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 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.
…
Good morning. Slept in, will exercise indoors this afternoon. There’s a fire in one of our northern suburbs, lots of people evacuated there. Good news out of Ohio, but horrific news from the Rio Grande: they put saw blades on the flotation devices they’re blocking the river with. In addition to the razor wire. I don’t even know what to say. Anyway, another wfh day, at least I have that.
The Texas government does not care who they kill to advance their racist agenda.
The Texas govt cares. If these were English-speaking white people coming over the border there’re be refugee stations open everywhere and no attempts to kill them before – or after – they get to the border.
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 77 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 95. Mainly sunny skies are in the forecast. Chance of rain this afternoon. We had some fierce storms all around us last night and got a few drops of water but not much. It did cool things down for which we are grateful.
I was heartened to see that the people of Ohio rebuked the garbage people in their state legislature who tried to ram through a bill that would take away the people’s power to veto the terrible things that the state legislature might want to do. A state the elected J.D. Vance felt hopeless to me but a lot of people who are not liberals and not even pro-woman showed up to vote the Issue 1 monstrosity down. Now the abortion amendment in the fall can win or lose the same way all constitutional amendments win or lose, not with the heavy hand of Alito’s Federalist Society on the scales. I hope Ohio voters remember the assholery from their state legislators and vote some of those people out of office. The next election is going to be about preserving democracy more than any election in recent times. I pray the democracy wins.
Today is Microsoft Patch Tuesday Plus One so I have a number of things I need to do.
See all y’all later!
It’s 74 (I’ll need to close up the house when I post this) heading for 88, overcast and drizzly. It may or may not clear off or rain some more. It’s a real tossup on the widget. Yesterday we generated just a hair under 17 KWHs and the m-t-d at 126.5 is on track.
Joker’s diary for Fineena dropped yesterday at 4 eastern time. It didn’t get as much traffic as I hoped it would but it still managed to raise $1005 of a $5K goal which met the 2 $500 matches. So as far as the last word in the diary went she’s at $2005 or 40% of goal met. What’s next is the hard slog of posting the link to diaries everywhere the diarists will allow it and hope to pick up the other $3K that way. No further actual diaries can be written for at least a month and she’s got to move next Tuesday. (Which is why I was hoping for more traffic & more donations last night.) She can’t get online herself much due to connectivity issues. Or log in to DK because it’s declining her password.
Nothing new with anybody else. For some folks that’s OK if not great. For folks like Aji & other small business folks depending on sales that aren’t happening, it’s bad.
I’m tired. I woke up tired. Don’t know why. I actually got almost 7 hours of sleep and only woke twice. Oh well. There’s a house to close and boosting to be done so I’d best get to it. Holding the Good Thought for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! It’s 79 F. in Ashburn as I write, going up to 87 F., with imaginary showers in the late afternoon. On Monday we apparently did receive just under 1 inch of rain, which means we are now a mere 8 inches under normal, rather than 9.
Have been so busy and overwhelmed I don’t know what to do. Younger Son and family all managed to get on the same flight to London Heathrow yesterday, so they’re over there now. We have Chase, the puppy, until August 20th. This morning I asked him how he felt about being yanked from his lively family in the big house to an apartment with two boring, elderly persons, but he was at a loss for words. So far, however, he is being a Good Boy. I hope his harness and at least one of his Squeaky Piggy toys will arrive today.
Have to get ready for my Writers’ Group meeting tomorrow. No, I did not manage to work on the short story at all yesterday. Got my hair done and popped into the grocery store. Why doesn’t traipsing around a grocery store count as exercise? I haven’t had time for proper exercise lately.
Although half the writers in my group wrote blurbs for the Benevolent Care Fund campaign brochure, the amount collected remains stubbornly low. Usually, people here are generous, so what’s the problem? I myself think it’s donor fatigue: since January we have donated to Loudoun Hunger Relief, Ukraine Relief, the Scholarship Fund, the School Supplies Fund, and now the BCF. We still have the Staff Appreciation Fund and Toys for Tots waiting. Dearly and I give to the BCF in the hope we’ll never need it. However, this community has 2,000 residents, so I don’t understand why they can’t ask for $10 a month to be stuck on to their monthly service package.
Oh, well, first-world problem. It’s just after 10, but I’ve already taken the dog out twice, fed him, dried the laundry and put it away, washed the sheets and am in the process of putting them back on the bed, and made a list of people I must call. It’s so irritating.
Feeling very glad that Issue One was defeated in Ohio! My grandchild, who works for Emily’s List, lives there. I’m sure they had something to do with the victory. Feeling sad about the fires in Hawaii and the death on August 1 of Michael Holmans. I believe he used to post here, years ago. We knew he was in the hospital but his wife was as well, so she was unable to let us know until yesterday.
Fineena’s fundraiser is almost halfway there, so that’s encouraging. M’Daughter texts from Texas that it’s too hot to walk dogs after 9 in the morning, the grass is completely dead and brown, and no one goes out during the day. (Actually, I read that in Iraq it’s always like this in the summer: they sleep during the day and stay up all night.) Daughter says they’ve had enough and will put the house on the market in March. Their house in Massachusetts should be ready for occupancy by then. A lot has to be done to it.
