🚠 mercury soars , Leacock peeps

 🚠 bringing a heat wave ..... for two days
but green and growing out there

dandelion bloomfest ....

17 th mai ( Leacock alum s )

 the 'outlook ' here and not at home. Foggy and still 

6:40 AM and awake. Thus. put coffee on.

Using an automatic machine, I boiled water and drip fed the coffee basket. Near the end, I added a cup of bottled water to the reservoir and hit ' on '

Coffee. Strong. way strong. But drinkable and got better as I sipped away.

Visibility. is 40 m. I guess b / c I'm not sure how you do the test 

But slept sound and comfy. I prepped a comforter and second blanket BUT slept wrapped in the comforter b / c we were in the basement next to the gas fireplace 

I'm upstairs now and it's a good temperature here as well 

OK what s w / the boiling water using a drip machine. Well, the first water that the machine produces is getting warm. Then its hot after that 
thus. the really hot water ' blooms ' the coffee grounds, and then the following water is hot too.
I did add some bottled water at the end to get the hotplate warming.

Fog gone and a warmish day.

16 days into V

 Hello Leacock alum s

weather is 😧 coming on Spring warm , damp feeling an steady S wind 🌬️ 

Season finale for JHU mlax bowing out to U Notre Dame

🍪 on fourteen mai

 🍪 damp in the ' boro. slightly uncomfortable but jacket and go. wind is stirring.

yes coffee was good 

we are being visited by the VHA or home services for M

 

🍭 ... the ' boro om mai 13

 🍭 ... when it rains it pours .... as last night. rain was ricocheting off the roof.

dmpish out there w / little wind evidence

errata : yes, even I make mistakes. The story of JHU at Cornell and the hotel situation.
The hotel that was booked originally, couldn't seat the team and support staff for meals.
THEN Milliman moved the 2 bus loads of JHU to the Statler, biggest and classiest hotel in Ithaca and yes, the team changed in the hotel and walked out to the field.
Still a really sharp move.
Plus instead of hustling to the field, the players trailed along after an injured defender as he used his crutches.
Class that

WHEN YOU DAY DOES NOT INCLUDE SPLITTING the ATOM
at the store you buy shoe polish and find 1 / 8 oz painted jig heads for $ 2.43 red tag and the other packages say $ 6.
come home throw together bean vermicelli and left overs for Wednesday chow mein

 

🧙 hi, World ....

 🧙 .....  glad that you could make it ....
                   hello Leacock peeps !

' boro gets sun. air mostly still. Alrighty .... so coffee and typing
let the day unfold

Previously, I mentioned Johns Hopkins travelling to Peter Milliman s former coaching post at Cornell. I found a podcast re: lacrosse and specifically addressing the weekend games which were the round of 16. The storyline is that Cornell [ Ithaca, NY ] is way the hell and gone. Isolated and a nightmare for visiting teams.
E.g. the rumour is the visiting team s dressing rooms are distant from the field. It appears that Milliman pre - thought this difficulty AND chose the hotel across the street from the field. The Bluejays dressed for the game in the hotel and walked over to the field.

follow up : exercise. the every second day routine. Thus approx 3 times per week. Goal, get a good sweat in.
Cardio and strength but a smidgen of flexibility, basically,variety.
Originally, I would have mentioned discipline, vigour and improvement.
In reality. For about three years, the ' workout ' has shortened in length coming down from 45 min to 35 min.
BPM avg is now 111 to 116, c.f. 118 - 121. Bear in mind the target zones do fall in number w / age.
What s left is discipline and a continuation of effort for satisfaction. 
In comparison, some folks think of walking as ' exercise ' not a workout which I like to claim

💃 11 the of mai

💃.... going to the dance 

' boro is mainly sunny w / high cloud cover. sun at 80 % and seems still

the set up
I have a corner computer stand or desk, a three tier affair. The footprint is small and I look out on the street. not a great angle but I still have an 200 + degree sightline. I can watch traffic coming and going on our wide corner [ really a small cul de sac ].

I type and drink coffee of a morning

OK. " going to the dance ". The JHU Bluejays are record holders for the most National Championships [ maybe ]. The have won 44 National titles but some of those were awarded by Press Organisations and not a tournament result. At the time, of course, the only game in town

Well. They're back, w /  a chance 

Downstairs in the house. For approx. a month, the downstairs toilet would randomly begin to fill [ unused ]. I adjusted the water level in the tank, no joy. The test : let the tank fill, turn off the water supply. Wait.
Yepper. Over, approx 40 min the tank emptied.

This AM, decided to do something. water level good. Water condition dingy to jet black at the bottom of the tank. Touching the black goo [ really ] was akin to oil sludge.
And that's what it was. Research on G ... named the ' black stuff ' as deteriorating rubber dissolved in perhaps manganese precipitates.
I removed the flapper w / some effort and headed for the Depot. No one was available to help so I beelined it for Plumbing.
Well, quick visual and lo and behold the black part that I carried from home was sitting there, new and packaged. BUT not a flapper, it is an ' actuator ' [ still it cost $ 12 ]

Flushed out the goo. Slipped [ yes, popped right on ] the ' actuator ' on and done.

Testing is going on, to see if the tank emptied on its own or is it sealing

Definitely, self satisfying

🐦j ' S may 10

 🐦j ' S ...  Hi ! Leacock peeps 

sunny in the  'boro and we have spring - everything, sunny, green and growing

the Kings of Spring, title, was used many years ago, by Inside Lacrosse to announce the beginning of the NCAA Div 1 lacrosse season. Approx 70 teams, playing a mixed schedule of league and non league games.
The ' dance ' is the 16 team field selection [ by committee ], that ends in late May to highlight this knockout tournament for the Div 1 Championship

This season, JHU qualified for the B1G final and lost to Penn State. The Committee opted to rank the JHU Jays as # 8 and bracketed them against Cornell, the Big Red. In the incestuous world of NCCA lacrosse, there are always connections when teams meet.

The JHU mlax, bussed up to Ithaca, NY for Saturday s game vs Cornell.
On the year, both teams were brilliant and peripatetic, w/ four or five losses each.
The game was a lock in, brawl. The final goal in O / T was scored by Hop.
Nine goals and 3 saves, earned the win. What ? 3 saves. JHU s Gelinas stopped 3 shots. Hit posts and high and wides count too as shots.

Congrats to Jays. Making something out of a ' what the heck ' season.

 Connxns. JHU coach, Milliman, left Cornell to be at Homewood. 

