Go, Jane, go!
My break from editing today was a trip out with my beloved, from which we returned with a cat bed we don’t need because she fell in love with it, and a 30" fleecy dog crate mat that fits nicely in front of the fireplace. Litter Genie and scoop are on the way. Missing from this scene: katz.
So the power went out for an hour and a half due to the wind. Ironic, because Progress Energy was doing line work in front of my apartment when I came home. But I got power back in time for 2 periods of hockey, plus bonus hockey. Having chicken with olives, mushrooms, and rice for dinner.
{{{{Pavo}}}}
{{{{Coppertone}}}}
New Year’s is the biggest holiday here in Japan so we’re getting ready, SenGirl has her last day of snowboard instructor school today. She probably won’t be able to pass the test, but that was expected. She’s allowed to retake the test for less money.
It’s been snowing and foggy all day so I spent more time inside today. Just a little too cold for me to ski.
Sister-in-law is up from Taiwan for a week. SenWife is really happy. SIL stayed with us for 10 months before while studying Japanese. She’s forgotten a lot but still better than my Chinese.
Both my kids really like her so it’s good for everyone. As the family conversation becomes almost exclusively Chinese, I spend more time on YouTube and Netflix.
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave. It’s currently 28 degrees Ferret Height(-2.22 Centipedes) outside, which means the temp dropped 36 degrees in 15 hours.
Covid has got a pretty good hold on me. Lots of coughing, tissues, and some nausea just for fun.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 33 Amurrkin out (feels like 24) and clear with a predicted high of 45 and sunny. Big difference in temp from yestiddy. Ima go over to the church house later this mornin’ to deal with candle duty and such. The rest of the day will be spent in da cave in the warmth. Sup will be salmon patties, peas, smashed N.O.T. and bizkits. Comfort food on a cold day sounds good to me.
Sticky_Buns hope you’re over the plague soonest.
Nellie thanks for the noisy neighbors update. Seems to me that company is not very smart.
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, bother, I suppose I must purtify. At least I can get away with sweatpants, sweatshirt and sneaks as I am not technically goin’ out amongst the great unwashed. Still this will be three days in a row of goin’ somewhere. How awful!
Happy Tuesday Y’all!
Kasya is obsessed with the laser pointer. She’s figured out where I put it when it’s not in use and will dig it out. On one occasion she (maybe accidentally) threw it to me.
On the plus side, Buddy joins in. He’s getting rather more playful with her around.
Your needlework is amazing!
O. M. G.
I am so mad. In spite of having proof from the hospital that he had Covid. In spite of having a doctor’s note. In spite of sounding like shit when he called in… They gave him a f@&king disciplinary point for missing work on Saturday.
They’d rather he come to work and spread his germs? What a bunch of ridiculousness.
MusicMan is handling this news much better than I am.
Afternoon, mumpers! It’s currently 4c/38f with a predicted high of 5c/40f and partly cloudy. Weather app says “It’s partly fucking cloudy. What’s the other part? Fucking shame.”
Not quite - it’s the same place, different part of the College, and less hours. That means a potential drop in pay, but I would be doing my best to convince them that I have a lot of knowledge and experience that they’re paying for so that should work in my favour.
I saw your posts on FB, I’m glad to hear that you got power back quickly and you warmed up again!
I’m sure mine are convinced I might fall in and drown, thus endangering their food supplies since I am the main provider of gooshy food.
It sounds like you need a month off to recover! I hope your wife’s diagnosis and eventual surgery doesn’t cause too many additional problems, at least you know the likely recovery time and can plan ahead for it.
It’s always a possibility that they can run up a fare by taking a circuitous route, most cabs have notices inside that say you should tell the driver if you have a specific preferred route. We don’t bother, it’s around a mile or so back home from most of the places we go, and none of the potential routes would make much difference. Re the job - same place, different dept 
How exciting! Everyone will get to see the fabulous exhibits you’ve been working on.
That’s definitely an upside to the whole sorry tale, it’s a shame the new complex didn’t do their homework first though, and now they have bad payers to deal with.
That’s a very good plan, and definitely one you can track and see progress too. Good luck with it in 2026!
Sticky Buns hope you feel better soon! I’m sorry to hear about MusicMan’s work problem, I hope he gets the chance to talk sense into them later.
No big plans here today, I have tended to the needs of cats and I’ve been to the gym. Lunch will be leftovers from yesterday, I am not cooking tonight as it’s ‘im indoors’ turn so I really don’t have much else to do. That’ll be me sitting up here on the floor with a book, trying to make friends with Muffin
So they’re not just being jerks? Tho, to be fair, our most recent felines never slept on me. Even when I allowed Taz in our bed, he’d curl up between my feet. I’m pretty sure when Ziva wanders into the terlit room, she’s just lonely after hiding under the bed all day.
