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 to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …
Morning low of 7 degrees in Madison WI with an expected daytime high of 14. Mostly sunny skies are in the forecast.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Sunday Meese. 16 degrees here in Kingston NY going up to a balmy 32.
Got quite a few chuckles out of watching anti-vax Aaron Rodgers get slammed on Twitter.
The Packers are the team that I normally root for but the past two months have been difficult. I feel sorry for the players (not the coaches, they are enablers) who had to put up with Rodgers distracting the team and making literally millions of people root for their defeat. I was not unhappy to see him leave the national stage for at least the time being. I will be rooting for the teams whose quarterbacks are not assholes. I was NOT sad that rabidly anti-vax Josh Allen of the Bills was defeated by pro-vax Patrick Mahomes. I will have to root for an AFC team (either the Chefs or the Bengals) to win the Super Bowl because I can’t root for the 49ers (anti-LGBT) or Rams (anti-vax QB). At least the Bradys are out of the playoffs.
Puerto Rico
Black Music Sunday
Loved that post, Sis!
Good morning. The freezing weather is gone. I uncovered my plants, should move them around & water them today. Yesterday I: did laundry, got my car inspected, bought groceries, cooked next week’s lunch — realized it needed more moisture so I went back to the store, finished the lunch dish & got the vegetables cooked for my dinner dish. Today: I have tea steeping, going to in-person church. We have a guest preacher, the daughter of a well-loved pastor who was here for 20 years. Laura has always been involved in justice ministries, especially migrant & border issues; and she’s now pretty high up in the church hierarchy, making a difference.
It’s 39 heading for low 50s today and sunny. Yesterday we generated 7.8 KWHs – the best for the month so far – and the m-t-d is 106.78 (on track would be 138). This rollercoastering isn’t good for anybody. But it’s the “new normal” so I guess we’d best learn how to live with it.
Everybody’s hanging on. The one in most pain is Aji. The least able to deal stuff is Amelia. Everyone else is in between. I got another night – 4 in a row now – of almost 8 hours total of interrupted sleep. I hope this is a trend that continues. Hands, on the other hand, are on the edge of going out on me again even though I’m wearing the wrist brace. sigh.
In the outer world, well, for some things we’re doing better. Some things we’re losing ground. There’s a lot of talk and a lot of finger pointing and not a lot of doing. Some of that not doing is because, being a rule-of-law administration, we’ve been prevented. Some of it is because, like every gee-dee male administration (like all of them), “people” doesn’t seem to include everybody. “Just get vaxxed” is a slap in the face of those who can’t. Folks on Reservations. Kids. Severely immuno-compromised folks. Folks on medications that mess with the vaccine or that the vaccine messes with. “Deaths are mostly those with co-morbidities which is excellent” tells every person out there who has or has had anything wrong with them that it’s “excellent” that only folks like them have died. Whole categories of people who only count as people when a very large roar goes up at them being discounted. sigh.
Off to Dee’s diary and twitter. I’ll get back to Sunday household chores when my hands feel better (or when they need a break from boosting tweets). Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good Sunday morning, Moosekind! It’s 33 F. in Ashburn and sunny. The high will be 38 F. Was able to sleep just short of 7 hours, with only the help of lavender oil on the soles of the feet and the magical sleep cream daubed on face and neck.
Mindful of Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s remark, “I learned to use the free minutes, the free hours never came,” I wrote two long overdue letters before 8 a.m. this morning. Cooked breakfast, threw a load of clothes in the washer, made the bed, started the slow cooker beef stew, which will be ready by 6 p.m., and washed and dried a few apples. I’ll make an apple pasty for afters tonight. This will please Dearly, but I’m not sure whether 7-year-old Karl, who is due to arrive at tea time, will eat it. I have a backup kid’s dinner for him, though.
We FaceTimed with Don’s brother and our sister-in-law last night. Our sister-in-law said there are empty store shelves in Melbourne, that Omicron is rampant, the Prime Minister is stupid for not buying enough vaccines, and that people are losing their jobs because of Covid. Two of our nieces may suffer that eventuality.
I have two interviews scheduled for tomorrow and must now begin typing up my notes of the other interviews. This is a tremendous undertaking, I must say. I already feel quite worn out.
Well, I must get on with it. Hope everyone will have a good day!
Good morning, 35 and foggy outside my window today. What I thought were allergies seems to be a cold. I’m aching, sneezing and have a nasty cold sore so must be why I keep napping and not doing much of anything else. RonK brought a bunch of daffodils home from the grocery store yesterday so making a simple spring bouquet may happen later today. Best wishes to all.
