Another night of weird dreamage. Somehow I ended up having to swim to this tiny island off the end of the Florida Keys, and in order to get to the town on the island, I had to climb a tall, steep cliff! I just looked it up - the highest elevation in the Keys is 18’, so something was a little off in dreamland. The rest of the dream, I was trying to find my way back to Key West, but I didn’t have ID or my phone or any money and no one I encountered seemed capable of giving me help or directions - they always went off on tangents. Somewhere along the line, FCD was there, and he had a wallet and a credit card, but then we got separated. Never did get off that damned island! I woke up irritated, which is not a fun way to start the day.
We got a lot of rain again last night, and it’s soooooooo humid out there right now - 95% according to accuweather, and I can believe it! Forecast for a shower this morning and more rain this evening. Even with temps staying in the 80s, it’ll be miserable.
Higgs goes to the groomer today. I’ll be wrangling the speed-crawling machine. We may or may not go to the playground before I return them to their mom. And I may mix up the raisin bran muffin batter, since it keeps for up to 6 weeks, it’ll still be good next week.
Which brings this up - can batter be frozen then successfully used in the future? Or is it smarter to bake and freeze the muffins? I ask because this makes a big batch and I don’t want to waste any.
Morning, mumpers! I’m working from home today as the train unions are on strike so public transport is more of a 'mare than usual. It’s 18c/65f with a predicted high of 21c/69f and mostly cloudy which explains why it’s sunny out there. Weather app says “This weather is fucking weak sauce”.
Sending positivity to Sunny and shoe - you’s the best!
flyboy your fingers are looking much better now, and Goo is a cutie!
Mooom* have you been overdoing the cheese before bedtime again?
It’s Wednesday and that means pub night for me, off out with a couple of friends for a beer and a catch-up which will be nice. We’ve already decided which pub to go to, and we’re just counting down the hours.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN 'Tis 72 Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 92 and mostly N.O.S. for the day. Today is grocery day, but we don’t need a lot of stuff this week so it shall be a quick trip. Outside of that the usual sloth and uselessness is in store for the day. Sup shall be bbq poke sammiches, slaw, and oven fries as there is leftover bbq and slaw. The fries will not be leftovers cause well, leftover fries are ick.
Flyboy glad the hand is better. Goo looks like he is the Emperor of All He Surveys.
MOOOOOOM I would bake and freeze the muffins instead of freezin’ the batter. Frozen batter somehow does not seem right.
BooFae happy pub night!
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, alas, alack and oh so much bother, I suppose I must purtify and don attire acceptable for bein’ amongst the great unwashed. Woe and despair!
That’s kinda where I’m leaning, even tho muffins would take up more space than batter. Maybe I’ll wait and bake them when we get to Ocala, then pop the excess into their freezer. I think that’s a plan! I don’t know if MIL has muffin pans, but I have some throw-away pans that I may just take with me. Heck, I can take my real pans, since we’re not going to be hurting for space in the car. Gotta remember the papers, tho.
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Not sure what’s on the agenda today. Gordie has violently warned the neighbor about the dangers of The Invisible Mole People.
Morning all. Slept until about 8am today, so should be well-rested to do pretty much nothing today. Back up into the 90’s again with a 1-in-4 chance of rain, the Tru-Green folks were here yesterday and suggest my yard needs watering, guess I’ll run up the water bill some more later this week (they check the numbers on the 27th of each month, so I’ll wait a day or so. Swimmin’ is in the plans for sometime today.
FCM, been to Key West (as I’m positive you have) and there isn’t much in the way of directions there, but I do know what you mean by waking up irritated due to a dream. This to shall pass.
Boo fae, enjoy pub night.
Sunny, glad the stress levels are trending in the right direction.
Shoe, your friend is quite a person, and guess if you cover folks like that you need to let off steam now and then…
OK, have to wait for my early meal since I managed not to take any bread out of the freezer, but I’ll find something to gnaw on. Have a good Hump Day all.
Sigh
Our zoo’s 117-year-old steam engine is about to be replaced by a diesel locomotive.
