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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Wednesday Meese. Finally warmer weather – it’s 26 going up to 42.
Loved this photo of Georgetown Black Law Students
Georgetown Law School – Ilya Shapiro
The right-wing is livid about Shapiro being punished in any way for his racism. They are a one-stop white supremacist protection racket and don’t care what institutions they destroy. I wish those young people had some economic leverage over the school – that seems to be the only thing the powers-that-be care about. :(
YES!
Puerto Rico
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 12 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 14. Cloudy skies are in the forecast. The Great Midwestern Storm will slide south of us – we will get the cold but none of the snow. Yesterday it was 40 – spring is teasing us. The groundhogs around here will NOT see their shadow which is supposed to mean winter will end sooner than 6 weeks. I have never quite understood that one.
I do NOT want to read about Joe Biden’s efforts to “woo” Senate Republicans for the SCOTUS confirmation. Senate Republicans are not partners in governing and should be cut out of everything. Although it sounds like we might need at least one of them to help us get past cloture if the Senator from New Mexico ends up unable to return to Washington to vote. Our majority is SO thin and SO perilous. If the Republicans take back the Senate because we lose our tie breaking ability – and then block the SCOTUS nominee – that would suck.
I started out with no fewer than 10 must-do things on my platter this morning and I got exactly none of them done. I started a few of them, hit roadblocks and so now, as the day will get busier, I have to decide what I can get done and what will have to wait. Technology is being impenetrable. I need to sign a document and my browser’s cookies won’t let me stop and restart the process; I signed up for something else and got locked out because the web site expected the phone number I entered to be a mobile phone and has no way to get the authentication except via a text message. Arghh! So I will need to find a “clean” browser and try again and then figure out where to call to get the balky application finished. The good news is that there are no client projects demanding my attention – I got them all to a steady state at the end of the month.
See all y’all later!
YES!
Technology infuriates! Yesterday I was trying to order a replacement yellow toner cartridge but the online form refused to process my payment until I told it my credit card’s “nickname.” Now, Moosekind, the LAST THING I HAVE EVER THOUGHT OF DOING is assigning a nickname to my stupid credit card, which is going to expire this July anyway. So I typed “Pissy” in the space on the form and the payment went through.
Good morning. Preparing for several days of freezing weather, with precipitation. The news & weather people keep stressing that this isn’t a storm like last year. But freezing for several days is still freaking people out — I think Friday it won’t even get above freezing, which is weird for us. I’m so hoping work is canceled Friday, when I’m scheduled to be in the office. Anyway, today I’m just working from home, logging off early to cover my plants.
Good Wednesday morning, MoosePeeps, and happy 2-2-22! Is not that amazing? Well, I suppose we’re getting six more weeks of winter. However, I understand that dear old Punxatawny Phil’s predictions are right only 35% of the time.
We’re supposed to be experiencing “freezing fog” at the moment, but I’ve seen it far foggier and as for freezing, the current temp. in Ashburn is 35 F. We’ll have a high of 49 F. today.
I have one more interview to conduct, and that will be at 3:30 today. This morning I’m going to get my hair done and then try to find Jimmeh Dean’s Original Pork Sawsiges at Harris Teeter. Our usual grocery store has not had them for weeks. I’m getting to where, if I see something we need, I buy two of them. I hate running out of things.
When our Biography Book Club meets on Friday, I’m going to share this highlight from Rita Moreno’s autobiography: On Academy Awards Night in 1961, Moreno was up for an Oscar for her role as Anita in “West Side Story.” The Puerto Rican neighborhoods in New York City were holding their breath: silence reigned. When her win was announced, the cheering shook the rafters! Everyone leaned out of their windows and shouted with joy. One of their own had won!
Loved that story. Am just about to order a copy of Freewater, a children’s book about enslaved children escaping from the plantation into the Great Dismal Swamp. No one ever told me that enslaved people, many more than you’d think, escaped into the Swamp in the 19th century and lived the rest of their lives in freedom. Years ago I read Never Caught, about Oney Judge’s escape from Mount Vernon. George Washington had his minions pursue her relentlessly but they never found her. She lived her life in New Hampshire, although it was not an affluent life. Still, she was free.
