My wife and I were supposed to go to my Mom and Dan's today for Easter lunch with them and my sister and her kids. I bowed out last night, after working extra lately I was exhausted. Yes physically, but much more mentally, either way rest is what I need. It's my own fault for agreeing when I knew I've been in need of time off from everything to relax, and 4 hours driving is not relaxing. So, my apologies to Mom and the family, I'll see you next time.
After another very long night's sleep I got a bit of yard work done today instead. I moved the rock line along the back fence out another 6 or 8 inches and did a bit of garden repair. The rocks always disappear when the hostas come in so I moved it out so maybe they'll still be visible and allow more room for the hostas and a better sight line in the summer months - and while mowing. This was one of those jobs I really wasn't looking forward to, but I had it done within the length of the latest Slash CD. I think I escaped without messing up by back, so I hope it's the last time I move those rocks.
Yesterday Kate cleaned up the stump area and gardens and planted lots of seeds. The plants all around the yard are growing and starting to bloom. But around the gardens the wood is starting to fall apart. I knew they would have to be replaced eventually, I just hoped for longer than 10 years, I guess. I staked the bottom right corner of the west garden by the door so it closes again and the wood doesn't fall out. This will need to be addressed too soon, perhaps this fall and/or next spring. I'll have to do some research this time before rebuilding. And, for that matter, the back fence will also need replacing soon.
All in all, I only spent a couple hours working in the yard and have been pretty lazy most of the afternoon. I need my batteries recharged for the upcoming overtime-mandated work week. Soon I will be on vacation, I just need to make it a few more weeks. But I'm tired.
A few posts ago I mentioned a hanging pot rack that I was making and said I would post about it later. Now is later as I completed it yesterday and, thankfully, my wife loves it.
When we got the new stove with the double ovens we lost the storage space under the old single oven so we needed a new place for our frying pans and some pots. We looked at several online, but my wife wanted a wood one and we had very limited space. In fact, the only feasible place was against the far wall of the kitchen in front of the window, and we didn't like the hanging ones we saw. We settled on a wood kit from Amazon that I sanded, stained and finished so it would blend in better with our woodwork. I also had to get much bigger brackets than the ones that came with it to place the rack out from the window a bit.
It came together rather easily, but when it came time to fasten the wood to the rack I ran into an issue. The brackets had a hole near the end that I was going to use to bolt the wood rack onto, but the holes lined up with the end rods that hold the wood rack together. It just barely fit as it was with the brackets right next to the window. I couldn't move the brackets so I had to think of a different way to fasten them together. What I came up with was a 1/2" screw to go into the wood but not hit the metal rod. Now, the screws alone I'm confident would hold for normal use, but just to be sure I took some black zip ties and fastened the wood to the bracket towards the back of the rack. Maybe not the best solution, but effective and you really can't even tell they're there.
This project was drawn out due to the winter temperatures and staining and finishing, but is finally done. Now I need to start coming up with a plan for my spring vacation project. I've talked about creating a cat box area under the basement stairs for a long time and I think this is finally the year. In the next few weeks I'll have to come up with the plans and get the wood, paint and other needed hardware so I'm ready to go. This will be a lot of fun for me to do, and I do really need the vacation.
Wednesday was one week since Basil came home from the vet after surgery. It seemed sufficient time for the cats to see and smell each other, and any hissing had seemed to end, so we reintroduced them. Things went very well, there was only a hiss or two, but the brothers were back together. Of course, we need to watch when we leave the basement open because Basil is still not to go down there even though he really wants to use his regular litter box. He does not like the litter he has to use so we bought puppy pads to place outside the box and he has been using them, though still reluctantly. The carpet in the back bedroom will definitely need a good cleaning after this.
In a few days Basil will have his stitches removed, then we'll have to find out from the vet how long until we can take the cone off and also how long until he can use regular clay litter. The sooner the better on both accounts to get our house back to normal.
Yesterday was the first day it thoroughly felt like spring. The day started overcast, but the sun came out in the afternoon and the temperature rose. I managed to do several things outside that have just become possible. First, I got the garage organized a bit by putting away snow shovels and salt, swapping out the snow blower for the lawn mower, and giving the whole garage a good sweep. With a clean garage and dust settled, I was finally able to apply the finish to what will be a hanging pot rack in the kitchen. I'll write a bit more about that once it's complete.
I spent the late afternoon/early evening breaking in the fire pit. The ground was solid enough that I hung out by the fire for a few hours, just watching the flames and enjoying the weather and relaxation. It never gets old. Just after sunset, as I let the fire pit die down, I fired up the grill for our first grilled burgers of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed this first day spending so much more time outside than I have in a very long time.
Apologies for the lack of blogging lately, we've been busy and somewhat distracted for several reasons I hope to touch upon here. Basil needed surgery, I'm getting the overtime blues yet moving up at work, and with spring comes chores that need to be done.
