Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: March 10th through March 16th

Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.

Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).

The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.

So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?

NOTE: The comments page will now split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the link.


 
Page One of Comments is HERE!
 
Page Two of Comments is HERE!
 

32 Comments

  1. It’s 47-feels-like-42 and drizzling. It may or may not get up to 55 today. The PV system is on but that’s about it. However the sun came out yesterday around noon and we generated 15 KWHs. The m-t-d is 102, not quite on track to get over 300 for the month but definitely covering my usage and banking a bit.

    I’m afraid the outside cat is an “unfixed” male – at least as he’s getting older some of the other wandering cats are attacking him. He is NOT an alpha kitty. I really, really wish he was willing to come inside. But he’s freaked the couple of times I’ve tried it. He’s not feral. He likes to be petted and will even put up with being picked up as long as I don’t try to carry him inside. But inside scares the hell out of him. Only thing I can think of is that maybe before he was tossed out/dumped inside included a vicious older cat or a dog or something. I can’t afford 5 cats, even if one of them is outdoors, but it looks like I’m gonna have 5 cats whether I want to or not. (One of the twins is not using the litterbox. sigh. Probably doesn’t like the pine-pellet litter. I need some nature’s miracle or other biological odor eater/deterrent. double sigh.)

    Still no news from the surgeon or cancer center for Aji. I guess they’re afraid they didn’t wait long enough to Dx her. Effen genocidal bastids. Other folks/online friends need some help (a west-coast one needs an apartment to move to before the one she’s in gets sold – they’re turning the complex into condos which of course she can’t afford, an east coast one may or may not need to move depending on how much her rent goes up with a recent property tax increase) but Aji’s hanging onto to life itself with teeth and toenails so needs all the prayers/invocation/channeling/etc of everybody’s various Traditions possible.

    I’m dragging today – sinusitis & worrying about friends and cats messed up my sleep – but nothing a combination of coffee and sunshine wouldn’t fix. I’m about to go get the coffee. I’ll just have to cross fingers and hope for the sunshine. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  2. Good morning, 36 and raining in Bellingham. Everything is winter grubby so we need a cleansing rain but today’s is chilly and dreary. The twilight light is making me want to go back to sleep, but life needs tending to so I’d best get busy.

    Best wishes to all.

  3. Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …

    It is 37 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 48. It is raining now and the forecast calls for rain all day, sometimes heavy. Tomorrow we will get more rain and temperatures close to 60 and there should be significant melting – local authorities are worried about flooding in some areas (not in my immediate area, thankfully).

    The story about wealthy parents gaming the system to get their kids admitted to elite colleges sets my teeth on edge. It is not enough that their kids get the benefit of entrance exam coaches and unlimited retakes – now they are bribing university officials to get that seat that their child cannot earn on his or her own. The rich are not doing themselves any favors in a climate where their complicity in the destruction of America – by embracing tax cuts over safety nets – is already under attack. They will pay no price – they will hire attorneys that will get them off and their children will laugh at anyone who calls them unworthy of the things that their parents money has bought for them. :(

    The slow-moving disaster of Brexit is finally getting to the end. I have to admit I do not understand the votes as each one says “this is the last chance.” At some point, that will probably be true! What they should do is declare the referendum damaged by fraud and have another vote.

    Finally, is anyone else nervous that the personal relationship between Trump and the Boeing CEO – and $1 million donation to the inauguration – is the only thing keeping the Boeing 737 Max from being grounded in the United States? The Republican Party, by turning a blind eye to the blatant selling of access from this White House, has the blood of anyone harmed by this latest example of corruption on their hands.

    See all y’all later!

  4. Good Wednesday Morning Meese

    21 degrees here in Saugerties NY going up to 49! Snowdrops are blooming in my yard.

    Katie Porter is awesome

    The Puerto Rico situation is dire.

    • Goddess Bless Auntie Maxine for giving our Reps a way to shut off ignorant Deplorables trying to run out the clock on questions they can’t – and don’t want to – answer. #I’mWithMaxine 👍😁

  5. Good Woden’s Day morning, Meese! It’s sunrise on what promises to be a clear day in Northern VA. The temperature is 29 F., rising later to 58 F. All day yesterday my body clock was out of sync with the real clock. What a nuisance! (First-world problem.)