Speaking of whom, I’m convinced she’s losing her hearing or is pretty much deaf. Otis came up behind her and she didn’t react till he was close enough to sniff her butt. Since his tags jingle, she should have been alerted. That and her bony body really tell her age.
I swear, Otis has a secret stash somewhere. I can rollsuck diligently (without moving big furniture) and see nothing, then all of a sudden, a missing antler shows up in the middle of the floor.
Too bad you don’t live near me - I saw an ad on NextDoor - someone has 4 kittens ready to be adopted. Tho I’m sure there are probably a few out your way, too. Are you thinking of a particular breed?
I was monitoring our outdoor temp last night - I believe the word is plummeted. We were low 60s yesterday afternoon. This morning, it’s 28 Ferrets and overcast.
Grandspawn again were, um, a challenge at bedtime last night. I got them tucked in, then crawled under my own comforter, cruelly leaving FCD to deal with the ensuing drama. Apart from one or the other getting up - usually Roxy tattling on Tobias - there was a rather loud noise at one point and I thought I heard Roxy asking for help fixing the bed. No clue what that was, but Grandpa was pretty pissed with both of them at that point. I was drifting in and out of sleep by then but I think it got quiet finally.
Today will be a shorter day with them. I’ll take them to the marine museum right after lunch, and we’ll meet their dad at home about 2:15 or so, at which point I’ll be off duty till tomorrow. Once I’m spawn-free, I’m running to WalMart in search of a replacement bathroom rug and something else that I can’t recall at the moment. I need to make a list.
FCD has to take his car in for servicing this morning, then he’ll head to the boat to continue sanding and masking the windows. Turns out there are 15!! Once he’s done, I’ll paint, probably this weekend. So that’ll be another major chore off the list. Once the boatyard crew is back to work on Moanday, the cetol touch-up will be finished, then they’ll attack the bottom barrier coat and paint. After that, we’ll be back in the water and it’ll end our work till spring, since it’ll be too dang cold. The yard crew will get the generator working then winterize it and the engine.
And our next project will be the dinghy - it’s in pretty sad shape, but we can work on it in the shop. I’m kinda looking forward to that. Plus I’ll have to make a cover for it - not sure if I have enough fabric or not - we’ll figure that out.
Then I won’t be boring you with tales of nautical labors till the spring. 
And so begins the next to the last day of 2025. Happy Tuesday!
Sounds a lot like Livingston, Montana. It sits at the end of the Yellowstone Valley and the wind never stops blowing except on rare occasions. When it does stop, everyone falls down. All the cattle there have shorter legs on one side from leaning into the wind.
it is a cold day in philly, i’m wearing the faux fur lined boots.
for some reason phila has decided to move the new year eve thing to the parkway instead of penn’s landing. oy!! the one time during the year the art museum area gets a break. here we go again. concert at 8 and fireworks at midnight, right across the street. argh!
wwwwhhhhhyyyyyy!!!?!
now traffic is insane at city hall and on the parkway.
just one more day in the office, then off until the 8th.
Came out of the house this morning and discovered there had been freezing rain overnight. 
That meant ice on all the car windows. Side windows weren’t bad, but ice was really caked on the sloping windshield. All pebbly.
Took about ten minutes of scraping and squirting wiper fluid on it to get the car into a drivable state. Had to break out the big two-handed scraper to get better traction on scraping. The little one-handed one just wasn’t cutting it.
Got enough done to be able to see to drive to the nearest Tim’s to recuperate from the morning work.
Currently -4 C, so fortunately not too cold.
Mornin’ all.
It’s 30°F and partly cloudy. The forecast calls for a mixture of sun and clouds, and a daytime high of 43°F.
fachverwirrt, I am sorry this has been such a bad month. Wishing the best for both you and your wife.
Nellie, wow, I question the management company’s smarts. However, I’m glad your noisy neighbors are gone, and you have a few more days of peace. I also hope today, and those that follow, are pain-free.
JtC, wow! nice work!
Sticky Buns, I’m sorry you feel so icky. Sorry, too, about the disciplinary point for your husband.
VanGo, it sounds like the museum is really bustling! I hope all goes well with the display openings.
I haven’t seen Shoe around. I hope she’s okay.
Turns out I was feeling a little icky yesterday, so I just slothed. I roused myself enough to run my new set of dinnerware through the dishwasher and put it away. Before that, I ran the previous night’s dishes in the dishwasher. But that was the extent of my ambition.
Well, I suppose I should finish my coffee and get the day started.
