Looking towards spring in the MMP

{{{wordy and mom}}}

{{{pearl family}}}

cat glove, Janis on the Muppet show was named for Janis Joplin. :slight_smile:

I hope that you and the missus are feeling better soonest bumba.

Enjoy your getaway Moooooooom!

Stay warm VanGo. Is there a warming center anywhere in your area?

Well, for only the second time in the 6.5 years that I’ve lived here, I set off the smoke detector this afternoon. I usually turn on the range hood fan whenever I fry anything. When fixing supper, I had the other poke steak in the skillet but forgot to turn the fan on. Oooooops! Thing is, I have to leave the detector go off on its own, since I can’t reach the button, even with the kitchen step stool. :headsmack:

The apartment is clean, the bed made and groceries bought. I may meander over to the grocery outlet tomorrow, but I need to look at the ads first. The freezer has plenty of chicken, but has been cleaned out of some of the other meat that I usually have on hand.

Now to begin getting Valentines ready to send.

Happy Friday!
Although it feels like Saturday.

My son got off irk at 430.
When I left to get him, I had trouble closing the back door. I thought the rug had slid into the jam.
Nope, it was the wind.
It was 32 feels like 20. BRRRRR! And snow flurries.

We went to the park; I lasted about a half hour and couldn’t take it anymore.
When we left, it was 26 feels like 11, so the day is getting colder.

Ripple is having the best time though.
He really likes the cold.
He’s been acting goofy anyway, you’d think he was a puppy again.

NIece1 sent me the appraisal for the property in Western MD. It’s less than I thought it would be.
Now I have to decide if I want to buy it or not.
It is on a cul-de-sac, but there is not much of a road going to it.
The dogs would love it, I’m sure.
Maybe I should offer to buy it for 2/3 the value.

Today is Subscribe and Save delivery day, waiting on packages.
Ripple’s pills came this morning. He is supposed to take them MWF. We’ll start on Monday.
There are an awful lot of warnings on the package.
I need to try a few different things to put the pills in to find something he won’t chew. Ripple chews everything, even cheese. Echo and Cerby inhale their treats.
I think maybe some slightly melted ice cream may irk. Or a little pudding.

S&S was delivered, and one of the envelopes was empty. My son noticed the side was split open, so I guess the item fell out somewhere, but not on our porch or sidewalk.
It was Pepcid for Ripple, but he has enough to last a week or so, so not too serious.

I’m so sorry about you nephew {{{Pearl}}}
Too young.

{{{Wordy}}}, I hope all goes well for your mom

I’m glad you are having fun MetalMouse

Grumpy furnaces are no fun VanGo
I thought we were going to have to get somebody back out for mine, but it kicked itself on and is working fine now.

Sounds like a mess Doggio, so glad I no longer irk with that kind of shit.
I have some issues with the way the system irks, but it really doesn’t affect me too badly.
One of the bigwigs barely speaks English, whenever I get an email from him, I have to read it at least three times to figure it out. You’d think an assistant would check it over. He did something with the payroll system and I still can’t figure out how it irks. I used to be able to calculate my pay, now it’s always a surprise.

I hope you have a nice getaway FCM
You surely need it after all you have been through.

Imgur

Pic of Echo and Ripple

Fish tacos (and hot wings for me) and margaritas tonight. :slight_smile:

So many people needing hugs, gosh, this really has been a horrible week for the Mump. Many good thoughts and worries on the way.

Isn’t that would your sister would do? Eh, sorry, probably shouldn’t be snarky…

Is it OK if I call Ripple a cutiepie? I know that boys are handsome, but OHG, he is just too cute for words. I wasn’t around when you got him, do you have any baby pics you could share? (If it would make you cry to look, don’t look.)

That sucks. Is the button on the side, cause if it is on the bottom, sometimes a broomstick can be helpful.

Well, hurray, the adventures have already started!

I’m thinking I’ve got a bug that is not the big plague (Covid) or the usual one (Influenza) or even RSV. I think I’ve just got some sort of regular mundane crud that is making my skin hurt and my joints ache and my head hurt.

I took the Cheddar out of the press this morning and I can tell by looking that I am getting a little closer to right, but it is still way too dry. I’m letting it do it’s air drying thing and I’ll wax it tomorrow. I didn’t feel like starting the Caerphilly so it probably won’t happen until next week.

I’m also thinking I’m going to skip my Tai-chi class tomorrow. We are still doing them inside and wearing a mask while exercising isn’t a whole lot of fun.

I hope it stays on, it is cold out there. Any chance of borrowing an oil heater or two? Or buying them?

{{{Pearl}}} Your nephew, his parents, you, and the whole family are in my prayers.