My last post had Basil feeling better but, alas, it was temporary. A week ago Sunday morning we had to take him in to the emergency vet again because his urinary tract was blocked once more. We had talked about it, and if this happened again we were going to go ahead with the surgery. Basil stayed at the vet, surgery got bumped on Monday due to another emergency so he wound up having surgery on Tuesday afternoon. The surgery was to shorten his urethra so when he forms crystals in his urine they don't get caught in the bend or near the tip. Now he'll pee like a girl cat, essentially.
After the surgery, they let him come home midday Wednesday, but he has to wear a cone, take medicine and use a special cat litter until he's healed. We also needed to keep the cats separated, which has not been easy. He'll have to wear the cone for two weeks following surgery, then he'll have the stitches removed and have to wear it for at least several days still after that. My wife has been able to get him the medicine in food and pill pockets. And our home has been divided into three segments; the back bedroom and porch where Basil has been sequestered, the living room and kitchen (and basement) where Hamish has been kept, and the neutral zone - the area in between that has our bedroom, the hall of doors, and the bathroom. At nights we've had to include the neutral zone in Basil's territory so he can sleep with us - he wouldn't have it any other way, as we found out the very first night. We've also been moving that barrier so the cats can see and smell each other but not physically interact. There's been some hissing and batting under doors, but overall it does seem to be getting better so hopefully we can have them together soon. But Basil does need time to heal without worrying about Hamish coming after him for smelling different.
Weather-wise it is definitely spring. Most of the snow has melted and plants are starting to come up. I got outside yesterday to get the yard raked but it's still a bit early for cleaning up the garage and getting ready for summer, though I could get the bikes down and give them a once-over at any time. Soon it should be consistently pleasant outside, but for now we still have temperatures bouncing up and down, above and below freezing. There has been regional flooding of some rivers and some communities but we have not had any issues with our lake system like last summer, and hopefully we won't at all. I should get down to the creek and get a picture, but maybe in a future post.
Work has been keeping me busy with mandatory overtime, but every few weeks they have to give us a break from it, so just regular hours the next couple weeks, thankfully. Also, I've accepted a promotion that will be effective tomorrow. I've only been back in this department since July, but they've seemed to be grooming me for this ever since. Although I'm not in a supervisory position (and do not want to be anyone's supervisor), it is a leadership position and I've already had to tackle many challenges thrown my way. I've also had to undergo several background checks to varying degrees - including a high level government background check. This had me being grilled interviewed by a federal agent because I had neglected to mention something rather inconsequential that happened almost 30 years ago! The government takes things like this very seriously. Hopefully soon all will be settled. I have nothing to hide, after all, and this will certainly prove it once again.
It's been a very stressful week here as we had to take Basil to the emergency vet because he couldn't pee. They got him sorted and he came home two days later with a cone, bandaged arm and medicine to take. I'm not going to go into detail, just know that he is feeling much better now and is cone-free and settled back in.
Enough stress has subsided that I can see the humor in some of our conversations!
No, not another milestone birthday. It will be a while until I turn sixty, though my half-birthday was a few days ago. Our temperatures reached 60ºF (16ºC) today for the first time since, well, seemingly forever. Let the melting continue!
A month ago, February 18
Today started out mild at 49ºF when I left for work a couple hours before sunrise. We had fog in the early daylight, sunny midday/early afternoon, followed by short periods of heavy rain, and now it is overcast and cooler than it was this morning. If it snows tonight it would be like all the seasons in one day.
This week has slowly warmed up, culminating in today's high temperature before it will get back to more normal temps for this time of year, upper 30's to low 40's. Then in a week we may see it start to warm up again. Yesterday I even noticed daffodils breaking through the mulch. This gives us hope - Spring is coming!
We can see the fire pit again, but it still may be some time before there's a fire.
Since there's nothing else to write about yet, here's a little more about the new snowblower. On paper, the new snowblower is 208cc, same as the old one, despite the size difference you can see in the picture. The new one seems better so far as I still have not used the electric start because it starts easily with just one pull, which never happened with the old snowblower. Also, it just seems more solid, a better built product, and more powerful despite the same size motor as the old one. My only complaint is that it's currently on sale for forty bucks less than I paid, but I needed it right then and couldn't wait for a sale. I've only had to use it a few times so far, but there's still snow in the forecast. We got an inch or a little more last night, too little to get out the snowblower. It was the light and fluffy stuff, and my wife took care of it easily this morning with a shovel.
You can see where the auger separated from the axle on the old snowblower, and how worn down the rubber was. In fact, metal was hitting the ground and peeling it back, seen at the bottom, so it was just time to be replaced. I still have the old one in the garage. I looked into leaving it out for pick-up with the trash and it will cost 15 dollars for a sticker so the city will pick it up. I think I may set it out for a few days and see if someone will take it before I buy the sticker, which I can easily get a few blocks away at the public library.