    On my walk with Monty the other day I saw forsythia beginning to emerge as we passed by. I’ve always loved that yellow harbinger of spring.

    I still have a cold but am managing to stay upright by taking cold meds. A dozen chocolate-covered strawberries arrived yesterday, a present from Darling Niece and Beloved Nephew. This will set me back in my dieting plans! Lawks.

    Have an interview set up for today with the woman who started the art gallery here. As one traverses the first floor of Cardinal Clubhouse, the walls of the hallway are hung with paintings by residents. Last month it was framed, exquisite needlework by a very talented new resident. Apparently there was tremendous opposition to the art gallery at first; I’m interested in learning what was behind that.

    Not feeling well enough to keep up with politics, but of course I’m disgusted with the college admissions scandal. Hope karma deals with the perps as they deserve.

    Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.

  6. Storms supposed to be coming in later this morning. But they’re supposed to be out by this afternoon. I did my workout last night, my arms are sore today but that’s a good thing. Going to walk after work now that it stays light enough for long enough. Will have to leave early, because I also need gas & groceries (to buy something so I can have cash for the Pi Day bake sale at work tomorrow). And today’s song is Pride, because this video focuses on my lovely Adam.

  7. It’s 59 – I’d say a fine soft morning except it’s still so dark the PV is barely (as in 2 watts generation barely) on and the wind is howling like a banshee outside the office windows. The idjits who didn’t take in their garbage cans yesterday evening will be lucky to find them again when they get home this evening. We’re supposed to have rain today but the temps will be pretty steady all day. Yesterday the sun came out very briefly – we did get 4 KWHs which is more than I thought we would. The m-t-d is 107 so not on track for reaching 300 but definitely still over my usage at this point.

    My son had to cancel the trip this week. Turns out both boys have Strep. I’m glad they didn’t just assume it was a cold or something. Strep is nothing to mess with. Lousy way for the boys to spend their Spring Break, poor kids. I need to get a card off to the elder – he’ll be 10 next Wednesday – instead of the early birthday dinner we’d planned. My son’s hoping they can get up here the next time there’s a 4-day weekend.

    Meanwhile with the continuing kitty saga – I’ve found a mobile vet in this area who will be coming out Friday afternoon to check out all 5 cats (I was NOT looking forward to trying to take 5 cats to the vet – especially one who freaks when brought into the house) and give all 5 their shots. It’s 6 weeks early for the old boys and who knows about the youngsters but better safe than sorry. This will definitely be a chunk of change (est $600 for everything including the house call) but I can “borrow” from my tax-and-insurance savings account and get the money back in by the time my insurance is due in June since I’m still working. The shots are for 3 years so I figure divide the $600 by 3 and that’s $200 a year – less than what I’m shelling out now for Charlie and Cloud alone. (& discovered the one not using the box just doesn’t like the litter – I put an empty litter box out last night and he used it this morning. So just need to work on getting him used to the litter.)

    Aji still hasn’t heard from the surgeon and is running out of hope as well as strength. Anger’s been keeping her going but adrenaline can only carry you so far before exhaustion sets in. And it is. Prayers/invocations – whatever your Tradition teaches – are so very much needed. I wish it didn’t take so much metaphysical energy to make physical changes. But that’s just short-sighted and self-centering me. I will have to trust that the Universe is as it should be, no matter what I think. Or hope for.

    I need to get back to work. Although this wind is seriously keeping me from thinking straight. Logical thought is still functioning (I think) but nothing to do with numbers. Maybe coffee will help. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  8. Good morning, 40 and cloudy in Bellingham. Today the porches are going to get cleaned or else. And the last of the flannel bedding needs to be changed too. I’m done with winter!

    I’m done with tRump too, but agree with Danny Westneat……

    Hey liberals, you can still impeach Trump. You’re just going to have to do it at the polls.

