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?
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NOTE: The comments page will 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 (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 21 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 16 (it will feel like 0). Flurries are in the forecast. An advancing Canadian low will plunge us into the deep freeze and we will have single digit highs (and below zero lows) for the next few days.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! tRump cancelled his Mar-a-Sh*tHole January 6th presser “on the advice of his attorneys.” More likely he realized that no one was going to cover it live and he had no interest in being a page 3 story. No one believes that he listens to his attorneys or that he has attorneys intelligent enough to realize that their client will admit to organizing the riot and using his Justice Department to plot the overthrow of the government. I fervently wish that his face would stop being on my TV screen and in my newspapers.
I guess Merrick Garland is going to speak about January 6th today. No one expects anything other than boilerplate “I believe in the rule of law” and “I am a trustworthy white guy with white hair” and “the investigation is ongoing.” Maybe that is all he can say – it would be nice if he would announce that investigations into the tRump White House are occurring (there is no sign that they are) and that the people in the Justice Department who helped tRump develop strategies to overturn the election have been purged. I will read about it in tomorrow’s paper.
I have spent the early morning researching virtual PO boxes. I am tired of having to go to the post office to check mail for my business. It is an interesting idea and one that I did not realize was an option. You can choose a mailing address that looks like a street address with a “suite” number and have the received mail scanned so you can see what you got (much like Informed Delivery, a service from the US Postal Service for residences). When you get the notification, you can decide what you want to do with the mail – shred it, open it and scan the contents, forward it to your actual physical address. Some of the services include package services which I would not need or want – it might be nice if you were traveling for months at a time but then why would you order stuff??!! And why would you want to pay to re-ship it to your physical address? Anyway, there are a lot of options and, of course, I spent more time on it than I should have! Now my project work awaits so I better get to it.
See all y’all later!
Never heard of such a thing, Jan, but what an interesting idea!
When I moved back in 2004, I set up a PO Box for my business at my Madison location because 1) I was renting while I was waiting for my house to be finished 2) I had moved my business two other times and I hated that the business address was my home. I did not want customers “dropping by” and having my business connected to my residence. Now that I am contemplating a move out-of-state which may require a short-term rental then a longer term residence, it might make sense to establish a virtual mailbox for both my business and me so that I don’t have multiple address changes that will be confusing. There are a lot of options with many pros and cons and I want to understand it before I jump in and muck up my mail delivery. A virtual mailbox will be a cheaper than a real PO Box and a lot cheaper than an online payment portal. Most of my clients are small and probably would resist not being able to send me a check.
Ah!
Wednesday Meese.
I’m upset
HBCUs – bomb threats
Bloody hell, white supremacy never stops! Hope they find and arrest the miscreants.
Bastids! I hope they’re caught. & tried. & imprisoned for life w/o parole.
Puerto Rico
Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! It’s gray this morning, but they’ve called off the freezing rain-turning-to-ice warning. When I took Monty out shortly after 6 a.m. it was still dark and very windy. Right now it’s 30 F., overcast, and we’re expecting a high of 45 F.
We need to start winding down Christmas here. The grandchildren displayed a notable lack of enthusiasm about decorating the tree this year, so we’re going to give the small artificial tree to Goodwill, donate the ornaments, and simply get a lighted wreath to hang up come December. Our flat is too small for a Christmas tree anyway, and we already have everything we need, so that’s that.
The Home for the Aged outings are being cancelled right and left, owing to Omikron. I’m in two minds about my Writers’ Group, which is supposed to meet next week.
Today I will finish setting up an article about residents who have met famous people before they moved here and, please Goddess, work some more on Chapter 9.
Wishing a good, quiet day to all at the Pond.
Cold but not freezing. With the warmer day, I’m thinking of an afternoon walk but the cedar pollen count is still really high. Ugh. For now, I’m getting ready for another work from home day. I did uncover the plants yesterday, hope the couple of sunny days are good for them.
It’s 31 heading for 44 and sunny. Yesterday’s clouds moved through early and we generated 6.45 KWHs – the m-t-d is 18.3 which isn’t on track but it’s holding steady.
Everything and everybody seems to be the same. Not on track but holding steady where they are. It’s not good but it beats losing ground. I got better sleep overnight which is helpful. Hands are functional. Which is also helpful. Laundry done but still on the racks so needs to get put up. That’s my main household chore for the day. LOL.
Off to twitter. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 26, cloudy, icy roads, more snow tonight, yuck! I’ve got a hair appointment this afternoon so I hope I can get there. I know I complain about endless rain but I’m longing for a rainy day now. oh well, time for coffee and to get my day underway. Best wishes to all.
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 9 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 12. Mostly cloudy skies are in the forecast. Overnight the low will be -6 with -20 wind chills. I thank the Goddess that I have a warm home, safe from the cold.
