Lawn Worries and Summer Projects

I've been a bit concerned about the spottiness of brown in the lawn since the snow has melted.  I don't remember seeing anything like this the last few years since we've been here.  It is too early for me to be very worried, though.  But there is a known squirrel den above and I really hope it is not from their droppings all winter.

I am glad spring seems to be coming now... well, eventually, but with it will come much work to be done.  Very soon I will replace the drain hose thing on one side of the house, I'm sure I'll post about it so you'll see what I mean then.  and a couple manly things to make in the garage this summer with power tools and wood.  Some screen guard 'lids', for lack of a better term, for the garden so the squirrels can't un-plant what my wife sows in the fall for the next season.  And I keep thinking about a cat box container under the basement stairs.  It would so much help the sweeping we have to do in the area.  The idea seems practical, the design is still under consideration, still a secondary project if anything else comes up.

And then there are all the regular spring things to do as with anybody that wants a respectable yard and landscape.  May all your neighbors feel the same way.  PTFO

Fifty Degree Clarity

Just to set the record straight - and because it has been bugging me - we have about 4 1/2 months between average fifty degree daily highs, just to clarify some recent posts.  November 10 to March 28,  according to the Weather Channel.  

Sorry, it was just bugging me.  As the kids might say - - #OCD

Fifty Degrees!

We finally hit 50º today (see earlier post)! I looked it up and the last time we hit 50º was on December 4, 2013, so I guess I exaggerated  a bit - it is not 6 months between 50º days even if it feels like it. Today we will almost hit 60º, but yes, there is snow in the forecast...

Final Four! and Superstitions

The Wisconsin Badgers are in the Final Four!

Congratulations to the Wisconsin Badgers and Bo Ryan for earning a trip to the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four next weekend in Arlington, Texas!

It's pretty good being a sports fan in Wisconsin.  I enjoy it.  Most of the major Wisconsin Badger sports programs have enjoyed consistent success for some time now, about two decades actually, to bring respect to the university and teams.  The Green Bay Packers have been pretty good for a while now.  The Brewers have a wonderful stadium and game day experience, and on the field they are always trying.  They have issues but it could be worse, at lease they made the playoffs a few years ago.  And as for the beloved Milwaukee Bucks, well, bless their heart. ;-)

I've become aware that when I post something about  a game, like 'Go Badgers', in a post it never usually turns out well.  That's gotta be my OCD.  I rationally realize that nothing I write here, nothing I wear during the game, nothing I habitually have to do every game because I'm afraid to break a streak, none of that matters to the outcome at all.  Get over myself.

I'm far from alone.  You don't have to be OCD like me to have sports traditions, or more aptly, superstitions.  I'm not as attached to mine as I used to be, obviously since I'm writing this now the night my team punched their ticket to the Final Four.  But I do have them still, but they have changed, lessened, actually, the last few years.  For all Badger Men's Basketball and Badger and Packer football games I still always have to wear my gear.  Team t-shirt, hat, sweatshirt/pants, jersey, or all of them plus more you don't want to hear about.  And I do have little rituals still, but not like I used to.  There used to be candles, statues, flags, straws and even a gnome!  Wait, I still use the Packer Gnome.

Okay, I still have my game day superstitions and rituals, but at least I know that none of them can really affect the outcome of a game on TV.  They only make me feel like I helped maybe by doing something.  Or worse, hurt the team because I forgot something, say, put the flag out.  I hate it when that happens.

Go Badgers, really, grab that national championship!

Last Monday For A Long Time

I didn't check it out for myself but I believe it.  For a long, long time.   Baseball season is just waaay too long.  But pretty soon baseball will be all a sports fan has besides, well, golf or racing - and there are arguments on just how those two things equate as a 'sport' to baseball, basketball, football and hockey.  Oh well, any one of them - baseball, golf or racing - would certainly help when I want a weekend afternoon nap!   Okay, I'm kidding, but just a little, go Brewers!

via Bits and Pieces!

Red Green - Yes, Dear

Just Say Nothing below, more here.

Spring 2014

Today is the first day of spring.  I took this picture yesterday, and today all that fresh stuff was gone but we still have the bigger piles left.  After tomorrow our highs are below freezing for at least the next several days, except maybe 33ºF on Monday, with snow in the forecast next week yet.  Yeah, happy spring.

Weather has been a major topic on my site for some time now.  I'll have to try and get away from that.  We all have gripes about our weather sometimes but that doesn't mean you want to keep hearing about it, right?

Happy St Patrick's Day 2014

50 Degrees, 4 Seasons

A few weekends ago I went to the store in the morning, like I usually do, mostly Saturday morning because it is double coupon day.  When I got home my wife asked me what it was like outside.  I don't know, I said, probably 25ºF or so.  She got out her phone and looked it up, it was 2 - Two degrees!  I had gotten so used to cold by then I was that far off.  Today is in the mid 20's and I'm freezing outside!  I'm starting to have to think about the temperature every day.  Do I warm up the car or not?  Which jacket and how many layers do I have to wear?  Snow?.. Again!?

We've had just a few days above freezing recently and my internal, um, thermometer, I guess, is thrown out of whack again.  I swear, if it ever hits fifty degrees and sunny it will feel like summer.  That's what happens to people in Wisconsin in spring.  And also why we wear shorts when people in California or similar think they're freezing to death.  Perspective.

50 degrees - about 10ºC - to me, in Wisconsin.

• Summer:  Fifty degrees?  Never as a high, and only as an overnight low maybe early or late in the season.  And then it would be a great night for a fire pit in the back yard!
• Fall:  Fifty degrees goes from an overnight low to a high temp for the day, when you start appreciating those warm days of summer weather that may still show up now and again, if your lucky.
• Winter:  Fifty Degrees?!  Yeah, right.  Below zero wind chill factor sometimes.  You got about 6 months in Wisconsin, give or take, between normal 50 degree days otherwise, so you goddamn better get used to it.
• Spring:  Fifty degrees would be reason to rejoice.  Shed those jackets and sport the shorts!  At least until the reality that it isn't quite summer yet sinks in.  It is pretty entertaining to watch the occasional 'tough guy' who refuses to admit he's chilly.  Still, fifty means we can open the windows on a nice sunny day to air out the winter stir-craziness.

Yeah, still haven't seen 50º yet....  but hopeful.  We should get close a couple times this week.

S & BJ Day

Probably NSFW!