    Impeachment sounds cleansing. But hear me on this one: It probably won’t bring justice. It can air grievances, but it won’t end in the liberal fantasy of Trump doing the perp walk. Ask the ’90s: It likely wouldn’t settle a thing.

    One thing that can, though, is voting. So there is a way to really impeach Trump, and that’s the people doing it themselves, at the polls.

    • Scott Lemieux put it pretty well: “Impeaching Trump Would Be Purely Symbolic, And There’s No Reason To Think It Would be Effective Symbolism“. Some of his bullet points:

      – If Trump can’t be convicted in the Senate, impeachment is purely a question of symbolic politics. What would it accomplish? What end would it serve?
      Trump is already unpopular. Open-ended investigations are an excellent way of making him even less popular while informing the public. Republicans were able to severely damage Hillary Clinton with a bunch of investigations that were just snipe hunts, as opposed to serious investigations of many scandals any one of which would have destroyed the typical political career.
      – Impeachment proceedings would definitely mobilize Trump’s supporters plus some wavering Republicans.

      That last point is the one that people need to think long and hard about. Trump has a 30% hard-core base, the “he could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and get away with it” group. That will go up if Fox can present him as a victim and if the end result is impeachment but no removal “SEE HE IS INNOCENT!!!” We can’t give them that easy narrative. Vote vote vote. Vote for the great things that the House is passing, vote for a return to decency and honor.

  9. Good morning, Meesefolk; 34 now and going up to a blah, grey 45. The rain moves in later today, and then, like Jan, tomorrow will be warm but rainy. The deer definitely know that spring is coming. I had to stop and wait for a sizable herd to cross the main road into work this morning. (Somewhere there are a whole bunch of hunters wondering how they managed to miss such a large herd; they were moving fast, but I counted at least eight does and one massive buck.)

    The news about rich people cheating doesn’t actually surprise me. When Kiddo was in high school, I started frequenting a site called College Confidential to learn more about the college admissions process, and I discovered the strange, new world of elite college admissions. The conversations between parents hellbent on seeing their kids attend an Ivy was beyond anything I’d ever seen or heard. It was both disturbing and eye-opening; I just don’t rub shoulders with folks that view attending an Ivy as the end-all and be-all of student/parental success. I learned a lot of helpful, practical stuff at CC, and I made online friends with whom I’m still in contact today. But the highly-competitive world of admissions where parents define themselves in terms of their kiddos admissions to elite colleges was a world that remains alien to me to this day. I can’t imagine being that kind of parent; I can’t imagine communicating to my kid that gaining an acceptance from an elite college is a measure of their worth…or a goal for which the end justifies the means.

    Really hoping the Judge Berman throws the book at Manafort today. The fact that Mueller’s team submitted a memo (or whatever the legal term is) outlining the sentence he already received makes me think they’re pushing for the max too. I’m already planning on having a good day; I’m petty enough that a stiff sentence for Manafort would make a good day better.

    Good day (or better) to and for all!

    • I was surprised to see that the second Manafort sentencing was today – I though I had read that it was the 31st but maybe I read “13” as “31” – obviously, glancing at my calendar, the 31st would not work as it is a Sunday. Judge Berman seems to be a smart judge and she has shown little patience for Manafort’s bs – I hope she finds a way to restore our belief that crime should not pay.

      The college admission system is a mess starting with the testing. Our state includes one “free” ACT test for all high school students but I know that in some states, the cost is borne entirely by the students themselves. That of course does not include the coaching and retake costs – one of my daughter’s classmates was unhappy with her 32 and her family spent thousands of dollars in coaching/tutoring and she retook the test at least 6 times. People who can’t afford to retake the test (the first retake can often bump the score by 4 to 6 points simply because it is not all new) are stuck with whatever they get. The SAT is worse and most schools don’t even look at those any longer but the ACT is still the primary test with many schools not even looking at any other credentials for students who score below 26. So if you take tests poorly – or had a bad day – and can’t afford a retake, tough. Your 3.7 GPA and AP classes are irrelevant. Boo on them!

  10. Good morning, meeses! Thursday … Happy Pi Day!!

    It is 48 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 59. Showers off and on all day.

