I haven’t smelled anything. I had the 124-gallon tank filled around January 18th. They usually check the tank every six weeks or so. Unfortunately, I can’t tell SWMBO to put on a hoodie. And as I said, she’ll bump up the theremostat even if the heater’s running because she says it ‘psychologically’ makes her feel warmer. I’ve had to turn it down from 80º more than once.
nellie, crossing my fingers for you that you’ll be able to see the injection guy as soon as humanly possible.
Today is cold, cold, cold. We’re under a winter storm warning and I’m worried we won’t be able to make it to my son’s pre-op appointment tomorrow, so I’ve been checking weather.com obsessively. So far it has kept the snow at bay (ha). If you live in the general metro area, you’re welcome.
I’ll be picking up mine at My Eye Dr - they are close and take VSP insurance, and I really like the optometrist. Not that anyone asked.
Toby is snoozing - he’s had a cranky morning. I even loaded him into the stroller and walked him down the street - it only calmed him for a little bit. But after I got him back inside, he had about 3oz of mama’s milk, then crashed. I managed to transfer him from my lap to the couch so I could have lunch. We’ll see how much longer he sleeps. FCD is napping, also. The quiet is nice.
I need to mosey out and see how much oil we have in the tank. We don’t have automatic refill because we use so little oil, thanks to the pellet stove, but we have burned some this year. We started with half a tank - when it gets to about a quarter, I’ll call for a refill. I’m hoping I don’t have to do that till after heating season is over, but we shall see.
It’s mild and a bit overcast here, with rain and sleet and temps in the 30s for tomorrow. Then warming a bit, then dropping into the 20s overnight this weekend, but it looks like March will be starting in the 50s and 60s - perhaps spring will sneak in?? One can only hope. Meanwhile, my daffydillz are starting to show greenery.
I’m always mildly surprised when I see that people still burn fuel oil. We had that when I was growing up and there were always black marks on the walls near the vents. My mother would make me help her paint the house interior every couple of years. I was so glad when they converted to gas.
Lots of places here burn oil - there are no natural gas lines in this county as far as I know, tho some people do have propane. The rest pretty much have heat pumps (ick) or wood (is that how the Amish heat homes? Dunno) This house had an oil furnace when we bought it, and we’re on our second replacement - the first one lasted 15 years.
The first house I bought was in the Baltimore suburbs. It also had oil heat, but I replaced it with natural gas, since it was available and less of a hassle. All of our houses in Florida were electric heat, and I think our house in Virginia had propane. I would prefer natural gas, but like I said, it’s not an option here.
Happy Hump Day!
It’s a bright 68 degrees outside. I should be out there but I have too much to do inside today.
It was overcast this morning when I took the brats to daycare. My son went with me to help me take them in.
I asked him if he would go, then I said never mind, I’ll handle it. He said he’d go.
I don’t know if it’s because he is worried about me, or if it’s that he is starting to like going out.
We stopped at Roy Rogers for breakfast, and I saw something that made me go hmmmm. A man walking around the parking lot in an orange jumpsuit.
I’ve been getting a bit done around here, so I’m not feeling as stressed.
You can negotiate with them. Show them car sites showing what a comparable replacement car will cost. They are not responsible for buying you a brand new car, but they are required to make you whole again.
Poor lil guy, hopefully once his mouth starts feeling better his appetite will pick up.
The clueless ones are so funny at times. GG is seeing snow for the first time in his life, big fluffy flakes falling a foot away from his nose and he just doesn’t get it. Oh, he finally realized he might be able to get closer if he goes into the catio.
Our housekeeper came today, so we went into town for breakfast. We started seeing snow as we were going up the mountain, it was steady the entire time we were having breakfast and most of the drive back down the mountain. We thought we were out of it, but nope, it started falling here as soon as we pulled into our driveway. It’s actually sticking on the ground, but I’m sure it will melt off by the end of the day.
His son wrote How to survive the Zombie Apocalypse which is often found in the non-fiction section at the library. I find that scary/amusing.
Have you come across Scott Sigler yet? He’s best as an audio book, he does all of the voices himself and can be hysterically funny. Start with Infection and enjoy 
FCM, Ziva is lovely, especially the silver nimbus on her feet and legs. Does her fur ripple when she runs?
If it’s not one thing, its the other. Dang and I hope you stop hurting yourself soon!
That’s probably because he’s at least 75% tail! Maine Coons are often referred to as a tail with a cat attached.
USAA says I have to send them receipts for all of the ‘improvements’ (hybrid battery refurbishment, tires, headlamps), plus evidence of prices of comparable vehicles ‘within a reasonable distance’ of my ZIP code and within 100,000 miles of my mileage.