I also took a spill last week in the driveway. Ice has built up between the back door and the garage with the rain a week ago and snow melting and hasn't drained normally with the snow and ice and frozen ground on the side. I'm okay, thankfully, I mostly hurt my pride and got a wet ass, but I still have an ugly, tender knot on the outside front of my right knee. I didn't have to buy sidewalk salt last winter (and maybe the winter before) because what I had had been plenty, but I used up the last of it this morning and bought another two forty-pound bags today. With any luck I won't have to buy anymore this or next year, but the way things have gone this year it has been needed often.
I wish I had more to say, but not a lot has been happening with mandatory overtime at work and being stuck indoors at home. Everyone here is grumpy and tired of it. It's March now, so we need a sign of spring to help us get through the last of winter. Hopefully that will come sooner than later, but there's no sign of it yet in the foreseeable forecast.
Assembling the new snowblower, old one is on the left.
I can't seem to get away from mentioning winter weather lately, but that's what's been happening around here. Last week Monday night into Tuesday we had another snow event and got almost 10 inches of snow. Tuesday morning when I was clearing the driveway my snowblower started jumping around making a loud thunking noise. I stopped the engine immediately and one look underneath told me there would be no easy fix. The auger underneath that pulls the snow in rusted through in the middle so it was no longer attached. Out came the shovels and out went my aching back. I needed to get this resolved as soon as possible as we still have plenty of winter left.
Works like a champ!
I briefly considered trying to get this one repaired. I bought it originally when we first got the house, so it made it almost 10 winters. If I remember right, it may have been a clearance item then - I know it wasn't terribly expensive. Several years ago a friend was trying to fix something on it and we found out the company no longer made gas machines, only electric. There were no spare parts for it to be found. So that's that, then.
The next day I looked online, pondered several, and ordered a new one, only to have them email me the next day and refund my money because they no longer had it to sell. A day later I went to the big box hardware store and there wasn't a single snowblower to be found, so I went online again. This time I found and ordered one from a different seller. The only catch was it could take up to 10 days to get here. Luckily it shipped pretty quick, but yesterday we got another 5 inches that my wife had to shovel by herself last night, and then it kept snowing another couple inches overnight. Thankfully the new snowblower was to be delivered today.
I got off work early this afternoon and rushed home to find the new snowblower had been dropped off by the back steps, and fairly recently, it appeared. I changed clothes and set to work getting it put together and immediately trying it out by clearing the walks and driveway. I purposely got one with an electric start, but I didn't need it as it started immediately on the first pull. Very nice. I was able to get everything cleared in short order - with a little break to talk to neighbor Dave and tell him the story.
I had always been thinking that when this one goes I was going to get a two-stage snowblower. They're generally more powerful as they have two augers, one to pull the snow in and one to throw the snow out. A single-stage only has the one auger to scoop the snow and funnel it up the chute and out. A few things factored into my decision. One was price, as 500 bucks would get you a higher end single-stage but only a lower end two-stage snowblower. Secondly, a single-stage gets right down to the pavement and has a partly rubber auger while the two-stage must be adjusted just above the pavement as it has a metal auger. It's not often I have to clear more than 10 inches at a time and I like it getting down to the pavement so I chose a higher end single-stage snowblower and I'm comfortable with that decision.
But now, really, it just has to stop. The roads are getting narrower and we're running out of places to put the snow!
*This post was flagged today, 3/27/2023, for violating Blogger's Malware and Viruses policy. I'm not sure why, but I removed all links to sites other than my own and my youtube and will be requesting review to keep this post on my site. If you see this, I was successful.
It snowed most of the day on Sunday, but had slowed by the evening with only an inch or two having fallen. No. this is not another weather update post, I actually have something else to write about for a change. The fact that we are presently getting another 8-plus inches and having to stay home for another snow day is totally beside the point except that it gives me the time to write this post sooner rather than later.
Now, back to Sunday, Sunday evening actually, when Marty Friedman came to town to play for a few hundred people at the High Noon Saloon here in Madison. A friend and I arrived a bit late hoping to miss the first band, a local act, only to find they pushed the start time back some because Marty and his opening band had not yet arrived - probably due to the snow. As if on cue, as that set ended crew started bringing in gear as the bus and trailer had arrived.
The opening band, Immortal Guardian, was pretty good, but something was bugging me about them. They play with a prerecorded tape and, as far as I could tell, the only reason was because the guitarist liked to play keyboards with his right hand as he finger-tapped on his guitar with the left. Yes, it can look impressive, but he is the only guitar player in the band and there was obviously chords being strummed. Check out my video of them here and make up your own mind.