MetalMouse glad you made it to (almost) the bottom of the world. Hope the tour comes together tomorrow.

MOOOOOOM glad y’all made it. Hope y’all have a relaxin’ long weekend. I can’t call it a vacation since y’all are retired. It’s more like a trip to sleep in a different bed.

Made baked cod with rice and spinach. Watching the NHL Skills competition.

< skritches >

{{{{{Pearl and family}}}}}

DH and I have had that all day. There is a reason that several of our clocks include the day of the week in the display. :slight_smile:

Well crap, I came and sat down at the 'puter with something I wanted to look up. Now can’t remember it.

I just got home. Long day. I was reading in the Seattle train station until it was time to head to the appointment when this guy came up to me and said there was a wonderful little art gallery on the third floor. (Turns out he works there and was drumming up visitors. I never even knew there WAS a third floor. It was lovely. If you’re ever stuck in the King Street Station, it’s worth a look.

Doc said surgical site (from the October surgery) looks great. We spent most of the appointment thanking each other. No more appointments with him, yay!

{{{{{Pearl}}}}} I’m so sorry. I’ve already commenced praying for your family.

sari, oh, what a wonderfully smooshy face! That photo is priceless.

MetalMouse, glad I’m traveling vicariously. That flight would have had me shivering in me timbers. Can’t wait to hear about the tour.

I’m exhausted. A late dinner and then to bed for me.

Adorable. Hard to believe Ripple is sick. {{{sari}}}

Not sure if I’m busier than usual, or you all are posting more - I can barely keep up with the reading, forget posting.

It’s really been a rough week for many mumpers - Hugs to everybody, and especially {{{{pearl}}} and {{{wordy}}}.

My low this week was stubbing my toe so well I drew blood. I ripped the skin off from the nail bed to the first knuckle. There were tears. But my high was cocktails and dinner with my best friend here in Switzerland at an amazing foody restaurant. So nice to relax.

MetalMouse My parents took a cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago so they went by Ushuaia, but didn’t have to fly there. I believe they got off the boat there - my dad bought an apron there. Hope you get some weather that’s just as good as theirs - they had lots of sunshine.

Moooom enjoy the vacation. After the last few months, you’ve earned it many times.

From last week (or was it the week before?)

Nellie, I feel honored. :blush:

Hubby’s out of the shower, so breakfast should commence soon - as it’s Saturday, he’ll make the lattes for breakfast, so I can continue catching up on the Dope.

Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave. It’s a balmy 28 degrees ferret height currently.

Dicey ouch on the toe, but glad friend and cocktail made up for it.

And of course, I woke just after 5. I heard FCD cough and my sleeping brain thought it was Higgs barking. So I’m up.

We’re going to a diner in Selbyville, DE for breakfast, then we’ll drive to Rehoboth just because. It’s 17 stoopit degrees at the moment, and not getting above freezing today. Maybe hot tub time later?

Happy Saturday!

@Paintcharge

The first step with a furnace that cycles but fails to start is a simple procedure:

This is very easy and may save you a visit from the HVAC company. I have never done this with a five dollar bill, but I have a package of very fine steel wool close by my furnace.

Good morning, folks.

First of all, and most importantly, I send gentle hugs to Wordy, Pearl, and Sari.

It’s a cool morning, again. It’s 13F, and it’ll be getting up to around 45F, later today. Partly cloudy, and windy. Sounds like fun.

Nothing much is happening around here. I’m just having my coffee, and trying to get the day started.

The only real plans I have, are to rollsuck the hovel, and to finish up the spaghetti & meatballs, for OTR meals, for hubs. I made the sauce, yesterday, and it turned out well! I used the tomatoes, and the tomato sauce, that I canned, myself. I’m happy with it, which is a rare thing. I’m usually not always happy with what I cook, even though everyone else likes it. I usually have some little issue with whatever it is. It makes me feel good, when I actually like something! Success! :grin:

I wish for everyone to have the best day possible.

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 34 Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 58 and N.O.S. for the day. We are goin’ to the not too shabby Chinese hog trough buffet place for N.O.L. Beyond that, it will be the usual sloth and general overal uselessness that is our wont. I yanked a poke tenderloin outta da freezer along with some chili. Tomorrow is brunch Sunday over to da church house and we are havin’ a chili cookoff as part of the Souper Bowl of Caring that we do every year. People give a donation to sample chili and vote on best chili. Plus folks bring foodstuffs to donate to Neighbors in Need, our local perferred place for makin’ such donations. Several hundred dollars are usually raised, so it’s a worthwhile and fun time for all. I shall also maked a chawklit cake with chawklit’pee-kahn icin’, cause, hey, cake! The poke tenderloin is for Moanday’s sup. Don’t know exactly what Moanday’s sup will be yet, but it will feature poke tenderloin.

