🎀 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 ?

 

🎣 as time goes by ....

  🎣 lost a fishing buddy
yesterday. a long illness period
a brave fight

a restful weather day. the gods are taking the day off

THEN two days of  ????  big snow and yuck

😼 coming on ....

 😼 ......   International  Day of Pulses
celebrating Legumes
I'm assuming here that ' Pulses ' is kinda like the seaweed thingy

sun is attempting an end run thru ' the cloud cover

overall, no snow would be good

decided to start a new eating regime : highlighting a little less meat
tea and rice
maybe.
less processed. meaning cut out crackers e.g. and eat sunflower seeds
or potatoes and rice

🎒 snowfall February

 🎒 winter is catching up w/ us. More snow overnight.
maybe the most this winter

coffee and typing. so, normal in here
our no service arrived at 6AM ish. did a smash up job
AND I went out and cleared the side access to the deck

this chore is to maintain access from the side door or backdoor for emergencies

sound planning is to know where yo're going - locate exits etc

🏕 good morgan

  🏕 ... the sun is trying to break thru
in the ' boro

storms later

coffee and typing

📕 an open book ....

 📕 or ......
the ' boro today. Sunny. Snow sprinkled down overnight
slightly hazy bluebird type sky

this photo shows a pre pre - assembly of a shadow box presentation

the style is ' steampunk '. the various items including the frame are largely recycled. the gear pieces [ circa left and middle ] were purchased, tho '

the actual frame etc are not fixed in place. this is sort of a trial. the circular base within is a tin lid

🌨 never rains but it ......

 🌨 snows
yes. Definitely a misquote

however, the mix produced snow
this will be the heavy stuff. quite mild.

more than an inch but not much more ..... so far

stay tuned tho '

follow up : cleared the side deck approach and back deck. Not as heavy as I suspected

there is a lull in the precipitation action

🈲 .. sing for your supper

🈲   .....and you'll get fed  Ah, yes. Mama Cass

cold again in the ' boro
the sun is out and lighting up the view 
we are in the realm of weather medley
no set trend except different each day

Wiarton Willie: Ontario

 groundhog of S Ontario.  predicted a short winter
hi success rate is 30 %
but we love a gamble

🏘 the 4 th is here

 🏘 ' boro. everything. gray / sunny. windy a bit. mainly uncomfortable.

did a verification of financials
made chicken stock

in fact. I soaked and made vermicelli for a soup.
I've never soaked vermicelli before. Figured boiling water was the normal. Soaking worked quite well.

🔖🔖🔖 fevrier

 🔖🔖🔖of the second month of  '25

yes, snow in the ' boro overnight

more to come
We shall see said the Zen Master

📻 video killed the radio store

 📻 "I heard you on the wireless back in '52

Lying awake, intently tuning in on you
If I was young, it didn't stop you coming through

and video killed the .....

in the ' boro. a warm up to near 32 [ not quite but real close ]

happenings. dull as dirt here. however, I've commented before

danger! when my life gets exciting -its not good

by the way the group was the ' Buggles ' 

back to happenings ...... 

🈲 02 / 01

 🈲 reporting from the ' boro
big sun
big cold
crisp if you like
or fricking freezing if you were on foot

follow up
our circulating pump in the dishwasher failed
new Whirlpool was ordered. Due date is now 4 days hence
AND we are becoming dishwashing experts, sadly
Very efficient. but thank goodness we can anticipate an end

this morning stepping out and looking East

🗼 01 - 31 of '25

 🗼a damp ish day in the ' boro. Raw is the word. Basically, uncomfortable

events. brought in the garbage can. and the newspaper.
really. that was the morning

🦕 from out of the past

 🦕 a sauropod comes marching
Alright. I got bored and picked the ridiculous for today s icon

a mixed blessing in the ' boro. Temperature will be 32 give or take
Figuring, a mash up of precipitation or not

Thus, we have been 3 days without a dishwasher. We are managing. And there is some satisfaction that comes w/ this manual stuff. 
However, we can add no kids or others. I re - use cups etc anyway

🐾 signs

 🐾 in the snow b/c we got covered in white, overnight
nothing major but enough to leave a barrier or impediment to travel

snow is usually better than water b/c water moves
and not where you want it

however, when snow moves.....yikes !

temperature will hover near 32 + / - 

🎩 January Close Out

 🎩, no. I'm not selling anything

sending to the ether. as per usual

a colder day in the ' boro. bright day but colder

big Oops ! Our dishwasher is repairable but the cost is not worth the investment

A .. found an open box deal at an appliance store. Great. Save $ 250 
get home. WHAT ! its stainless steel outer shell - our kitchen is white ! 

call back. substitute dishwasher is $ 200 more.

