42 posts tagged “weather”

I'm in a mood.  It's gotten better since last night when I was laying in bed trying to think about narrow ruled notebook paper because it was the only thing I could hold in my mind that didn't run off down some dark tangent.  I love narrow ruled paper.  It's smooth, neat, and full of possibilities.  Ug, I hate these dark moods though, when even the happiest memories hurt because my brain instantly takes me past everything sweet, straight to a bitter end.  Bad brain.  Bad, broken brain.  ...  Narrow ruled paper is really nice.

It's been a weird week.  Craig picked up some germs last week, and came down with a nasty cold.  He's one of the healthiest almost-never-sick people I know, and this cold kicked his ass.  I got a touch of it, but nothing like what he had, which is also strange because my immune systems S-U-C-K-S!  I get sick ten (or more) times as often as Craig, and I'm pretty sure I've always had colds worse and longer than him too.  I just got a touch of this one.  It didn't settle in my chest (for a change) like his did.  That usually means steroids for me and my asthma.  I got off so lucky this time!

Craig actually went to work Monday and Tuesday, but he came home at lunch on Tuesday, and stayed home all of Wednesday.  He needed the extra sleep, low stress, and the rest for his voice and throat.  We passed the time by busting out the PS2 and playing Champions of Norrath ...for a day and a half.  It was good, quiet, lazy fun, and a nice start to cold weather gaming season.  We don't play video games in the warmer months when there's so much to do outside.

We were supposed to have guests Tuesday through Wednesday, but I had to cancel.  Neither of us were up to entertaining company, and I would've hated to have given Meagan and Greg colds in the middle of their vacation.  Canceling was definitely the thing to do, but it seriously bummed me out.  Hopefully they can come stay with us for a day or two around the holidays.  *fingers crossed*

I'm loving the cold turn in the weather.  We had our yearly furnace cleaning/tune-up on Monday, and it couldn't have been better timed.  We just left it on at that point, and it's been running intermittantly already, keeping our house comfy right as the weather turned.  It would've made that whole being sick thing even more miserable if the furnace wasn't on yet.

Looks like we're going to be getting a new furnace next year, ...or sooner, though we're hoping it'll make it through this one last winter.  *knock-on-wood*  The technician told us it's officially 25 years old, and the life expectancy on that furnace is an average of 18 years.  heh.  Good furnace!  Nice, warm, lovely furnace!  We love you so much!  The technician told us Lennox is raising prices on the parts for our model, since it's old and they're trying to phase it out.  He showed me a few examples of typical parts that have doubled in price, and suggested that if anything broke, it would be most cost effective to buy a new one rather than repair the old.  They've kept that puppy running smooth for us for the ten years we've lived here, and I do know that furnace is old, so we're going to trust the technician on this one.  He also told us there's a 30% tax rebate(?) offer on high efficiency furnaces through 2010, so it definitely makes sense to do all this within the next year.

Ok.  I've rambled on quite a bit more than I'd inteneded to.  When I sat down to blog, I had two things on my mind, my dark mood and one thing in particular that's eating at me today.  That second thing is a serious lack of compassion from a whole lot of people.  It's disheartening to the point of making me think maybe we, as a species, deserve whatever doom we're settings ourselves up for.  ...  We definitely do.  I have a particular example that's hurting me personally this morning, but I don't really want to get into it.  I just wanted to state somewhere that I'm feeling it right here and now, but I'm noticing it everywhere, and it sucks.

Huh!  While making my smoothie this morning, I noticed my blender has a "Chop Ice" button.  It's right there, top and center, just above the "On" button.  I've only been using this blender for about two years now, and abusing the regular "Chop" button when trying to crush ice.  There are only nine buttons on the thing.  Sometimes the obvious escapes me for such a very long time, ...it's really beyond disturbing and moving into the realm of mental wonder.  Someone should study my brain.  ...I owe my blender an apology.

I've had my air conditioner set to 74degF and on "energy saver" since I got up this morning.  It hasn't cycled off once yet.  Dog days of summer, indeed!  I hope we get some rain.