Good morning. I’ve already had two meetings, but since most everyone is on vacation, they were quick.
It was 21ºF this morning, and while my exercise pants are rated to 20ºF, I decided not to test that. Chloé and I got an extra hour of sleep. She still got up and made a beeline to our bedroom to wake Mrs Magill. I managed t reroute her outside to take her constitutional, giving my wife just enough time to prepare for the inevitable face licking. She has the week off, and I am trying to let her sleep in, but as the Emergency Backup Human, there is only so much I can do.
Today’s brane freakout was over something so trivial that I don’t even remember what it was. Counseling cannot begin quickly enough.
Honestly, it’s not all bad. The medical stuff is not great (although the surgery may end up resolving some other ongoing issues, so even that’s not all bad). The singing stuff was just exhausting. But it’s also what I do, and will be a nice extra bunch of cash once the paychecks come in January.
Up early enough but been very slothful this morning and am just now getting to the SDMB. Have 3 indoor soccer teams to coach (no practices, just be at the games and make the substitutions) so contacting the parents and letting them know when the first game is kept me busy for much of the time. Will probably try to get to the gym a bit later.
Got my first 2026 Civil Service Retirement check deposited, looks like it is about $100 more a month, but that may go down because the next check will include any changes in insurance costs for 2026. Either way I’m comfortable with it.
Clear and bright skies, but only 30F outside, so not in a rush to be out in the great outdoors.
Found a resolution for 2026; I drink a lot of Diet Pepsi/Pepsi Zero, which probably contributes to my sometimes overactive bladder, so I’m resolving to cut it back to no more than 1.5 liters (1500ml) a day…which is still high but way less than I consume now. We’ll see if replacing it with water helps my kidneys and overall health.
Lots of catching up to do, so best be about it.
rocky, sounds like you had a pretty full Moanday.
flyboy, enjoy the New Year’s Eve flaring. Sounds like it is pretty special.
Pavo, glad to hear you survived December and best wishes to wife-unit.
52, good luck on the home insurance, I’ve had the same one (Travelers) for several years and while it has increased each year, it has been by nominal amounts and I pay about $2,400/year. Hope you can find a good deal.
Just about; scale showed 202.6lbs, so about 2.8lbs more than 12-16. Will check it again on the 31st and compare it to my 12/31 weight of 202.2lbs. At least my resolution to keep it steady this year appears to have been met.
{{Coppertone}}, hope you get to feeling better.
VanGo, hope Murphy doesn’t make an appearance and the event goes as planned.
nellie, glad the bad neighbors are gone, wonder it their time in the new place will be very long given it’s the same company, and you can bet they won’t be getting that old place back.
FCM, kids do say the darndest things, don’t they? 
And sounds like you need an armored toy for Otis. Hope FCD’s blood pressure is back to normal after dealing with the kid’s bedtime adventures…
JtC, lovely work there,
They all go to the same mysterious space-time continuum that socks from dryer end up in…
{{Sticky Buns}}, hope you feel better soon. My sinuses are clear now but still coughing up some phglem-balls now and then. And idiots going to idiot, especially if they are in charge. Can he appeal the point?
Nettie, clever girl; and glad Buddy is adjusting.
piper, yeah, the pebbly (great description) ice on windshields can be a bear to get rid of.
And I think I’m caught up, need to take a short break and then probably get my gym stuff together and head out for some walking and cycling with some weight work thrown in. Have a good rest of the day all.
Sticky Buns, sorry for the crud. Would a call to HR resolve your husband’s issue?
Nettie, I’m glad they’re gone and wish for a quiet retired person with one cat.**
I assume do, and humane societies now ship animals from state to state. No breed in mind; we’re hoping for 12-16-week-old rescues, preferably two female sibs. Black, tabby, dilute with tabby bits? I grew up with apple-head Siamese and loved them, but have had good luck with chonkier cats whose breed is “uh, a cat.”
I gave my lovely wife a waffle iron, and she’s experimenting with gluten-free batter. We’d have had waffles for dinner last night, but we found another Trader Joe’s that had bacon-wrapped scallops. Evidently they’re considered a seasonal food, so we bought several packages.
Today I’ll finish editing the 12th chapter, then there will be one chapter and the intro in this draft. Our guest for NYD crapped out, so I’ll type in the edits while I keep my lovely wife company for the Ducks game (v. Texas Tech, so I don’t expect the Ducks to prevail). I’ll also assemble the cat tree.
I feel totally fine. No uti, nothing wrong. I do love pyridine though.
Went to derm, skin okay. Neighbor drove me to dunkin, as I dont trust the slush.
Its a 2 minute drive.
Going to free church dinner.
Tomorrow supposedly 7 inches of snow.