At first, I thought ' who will they play next, # 1 Notre D or Jacksonville '
really ....  ??

you got there, that's good enough - how many teams are dying b / c you got the chance

on paper Cornell was favoured w / bigger studs and healthier team overall. But when JHU holds you scoreless for 21 min, the other 39 better be brilliant [ and wasn't ]

let s cheer the moment [ hey, real life lesson for me too !

🕉 Leacock peeps hello

  🕉 ... on May 9 th

sunny ish, high cloud but sun poking thru

green and growing .... coffee and typing .... world seems to be going about this business

and rain came late afternoon BUT we had our fish chips already in the house. Basically, a slow to slower day.
The UK folks did call for M ... mostly. The clan is gathered in Deby.

Fish and chips was a winner. So, ' winner, winner - fish and chips dinner ' Oops. that is not a ' winner '

🆑 for the May day 8

 🆑 ...' boro is dampish looking foliage looks still ou there, skies are cloudy

was thinking last night, that I used to run out and add garbage to the cans before 7 [start of pick up s ].
well, I did get up pre - 7. Didn't go out tho ' [ its the thought that counts ]
going for coffee, now

a follow up of sorts : my previous backpack had the disadvantage of a small outer side pocket, ostensibly for a water bottle - a small bottle. I re - jigged the pocket w / a flexible tie to support a taller bottle.
however, the new traveller backpack came w / a larger [ minimum a litre ] and I thought - perfect. then it dawned that a litre plus bottle weighs 2 # at least.
Planning for overseas I went to Dollar Store for souvenirs. One souvenir was a 2 cup bottle ' CANADA  label and multi coloured Maple leaves as decoration '. The top has a tip up straw affair. Love the size and carry it around the house.

Hello Leacock peeps

well, unbeknownst to friend A ... my Birthday lunch was a treat of Japanese [ ? ] curry and a seafood skimpy Chow Mein [ great noodles tho ' ]
I  stopped off at the bakery for butter tart s and Bake well tart s. A beer to follow w / out a doubt

Arsenal, peripatetic follower that I have become, are in the Champions Cup.
The boys of spring, JHU mlax play a 1 / 4 final game tomorrow, away in Itahca, NY

 

💱 for the 7 th

 💱 ..... of the month Typing and no coffee. actually only been awake [ for real ] since 8:45 thus a late beginning

Coffee as a life raft

At the risk of being both repetitive and seemingly to be stupid, I'm going to say I do not get Facebook. I don't know what I'm doing on it. I think of it as communication but obviously it's communication that I don't relish or I don't favor one of the two. I'm thinking of dropping out of Facebook again. I think I said this 3 years ago and I think I'm back on that beam

🎒 ... VI of V

 🎒 ...' boro is wet and getting wetter. temperature will be 50 ish. and mostly still

typing and coffeeeee ! please be done ... yes 

Hello former Leacock ites or not former but always  ??

the day stretches out 

then. it's Kentucky Fried rat for lunch 
of course, the afternoon brings blue sky and sun [ plus you can see your breath ]

Come sit by the fire. Come as close as the air share in a memory of gray and wonder in my words, the mystery of changes. Gordon Lightfoot

""" Sit by my side, come as close as the air

Share in a memory of gray and wander in my words

And dream about the pictures that I play of changes """ the real lyric

🛋 May fifth in the ......

  🛋 cloudy ' boro, rain expected and mid fifties for temperature

coffee and typing and ...Hello Leacock peeps. 

not much doing here, sloggily coming awake

visited a friend. quiet visit

where do we go from here - is the question
and the answer is not often positive 

🇾🇹 ... May the 4 th be w /you .....

 🇾🇹  ...  on a sunny 'boro day. blue - y sky and some stirring in the tops. headed for 60 F

Hello Leacock, if you came from FB

Hall and Oates recorded ' Out of Touch .... '

so, this noon at the pub, the bartender didn't recognize Bob Dylan .... Oooph how to feel old. 
on a positive note, the chicken schnitzel is M ... s fav [ I get some of it too ]

Things that you say to yourself : ' that wasn't a very productive afternoon ' I napped
now. wait. nothing is produced here. ever. dirty dishes ? laundry [ we are good at that ].
hopefully, ' productive ' is loose terminology

or phrasing.

🎲 3 rd of mai

 🎲 ... sunny in the ' boro
coffee and typing

Hi Leacock

headed for 50 F today. 

The doings. Ran out, a tad early for Giant Tiger Sunday shopping ritual.
B / c the first 65 customers got a $ 10 off coupon, yes, I got one
Not much but $ 39 became 29

cookies, milk, bananas, chips and pretzels [ all on Canada s Food Guide ] 

Okay. 2 nd Guinness in glass 🍷 and iced. Despair will not take hold, here. Sitting / thinking is all. 

' when they say - Why, Why? TELL them that it s Human Nature ....... '

For YouTube music, use headphones of quality ( mine are AudioTechnique ) and look for 3D / 8 something etc videos. I'm settling for good headphones 🎧 🎧 

" .... reaching out, into the Night Time, secret walls won't hold me tonight. ....

if this town is just an Apple 🍎 

🛩 mai deuxieme

 🛩 ... is there something about ..... how you handle disappointment  .... sign of something ... the cross ... maturity ...  failure!!!!!

We cancelled our UK trip 48 hrs out. full refund. instantaneous [ or close to ]
Health reasons which is why we paid the big bucks for ' total ' flex booking
still saddening

' boro mostly dull, some perky moments ..... 

Hello Leacock if you are checking

Plus the first week hotel was ' flex ' and got cancelled 

We are in the hook for $ 500 for a chalet that was past cancellation time

💷 May first

 💷 " ... and guess who'll cry, come first of May .... '  BeeGees [ ? ]

If you come here from Facebook, ' Hello and Welcome ' 

' boro weather is cloudy and forebodes rain. hovering 40 - 45 F

Coffee and typing.  wouldn't you know   

" Pack up all you're cares and woe ..... "

' Bye, Bye Blackbird........ 

Follow up for the ' boro, conditions, today. sun popped out but cloudy still

Apr 30

 Stop needing expectation s

Expectations should match your stage in life 

not drive your life

You've been let down your entire existence 

When hope matches expectation - magic happened 

" hope is never mere " 

" rebellion s are built on hope "

🇾🇹 April 29 of MMXXVI

 🇾🇹 Oh ! typing and coffee and the world is right ...
boro has sun w/ cloud. branches seem still

pondering the day. 

Really, not uncomfortable in a light jacket. threatening rain. so damp

The day. Bills, verify Visa purchases. Oh, weigh in was 173 lb. Quite acceptable. 

