Someone send us snow! All we’ve been getting is rain. Yuck.
I’d rather have snow, too; we’ve just been getting 35-40° rain, which is truly miserable. Not that we’re getting it right now, but that’s about all we’re supposed to get. Well, they claim “wintry mix,” but that just means some sleet mixed in with the rain, which if it leaves any ice will go away as soon as it warms up in the morning. Yuck.
Here I’ve been working busily on SIL’s hat for Christmas, but when Papa Tigs told her I was making her present and it would be a bit late, she also put in an order for potholders in earth tones. Turns out she used one to mop up some chicken grease and Blanche, the spoiled-rotten Clumber spaniel, decided that it was well worth chewing up. 
SIL is lucky I like her! So I dug out my Barbara Walker’s 2nd Treasury of Knitting Patterns and, since I already had some cream and chocolate brown cotton yarn I’d gotten to make placemats with that I never got around to, am trying something I haven’t done in a zillion years, mosaic knitting. It’s two-color knitting except you only knit with one color at a time, so you end up with all kinds of pretty patterns. I’m doing it with two strands of yarn and in garter stitch so it’ll be nice and dense, but it’s fun to see the pattern pop out of nowhere. I’ll have to get a copy of her Mosaic Knitting, a whole book devoted to it, one of these days; she does come up with a lot of really attractive mosaic patterns. I’ve got a couple patterns for mosaic socks, too, which I’ll have to try; it’s an easy technique that works beautifully.
The toe is still far less swollen, and in a note of real progress, I was actually able to slip my foot into my Birks without having to unbuckle it first. Yay for a less swollen toe! Maybe in a couple more days I’ll be able to wear my slippers again. I really miss my lovely warm slippers, but they press on the sorest part of the toe, which right now is just not an option. Not, thanks to good drugs, that I care.
Everyone stay warm and dry!
Holy crap, the snow is still coming down. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with a foot or more of snow.
We’re supposed to go out to dinner tomorrow night with some friends, but we’ve already bailed on that. No way do I want to fight all this mess. Besides, the restaurant we’re going to is in downtown Tacoma which is nothing but steep hills. Many of those roads are actually closed.
I have to leave in a bit to pick my daughter up from work. The drive should be interesting.
I have to say the title of this MMP is peculiarly apropos…
Here’s the street again, taken at 2100–as you can see, the street is no longer a dip down from the yard and half the hill is sunk in snow. It’s pouring down steadily, don’t think there’s been a pause yet. Even more telling, here’s a shot of the backyard–that circle in the snow is the dog’s kiddie pool/water bowl, which is at least 8" deep and as you can see it’s completely covered.
And a good friend of ours has decided he’s going to drive over from his house in Tigard, which is on the other side of the Willamette, just because he has an AWD vehicle and he’s crazy that way–in ‘96 when PDX had a record snowstorm he was dodging buses that were sliding sideways down the the streets around Council Crest… He’s a friggin’ LOON!
Oh, almost forgot!
Happy Solstice!
Joyous Yule!
I let the doggies out a little bit ago… OK, *let *is the wrong word, at least with regards to Scruffy. I had to boot her butt out and shut the door so she’d go out and pee. It’s squishy soggy in the back yard and coming down in a steady shower. If all this rain we’re getting had been snow instead, I’m sure we’d have an impressive cover on the ground. Instead, I’m living in a swamp, bear-less, but swampish nonetheless. 
I made myself a toasted almond with a little ice cream last night, and I slept very soundly till about 6:30, so huzzah for that! I’m in my fuzzy robe having a diet coke right now. **FCD **just stoked up the wood stove in the garage and he’s computatin’ what else he has to buy for his new work table. Meanwhile, the end tables he started for me 3 years ago are still incomplete. Guess we know where I rate in this whole equation…
The mattress is being delivered just after noon. I hope there’s a break in the rain about that time. We’ll be giving the delivery guys an option, too - they can bring it thru the front door, then down the stairs, or they can carry it around the side and down the squishy back yard and in that way. Doesn’t matter to me - I just need to know where to lay out the old towels to catch the foot soggies.
