[Jane917]

I have not checked in for quite a while and am glad to see the regulars all here! I hope all had a happy holiday season and are looking forward to the new year. I ate my lucky black eyed peas yesterday to hedge my bets. All is well in southwest Washington, where we have had a cold, somewhat snowy, very icy season. Most of the snow is gone, but some streets are still icy. Temps have been in the 30s day and night. We do not get snow every year here in town, being on the Columbia River. The mountains have more than there share. We have stayed healthy, but family members in the medical field warn us of a rocky January. We are triply vaccinated, fortunately.

Stay safe, warm, and healthy. Jane

 

[Andra]

Happy New Year!
I hope all of you have an improved 2022!
We are on our second morning of freezing weather (low to mid 20s). But we will get above freezing in the afternoons.
We are babysitting my cousin's pup for a few weeks. She is almost a year old, but is still an awkward pup. However, she can almost jump our 6' fence in pursuit of squirrels. We only let her out if one of us is out there and at the first sign of bouncing off the fence she goes inside. But she gets very focused and does not hear us sometimes, so our plan is not fool-proof.
Ginger is not really a fan. They got off to a bad start and are trying to work things out. They were actually playing nicely for a bit yesterday.
Take care. Stay safe.

 

[geoffthomas]

I hope everyone had enjoyable Holidays. Christmas was good for us - saw some of our family for the first time in two years. But all were vaccinated and kept it short. Just dinner. And New Years at home - to bed early.
Happy New Year to all KBoards friends.

 

[Annalog]

Good morning from central Arizona. Our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day went as planned.

DH and I have mostly spent the time since moving stuff out of our old house and into our daughter's house. As usual, things are taking longer than planned. A light warning of over heating came on in DH's pickup truck on the way to the old house. We left it at the house for a few days while we came back in my car packed with boxes full of stuff that would need time to sort through. Yesterday morning we drove to the old house. DH drove the pickup to the dealership in Tucson while I packed my car with more stuff. I was almost done when DH phoned to say that the dealership is so backed up that it will be at least a week until they can even look at it. I picked him up on my way through Tucson back to our daughter's house. We are now considering various options. We might spend some trips just packing and then renting a U-Haul truck. I will be looking at that option today.

Stay safe and healthy. Be excellent to each other and also to yourself.

 

[spotsmom]

And Happy New Year to all of you! Hope you have an excellent and healthy 2022!

 

[Annalog]

Good morning from central Arizona. Yesterday we finally met with a realtor at our old house about selling our house. We have prioritized our tasks for the next week or so. We drove another car load to our daughter's house yesterday and we are driving back to the old house this morning. I will be staying one or two nights before I need to return to be with my daughter for her post surgery care. We will first focus on removing unnecessary stuff mounted on the walls, patching, and touch up paint. Then I focus on sorting remaining stuff into the categories of pack to move, box to donate, box to recycle, and trash to bag. I load up my car and return to our daughter's house. DH will stay to continue fixing stuff, inside and out, sorting/packing stuff, and making donation trips. After my daughter has recovered enough that I can leave for the day, we will be renting a U-Haul truck and moving the rest of our stuff out of the house. That will allow photos, open house, etc. Then all that will be left is clearing the three sheds and any remaining outside work.

It has been a wonderful 25+ years at this location but we are looking forward to moving on.

Stay safe. Be excellent to each other and also to yourself.

 

[loonlover]

Good morning.

We had a dusting of snow late yesterday afternoon/early evening. Only a little left on top of the cars this morning. I don't think it ever got below freezing overnight. Looking forward to some sunshine today with a high in the 40s.

I had to make an emergency visit to the dentist last Monday. A crown and a filling need replacing - that work begins on Jan 31st. He said he didn't think a root canal would be necessary. I hope he is right.

We did a grocery pickup Friday, deciding it is best to avoid interaction any more than we have to. It went the smoothest of any of our pickups - I was afraid they might be so busy orders would get backed up. I let them know we were on our way; texted when we arrived with the parking spot number, and they were at the car less than a minute after our arrival.

We did do haircuts this past week as well as the dentist and another doctor's appointment. No appointments or need for shopping trips this coming week. II will probably do some stuff out in his shop and I'll continue some things I've got going inside. Sounds like a nice, quiet week of retirement to me.

Stay safe. Take care.

 

[telracs]

wanders in....
passes out pastries (check out super moon bakehouse)
wanders out....