Speaking of rain, I'm paying for neglecting my garden this year.  My squash and cucumbers have decided they're done.  I've got blossom end rot on my tomatoes.  My lettuces have all gone to seed.  Craig says I should've been watering every day.  *L*  I'm such a bad gardener.  This is just further evidence that I shouldn't have kids.  Next year I WILL get a few rain barrels and I'll be better about watering.  ...Or I'll just get that CSA share I'm wait-listed for.  :D

While the things I planted have been dying of thirst, the detritus from last Halloween has been loving life in my compost pile.  I already have one very orange pumpkin that's larger than a basketball, a couple of smaller dark green ones, close to a dozen pale green tennis-ball sized pumpkins just starting, and a couple vines worth of those smaller, decorative gourds.  :)

I spent a couple of hours(!) yesterday packing up books to mail today.  All of those books we cleaned out of our collection a couple of weeks ago have been claimed via half.com and bookmooch.com.  I went through almost all of my packing supplies yesterday, and spent $50 at the post office this morning mailing them all out this morning!  Oof!  But, my books went to good homes, and the next time someone lists an out-of-print/expensive text I want, it'll all balance out.  :)  Still, from now on, I think I'll limit how many books I'm offering at one time.  :)

I thought I had something more to say, but that seems to be it.  There's stuff to do today, and I need to get back to it.

I got a digital scale this week.  If I can weigh Jasmine at home, it saves me from having to drag her out in the summer heat just to get weighed at the vet's.  I can also use it for weighing my yarn and things bound for the post office and such though, so it's definitely a good purchase.  It weighs in metric or english units, up to 17.something pounds with an accuracy of 0.05oz.  It has a tare feature and even a bakers' percentage function.  New geek toy!  :D

So, according to my new scale, Jasmine has put on another 10g since we upped her critical care food on Monday.  She was .984kg when the doc first expressed concern about her weight, 1.006kg on Monday after three weeks of 40ml/day of critical care feed, and 1.016kg today after five days on 60ml/day.  Personally, I think the season has as much to do with her weight loss as her age does, if not more.  She usually seems slighter in the late spring when it starts to get warm.  I imagine that being covered in fur, it takes some time to shed a little extra and get comfortable in the heat, during which I wouldn't want to eat much either.  But, we'll do what the doc says, for she is wise in the ways of rabbits.

I *HATE* the warm season in this part of the world.  HATE IT!!!  I hate that the temp. is only in the mid 70s, but I'm sitting here -just sitting here!- sweating because the humidity is also in the mid 70s.  YUCK!  I don't know what I'm going to do today, but it's likely going to be something I can do sitting very. very still, preferably in front of an open window that's catching a breeze.

ug.  I'm so tired!  Good thing it's the weekend and I can sit around in my pjs just holding down the sofa.  *YAWN!*

We got up cursedly early this morning.  I am NOT anything even remotely related to a morning person.  I'm barely functional when I wake up on my own in the mornings, but when I have to be woken up to be somewhere, I'm downright surly.  I felt bad this morning because I know Craig (who is a morning person) was all bright-eyed and excited about our plans for the day, but I couldn't help that his high energy was sparking painfully against my skin.

We started our day by going out for breakfast. We drive into town once a weekend, and for the past several weeks that's included going out for breakfast.  I guess we're regulars now because our waitress remembered what we usually order and gave us a wonderfully hard time.  :)

The reason for rising early was SkyWarn Spotter training.  There was a huge turn out, well over 500 people by my estimation.  The presentation was as entertaining as it was informative.  I'm a huge weather geek, so even if you don't account for important safety and community issues, it was just plain fun!  The weather information was fascinating, and the "idiot storm chaser" stories were hilarious!

After our schooling, we went out for coffee and books (decadent!), then further into town for art-n-craft supplies.

No one local seems to have the knitting needles I need!  Argh!  I've almost filled my 26" circulars with this current project and I really need to move up to 35" or bigger now.  Since I couldn't find what I need locally and now need to order online, I may just order an interchangeable set from Knitpicks.com.  It will save money in the long run (she rationalizes).  I need to order some yarn for my next project too.  Mmmm, more knitting.  My current project is going really well.  It's the most complicated pattern I've yet followed, but it's turning out beautifully!  (*knock-on-wooden-needles*)  Its a gift, so I have to keep it secret for a while.  My next project is all for me-me-ME though, and I can't wait to start it!  ...Pardon my excited rambling.

So, no new needles today, but I did get some larger jump rings with which to make stitch markers, and I got some small packs of paper and stone clays for a completely new craft project I've been dying to start.  I wanted a new watercolor pallete, but Hobby Lobby didn't have one I liked, so I'll probably check out Dickblick.com in a bit here.

We stopped at Radio Shack to get some geek stuff for Craig, then hit up the grocery on our way home.  I hate grocery shopping, but I have to say we've been dong *really* well lately.  This is the second week in a row we got out of there for around $80, and we buy mostly whole foods and eat very well.

