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?
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NOTE: The comments page will 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 (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool, shown here with 3 pages of comments available.
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COUNTING DOWN THE TIME UNTIL DECENCY RETURNS …
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Temp and windchill were both 20 about the time I got up – that was the low for the temp but the windchill was almost 10 degrees lower just before dawn. We’re heading for 55 on a beautifully sunny day . That’s a great way to start the month. And set the data grid. Yesterday we finished up the month with 194 KWHs which is quite good for November even if not the 200 it would have taken to get in first place for November production.
Both light and Light at the end of the tunnel and that opening is coming closer day by day. Hanging on. Everybody in my fam/friend/circle online and off seems to be managing to hang on. (Hold the good thought for Amelia on twitter/earicicle on DK – her BIL has COVID and they think her sister does too.) Step by step by step. We’re getting there. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 35 and partly sunny in Bellingham. Our tree trimming guy had cancel so I worked at my desk yesterday. I would have preferred being wet and cold from working outside! My messy desk is under better control but I really don’t like doing the work.
I have a hair appointment this morning, then a stop at the bookstore for a Christmas errand, then back to my quiet covid containment. Best wishes to all.
Wednesday Meese. 34 here in Kingston NY with mixed rain/snow in the forecast
Our Tish :)
As I mentioned downstream, I hope that the charges include the Trump spawn who, it appears, will have pardons issued for any federal crimes they committed. If they are all tied up in the Trump Organization, that will work. I am pretty sure that Joe Biden’s Justice Department would not be investigating them – they were cleared by the Mueller Whitewash and no sane person would want to expend precious political capital on them. It does make you wonder if there are other crimes, worse than their treasonous behaviour in that sordid episode, that needs a pardon. I would not want the job of lifting up the rocks the Biden Administration finds all over government – some nasty stuff is going to slither out.
Well, what lovely news. Thank you, Sis!
Puerto Rico
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 18 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 41. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
The pay-for-pardon story is confusing to me – there is no indication who the payments were going to or if any were made. By definition, only the president can pardon – did tRump take money to issue pardons to people? Did tRump’s campaign or staff solicit donations for pardons, with no intention of issuing them and without tRump’s knowledge? Is it even illegal for tRump to take money for pardons – the pardon power seems absolute and to my knowledge, no pardon has ever been “undone”? It is all another example of what happens when a country is so desperate about the pending minority status of white people that they will elect a known con man to the highest office in the land based on his promise to restore white supremacy. I hope Tish James has some criminal proceedings in New York State ready for the tRump spawn as it appears that they will be pardoned of any federal crimes they committed while their father was in office. Let’s see if the Republican Senate is interested in setting some long overdue limits to the pardon power or if they are fine with this. It should be codified that you can’t pardon yourself, any family member or anyone you have a financial relationship with (business partner, guy who paid you for the pardon, etc).
The Trump Campaign sued Wisconsin for in-person absentee voting methods that have been used in every election since 2011 but which, now are illegal because urban voters (wink wink) used them and their guy did not win a majority of the votes in 2020. Our state supreme court should not even give it a hearing. The campaign also filed a case in the U.S. Supreme Court against Pennsylvania who dared to apply its state laws related to elections. I hope SCOTUS does not take too long to reject that claim – everyone is already nervous that the installation of Justice Mrs. Jesse Barrett was a quid pro quo to ratfk the 2020 election. We deserve closure. Wisconsin doesn’t matter but Pennsylvania does – those banked electoral votes put Biden-Harris over the top.
I did have to declare today November 32nd and will try to use it wisely. I cleared project work and should be able to finish accounting as long as nothing new comes across my desk. I have about 2 hours before most people start work so I better get to it!
See all y’all later!
Tish handles civil cases – it’s Vance who has the criminal side. He is more than likely not running for re-election. Have to read up on the crew who are.
