literary sourde for the movie. 

Egad. I can pretend to follow the text but lacking the hepatpod ability, I am nowhere at the end of the story. 
I understand the words but cannot piece together how the sum functions

🛺 Aha, the 12 the of II

 🛺 sneaking up on the Ides. 
 ' boro a little colder. bright and slightly hazy up in the sky

roads are clear ish w/ a bit of slush ? [ will take a peak in a bit ]

Further looking ahead. Forecast says ' warming for the next four days '

Road conditions - plowed. Mostly bare but patchy snow / ice visible 

Day is much clearer since AM. and decidedly cooler for sure

Errands. The hot table at Skyland [ les Mets Chinois ]
Shoppers Drugs, for anti itch cream [ occasionally, I break out in a general skin allergic reaction ]
Mailed letters [ after returning home and heading out to the post box ] 

Skin allergy. Why ? Dunno. When. Anytime.
OK what happens ? A pimple pops up - leave it alone - and another and another. spreads up my arms and across my back - maybe
Hydrochloride derivatives knock it down, antihistamine stops it

This pimple thing started on Monday and I took the antihistamine. Seems quiescent

🚂 .... FE 11

 🚂 apparently, we are in the hurricane s eye, metaphorically speaking. We will have freezing point temperatures [ in and around ] w/ very cold nights. 
the prediction is a month out [ w /some glitches likely ]. snow will be intermittent and so far no biggie dump is looming.

The Great Lakes are iced over and this reduces pick up moisture and hence less chance of big snow events. The corollary is, colder air is possible.

' boro is dull looking, sombre. BUT nice conditions for going out.

🥁 ... well, maybe not ......

🥁 ... winter is not over. BUT we'll see 32 F for the day and likely a few days hovering close 
it is white out there.
I need to check on the water flow off the gutters and downpipe.

reporting. yes, the day seems as advertised. snow fell as might be expected in slightly warmer [ thus more humid conditions ].

BTW. gutter and downpipes appear working properly

🥶 ---- > almost 🔥

 🥶 ---- > almost 🔥. Let s be careful now, the temperature is scheduled for near 24 F. BUT 14 degrees higher than the days leading up to now 

bright and clear. looking ahead, predictions are for + / - freezing for a week. And trust me that will be warm for us

follow up. the thermometer readings are : 13 F for now

The story. Our group health insurance has changed providers and name.
Sign up. Sure. 
Them : did you get a letter
Us      : nope
Them : did you get a welcome email
Us :  yes

turns out we don't have a registration  code

Thus, I called in, and a nice operator stayed w / me online and registered us.
the Skinny. she took 15 min to walk me through the process 
I figure at the very least, that was a 2 hr hand wringing, head throbbing session by myself

the day is almost comfortable for the southern Great White North

🥶 🥶 ... encore, triste ....

 🥶 🥶 ... I'm back !!!!. Yes, 1 F or 31 degrees to freezing [ warmth ? ]

Bright and clear. Cold as glass. What ? sorry - bright and cold, clear as glass

reporting. we had a shooting in a corner coffee shop. say, 1 1/2 km by car, closer if walking
I waited to mention this event, time to reflect on the meaning

meanwhile. stats on Amazon, our account, says 30 purchases in 3 months. and be informed that this period spanned Xmas. We purposefully chose to order online. M .. would find it hard to get out. Still.
Admittedly, I have loosened up on spending. Foot massager etc but we are aging in place 
gracefully ??? 

this morning, I did the Giant Tiger run for groceries [ Cheerios, cheese etc ]

Got exercise in. but. I didn't turn on the TV - decided that meditative silence was fine for aerobics 

🥶 .... so, not so cozy

 🥶 in the ' boro or the house. we are in deep cold

and not much doing here inside. some odd jobs, framed a picture - pondered a collage that I'm working on. not much joy 
BUT there is satisfaction in pondering

🔥 .... coziness in the ' boro

 🔥 the story.
Routine furnace maintenance. Crack in the heat exchanger.
New furnace required. And water heater is too old to chance a failure
Cold cold day on Monday. And just as cold through Thursday [ install date ]

We had space heaters and a fireplace room.

' boro had some snow fall not an inch
snow means a low pressure system is around and temperature reads 28F. Colder tonight tho '
ditto w / massive wind chill some 20 degrees

chores involved returning alcohol containers
dropped in at Skyland for the hot table and sundries. Also, we are trying golden threadfin [ like sea bream ] hope we like sea bream

sort of an alternate to Cpt Highliner breaded  ......... something

🛢it is Feb 5 in ' 26

 🛢...what are you doing ?
Us. we are getting ready for a no heat day. liar. we have space heaters running
our furnace and water heater get replaced.the furnace was deemed unfit for use. the service type found a crack beginning in the heat exchanger
and the water heater is old ish. will it fail maybe .... maybe not
but if it fails completely and bursts ..... flood s will happen

on the positive side. today will be warmer than yesterday by a bunch

looking ahead. still on the cold side. minus C temperatures - up and down for two days
culminating in near zero and then positive for two days
yes. close to freezing or above

OK all done and very early, say 1:30 P

🫘 fevrier quat

 🫘 ... it s bean a long time .....

' boro is cold [ see, that s not news ! ] bright. pale blue sky and not much stirring
Sitting typing and coffee in hand

the world opens up, like this small

🥐 .... come to the cabaret ...

 🥐 ... I made my mind up back in Chelsea, when I go I go like Elsie ...

' boro. foreboding. 30% chance of snow. Mild c.f. the last ten days 
I dug out the side steps and stone descent to the backyard.In case, the service types need to bring in furnace and water heater that way. The chairlift on the stairs narrows the exit downstairs by 1 /2 

The downside might be crossing the lawn [ I shovelled but the footing will be soft and bumpy.

Also, dentist day. cleaning and checking [ ????? ] yes !!!!!!
homeward. I stopped at  Real McCoy Burgers. right on the corner coming down Bellamy. I call them the second best burger in Scarborough, thus people won't argue. BEST BURGER IN THE  BORO { TOUGH LOVE BABY }

the temperature dropped through the day, as the wind shifted more N than earlier. Little flakes off and on

OH ! great fries. second best fries in Scarborough [ hee hee ! ]

🐹 ........ ?????

 🐹.... the Shadow knows !

in Wiarton and Puxatawny and other locales - momentous omens portend

We shall see said the Keeper

' boro is headed for 22 F w/ a huge wind-chill a relatively clear day bringing 10 % chance of snow
wind is 5 mph out of the NW [ cold for us ]

sunrise 7:32 A and sunset at 5:29 P

follow up from the groundhog reveal : Puxy Phil says 6 more weeks of winter . Wiarton [ Ont ] early spring.

this AM. ventured out for the paper and took a snap of Mt Saint Landfair [ snow plow hillock ]

awaiting the HVAC person for furnace cleaning

meanwhile, I shredded receipts and documents [ some were marked June ] lazy people have that happen
this is a productive morning ??? or proof of total laziness
on the bright side, a great use of a hibernating day
I saw a quote ' I live in summer and survive winter ' she was Nordic - I think

🛟 welcome to the ' boro on I of II

  🛟 the weather pattern holds.cold. clear skies. the city is in the throes of snow removal in specific areas and buildings

yes. hibernate is the word

however, we did venture out to Shoppers Drug Mart. we travel approx 1 1 / 2 miles further to visit Cliffcrest. Ostensibly better parking .... til Food Basics arrived. Still a handy place. Our bank, SDM and the Liquor store

cold. sunny. and tempting. I checked the back gutter and all seemed clear.