We've been home for a while now, just chillaxing.  :)  Craig is making an antenna for his radio, and I have Peter Jackson's King Kong in.  I love this movie.  I think I'm going to make myself a pick-me-up cup of green tea, do some online shopping for the supplies I couldn't find locally today, and then either make some stitch markers or play with my new clays.  Gods, I love the weekends!

Between the farce that is Daylight Savings and these brooding gray skies, I can't seem to ...(continued minutes later) focus.  Low energy, low motivation, and a mood so mellow it's bordering on comatose.  When work got my brain all knotted, I took a break to shop online for a spring coat and some Wellies, but I don't even seem to have the motivation for retail therapy.  I wish the skies would break open in a stormy fury; at least that would bring some excitement to the day.  Tuesdays.  meh.  I should at the very least do some knitting, but even that requires more energy than I have today.

My weekend was quite splendid.  Anne came to visit Friday morning and stayed through Saturday morning.  We went out for lunch and then on a whim to the zoo and then the museum.  I wish I'd thought to bring my camera, but I didn't realize we'd be doing more than going to lunch.  Still, I have no pictures of my pregnant friend and I should, because she's even more radiant than usual.  When we got back home we spent some time coloring er, creating art, had pizza and watched Dollhouse (still not feeling it) and then the commentary for Dr. Horrible, which was just as much fun as the musical!  (Anne wasn't current on BSG, so Craig and I watched that later in the weekend.)  Craig made us breakfast the next morning and we saw her off.  It was barely enough time to visit, especially since I've been feeling so run down and stupid, but I'm grateful that she was able to make it for even just one day.

The rest of Saturday I did some chores and some knitting, and I cleaned up a dusty mess of boxes filled with memorabilia that hasn't been touched in years.  I really need to find a way to organize that stuff.  It's all over my diningroom table right now, so the sooner I figure out how to organize and store it, the better!

Sunday we went out for a late breakfast and then to the theater to see The Watchmen.  I was entertained, but it didn't really draw me in.  It felt more like the summary of a story then a real telling, and I figure that's because I've never even heard of the story until now.  I imagine people who've read it get a ton more enjoyment out of the movie.  Still, it was a decent way to pass a few hours on a slow Sunday afternoon.

That was my weekend.  And that's the extent of my attention span currently. 

I was going to make a strawberry rhubarb pie today, but I really just don't have the energy or motivation.  Eh, maybe later.  I'm thinking soup, tuna salad and pop-overs for dinner though, nice rainy day food.  I should put some eggs on to boil.  ...  meh.  Maybe I'll order those Wellies now.  *sigh*  I really wish it would storm.

The snow is gone.  I'm not complaining.  I know we're only just a little more than half way through winter, but we did have snow on the ground through all of January and right up until some time overnight last night.  That's really all I ask of winter, a consistent winter landscape, a little calm monotone to balance out the riot of color we have the rest of the year, with an occasional fresh dusting of white to put a clean coat over the dingy grays.  Maybe we'll get a little more yet.  I'd like that.

I've had acedia nipping at my ankles for about a week now.  It's easy to banish during the day when I can keep busy.  Nothing puts it in it's place like a sense of accomplishment.  But at night, especially when I wake up in the middle of the night (which I do a lot), it's right there manipulating my thoughts.  It doesn't take more than the fleeting thought that the previous day flew by, and I'm lying there thinking about how the years all fly by, how insignificant life seems to be, how nothing seems to change from day to day to day, how futile it all seems.  Next thing I know, I'm in a funk, wishing I could sleep ...through a few days perhaps, but feeling impossibly wide awake.  Well, that all sucks, but I'm awake now, and aware enough to be beating the acedia back, at least until bedtime.  Maybe I'll luck out and start sleeping through the nights again soon here.

We have art class tonight, which I'm psyched about.  We're supposed to be using pastels tonight.  Aside from watercolor, pastels were traditionally my favorite, back when I did that art thing regularly.  I need to find something to draw between now and then.  That's always the hardest part for me.  I don't know if I'm just too picky or what, but I have a really hard time finding subject material.  I need to work on that, because it's that more than anything else that's kept me from making drawing a regular habit all of these years.  In fact, I'm quite sure it's that and only that which blocks me.  Maybe I need to get back into The Artists' Way and work on replenishing my "well of inspiration" or some such thing.

The knitting is going extremely well.  I've made a few mistakes and had to tink a few rows, but I'm through one of the four skeins I bought for this project, and in only three days.  If I can keep up this pace, I'll have it completed in under two weeks!  My LYS (Local Yarn Store) has a deal where if you can bring in your receipt for the yarn along with your finished project within thirty days of the original purchase, you get ten percent off your purchases that day to help start you on your next project.  I intend to take advantage of that for a few months here, and just keep cranking these projects out.