    I understand that it is not my decision to make but the two guys afraid to run a statewide race in Texas deciding instead to run for president is disheartening. I admit that I don’t understand the fascination with Beto but I am old so maybe it is a young person thing. His resume is thin, his choice to support his Republican colleague instead of the Democratic challenger is infuriating, and he brings absolutely nothing to the race that is not already covered by one of the other candidates – it is purely an ego trip driven in part by David “Hates Wimmins” Axelrod fluffing him up and, sadly, Barack Obama liking the cut of his jib. I want my presidentials to be thoughtful and intelligent sounding and I don’t see it. Again, I will vote for whoever the Democrats nominate but he would not be in my top 5.

    Manafort got another 3.5 years and the bad news that a presidential pardon won’t save his sorry ass thanks to the Manhattan DA’s office. Trump intervention into the job of the FAA kept 737 Max 8’s flying and then grounded them – I hate that precedent! Brexit is a total disaster and there appears to be no solution given that they refuse a revote. At least in our case, the ratfked 2016 election is followed by an election in 2020 and we have a chance to fix it.

    Traveling day so I need to get my notes in order and then hit the road.

    See all y’all later!

    • Safe travels, Jan!

      Beto reminds people of Bobby Kennedy. People missed their chance to have a youthful, rumpled-looking prez when BK was assassinated, so they want one now.

      I fail to see why he would attract any more support than others. Hope he pulls support from Saint Bernard.

  11. Thursday Meese. 39 going up to 58 here in NYS. Looks like spring weather will be here for a week.

    Want to hear from anotherdemocrat on this:

    Puerto Rico

    • Heh, I replied on Beto even before I read your post. Honestly, I’m bummed. I really wanted him to run against Cornyn. He’s a good guy. But I’m voting for one of the women.

      • Whew! I was hoping that I would not offend you with my lack of enthusiasm for Beto. I just don’t see what he brings that other people don’t have except his young white maleness which is troubling to me. Do we really need a guy who says “I was born to do this!!”?

        • I like him, he pulled off a miracle in Texas & I hope President Harris/Warren/Klobuchar/Gillibrand puts him in her cabinet. After putting Sec. Castro on her ticket as VP.

  12. Woke up at 4 freaking 30 again. I really wish my digestive system would…. do something different. Anyway, I got downtown & walked — 1.02 miles, yay me! Going to do my HIIT workout this afternoon — got to be consistent, so I can get past the soreness. I’m actually bummed Beto is running for POTUS. Our nominee this time is just not going to be a white guy. Just, no. And I’m already sick of the “he lost” thing. Texas is red because the Valley & El Paso have never registered & voted in numbers that they should — commensurate with the rest of the state. They did this time. To go from losing by 56.6 in 2012 to 50.9 is a freaking miracle.

    Ok, going to listen to Chocolate. If I get to meet Gary when they come through Austin, I’m going to ask him if this song is supposed to make any sense. Lyrics.

  13. Good bornig, Beese, I’b still god this bloody code. It’s reached the “disgusting” stage, so I have to stay home today instead of going out to demonstrate against the NRA with the other raging grannies. Bummer. It’s a nice day in Ashburn, too—40 F. right now, going up to 71 F. today!

    However, I have lots of sorting papers to do, and I must try to feel better because I have a child-tending job on Saturday. Also, I feel a short story coming on! Only thing is, it was inspired by something another writer said. I’ve asked her if she wants to write it. If she says no, then I’ll write it.

    I wish I had a song running around in my head that wasn’t this:

    “Mr. Purple People Eater, what’s your line?”
    “Eatin’ purple people and it sure is fine…”

    Is this happening because the story I want to write involves the color purple? Goddess only knows.

    Wishing a good day to all. Please sanitize your screen so you won’t get my cold.

