Merry Christmas 2020

Yes, it's been a bad year.  Lockdowns, masks, sickness and death.  But we made it this far and there is hope with the new vaccines, but that doesn't help us yet this holiday season.  A basketball game on TV and a Zoom call with immediate family is pretty much all we have planned today.  My wife will see her dad, but that's not unusual as she's pretty much his full time caretaker these days.  Almost all our snow has melted so it's not even a white Christmas this year.  But we must to try to stay positive, and I do have hope for a vaccinated future.  It will take time and there will be more challenges yet, but we'll get there.

Wherever you are, I hope you're making the best of things today.  Merry Christmas, everyone.

Christmas Fire Video

Have you ever used one of those long, soothing background videos for something to put on your TV or computer monitor?  Like hours of watching fish in an aquarium, or a babbling brook in a woodlands setting?  Around Christmastime a full screen roaring fireplace is popular.  I've seen and used all of the above at one time or another, and now I found one for 2020.  Enjoy.

Solstice Firepit and Holiday Plans

Happy winter solstice, everyone.  Winter officially arrived at 4:02 a.m. this morning, locally.  While there has been some recent melting, including some today with temps in the upper 30's (F), there just hasn't been enough to get me out by the fire for this one.

I was hoping, it just wasn't meant to be, and I'm afraid there will be no more opportunities until spring.  In a couple days here we'll go south of the freezing mark and it looks like that's where we'll stay for the foreseeable forecast.  It was a good ride, and I had more fires this year than I ever imagined I would have in a season, but thanks to covid it was my only escape, my only real pleasurable time outside the 4 walls of the house for almost all of 2020.

I don't know if I mentioned it here, but sometime during the last several fires I noticed several loose bricks, so come spring there will be a little repair work needed.  Last time I used an adhesive specifically made for outdoor fireplace blocks.  It was more expensive, but I wanted it to last - and more than just a few years.  I think in spring I'll use Liquid Nails or similar adhesive and see how long that lasts.

So, dear readers, you won't have to listen to me go on and on about it and post mostly firepit pictures for at least several months.  Let's hope life gets back to normal sooner than later, or I'll end up doing it all over again next year!

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Christmas is less than a week away now, and we don't plan on going anywhere or seeing anyone, probably just a Zoom call like we did on Thanksgiving. I've got gifts sent off to the younger niece and nephew, and some cash mailed to the older ones.  We've given mostly great gifts to all of them for many years now, but as they graduate high school and become adults this will end.  I was going to call it a day with their generous lump sum graduation gifts, but I think we'll continue to give token cash at Christmas for a couple more years until they turn 21, then I'm done.  I have a few more years of picking out gifts for the younger ones, teenagers now, but then plan on the same for them.

We don't really get gifts for the adults in the family, just a little something for my Mom, like a relevant puzzle or something fun she wouldn't get for herself.  My mom, of course, gets us all something even though I tell her it's really not necessary, but she enjoys it.  Things are done a little differently on my wife's side of the family, but certainly nothing too extravagant.  As for my wife and I, we didn't do much this year.  She told me what to get her and when I couldn't think of anything I wanted she just got me a little something, I guess.  But she has a January birthday, so I'll have to up my game pretty fast.

What are your holiday plans this year?

Just Weather Again

Welcome to winter.  Forty-eight hours ago we were on our second 50ºF day in a row and I was out enjoying a rare weekday firepit.  And today, well....

A winter wonderland, picture taken just a few minutes ago.

Two days earlier, much more relaxing.

I don't normally have a fire when I have to get up early the next day, but with sunset before 4:30 p.m. and a very mild December day I did just that on Thursday.  I got off work at 2:00, had the fire going about an hour later, stayed out until after 5:00 and was inside in plenty of time for dinner.  Then yesterday morning it started raining until turning over to snow in the early afternoon.  Even then, it wasn't until evening that the snow started sticking.  And it continued overnight and is still going, currently projected to finish in the next hour or so.

My back is still touch-and-go so there's no way I was going to pick up a shovel, but with a support belt and what turned out to be one more warm layer than necessary I was able to push the snow blower through the heavy and wet white stuff to get things cleared while my lovely wife used a shovel for the steps and more.  We'll have to go out again later to clean things up when the snow is finished (and after the Badger game this afternoon) but now it will be much easier.

High temperatures for the next week are projected to be right around the freezing mark so not sure how long the snow will last.  I guess it depends on how many of those days are sunny.  But one of these days it will snow and stay until maybe March.  I hope today is not that day.

Back is Back

 I have two sayings when someone expresses sympathy for my back not being good; it's just part of the joy of being me, and, everyone has something, this is mine.  And I thank them for their expression.