Today the January 6th retrospectives will be written and the attack on the Capitol remembered in speeches and interviews. The difference between this anniversary and other “days of infamy” is that the enemy who attacked our country is still among us and represented at the highest leadership positions in our government and in the Republican Party. If Osama Bin Laden in 2001 or Emperor Hirohito in 1941 were planning how to become Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader or President of the United States, we would be aghast. But here we have leaders who helped plan the attack – and then who helped cover up for those responsible and are now helping block any attempts to fix what led to the attacks – ready to take those leadership roles. Bastids.
Meanwhile, a deadly pandemic rages unchecked because those very same people want to make our lives and our economy as terrible as possible in order to “own the libs.” Bastids.
I have some projects I need to get done before I have to shut down and leave for a dental appointment. I better get to it.
See all y’all later!
Good morning Meese. Happy Three Kings Day to those who celebrate it.
30 degrees here in Kingston going up to 36.
Puerto Rico
Good Thursday morning, Meese. We have cloudy skies of gray and white, a temp. of 36 F. and it won’t get much warmer. The Emergency people are hysterically predicting 2-4 inches of snow by tomorrow morning, so I’ll plan to go nowhere tomorrow. Therefore I’ll have to venture out just before lunchtime to Trader Joe’s to see if they have any 2% milk.
I did manage to get some work completed yesterday but not all of it. How the hail did I ever complete novels and short stories before? Well, for one thing I was younger and slept a lot better than I do now, and for another I had a room of my own upstairs with a door that shut. The dawg was downstairs with Dearly. Enough whining for the day.
This afternoon I plan to skip the Communications Committee meeting to see a film called “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” My next-door neighbor told me the story years ago and I even bought the book, but haven’t read it yet. I have days when I can read things like that and days when I can’t.
Preparing to research a story about our Vice President, I signed up to follow her FB page. WHAT a mistake! I’m going to get off it. What a vile, ungrateful tribe of morons are commenting! I don’t need that.
It’s time to switch on the coffee. We may be low on 2% milk but we have enough half-and-half to clog our arteries until 2024! Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
I wonder about this quite often: “How the hail did I ever complete novels and short stories before?” in relation to my own work. I still feel pretty smart and competent but things I used to do seem to take longer than they did. Is it wanting to “take care” and not make mistakes, is it needing a little longer to reach that tiny bit of information I need to work on the task, something that was closer to the “top” of my brain before? I am not sure but I do know that I have had to adjust my estimates to accommodate that reality.
Ah, Jan, ’tis age, I’m afraid. I know that whatever I get done, gets done in the morning. After lunch it’s ALL downhill and after dinner, guess who’s snoring softly in the green recliner? None other than yrs truly. One of my friends told me, “You slow way down after age 70,” and I’ve found that to be true.
Good morning. Enjoying my last wfh day this week. It’s cold by Texas standards, didn’t freeze last night but it will tonight. I’m going to log off work early to cover my plants.
Caribbean Matters
The three kings look magnificent!
Here is Joe Biden’s Address to the Nation regarding the Former Guy’s assault on democracy.
I find I do not enjoy Joe Biden’s addresses because they are too long and his talking points are repeated in a way I find irritating. I will find a transcript to read or chase down a twitter thread.
Joe Biden Transcript is here.
Kamala Harris transcript is here.
Thank you!
Thank you. I don’t do the videos either.
The White House put together a short version of the speech interspersed with video from the breach of the Capitol.
Yes, they are too long. It was a kick-ass speech, though, and I love the fact that never once did he utter Thing’s name. This must have irritated Thing a great deal.
Also was impressed that Madame Vice President pointed out three days of infamy: December 7, 1941; September 11, 2001; and January 6, 2021.
I think December 7th everyone agrees on. A lot of people, including me, think of September 11 as something that was avoidable – the direct result of Republican incompetence and less a “day of infamy” than a day when George W. Bush demonstrated that Brains Matter and ignorance has consequences. I hope some day Americans agree that what tRump and his insurrectionists did was terrible.
3 Kings – or Magi – Day. May the gifts they bring help us find and walk a better path.
It’s 22 going to 26 and overcast enough I didn’t wake up until 8. Just as well considering my sleep/lack of sleep pattern over the night. At least there’s enough light the PV system is on. Yesterday was best generation of month & year so far – 7.5 KWHs – so the m-t-d at 25.8 was gaining ground. Which it’s just going to lose (and more) today if the clouds don’t clear off. (Sounds unfortunately like a metaphor for our political and pandemic situation. sigh.)
Today I’ll “celebrate” by taking down most of my decorations. Definitely the wreath so a bit of greenery can go into tonight’s fire. I may leave the lights around the window until tomorrow.
There’s breakfast to eat and Dee’s diary to read and twitter chores to do. So off to deal with all that. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
My little tree and outdoor lights will stay up until my daughter leaves following her holiday visit. That is when the holidays officially end for me.
Good morning, 31, cloudy, and several inches of fresh snow outside my window. I’ve got an appointment for my booster shot at 10:00 am today but I’m nervous about driving, even with our son in his heavy truck. Booster appointments are hard to get so it’s a dilemma. Another cup of coffee may clear my sleepy brain so I can sort it out. Best wishes to all.