  14. Happy Pi Day everybody. It’s 43 but feels like 34, temps are still dropping from our morning/day’s high of 55. Wind’s shifted and the humidity is “only” 70% so things feel colder even though it’s sunny. The sun came out yesterday afternoon and we got 10 KWHs bringing the m-t-d to 117.5 – not on track for 300 but still banking. However the wind is still howling which is making it difficult to think straight. Right now there’s another candidate for the desk I’m holding down being interviewed. Yesterday’s had glowing references but was so “locked down” we haven’t a “feel” for personality and whether she’d fit. This one appears older and quiet. I haven’t actually talked to either of them, just listened as they exchanged polite comments with my friend before they went into the Chair’s office for interview. This one seems to have an accent but not strong enough for me to tell what kind. There’s another interview tomorrow morning. So this really may be my last month working. We shall see what we shall see.

    I’m a #NoBeto – for Senate, hell yeah. for governor even, hell yeah. For prez? nope, nope, nope-ity nope. I sincerely hope BHO rethinks this and puts his muscle behind somebody not white male. My preference is Harris but any of my “top 5” – none of whom are white – would do just fine.

    Aji still hasn’t heard from the surgeon or cancer center – which is damned impolite as well as getting close to criminal negligence. (probably not legally – which is why they do it. they can get away with it.) All of her people she’s got lined up to take care of animals while she’s gone are also having to keep their schedules up in the air while the surgeon’s office doesn’t contact for whatever reason.

    I’m still dealing with added cats in the household. I finally saw what’s happening as to why there’s a faint odor of piddle all over the place. The one who doesn’t like the litter does go in the empty box – but tries to “cover” it even though there’s nothing to cover it with so gets it on his paws and then tracks it everywhere. I put a small amount of litter on top today to soak it up. There are still bare spots for him but maybe he’ll get the point (rather than avoid “his” box) about what litter is for. I hope. I’ll discuss it with the vet/vet tech tomorrow afternoon. We’ll see then if they are chipped and if the one who doesn’t have an ear clip has been fixed. Among other things.

    I wish this wind would die down enough to not howl. I like wind but this is mucking with my ability to think. sigh. I forgot my lunch this morning and I’m out of milk so no coffee until I can take a break to get some. double sigh. I could use that coffee. Bright the day, Meeses.

  15. Good morning, Meesefolk; 43 when I got up, but now our high is only supposed to be 55, instead of in the 60s as has been on my widget all week. That’s still shirtsleeve weather…or would be if we weren’t expecting the same wind and storms as everyone else later today.

    I’m underwhelmed by Beto (the excerpted quotes from the VF article didn’t help, but I haven’t read the whole article). I think I’ve made my feelings apparent: if we’re going to settle for a white guy, my pick would be Pete Buttigieg. I really am disappointed he didn’t go for Cornyn’s seat, but I do think it’s possible that he’ll eat into Sen. Sanders’ support. THAT wouldn’t bother me in the least.

    I had to go back and see the context of the comments by President Obama re Beto, and after checking my recollection, I’m far less bothered than most. These articles cover them pretty well: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/beto-orourke-met-with-barack-obama-as-he-ponders-a-2020-presidential-campaign/2018/12/04/fa895cc8-f7fb-11e8-8d64-4e79db33382f_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7c106c495c49

    https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-politics/2018/11/20/barack-obama-hails-beto-orourke-impressive-amid-speculation-texans-2020-plans

    I do find it interesting the number of other candidates who have met with Obama to far less fanfare; Amy Klobuchar has too, although she isn’t mentioned in the first article. I’m not sure his comments on Axelrod’s podcast should be given the weight they’re receiving; it’s one thing to muse aloud, “He kind of reminds me of me,” and another to endorse a candidate over the rest of the field.

    Back to work…good day to and for all!

    • Thanks for those links. Seems MSM’s trying to sow dissension, as usual. I guess their polling shows that only the bros are feeling the bern and joementum isn’t what it’s cracked up to be so they’re trying for a younger white male savior to push all those BIPOC especially the wimmen back in the kitchen or under the table. sigh. Thanks again. {{{HUGS}}}

    • Axelrod may want Beto more than President Obama does – he has been anti-Hillary since 2008 and expressed his dislike of her throughout the entire 2016 campaign; he won’t like anyone whose campaign staff overlaps Hillary’s. I had read the first article you posted and did not remember any outward endorsement. You are right: “he kind of reminds me of me” could just be an observation about their personalities. I did not read the Vanity Fair article (and won’t) and was relying on snippets and quotes for my “reporting”. I am willing to let the Democratic Party primarygoers sort this out because I have a lot of confidence in the strengths shown by my preferred candidate. Did you see the wholehearted endorsement by Kamala Harris of Gov. Newsom’s decision to close the gas chamber? A majority of Californians voted to keep the death penalty so that is no small thing.