Yikes. we said yes.

🆑 and more

 🆑 if you are keeping track. we are closing out another month

recall. Alison Krauss was singing ' Get Me Through December '
January has been frosty and wintery and winter ish.

' boro today. sunny. hopeful

I started home fries in the automatic air fryer
vacuumed out the main air return grate

🧊 but inside

 🧊 yes, the furnace is not making heat

' boro is winter conditions. But average only

fitful sun and wind is moderate

inside news. the company HVAC responded right away. Phone reception was very good. The tech guy called and said  ' noon time '.
then called at noon ish, 'stuck on the # 401 '.
however, he came as promised.
he did troubleshooting and got down to one switch.

but .... why ? the switch was a safety and tripped. He cleaned and tightened parts.
well. the furnace runs. so fixed
the tech was not sure if the problem got solved or postponed

thus. 8:30 A no heat
1:30 P warmth flooded the house

Oh. a dirty filter. One month in service and already, likely in need of changing.

💒 on January 25 in the ' boro

 💒 a gray and ..... not hospitable day
the dampness is seeking your bones

a load of wash. and looking at stew for dinner

could I wax lyrical. 
the topic. is I need to do things. hence, I need to create

January 23

 🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 🧊 🧊🧊

yepper still

I was reading at 5 AM
on the Chromebook, at IPlay

and waiting a package from Amazon

the package arrived

the contents. a rain shower head for M ..
she used one, in a hotel
and thinks its the bees knees

thus we will try to hook it up
apparently, easy to fit according to the ' Customer Reviews '

nuff said 

🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 it is the story

🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 🧊 🧊🧊

again. cold it is
a break is due in a day

a controversy for our life

[ sad ] the most important button on the TV remote 
choose
mute
pause

and I realized wearing earphones while on the internet [ esp YouTube ] is beneficial
better sound reproduction of course
however, you can shift the headphones for commercial spots and hear hardly any of the noise

🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 in truth

🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 count them
as you can see
more ice cubes
yes its colder by a substantial amount

wind is still and the sun is trying however clouds are moving in

the Ol' gray Ridgeline was not a happy camper, starting up AND we park in the garage

got out for lunch. the conditions were manageable

🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 indeed

 🧊 🧊 🧊🧊 icons say it all

deep freeze conditions. sunny and still air
BUT freeze your face off conditions

we hunkered down and let the furnace do the talking

🧊🌬 and the bleak .....

 🧊🌬 ..... got a bit  bleaker
we dropped 10 degrees overnight
So ....

when we cheer ' WE the North ' well, sooner or later 
if you talk you gotta walk

as in ' if you talk the talk then you gotta walk the walk '
suffer baby
this is Buudhism right in your face
' Life is Dukha ' or bundle up your overcoat, it cold out there

the story. We are booked for a flight to the UK
lately, it was announced that Canadians need an eTA [ electronic ' visa ' ]

simple, order online takes minutes and receive by email in three days,

Yeah. Mistakes.
Started w/ the laptop. Well. It is faster using your phone. Download the App

Done. Photo your details page from your passport. Oops ! you have glare.
Redo. Success.

slide you phone over your passport to access your ' microchip '. Error. Do over. Did you remove the phone case. NO
Do over.

Done. Now take a photo using the App. twenty three minutes later. Success.

Pay. I tried using M .. s credit card [ we were doing hers next ]. Nope

Typed in my credit card. CIBC, is verifying your transaction. I must have hit the wrong icon
YES, you got it. Nada

OMG. 

Another day another dollar. TG , we are doing this early.

BTW. Figured out how to take the photo, much easier. 
we'll get her done.