Marty Friedman became well known as a guitarist in the band Megadeth from 1990 until 2000. He then left America and has been living in Japan for over 15 years, still putting out solo albums and touring all over. This month he is touring to support his latest release, One Bad M.F. Live. He said during the show that this was his first time in Madison, but in 10 years of Megadeth he may have been here with them, or maybe he just meant as a solo artist. I saw Megadeth on the Peace Sells tour in the late eighties here in Madison, but that was before he joined them.
He has a good backing band and put on an enjoyable, instrumental show. There was one microphone that was only brought out only for him to speak in between songs and the bassist (Kyoshi) and other guitarist (Jordan Ziff) did minimal singing on two songs. The 600-person capacity High Noon Saloon was probably half or more full, just about my perfect size and density. I'd like to see all bands in the same atmosphere, but I don't get to call those shots. My friend got a good spot leaning on the end of the bar near the stage and that's where we camped for the show. I took a lot of pictures that hardly any turned out unfortunately, and I got a lot of good video that I've been re-watching the last couple days. You can see all my videos on my YouTube channel here, also listed in the right column.
Marty Friedman - Ashes / Forbidden / Tornado
I took more videos than usual this show - 6, plus one of the opening band - for a few reasons. First of all, I like to watch them. Simple as that. Also, there was no one behind me but bartenders and the camera was dimly lit and in front of my face - I watched the show over the camera but still able to control the camera (except for the shaking - I was still rocking out, after all!). But mostly, I'm just not terribly familiar with all of his music and an accurate, recent setlist was not found online for me to know when to look out for the parts I wanted to get on video. Still, even with 6 songs recorded I spent much more time with the phone in my pocket enjoying the show.
Here's one that I'm sure was added to the set due to the popularity of Queen recently:
Marty Friedman (w/Jordan Ziff) - Bohemian Rhapsody
That's my latest live music fix, now to look for the next. I've not seen any upcoming shows that are to my taste yet, but I'll always keep looking!
As noted in the last post, this past weekend was warmer with highs around 40ºF/5ºC. What it doesn't show is just how foggy it got that Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Even the houses across the street were very hazy due to the melting of a lot of snow releasing water into the air. The last couple days were regular winter days with highs still below zero. That brings us to today, and why I'm writing this instead of working.
Freezing rain. Ice.
We've had misting overnight that's left a layer of ice on already slippery surfaces, which will be followed by another winter storm. Madison happens to be on the freezing line with snow north and west and rain south and east with freezing rain and ice in the middle before the snow moves our way later today.
I hemmed and hawed this morning as to whether I was going to go into work or not. I'm ahead on hours for the week so I was in no rush. After watching the weatherman for some time I decided to go in to work, even if just for a few hours before we got the next wave of weather. As I stepped carefully down the back steps out to the garage I noticed the ice already covering everything. I'm sure the main roads were still fine, but would be very messy very soon. I stood in the driveway, indecisive for a few minutes before giving in and going back inside. I hate to use up my banked time for weather but I just don't like to take those chances driving in winter weather like I did when I was younger.
And to top it all off, tomorrow's high temperature is 6ºF/-14ºC. After that looks like another mixed bag of temperatures and precipitation for the next week.
Year after year, similar winter story lines. I've heard it described as when a mother forgets the pain of childbirth and wants another baby. The summers are so nice we forget what the winters bring. It happens every year, and here we are again...
Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Screenshot taken not long ago, about 8:15 pm. Look at this temperature swing within a few days, lows -30ºF to 37ºF, and highs -11ºF to 42ºF. That's a difference of 67 and 53 degrees, respectively, within 4-5 days.
Copied here for the convenience of my Celsius/Centigrade friends. I can't do math right now, my brain is cold and tired.
This is not normal for here, this is serious cold.
Recently my wife was given company tickets to a Wisconsin Men's Basketball game. She's not a sports fan so asked me if I wanted to take a friend. Given the proximity to my brother's birthday I invited him to go to the game on Saturday. Now, I've been to the Kohl Center several times for hockey games and concerts, but not recently and I've never been for a basketball game. My brother got to town and we decided to head there right away and I'm glad we did as I underestimated the traffic caused by the game. We got there early, but not too early and got to walk around a bit before settling into our seats to watch the players warm up before the game.
It was a good game and the Badgers won their third game in a row. The most notable part of the game was that Ethan Happ had his second triple-double of the season (13 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) and only the third triple-double in the long history of Wisconsin basketball. Happ, a senior, is the star of the team and will be playing professionally next year. He's a great college player but the only things that bother me about his game is his inefficiency at the free throw line - he was 1 of 5 this game - and I think he relies too much on the hook shot. That shot has made his college career a great one but it will be interesting to see how that translates to the NBA game in the coming years.