Errata, mega: the Boys of Spring Johns Hopkins U. mlax are not dismal as previously reported. In fact, JHU mlax is ranked 7 th nationwide  and qualified tied for 1 st in the B1G conference.
JHU got the bye into the Semi s and play the U Michigan team [ 5 th in the B1G ].

Go ! Jays Go !

✈ 28 times in April, say ....

 ✈ ... coffee and typing. 
alright the world cannot be all bad, when you see ' our peony support stands come in three sizes..... ' in your mail box

rain and fifty F. say that 5 times and you got our week

Rain yes. 50 maybe 

Exercise yes. Quiet day

on the health front. my tiredness might not be entirely old age. Or mental or lacklustre. I recall reading that the flu could last up to 3 weeks. Tho', not necessarily flu - my enhanced cold did involve some phlegm. 
I now think that I still have some mucous in my lungs. YouTube suggestions included raising you hips via pillow and put your chest lower [ esp in the morning ]. This might get termed gravity feed for mucous.
Then I started dosing w / Buckley s cough syrup w/ expectorant [to loosen phlegm ].I'll give this a try for three days. P.S. Buckley s tastes terrible

💺 Aprile 27

  💺welcoming sun and temperature is rising or not falling is a better way of putting it

air is still

on the losing weight front. # 173.6 was today s number. OK  - what is healthy well for me, this is relatively good. 
in fact, in 1971, while working the summer at a research camp, the Cpt of our research tug said ' what's your weight now [ we were 19 ish ], multiply that # by 1 1 / 2. Crikey 240 !!!!!!!! 

so you see 17 _ is not bad

got out to retrieve prescriptions. Betaderm, for my ongoing rash / allergy problem. I occasionally develop little bumps that can spread. Lately, the spread has not been too aggressive. Past occasions, meant little bumps moving up the arm from my forearm - across the shoulders and down the other arm [ extreme one that ]. And it appears to be a plant allergy.Thus, long sleeves and pants while gardening.

Next is an antibiotic, Fucidin to relieve pain and fight infections. This is specific for me, at the corners of my finger nails. The skin cracks and infection begins. Fucidin stops the pain and infection overnight. Other topical [ over the counter ] treatments maybe two days. The strength is much higher in prescription dosage [ maybe 4 times ]

Plus 4 bananas cost 84 cents.

🥃 XXVI of IV

 🥃' boro is blue sky and headed to  50 F w / not much stirring out there
we are green and growing

🚂 April 25, in the ' boro

 🚂 .... soggy is the word. Dunno, when the wet started but I noticed itfirst, about 6 AM [ the noise of wind and splatter ? ]

waking was a slow process / is a slow process. coffee and typing
a review of email, really clearing out the dross.
the phone is fine but wholesale dumping is best on the Chromebook

a slow moving day. document shredding for 4 weeks worth of items

dull. no wish to venture  out

🍁24 Apr

 ..... we are cool w/ cloud. But clean. Rain has done it's job.

Shopping this AM for milk and juice and yogurt and apple sauce 

Please note, milk was the essential and 2 nd trip was required b / c I forgot the milk  There must a word or phrase for ' went to buy X but forgot '

Amnesia or Alzheimer's does seem extreme 

Oh. On my emergency eye appt. ( past Tues ), I got rave reviews for ' clean and un - encrusted ' eye lid margins.

For 30 yrs, since Laser eye surgery to re - shape the cornea, I have been religiously treating Blepharitis.

Technically, Blepharitis and eye surgery are not related however quite a coincidence 

Twice weekly treatment is 10 - 14 min of sufficient eyelid warming followed by a massage and de - briding of the eye margins. Sterile lid wipes brush off debris and oil loosened by warming process.

Follow up. Whoops. Sun blasted out and made the day

🔌 ... XXIII of the IV

 🔌 sunny in the ' boro. mostly blue up there and the wind is stirring the lower branches. Temperatures as promised yesterday. Good on you

Wind is actually, brisk

Last night another re - union ala Chipotle for Leacock alums and staff. The alums came out a head 4 - 3. 

this completes my Leacock week. 
a alum is communication officer for the CCRA rec group
breakfast w/ an alum [ Expresso AM ]
last night

🎚 April 22 in the Scarbrough - Golfdale area

 🎚... not  sure where that Golfdale location comes from. But it appears on the Weather app locator for here

this week. hurdles cleared are 1) my lesion . blemish or keratosis is non lethal on my scrotum
2) my ' aura ' or pixilated vision spot in my field of view is not physically related to the eye itself. Therefore, causes would be environmental or neurological [ not necessarily good, that ]

further. I re newed my supply of Betaderm, a steroidal topical to fight itch and histamine producing bumps. I seem to have a flower allergy
And Fucidin cream. Not steroidal but antibiotic. Fucidin stops the pain and spread of infections at corners of my fingernails which happens regularly. Skin cracks and roughens and the pain starts. Fucidin is reliable

' boro is sunny. wind seems still w / temperature headed for near 60 F. Further, we will average 50 - 53 for seven days. All good that

Yesterday, at a former student [ friend ] s place  the topic of scary Sci Fi came up. I trotted out my ' pee producing ' frightener, the pod people movie. After, B .. looked up the movie, called Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and decided, No, he didn't need the trauma.

It seems, all my life, I needed to / wanted to carry emergency supplies e.g. matches, paper clips etc and, of course, on YouTube, there are multitudinous efforts at " Every Day Carry survival or emergency kits. "
Apparently, I need an Altoids [ metal lozenge can ]. Cute and protective. Thus EDC folks have their own custom assortment for the Altoid tins. I am shying away from metal [ flying restrictions ] and going for a reusable plastic bag. An ongoing project

🎛 ... tell it like it is ....

 🎛 ..... or not

' boro is slightly overcast, heading to 50 ish. not a lot of wind. 

Well, today, one more medical hurdle to meet. I experienced what might be an ' aura ', the medical term for a disruption in sight, typically described as a halo or fence or wall or my description which was a pixilated view.
Supposedly,  a result of migraine or headache or response to stress or dietary additives esp MSG

And my social whirl continues w / a short hop out East to Ajax and former student and friend.
As well, I opted to join a community association  CCRA and the women in charge of communication is a former student

🫖 20 th, it is ...

 🫖 ... ah, the sun and coolth. quite still out there. looking good

I regress. On YouTube, vocal coaches and would be - something's, highlight ' discoveries ', such as the BeeGee s in 2024, recorded in the 70 s. "Too much Heaven " e.g.
Thus, when I'm a few years behind the curve [ say 5 ] that is not terrible.

and, the Righteous Bros.

  All right today was visit the doctor s

. I found a blemish on my scrotal sack and was pretty worried. Waited a week for the appointment and found out that I have a mole. It's a sebborhaic keratosis,  non-cancerous.