Stay tuned

follow up. today. A few miscues. nothing major. two applications 15 min total
the application process can take 3 days more or less
occasionally, up to three weeks

at 2:21 P your application is in cue
at 2:35 P you are approved for travel in the UK

you do not need to take a copy. provide your passport at border control

Egad. our digital world. everything is easy

til it gets impossible

🎑 " welcome to my .....

 🎑..morning
I said, welcome to my day ..... " the John Denver, cheery song

gray in the ' boro. we are prepping for a run of very cold days

yes, coffee in hand
the story.
watching videos on coffee making, some hints suggested that, although easy to use, the coffee maker has flaws in method
to wit. the water is warmed, drips onto the filter and grounds
BUT the first wash of water isn't hot yet.
and sits for a bit, soaks into the grounds, and percolates down

thus. I heat water in a cup. pour the hot water over the grounds. note. the coffee pot is not under filter. I turn on the machine. after some minutes, I position the pot and the drip through process begins.
the theory says that the first hot water bath should be longer. kind of activating the grounds

well. this AM.
Sh*t !
 I heard a sizzle and looked over !!!!!!

the watered coffee was spilling over the top of the filter compartment
yepper. forgot to put the coffee pot in position OVERFLOW city, man

cleaned the mess. and waited as water sizzled and sputtered on the warming plate
well. everywhere it seemed. A mess.

result. coffee tested terrif 
why ? maybe b/c the water sat in the grounds for so long
obviously, not to be repeated. however, interesting 
... in a horrific way

oh. and the coffee is not very hot. to clean up, I had poured the coffee into our coffee thermos.

life will go on. life always goes on. 

🌧 in the bleak ...

 🌧 .. midwinter
frosty wind make moan ... [ sorry this Christina Rossetti }

 " this is the winter of our discontent " etc [ Shakespeare ]

Well, coffee in hand and typing
aha, the day begins

the view is tinged w/ small flakes drifting down, of course, no sun

steampunk. I'd started to enjoy the images as I watched ' steampunk ' videos on YouTube

I have ordered ' parts ' - the gears and keys and et al that accessorize ' steampunk ' costumes and objects
As an official packrat. I've accumulated lanterns and tins of all kinds

you know that ' bleak ' part. I figure that we could use the term 10 times a winter

time to utilize the crap [soon to be ' art ' or memorabilia ]

the alluring aspect of steampunk, is that you cannot be wrong
too simple, lousy looking, unappealing BUT wrong ..... nope

💫 once more ..... round the ...

 💫 block. as they say
another kick at the can

' boro info. cold or colder. with big sun. patchy blue up there
get ready. a frigid time is approaching 
the jet stream will help force some chilly masses down our way

this is 'steampunk ' imagery -you see the gears and mechanics
accessorized to the extreme

plus there is snow falling. not tons but it will coat the road  and at 27 F, well, nothing good happens

the image above. is a photocopy from a metal disc in brilliant colour
the colour did not translate in the photocopy
in true ' steampunk ' fashion 
I crayoned in the original effect. yes. crayon
The thought was that it might be possible to blend colours to produce the matching shade.
And I did

This is a beginning

📕 January XIII

 📕.... an open book

" ..... Life just isn't fair
there's no easy days
there's no easy ways
just get out there and do it

.... "  Alan Price, from ' O' Lucky Man '

still dark out there
but coffee and typing 

actually, the Buddhist have that               ' Life just isn't fair '.  line covered

Life is Dukkha [ suffering ]

from AI search on Google

"In Buddhism, dukkha is considered an inevitable part of life. Examples of dukkha include:   Birth, Aging, Dying, Sorrow, Loss, and Separation from loved ones.

Dukkha is one of three basic characteristics of existence in Buddhist thought, along with impermanence (anichcha) and the absence of a self (anatta). "

Whoa. a little heavy there

I'm more a pineapple 🍍 guy. show a touch prickly

But I'm can be in  a ' Alabama slamm - ah '

" .... and sing and they'll hum along.  

cry and you'll cry alone 

and nobody's gonna care ......"

⚙ and its winter ....