My plans for today are, um, well, it’s just been decided that we’ll get some brekkies while we’re getting the wood he needs. So I’m off to pull on something acceptable for going out in public. After that, who knows??
Happy First Day of Winter, one and all!
Hi guys, we’re home.
It took all day, but we made it to our own beds last night. 13 hours of traveling, of which 2.5 were actually in the air. :smack:
My sister did a grocery shopping for us so we’d have food. Our neighbors plowed our (very) long and steep driveway so we could get in. It’s good for the spirit to be surrounded by kindness.
It’s snowing again, on top of the 10 inches we had while we were gone. It’s pretty.
I can’t believe my BIL is gone. he was the nicest, gentlest man. I got to meet his family from Nevada and they are also kind and sweet. I feel for my SIL, she’s awfully young to be alone all of a sudden.
Well, I have a pile of tests to push through so I can post my grades on time. My colleagues proctored my exams and dropped everything at my house so I wouldn’t have to try to get into my office. More acts of kindness. It’s good.
Back from Bob’s and Lowe’s. The rain has stopped and from the looks of the weather radar, it’s done for the day. So yay. **FCD **has a fire going in the shop (the first attempt died while we were out) and he’s busily building his new workbench. I just took the mattress off the kids’ bed and threw the sheets into the washer. I should run an ad to give away the old mattress…
Incidentally, Bob’s grilled pumpkin bread breakfast thing is teh yum!
Soapy, glad you made it home safely. And yay for good friends looking out for you!
After I finish with the funnies and such, I’m going to re-attack the green bedroom. I intend to set up the stereo and turntable and listen to records while I work - that should help.
Whoa - It looks like the sun is breaking thru - it’s really bright outside all of a sudden.
Huzzah!!
Howdy folks. I’m vertical and caffienating.
We definitely got lots of snow yesterday and last night. They’re still talking about freezing rain, but maybe more snow too. Ugh, I wish it would either dump enough to make sure I didn’t have to go in to work tomorrow or just melt the hell off.
Road conditions are definitely not good here.
I put the tree in the stand last night and today I need to decorate it. Before I decorate it, though, I’ll have to pull everything out of the front hall closet to get to the decorations. Lucky me.:rolleyes:
I guess I’ll cruise the Dope for a bit.
Smartie–snow does not “pour”; it falls, thick and fast, so it LOOKS like it’s pouring, but it’s not. Please make a note of it. (and don’t make me tell you again!). 
Awoke to a mothereffing COLD day: -6, dunno what the windchill is, but the stuff that fell last night is scudding across our backyard, leaving rivulets of scupted ice exposed. Beautiful-the sun is blinding, but I’m enjoying it from a distance today. No running today.
I am about to commence baking up a storm. I am making choc chip cookies (what? their a favorite) and those Hershey Kiss peanut butter thingies (more to use up some Kisses than anything else). I may or may not make Buckeyes, but that’s another thread…
We will decorate the Xmas cookies later today as well. I am busy tomorrow, going dow to new job place to do the HR stuff (physical, W-2s etc). Hope it’s a bit warmer tomorrow.
stay warm and dry, all. Glad the toe is better, Tigs.
Woo hoo hoo!! The kids’ present has been delivered and put in place. I’m thinking of just topping it with a big red bow and letting them figure it out.
I nearly fractured myself down there, tho. Idiot Taz managed to sneak in. I saw his form heading to their bathroom and caught him in there. Carrying him back out thru the bedroom, I forgot that they have this footlock/trunk thing at the foot of the bed, and I tripped over it. I sorta tossed Taz ahead, but he was more scared than hurt. Once I picked myself up and kicked the stoopit trunk back into place, I shooed Taz back upstairs. I’m OK, but I expect to be really hurting tomorrow. 