Everyone knows I have a bad back.  I've had one neck surgery, two back surgeries and came close to having another one a couple years back ago.  I've been through this so many times, but this last episode has been a bad one.  Maybe a month or so ago I was having issues on my lower right side.  That lasted about two weeks, then moved to my left side.  I believe my left side was trying to compensate for the right side, which is why it moved over and has gotten worse since.  No sense going to the doctor yet, he would only give me muscle relaxers which I already have, and maybe some pain pills that I don't want and they don't really help the issue by just numbing it.  If I miss another day of work, though, I will have to contact my doctor for a note.

At work I have a stand up desk and a very good chair with good lower back support.  I was reminded of this when I went in on Saturday for a couple hours.  A poor decision on my part as I was so tight I couldn't even straighten my legs all the way, but I managed to get the needed work done in a couple hours.  At home I have two chairs, one with a more upright, adjustable back that I use for work and one with a fixed back that leans back and I have a lumbar roll on it that I use for relaxing.  Once it's more safe to go out and shop, I'll be trying out new chairs that will combine all these features.  No cheapie this time, it will have to be a high end, more expensive chair but it will be well worth it.

What I've been avoiding saying so far is that it's much of my own fault.  I've fallen out of the habit of doing my daily exercises and with the colder weather our neighborhood walks have ground to a halt.  Today I will start trying to change that.  I just made it around the block on a walk, though it was slow and I got slower as I went.  I have an icy/hot patch on my lower back now and will attempt my exercises when there is not a cat napping on the bed.  Exercises are basically planking and holding, and I do them on the bed because it is the most comfortable for me and getting up off the floor just ain't what it used to be.

Back problems are very common, I am not unique, and I know several others with issues and I'm sure you do, too, if you don't have back issues yourself.  Exercise is the true key, keeping those muscles in my lower back in shape while not hurting myself in the process.  Now I just have to do it and keep up with it or this will happen more often.

The picture is from a firepit last Friday afternoon.  (If you look just above the peak of the porch you can see where the branch broke off that blocked the road, from a few posts ago.)  I was trying to be careful then as I already ached, but firepits do usually end in at least a small backache for me.  The forecast does not look good for this weekend, so perhaps the last fire of the year, but not if I can help it.  Now I have to get up and move as I just can't sit here any longer.  Take care of your backs, people, you only have one and it affects everything you do.

New Fence

Yesterday we had our back fence replaced, and wow!  A side by side comparison really shows just how old, rotten and beat up the old fence was.  There were no real issues installing it, thankfully, and we gained a bit of our property back.

Neighbor Jane, on the right in the above picture has her back fence on the property line.  Neighbor Dave, on the left, has told me that his fence is a foot or two this side of the property line because when he installed it he didn't want to put it up a little hill he has at the back.  What they ended up doing is moving the fence line closer to the actual property line by several inches by the compost bin and the other side maybe just an inch or so, basically splitting the difference again.  So, no, it's not perfectly straight across the yard but you can't tell by looking at it.

Also, I wanted it straight across on top and there is a slight dip in the ground in the middle so while it is at ground level on the ends the middle is about 2 inches or so above the ground.  I can easily fill that in come spring, then the hostas will cover it all.  

Overall, I'm very pleased.  And after seeing it without a fence I am so very glad we have it.  It gives us so much more privacy back there and we don't have to look at the neighbor's odd junk behind and alongside their garage. I should have done it last year as the cedar would have been a bit cheaper but the miser in me wanted to get every last bit of use out of the old fence.  Oh well, it is done now and looks pretty good, I think.

If you're interested, pictures of the process will be after the break.

Thanksgiving 2020

 

Snow and Fence Weather

Last year by this time we had gotten about 15 inches of snow, this year only .1 inches so far - until today.  Neither is unusual for us, and today it started snowing before light and continued until around midday.  Currently it is raining, so most of this snow won't make it until tomorrow.  And if it does it will not make it much longer as through the weekend high temperatures in the 40's (ºF, 5-10ºC) are expected.  Which means I should be able to get at least one evening by the fire. 

Speaking of fires, I thought my last firepit of 2019 was between Christmas and New Year but I might have been mistaken.  According to my pictures - and I usually but not always take some pictures - the last fire was on the winter solstice, December 21.  I can only hope to have another for this year's winter solstice, but every fire now could be the last of the season.  

I think I mentioned here that our rotting back fence was going to be replaced.  That was supposed to happen on November 10, but they called that a rain day.  The next day I got a call that they only had the 4 inch boards and wanted to be sure I was okay with that rather than the 5 1/2" I ordered.  No, I was not.  See, there has been a shortage of cedar this year, so they can order all they want but they'll only receive a portion at best.  I only need 40 feet of fence replaced and I want the same as I have but new.  I don't think I'd like the look of 4" boards on the 6' dog-eared back fence.  Yesterday they finally called to reschedule my fence replacement for this Monday, after the holiday weekend.  It's forecast to be cold that day with a high temperature just under freezing, but I'll be out there keeping an eye on them often.  My main concern is that they do not attempt to move the compost bin, they'll have to pre-build that panel before installing.  Cross your fingers they set aside the 90 or so boards needed for me.