      Anyway, the only candidates I will actively snark against are any Third Wayers like Hinkenlooper, terrible human beings like Gabbard, Trump-enablers like Sanders, and Joe Biden who will take us backwards. Everyone else gets a fair hearing.

  16. Good morning, 39 and cloudy in Bellingham. I”m weary this morning but the porches are clean and pruning has started on the winter burned plants around the front porch. I need to buy new door mats today, and I hope to visit the garden shop for some blooming bulbs. Clean porches and flowers in bloom helps chase my winter blues away!

    RonK is a volunteer with Whatcom Land Trust so we attended a “thank you” event for volunteers and land stewards last night. It was good to be in a room full of people actively working to preserve and protect our part of the world. I wish I could be more actively involved with the group, but reality means I’m a garden steward :)

    Best wishes to all.

    • What an excellent organization! I am glad to see that there are people actively working to preserve our natural resources:

      So much damage was done to my state over the past 8 years and some of it will not be able to be reversed. But now that we are back in power, we can stop the worst of it – already the Republicans are squealing about the executive orders blocking destruction of our natural resources. Elections have consequences and I am hoping we can get some legislative seats in 2020 to make positive changes instead of just putting up a firewall.

  17. Good morning, meeses! Friday …

    It is 37 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 41. The forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies. The remnants of the bomb cyclone passed through here yesterday afternoon and gave us a few monsoon-like downpours, scary looking clouds and high winds. Unfortunately, I was driving through most of it. :(

    Senate Republicans “rebuked” their president but in a very safe way – it is not really binding because he will veto it. It did give us some good targets for 2020, though – every Senator up for re-election except Susan Collins (who has already lost as the killer of Roe v Wade) voted with their party over our Constitution. The ads will be pretty easy to write. The Denver Post is already up in Cory Gardner’s grill:

    We endorsed Sen. Cory Gardner in 2014 because we believed he’d be a statesman. We knew he’d be a conservative voice in Congress, to be certain, but we thought his voice would bring “fresh leadership, energy and ideas.”

    We see now that was a mistake – consider this our resolution of disapproval.

    Gardner has been too busy walking a political tight rope to be a leader. He has become precisely what we said in our endorsement he would not be: “a political time-server interested only in professional security.” […]

    We no longer know what principles guide the senator and regret giving him our support in a close race against Mark Udall.

    The principles that guide him is Party over Country and Trump Fear.

    Beware the Ides of March! I wonder if Robert Mueller III is a literary guy?

    Busy day here as I get caught up from my travel day. See all y’all later!

  18. Friday Meese.
    49 going up to 68.

    Candles lit for those who died in the white supremacist terrorist attack in NZ

    Please listen to these words from Waleed Aly

  19. um. I thought this was Idaho – not SC

    Sanders campaign

  20. Cold! Ok, I know 50 isn’t actually cold, but after a couple of warm days, it feels that way. Leaving for my walk, I started to go with just a warm shirt, turned around & got a jacket with a hood. Glad I did, because downtown is a few degrees cooler than home — closer to the river. Walked with the hood up, because my hair was still wet. Not bad: 1.04 mi in 30 minutes. Wearing my shamrock t-shirt, and a green cardigan. Played Wild Horses in my head walking — it’s a great one for ungodly hour of the morning exercise:

    Ooh, it hasn’t finished you
    It’s only that it feels that way
    [Pre-Chorus]
    Just keep your wits about you, don’t let it end you
    And summon everything you’ve held up in reserve
    …..
    [Chorus]
    What are you holding back
    I know you’ve wild horses, enough inside of you

    full lyrics

Comments are closed.