Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: February 28th

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, shown here with 3 pages of comments available.

32 Comments

  1. We’re having spring weather here — chilly mornings in the 40s and high in the upper 60s, maybe 70 later this week. In from a dash to the office. I really should log off work early & walk.

    So, this was sitting unposted all morning…. My laptop sometimes just loses connection.

  2. Wednesday Meese. 23 going up to 47 here in Kingston NY.
    Called Walgreens last night at 2 o’clock in the morning and got an appointment for my first shot – on Thursday. Immediately tried for one for my husband – no appointments available for the next two days (sigh) I will continue to wake up after midnight and keep calling.
    Thankful that my county is finally getting more vaccine

    • Glad you got in! President Biden announced that there will be more vaccine available, enough for every adult by May 31. He did point out, however, that there is still a shortage of people/equipment/infrastructure needed to deliver it. I hope that they get that ramped up as well. The Johnson & Johnson will be easier to deliver and administer – it should be a game changer.

  3. Puerto Rico

  4. So, my governor is trying to kill me. Not me personally, just Texans in general. I’m hoping that my agency director & the legal counsel are working on ways to keep us working remotely. On the other hand, we have gorgeous weather — sunny & highs in the 70s. I really should log off early & take a walk and appreciate it.

    • Your governor is a proud member of the #RepublicanDeathCult. I hope that responsible Texans realize that they are not required to take their masks off and visit packed restaurants and entertainment venues and that businesses aren’t required to take down “No Mask, No Service” signs. If people get infected with ABBOTT-21, some of it will be on them.

  5. Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …

    It is 25 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 45. Mostly sunny skies are in the forecast.

    I was sad to see that the berner alliance with right-wingers managed to block the Neera Tanden nomination. People who were saying “we are not against women of color having important jobs, just not THIS woman” are going to expose their perfidy when the next person in line for the OMB job is also a woman of color. Bernie Sanders and his new BFF Lindsey Graham deserve each other.

    For what it is worth, I could care less about anything related to the Cuomo brothers. They are both personally offensive. The latest evidence of their uselessness makes it easier to scan the headlines looking for things to read – about half of it is related to them.

    See all y’all later!

  6. Good bright Wednesday morning, Moosekind! Sure, and ’tis a grand immortal day here in Ashburn, with sunny skies, a current temp. of 39 F., and a projected high of 58 F. This will be the nicest day of the week.

    Got as much work to do as ever—this is Mad March Marketing Week. Planning to blitz the Communications Committee and the Writers’ Club with my little ad and link to book sales.

    This morning I prepared Soft-boiled Egg with Soldiers for Dearly’s breakfast. He’ll be in a good mood all day. We’re going to Target to buy certain necessary things before my afternoon treadmill appointment at 2. It would be so much better to do exercise in the morning, but I have to take what I can get.

    Must rush off to get ready. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!

  7. It’s 45 heading for upper 60s and sunny again. That’s nice. We got just over 15 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 30 starting this beautiful morning. We’re definitely on track to start the month.

    Things are trucking along. On all fronts. Nothing new about the fauxgressives joining with the Deplorables to block Biden’s WOC picks. The only thing that surprises me is how Dems keep being surprised about it. Fauxgressives are just as Deplorable and just as fascist. They just want a different dictator. And instead of actively, violently, killing BIPOC, they prefer that BIPOC be erased so that genocide by criminal negligence doesn’t count. You can’t be charged for the death of someone who doesn’t exist, right? Evil bastids. Nothing new about the R guvs who kept in line with twitler’s administration rules because “he’s the president” are refusing to follow Biden’s administration rules. Obstruction is how they get to blame bad things on Dems so they get the power back in the next election cycle. And unfortunately nothing new about this county not just allowing but insisting that people be homeless and hungry if they can’t work – and kids dying of it are “unfortunate” collateral damage in AmeriKKKa’s war on the poor. Because AmeriKKKa always assumes that the poor are BIPOC. Meanwhile the rest of us keep on keepin’ on, doing what we can to elect Decent people to change those evil policies, helping however we can the folks who’re in trouble because of those evil policies. And doing our best to find love and beauty in a hateful and degrading world.