It was just above zero degrees that afternoon and when we left the game it was snowing quite a bit. Also, unbeknownst to me until we were going to the game, we would be bringing back my nephew and his friend from the game. Luckily we got there early and my brother called the other parents and they were able to park in the same ramp we were in, or finding the kids after the game may have been quite a bit more difficult. But I did enjoy briefly seeing the nephew, growing so fast the next time he may be taller than me! After the game I was already out of my comfort zone hanging out with 17,000 other people and then having to drive in slick conditions in heavy traffic while trying to make conversation on the way back was a bit stressful, but we made it okay. And then they made it back home safely, thankfully.
I do care for my brother but we are definitely two different people on two very different paths. Much of that is my wife and I chose to not have kids and they've gone the family path, and like most families these days, it sounds like they are always running from one kid's event to the other's, day after week after year. There's nothing wrong with how either of us chooses to live, it's just very different. Still, this was one of the few times ever I got to spend a little one on one time with my brother and I'm grateful he accepted my invitation.
Of course, now that I've been to a basketball game I don't feel the need to do it again anytime soon. There's the people, the traffic, and the time it all takes. A two hour game is like a six hour commitment, much of it sitting in traffic. I can watch the games on TV and see what's happening much easier and without all that added stress. So, I can scratch this off my list for now and if I do get another opportunity I will know better what to expect and be able to plan accordingly.
I just woke up a bit ago and it looks like a nice, clear day outside but it is -17ºF/-27ºC. We've had our milder weather, now we've been alternating between snow and deep freeze. We got about another 7" of snow on Tuesday/Wednesday, followed by this, then it will warm up (15ºF/-9ºC) on Monday to dump some more snow and then it looks like the rest of the week we will not get north of 0ºF/-18ºC for several days. Remember not too long ago when I said that it felt like winter had actually started? Oh, and Lake Mendota has frozen over now for a record third time this season.
Yes, the numbers are impressive but it's happened before and it will happen again. Life just goes on. I took this picture this morning, you can barely see where the fire pit is. Today should get a bit above zero eventually and I am expecting a rather good day out and about. My brother is coming up to town and we're going to a Badger Men's Basketball game at the Kohl Center. Should be a lot of fun - despite the weather!
There's not been a lot to write about so far this new year, but I've had some unexpected time off work again so why not start complaining typing and see what happens.
I've gone through hundreds of these. Ick.
Last winter I didn't get sick at all. In fact, I don't think I've been sick in two years - until this winter. I was sick with a stomach virus (I since learned that stomach flu is not an influenza, but a different virus) a week or two before Christmas and now I have something upper respiratory. I was miserable Friday, but had no idea I was getting sick. Waking up Saturday there was no question and I have been absolutely miserable ever since. It seems to be centered in my right sinus, though both are plugged often. Breathing has been a struggle.
Cold medicine does not work. I've tried many different kinds over the years to no avail. Some may work a tiny bit, and I can remember at times thinking that I should remember this particular one - but I never do. And there's only so many different kinds, anyway. Still, I take them and hope for the best, but usually you just have to suck it up and let it run its course. What do you use for a snotty cold? Does it really work? Really?
Of course, being sick means I have missed more work. It's been busy so I would rather not miss time but I also wouldn't want to sit next to me, either. Best to stay home until I can keep all my bodily fluids in check, though I don't want to lose ground at work, either. There's been talk of me moving up already, not quite six months into my new position. While I do want that, I wouldn't mind some more time at the level I'm at now. We'll just have to see what happens in the coming weeks and months.
Wow! I just started typing with my hands in the wrong place and discovered emojis. Windows key + period = 😎🎶👌👣🦇🥓 and tons more. Playing with it for a minute shows me that it's a windows thing, not just in blogger. Not that I'm a big emoji guy, but how come I never knew about this before? Did you?
Now I forgot what I was going to say, so let's go with weather. We've been relatively warm for January here, with no snowfall. A week or so ago it rained and melted most all we had, so it is very gray and brown outside these days, not pretty. On the upside, no shoveling, snowblowing or salting has been needed. In fact, if the weather stays similar, the ground stays firm and once I feel a bit better then it may be time for a winter fire pit!
Okay, that's enough typing. Actually, I don't feel well and want to wrap this up. If you were paying attention, I asked a couple questions above. Leave me a comment below, I've got plenty of time to read them as I'm just sitting home sick - if you haven't heard. 😩🤧
Last year I heard Scum of the Earth's 2012 release, The Devil Made Me Do It. I had no idea who they were, and though I liked it I was very much listening to otherthings at the time. Late last fall I listened to it again and really liked what I heard so I dove in head first to learn more about them and would up getting everything else they've released as well. Even now I am still very much listening and enjoying it all, thus they are my latest listening pleasure!
Scum of the Earth, or SotE, is essentially guitarist and reluctant singer Mike Riggs. Riggs was the guitarist in Rob Zombie's first solo band after White Zombie and before Zombie took a break to make some movies. The resemblance is certainly there, musically and visually. SotE is kind of like a poor man's Rob Zombie. SotE may be a little darker where Rob Zombie is a little more cartoonish. That's the best, briefest description I can give. It's just the heavy guitar riffs, dark lyrics and industrial, sometimes electronic sound that seems to appeal to me here. Greatly.