 Probably won't get bigger. Might even fall off on its own great,  eh? 

 

🇾🇹 in the ' boro, 26 / 04 -19

  🇾🇹 overcast in the East of T.O. w / wind stirring the lower branches. And much cooler than yesterday 48 ? 

Taking advantage of AI to check or verify my BPM Average

" A heart rate of 116 BPM for a 76-year-old during a 35-minute workout generally falls within a moderate-to-vigorous intensity zone. 

For a 76-year-old, the estimated maximum heart rate is roughly 144-145 BPM (using 220 minus age). A rate of 116 BPM is approximately 80% of that maximum, which indicates a good cardiovascular workout. 

Key Considerations:

• Intensity: 116 BPM is likely in the higher end of the moderate range or lower end of the vigorous range (target zone for 75+ is often cited between 73–123 BPM).
• Duration: A 35-minute duration is excellent, as it exceeds the recommended minimum of 20-30 minutes for cardiovascular benefits.
• Safety: While this is a healthy exercise intensity, you should ensure you can still talk during the workout. If you feel dizzy, faint, or experience chest pain, stop immediately.
• Health Context: If you are not a trained athlete and your heart rate remains near 100+ bpm after you have rested, you may want to consult a doctor. 

my take. yesterday, was not special. I had no other goal than to do my regular routine. In the past , pre cold / flu this past 2 weeks, I did set a goal of 110 BPM after the first few minutes. Sort of a running start to the workout.
But no, yesterday, was ' warm up ' and then start callisthenics. 

So, a higher than normal AV BPM day

🔞 ... aprilius XVIII

 🔞  .... in the ' boro. partly cloudy and cool to warm. i.e. no coat going for the paper

branches, moving slightly.

Happening s: 2 loads of wash ( still waiting for folding)

Dinner was pan fried potatoes, mostly tasty but not golden brown / sausage from the Butcher

Imagine sausage that doesn't shrink by half during cooking. Peaches & cream corn buckets

Our day

Oops, Electrician guy came back to seal off the receptacle and junction box ( not really necessary but the live wires do pass thru )

And for today s workout, the Av BPM was 116 c f. 108 two days ago. We would point out that there was no purposeful extra exertion. The goal was a complete workout but no quantity targets

👙 and the ides of april

 👙 ... breaks warmish and sunny but humid.
Head to toe. or pedicure and haircut. Shopped at the drug store and got bread.
also, brought home lean ground mince and sausage
smash burgers on the menu

on YouTube, a beer ' pundit ' evaluated 5 Stouts from the UK Guinness finished last [ watery and sugary ]
in this house, Guiness gets # 1

and smash burgers - it was. served on sourdough rye from Hearth bakery

convivial spring evening, 

On YouTube ..... they 're discovering the Bee Gees ' Too much Heaven ' in 2022  

Now, I don't feel so bad about my discoveries ' five years out of date '

🇳🇵 ... ... the ' boro report 04-16

 🇳🇵wet. 56 F . air is still
Blogging. what value ? easy. keep your hand and eye coordination sharp. Using the Chromebook for online business is expected and supposedly simple
However, bringing dangers b / c if its easy, someone is thinking ' how do I scam 'em. Overall, tho ' - being aware is good.
kinda ' go w / the times '

no - we don't bank under the mattress. I even got a PC Financial account.

Sun showed up and lightened the look

Lunch. Decided to try Japanese curry sauce 

Discovered that the recipe included meat ( pork or chicken ). Potatoes and carrots - obviously a complete dinner 

I substituted a lot 

Saute onions and lamb, garlic clove ( no carrots today )

After some 1 / 2 h added spices curry, paprika and Old Bay seasoning 

Melted butter and added flour and eventually chicken stock ( which used carrots as mirepoix anyway )

Meanwhile cut and soaked fries ( yes, curry and chips) so while the liquid simmered got the fry pieces ready for air fryer 

I went for Japanese curry b / c the recipe did use tomato sauce. / paste

Recipe had 1 1 / 2 # of pork. I went w/ three thin rolls of lamb

1 / 2 C of flour became a bare tablespoon. 3 cups of chicken stock shrunk to 1 / 2 C

Taste test. Good. Next time add more paprika but I was playing w / amounts 

Consistency was near ideal, a little thicker ?

Beaucoup cleaning in the kitchen 

Coulda opened a package and ate chemicals 

the above is an AI search for a 76 yo male, Av BPM 105 over a 35 min workout

🈲 April 15

 🈲House news. The electrician ran the cable from panel to 1 st floor deck

Thru the wall at joist level w/ plastic conduit under the deck and up thru the deck 

Only took, 30 yrs. Done tho' 

However, the work is not in vain or of presumptive value. I did run the heating cables most of winter and longer this year than any other 

Groceries hauled back from Metro 

update. decided to take advantage of power to the upper back deck. I usually put out a kaleidoscope light in the front for Xmas season. This past, November, knowing that i'd run heater cables out front, I passed on the porch display.
Yes. Hooked up the kaleidoscope on the back deck on timer. Some entertainment value then 

I'm reporting that I feel tired. Maybe, not quite over the cold of last week. And I have been monitoring my diet to keep carbs down esp bread. Nothing against bread but the temptation to do ' easy ' is always there - chunk of bread and jam or meat etc.
I credit much of my weight loss [ 182. 6 to 172.4, at last weigh in ] to less bread. In fact,made rice for lunch

🈹 ... in the ' boro ....April 14

 🈹 ... you wake up to the hammering rain. Ah, green grass and clean sidewalks

the day cont'd w / buckets of rain

A regular trip out to Skyland for Chinese hotttable stuff. Also, sea salt ( not iodized), some lamb shaving ( used for hot pot 🍲)

The illness meant that I missed last week 

I reduced clobber by sorting 10 or is shots down to 3 ( maybe 2 would be better ). The items were old, not suitable or both

Thirteen April, ' boro wise

 warm flows gusted over the Scarborough heights....... Moist and bringing rain 

inside the house, a former electrician went to work basically creating a new power line from the electrical panel to a potential re activated deck receptacle 

The receptical hasn't worked since we bought

The receptical site is needed to provide power to back roof heating cable system that's in lieu of running 40 extra feet of extension from the downstairs 

🧣 still chill ....

