Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?
…
NOTE: The comments page will now split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the link.
…
– Page One of Comments is HERE!
– Page Two of Comments is HERE!
hey, can y’all retweet this? A dad is looking for a liver donor for his daughter, it’s very low risk for the donor – you liver grows back – and you could save a little kid’s life:
https://twitter.com/WajahatAli/status/1171229763794546690
Fay., AR the overnight was 70 and it’s still fairly close to that. The house is open and the fans are on. Heading for only the upper 80s (heat index still close to/at 100) with clouds moving in this afternoon. Which might keep the temps from going over 90 but will definitely slow the generation down. Yesterday we got 14 KWHs and the m-t-d is 135 – so on we go. Maybe we’ll make it to 400 this month. Maybe we’ll manage without turning the A/C on again. We shall see what we shall see.
Twitler is nothing but self-serving fantasy stream of what passes for consciousness. The evil acts we protest are being done by someone in the background. Maybe someone like Miller, more likely someone working in the shadows entirely. The only reason we know about twitler’s tweetfests & rages is that someone or a group of someones wants us to. I don’t fear the sick man who signed blank EOs. I fear who ended up with them and has been filling them out. The shadow government taking our real government back to the Dark Side it has been slowly emerging. Very slowly in human life times. Not that bad in a civilization’s. If we can call what we have civilized – a point in itself considering it was founded on genocide and slavery. I do truly fear this election cycle is our last chance. But that may just be depression and pessimism. In this too we shall see what we shall see.
I need to get my walk in before it warms up. Coffee’s a good thought too. heh. Back in a bit. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, Meesefolk; 63 when I got up, but our predicted high of 86 from yesterday is now only supposed to be 82. I’m not sure how different that will feel, but it certainly sounds less unpleasant.
I’ll be watching the NC races closely tonight. I don’t expect much from NC-03; between the fact that it’s R+12 and that Walt Jones died rather than cheated his way into office (and disgrace), I think it’s pretty safely R. Even looking at the primary numbers doesn’t provide much solace. The vote differential between R and D was around 10K, so that seems insurmountable. NC-09 will have me on the edge of my seat and not just because McCready found a way to get some donations out of me. Bishop is likely to appeal to the R super voters (thanks, Jan!), but McCready has been working hard at energizing not just the base, but the whole of NC-09. I’m so hoping for more than a good showing/moral victory…I dislike Bishop so intensely (he’s one of the Bathroom Bill guys) that I want McCready to wipe the tile bathroom floor with him.
Good day to and for all!
I guess we can hope that Bishop has to spend many more millions to defend his backbencher seat in 2020 and that someone like McCready runs again. North Carolina’s state legislature will be elected under fair maps in 2020 and will possibly be blue in 2021; NC09 will look a lot different after 2021 redistricting.
Good morning meese. 60 with high of 82. Cooler days are on their way!! We had an evacuation drill at work yesterday and had to stand outside for about half an hour. Good thing they didn’t do it in the summer!!
May have some exciting news to share later in the week, but for now it’s time to wake up, feed the cats and go to work. ????
{{{basket}}} – definitely good you didn’t have to stand outside in hotter weather! YAY! for exciting news. Skritches to the kitties & moar {{{HUGS}}} to you. ????❤
My acrophobia has gotten worse with age, and since they remodeled the building the stairs are really scary (used to be short flights & a wall so you could go down them without seeing all the way down). Now when we have a drill, I stay in the stairwell with our disabled employee who can’t go down the stairs. Trouble for me is, the stairwell is just as scary. I spent the last one glued to the wall, couldn’t turn enough to use the walkie talkie.
That’s not good. Your stairs sound scary. As seems to be normal, I share the problem but not the intensity of it. Not gonna insult you by suggesting anything because you’ve probably already thought of it and it didn’t work. sigh. But sending you Healing Energy and {{{HUGS}}}
I just hate seeing all that down. I start to feel like I’m falling when I do. Not just each flight is long, but on the right side, the handrail is plenty sturdy but you can see all the way down. I do not like it, not even talking about it.
I know. Same here. It’s why I can’t walk to the nearest grocery store. It’s over the overpass and there isn’t a pedestrian lane, just walk on the verge next to the street. My tummy cringes even typing it. You definitely have my sympathy as well as good wishes & Healing Energy. & moar {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 58 and cloudy in Bellingham. RonK just left for the gym and I’m trying to decide if I can work in the garden this morning. I’ve got an unpleasant arthritis flare happening, so will gardening make it worse or will activity improve my mood and make it better? The dilemma of managing chronic pain is ongoing.