Riggs and SotE have released 3 full length CDs, in 2004, 2007 and 2012, with just a single released in late 2017 (aside from the streaming-only Munsters theme song, also released late 2017). Not as much as I want, but the heavy grooves and chug-chug-chug guitars make me want to Death Stomp, despite my age and the fact I would get killed in a mosh pit these days.
I don't know how active a band SotE ever was, and they don't seem very active now, touring or otherwise. And I know I've delved into the past on this one, but there's not a ton of stuff about them on Youtube to find. Well, I'm very aware of Riggs and SotE now, so if they come up with anything new I will find it. Rock on, Riggs.
Similar to the last few years, we will be ringing in the new year at home with just a couple friends, Terry and Becky, as long as the roads don't get too slippery. My wife is going to cook a late dinner of beef tenderloin with those fancy little potatoes. We'll play some games, have some special drinks and pop the champagne at midnight. If we do manage to make it all the way to midnight that will be pretty much it, and I'll have to get a nap in just to help me make it that late.
Back on Christmas weekend we were going to drive to Mom and Dan's in Dubuque but Kate came down with the bug I had the week before. Now we'll have to see about getting the presents to the nieces and nephews soon. I may have to ship them to my sister and her kids, but it's a good excuse to finally drive down and see my brother's family and the house they built. On Christmas Day Kate was feeling a bit better, well enough to not cancel her family coming over for some great food, presents and holiday cheer, so we did get one family gathering in for the holiday.
Happy New Year to you all. The ones I read, the ones I love, all my friends and all of you who take the time to read me. Whether you comment or not, I can see you're there. Thank you.
I've never been a card person so consider this your holiday greeting. I hope you're all enjoying whatever you're doing. Cheers!
*Edit, 9 a.m.
I scheduled the above last night to post early this morning. When I finally arose today and opened the curtains this is the sight I saw - a layer of snow on the ground! So it seems I lied earlier - we have a White Christmas after all!
Just because I could, I relaxed with a fire for a bit this afternoon. It was a few degrees below freezing - so maybe not the brightest* thing to do coming off the flu - but it was nice. Happy Winter Solstice, everyone.
December is slipping away, the holidays are almost upon us and I've hardly posted a thing lately. There's not been much to post about, really. Well, I'm sure I can come up with a few things so time to start typing again and see what fills the page.
Somehow we seem to have had December weather in November and vice-versa. There was only a trace of snow on the ground in spots yesterday and that's probably erased by the rain today, and with the expected temperatures we will not be having a white Christmas this year. Lake Mendota officially froze over five days ago, on the 15th. About normal, but that date can vary greatly year to year. Lake levels are looking better, but still not down to where they should be. I haven't heard anything on that debate lately but, like any other year, the further from the event the less people think about it.
I've been sick all this week, probably a flu bug but I didn't go to the doctor. Sunday evening I remember being especially tired, then Monday and Tuesday were absolutely miserable for me but I'm slowly starting to feel like myself again. Today I worked a full shift for the first time this week and I am exhausted. At least my boss is letting me slide on the required overtime this week and we have no overtime for the next two short holiday weeks.
I have all my holiday shopping done and finished wrapping this afternoon. This was a tough year to buy something for my wife. I thought about jewelry again but she doesn't really wear any regularly. She did mention wanting to get her ears re-pierced but she won't let me do it so I came up with a few other gifts that will have to do. She has a birthday coming up in a month so I guess I'll have to make up for it then.
Sadly, the pictures on my garden blog from August 13, 2012, to May 14, 2017, have been deleted. It was a shame and I am not happy about it, but I had almost 1400 pictures on Flickr and starting soon they will only allow 1000 for free accounts. Most importantly, I didn't want to lose anything from this site, so I sacrificed those pictures rather than pay a monthly fee forever to keep them. You can read more of what I wrote about that here and here. As for the future of that garden blog? I just don't know yet.
I've been scanning the local venues' websites for upcoming shows that I'd like to see, and still there's only one on my radar. On February 10, Marty Friedman plays at the High Noon Saloon. He used to be a guitarist in the band Megadeth and then spent the last 15 years in Japan. Other than that, there's a few things that slightly interest me and you never know when a new show will be announced. In fact, it was just announced that Neil Young is coming soon to Madison on a very short solo tour. Unfortunately it's on a weeknight and the tickets seem to be outrageously priced and may already be sold out. (Luckily, I've seen him before - but that was over 20 years ago!)
That's all I can think of that I want to share for now. I'm sure I'll post a holiday greeting soon and I don't think we have any plans for New Year's Eve yet, so there will be more to come before 2019.