 🧣... and wet. substantial
warm is coming   . as the week goes on .... looking forward,  60 F average for Mon thru Fri

my respiratory system is clearing out ... plenty of unmentionable stuff snorting out ... yick factor, for sure

chores for the day : shop the Tiger, laundry and dinner prep. ... all in hand for 6 P dinner

received a long distance call from UK - brimming w / hope and one potential downer
however, fingers crossed  ..... and we shall see said the Zen Mastermix

dinner : shake and bake commercial mix using boneless and skinless chicky thighs. small roast potatoes and zucchini

terrif ! says the chef

 

🥳 eleventh Aprilini

 🥳 ... under the framework that no one will notice

' boro. sunny and cool, headed for 48 F. And ... dunno

my head is clear and pain free. nose is stuffy. getting better

ahead .... cannot decide.

🪞 tenth of the fourth MMXXVI

 🪞' boro. tolerable weather at 48 F w/ chance of rain for days [ not a downpour ]

plate renewal for the truck accomplished. what a rigamarole ? By accident, I saw a receipt dated April 29 2024 for renewal and it said ' 2 year '.
Due this year right ? Nope May 2027

other fish to fry tho '
ripper, zipper lets get going

Aha discovered an explanation for the discrepancy between 2026 and 2027. Guess what? The plate license gets renewed automatically yearly because the province wants any tolls and fines paid in the year that they resulted from. So they want their money up front and they're they're willing to give you your license plate for free 

So lunch became bring in the burgers, the fries, and the Greek salad. Yep, we ordered in and I went to get it. Great meal tasty. Lots of it. Great meal

🩻 ... coming back ....

 🩻 ... the flashbacks are tossing and turning, a little too warm, headachy and long - meaning long waits for the night to finish or the uncomfort to finish

Well. almost there then. head is clear for this morning w / no body pain AND no drugs. Robacet was my choice to relieve pain but at night - Nyquil, for everything that was going wrong,
The past two days, has been an emphasis on salt water nasal rinse. AND the uglies come pouring out [ mixed colours and mixed solidity ]
BUT so refreshing being able to breathe w / out the sound of air hissing thru accumulated goo.

And as mentioned, all pretty much the way I get sick [ flu or cold, seems the same to me ]
there was one element missing, so far, I would have bet on a real nasty sore throat to start the whole process running

' boro get s sunshine and partly cloudy.

forecast says - 50 to 60 F, spotty showers 

7 th Aprilys

 ' boro in sun melting the 1 / 2 inch of snow

Slept long and comfortable y ( TG ). Stumbled thru a shower ( my balance was very suspect Sat and Sun especially at night ).

Now. Caught between let us rise and tango and collapse in puddle of self pity. I'm solidly voting self pity. Couldn't tango to save my life 🧬 

Shizah, can't remember breakfast shizah times two

Banana w / yoghurt for lunch plus crackers and cheese 

6 of Apr

 When your tale of woe keeps woe ing. Slept as long as I could and awoke in physical shambles 

Realizing that I had to deliver the dresser before going home

Struggled thru and crashed at home 

Guinness is a blessing 

April 4

 April  at the Q ' Weather glum c.f. me who is Plummer.

 The ragged story goes ' poor night sleeping 

Then when  everyone went shopping - I was going to stay warm and dry - NOT 

They bought a dresser and needed the truck. Raw and drizzly, til I got near the store and downpour 

We had lunch out but I was doomed. Tried being brave and failed badly. 

 

Apr 4

 In the borough we have dull, rainy, cloudy, not nice, hovering temperature. We're talking 36.37. that's about it for the day and buckets of rain coming this afternoon. 

Already from yesterday everything has changed. I couldn't sleep this morning. Got up at 4:00. Didn't know what to do so I said play with the phone. Basically I figured I'll give it one more shot. Trying to do the transfer of my personal checking account to wise debit. 

As well, I had been trouble getting on to the Koodo mobile phone service that before it was simple. Now I get part of a website and not much more. Just to be sure, I went on Koodo forum where you can ask questions and get answers to problems. As before, one of the first pieces of advice is if you're using a VPN, turn it off and it may resolve your problems. Of course I'm going " I'm not using my VPN " right now but I decided to check. Well you got it. The VPN was on so I turned off the VPN. Got to the Koodo website easily. 

. Now I'm thinking if that worked what about Wise and you're not going to believe it,  tried Wise and hooked up to my bank account. Within 3 minutes I had transferred money.

So what we're looking at is the reason I couldn't connect to the bank was the bank didn't know where I was or didn't recognize the VPN site as my phone okay dummy here. Figured it out after 7 days

 

 

 

 

🧼 on April the 3 rd

 🧼 in the  ' boro, sun is out in a cloudy sky w/ temperature soaring to 60 F or close. Coffee in hand and typing. Almost coordinated. Waking by the minute.
Thoughts on the banking / internet / interac drama.
You should know. The hope is, perhaps, PC banking will allow Wise to receive funds via Interac or bank to bank transfer. Thus, I can start to plan Debit spending in the UK. Debit would be easier then hauling cash around. For us, starting in Staines [ London locale ], debit is considered de rigeur [ barring independent operators - fruit stand etc in the High St market].
I intimated a wish to spread out our banking a bit, taking advantage of saving accounts premiums.

And if I got the drift correct. PC banking will provide a Matercard linked to PC food venues [ Loblaws and No Frills. Add in Shoppers Drug Mart and Canadian Tire. Bonus, all these businesses offer PC optimum points.

We shall see said the Zen Master

OK. start the day. later folks ( Post # 4272 )

🪫 2 of April

 🪫... the state of old [ er ] age. in the ' boro, the day is dull. We will warm up to 52 F this aft. Then rain or snow at noon [ come on ..... snow, alright rain ]

The coldest forecast day is Tues at 32.

going for coffee. ah. good brew this morn

Follow up,  battling computers or the dark forces of interacting ' chips '.

 Lately, I was explaining my problem transferring money from CIBC to Wise and the fact that transactions wouldn't go through Well, today, I thought let's beat them at their own game. I decided to start an online banking account. I chose PC financial because a friend uses PC and claims to have no problems. 
Besides, for quite some time, I have been debating about setting up a second banking option. Perhaps, one offering better rates for savings and PC has a marquee 2.2 % in savings

beginning.                                                               
I managed to set up a PC account. They offered the option of transferring money into my new account and I chose Interac. Of course I chose interact just to see if it would work. So I transferred $1,000 which immediately disappeared from my CIBC account but did not appear in my PC financial account.           
 I waited an appropriate amount of time, still nothing. While waiting, I decided to choose the option that was offered, notification by email when any transfers occurred. Still nothing  

Okay, now I call support at PC financial, wait 25 minutes. Get a lady and she explains that interac transfers take three business days and because this is my first transaction, it might be five. Furthermore, the funds might be held until everything clears through both banking systems. Plus some Interac transfers are limited at first to $ 500. I said. Thank you and rang off

 5 minutes ago I get a notification " PC financial has received $1,000 interact transfer. It is now in your account. And would you like to transfer to savings

Crikey and all gods in heaven. The left hand and right hand don't have quantum entanglement it seems. That's an astronomy / physics quip.