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is -4 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 9. Sunny skies are in the forecast. During the early morning hours, the walls were popping from the extreme cold. My doggy’s feet get cold on the frozen snowbanks. Arizona beckons.
A number of universities, including some in Wisconsin, are going back to remote learning rather than having to deal with staffing shortages and managing thousands of 18 to 22 year olds getting sick at an alarming rate. Most of the UW schools are fully vaxxed (I think over 90%) but that won’t stop people from getting sick and missing 3 or 4 days of school. With no end in sight for the omicron variant wave – and no way to predict what the next wave will bring – schools are going back to what they know will work. My daughter is glad that she had an in-person semester and in-person graduation to finish up her college career. It is really going to mess some people up if their jobs require having learned hands-on skills in college. :(
I still have not read many of the 1/6 stories – I put some into Pocket to read later. I will not join people in praising Dick “Dick” Cheney for showing up to honor the Capitol Police. Republican ideology since Nixon’s Southern Strategy and Reagan’s embrace of white supremacy in Philadelphia MS and GHWB’s Willie Horton ads paved the way for Donald Trump and set the stage for January 6th. He was happy to use embracing white grievances to gain and keep power and his now pretending to be shocked to find out that racism is the loud and proud driving force for Republicanism is BS. If he were still in a leadership role in the party, he would be advising people to tone down the “loud” parts but would not find any reason to ask them to change what is in their hearts. I am glad it is loud and proud – it is easier to spot the enemy.
Yesterday turned out to be particularly busy and today seems poised to be the same. I have just three more days to get my end-of-year accounting projects done before my clients start needing help with their end-of-year projects.
See all y’all later!
Friday Meese. 25 and snowing here in Kingston NY, going up to 34.
Had a wonderful 2 Kings Day dinner at a friend’s house yesterday- completely Puerto Rican menu – yum!
Puerto Rico
The Energy Bureau approved a 16.8% increase in the electricity bill for the first quarter of 2022
Glad I covered the plants, it got down to 27. No more freezes in the forecast, at least for a week. Making lots of notes to myself, getting ready to take a whole week off work. Will call in to the all-staff meeting on Wednesday to hear the covid update. Austin went back to stage 5, masks not required, since that’s not allowed, but strongly encouraged.
Good Friday morning, Moosekind, here in Ashburn we’re getting off to a very slow start. It’s 26 F., on its way up to 29 F. When I woke up at a little past 7, snow prettily limned the branches of the woods across the way. However, a fierce wind has been blowing said snow off the trees. Between wind gusts we can see the sun also rising and the sky is pale blue behind the skeleton trees. Our two inches of new-fallen snow is still in shadow on this short winter’s day.
Pray forgive my rhapsodies about the snow. It is such a rare sight in this area that we all get quite hysterical about it. Thank Goddess Younger Son is working from home this morning! His wife works at home anyway, as do Elder Son and DIL most of the time. Elder Son reports they’re dealing with the six-year-old with a combination of TV and Zombies, and I’m sure Nora is on her phone and Karl is busily working on “really hard Lego projects.” I’m planning a day of writing and laundry. Dearly Beloved is listening to Wolf Blitzer bleating on CNN.
Yesterday I went to see “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” There’s a description here:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/boy_in_the_striped_pajamas
There were about 40 people widely spaced and wearing masks, in the theatre. I’m glad I saw the film, although I was unable to speak when I left. Went home and asked Dearly to make me a cup of tea and give me two aspirin.
I felt the reviews were most unfair. It wasn’t a documentary that attempted to discuss the entire history of the Holocaust, for Goddess’ sake! It was one story, told from the viewpoint of an 8-year-old child. Some people simply can’t distinguish between fiction, meant to entertain, and fact, meant to inform. Years ago one person who read my novel, Revenge , about rape said she wished there had been a list at the back of the book about where to get help in that situation. That is no part of a novelist’s job. My job was tell the story of a rape survivor from her point of view. Not everyone would have got revenge the way she did, but that was how she chose to deal with it.
Well, enough of that. Here it is, five minutes to 10 a.m., and I’m still in my dressing-gown. Time to start my day!
As always, wishing a nice, peaceful day to all at the Pond.
It’s 21 going to 38 (which is lower than last night’s prediction but still above freezing) and sunny. Yesterday we got 6.2 KWHs and the m-t-d is 32 so holding steady, if not on track.
Got my decorations down and put up. Had to take the wreath apart to burn it. My woodstove is too small to put it on the fire otherwise. But it did send up “fragrant smoke” to Whoever might be paying attention. Sleep was intermittent. Hands are cold but functional.
Everybody seems to be managing. Jill’s fridge died. And of course being an RV fridge it’s going to cost at least $800 to replace. (RV wiring won’t take even a dorm-size fridge.) But she’s still got the ice chests from when she was on the mesa and ice is half the price where she is than in Taos. So she’s managing too. Amelia’s safe housed for another month. Blessings on the one who paid 3/5 the tab. Managing.
Hoping everyone at the Pond is also managing as we come to the end of the first full week of 2022. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}