    So. More coffee then off to do twitter chores. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  8. Good morning, 40 and cloudy in Bellingham. My life is so quiet I don’t have much to share lately. RonK cooked tasty quesadillas for dinner last night and I started reading book #9 in the St. Mary’s series, An Argumentation of Historians. The last book (#8) was unsettling so I chuckled when reading the authors note with a request from her publisher….

    “Oh, and, for God’s sake make the book more cheerful this time”…..”Your last effort traumatized so many readers we had to set up a counselling group.”

    So I’m not the only reader with tender feelings, heh. I hope the current book is a bit less fraught for the main characters but given the theme of history being dangerous to explore I expect a few disasters.

    Best wishes to all.

    • Oh, Goddess, that’s funny, princesspat! You are a braver soul than I. When I suspect a book is going to be a downer, I won’t read it. Life is crushing enough as it is.

  9. I’m so relieved! The director sent out an e-mail, and the agency is going to comply quite literally with the letter of Abbott’s declaration. People who are working remotely will keep doing so! I hadn’t realized that I was holding my breath, but since I read that, I feel like I’m breathing again.

    • {{{anotherdemocrat}}} Thank All That’s Holy! I’m so glad. Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}

  10. Good morning, meeeses! Thursday …

    It is 30 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 36. Sunny skies are in the forecast. I am not sure what happened to my 40s but 36 is close enough. The sun will help warm things up.

    Senate Democrats decided to eliminate relief checks for millions of Americans just to make themselves look more “fiscally responsible.” Idiots. No one will attribute this move to fiscal responsibility, people will just notice that they did not get a check and be ticked off. I hope they reconsider this – it is stupid and completely unnecessary.

    I loved Joe Biden’s push back to the #RepublicanDeathCult, calling the de-masking policies “Neanderthal thinking.” Good for him! Someone pointed out that Biden, as an old white guy, can do a lot of things that Barack Obama couldn’t do including calling Republican governors cavemen. I am here for this new tone.

    I am trying to figure out what passed in the House. It is called HR1 and includes all the wishlist “dark money out of politics” things that will never pass. What happened to the John Lewis Voter Rights Act which I thought was a narrower re-implementation of the VRA that the Supreme Court gutted? HR1 has no chance of passing but a clean VRA might. Oh well. It is sad – we saw our majority squandered in 2009 and it looks like we are heading down that same path.

    Early morning projects beckon – I have to get connected to a couple of computers before users start work.

    See all y’all later!

  11. Thursday Meese. 38 and snow flurries predicted here in Kingston NY.

    • Puerto Rico

      An excellent read from Julio Ricardo Varela

      A majority of Americans may support statehood, but they must also understand the string of historical discriminatory policies that have alienated so many Puerto Ricans from the idea of statehood. Many of the injustices we see today in the United States are the direct legacy of colonialism and imperialism. Puerto Rico is part of that painful history. A movement that calls for the U.S. government to recognize its crimes and offer reparations for 123 years of colonial abuses could offer a path to heal the past.
      Puerto Ricans on the island lack full political rights — they live under conditions that would not be tolerated in any state. Fed up, in 2019 thousands of Puerto Ricans took to the streets to protest the corruption of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s administration. The protest movement was effective and inspiring. Where are the mobilizations now for statehood? Pierluisi and his allies like to compare their statehood campaign to the civil rights movement, but they don’t seem to understand what people risked to expose the racism and cruelty of the state. People conducted acts of civil disobedience and some even died for the noble cause of civil rights. Many Puerto Rican statehood proponents don’t seem willing to sacrifice much, especially if it hurts their political standing.
      Another significant reason statehood efforts have stalled has been a lack of engagement with Puerto Ricans who oppose the idea, both on the island and in the diaspora.

  12. Another really nice day in store: 40s to 70s. I was on my way out to walk yesterday when my upstairs neighbor pulled in, so we ended up talking about the repair situation — her insurance is paying, yay! By the time we were finished, 5 o’clock traffic was in full swing, I decided not to walk. I’m going to have to move my walking to the morning. Anyway, today: just work.