🛍 April 1 in the building spring

 🛍 in the ' boro .... definitely, a work in progress. Bleeding cold and gusty. This is take out your rubbers and hooded coats feeling

shoppping day. First, lunch at the Magic Noodle [ our go to ].
Then we go to Costco. Except today it was visit Optical Div. for a touch up, re - adjustment on my latest reading glasses. The glasses came slightly askew and then proceeded to become crooked and not pliable at all.
The lady at Opt. Div, said give me 15 min and we did. Quite the change.
Shopping proceeded to get out of hand
.... chicken thighs, $ 2 off the package of 20.
... toilet paper is the standard Costco price [ more than fair ]
.... BBQ chicken is $ 8, not giant but for two, bonus
... cap it off w / Husky sealable bags for [ travel, packing ....] anyway there is a vacuum port for shrink packaging your clothes? or ..... and $ 4 dollars off.
We are travelling, so, maybe squeeze some clothes down.
Thus, out of hand is the apt description of me at Costco. Nothing will be wasted. The packing vacuum bags [  ????? ] but a great idea. Toilet paper - well, necessary, even if there 40 rolls under the stairs.

On the prepping front. I started an account w/ Wise. Wise is an international debit card. Transfer money from your bank to Wise. Then while away, you use the debit card for daily spending [ you convert currency before you travel ]. The start, transferred $ 100 Cdn. Used the Wise card for practice. Works. Now, let s transfer more ..... what ?  Four days later and I'm trying to figure out how to get through. All starts well, then " we cannot complete your transaction " keeps appearing.
Last year, I sent GBP ahead to the cousins and then ' borrowed the money back. Guess what, might be the same again.

You understand that starting early, gives me room to adjust.

💸 Marching 31

 💸 ' boro weather. Mild and sunny giving way to gusty cold, leading to gallons of water per minute 

An electrician sorted out some minor physical shortcomings in the house. We are lined up for a more arduous session to route a new electric line to the outside deck

A former Leacock student came by and we swapped 📚 sci fi 

yes. beginning to think that some old ways and possessions need re - thinking and re - homing
Hard but true.

We are stepping closer to completing prep for our UK trip

🧮 Marchessa thirty

  🧮' boro gets full Spring 🌼. OK.  no flowers but work outside type weather. My priority was the garage

Wad hapin'd ! Swept the West side where the truck goes. Hand sweeping. Then everything gets in the way. Stuff ( really stuff ) needed binning, re shelving ( meaning should have been binned but saved for ...... another three years ). And re organized storage.

A valiant try. Someone has to do it. That's gospel

Somehow, feels like you have to do something - cleaning is needed and overdue

💷 Mar 29 ... running ......

 💷 ... with a younger crowd, next to my age was a 40 y.o.
Way too young. They did all the work.
Carrying and removing and replacing the truck hard top cover.
Loading and unloading  three times.
Putting a TV and stand together [ I got to sit and put in batteries ]

I'm dead. 

☯ ... both sides now ....

 ☯  ... I've looked at Love from both sides now .... ala Joni Mitchell.
recently [ two years b / c I am always slow on the uptake ]. the Icelandic singer and everything music, Laufey performed the JM standard, to a new standard. Comments were rave. I enjoyed and admired her performance - however, how much better is she than anyone else ....
to me, the epithets are fresh and vibrant and piquant

loved it

' boro is going to above freezing for today, then, we rise for five days. A cold night or two but we are headed Spring - > nice spring.

I need a rest day. Oh, alright, today will do, just fine

follow up: the flushmate toilet fill time review. The average is 40 sec c.f. the 4 min that was the situation for the last three weeks or so.

backyard looks remarkably cleaned out after the lumberjack work of Friday.

battle of the bulge -et. Yes. For about a month now, I have been careful eating. Back in Feb, I started at 182.2 lb. Today, the number is 175.2. There is always a Uh -o part. I don't look any slimmer or better. My pants fit awkwardly. I am down to reasonable girth, the size 36 are comfortable.
We need to be aware that last year, over the same time frame I did lower my weight pre - trip to UK. BUT as 2025 wore on, yes, everything went back.

The pattern is way less bready stuff and rice and veg / potato and veg. I surmise that bread is too easy - pick up a slice and add meat / jam etc

 

⚛ on Mars 27

 ⚛ a return to sunny cold in the ' boro. Wearing the plaid lumberjack look - I lumberjacked the backyard to clear a dead tree that toppled AND crashed the wall 

What was the greater tragedy 😭. Using the reciprocating saw plus pruner blade the victim was trimmed and tossed ( oh, the ravine is right there )

Topic : the flushmate power toilet. Yesterday I reported that I picked up the duckbill valve which prevents backflow of water and air out of  the pressurizing bladder. Today I installed the new valve. Actually I was a little concerned, I didn't want to tear the old one. In case ,  I needed a spare but I was able to ease it out with a pair of long forceps. Well actually they're pliers but we use it for fishing to de-hook fish. The duckbill goes in atop the air intake opening  and is held in place by the inducer cap. Finger tight connection. However, the suction of the process ' glues the duckbill to the cap '

we are claiming  a success, on the two trials, that is flushing - we have times of just under a minute and also 50 seconds which is 3 minutes faster than the worst that's been happening for about the last 3 weeks.

further reportage. all flushes thus far are under a minute. FYI. A cartridge replacement is $ 180 [ time and parts ]. AND according to the online checklist system, waterline and screen first, second adjust the lever position, third replace the cartridge AND then the duckbill. 
The info says ' for noise or irregular flushing ' check / replace the duckbill. NOT long full time.

BUT I found a YouTube vid that had a veteran plumber and he said ' check the duckbill first b /c 80 % of the problems could the valve failure or clog.