For some time now I've been lamenting the lack of shows coming to Madison that interest me. I see tour announcements often, and I rarely see Madison on the list of dates (yet Grand Rapids, Michigan, a smaller city, seems to get a lot of shows). Maybe that will change with another good Madison venue, The Sylvee, that just opened this fall. Months ago I was scanning the upcoming shows and saw this show coming up. Surprisingly, my wife agreed to go with me so as tickets were relatively cheap we went out to see Steel Panther and check out The Sylvee on Friday night.
Steel Panther, if you haven't heard of them before, is a band that spoofs 80's hair metal. They perform classic metal songs and their own music, all the while performing satire of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Definitely not safe for work, nothing seems to be off limits and being in on the joke is much of the fun. It does surprise me, however, that so many women like the band in this #meetoo time we live in, considering how they objectify and make fun of them in their songs and banter. But it's all in good fun and in the name of heavy metal.
I posted this holiday song when it was new a few years ago, here it is live - The Stocking Song:
It was cold that night - in the mid teens (ºF) - but a new parking ramp just opened up right next door to the venue so that was very convenient. As usual, I bought a shirt first, probably the only one for sale that I could actually wear to work as the others had innuendo that someone would take exception to, I'm sure. We walked around the crowd a bit but took a spot in the balcony. The balcony has a couple rows of seats around the front but the rest is all general admission. When a band comes that I really want to see I think I'd spring for the seats. The first band, Wilson, was forgettable. Steel Panther ran through their set like a well oiled machine, despite having a fill-in bassist for this stretch of dates. We left before they came out for the encore, so we missed a song or two but I'm okay with that. We beat the crowd and were home and warm minutes later.
Steel Panther performing a cover of a Motley Crue song, Shout At The Devil, with some fun at the beginning:
I hadn't seen Steel Panther before even though they've played Madison several times over the last decade or so, and if I had been to a good show recently I may not have gone this time, but I'm glad we got to check out The Sylvee and the band was pretty entertaining. If I sound a little underwhelmed, well, I guess I am. I'll keep my eye on the upcoming shows and maybe something will come up that will get me a bit more excited.
On Thanksgiving Day we went south to Stoughton to my sister-in-law's house to celebrate with her family. They happen to live near the Yahara River, south of the four lakes connected by the river, so we walked over and took a look during our time there. Now, I've posted about Lake Mendota from our times out on the boat. Also Lake Monona from bike rides and trips to Olbrich Park. And mostly Starkweather Creek as it passes through my neighborhood toward Lake Monona. The next two lakes down the chain are Waubesa and Kegonsa, then the Yahara flows for some time before emptying into the Rock River. Stoughton is in the bottom right of the map, we live above Lake Monona and east of Lake Mendota.
Lake Waubesa, Yahara Outlet
On the drive down we only got glimpses of the lower two lakes as we drove by so getting pictures wasn't easy, but I did get one looking out onto Lake Waubesa where the Yahara exits the lake and while not over the banks it did look very full. That's what we found in Stoughton as well, the river looked very full - and fast, it seemed to be running much faster than we've seen before. Looking at the lake levels map, it was as expected as they continue to release water down the chain trying to get the levels lower. Lake Mendota is looking the best so far, but the rest have several feet of water to go down yet. When you think about it, it really does take a lot of time to let all that water flow.
By spring I don't think we'll have any issues, but that could change at Mother Nature's whim. I also noticed in the news that just recently all the slow-no wake rules on all 4 of the lakes have now been lifted. Of course, not many are out boating anymore at this time of year anyway. Mostly the ice fisherman are waiting for the ice to form by now, which brings another thought: What will the ice conditions be if the water keeps lowering under it?
We finally replaced the range in the kitchen. It had been a long time coming. The old electric stove and oven was, well, old - very old. My wife is quite the cook and knew exactly what she wanted to replace it, a gas range with a double oven. This range has essentially been picked out for almost a year, but appliances go on sale in November so we waited and saved hundreds of dollars.
It was scheduled to be delivered early afternoon on Wednesday, so I got an early start to the weekend to wait for it to arrive. The delivery men were in and out in short order and we had our new range! Of course, there were a couple issues. There always seems to be, for us. Nothing terribly major.
Months ago we had our plumber extend the gas line to once again come up behind the range. It had been removed long ago to install the outlet for the electric range. But, he installed it with a fitting that is not normally used for gas ranges. The installers luckily had adapters to use but that made the connection too big to get the range against the wall as close as it should be. Now, we've used the same plumber since we got the house and while they have done some good work for us they've also done some questionable work for us, so after this we are ready to move on and try another local plumber. This week I will find one and schedule them to get the gas connection sorted and possibly moved so we can push the range in farther. (While they're here I may also have them look at some minor leaks by the utility sink downstairs.)