 

[mlewis78]

I have likely mentioned here occasionally that we don't get as much heat as I like in the past few years in my building. We were doing well even through last Tuesday, 1/11/22, but on Wednesday there wasn't much heat. It was usually at 68 during the day, which is legal here. I should have told the super then. I waited until Sunday when the temp was at 66-67. The super stopped by and he was sure that it was only my apartment, so maybe I needed to cover windows more and maybe I needed a new valve on the old radiator.

Super came by Monday and changed the radiator valve. It did no good. Tuesday evening when I got home from swimming at 8pm the radiators were slightly warm, as if the heat had gone off for the night. I texted the super and he said the boiler repair was coming Wednesday morning.

I woke up Wednesday late in the morning and the temp inside was 58. I asked the super what was going on and he said (texts) that it was being worked on. Later he texted that it would be 2-3 days. I asked why it wasn't done today. No answer. I have also been in touch with a neighbor on the 2nd floor whose heat is sporadic at best. She saw the super's wife later and was told it will probably be fixed tomorrow.

I should have contacted the management (email or call) on Wednesday but I figured they were on it even though it is taking too long. I want to contact them before I call 311. It is horrible in here. I'm dressed in layers (and socks I hate to wear at home). I ate some junk food tonight. There is one other neighbor I could contact (I have her cell #), but I'm beside myself, trying not to express my anger and frustration online, but here I am.

Weather Wednesday was 48-46, but it will snow tomorrow with a deep freeze after that. I don't know how cold it will get in here but 58 is very cold now. I should have moved a long time ago. In the old days here in this building the hot water and heat were together and we would lose both periodically, but later we were getting a whole lot of heat. In the past 8 years I've had to beg for more heat.

Hope everyone is well. I haven't gotten sick yet this winter. I have a heating pad on my knees.

 

[Andra]

Morning. After highs near 80 yesterday we are down to 32 this morning and it's supposed to keep going down all day with some wintry mix thrown in for good measure. We made sure we have dry wood for the fireplace in case we need it, and all of our external batteries are fully charged - including the bigger one we bought after "Snowmageddon" last year. And that one was almost fully charged even after sitting almost a year.

mlewis, I am sure sorry to hear that once again you are having lack of heat problems. I can't do anything to help, but you know this is a safe place to vent if you need it. I hope things improve soon.

Take care and stay safe.

 

[crebel]

Good morning. We are in a deep freeze here. Right now the actual temperature is -9 with a wind chill of -20. That's a little too "brisk" for me, I'm sitting with a heating pad at my back rather than turning up the heat since our January bill doubled from last January with less usage - bah humbug.

Not much new happening here, on-going dental work. I have returned to staying home except for said dental visits; using KN95 masks exclusively now, DH has returned his office to masked appointments only and the doors are locked to walk-ins.

Today the local schools are closed because of lack of teachers, subs, and bus drivers "due to an unprecedented number of illnesses". They won't even use the word COVID. It's depressing.

Stay safe, be well.

 

[Jane917]

Crebel, don't know where you are, but your temperatures sound like a pretty typical January day in Montana. I have not lived there for 20 years and not miss the winters. Now I live along the Columbia River north of Portland (but in WA), and enjoy the milder winters. Yesterday the sun even came out.

We are staying healthy, though my neighbor is having the PCR test done today, and I was with her in her home 2 days before she became symptomatic. We are all vaccinated and boosted. Keeping fingers crossed. Schools are on staggered shifts due to shortage of bus drivers, teachers, subs, just like the rest of the country.

Stay warm and healthy, everybody! Lewis, I am sorry about your heating problem. Hope it gets resolved.

 

[loonlover]

Good morning.

It is white outside our house. At least we didn't get the freezing rain forecast, but it was a wintry mix of sleet and snow overnight. And it is forecast to continue until around midnight tonight. Today's high is expected to be around 28. So far, it doesn't look like much ice has built up on tree limbs and power lines so maybe we'll get lucky and not suffer power outages, at least in our part of the state. But, it will get above freezing tomorrow with some sunshine. So glad we don't have to get out at all today and hoping that roads will be clear enough tomorrow to make a 1 PM doctor's appointment. We went to Kroger late yesterday morning and were slightly surprised at how well shelves were stocked. It probably wasn't that way once the after work shoppers made their grocery run. Or maybe, people realized it wouldn't be bad for much more than one day and didn't panic. Nah, that would never happen.

