The power was off all over my neck of the woods yesterday. That meant bored, peevish folk from miles around came into the bookstore for a latte and an implacable scowl.
It’s my day off. I’m going to stare at the wall.
Just finished a good breakfast. It’s finally gotten warmer after a month of single-digit and subzero temps, so we’re going snowshoeing later today. It’s a scorching 20 degrees at the moment. No football planned, although I bought two squares in the office pool; I’m praying for a 21-21 (or any other combo that ends in “1” for each team) tie at the end of any quarter, but won’t tune in to find out.
I don’t know why the NFL insists there can be a Super Bowl without the Bears, but they manage every year.
Same as every SB Sunday, having the core group of 10-12 people over for the game. Today’s menu is simple. Hot dogs, nachos (concession stand themed food), we have pizzas ordered and the beverage of your choice.
Ms Robyn: tell Airman I’ll be holding down the Illinois section of black/gold. If it can’t be the Bears, at least let the team that I have money on take it this year.
Oh yeah, and then I’m going to make an Alton Brown meatloaf and baked potatoes. Woohoo!
Um…lemme see here. Did some grocery shopping, made soup, need to go back to Target and take my daughter driving so she can get the hours in.
I’m just not into football.
Now, soccer…if only the games were broadcast in English here. <sigh>
Down to the Ship Channel in the morning to photograph cargo vessels and trains, then stopped by the asian market to stock up on noodles. Gotta throw a load of dirty clothes in the washing machine at some point.
Oh yeah, and I hear there’s a football game on TV today. I might watch some of that.
We did some comparison shopping at Lowe’s - thinking about the bathroom remodels we want to get done this year. Then to BJ’s for a few things. Then home where we cut town a couple of overgrown cedar trees and dragged the debris to the back yard where it’ll be mulched eventually.
Now I’ve got a load of jeans in the washer and my sweetie is watching TV. The dog is crashed on the floor and the cat is being a pest. Another day in paradise…
Pretty soon, I’m going to get up and make some chili and cornbread. Then I’m going to sit down in the living room for 3 1/2 hours or so to watch the Super Bowl, and monitor this thread.
That ought to pretty much wrap it up for this weekend.
I am attempting to finish up a paper for english. I have to comment on a literary analysis of Hamlet, in 2-3 pgs. Im still on the finding a literary analysis short enough part. I also have a load of laundry in the washer, and am applying for housing for next semester.
Other than that, Im watching the puppy bowl on Animal Planet (I cant wait to get a puppy!) and eagerly awaiting the 2 hr episode of Grays Anatomy tonight. Oh, and pigging out on the girl scout cookies I purloined from my girl scout sister.
According to my Tivo schedule, Gray’s Anatomy is on from 9pm to 10pm.
Spent some time working on the wife’s vette today. Swapped spark plugs (at 50,000 miles, the .060 gap on the stock plugs had walked out to .075 or so…and a supercharger REALLY wants a good spark). I put the larger pulley back on the supercharger. I had one that made it spin faster, but I suspect sea-leavel boost and 92 octane gas up here doesn’t mix well.
Stripped out a rather critical bolt…fixed well by drilling out to the next larger size and retapping. Was VERY careful upon reinstallation.
Car was a little sluggish for the first few miles while it relearned. Towards the end of the test drive, it started running REAL strong and making 5-6 psi boost rather than the 8-9 it was making with the smaller pulley, and the hesitation went away.
What? You asked!
The Highwayman and I worked on the 'cycle, then went out for pizza and Starbucks. I get to proofread his Legal Writing memo in about half an hour, and I should probably work myself up to study for my stupid test. Yay for sundays!
I did major laundry Saturday night (story of my life), washing away Teh Sick (my illness from last week), and today, I went up to Newmarket (45 km north of Toronto) to meet my friends Mike and Carol.
We went to Winners, a store that sells miscellaneous overstock and remnant clothing at a discount. They’re a chain. You never know what you are going to find there. People keep recommending it to me.
I bought a new wool coat! (“Compare at $200”, priced at $110, on sale at $90). This is huge… I’ve been getting by with threadbare clothing for way too long as I struggled to pay off my debt. It seriously impacted my self-confidence in the dating area.
But my debt is now paid off–I got the Official Piece of Paper last Monday–and now I can start to save money and also buy things!
After getting the new coat, I made a few changes in my wardrobe.
I retired a brown denim jacket which Marketing at work had given out years ago. It was worn, threadbare, and had holes in various places.
I also retired my Lesser Parka. This parka was blue and at least 15 years old. I may have actually bought it at The Bay (a Canadian department store) when I was in second year at electronics school… and that was 1984.
The Lesser Parka was ripped. The pockets had holes. The side was stained with ink because of years of carrying newspapers under my arm. The corners of the lapels were worn through, showing the interior stuffing. Down has leaked out, leaving the arms haldf-empty, and the coat left a trail of tiny feathers wherever it went. Yet I wore it to work last week in the warmer weather.
But now my debt is paid off, I’m through the Christmas chaos, and Friday it was payday, and I could buy something new!
:: huge sigh of relief ::
I stuffed the retired clothes into a green garbage bag, and took it to the donation dropbox across the road. While testing my new coat. 
Of course, now that I have a new 3/4-season coat suitable for the abnormally-warm weather we had been having, it decided to actually become winter. There’s even a light coating–a centimetre or so–of snow outside. I may have to wear my boots for the first time in three and a half weeks.
My big parka, which for historical reasons is named Grampa Sokalski’s Parka, is still there when I need it, though.