📲 and now the 26 th

 📲 ... accept the now. now.  ' boro is partly, cloudy and that's all day. Temperature is headed N of 40. 

big deal. maybe, headed for Great Sox, yes, selling socks. no not stocks - socks

Okay so I get to the corner where the store supposed to be? Can't find it, so I ask around. Finally I figured it out on the map, that it's the other way (  it's it's crazy the numbers go backwards on this street. Can't figure out why  ) 

so get inside. Do I find the socks I want? Yes $16 a pair. However it's buy 3 pr get one free. So 33% off. I guess it's a deal. Anyways, took a chance. It's high percentage Merino wool, guaranteed antimicrobial blah blah blah blah blah and they're supposed to fit really well. So what the hell? I took a chance for $48.

so that's part of it then. The second thing this morning was I was supposed to find a duck bill valve for our power flush toilet so I pass a home Depot and decide I'll drop in but they don't stock it. But as we're talking I blather out something about Amre had it and the guy goes well. You just have to go up the street. I said what. Yeah he said it's just up the street

 so that's where I go get lined up for what 10 minutes  Guy said. No problem $7 later I walk out with the duck bill valve that's going to solve our problems with the power flush toilet

Oh while heading to plumbing supply. Drive by our fav Italian bakery ( had a fire in Dec ). The cardboard sign says ' pick up orders, use side door '. Took a chance, ' Do I have to order ahead ? '

Yes. But ask and maybe I can help you, veal sandwich 

" that I can do " yeah 👍 

verdict. Sox are exactly as advertised. Lite wool socks [ summer hiking ]. Comfy, easy to put on. And one size fits all, did fit me [ rare that ]. The Great Sox store had a sign ' all sales final '. Figured I'd take a chance - brand name, and reputable store.
Get home. The packaging from J.B. Fields [ ? ] says satisfaction guaranteed for one year.
Come on, who warrants socks for 1 year. Really

veal cutlet - winner as well.

duckbill valve still in the package b /c the toilet is flushing properly

At the Sox box, there were cheaper socks some merino wool [ expensive ones were 70 % merino ]. Heavier and anti microbial for 10 - 15 washes. 

🈵 25 days in the III month

 🈵 in the ' boro, as the rest of the city, potholes is the hot topic. on the watch, a neighbour got quick results and a large, enlarging tire gobbler was filled in last night

ahead, we have 40 F < then a big drop for 24 h. rain or whatever, a constant likelihood

report, I soaked the navy beans overnight [ not 2 cups but one ]. the rationale is ' if it goes wrong, at least a whole whack of foodstuff isn't wasted.'. Besides, there are two of us. I need some molasses and also while there, dishwasher powder. 
I'm not buying those dishwasher pods anymore.

shopping was productive but expanded just a tad. also, bought house brand Mayo and unsalted toasted almonds 

on the baked bean adventure. cooked the beans for an hour. prepared a baking liquid of chicken stock, packet of ketchup, brown sugar, molasses and a touch of red wine vinegar. poured over -   sauteed bacon and the pre cooked onion mixture from yesterday [ see, really comes in handy ]
into the oven for an hour.
OK most recipes use 1 lb of dry beans or 2 cups, as mentioned.
I mistakenly, poured out the cooked bean water [ hence chicken stock ]
I figure the long baking time is to incorporate the flavours into the beans. 
So, my version is shorter [ less flavour ??? ]

taste test. first trial rated a good. flavour right, beans are cooked but not soggy

Winner, first try. Hoping that re - heating the beans prior to serving amplifies the taste profile.

They also serve who only stand and wait[ a little Milton ]

㊗ on Mar 24

 ㊗   Sun is up

Cool out there but 😍 beauti. 

As a prep ahead, to use up leftover s, I pan fried onions, carrots and celtuce. A smashed garlic bud was slightly sauteed for a touch of piquant - cy

anyway, was a solid move. complimented the left overs.
even w / dinner tonight, bacon and eggs - a nice little side dish for flavour

the weather in the ' boro is fickle [ you know that ]. we got to > 40 by a tiddle and warmth is coming
BUT we drop to 32 and of course, much colder at night.

Celtuce ??? come on, for real ??? yes, its a lettuce grown for this stalk, mainly. Leaves are lettuce - y but sparse. Thus, you eat the stem. A supposed nutty [ gingery ] taste. Mine was OK, celery, maybe, a veg, that' s it.

overall, this has been a quiet set of days. I can tell you - very necessary, like recovery. like sleep. 
OK. celebrate the quiet

🛍 ... on reflecting .....

 🛍 perspective is everything...... 
when you realize how limited that you are .....

' boro got it all. wet. snow. sunshine
near freezing, tho ' all day

well, the type of day where you'll get no credit if you survive. I did 

Dinner turned out to be the 2 and best burger in the ' boro. My fav and if I say ' the best ' someone always argues.

M ... got soulvlaki and enormous Greek salad and fries. And the Mojo burger did not disappoint ( a masterpiece)

A .. and I discussed my aging worries and worries about worrying about aging 

Starbucks for 1 1 / 2 h 

🖨 the saga of the 22 nd

 🖨 here in the boro the story is wet. rain coming down and ground is soaked. Temperature is Spring ish but on the low side. What s coming, more of the same. Not freezing but close.

breaking - > gas price rises but that is same old same old [ two weeks and on going ].
such is the world and the inter connected commerce such as oil and gas

updating : the rain ceased and left a dull day out there. Let me tell you that the white is going fast. Parking lots still have mounds but those hills are flattening out

on the health front. about two weeks ago, I gave blood for general health indicators and PSA for prostate. The results are online. All seemed in normal range, WBC and RBC might be a tad suspect - in the zone but on the low side. Prostate indicator seemed to say ' relatively low chance ' of prostate cancer. And since Doc hasn't been in touch, likely a good sign

🪟 on the world [ or the tiny piece ... thereof ]

 🪟 ... looking out this morning
dull, wet and cool but on point for spring [ yes, official spring ]

white is getting rare, roof tops are bare. Approx four of so piles are visible from here
and we get above freezing point temperatures for days to come

money is going out in bunches [ taxes due, last year and pre pays for '26 ] Ah, the cost of doing business

progress report. my goal was to start a clean out or reduction
thus boxes got tossed. Boxes for emergencies, carrying stuff out, cans and bottles [ in case ]
but stuff is coming in as well. at the friendship bench when we visited M ... s friend was a simple frame three level display caddy.  yepper, it s here   
however, in my workroom, replacing cardboard box shelves

re - use, it is. And, in my bathroom, a floor waste basket got replaced by a hanging cardboard box box. the theory is get stuff off the floor. now, in the bathroom there will not be heavy waste. temporarily, the box is nailed to the cupboard side wall and covered w / a gift bag - like the box sits in the gift bag [ yes, handles and all ]

☪ Mars 2026 3 - 20

 ☪March 20 in the ' boro

WET cold  - > warm ish ( barely) b / c at least melt is happening ( gotta be a positive sign )

Business of the day, is check insurance paperwork for boat and cars. House is left to do. As well, I submitted an eye glass prescription claim ( frames / lenses ) from Costco. 