That’s enough from me, Moosekind! Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
It’s been a few weeks since we had a Bookchat diary at the orange place, so I threw one together. It posts at 7 central.
link to diary: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/9/2186294/-Bookchat-long-time-no-chat
Thursday Meese. 68 here in Kingston going up to 73 with thunderstorms.
Puerto Rico
“Total disaster Not only are there more than 47,000 without service, but also voltage problems, thus electrical equipment is damaged.”
When there is no light there are voltage problems. Today, Calle San Sebastian, VSJ. Christmas in August courtesy of Luma and with the main sponsor Pierluisi
“The fridge no longer works due to these blackouts I use it to store my clothes”
Good morning. In the office today. Got my mile done. There’s a couple of fires burning in the Austin suburbs, but not near me. Very sad about Lahaina. Must consume caffeine so I can stay awake until time to go home.
Posted
Good Thursday morning, Meese. It’s another nugly day in Ashboring, current temp. 75 F., going up to 80 F. Imaginary showers are predicted, starting at 10.
The stupid cleaners are arriving at 10. If they had come on the date I originally asked for, July 28, it wouldn’t have been raining, I wouldn’t have had the puppy, and it wouldn’t be the busiest day of my month. I’ve already taken Chase out twice this morning. I hate people who call and change the date. They should know their schedule before they make arrangements.
First-world problem. It’s AWFUL about Lahaina! Even the banyan tree is gone! OMG. I don’t quite understand how a hurricane can start a forest fire. Are there forests in Hawai’i?
We received a photo via WhatsApp this morning. Our family are at Stonehenge! Looked a nice day in Wiltshire, too. Younger Son is due to call at 4 our time. Hope they’re not going to tell us they’re staying over there permanently, leaving us with the puppy for the duration. He’s quite a nice puppy but he tries to bite Dearly and use his sharp clawsies on Dearly’s delicate skin.
Got to hurry—got to take a cartridge to the recycle room next door, make a dozen tiny cakes and stick edible sunflower decorations on them, and somehow stay away through the Writers’ Group meeting. More on that later.
Wishing a good, dry day to everyone at the Pond who needs one!
It’s 72 heading for 89/94 and off and on sunny. Yesterday we generated 9.8 KWHs and the m-t-d is 136. Still on track for 460 but we definitely lost ground.
Fineena got a miracle donation of $1000 from a total stranger plus some more of the more “normal” sized ones and is currently at $3320 – so $1680 to go. She gets the new apt on Tuesday and can start moving in. She has to be totally out of the old place by the 20th. Hold the Good Thoughts – she met an “odd job” man yesterday (one of the utilities workers who does side gigs with his sons) who may/hopefully do both the junk hauling and the loading. She’s supposed to see him today to walk through the house and work out a price. He’s a local guy who used to live in that neighborhood before it started gentrifying. Part of that $5K goal is supposed to be her September rent so if moving itself isn’t a whole lot more than estimated we’ve got a little more time to raise this last bit.
None of the small business folks I follow/boost are making sales right now. And everybody’s panicking. Whoever’s getting the benefit of Bidenomics is using it to play the market and buy “investment” property in Hawaii & Puerto Rico. They sure aren’t “trickling” it down. sigh.
Anyway, time to close up the house and start boosting stuff. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 81 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 99. Sunny skies are in the forecast, obligatory monsoonal rain chance at 20% this evening.
Hahahaha! tRump won’t pledge to support the Republican nominee if it is not him. Did anyone really think he would??!? His only chance to stay out of prison is to run for president and if he does not get the Republican nomination, he will definitely run as a third party candidate.
Alabama submits their new redistricting maps and says the quiet parts out loud – they will not stand for having Black people elect a second representative claiming it would not reflect “Alabama values.” Plus Kevin McCarthy needs that extra seat otherwise they will have Hakeem Jeffries as speaker – insert racist bullhorn sound here. Republicans are terrible people.
I got my walk in before it got too hot, now I need to get my morning projects finished and shut down for the day.
See all y’all later!
Good morning, 66 and cloudy in world today. Yesterday was a good day in the garden working with my new assistant. She is young, strong, and knows what she is doing. I know more about native plants than she does, but she is eager to learn and I am more than ready to share the work of caring for them! She will come once a week until we get the garden back in shape and then we’ll make a maintenance schedule. Feeling grateful and very relieved. Best wishes to all.
It’ so good to have help in the garden! A dear friend of mine has just managed to achieve this very thing. He comes every Saturday and does a lot, she says. She’s feeling the same relief as you, princesspat. The only problem is that he’s very nosy and loves asking personal questions. Being British, she’s appalled.
Friday Meese. 59 going up to 82 here in Kingston. No rain!