I did as much as I could in the green room. Until we remove the items to be installed in the bathroom, there’s not a lot I can accomplish. But I got a lot of the loose books and stuff stowed in the armoire, so that’s good. And I’ve got shrimp thawing in a big bowl of water. I’m going to steam the whole batch - we’ll have some for supper, some for shrimp quiche, and maybe some shrimp salad.
Other than that, I’m just not motivated. Big surprise, huh?
Howdy, everybody. Glad you made it home okay, Soapy, and what nice neighbors and friends and family you have. I know that helped ease how awful you guys must feel about losing your BIL.
I hope those of you who got snow are digging out. I loved your pictures from last night, Smarty – I can only imagine what the yard looks like now after the dogs have been romping in it again! If we get any snow accumulation, our yard always looks like a herd of elephants went dancing around it. Why do most dogs love snow so much?
We’re in a “it never rains but it pours” situation today. Not weatherwise; the sky is blue and the sun is shining. No, I only wish it were the weather. My toe is finally feeling distinctly better (even though it still looks yucky, but it’s done draining so hopefully can just heal up from here on out), so what happens? Poor Papa Tigs woke up with a violent intestinal bug, that affects – how do I say it politely – both the incoming and outgoing ends. We went over everything he’d eaten yesterday and have concluded that it really can’t be anything other than a bug. So he’s currently lying half upright in the recliner – if he lies down flat, he upchucks again – wearing heavy sweats with the hood pulled up, gloves, thick wool slippers, and two blankets over him. :eek: This is a man who almost never gets cold; he wears a windbreaker as his winter coat. :eek: I kid him that his thermostat got permanently frozen from growing up in northern Minnesota, and that’s not far from the truth! So he’s trying to keep down some Pellegrino water; he tried earlier with ginger ale, with no success. We’re hoping that his last bad bout, which was the worst yet, will be the turning point and he gets better from here. But I can pretty much guarantee you that no matter HOW much folks at the hospital think they need him tomorrow, they are WRONG. I’m not letting him go to work even if he tries to! The last thing he needs to do is spread this bug around a hospital!!! Apparently it’s a lethal Texan bug. Gee, thanks, Texas. :rolleyes:
Anyway, so I’m trying to get some work done, while wielding the Lysol spray regularly. Thank heaven for Lysol, or I might be doing some sympathetic urping myself! I simply do not have a strong stomach for certain aromas, to use a far more polite word than that particular odor deserves. :eek: I’m especially grateful we have two bathrooms, even if it does mean I have to go to the back of the house to use the master bath; it’s just one more way to avoid whatever germs he’s spreading. And tomorrow I attack the front bathroom with powerful cleaners!!
I got the first pattern repeat done on one of the oven mitts I’m making for my SIL to go with her hat, and I must say that it’s really nice. I’m going to have to make a few more for other people. The mosaic knitting makes them nice and thick and cushiony, so they should work very well. Plus the pattern looks really nice. I’ll take a photo before I send them off; it’s a really attractive geometric pattern.
Back to work. I can usually squeak an extra day out of my buddy at the office to turn in my job sheet to get paid for one or two extra small jobs, but she’s on vacation this week and the one who’s handling it has made it known that if the pay sheet isn’t in her inbox when she gets in in the morning, we don’t get paid. :eek: So since money is nice and more than a little necessary, it’s back to the salt mines.
Yes, MA’AM, Rigs! I make no bones about being a total n00b regarding this snow shit–we usually get one or two “snow events” per year, totalling perhaps an inch or three. I get a little kerfuffled when we get dumped with close to a foot of the stuff, especially with ICE on top and no end in sight. There’s STILL a bit of freezing rain pissing down right now, the trees are covered in ice and we’re supposed to get another 1/4 inch or so of ice before we get socked with yet more snow. Yikes. I documented our conditions, with copious pics, over in this post.