Hope everyone is staying safe from the weather.

 

[Andra]

Good morning! We have ice/snow patches lingering from Thursday, but we are already 23 and sunny. We are supposed to get up to 46 today so hopefully everything will melt.
We have a continuing saga with a varmint in our garage. A few weeks ago I noticed my windshield washers were not working. When I got home and was going to add fluid I discovered that SOMETHING had eaten my washer fluid jug under the hood. We took it in the following week and got it replaced. Then on my was home from work my AC was not blowing cold air (remember - Texas and it was sunny). I was too irritated to take it in over the weekend, so I just drove the truck. The car was on the driveway as we embarked in a quest to clean out the garage and find the varmint. When I got home with groceries Sunday morning, DH saw a pile of plastic shavings under the car. We popped the hood, and my new washer fluid jug had also been eaten! This means war. So we have traps out and continue cleaning. DH said he saw a rodent in the garage yesterday, so we have not caught it yet.
I ordered a zapper from Amazon and will put it out as soon as it arrives.
We have not seen much rodent evidence as we go through the garage. Hopefully it us just the one and then my car will be safe again (don't disillusion me please).
Stay warm. Stay safe.

 

[Annalog]

Good morning from southeastern Arizona.

Andra, I hope the rodent has been dealt with and no additional damage has been done. We are still in the process of moving our stuff from our old house and occasionally finding rodent damage done years before from when they got into the house.

The Uhaul rental went well but, as is usually the case, everything took longer than planned. We didn't get quite as much into the truck as we had hoped due to lack of time and energy. Our niece did a fabulous job driving that big truck and it was turned in to the destination U-Haul location in time and within the fuel and mileage requirements. 😁 There is still lots for us to do before the house is ready to show but we are in the final weeks.

Our daughter's surgery went very well with recovery as planned and she was cleared to return to work last week. She still is restricted from lifting anything over 10 pounds.

Stay safe and well.

 

[Andra]

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.
It's 43 and sunny here today.
Yesterday we found a varmint nest in the garage! It was in an old litter box. We got everything in the dumpster and put bricks on the top last night. This morning the dumpster was emptied, so hopefully it is off to a different home. We suspect there may still be one back behind the lawn mower since our pup and any of the neighbor pups who get in the garage head straight to that corner. But it's progress!
Glad to hear your move is progressing well Anna. We are headed to Tennessee next week to help my cousin pack up the house to get moved back to Texas. So at my house we are going through boxes, and at her house we will be boxing things up.
Take care and stay safe.

 

[loonlover]

Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day.

We're adjusting to having our youngest move back home. The last couple of years have not been good to him so he decided the best thing was to move here and mostly start over. He already has a job here, but doesn't have a vehicle so we will be chauffeuring for a while. He is willing to use Uber or Lyft as needed. You just never know what life will bring.

Since our son has to be at work at noon today, we'll find someplace to get our Valentine celebration meal after we drop him off.

Hope your day goes well. Stay safe.

 

[Andra]

Good morning. It is sunny and 50 outside of Memphis, TN.
We have come to help my cousin get her house packed up. They are moving back to Texas for the near future. Hopefully they can get this house sold quickly.
Take care and stay safe!

 

[spotsmom]

Well, Andra, I won't tell you about mice in my car. Good luck!

Recovering from thumb joint surgery (probably related to knitting). Will take about 6 months to heal. Fortunately I don't have the same problem on my other hand! But with my cast, I had to toss the bras away for 6 weeks. Isn't that just too bad?

Otherwise, all is well here. Snowing today and then going to get really cold. Tomorrow has a high of 17 and a low of -3. Brrr..

Hope you all are well. Sure glad I'm not in the throes of moving!

 

[loonlover]

Good morning.

Thunderstorms in the area for most of the morning. They hit just before I picked our son up from work at 6 AM. The trip home was a little harrowing, part of the time on the rural road leading to our community I was only driving about 15 MPH. The wind was really blowing the rain across the windshield. We got soaked going from the car to the house. It may calm down by 11 AM or so. Allergy shot day so we may be out in it later anyway.

Spotsmom, stay warm. Hope your recovery from the surgery goes well.

Andra, good luck with helping your cousin pack for the move. Not on my list of things I'm interested in doing, I'll admit.

Hope everyone is well. Stay safe. Take care.