I’m looking forward to reading David Guterson’s new book, Turn Around Time: A Walking Poem For The Pacific Northwest. He has a reading at Village Books Sept 26th so we’ll be there.
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 68 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 75. Chance of thunderstorms all day.
The NC09 election did not turn out as hoped but the articles I read suggested that Republican support in the suburbs is weakening, a trend that started in 2018 and which seems to show no signs of slowing down. Maybe when North Carolina gets fair maps, NC09 will not be a safe Republican seat. The margin of victory in the R+12 district was less than 2%. I was laughing out loud at a tweet quoting Steve “KKK” Scalise, the House Minority Whip, saying that this was a swing district – softening the ground for what ended up being a close election. A Democrat has not won the district since 1960 – back when North Carolina Republicans were known as “Southern Democrats.” Nice try, Steve! House Republicans still have to win 19 seats next year to take back the House – with so many incumbent retirements, that will be tough.
I try to not be near the news on 9/11. Setting aside the remembrance of the terrible loss of life, it is a painful reminder that the political party whose incompetence and hubris did not keep us safe from foreign attack was able to use that attack to launch a war of choice that kept the American public enthrall and forever changed global politics. The current occupant is a direct beneficiary of the fear that was ginned up by Dick “Dick” Cheney and the lie that “only Republicans will keep us safe.” It will be a good day to catch up on projects.
See all y’all later!
Wednesday Meese. 68 going up to 90 here in the Catskills.
Puerto Rico
Good Woden’s day morning, Moosekind! It’s cloudy again but with a predicted high of 94 F., it won’t be long before the clouds dissipate. The current temp. in Ashburn is 67 F., with humidity of 95 percent. Ugh!
Had a delightful lunch with Darling Niece yesterday, during which we discussed what to do with my closet. I’ve been in denial but it’s time to face reality: I will never again be able to wear my beautiful dresses, which I’ve only worn twice each. They’re taking up a lot of room, so it’s time to photograph them (for memory’s sake) and try to flog them on eBay. I’ve gained eight pounds since moving here and unfortunately, I’m just not motivated to lose them. It doesn’t help that Dearly Beloved has trouble gaining weight!
Enough of that. I’m very disappointed by the election results, of course. I felt persecuted by the 10 emails a day I was receiving from the McReady campaign, to the point where I will no longer donate online. From now on I’ll send checks that pointedly do not include my email address. I despise the way ActBlue, once it gets hold of an email address for a donation to one candidate, floods that email inbox with requests from other candidates. The DSCC has taken to sending emails that do not even include an “unsubscribe” link. Thunderbird does not allow me to create a spam folder, so I’m stuck with clicking the “delete” button.
Today is the sad anniversary, of course. It’s hard to believe it’s been 18 years. I’ve a long day ahead, including a drive to Reston to pick up lunch from La Madeleine, then a long drive to see my friend at Greenspring. I haven’t visited her since June, what with the nanny-grannying and the fact that her facility was under quarantine. All is well now, so I’m going today.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
It rained yesterday & should again today — wonderful, beautiful rain. And actually below 100. We’re having a food day at work to celebrate 2 co-workers who have been here 45 years. I was about to say that’s crazy but I’ve been here nearly 20 years, so….
For a somber, sad day I give you Heal Me. It’s a love song, but the healing sentiment is for everyone.
Overnight in Fay., AR was 70 and it’s 75 now. I need to shut the house up and get my walk before it gets too warm. Yesterday we generated 14 KWHs and the m-t-d is 149. So far so good. Sunny so far and supposed to be for today and most of tomorrow. But it’s gonna take a hard frost to get the oak tree to drop her leaves and that ain’t gonna happen for weeks. If not months.
Closely losing an election that they should have had in a walk is encouraging. But it still keeps Rs in power. We keep trying. Think Omaha Beach – massive forces deployed in closely succeeding waves. That’s how we do this. There’s no other way.
Remembering 9/11 – very much so. I wasn’t in NYC or DC. I didn’t know anyone who was. I didn’t have my online connection for another 7 almost 8 years. So I was shocked and horrified but it wasn’t personal. I was also pissed because it shouldn’t have been possible. The Clinton administration had already warned the airline industry they needed to secure the doors between the cockpit and cabin. The airlines refused to do it – too expensive. It was one of many warnings the Clinton administration put out while there was still time to prevent such an attack from happening. And I was sick at my stomach because I knew W was going to take us to war. I didn’t know who with or on what pretext but I could tell from the way he talked and the images he kept bringing up that we were going to start a war in the very near future. Sometimes I wish I didn’t see these things so clearly since there’s nothing I can do to stop them.