  13. It’s 41 heading for 70 and sunny. We didn’t quite get 15 KWHs yesterday but close enough this morning’s sunrise driblet brought the m-t-d to 45.

    My hands are trash this morning. Not painful. Uncomfortable a bit, but no pain. Just the fingers are so effen weak that it’s taking me multiple tries to get a single mouse click to actually register. You never realize how many clicks it takes to do twitter until you’ve tried 5 time to RT somebody’s tweet and it takes the added energy of screaming/cursing at the computer (which scares the cats) to finally do it. This is also true of comments/replies on the Moose. It’s not bad enough that I can’t type – obviously – but actually posting anything. . . take it as given anything you see from me today was accomplished with curses. sigh.

    I’m planning to go out sometime today. I need to restock my supplements and Thursday is “Senior discount” day at the Co-op. Depending on when I actually go I may treat myself to take out.

    The neighbor/old yard guy who I thought had probably died around Xmas called last night. Apparently it had been close but now he’s well enough to at least want to pay me back the $50 he owes me. I told him if he had them to spare, pay me in woodbricks instead of cash. He said he’d get back to me Friday.

    Still waiting on the tax refund to do much of anything I’ve got planned – include the donation to anotherdemocrat’s HCR page. At least I got the AR tax booklet in yesterday’s mail. I can try to do that today. I’m certainly not going to be playing any freecell. Or tweeting individual tweets in a thread. sigh.

    Anyway, it’s a lovely day and I will enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  14. Good Thursday morning, Meese! It’s sunny and windy in Ashburn, and we’re very nearly at our daytime high of 51 F. already. Yesterday we had much less wind and 60 F! It was lovely.

    The dawg has interrupted me three times already so I’m in a rather pissy mood. Have a 3 p.m. Zoom meeting after an awful night (despite the sleeping pill). I must, must get through some work this morning before that meeting.

    Still have lots of book marketing to do before Sunday, March 7. Saturday night we will have little Ethan over here for his first sleepover at Monty Grandma’s house. I’m waiting for his parents to inform me as to his diet. I already have baby pizzas and baby pancakes, so we’re set in that regard.

    Did my exercise on the treadmill in the new clubhouse, which is beautiful. Walked 2 miles and burned 245 calories in 45 minutes, including the cooldown. It’s a shame to be limited to three times a week, but as the weather warms (and, it’s to be hoped, the wind lessens), I’ll be able to walk outside and use the rowing machine inside.

    Wishing all at the Pond a good day. I can’t bear to think about politics, it’s too depressing. And I thought everything would be better with a sane, compassionate president! Stupid me.

  15. Good morning, 39 and light clouds in Bellingham. Another quiet day at home ahead and I’ll be in my sewing room. I have a stack of half finished projects and I’m working my way through the pile. It’s embarrassing to admit how old some of them are but apparently that’s the way I work. A side benefit…..my machines are now all cleaned and oiled and the thread changes are ready to go. No more excuses!

    Best wishes to all.

  16. Friday Meese. 20 degrees here in Kingston NY, going up to 31.
    Hot my first shot of Moderna yesterday, arm is a little sore but no other side effects.

    Puerto Rico

    • So glad you got your 1st vaccine. Also glad you’re not seeing any bad side effects. Healing Energy, Holding the Good Thoughts, & {{{HUGS}}}

  17. Good freezing Saturday morning, Meese! It’s sunny but feelthy cold (for us, anyway), at 31 F. One wants to bitterly contrast it with the “sunny and 60” we had the other day. It’ll get up to 44 F. with lots of hideous wind, so this will be a good day to spend largely indoors.

    I was unable to send notices of my book to the members of my Writers’ Group, so I’m just going to do individual emails to people I think would be interested. Just managed to convert an in-person interview for this morning to a questionnaire interview. There are some other marketing things I must do, no matter how tired I turn out to be tonight, because Saturday will be largely taken up with a pedi in the morning, which I badly need, and Elder Son’s family coming to visit on Saturday afternoon, bringing Mr. Kindergartener.