The good news is that I have a tendency to toss receipts in the back seat until I clean the junk out, and then stick anything that looks ‘important’ into a seat pocket. The bad news is that I don’t always. I’m sure Toyota can give me a copy of the invoice for the headlamps, and I think Beacon Battery & Tire might have the one for the tires. The hybrid battery refurbishment was a few years ago, so I hope I still have it. I think I’ll call Unlimited Service Downtown…
ETA: The propane guy came. I must have been in the bathroom. $274 to fill the tank. That’s a lot for a month of heat. Amazingly, the pilot light fired right up on the first use of the piezo-electric plunger. Usually it takes a lot of fiddling, and the use of matches.
ETA 2: Unlimited Service does have the 2019 receipt for the hybrid battery refurbishment, and they’ll email it to me.
It’s a bright, sunny day here. 30º and supposed to get up to 40º. No wind or nasty weather yesterday, so I guess we escaped. I hope I get a phone call from the injectors today, but knowing how it works over there, I’m not feeling too confident. I don’t want to make another attempt on their Byzantine communication system over there. How long do I wait before I do that? I hate this whole “They’ll call YOU to make an appointment” system. Why can’t patients call to make appointments? It’s like that everywhere out here, and I don’t get it.
ON the good news front, I finished my taxes the other day despite the back issues and the issues with TurboTax. I took a survey and gave it 3 stars because their bot kept telling me it was having technical difficulties (for two days) when I had a question. Today they called and said they’re giving me a partial refund. So yay for that, and I take back 10% of the bad things I’ve said about them. 
flyboy, BRR… glad you got the propane. The thermostat in my always-frigid classroom had no actual impact on the temperature.Students would beg me to turn it up, and I’d comply, knowing it would do no good. I called that thing the Illusion of Control. But that wouldn’t work on clever Mrs. LA. Hope USAA ups their offer. Sounds like you have a great case for it.
sari, we need to swath you in bubble wrap. We can’t have you getting hurt. It must make your already-complicated life that much harder.
I love this!
This made me curious. Turns out it’s fireplaces, wood stoves, and the occasional coal furnace. I didn’t know they still made coal furnaces.
wordy, I hope the pre-op appointment goes well and that you get there safely.
Um…
HOLY CRAP!! It’s snowing outside!
I am at 2600’, but still…snow during school hours is pretty rare around here. Usually an over-night thing.
“I’m dreaming of a white St. Polycarp’s Day…”
It’s like that here too (the frozen, windswept Upper Midwest) and has been for 3 or 4 years at last (the extent of my memory). As a result, I am still waiting for a call to go back in to proceed with vision therapy (waiting since March of 2020) and for Botox injections for bruxism (waiting since December of 2020). My jaded, cynical, old warhorse nurse opinion? Many speciality doctors and their practices don’t want to admit that their service model is broken and is treating people shabbily. As long as they can 100% fill their available time with patients and collect for those appts, they shut their eyes to the unserved. When they start having unfilled appt slots and therefore lost income, they will suddenly be open to patients initiating calls to make appts.
We had - find a seat and brace - snow overnight. Not much and definitely gone by morning, but I was not expecting that. Overnight lows in the 20s, it’s 48F now. It looked like in snowed in the Sierra for several hours. I shall permit myself a flicker of hope. And now, on with our regularly scheduled MMP
Swampy I believe I shall invite myself to your house for dinner tonight (virtually, of course). It sounds delish!
taters I hope you were able to catch up on some rest yesterday. Will the cable folks be able to just pull a new cable through or do they have to dig up your yard? (Reading further - it sounds like there will be digging. Boo.)
boofae I’m glad the news about Shadow is good! My zoo and I will keep appendages crossed for speedy recovery,
flyboy oh noes! I hope the propane crew can make their way to you ASAP.
I’m sure he can visit again in times of great need, like heroes of old.
Quietly I shall root for the Water Polo team.
sari that would make me go “hmmm” too.
I’m finally caught up on this week’s MMP (and the end of last week’s)! *whew*!
Work is pretty quiet today, I have my windows open because it’s just lovely outside right now (sunny and 71), and my doggy is snoozing peacefully next to my desk. I’ve definitely had worse Wednesdays.