Need to close up. Need the walk. Can’t do either until the cat gets off my lap. But he will shortly. This time of year it gets too warm on my lap for long visits. Need more coffee. Can’t do that either just yet. Gonna check my twitter while I wait. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, Meesefolk; 66 when I got up with a high of 82 today. It rained yesterday which brought in the Muggies, and it’s supposed to rain a lot later today which should move the Muggies out. I hope so. It’s been so dry this summer that having humidity was a bit of a shock to the system.
I followed the NC-09 election last night, and it fell out about as I expected. Getting Dems to turn out for midterms and special elections is an ongoing problem and one that McCready couldn’t overcome either. This is not to downplay his accomplishment; he did well, but he did better in ’18. I hope this isn’t an indicator that voters are burnt out or worse, cynical about whether elections matter. That would be such a white person sort of reaction, and I hope people who label themselves as resisters understand that #VoteLikeBlackWomen means a whole lot more than just which candidate to vote for.
Good day to and for all!
I am not sure how we overcome this “getting Dems to turn out for midterms and special elections is an ongoing problem.”
Part of it is demographic – our voters are college students and people working, some working two or more jobs, and people with families. It is hard to find time to vote because we make it too difficult which means that the Republican base – old white people and people whose hatred of The Other burns so hotly it drives them to the polls – has a distinct advantage. Colorado and Washington state have mail-in ballots and that would be a good way to take “couldn’t find time to vote” off the list of reasons. When the Republican hater won a 10-year seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April 2019, the young people who voted for Tony Evers and Tammy Baldwin in November 2018 were mostly missing. I have turned my daughter into a super-voter and she was livid when she found out that her friends did not vote and that the hateful man won because the mouth-breathers “up North” voted him in. They saw their way of life being destroyed – their right to discriminate on the basis of race, religion and sexual orientation at risk – and swamped the polls. Maybe the problem is that hate is a better motivator than love; that will always put us at a disadvantage. :(
Good morning, 62 and cloudy in Bellingham. I had unfinished laundry piles to sort out so my house keeper could do her work so I’ve been busy. But she will be an hour late so now I’ve got a quiet moment to read around the internets.
This NPR Tiny Desk Concert is a thoughtful reminder of September 11th……
Best wishes to all.
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 61 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 77. More rain expected all day but the front should usher in a couple of cooler days.
Southern states have not left behind their secessionist proclivity – they appear all-in on seceding from democracy. North Carolina Republicans may be the worst and I suspect that the stunt their House pulled yesterday is one last middle finger at the rule of law in advance of the forced redistricting that will take place in the next week. Someone told me that those jobs are part time so “fear of unemployment” is not driving them, it is sheer assholery. Good riddance – I hope Democrats can fill those seats with good people who care about their state and their country.
I mainly stayed away from the news because 9/11 commemorances stomp on my last nerve. It was refreshing and I may do it again today!
See all y’all later!
The southern states never believed in democracy in the first place. It’s always been WASP male supremacist authoritarian. Representational, yeah, but the representatives were – and as far as they’re concerned should be – chosen by wealthy white men, “great white fathers” so to speak who always “know best”.
Well, the rain is gone & we’re back to 100s. Sigh. I set my basil out yesterday & it didn’t even get any rain. I should be excited about tonight’s debate, but I have to keep reminding myself that it’s happening. So many awful things happening — we’ve even stopped talking about the Russian nuclear accident, because of the awful thing about kicking out sick children, and now SCOTUS has said the Trump administration can bar Central American refugees (who are fleeing from violence that can be traced back to the U.S.). My man Bono said it well:
The Blackout (2nd verse)
Statues fall
Democracy is flat on its back Jack
We had it all
And what we had is not coming back, Zac
A big mouth
Says the people they don’t want to be free for free
The Blackout
Is this an extinction event we see?
Go easy on me, easy on me brother
Go easy on me, easy on me now
When the lights go out
And you throw yourself about in the darkness where you learn to see
When the lights go out
Don’t you ever doubt
The light that we can really be
The Susan Collins Court will go down in history as one of the worst. They are truly deplorable.
Thursday Meese
66 here in the Catskills and raining
Just finished writing for Sunday – schedule thrown off because of hubby being home sick. Nothing serious – just a very bad cold.
This – has me gasping
All I can say is, “May the crusty curse of Oliver Cromwell, etc. etc.”
Is that the one where his dick falls off?