    I’m convinced I’ve got cataracts, so I must get in touch wtih someone who can do something about them.

    Wishing a nice, quiet Saturday to all at the Pond.

    • I will be getting my cataracts done this year. I was supposed to have them done last year but the shutdown threw everything out of whack and when things opened up again, I had no interest in spending time in clinics or depending on everyone being COVID-free. Now that I am fully vaccinated, I can get my eyes fixed.

  18. Good morning, meeses! Friday …

    It is 27 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 30. Clear skies are in the forecast.

    I just have time to check-in – my morning projects ran long and now my mid-morning appointments will keep me from staying around. Please accept my apologies for Ron Freaking Johnson, the assholish Senator from Wisconsin. He is the last Republican left standing who is not gerrymandered into his seat (state-wide race) and he will be retired in 2022.

    See all y’all later!

  19. Hey Jan – why am I getting this “pop up” telling me to “Type “\” to search from my saved info” or “Manage personal info” every time I do a comment? Is it a new feature or am I somehow logged in wrong?

    Anyway, it’s 51 going to 53 (for a few minutes in an hour or so), very overcast, and drizzling. (Hey March! 4 days in a row of sunny warm weather was not enough. I mean, yes I thank you for them – but it’s like food. I need sunshine daily.) We got 14.5 KWHs yesterday and are close enough to 60 for the m-t-d that if it were as sunny as it was yesterday we’d have made it already this morning. But it isn’t. Oh well. We’ll make it to 60 some time this morning.

    I wish folks – especially friends of mine who each expect me to support them and feel betrayed when I stay out of it – would stop talking about investigating twitler! We need to investigate crimes – and if those investigations lead to him, then fine. But I don’t want him to know that until somebody shows up (in force) with a warrant to arrest him. If we really want to keep a free country, which may or may not be possible, we cannot investigate our political rivals. If we are to be a rule of law country, we must stick to the law. Investigate crimes – follow where those investigations lead, certainly. And no announcements or arrests or even hints at arrests until DOJ has a admissible evidence to bring into a court of law.

    Plans changed yesterday. My son called and needed the Camry so I didn’t go out and stock up on supplements. I can do that next Thursday. I’m not that close to being out of anything. And he brought me a pizza so I got my “treat” anyway even if it wasn’t the treat I’d planned on (chicken Pad Thai). That was early enough in the day I ate pizza for lunch and dinner – and finished it off instead of my usual bedtime snack. That’s still at least 800 calories and heaven only knows how much sodium more than I eat in a normal. LOL.

    I did my state taxes and they’re in the mailbox awaiting pick up. Since I only had $300 of taxable income last year I’ll get it all back. And put it towards Cloud’s dental situation. My best friend will be dropping by in a few hours to pick up some mail (still) delivered to her old address. She’ll probably bring me a latte because she usually does. And we’ll visit for a few minutes at least before she has to get back to what she was out for in the first place. (At least they’re still letting her work from home.)

    Of to make more coffee and do my twitter chores. Hands are still a problem. My left knee decided it’s been quiet too long and is yelling at me, too. sigh. I won’t be getting my exercise sweeping today. Oh well. This too is life. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

    • I am not sure what might have happened to your login. If you don’t see “Logged in as bfitzinAR” right above the Leave a Reply box, you are not logged in. Go to the menu at the top and click on My Moose – that will put you into the login.

      • The weird thing is I do see the “Logged in as bfitzinAR” above the Reply box. I’m logged in and can fierce and all that. I just keep getting this strange dropdown underneath the reply box. It goes away if I close it or even if I just scroll up or down so it’s no longer where I can see it. As in it’s not there any longer when I scroll back to finish my reply. Bizarre.

  20. Ran into the office, it was just barely cool enough for long sleeves. Should be gorgeous this afternoon, gonna take another walk. For now, I’m working on voice mail & e-mail, watching the astronauts space walk.

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