Thanks to everyone who wished good wishes for my show on Saturday: it went really well! I had a blast, I think the band and the audience also had fun, and I got lots of compliments afterwards – and not just from people who know me (even the sound guy said nice things!). And I managed to make a small profit, which is pretty great. There is no audio or video that I’m aware of, which is fine with me because it was my first time on stage in two years and I wasn’t really trying to have this performance recorded for posterity. A friend took a bunch of pictures that she’s still processing, but she sent me an early look at one and I figured I’d share a small version:
Also, I took a selfie about 90 minutes before showtime – after I got all gussied up, but while it was still too soon to head to the stage:
I don’t have any other gigs lined up yet, but I’m hopeful for some bookings this summer. And I will definitely try to get a show at the same festival again next year.
Tomorrow evening I start a company-sponsored course that will help me pass the exam for a professional certification (Project Management Professional [PMP]). Classes will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30pm-7:30pm, from tomorrow though the last day of March. We’ll have homework and reading assignments and everything (yay). I’m aiming to take the exam in April. Although I’m not thrilled about the pending workload, and I’ll have to miss a couple of bariatric support group meetings, I’m actually looking forward to the course: I enjoy learning new things, and these topics – and the resulting cert – will actually help me professionally. And I haven’t done anything like this since 2013.
Ok, so, I have to ask: have they changed it? 
(why yes, it has been a while)
Yay!! 
Run? Ziva? It is to laugh! She mostly hides behind the sofa, venturing out when I dispense kitteh treats. The closest she comes to running is skittering back behind the sofa when FCD walks by. For reasons unknown, she doesn’t seem to like him. She’s a weird old woman.
I’ve returned the babby to his mommy, I got my new specs, and I ran by Food Lion because FCD texted me that we were out of lunch meat. We now have lunch meat. It’s mid-70s out there, but I’m just too beat to go out and futz in the yard. Dammit. Some day…
Sorry - had to share this - too adorbs to keep to myself!
Oopsie, you are GORGEOUS! I hope to be able to hear your wonderful voice someday. I so admire people with great voices. When I sing, even crows use earplugs.
Such a comfort! Do dogs or cats get insomnia? This is the question that keeps me awake nights. 
That actually is called the Illusion of Control.
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/placebo-buttons-design/index.html
So far, the total ‘added value’ I’ve put into the car from the hybrid battery refurbishment, headlamps, and tires is $2,133.73. A year and a half ago I replaced a tail light assembly because the non-replaceable brake light was out. That was $450 or $500. I’ve requested the invoice from the dealership, and they said they’ll send it ASAP.
The average value of a 2005 Prius in this area is $6,666 based on the Craigslist ads, and the average price on Auto Trader is $7,995 . The closest match to my car is on Auto Trader has 192,437 miles. That’s just over USAA’s ‘within 100,000 miles’ criterion, but a reasonable person would allow it. The price for that car is $6,995.
As soon as I have that last invoice, I’ll send everything in.
If you thought the housing market was insane, you’re going to love this: a doghouse just sold for $44,000. You’d think the price tag was high due to extras: a doggie lap pool, perhaps, or a whine cellar, or maybe a Swarovski crystal water dish, and you’d be wrong. It has particle board sides and a rusty roof. The reason it’s so valuable is it was struck by a meteor.
Furthermore the meteor sold separately,.for $7,000
It’s a crazy ol’ world. More here.
That’s it exactly, flyboy. Of course, it eventually occurred to my students that it wasn’t getting any warmer. Kids wore coats and fingerless gloves to class. I called the coldest area, right under the blowers, Little Siberia. One student asked me to turn off the AC. I said, “Kiddo, that’s the heat.”
Moooom, you can’t post too many photos of the Tobler as far as I’m concerned. How do you stop playing with that beautiful mop of curls?
His little head is kissable and perfect for rubbing my nose against! His hair is soooo soft! But I fear one day it will be super-curly like Roxy’s, and my nose-rubbing days will be over! 
silenus, was it the terlit seat or the kitty condo that Tango was so excited about? :d&r:
baker, my granny could tell you exactly when easter would be every year.
Who knows, swampy, you may wind up taking a turn at serving yourself if you can’t get anyone lined up.
St. Arnold’s day would be a good time doggio. St. Robert, not so much (church doctor, got it wrong about Galileo).
Glad everything checked out with Shadow BooFae.
Tobias is truly a cutie pie Mooooooom.
Today is an upside down day weatherwise. It was 56F when I got up and is currently 38F. Brrrrrrr.
I finally sold the Cricut cartridges! The lady came to my town, paid the asking price and was on time. No more dealing with illiterate idiots.
I noticed a large bruise on my sore right hip this morning when showering. It finally dawned on me at irk this afternoon. Someone else used the chair at my irk station over the weekend and everytime I sat in it, the narrowest part of the scoop seat edge was digging into the widest part of my tuchus. I made some adjustments, and Voila! No more pain when I sat. Now for the bruise to heal.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!