Well, maybe replaced, maybe supplemented; nobody is really sure what the ultimate plan is. Communication is not one of management’s strong points. The old train may come out on weekends or special occasions, but we don’t know. I suspect it’s ultimately being retired.
Anyway, somebody decided that the old steam train is too costly and time-consuming to maintain and operate. Of which I am skeptical, because the new loco cost a lot of money, requires a long list of daily, weekly, and annual maintenance, holds many gallons of various fluids which must be replaced periodically, and runs on diesel fuel.
The only way it might possibly save money is that it doesn’t need time to fire up in the morning, so the engineers will probably be scheduled to come in an hour later each day, thus taking money out of their pockets.
It will also, I predict, lose money in revenue. The steam train is a much-loved tradition here. Grandparents take their grandkids on it and tell them, “I rode this train when I was your age!” Kids are fascinated by the engine and want to learn how it works. The steam makes a great show. I could go on.
I just don’t see as many people willing to pay money to ride on a train pulled by this in-no-way-special diesel locomotive.
Plus, it’s ugly as sin.
Sorry for the rant, but this is making me sad. Today I will be attending an all-day training to learn how to drive the thing. We’ll see how it goes.
Wifey, RN calls her patients the day before she visits. This morning, one patient’s phone had been disconnected. This is the 104-year-old woman who had COVID, prompting Wifey, RN to test herself. (IIRC, she hadn’t gone inside.) Wifey, RN suspects that her (possibly unvaccinated) patient has died. She’ll have to contact the case manager.
The neighbors have put their kid outside again with a full drum kit. I have no idea how old he/she is, but it is just a random banging on the drums with NO RHYTHM WHATSOEVER. Just bang bang bangity bang crash bang crash bangity crash.
Doing my first baking since arrival in Mipples. World-famous and Best Ever oatmeal/walnut/raisin/apricot cookies. Dough is mixed and sitting in the fridge for the next 24 hours.
Tonight’s gourmet meal will be saucisse chaude et salade de pommes de terre , or as hoi polloi call it: hot dogs and potato salad.
Oh, bummer. The railroad ran steam locomotives during the Christmas season every year in Portland. They were decked out with lights and had Santa on board. Nothing like the blast of the horn at close proximity to make you jump out of your skin. We could hear it from our house every evening.
Wheelz, your mini-rant about the possible fate of your steam train got me to thinking about the Washington Park and Zoo Railway up in Portland. They started out with a diesel powered, scaled down copy of GMs badly designed but visually interesting Aerotrain, and added a steam train later. Many people find the steam locomotive more interesting. Those people are not bean-counters. Bean counters only care about one thing: beans.
It got up to about 110f here yesterday and 109 is predicted for today. Yesterday we went to The Dalles, where it was 111f and purchase a new storm door and many groceries. Today I will replace the old broken door with the new one, in stages. Joy.
There was a story about the demise of the Choco Taco on the news last night. Judging by the general public’s response, if the bean counters at Klondike have any sense they will relent and keep the Choco Taco in production. I kow, that’s a big IF.
Heh. That was our dinner last night. Good quality Hot dogs cooked on the grill and leftover tater salad. T’was good.
SWMBO turned the portable a/c on because it’s already 77º outside. I dare not turn it off while she’s gone (especially since she may come home between patients), but I’ll turn up the temperature setting.
Got the little one down for his second nap, since the first one was far too abbreviated. I was halfway into mixing up the raisin bran muffins when he woke from the first sleep, so finishing the mix was, um, interesting. I guess I did OK - I’ve baked a couple of small batches in the toaster oven and they’re yum! I’m taking half a dozen to my daughter, because I’m nice, dammit!
We’ll have to leave in about half an hour to pick up Roxy. Not sure what I’m going to make for supper tonight - maybe burgers?
Higgs is nice and clean, FCD is in design mode, and I’m going to enjoy a few more quiet minutes before I have to load the kid into the car and head down the road.
Bake and take is what this grizzled old Mumper baker would do. Less you’d have to haul and do there. Plus you’d always have muffins ready to snack on at a moments notice.
Noooooooooooooo! This makes me sad. I come from a family of train buffs. I protest.