Also, both the new refrigerator and the new range (both LG) have the same type of electrical plug where the cord goes straight down, parallel to the wall instead of perpendicular. I'm sure it's meant to stay out of the way when pushing the appliance in, but that means you can't use two of the same type of plug in one regular outlet. There is space, so I will have to find an adapter to extend the top one out a bit, is all. So, another upgrade to the kitchen, which Kate finished repainting yesterday. Next on the kitchen list is flooring, counter tops, and a vent above the range. All in due time, except for a hanging pot rack I need to build now - ASAP!
Back when I started this site (and the garden blog) I uploaded pictures to Blogger to post without a care in the world. Eventually I got the message that I had used up all my storage when I didn't even know I had a limit. I needed a new place to put my pictures so I could post them on my sites. I wrote about that on August 13, 2012. Now, I seem to remember getting that message from Picasa. I don't know if that's right or what the connection with Blogger is, but all those old pictures are still on the site (though many linked photos may not be) and come up as from Blogger. Well, unable to post pictures I got a free account with Flickr and have used that to host all the pictures I post ever since.
Well, it wasn't long ago I got an email that Flickr had been sold to another company, and then on November 13 I received an email from Flickr about important updates to my account. Basically, no more free ride for me. They will allow free accounts with up to 1000 photos, or I may upgrade to Flickr Pro for an as-yet-undisclosed annual fee (but I can get 30% off the first year). My problem is that I have almost 1400 pictures on Flickr, so after January 8, 2019, I will no longer be able to upload pictures and after February 5, 2019, I will have my photos that are over 1000 deleted, starting with the oldest, unless I pay. What this means is that after that date my pictures on posts on both my sites from August 2012 to 376 pictures later will disappear from my sites. My guess is that would go through 2015 and include some cherished memories, but I definitely do not want to pay - any cost, every year, forever. If it becomes relevant again, I can always re-upload to my next picture host and update the post, but it is a terrible shame because I do look back to years past on my sites.
So what do I do now? Well, I noticed that on my phone I have the old Picasa logo. Picasa is now Google Photos. It does not have all those original photos that I uploaded way back when, but when I take a picture with my phone it is now backed up there. And there's even pictures saved there from my old (first) smartphone. There does appear to be a limit, so I still have to figure out how it's going to work over the long haul, but I think it will work for me. And I can still use the camera and upload the ones I wish to, but I will probably start using my phone almost exclusively for taking pictures. And after getting the pictures off my phone and saved onto the computer I should "clean up" all the excess pictures I take out of Google Photos to extend my limit.
I have two more posts in mind for very soon that I will want pictures, so I will be trying this out probably later this weekend. This should not affect normal blog viewing at all, unless it is an older affected post being viewed, other than the picture will open differently when clicked. If anyone else has a better idea I'm very willing to listen!
Soooo, funny story: I was re-reading and editing the above when it occurred to me I hadn't even tried to upload directly since that day in 2012 when I got the message about reaching the limit. I just tried now, and it works! I won't need an outside image host after all! Limits must have changed in the last 6 years? How can I tell? Well, Google is Blogger is Chrome is Youtube is Google Photos is Android is everything else I am, it seems. I'll still have the loss of posted photos for that 2012-15 period, and that pains me greatly, but hopefully I'll never have to deal with this again.
Like most years, it's best known to me as a 4 day weekend with one day spent with relatives. This year we're staying close to home and visiting my wife's side of the family. Other than that I don't know if we'll be leaving the house much as this Black Friday weekend will make it a madhouse on the roads and at the shops. Feast of the cash registers, as some might say. I do need to start shopping for gifts, but that will probably be entirely online.
I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend and thank you for stopping by!
I'm over 50, married and child-free. My wife and I have a home not far from downtown Madison, Wisconsin, since 2009. I like music, taking pictures and good humor - plus writing about it all here. I am still not on farcebook or other social media, only Blogger and YouTube. Email me at scoakatsblog@gmail.com. I check it every so often.
My wife and I were supposed to go to my Mom and Dan's today for Easter lunch with them and my sister and her kids. I bowed out last night, after working extra lately I was exhausted. Yes physically, but much more mentally, either way rest is what I need. It's my own fault for agreeing when I knew I've been in need of time off from everything to relax, and 4 hours driving is not relaxing. So, my apologies to Mom and the family, I'll see you next time.
Yesterday Kate cleaned up the stump area and gardens and planted lots of seeds. The plants all around the yard are growing and starting to bloom. But around the gardens the wood is starting to fall apart. I knew they would have to be replaced eventually, I just hoped for longer than 10 years, I guess. I staked the bottom right corner of the west garden by the door so it closes again and the wood doesn't fall out. This will need to be addressed too soon, perhaps this fall and/or next spring. I'll have to do some research this time before rebuilding. And, for that matter, the back fence will also need replacing soon.
