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 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.
…
Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …
Morning low of 54 degrees in the Desert Southwest with an expected daytime high of 72. Mostly sunny skies are in the forecast.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Sunday Meese. Thankfully the deep deep freeze here in Kingston has moved away. Temp is 18 atm going up to 45.
My little neck of the woods upstate from NYC town is embroiled in some Black History Month politics.
Was on the phone yesterday for hours talking with a very upset retired teacher whose kids went to school in Kingston, and who is active in Black/Latino politics here. She said this should never have happened, and that the apologies are bullshit.
Deplorable. DeSantisism is spreading like wildfire.
Oh, it’s too disgusting for words. I once thought that Defeated Former Guy’s influence would end when he left office, but no. All the nasty prejudices his people were hiding have had the bandaids ripped off and are now showing in their full ugliness.
Puerto Rico
The story:
The uproar around this is going to be very interesting
Made a mistake and included an unrelated toon – and my edit function isn’t working – sry. This was the toon on Sixto the crook
I wondered how that Putin cartoon got in there! :) I think Edit is on a timer.
Black Music Sunday
Good morning. Made my tea for next week — love how my apartment smells while it steeps. Got in a good walk yesterday, it was sunny and warm enough for just long sleeves. And made lunch for the next couple of weeks: rice & quinoa with vegetables, yogurt & mozzarella. Currently eating breakfast & watching the news. Velshi had a good segment on the song Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Bfitz, just to follow-up, I am not sure if my signing up for Spoutible emails somehow pre-registered me – it may be! I did not have any problem signing up but it is definitely possible that the sign-ups are throttled. That must mean that a lot of people pre-registered because CBouzy posted a graph shown 5 million signups.
Good luck on Tuesday. They are still fixing some things and the site is still slow but it appears as though it is going to get better.
Test a link from Spoutible.
Dee’s Echo of a Spout
Well, even w/o an account I could see that Spout.
Yup, just like a tweet – you don’t need to be logged in to see it! I am hoping that at some point Spoutible creates embed code that allows the spout to be displayed with graphics on a blogging site like this or render it on other social media. It may take a while and they may actually not want that yet since it requires server bandwidth. I am very curious to see how the site is eventually funded – servers ain’t cheap!
Perhaps some rich person will pop his clogs and leave Chris Bouzy his server farm.
It’s 47 heading for 60 (in February! Nice but wrong.) and sunny. Yesterday we generated 9.4 KWHs and the m-t-d is a still-very-much-not-on track 16.2, but it’s trying to catch up.
Wretched sleep but I’ve gotten my Sunday housecleaning chores done, my 1st 10 minutes on the treadmill, and am eating my morning oatmeal. My back and hands are protesting but the Ibuprofen is kicking in and if the cat sitting on my lap would just stop headbutting my arm. . .
Anyway, time to get over to twitter (& DK for Dee’s diary). Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good snoozy Sunday morning, Moose Peeps! I’ve been MIA the last couple of days. Friday was the busiest day of an insanely busy week, and yesterday I just melted into a puddle and stayed there. It was terrible to get nothing done, but very relaxing to read and sleep.
It’s turning into a nice-ish day with sunlight, although a veil of white cloud is hiding the blue beneath. Right now it’s 41 F. in Ashburn, going up to 50 F., if the weather widget is to be believed. Elder Son and family came for dinner last night and were shocked by the notice on the outside of our front door (warning that we have OXYGEN, so no smoking or anything like that), and by the sight of our fake beagle sitting on the carpet, gazing up adoringly at Dearly Beloved. The dog looks so real it’s a bit unnerving.
It was so fearfully cold that we walked inside the buildings to the Windows restaurant. It’s so up-hill-and-down-dale that I’d never do it ordinarily, but it was too cold and windy to walk outside. We had a nice dinner, and Ethan had his very first Shirley Temple cocktail! He stayed the night with us, but his father will pick him up after lunch today.
Managed to finally write to Younger Son. His birthday is this coming Tuesday. He was born in the Year of the Rabbit, and this is fourth time around, so I wanted to mark the occasion with a special letter.