OK but if a slow one, making the most of indoors

dinner is salmon w /pesto broiled and accordion, criss cross potatoes ala air fryer

in recap. our trip is becoming more solid and filled in. Peripheral details are the Wise debit card.
Wise is an international debit card  [ ATM card ] that we will take to UK. The charges are $ 0.31 per hundred $ transferred and then the currency exchange [ $ Cdn to GBP sometime prior to travel ]
Supposedly, Interac transfer is doable at [ zero cost ] but I haven't figured how yet.
Thus, everyday, small stuff will be paid via Wise. Big ticket item may need a Credit card. Hotels often want a credit card as collateral

still, we are colouring in the details 

🥳 on Marching nineteenth

 🥳 .. or so they say...

Progress. Is measured in ... ?
We have a flight and we have a room for four nights ... beginnings

The view from the corner desk and a window on the street. white w / tracks and scrub
Spring officially in days. The temperature seems to be headed there

🎍 on Mar 18

  🎍 in the ' boro, sun, temperature is around 25 going for 29 F, supposedly the beginning of a run of days near freezing but w / chance of rain for a few days

Aha. By daylight, how does the backpack surgery seem now. I'm quite pleased, really. If I could not adapt the Voyageur maybe a replacement would be in order for travel.
M .. s friend made a comment while we were visiting ' seems like a good quality backpack '
And
it is.
Voyageur is sturdy and well thought out. BTW, that rain shroud came attached by an elastic band - and of course I cut the shroud loose. I can then use the zippered compartment for secret storage. And I'll keep the shroud handy too.

Okay, we have an update about the weather. Apparently in the next couple of days,  four maybe, it's going to shoot up and we're going to be talking 44, 45, 46 47 F  which is actually pretty good for this time of year

❇ ... M ... is 1/ 4 Irish ....

 ❇ ... doesn't drink Guinness but ' green ' wine

' boro. the rollercoaster is in overdrive
big sun and
white covered roads
and cold 

in two days the temperature will be over 32 F and staying there - long range

I still had to bring in a downpipe elbow that was clogged w / ice. One day .... ?

yesterday. was a practice day for the older traditional laptop travel backpack. The Targus Voyager has been to England and elsewhere. But years ago. The Voyager is approx ten yrs old.

By comparison, the recently purchased air travel backpack is about a pound lighter.
However, quality is not the same . Heavier fabric, water repellent and solid zippers. Some zippers have locking positions for the zipper pulls. Padded, and pocketed.
Plus the whole can be covered by a rain shroud.
Downside is the flap opening and not clamshell.
Supposedly much easier access to clothes

I'm typing this out to see what I am mulling over in my head vis a vis buying another travel backpack like M ... s recent one

Originally, bought to carry a 17 in laptop [ can't believe that I wanted a 17 in laptop overseas ]
the Voyageur always felt heavy and bulky but that 17 in laptop is triple the weight of a Chromebook [ this one ]

Last year I took a lighter backpack and it was crammed to the point of useless.

Thus. buy or not to buy. In notes, the Voyageur is a $ 110 item and M ....s was 40.

In reality, a lighter pack is good if you move around a lot abroad. We will be stationary mostly.

Thus, what it will carry and will it fit under seat [ yes] seem vital 

As well, in the UK we might get  by w / one smaller suitcase and two backpacks [ always can be crammed in somewhere ]

Still time to trial run the Voyager.

All right in typical fashion I decided to take the problem into my own hands. you see the Voyager backpack was meant for a very large laptop which is long gone

 I worked it out that I can actually use the front pocket which is handy and foil lined to hold an 11 in. Chromebook. This pocket is for hot / cold item storage 

 we don't need a divided compartment padded with foam to separate out the main compartment from the laptop compartment so I cut out the covered foam divider. This action creates one large main compartment. I did opt to leave the side foam strips perhaps giving a bit of structure to that compartment or it takes up space. We shall see. 

⛎ ... amusement rides .....

 ⛎ .... thrill a minute, up and down ....
matching our weather. hellacious winds yesterday, wet etc
 ' boro today soggy warming to 50 F BUT freezing in a day
our spring rollercoaster life

we did get out to the East and Whitby for a visit

groceries too !

🎌 .... " I'll be back .....

 🎌 was the tag line from a movie not my Life

Yes. more snow and biting winds [ maybe, looks it ]

so, I re - hooked up the heating cables and disconnected the front hose. Smooth move that

on the new organization front. recall the two foot rule . The desk does feel ' more in control '. I mean that you can appreciate how much easier that it will be to plug and unplug electrical items. Then b / c the power bar has separate ' off ' /on ' LED s for each socket, if there is a problem then I'll know if the plug is in or not.

Plus the floor is clean, not wires and the power bar OR "  there are no snakes on the floor "

On a separate note. The desk that I curb shopped [euphemism for garbage re - cycle ] had scratches in the faux wood surface. I tried to recolour but its not real wood. Ended up applying Xmas decals on the blemishes

Alright. What looks worse - the scratches or the patches. As at now, I'm voting for the patches. At least the decals are colourful. And you have to know that these were put there on purpose.

the dreadful weather finally gave up and the melt continued. Now, we deal w / rain or freezing rain temperature dependent

🔰 for March 14

  🔰...... well. up at 2 AM
best not to fight it. go with the flow.
so, cookie and typing
' boro report. Snow during the day 03 - 13. The service came and cleared us out. The prediction was another couple of inches overnight.
as mentioned then a warm up and cool down

Last early evening [ late afternoon ] I re connected the heating cables. I drained the front water outlet [ I had connected and started the hose for cleaning stuff ] just in case 

snow didn't arrive or was it supposed to ????

bright and sunny and white. bobbing temperatures regime. cold to springtime warm and back again

BLITHERING 
or ......
anyway. coinciding thoughts. 1 ) on YouTube, a suggestion for those who see Chaos as they look around their environment at home or office. Start small, start immediate. e.g. where you work, establish a two foot perimeter. In this zone make sure THIS spot is organized for you.
Thus, at my work spot or corner desk w / laptop and TV. This AM, I took the power bar off the floor and put it on the desk itself. Yes, more items on the desk ... and big too ! But on the floor, I cannot see what is plugged in b / c , I'm assuming that in a few weeks [ please ! ] I will remove the under desk heater.
In the past, I crawl on hands and knees to get to the power bar and unplug or plug in. Besides, this power bar is a safety [ ? ] device. The outlets are covered and the cover slides as you push the plug in
BUT I always forget which way the cover slides [ alright, I'm thick ! ] The change means that I easily reach and see the plugs are in a lit outlet [ or powered outlet ].
And the instructions were clear, make it your - for you.
The obvious solution was to wall mount the power bar. However, that doesn't make the plugs easier to get to. Or slide the cover.

We shall see said the Zen Master