Dicey ouchie on the toe! Hope it’s all better soonest. Glad you had a good time havin’ cocktails and dinner with your friend.

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day! Rah.

Happy Sattidy Y’all!

FCD is up and showering. My turn next. Then out into the cold, cruel morning to get some breakfast. I wish I had remembered to bring my leather coat, dammit. Oh well…

I’s hongree. Hope the diner is a good one.

{{Wordy, Pearl, and Sari}} Best wishes for all of you (and others’ I’m almost certainly missing).

Since we’re sharing pics of pups, here’s our two. Both are gone now, the tan one just a few weeks ago (posted about it here).

Imgur

On to mumpering: 36F here, headed for 60 or so. All the ice has finally melted and it’s safe to walk around on the driveway.

I got the crane installed in the new truck yesterday. It took a lot of noise and fury (and 3 ruined drill bits) but it’s finally in. Today I shop for a new toolbox for the bed, and hopefully can install it this weekend. After that I actually need to just drive it around some. There’s a break-in procedure in the manual, and I can’t start towing until I’ve passed 500 miles (it only has 80 on it now). So I guess I’ll queue up something on Audible and go sightseeing. I realized it hasn’t been started or moved in over a week.

Hope everyone has as good a week as possible. It’s been a rough one for many of you and I’m sorry for what’s happening to ya’ll.

sari, perhaps you should offer 2/3 of the appraised value, if nothing else, to make a point. :stuck_out_tongue: Ripple is a handsome boy. :skritches:

JtC, the button is on the front of the alarm, which is wall mounted, but pretty close to the highest point of my ceiling. I tried a broom handle, but couldn’t get enough leverage.

Ouch on the toe dicey!

yank, your tan boy looks like a cousin to my boy, Nelson .

Well, today has begun with a bang. After taking Nelson out into 19F cold, I came in to fix breakfast. I had put the grits into a bowl and then picked it up to put the eggs in from the skillet. When I set it down, I set it on the edge of the counter where it promptly went PLOP onto the floor. Fortunately, I still had the skillet on to fry Nelson’s Saturday morning egg, so I just added another, made more grits, and scooped up the egg / grits mix off the floor, cleaned up and gave the bowl to Nelson. Fortunately, I hadn’t put hot sauce on it yet. :slight_smile: Found out that he likes grits.

It’s already warming up, and by the time that I get back from the 'Boro this afternoon, it may be warm enough for a trip to the dog park.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

I am not caught up here at all…not even my usual skimming! :frowning: Hello to everyone, with boos/yays/hugs as needed.

All my spare time this week has been spent getting up to speed on the new volunteer gig. I think I’m on top of everything now. Yesterday evening I picked up all of the merch/swag/display items: this weekend’s project will be going through and organizing everything, and finding places in my house to store the containers. My first membership event is a week from tomorrow, so I need to get those ducks in a row. One of the things I picked up yesterday is a laptop (for use mostly at events, to sign up new members on the spot), so I spent some time last night uploading any local files my predecessor had saved and setting it up under my own account.

I have a few more laptop things to do today, but then I can stow it in the mobile office: I got this bag in 2016, when I was working proposals and each “war room” was in a different location, but it has sat empty and unused for the past three years. I think it will be perfect for membership events, and I’m happy to be able to dust it off – along with the small wireless keyboard/mouse I also haven’t used in years.

For some reason, I woke up shortly before 7am…which is almost heresy, because even during the week the earliest my alarm goes off is 7am…and it was especially weird this morning, given that I didn’t fall asleep until around midnight. I thought about trying to fight it, but figured I can always nap later if I want to. The dog was even still sleeping when I got up! LOL!

It’s been nice, though, to get a little bit of a jump on the day: other than the volunteer-related stuff, plans include balancing my checkbook (i.e., Quicken) and doing my taxes.

I did note the OP’s “What are you looking forward to” question. :slight_smile: In the near term, there’s a local jazz festival in two weeks that I’m really looking forward to: it isn’t far from home, but I always stay at the festival hotel for the weekend and immerse myself in the music. It’s like a mini-vacation. Then, I have tickets for three music performances in March; all of them should be terrific. Skipping ahead to summer, I’ll be seeing the new production of 1776 at the Kennedy Center in July. And my cousin’s daughter will be getting married this year; I think in the fall (the save-the-date should be arriving soon).

Even though I have stuff to do this weekend I have no plans/need to leave the house, which is perfectly fine with me: it’s COLD out there!!