71 was the “low” and it’s 73 now heading for upper 80s which probably means low 90s with a heat index close to if not at 100. sigh. The rain front that’s supposed to move in tonight should be decreasing those lows back into the 60s. Doesn’t look like it’s gonna do much about the highs – but if the lows are lower the house will be cooler for dealing the highs so that helps. We generated 13.2 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 162 so still on track. That’s nice at least.
Not a heck of a lot of nice going on much of anywhere right now. Except that Murf has decided he doesn’t like Kitten Chow any longer and is eating the Iams. Now I don’t have to keep his bowl separate and away from the other cats. Or buy the different food. But everything and everywhere else – public or private – is just not good. Bring the focus in. Do what I/you can. That’s about it.
Waiting for the roofer guy to show up and finish that last section that’s leaking. We’ll see what that costs. And the lawn guy who’s been so long without finishing the last job, he’s supposedly gonna do this one at no extra cost. I believe the part about no extra cost because I’m not giving him any more money. We shall see whether he actually shows up and does the job. The whole job. Which he actually hasn’t done at all this year. sigh. Also for Tractor Supply to open so I can ask if the wood bricks have come in yet. Maybe I can get a walk in there somewhere. LOL. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, Meese, and happy Thor’s Day! It’s 84 F. and sunny in Ashburn right now, going up to 94 F. Yesterday we had a fierce rainstorm right after I arrived back from my visit.
I really want cooler weather so I can make applesauce-raisin cake with pecans, Chunky Vegetable Soup, and various other dishes. I love the colors, scents, textures, and tastes of autumn! Cinnamon, pumpkin, apple, yellow root vegetables, you name it.
(Chuckling) I’ve been putting small apples outside on my hallway shelf instead of the wrapped chocolates I usually put out. I’m tickled that people are actually taking them!
Yesterday was exhausting. I drove 11 miles to Reston to get the lunches from La Madeleine, then drove an additional 20 miles to Greenspring to visit my friend. I left just before 3 and arrived home just before 4. Because of missing my after-lunch nap, I fell asleep in the green chair while watching the evening news.
When I arrived at the facility yesterday the scene looked very autumnal, with the long shadows and the leaves littering the ground. The trees are already showing yellow foliage. My friend, BTW, looks as insubstantial as a playing card, or perhaps a leaf blown off during an autumn wind. I really wonder how much longer she can last, given her extreme health problems.
My day is getting off to a very slow start. Must-do-laundry! I have to help with the wretched Building party this afternoon. Thank GODDESS we don’t have to hostess another until some time next year! I’d actually rather be picking up the grandchildren at the school bus stop than go to this party.
First world problem, of course. The news is so ghastly I really need a break from thinking about it. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
Good morning meese, it’s 61 with a high of 93 today in Folsom, CA.
I said earlier in the week that I have good news; I was invited to perform a few 30-minute sets at a ragtime festival in November!! This will be my first appearance, and I am so honored to be given this opportunity.
Now I need to figure out what to perform, how much I can memorize, and what to wear!! Decisions…
Awesome news, basket…congratulations!
Thanks, DoReMI…the first step is to send my photo and bio for including on the website and program. I’ll tweet once that’s up so that people can refer to the festival website for more details (it’s the weekend before Thanksgiving in Rancho Cordova, CA which is about 20 miles from Sacramento)
{{{basket}}} – wonderful news! I wish I could be there with/for you. It is an honor – but it’s also validation of all the work and interest you’ve put into the music and the festivals. (Remember – “back to basics” always works well at these sorts of things. ????????????????) moar {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, Meesefolk; 66 when I got up and going all the way up to 68 today; it rained during the night, but it looks like today is just going to be cloudy. Tomorrow, however, the rain returns, which is fine with me since it will clear out in time to give us a sunny Saturday.
I’m going to OH to see Kiddo the weekend of the 20th; she decided our trip to NC together was together time without really being together and ordered me to appear in OH next weekend. ;D I mostly think she’s trying to keep me distracted and busy so I don’t get too depressed about my looming unemployment which is really sweet. Not terribly effective, but sweet. I’m finding it very difficult to maintain my professionalism, especially since the owner is starting to send clients from other locations to this one. He’s trying to get them here so he doesn’t lose them altogether, but it means I have to set up their accounts and help them out. I’m trying really hard not to be surly; so far I’ve risen as far as [barely] civil, but not much higher. Anyway, I’ve asked to leave early next Friday so I can get to OH for Kiddo and SILs game night; if he doesn’t say yes, I may not be able to stave off surly…or even want to.
Good day to and for all!