⚙  .... still. the temperature is on the rise
                             and we got snow

                             an inch + a bit - a covering layer

 

Next day ... So different

BUT I caught the light, in this pic
the Pixel 6a does a good job on most photos. it self adjusts quite well
I obviously, enjoy sitting at the computer station and looking out
a bit limited view. however, I can watch the street or a quadrant
as you can tell, I am sparkling the neighbourhood for a while longer. the two stringers of kaleidoscope lights are blue and rainbow
the rainbow are the showiest, by far
and glistening off the snow, quite the effect [ Chilly Hilly is home in his box

🏟 moving on

 🏟 despite our protests, life is moving on

we grow comfortable. good. BUT there is no standing still

I've been watching Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist [ and lets educate the world guy ]

in essence, even standing still, you are being swept along as the universe moves 

the 'boro today. Milder than we've seen this week. The next week, shows 32 w/ up and down.

whats up : Sunday, the Quarter Mile guys show up here. Sit around and eat a little. Drink a little. them scotch and me beer. connect.

follow up : I re - arranged the ' computer room '. Last year

once a large desk was devoted to ' computer usage '. well, the desk stayed the same size and the computer kept getting smaller. as well, the computer became a laptop. and the Chromebook migrates as needed. 
the original pre - fab particle board type desk was 3 - 4 ft and took up approx half a wall.
and then there was a pull out couch salvaged from my parents condo [ circa 2004 ]. I disassembled the desk. Saved the large boards and used some smaller pieces for shelves

now.

the layout. East wall : pull out couch, corner frame computer / desk. stands 5 ft and under 40 in wide

thus. the above photo is a view as I sit at the corner computer stack. Love the idea that I sit and watch the world go by on the street.

West wall: stacking storage, boxes and rolling shelves. I put up a ledge to support the printer which would be precarious otherwise. Small stuff also sits on that ledge.
North wall. Oops !. In 1976, I bought an unpainted desk and chair. I stained them both. Yep. The combo is still sitting there.
Oh, I adore wood. 
then north continued, a wall unit w/ half glass front. Okay. purchased in 1980. This ensemble was 3 pieces, book unit and two display units. so, one display unit is in the room.

However
the walls are not bare. East wall mini shelve, posters and memorabilia.
West wall. photo montages.

North wall. posters and display tea towels

BUT. there is a Machiavellian under plot to this up do arrangement. The pull out can ' pullout ' so a bedroom was created. definitely not absolutely handy. The bed will cut off the room a bit. Yet, in a pinch, a bed and space.

Janus IX

Yes. January 9

A cold ish day in the. ' boro.and w/ it, a New Year first, we went to the Magic Noodle. Chinese Ramen, supreme 

After a $ 250 wander thru Costco 

OMG. How can so much on sale total so much

Oh. I succumbed and ordered from Temu

( Chinese  Amazon Inc ).

What ? Yepper. I've gone  ' steampunk '

or I'll attempt steampunk

I need to create or make

🐠 little fishy

 🐠 .....instead of the freezing cold out there

well. we need to endure another 40 hrs of colder and we warm up come late Thurs and Fri

32 is the magic number

🏮 warming ????

 🏮 last night my phone showed a notification ' tomorrow, warmer by 6 degrees '
does it help ?
dunno. informed is better than surprised
Thus, made it through December, as Alison Krauss had asked

the advantage is longer days for sure

around us, the neighbour to the East took down all his icicle lights and animals.

me. I brought Chilly Philly onto the porch, sort of pulling back from the street. CP inflated last night, right there on the porch

And I added a second string of flashing lights to the baby carriage that held the penguin
I'm not sure if this move is really ' taking down ' the Xmas lights

Alright ! I'm celebrating the new year, year of the Dragon [ ? ]  SNAKE
promises to bring wisdom, adaptability, and a sense of transformation

now is that only to Snake - y people or do we all get the perks

the new lights have a undulation to them - hey, might qualify. aha, check the fine print

AND neighbour # 2 started the removal of the Winter Wonderland Zoo. REALLY.