The family are going to Mexico for spring break this year. I sighed when I heard, knowing that Dearly and I will never travel again. We used to love it so. Oh, well, that’s very much a first-world regret.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
Good morning! Lovely, warm weather here. Walked in just long sleeves. 1.2 mi, had to keep it as flat as possible, my knee is unhappy. (I’m trying to do something good for my health here, knee — it will eventually reduce wear & tear on you, so please let me do this.) Anyway, in the office. Wondering if the one person who complains about people who wfh will say anything about the free week off she got last week while the rest of us worked. Listening to Sky Full of Stars to improve my mood.
Good Monday Meese. 31 here in Kingston, going up to 46.
Puerto Rico
Good morning, meeses! Monday …
It is 45 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 57. Sunny skies are in the forecast. Yesterday we got to 80 and spent time hiking and soaking in the sun. We turned off the furnace in celebration of the end of Solar Winter (February 5th) and hope to be able to leave it off but it will be difficult to do with overnight lows dropping back into the 30s later this week. In any event, we hope to use it less. We are now using electric for heat and it is definitely not as efficient ($-wise) as natural gas was.
It is depressing to realize that the 2024 campaign season has already started. I guess it is nice to think about Marj’s Kevin becoming a backbencher again with his gang of misfits poised to do such a terrible job that even the laziest American voter will see it and assign the blame to him and his party. But I am already sick of the “Biden is old” talk. Of course he is too old and in a perfect world a young Obamalike presidential candidate would emerge. But the country does not want someone new and fresh, the Democratic party does not have enough voters to elevate someone new and fresh and without buy-in from moderates and independents, we can’t win. And we have to. Even if tRump is not the candidate (unlikely), the candidate will be running on tRumpism and goddess help us if he or she wins.
I got enough done over the weekend to not be in panic mode this week. I am in a holding pattern on my taxes because the Wisconsin forms for TurboTax aren’t ready yet. I think I have everything I need (W2s and 1099s) so once the tax software is updated, I can file and be done with it. Last time I ran the numbers, I was getting a refund from the feds and I want to get in the queue early. Last year’s refund took about 10 months to arrive! I think they are finally caught up from the 2021 debacle but with a new government shutdown looming, hope for a better 2022 filing season seems to be dimming.
See all y’all later!
Good Monday morning, Moosekind! Hey, it’s 46 F. here in Ashburn and girl, we’re gonna get even higher! Makes a nice change. Saw the lovely full moon in the early morning sky. Also saw the dress rehearsal Saturday night, as we were walking back from dinner.
The WaPo is on the completely wrong side of everything, as far as I’m concerned. They think everyone should move heaven and earth to get to the office five days a week. They think our Social Security and Medicare “entitlements” should be cut. Someone on the Op-Ed page advises us not to watch the State of the Union speech tomorrow night.
When someone tells me NOT to do something, that makes me want to do it. I’ll watch it on C-SPAN, just to own the Rethugs. Of course, Uncle Joe does tend to go on and on, so I’ll probably nod off, but I’m damned well going to watch it.
It’s a lovely day, sunny but windy, and I have lots of work to do! Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
It’s 46 heading for 65 and trying to be sunny. Be nice if it can manage it. Especially since the widget shows rain for the next 2 days. Yesterday we generated 9.59 KWHs, the best single day since early last October, and the m-t-d is a-still-not-on-track-but-catching-up 25.73.
I’m of 2 minds on trying to open a Spoutible account today. Maybe I’ll give a shot this afternoon once hopefully the rush has died down and the servers have recovered. Meanwhile, I’ve a lot to do on twitter so I’d best get to it. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 44 and cloudy outside my window today. I finished clipping the ivy fence I’ve been working on yesterday. It’s good to be outdoors again, and to actually do something I enjoy doing but my blood clot leg is burning this morning and my knees are throbbing so today will need to be a quiet day. It’s frustrating, but oh well. I’ll work on the retaining ivy bed by the back patio next, as the paving at the base of the bed is flat so that’s easier on my legs.
Reading the news this morning makes me even more determined to count my blessings re my quiet life in the PNW. As always, my best wishes to all.