Turns out Craig knows the lady who owns this yarn store.  She used to work for one of his old clients.  As we were leaving last week when I bought my yarn, Craig told her, "Well, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon," and she replied, "I know I'll be seeing your money!"  That cracked me the hell up.  :)  ...It's true though.  :D

Ok.  I need to gather up some stuff for class tonight, and then get a little work done here.   The dark, rainy skies aren't doing a damn thing to help me wake my brain up, so I probably need to put on a fresh pot of coffee.  It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion...

Craig went out at lunch time and managed to get both cars open, started, and somewhat warmed up and cleared off.  The windshield wipers on his car won't wipe though, and no one can fix it until tomorrow, so we're going into town in a bit here to drop off his car and do the last of our shopping.

I haven't done any baking yet today, but I did finish ...er, "finishing" my nephew's gift.  I can't wait to post pictures!  I can't wait to see what he thinks of it!  :)

Hopefully we won't be too long in town.  I still need to slap some henna on my head, make gingerbread, lemon cookies and buckeyes, and get some wrapping done tonight.  I still have some holiday cards I'd like to send too.  Hopefully I can get those done tonight.  They might not be delivered before Xmas, but they'll definitely be there before New Years!

The newer car wouldn't start this morning, and the doors are frozen shut on the older one, so Craig is working from home.  The car troubles turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it turns out the heat is out at the office.  In fact, Craig *just* informed me they've officially closed the office until the heat is fixed.  So our very smart cars saved him over an hour of driving this morning by not letting him leave.  Thank you, cars.

I'd planned on hitting the grocery store up for some cookie essentials, and doing the very last of my gift shopping today.  I'm thinking now that errands can wait until tomorrow, when it's supposed to be warmer, like in the 20s verses the single digits on either side of 0.  In the mean time, I may need to rethink my baking strategy so I can still get some done today with whatever supplies I can find at the small store across the street.  The gingerbread may be out if they don't carry molasses, and it's very unlikely I'll find vanilla bark or meringue powder there, but I'll find some very simple recipes I can bake today and hopefully I'll get to the store tomorrow morning.

As for the last of the gift shopping, if I really think about it, I'm pretty sure I can find a few things around the house that will work in a pinch.  The last person I need to shop for is very artistic, so worst case scenario, I bundle myself up so much that I can't put my arms down, and I toddle down the street to the art store for gift-worthy supplies.  We'll save that option as a last resort though.  I still have tomorrow.

And it looks like I only have tomorrow morning.  There's another winter storm warning for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning, and they're calling for more ice.  I don't mind if the weather makes me have to go with Plan B as far as baking and gifting go, but I'm really hoping it doesn't interfere with our holiday visiting schedule this year.  For the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm content with our visiting schedule and feeling absolutely no anxiety over it.

No.  You know what, I'm not even worried about the weather changing our visiting plans.  I'm as cool as the thermometer is this year.  (I wonder if my temperament is weather related.)  I'll be disappointed if the weather messes up our plans, but I'll roll with it.

My weather station on the garage roof is reporting that it's -3.2 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now. giving a windchill of -13.  The airport just a ways down the road is reporting -1 with a -26 windchill.  I checked to make sure my weather station wasn't just being dramatic.

It's nights like this that I'm so very grateful for my solid, well-insulated house and my awesome furnace.  I'm hoping our power doesn't go out what with all the ice still on everything and the high winds we're having now through morning.  *knock-on-wood*

I celebrate the solstice on the dark side (yesterday, the darkest day).  I'm kind of bummed that the days are going to start getting lighter.  Fortunately, it'll be another month before the change is thoroughly noticeable, so I'm just going to pretend that it's not getting lighter until I can't any more.  Craig however, prefers the light and is happy to be on the upswing again.  The seasons have something for everyone.

I'm *very* grateful for my very good house.

I just about did the splits stepping out onto the deck.  The freezing rain stopped hours ago, but we must have had just enough of a drop it temperature to freeze up what very little melt there was, because you can ice skate on my deck and sidewalk right now.  ...Well, hopefully the salt I just threw down is working, but you could ice skate a minute ago!

I was going to go out front and shovel the inch or so of snow under that ice, but maybe I'll wait a little longer.  For the moment, the icy snow is much safer to walk on than the icy ice.

The power is still on though!  *knock-on-wood*