A friend of mine actually DROVE OVER HERE last night, arriving around ten–he left at about midnight after finally accepting reality and putting the chains on his Subaruki. I took the liberty of documenting this by taking a picture of his butt. Yes, he’s a loon, but I knew he’d be out in this–it’s a fixation with him. Any time we get significant snowfall he has to go show the world that he can drive in it. Yet people think I’M crazy! 
My neighbors got their car a bit stuck and after digging it out all morning they’re trying to get it out to the street, but aren’t having a lot of luck with that. They’re now sliding around right behind my van, better not run into it or there’ll be blood on the snow, dammit! I’m not sure where they think it’s so important to go on a Sunday morning with a foot of snow on the ground, but if it was THAT important you think they’d put chains on, just sayin’… I’m also gonna be pissed if they get stuck blocking me in because I’d at least like the option of getting out if I get stupid enough to try it.
This be nutz… :eek:
Hi everyone!
I’ve been to the grocery store, and I think I have everything for Christmas dinner. Except fresh asparagus - it looked yucky. I’ll get some Tuesday or Wednesday at the other store, that also has flash frozen asparagus if need be.
My menu is:
Appetizers:
Sweet and sour meatballs
Veggie tray
Cheese and summer sausage
Main Meal:
Ham
Rosie’s potatoes (scalloped potatoes)
Steamed asparagus
Corn and zucchini medley (new recipe that sounds really good)
Crescent rolls
Desserts:
Decorated sugar cookies
Marble chocolate bundt cake
Lemon cream cheese pie
Tomorrow will be baking day, I believe, at least for the cookies.
I need to clean up all the detritus of decorating the tree and the house. We haven’t set up Cap’n Christmas yet, because we might have to bring in the plants if it’s going to freeze, and we don’t have room for him.
I’m thinking a nap sounds real good right about now…
Hi all! I have read little and retained less, so hugs, boos, yays etc., as needed.
Been a rough few days here – nothing specific I can put my finger on, just a few days of aggregated “f***ing too busy,” “damn! That’s aggravating” and just general blurt.
Capped this morning by finding two slashed tired on my car. For no reason I can think of, just plain, unadulterated, random vandalism :mad:
At least it’s a leased company car, so no immediate out-of-pocket expense to me (but the Leasing company will hit my employer with a large deductible, which I’ll probably have to shoulder at least part of… Oh well, worry about it when it happens.) So for now, all that happened was I lost my morning to waiting for the fix-it van (two flats – couldn’t even get myself to the Authorized tires’ dealership!)
I’m feeling a lot less blurfy today though. Dunno why, just because 
I know it’s true, because when I’m down I clam up, and here I am again
Happy Hanukkah to Ivory, **Rosie **and anyone else I’ve forgotten (Muppet-by-proxy!?)
They’ve changed our forecast here. The freezing rain is going away or not going to hit. We’re supposed to get more snow today starting sometime after noon. They’re talking another two to four inch accumulations, along with another inch on top of that overnight. Yay…NOT.
Those idiots that run the hospital will AT MOST allow delayed reporting for non-essential personnel. I’m not essential dammit and shouldn’t have to spend hours fighting ice and snow to get in and back home.
I see two posts have snuck in while I was typing. I hope your day gets better, Special One.
Howdy! Wow, Rebo, that menu sounds fantastic! FCM, I’m sorry to admit that I giggled, but just a little, at the picture of you tripping over that trunk, and tossing Taz to safety. Ouch, though, I think you probably will hurt tomorrow. It was all Taz’s fault, right?!
I’ve got ham for Christmas dinner - I still want turkey, though. Gah, I’m still angry at myself about that. I’m off on Thursday and Friday, and then I’m taking off next Friday, so I’ll essentially have 2 four day weekends in a row. I really won’t want to go back to work.
It’s chilly here, but not too chilly. At least it’s not raining any more. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, folks.