Puerto Rico
Good morning. Got my walk done. It’s ridiculously hot — I think they said 34 days in a row over 100 degrees. But I’m not in Hawaii, with my town burned to the ground, so I’ll take this. In the office, 8 more hours of customer service work then I’m free for the weekend.
It’s 79 heading for 96, heat index over 100. The house is closed up of course. We only got down to 74 overnight. Yesterday we generated 14.3 KWHs and the m-t-d at 150.7 is still on track for 460 – but losing ground.
Fineena’s fundraiser seems to have stalled with $1635 to go. She only got 2 small donations yesterday. The oddjob guy seems to be backing out. He said he’s have to see the job before he could price it – in response to a text asking him when he could come by to see the job. And no clue of when he might come by. She’s got a dumpster coming today – may even be there by now – and the landlord is so anxious to get her out that he’s calling a guy to some load the dumpster. Probably not paying for it, but at least he’s calling someone to do it. Her dear friend & last surviving of her AIDS clients from when she had the non-profit is coming over Saturday to help pack. Karen’s hoping she can get the landlord’s guy to put the heavy stuff in the POD. Mostly that’s her washer & dryer and her dining room table. I’ll keep boosting the diary on xitter & Spoutible. Prayers up that she get that last $1635 (or more).
I don’t know why I’ve been having these tremors flares. They aren’t really bad. They aren’t even obvious when looking at my hands. But I can certainly tell by the way the mouse behaves. Double clicking on most stuff and heaven knows where I end up if the cursor moved before the 2nd click & I don’t just undo when I just did. sigh. Makes things take so much longer to get done. But I do eventually – with a certain amount of screaming & cussing the mouse that the cats are so used to they sleep through – get it done. So I’d best get started. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Oh, bfitz, so sorry about the tremors and the mouse problem! How annoying for you. Hope it’ll settle down.
Where is fineena’s fundraising diary today? Is someone looking after it?
Joker comments with an update when there’s a new total but otherwise nobody’s looking after it. The link to it is being posted in the pootie diaries and some of the Street Prophet & Village diaries as part of the needs list. But with the new rules about fundraisers that’s pretty much all that can be done. No follow-up diaries are allowed. sigh.
Good Friday morning, Moosekind!
We actually have a nice morning in Ashburn, 77 F., low humidity, and sunshine. I put the cushions back on the porch furniture. Yesterday the imaginary showers suddenly stopped being imaginary.
Still feeling sad and horrible about Maui, and those poor people swept up in the fire. And the ones still alive have lost everything!
At 5:30 p.m. our time yesterday we had a video chat with the travelers. They were over at our niece Caroline’s house in Kent. They’re going to London today and tomorrow, and catching the ferry to France on Monday. Wonder whether the ungrateful children will look up from their devices long enough to notice they’re in a different country with a different language.
We told the travelers we’d be at the airport to greet them August 19th, holding the puppy in our arms! No, not really. More likely we’ll get up early Sunday morning, drop him off to his proper family, and hasten to Virginia Kitchen for breakfast. It’s been quite an experience with him!
His puppy sitter, a very pretty young woman named Isabella, came to meet him. We are hiring her (at an APPALLING price) to watch him on Sunday while we’re out at Dearly’s birthday barbecue. She asked if we wanted her to stay with him the whole time, as she has other dogs to visit in Ashburn. I’m going to confirm that because if Chase is left unattended, all hell will break loose. It broke loose yesterday while I was at the meeting of my Writers’ Group, with the result that Chase ate a lot of garbage and then woke me up with a bad case of gyppy tummy at 1:30 in the morning.
Dearly is home and trying to tell me about his doctor visit, so I’d better close. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 82 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 91. Mainly cloudy skies with a chance for rain. Last night we got some unexpected storms that made a lot of noise but left little rain. This morning there was lightning to the north and it was cloudy during my walk.
Just a quick check in – I will read everyone’s comments later. I got stuck on some client computers this morning and everything ran long. I am probably glad to not have time to read the news. With the terrible tragedy in Maui, the last thing I want to see is the orange pustule’s face on my computer screen.
See all y’all later!
Saturday Meese. 56 going up to 84 with thunderstorms.
Headed into NYC today to speak at this event:
Time of Panel: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST.
Puerto Rico
Have fun in NYC! I retweeted your tweet (not calling it X).
Good morning, meeses! Saturday …
It is 75 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 93. Mostly sunny skies with a chance of afternoon rain. Storm clouds gathered yesterday afternoon but did not drop rain here. This morning there are wispy clouds and I can see the stars flickering and the light from the waning crescent behind the clouds.
The governor of Texas packed a bunch of migrants into a bus and sent it to Chicago. A three year old child died from his political stunt. Literally murdered a child to “own the libs.” I despise these people.
Last week was too busy and I will need the next couple of days to gather together the scraps of paper that accumulated on my desk and create a reasonable to-do list. I am fairly confident that something urgent got missed or is about to get missed and I need to sort through all my to-do lists and assess the status of pending projects.
See all y’all later!
I can see the stars flickering and the light from the waning crescent behind the clouds.
Lovely!
Abbott is a MURDERER!