Daffodils!! I am ready!!!
Monday Meese. 20 degrees and cloudy here in Kingston NY, going up to 27.
Can’t tell you how tired I am of right wingnuts quoting MLK
Puerto Rico
Good morning, meeses! Monday …
It is 12 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 19. It snowed overnight and a little more snow is expected today. We got 5 inches of snow Saturday night (the Weather Liars said “less than an inch”) and most of that still hasn’t been moved out of the way. Tonight we go into a deep freeze with overnight lows in the negative double-digits. I have three weather widgets on my desktop – one for Madison and two for cities in Arizona that I am considering relocating to. It is incentive to get things put in place to make that possible.
War in eastern Europe! Lovely. Raging pandemic! Wonderful. I think I will skip today’s news.
I decided to start the process of decommissioning my network server over the weekend to see if that is what is causing the problem I am having with Internet access from my computers (devices are fine). I need the Internet to work and it needs to be reliable. The process was more disruptive than I anticipated – there was no way to do “just a little” – so I have been trying to get a handle on what it will take to finish. Plus I need to email a client letting them know that I could not finish their project this weekend. Back to it.
See all y’all later!
Crud, server problems are no fun!
Re Arizona—have you checked the source of water for the cities you’re considering? Elder Son, whose financial acumen I greatly respect (he’s a millionaire and I’m not), has already bought water supply stocks from Canada. There is a looming water shortage in the future with global warming happening everywhere. A shortage of water for bathing, drinking, and air conditioning would not be fun to live with.
They will have plenty of drinking water if they stop watering the golf courses and diverting water to irrigate agricultural land for things that can be grown where water is more plentiful (they grow cotton!) The key will be to take over state government so that drinking water is prioritized over recreational water use. The big business big tourist lobbyists would rather the poors die of thirst.
Dang right! Agricultural and corporate use of water is a full magnitude over the needs for drinking and bathing.
Rainy but not really cold, I didn’t actually need the jacket I wore. We need the rain, mild drought conditions. I got a lot done this weekend, but no exercise. I should move my plants around when I get home, there’s no freezes in the forecast.
It’s 40 going to 60 and sunny. We generated over 7 KWHs yesterday and start today with the m-t-d at 114. Not gonna get to 180. Might make it to 160 and get out of last place for the 4K system. Should at least get more than 132 so will beat the 2.5K system.
Not so good night – 5-1/2 hours broken but good sleep followed by 2 hours sinus flare and 1/2 hour dozing just before I got up. Hands in full flare. Bless basket for giving me some more keyboard things – especially the ones for opening and closing tabs. I’ve got those on a sticky note so I won’t forget. I need to read the list more closely for other things I need but those are already being helpful.
Amelia’s got COVID. She’s vaxxed and boosted – and this is her 2nd breakthrough case of it. At least the symptoms are milder with the breakthrough cases than when she had it in Feb 2020, pre-vax. The motel staff are masked (& hopefully vaxxed) but the hotel guests mostly are not. The rooms themselves are safe. They have separate ventilation systems. But every time she has to leave her room – take out the trash, do laundry, get something from the office – she’s at risk. Prayers up for a safe path out of this situation for her. Not sure how anybody else is doing. At least they don’t have COVID. As far as I know.
I’ve a lot of twitter stuff to do and hands that aren’t cooperating in doing it, so I’d best get to it cuz it’s gonna be slow. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good Monday morning, moosekind! Literally popping in to say hi since I’ve got to leave in the next couple of minutes to go to an interview. When I took Monty out at 7, there was a beautiful silver half-moon visible in the dim blue sky.
Dearly, Karl, and Monty are out walking Monty. Sunny and clear here, current temp. 33 F. I might risk walking outside to the club house as it would be so much faster.
Wishing a good day to all!
Good morning, 37, cloudy and foggy outside my window today. Cold sores are healing and I don’t feel any new one starting so I may have some energy today. I did make a simple daffodil bouquet yesterday using salal and red twigs from the dogwood to support the stems so that’s a welcome bit of spring in the kitchen. I’ve got an idea for a spring bouquet for the porches so I hope I can start collecting greens from the garden today. The flower shop usually has pussy willow bundles now so that will be the feature. Best wishes to all.
Your bouquets sound so delightful, princesspat!
Good morning, meeses! Tuesday …
It is -8 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 5. Sunny skies are in the forecast. Tonight is when the overnight low goes to -17 (I thought it was last night). Tomorrow we warm up to 9.