Understood, princesspat!
Good morning. Got my mile in before the rain, walking carefully because of my knee. Watching astronomy & getting ready for work.
You’re doing wonderfully with the walking, another!
Our high of 58 came just after midnight. It’s 45 now and is going to wobble between 45 and 47 until sundown. Very overcast, I’ve got the lights on, with rain coming but at least the PV system is on. Just about enough to power the compact fluorescent lights I have on. LOL. Yesterday we got 8.6 KWHs so it wasn’t nearly as cloudy as the forecast. The m-t-d is 34.15 – about half what it would be if we were on track and today and tomorrow’s clouds/rain are going to lose us more ground. sigh.
Everybody seems to be trucking along. Not exactly managing well but managing. At least as far as I can tell from their tweets and/or DMs. Off to twitter to check for the morning & start my twitter chores. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
It sounds like your governor is going to give the MAGAt response to the SOTU. Is she being groomed to be the next Republican star? And your former governor is making grunts about a 2024 presidential run. He will be no more popular than Mike Pence – another Republican who made post-trump remarks about “respecting the Constitution” as they enabled a garbage person to become president because he had the requisite fingers to hold a pen and sign tax cuts into law. The stain on their souls can never be removed and they should be disqualified from federal office. I haz spoken!!
She’s a mouthpiece for her dad. She’s a good little xtian girl and says what the men tell her to. That does not a star make. Asa’s been aiming for prez since he was on the find-something-to-impeach-Bill-for committee. He’s a loser and always has been. The only way those guys will get a chance is if TFG drops dead of something. And then it’ll be a slim chance.
Good morning, meeses! Tuesday …
It is 37 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 55. Sunny skies are in the forecast. The weather people tell us that that this is cooler than normal for this time of year.
I won’t watch the State of the Union Address because I don’t want to see Marj’s Kevin’s smirking face behind Joe Biden – and I really do not want to see how badly his members misbehave. There will be no repercussions for any terrible thing they do – they have already been given permission to wear AR-15 lapel pins, permission to carry weapons anywhere in the Capitol that they want including hearing rooms, and suffer no penalties for their acts during the insurrection on January 6th. If Joe says anything important, I will read about it later. I actually think Presidents should go back to sending a letter to Congress. It has been nothing but ugly since the Republicans decided to trash Barack Obama’s first SOTU with shouts of “You Lie.” I am done. As much as I like Nancy Pelosi, her ripping TFG’s speech while sitting behind him did not help set the proper tone – the theatrics on both sides don’t make America a better or safer place.
I have some stacks to sort and lists to create.
See all y’all later!
Tuesday Meese – am late this morning. Was 18 when I got up – is now a sunny 30.
Puerto Rico
Bad Bunny with Cabezudos at the GRAMMYS
(Will be writing about this for Caribbean Matters this Thurs)
Vieques
Good Tuesday morning, Meese—it just barely is still morning—and it’s another ugly day in Ashburn. One wouldn’t mind the overcast so much if rain came with it. It’s 41 F. now, won’t rise much above that, with winds of 20 mph.
Just went to a town hall meeting next door and managed to stay awake through the whole thing. The PWTB have decided to stop publishing the telephone directory because it was hacked. So now we won’t know any new residents’ phone numbers.
Today is Younger Son’s 48th birthday. He was born during the Year of the Rabbit. As he arrived a month early by C-section, and had some weird problems, it was thought that he would die the day he was born. I’m so thankful he didn’t! He is such a different personality from the other two, it’s amazing. Anyway, I’m thankful for him and for the grandchildren, who are a delight.
Speaking of grandchildren, one of the adult grandchildren began their transition yesterday. It’s hard for my daughter, although she, bless her heart, is putting a brave face on the matter and being as supportive as she can. I am supportive too, but hail, it’s really difficult to get used to! I mean, the grandchild in question will be 29 in April, and having previously known this person in their birth gender, it’s going to be difficult to refer to them as “they.” Well, enough about that.
Typed up my notes from last week’s interview, need to interview more people for the second article, so I’d better get to it. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!