Well, that’s it for me this gray, gloomy day. Off to get washed and brushed and then set out on my travels. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
It’s 31 going to 32 and so overcast I’ve got my lights on. The PV is on – generating 71 watts per hour. Hopefully enough to run the computer and the lights in this room. It’s certainly not enough to run the refrigerator or anything like that. Yesterday we generated 4.6 KWHs. Not exactly starting the month with a swing.
The forecasted rain didn’t show up so they’ve decided we’ll get up to 10″ of snow instead. Starting about sundown, snowing steadily over the night and starting to taper off about noon tomorrow. I know who could use that, but it ain’t me. sigh. I haven’t heard anything new from anybody. Holding the Good Thoughts nothing’s worse for anyone. Better would be nice but at least not worse.
Also Holding the Good Thought the power stays up if we get that much snow on the lines. If not I may not be here tomorrow. (I’ll try to get word to somebody to let folks know.) Anyway, things to do while I’m here. (Including get over to DK to belatedly read Black Kos – my son was over last night and once he left I got busy and forgot.) Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 32, cloudy and frosty outside my window today. Day two of onerous desk tasks got done yesterday and my lingering tRump angst made everything harder. I’m so tired of that awful man and the feelings of fear he has triggered. Today will be a basic house keeping day, so relatively mindless tasks and no worries, whew! Best wishes to all.
I’m going to bring in some of my plants. The ones that aren’t aloe vera: 2 poinsettias, a couple of nopals, and what I think are echeveria (they’re purple)
{{{anotherdemocrat}}} stay safe. Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}
Thursday Meese. Raining and 37 degrees here in Kingston NY – going up to 43.
Teachers and firefighters in Puerto Rico are taking to the streets
Good morning from frozen Austin. we had a heavy rainstorm last night — I know I heard thunder a few times. And wet stuff is still coming down. Local news is full of talk about the difference between sleet, freezing rain & snow. And telling people how long it’s safe to be outside — and the signs of frostbite & other cold-related things. Everything is closed, some roads are washed out because of the storm so it’s not just the cold & ice.
Stay safe, another! Glad to hear people are being warned about being out of doors inadequately clothed. There are people up here who, the minute the temp. climbs to 40 F., put on bermuda shorts and start capering about. Stupid, I call it.
Caribbean Matters
Good morning, Meese! It’s 43 F., on its way up to 52 F. It’s been raining steadily all through the night and continues to this moment. Monty hates it, even though we Velcro him into his cute red raincoat with the luminescent piping.
After an inspiring but exhausting interview yesterday, I came home and just collapsed after dinner. The man I interviewed had been a doctor in Niger for three years. He had a speech impediment, which probably was caused by a stroke. Fortunately, his wife was there to interpret. What fascinating lives these ex-Peace Corps volunteers have had! I’m so glad JFK inspired the program back in the 1960s.
A busy morning ahead, Communications Committee meeting this afternoon, and if I can stay awake, reading Out of Darkness tonight. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
It’s 16 and might or might not make it to 22 today (windchill is 3) and snowing. I don’t know how much we’ve got officially. How much I’ve got here depends on where I’m looking. The back step was probably 2″ – I could and did sweep it when I went out to put out birdseed and suet. There was nothing left on the feeding station from what I put out last night when I got in the kitchen this morning. In the front yard I can see the tips of the iris leaves but that’s it – so at least 4″ and probably 6″ – that’s probably what’s on the road but I’m not tromping out there to check. We generated 1.2 KWHs yesterday (m-t-d is 5.8) but we won’t be generating any more until the snow’s off the panels. sigh.
I got almost 7 hours of sleep – but the last 2 were from after 6 to 8:30 so you might say I’m running a bit behind. Good thing I don’t have to go anywhere. I wouldn’t have to even if I were still working. Snow day today. I’m just online so I don’t know how anybody is doing. Holding the Good Thought everyone is safe and warm. At least relatively warm – warm enough to be safe whether or not they’re comfortable although of course comfortable would be better.
Off to Dee’s diary and twitter. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 1 degree in Madison and feels like -17. Today’s high will be 9 and will continue to have below zero windchills. Sunny skies to take a little of the sting away!