Hey, we’re up to -4, with a -30 wind chill now. I thought Daughter and I were in for a day of cookie baking. She lost interest on batch #2 and wandered off. She comes downstairs, dressed in warm up pants, a NorthFace running jacket, ponytail and her running shoes and a scarf. She asks me for yarn gloves.
Say what?
“I’m going to the gym.”
Like hell. I point out the weather stats to her. Doesn’t matter. I up my voice and tone. Nothing. I insist she put on a coat, pointing out that she will be wet after her workout. She (finally) agrees, grudgingly. Her “coat” consists of a polar fleece running jacket I bought her a month ago. I insist she put it on UNDER he NorthFace shell. She comes back downstairs, and I sent her back up for a hat. I give her gloves.
“I’m off”, says she.
Cell phone?
“I donwanna take my phone.”
Oh, you’re taking your phone, sweetums. What if you have car trouble?
Dismissed. Cell is insisted upon. She rolls her eyes, just a bit. Grrrr.
Out to the car goes she. I get a call a minute later from that phone she didn’t want to take. Her car won’t start. I send TH out to help her. She flooded it. She takes the time to tell me that she is quite warm, thankyouverymuch. I take the time to say, you are now, but what about after? and leave it at that.
And now she is out [del]on the tundra somewhere[/del] at the gym, with 3 layers (one of them cotton–she refused my coolmax shirt), an earwarmer, a wool scarf and yarn mittens. And a cell phone.
{{Lunch}} I hope your day goes better from here on in.
We’re planning on doing a goose for this year’s Xmas dinner. It’s just three of us (me, The Boy, and Mumsy Dearest), so I felt that turkey would just be entirely too much food. Plus, I really just wanted an excuse to have goose. I’m thinking we’ll serve orange-pomegranate marmalade, lemon-rosemary green beans and roasted N.O.T. alongside. Dessert is undecided, though those chocolate babycakes taxi posted the other day might be a good option.
That said, I wouldn’t complain if Rebo decided to send me over some leftovers. That sounds like a tasty spread indeed!
In other news, a light snow has been falling pretty steadily since yesterday evening and isn’t showing any signs of stopping anytime soon. I’d say we’ve gotten somewhere in the neighbourhood of 12-16" based on what’s accumulated on top of the deck. Ick.
Thanks!
Day did get better (at least in comparison…) and now at its end I’m actually in a fairly good mood for a change!
**Rigs **-- I have a son like your daughter. He’d be perfectly happy going to school in shorts all year… (granted, it’s usually at least 55-60 degrees here – not snow country.) And he often forgets his phone.
In his defense, he’s not quite 12, rather than a supposedly responsible semi-adult.
I’ve skimmed back a bit, and a whole lot of you seems to have gotten slammed by copious amounts of snow. Send some over!
Howdy Y’all! I spent Firday night and yesterday and last night at ol’ y’all know’s place. I started to post yesterday but as I was readin’ up on things, we had a power surge and the electricicals went off for about a minute. After makin’ sure his puter was ok and helpin’ to reset the bazillion clocks (ok only eight really but you know…) in his house I kinda forgot and didn’t. Other that electricical excitement we did nuttin’. I cooked some sketties and meatballs for dindin which was good.
It was 80 degrees yesterday. Tonight the low will be around 28 with mid 40s for the high tomorrow. Then it warms up again. Christmas day should be around 80 degrees Amurrkin. The weather is just so weird. I mean, whole parts of the nation are having colder, snowier, icier than usual weather and we’re havin’ way warmer than normal weather. Makes me wonder just what January and February will bring.
Not much else to report. Firday night was fun. I had a couple of beerverages and some good munchies. Ol’ y’all know who got tipsy and had a good time, which was the point of me bein’ the DD so that was good.
I have shirts in the dryer that should be about dry and pants in the washing machine which should be about done so they can go into the dryer. Off to see to the laundry then.