Just posted
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/12/2/1999438/-While-PardonGate-trends-eyes-are-on-New-York-Attorney-General-Letitia-James?_=2020-12-02T04:13:06.913-08:00#comment_79499050
Had a really good walk/run this morning — 6 running segments & each one was 90 seconds. That’s a lot for me. Chilly but warmer than yesterday. It’s supposed to go down to the 30s again tonight, but not all the way to freezing so I won’t cover the plants.
Good chilly Wednesday morning, Moosekind. It’s 41 F. here in Ashburn, going up to 46 F. later. Partly cloudy, cold, and very windy, up to 20 mph this afternoon, and gusting to 30 mph. Not a good day to be out.
Having trouble with the publisher. It seems that the author photo I submitted didn’t have enough dpi, whateverinell that is, so I have to submit a different one. It’s tragic to be old and ugly, because who wants to read a book by someone who looks like that? And the design team is frantic about what to put on the front cover. I foresee an unpleasant morning ahead and we won’t even discuss this month’s upload. I’ve been too tired from running around to work in the evening. Still, it’ll get done, it always does.
Some good news: World Central Kitchen will move into new quarters, all under one roof in DC. They’ve been feeding the hungry for ages but they do other things too, and those programs have been scattered all over the city. WCK trains people in the culinary arts and helps them find jobs. Some people have convictions and prison terms in their pasts and others suffer from lack of degrees and racism, but they find fulfillment in learning to prepare meals and managing behind the scenes. I am very glad.
It’s already 10 a.m. and I’m barely dressed! Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
“dpi” is “dots per inch” which is resolution, how clear the image is. They should let those of us who prefer to be low resolution to do so! No one needs to get closeups of our facial hairs or decades old blemishes!!
I’d like to suggest they use a photo of someone much younger and cuter than I, say a photo of Rufus Sewell or Lily James. Who wants to see my battered old visage? There are people who think grandmothers are stupid simply because they’re old. Agism is a thing.
Agism is a thing! I rather like my crone status and prefer to let people think I am harmless. :)
It was 30 at dawn, is 45 now heading for 49, and supposed to start raining any minute now. Definitely overcast. Yesterday we had a nice mostly sunny day and set the PV data grid for the month with 7.5 KWHs. Our meet-or-beat goal for December is 203 but I’m happy with anything over 180 (which we mostly haven’t gotten in Dec but I’m hoping).
Fineena’s got some potentially serious health issues. Right now she’s seeing a bunch of specialists for lumps, nodes, and growths in various places. Hold the Good Thought they’ve been caught in time to treat. Aji’s down over $400 on her Patreon. I hope it’s just folks need to update their credit card expiration dates and they tend to that quickly. If they’ve stopped being patrons it would be polite to let her know and not just find out when the money doesn’t show up. She doesn’t know who. Patreon doesn’t give their creators that information. sigh. Amelia/earicicle’s sister & BIL do have COVID so more Good Thoughts.
I had a wretched night – still probably got more sleep than Aji or anotherdemocrat I know – not good sleep. Sinusitis. sigh. Oh well. I don’t have anything scheduled besides twitter RTs and tending cats today. I’ll manage. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 32 and partly sunny in Bellingham. No fog this morning, nice to see across the bay. My new haircut is too short but oh well. I’ll just ignore the mirror! My housekeeper was going to be here today but has a cough so decided it wise to reschedule. I’m sneezing and coughing as well….allergies or covid? So weary of the worry.
I think I’ll clean the back porch, hang a wreath, and bring in the small tree. We come and go from that door so some Christmas cheer is nice to see. Best wishes to all.
I prefer a “too short” haircut to a “too long” haircut at this point. I am due for one but I have decided not to get another haircut until the surge has passed – Wisconsin is hard hit and now even Dane County is seeing a surge in deaths. I am not sure if it is because they are transporting sick people from the hinterlands to our hospitals and their deaths are spiking that number or if that is Dane County residents. Either way, better to stay home.