I'll put some recent, somewhat interesting pictures after the break.

LLP Bonus - Eskimo Callboy and Skynd

I was going to save this for a later time to space out the music posts, but I just don't have much to say currently.  All is well; eat, sleep, work - you know how it goes.

There are two other acts that have caught my attention this year, Eskimo Callboy and Skynd.  I haven't heard enough of them or know enough about them for them to be worthy of a full LLP post, but I am intrigued and like what I see so far.  Both these artists are very different, but I enjoy lots of different music.

Eskimo Callboy is a German band that has been around for about a decade or so, and I do remember hearing the name before but it was on a local radio station so I probably dismissed it as I really don't pay a whole lot of attention to radio to find my music.  They've been described as a mix of metal, comedy, hardcore and electronic.  I don't care what you call it, this song is very catchy and the video is hilarious in an eighties workout video kind of way.

Eskimo Callboy - Hypa Hypa

Skynd is a little different, to say the least.  Her music is dark and eerie, yet I find it catchy and interesting.  She doesn't have a whole lot of songs out, 7 or 8 from what I can tell, and they all have a serial killer kind of theme.  Literally, her songs are about serial killers and the songs are named after the serial killer she is singing about.  The latest song, though, is a little different as it's just called Columbine.  If you forget, it's the high school in Colorado that two kids shot up back in 1999.

Skynd - Columbine

Latest Listening Pleasure 37 - Code Orange

This year has been terrible for the music industry.  Live shows and tours have been postponed, rescheduled, and now are starting to be postponed yet again.  And with digital music being consumed practically for free, live shows are how most musical artists survive.  Yet time moves ever forward so albums still get released, videos still get made, and many artists have turned to the internet to put food on the table.  Code Orange is one such band, having released their latest album, Underneath, early this year in March, just in time for the rest of their plans for the year to get cancelled.

But this band has moved forward as best they can, and have put some good livestream shows together over the course of the year.  First, in March, they played their first livestream show, Last Ones Left: In Fear of the End, and it was very good.  Later, at the end of July, they had another, but this time it was set up like an old MTV Unplugged show.  Under the Skin got rave reviews from fans and critics alike as their music translated to acoustic better than one would have thought.  Then on Halloween they did it again, back to a full heavy concert feel with Back Inside the Glass (a paid livestream, no link available).  A truly enjoyable show and happily a very different setlist.

Code Orange - Sulfur Surrounding (from Under the Skin)

I was lucky enough to see all those shows, and I look forward to more.  But enough of the acoustic, here is the title song from the album Underneath.  A tune I find very catchy, indeed.

Code Orange - Underneath

Now, I didn't know a whole lot about Code Orange (formerly Code Orange Kids) before this year, but I've been learning.  What I find really interesting is how this young band has evolved over time.  One guitarist used to be the bass player.  The keyboards and electronics guy used to be on guitar.  And the frontman used to be the drummer, might still be for the studio as they list the current drummer as a session musician.

The band does have what I find to be quite a different style and sound, yet I like it and find it refreshing and a bit unpredictable as sometimes it seems hard to catch the rhythm but it always turns up in an interesting way.  Vocals are shared by the female guitarist, frontman and keyboardist, a mix of clean singing and growls.  I never find my next favorite band when I'm looking for it, it just shows up when it wants.  I'm happy Code Orange showed up, and continues to be active in these times.  I also look forward to what this band does next and will be there to support them, whatever that may be.

Previous LLP Posts:
LLP 1 - Pain
LLP 2 - Nightwish
LLP 3 - Die Antwoord
LLP 4 - Pain part 2
LLP 5 - Andrew Bird LIVE
LLP 6 - Nightwish part 2
LLP 7 - Paramore
LLP 8 - Newsted
LLP 9 - U.D.O. LIVE
LLP 10 - Nightwish Imaginaerum Movie
LLP 11 - Kiss
LLP 12 - Rick Springfield
LLP 13 - Hyrax
LLP 14 - In This Moment
LLP 15 - Faster Pussycat LIVE
LLP 16 - Sebastian Bach
LLP 17 - Cradle Of Thorns
LLP 18 - Amaranthe
LLP 19 - Lindemann
LLP 20 - Halestorm
LLP 21 - Garbage LIVE
LLP 22 - Arcade
LLP 23 - Nightwish LIVE
LLP 24 - Ace Frehley
LLP 25 - Darkc3ll
LLP 26 - Dementia
LLP 27 - Rammstein
LLP 28 - Marilyn Manson LIVE
LLP 29 - The Harp Twins LIVE
LLP 30 - Diamante
LLP 31 - Steel Panther LIVE
LLP 32 - Scum Of The Earth

LLP 33 - Marty Friedman LIVE
LLP 34 - Buckethead LIVE
LLP 35 - Alice Cooper LIVE
LLP 36 - Poppy

LLP 37 - Code Orange