Vice President Kamala Harris was in Milwaukee yesterday talking about lead pipes that will be addressed in the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Money has been released and the work is happening! I am 99% sure the Republicans hate that money is going to improve urban people’s health and would prefer that money go to paving the roads to billionaire’s mansions. Anyway, she was warmly received by the people who matter.
The dustup over Joe Biden calling a Fox “reporter” a stupid SOB was interesting. The consensus is that Doocy is a stupid SOB and not one should be shocked that someone said it out loud!
I have a busy morning as my Monday plans that did not get done have now become my Tuesday plans.
See all y’all later!
minus 8! Brrrrrrrr
A toasty 26 here in Kingston NY – going up to 36. Will be watching the forecasts carefully – looks like a major storm headed our way on Friday.
Puerto Rico
Good morning. Happy to be wfh today — and I get an extra day this week, don’t have to go back in till Friday! There was a fire overnight at an iconic Austin restaurant, the building housing Texas French Bread completely collapsed. All the employees made it out safe, so that’s good. But it was a place just about everyone who went to UT since the mid-80s had gone there, and there was a stretch where I went there weekly for bread. I’m really picky about bread and their sourdough has no sugar (why put sugar in a non-dessert recipe???). Anyway, that’s the Austin news.
It’s 26 heading for 40 and sunny. Yesterday we got another over 7 KWH day and the m-t-d is at 121 to start the day. Won’t reach the 132 to beat out the 2.5K system today but should tomorrow. If the sun keeps shining.
Amelia was feeling worse yesterday. Jill’s got crazy going on with her family – but also received a lovely gift of Woolly Mammoth blankets (those things are expensive) from a friend.
I’m running on 5 hours of broken sleep and my hands are still problematic. I’m also about to head out the door for an Aldi’s and Tractor Supply run. I’m going to try to get my twitter stuff set up first. We shall see. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good Tuesday morning, Meese! Just back from a doctor appointment for my feet. She scraped away and chatted, doesn’t want to see me again until April 12, so that’s good.
At almost 11:30 a.m. the blue beneath is trying to chase away the ugly gray clouds we’ve had since early morning. Right now in Ashburn it’s 39 F., going up to 40 F. Even though it’s been very cold, I saw lime-green willow trees on the way back from the doctor’s office! They’re always the first. It cheered me up no end.
Younger Son and DIL drive me crazy, although I have better sense than to say anything. At first they thought they’d fly to Los Angeles for a little vacation to celebrate Nora’s birthday. However, Miss Soon-to-be-a-Teenager does not want to go. At that age they don’t want to be separated from their best friend for even five minutes. Now the parents have decided they might go to Korea or Japan instead. I ask myself why anyone would leave a cold, gray, miserable Virginia to fly to cold, gray, miserable Seoul or Tokyo. It’s not even spring break yet! Also, Covid is still everywhere. However, if I were to voice these objections, Tiger Mom would take great umbrage and decide to visit Ukraine. Duh.
When we moved to Loudoun County nearly four years ago, I didn’t think this sleepy place full of server farms, wineries, and rustic Trumpanzees would make the national news every other week. If it’s not a demented teacher telling a social studies class to conduct a mock slave auction, it’s a dumbass school board dealing with a case of sexual assault by quietly transferring the offender to a different school so he could do it again to someone else, or they’re discriminating against transgender students, or they’re getting totally freaked out by masks. This county is divided 50 percent between thinking people and RWNJs.
Goobernator Dumbkin is certainly alienating a lot of people by stirring up partisan rancor. I pray nightly for a bisexual pool boy to involve Dumbkin, Winnie-the-Poo, and Jason in a videotaped scandal. Then it should go viral.
OK, you can see I’m in a nasty mood, so I will shut up now. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
Saw this Diana:
Virginia
Thank you, Sis! I know people are furious–I am one of them—but recall elections are expensive, rancorous, and generally futile. Remember how Wisconsin’s dead-eyed Walker survived one?
The best thing we can do to get through the next four years is work to elect a Democratic legislature to counteract Dumbkin, Winnie, and JASON in their efforts to turn Virginia back to a Confederate state.
The Walker recall was doomed to failure because of the money being shoveled into that election – and the timing. The Senate recalls, though, worked in two cases and while one of the winners was gerrymandered out of her district for the next election, we took back the state Senate for long enough to obtain documents that showed how the gerrymanders were done. It did not help us in the short term – the US Supreme Court eventually said “to the victors go the spoils” – but it will always be a stench hanging over the Wisconsin legislature and may help with this year’s gerrymandering lawsuits which are before the Wisconsin Supreme Court right now.