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 28 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 39. Partly cloudy skies are in the forecast.
The federal lawsuit filed in Wisconsin by the tRump attorneys was met with a scathing rebuke. First, they included a plaintiff who had not agreed to be part of the lawsuit which should be sanctionable. Second, they referred to included documents, none of which were included. The judge gave them 21 days to repair the filing – I would have told them to stuff it where the sun doesn’t shine but that is why I am not a judge, I have no patience for idiots!! Eleven more days until the Electoral College meets and shuts down 99% of this insanity.
Wisconsin has their vaccine distribution plan set but they have no money to implement it unless Congress passes a relief bill. Good job, doodieheaded Republicans! How many more must die in service to the #RepublicanDeathCult?
I have to go affix my nose back to the grindstone and my shoulder to the wheel. I had some early morning projects that messed up my schedule – AGAIN! – so I have to summon the energy to finish the accounting work I had to set aside yesterday. I decided that it will get done when it gets done; three days late is no different than two days late and it is not worth stressing over.
See all y’all later!
Thursday Meese. 30 degrees here in Kingston NY going up to a sunny 50.
Puerto Rico
Good Thursday morning, Moosekind! It was 28 F. when I rolled out of bed, late, but the temp. has now risen to 31 F. It will rise to 52 F. and thank GODDESS, the winds have died down! It’s a beautiful day in Ashburn, but clouds will roll in this afternoon, getting ready for the rain tomorrow.
I have two meetings today, one with the Biography Book Club at 1 p.m., and the other a Zoom meeting at 3 of the Communications Committee. Thank Goddess all my assignments have been turned in! When the winter issue is distributed it will be discovered that yrs truly has written at least half of it.
Solved the problems with the cover design and author pic (I think), so Magical Encounters: Short Stories with a Twist should be in production pretty soon.
Worked on Chapter 9 of the novel last night. It never ceases to amaze me, when I’m reminded of it, how much the Mithraic religion resembled Roman Catholicism. A man could marry only once: no divorce was allowed. (In ancient Rome, guys got divorced every time they saw a young, nubile woman who looked better than the current wife.) The priest was called the “Father,” which of course is the same today in the Roman church. Adherents of the religion had to take vows of truthfulness, honor, courage, and chastity.
So yesterday the Pater and Centurion Quentin had an early morning chat, during which the Pater informed Quentin he had to choose between his religion or his lover. Guess which Quentin chose: blood runs hot in young men.
The fact that Mithraism excluded women as worshippers was its downfall, of course. It’s women who transmit religion and culture to children, not some remote sky god.
Oh, well, enough of this theological chitchat. I have correspondence to deal with before tottering to the bank at eleven. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
{{{Diana}}} – I don’t think Mithraism ever totally went away. It transmuted into the original Masons who were just as misogynist. Until they learned that you can’t have a religion w/o women – if you plan for it to actually last more than a generation or two. ????????
It was about 35 when I got up, is 40 now, heading for 44. Overcast again, darn it. We got 1 – as in one – KWH yesterday. So the 8.5 m-t-d is already not on track. And probably lose more ground today. sigh.
I now have $150 worth of mostly groceries purchased and put away as of my grocery store run this morning. With my son bringing milk and carrots in the interim I’m not due to go out again for food until towards the end of January, maybe early February. I’m not sure when I’ll run out of supplements – probably early January. That will be my next scheduled “out” – and I’ll get a couple of cleaning things I can only find at the Co-op while I’m there. (Probably January for cat stuff too – I’ve enough to last until the first of February but I don’t like cutting it that close .)
So. Very late breakfast – which I’m still eating – combined with the mid-morning coffee while I check in everywhere. & hope everybody’s still at least hanging on if not doing better. Better of course is good. I like better. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 35 and mostly sunny in Bellingham. My plans to bring Christmas to the porch changed yesterday, but the Christmas Spode dishes are now in place in the kitchen and dining room. We won’t be entertaining but keeping some traditions helps us keep our spirits up.