Lights round the trees, all the deer and Santa have come down

OK So, ask what's left and who is stills standing after all this time [ sorry Elton ]

The baby carriage and rainbow lights !!!!! Yeah. Outlasted them all

🌬 JA 6 2025

 🌬🧊 I haven't needed to write the date yet, except here. 
and
you know, I'm not sure how much that I actually write.
I do jot and make notes, much as in a diary. still old school

the ' boro stays cold thus no global warming here. Yes, its a Polar sweeper coming at us

well, I've been watching ' steampunk ' videos. AI, of course.
its starts small

I saw an assortment of gears and clock parts on Amazon. Steampunk uses old tech and re - jigs them 
THEN last night, TEMU [ online bargain deals Co. ] offered steampunk bits and bobs. If you ordered $ 45 the deal got you ' free ' choices.
I wanted the free choice ( s ) however, all in, and I'll have 400 pieces of gears etc

You'll likely hear more of this

Jan 5 in this 2025 time

 I've been photo bombing the Neighbourhood Watch on Whatsapp. Pretty much, 4 times a week, I showcase a scene from the neighbourhood. Admittedly, as the weather became cold to frigid, well, I have been staying close to home. Now, the experiment is shooting from inside the house. In this case, I never left my chair in the ' computer room ' now renamed ' den '.

Thus, pre - sunrise, I poked the phone at the right hand window

AND the effect was pleasing. After all, didn't move my butt, was warm.
Please note that Chilly Philly, lawn penguin is prominent.

An early morning run to Walmart. toilet paper [ on sale ] and liquids. Gatorade, can't beat that price
but COLD, w/ wind chill.

Neighbourhood Watch. I figure taking photos is good policy, letting people know that you can see what's going on

and besides, people could complain and I'd stop

really, I was hoping others would get ' jealous ' or competitive and show their chunk of the area
Not yet.

" Computer room " was a valid label when the computer was the size of the room.
Today. The computer table is a corner shelving unit assembly [ re - purposed from the street salvaging operations ]. The Chromebook is 11 " laptop. And portable.
I've mentioned that I do enjoy looking out the ' den ' window at the street.

🥢 and on Jan 4

 🥢 ...lets see - the ' boro is on the cold side,as at 21 w / wind chill, its 9

dull, likely hood of precipitation - all day

We de - Christmas - Ed. Most seasonal items stored. Wrapping paper and ribbons etc remain

You should note that 'Chilly Philly ' the inflating penguin remains on duty sitting on the lawn, lit up at night
a modest display and maybe CP should remain a tad longer

🧥 on Jan 3

 🧥 some Arctic air is pushing over the province. and we get a tad cold

however, sun is out and the day has some promise

get out and haul some wood and coal [ kidding ! ]

🪆 January 2

 🪆 .. all over the world
or thereabouts
coffee and typing
woke at 4 AM
then wondered ' how to contact emergency services '
great topic for trying to get back to sleep

on the cellphone, on the lock screen, there is an ' EMERGENCY ' toggle icon

So, I guess that I figured it out

' boro will be 32 F w/ some precipitation

📕 in keeping w/ the times

 📕 to our loyal followers ...

we are announcing ' Club Ether '. You have been a constant follower and we are changing how you can earn points
starting January 5 2025, our new Tier points will allow you to add points simply by opening the blog.

the perks are better than ever. Free trips to Swenson s for example. 

Well be sure to sign up on the 5 th and be a ' Ether Club Elite Member '

HAPPY New Year 2025.

in the ' boro, rain in the offing and temperature to hover near 32. There is a possibility of mixed rain / snow as well [ of course, temperature dependent ]

last night we saw the ' ball drop in Times Square ' and fireworks in Auckland, Taipei and Toronto [ Taipei kinda won that ' showfest ' ]

we nibbled [ knoshed ? is cuter ] on cheese and crackers, Asian chicken bites [ in four flavours ]. I cooked shrimp [ big'uns really ] and we had meat balls and a variety of dips.

in truth, we had much more frozen appetizers, in case. 

plus the requisite sweets [ cookies, eclairs etc ] wine and beer

AND the beginning of this post reflected the email from British Airways. We flew once and have ten points [ 2 thousand points gets you free coffee ].However, the new ' Club British Airways ' lets us earn points even faster '  Ta Da !

Follow up : leftovers produced a ' shrimp ' sandwich for brekkie s 

Alicia Virkander, actor, commented on ' Swedish ' sayings

such as " you can't slip in here on a shrimp sandwich"