I only have time for a quick check in as I was busy with online errands this morning and now I need to do an in-person errand.
See all y’all later!
Good morning,37 and raining outside my window today. I haven’t decided what to do with my day, so I’m lazily sorting possibilities. I want to be in the garden but it’s cold and wet so that may or may not happen. Best wishes to all.
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is -2 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 18. Flurries are expected this afternoon. A peek ahead shows that we will get back to “normal” winter temperatures next week.
It does not bother me in the least to see CNN suffering the consequences of being run by terrible people for the past 5 years. They were instrumental in destroying our country by helping elect tRump – they gave him a 24/7 platform and puffed him up (and trashed Hillary) to improve their ratings. The deaths of nearly a million Americans will forever stain the soul of Zucker and those who made the decision to promote tRump. And their failure to fire Chris Cuomo over his Kamala birtherism will stain whatever part of their soul was not yet stained. Burn them down, scatter their ashes. Ditto Facebook who has the added awfulness of helping the organizers of the January 6th insurrection plot their attack.
Iowa has declared the pandemic over and will close all public health web sites and agencies tracking vaccination and testing. What could possibly go wrong?
Yesterday was very challenging as I am trying to balance a bunch of different projects, personal and professional. It is very often like this at the beginning of the year as last years accounting and tax work clashes with the need to get the new year ready and then do actual work. I usually try to get things organized by the end of January but one project deadline got moved up so I am a bit overwhelmed. My Aries nature insists on lists and so this morning I have been working on my to-do list to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks. I nearly have it updated and that will reduce the stress somewhat.
See all y’all later!
Friday Meese. We have ice falling from the sky this morning (aka sleet) It’s 27 degrees going up to 29 here in Kingston.
Today is Rosa Parks Birthday
Puerto Rico
“Puerto Rico has been through enough power grid failures. Its residents need transparency, accountability and a targeted shift toward distributed renewable energy. With so much federal aid being delivered, now is the time to be bold, innovate and reimagine the Puerto Rico energy system so it’s efficient and resilient. FEMA dollars should in the first instance finance an island-wide, decentralized system of solar power generation and storage built by local labor and small businesses. Most of all, the network needs to be diversified and secured so power isn’t knocked out by the next hurricane or earthquake.”
Good morning — it is supposed to get above freezing this afternoon, yay! Working from home again. That’s really all that’s going on. Cold, ice, work.
Good Friday morning, Moosekind! Well, I did not get a chance to read my new book last night as I fell asleep in the recliner after dinner. With a 5:30 wakeup time yesterday and no postprandial nap, I was dead on my feet yesterday.
Dearly and I are unusually dull-witted, even for oldsters, but we finally worked out that the reason we are often able to snatch a few hours’ sleep in the recliner, even though we can’t sleep on the flat surface of our queen-sized bed, is because of the elevation of the head, neck, and shoulders. So, come Washington’s Birthday (that’s what we call it in NoVa, and always will), when all the bedding goes on sale, we’ll buy one. It’s a shame, as we’ve had the bed frame since our marriage 54 years ago and the mattress has lived only half its life. But, the prospect of sleep lures us.
Right now it’s raining in Ashburn. It rained during the night and will continue to rain all day. As long as it doesn’t change to freezing rain or ice, I shan’t mind.
Today I have autobiography book club at 1:30, a petition to pick up so I can snag a few sigs at the book club meeting, and I’m hoping for a nap after I return home. Also have a pile of essays to print out and study.
Goobernator Dumbkin is yapping about killing the tax on groceries to “lower the cost of living in Virginia.” The racist porker is going to drive Virginia into a ditch, just as the Rethugs did to Kansas years ago. Government programs are funded through taxes, a fact of which Rethugs are completely oblivious. Oh, Goddess, we’ve got four more years of suits and countersuits and ugliness. Propane Jane on Twitter has some good remarks on the place of white wimmens in upholding racist patriarchy. Marilyn French called them “caryatids.”
It’s 41 F. in Ashburn right now,but the temperature is supposed to plummet by evening. We shall see. The weather gurus are so seldom accurate one might as well not pay attention.
Wishing a good, productive day to all at the Pond.