Counting the days until tRump is gone, wishing I could just ignore the petty little man but he’s still dangerous to our democracy so I’m trying to stay partially aware but not consumed with outrage. Best wishes to all as we enter December.
Another chilly morning in Austin. Ran into the office to drop off 10 completed forms, now I’m home watching Star Trek & answering e-mails. Going to go for a walk/run this afternoon.
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 30 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 37. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
I did not watch the Biden-Harris CNN interview because I consider CNN an enemy of Democracy for how they puffed up tRump in 2016. The final straw was that they never fired Chris Cuomo for his Kamala Harris birther comments and they will be shunned by me forever. I have a long memory.
I am trying to get a few things done so that I can go Solstice tree shopping this afternoon. Our regular tree lot is closed – I’m not sure why – so I will have to do a bit of driving around. We usually get Frasier firs because we like the look and the way the branches and needles work for holding our decorations. They are a little more expensive than some but, heck, you only do it once a year! We put the tree out for the birds after we use it so it does double duty.
See all y’all later!
Those are my favorite Christmas trees too, Jan! Of course, living here we don’t use real Christmas trees but when we lived in the house we did.
Good morning from not-quite freezing Austin. I didn’t go walking this morning, not in 35 degree weather, I’ll go after I log off this afternoon. Another fire in California, they can’t seem to catch a break. But so many people still say climate change is a hoax. Just like the people in ICUs telling the nurses that Covid is a hoax even while they’re dying.
At the moment it’s a chilly and gray Friday. But the 34 is supposed to get to 50 and the sun is already trying to come out. We got 1.5 KWHs yesterday – m-t-d just over 10 which is definitely not on track and can’t catch up. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get a whole lot closer. Just takes sun, right?
Got my cards done. They’re in the mail box waiting for pick up as I type. (That’s always hard. I can only hold the pen for a few minutes at a time. But they’re done for another year.) That and the decorations around the window I can see from my computer are pretty much it for me this year. I’d love a tree. But a couple of years back my cats started eating the needles and messed up their G.I. systems – they’re still here and relatively healthy, but no more trees. And I do love the smell of a conifer in the house. Oh well, it wouldn’t be the same without the family to help decorate it. My only other concession to the season is having “seasonal” instrumental music as my background sound rather than Richard Rodgers or Beethoven depending on my mood.
These last few weeks to get to the end of the tunnel seem so very long. But they too will pass, as the last four years have. Meanwhile, living is day to day. Work to b done, bills to pay, illnesses to survive. My best friend’s husband is in surgery right now – some kind of diabetes-related oral surgery that’s supposed to take 5 hours (& then he’s not supposed to blow his nose or sneeze – ahem – for 2 weeks). I’ve got a candle burning but any Good Thoughts are always helpful. Depression to survive, too – so many deaths where Aji is, it’s really weighing on her – & other folks are dealing with their Depression with varying levels of success. But we have so we can so we will. Bright the days, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
The surgery didn’t take as long as they thought. He’s out & my friend says it went well. They should be safely home in another hour or so. Good Thoughts for recovery would be nice. For him & everybody for that matter.
Good day, 46 and sunny in Bellingham. My phone was busy with family calls and Christmas plans this morning. Our Tday gathering on the patio was fun so now the family wants to do the same for Christmas, which was my intent but with more people I need to outfit the lower patio as well. I’ve found an affordable fire pit and it looks like I can buy fleece at my local fabric store for more blankets. I would prefer not to make them but it’s less expensive and the green color will work for chilly summer evenings too.
I appreciate the ease of computer shopping and my son helps with the instore errands but my head hurts from all the complexity covid seclusion has brought to our lives. I know this will pass and we need to keep doing whatever we can to keep spirits up and our bodies healthy….just seems hard on some days.
Best wishes to all.