Warming Up To 1º

7:18

Long Point

Fishing Huts On Warner Bay

Another extremely cold morning, and light snow is falling—the beginning of a Chautauqua weekend. I slept in until 7:00, so I have only been up for a little over an hour. It was strange to come downstairs and find it already light out, not the usual darkness when I wake at 6:00. It's after 9:00 and I count at least 9 fishing huts out on the lake. 

Friday was a long day for both of us. I was up early and tried to fill the morning with the usual: reading a couple of newspapers (depressing), taking morning photos, and writing the blog. Then, deciding on what to have for breakfast—the usual yogurt with good stuff, or just a banana. All that was finished by 9:15, and I had the rest of the morning to fill until 12:30, when I was going to drive to Jamestown for my friend Paul's visitation at Lind's Funeral Home. So I read, finishing my book, Theo of Golden, and started a new one, recommended by my granddaughter Marisa, Listen for a Lie, only to discover after starting it that I had already read it a few years ago. Idiot. So I downloaded another book, The Island, set in Crete, in which a young woman visits and discovers her family's past, including a leper colony. I showered around 11:00, put on a good pair of pants, a button-down shirt, a tie, and a sweater, and had lunch: Evie's soup and pizza on pita bread. Evie had a busy morning, making a large pot of chili, then putting together our dinner of pasta and meatballs.

I arrived at the funeral home at 1:00, and a few visitors were already there. I was able to visit with a couple of Paul's relatives before spending time with his wife, Ellen, whom I had gotten to know over the past year or two. When I left, there was a long line of visitors, so it was a good thing I went early. 

Ellen And Paul At Ryders Cup In November

I stopped at Farm Fresh Foods and picked up donuts—their specialty sourdough glazed. I was home by 2:00, tired from my drive to Jamestown. I grabbed my Kindle, went upstairs, and read, then napped briefly. After a busy morning, Evie was happy to spend most of the afternoon relaxing.  When I came downstairs from my nap, I was tempted to go out for a walk but was too lazy. This weather is getting in the way of my hiking because it's too cold to be out hiking safely for any period of time. So I sit in the house, often bored, wishing I could hike Long Point or Webb's Trail.

Anyway, we enjoyed our wine time at 5:00, listening to the never-ending bad news. By 6:30, we were enjoying our pasta and meatballs and watching another episode of The Pitt. We are still not fans. We were looking forward to Colbert having Bad Bunny on his show, but it was not so much an interview as Stephen asking him a series of questions, supposedly helping us to get to know him. He asks the same questions of just about any famous person who comes on his show. 

Spotlight On Yard At 6:30

Evie went to bed around 8:30, and I watched some basketball, then happened upon a series from 2017 called The Good Doctor. It's about a brilliant young doctor who suffers from autism. It's melodramatic, cheesy and soap opera-like, but I watched it and may continue. My motto: crappy but cheap.

Trump's Unprecedented Lawsuits: 

"The president is demanding that the federal government pay him at least $10 billion over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns during his first term."

"President Trump is demanding that the Justice Department pay him about $230 million in compensation for the federal investigations into him."

If he wins, guess who pays: US taxpayers. 

Guess who decides if we pay: The Sycophants he nominated to head the IRS and Justice Department. 

Sun, Blue Skies, And Minus Seven Degrees

 

December 15th Snowfall

January 9th's Big Melt

7:05

7:46

7:50

7:50

7:50

It's 7:53, and I've been up since 6:15. At first, the sky was utterly dark, then dark gray, then light blue, and now bright sunshine—so bright I've had to move to another seat. I just filled the bird feeder, creating a frenzy as sparrows and finches alight and take off. Not much on the agenda today, other than paying respects to my friend Paul's family at Lind's Funeral Home this afternoon.

Yesterday was busy for both of us. I was up at 6:00, knowing I'd need to leave for yoga at 9:40. Getting up at 6:00 seemingly gave me plenty of time to get ready, read the newspapers, write the blog, take photos, shovel the driveway, and go to breakfast in Bemus Point at 8:00. But it never feels like enough time.

Blue Skies At Noon

I left for yoga at 9:40, and class was crowded. The asanas or poses are never rigorous in Yin Yoga, though I always seem to end class with a backache. Once I stand and walk, it goes away, so it's worth going. After class, I stopped for gas, making sure the tank stays at least half full in cold weather. I was home by noon, had Evie's chicken curry and pasta soup for lunch, and watched my show. By 1:00, I was on my way to the dentist to get my new implant—a process that's taken close to six months. I was in the chair for nearly an hour as they worked on the implant, making sure it wasn't too tight. Once I was done, I tried to find a bakery mentioned in the paper, Tilaro's on Willard Street, but couldn't locate it despite having the address.

On my way home, I stopped at Aldi and Evans before arriving around 3:00—a long day. Evie was home, regaling me with stories. The best was when the kids realized their teacher wasn't in class, so they all got up and ran to hug Evie. They'd been told not to do this when Evie first arrived, but yesterday was the exception. 

Dusk Begins

We had our usual wine time until 6:15, and because neither of us was very hungry after munching on chips, pretzels, and dip, Evie reheated the fried potatoes, topped them with eggs, toasted a couple of bagels, and we had breakfast for dinner. Yum. We watched Colbert and a couple of HGTV shows before Evie went up to bed. I then watched another episode of The Night Manager before heading up to read and sleep.

A Single Digits Day

7:05

7:30

7:45

Thursday Morning

It's early, of course—7:00—and I've been up for an hour. It's 6º outside, and light is just beginning to show through our front windows. It looks like another frigid day, with temperatures staying in the single digits for the rest of the day. By 9:15, I've just returned from breakfast with the guys—what a nice way to start the day. In 20 minutes, I'll be off to yoga.

Wednesday

Wednesday began, as I mentioned yesterday, around 6:00. That gave me three hours to watch the gorgeous sunrise, read, write the blog, and have breakfast. With an optometrist appointment at 1:30, I had the whole morning to waste, which I more or less did—occasionally reading, watching some TV, and having another call with my Schwab advisor.

We received an inch or two of snow, so I ventured out into the 4º morning and shoveled for ten minutes, getting the car ready for later. At noon, Evie made me lunch—scrambled eggs with bacon—and I left for my appointment at 12:30, stopping at Aldi to pick up a few things. I made my appointment by 1:15 and went through the usual three or four tests before seeing the doctor. All is fine, and I don't need a new pair of glasses. I left with sunglasses on because they'd dilated my eyes, and the snow made the light more intense.

I drove into Jamestown and stopped at the Kia dealer to check on my car. They're the most disorganized dealer I've dealt with. They said they were waiting on a part that they hope will solve the problem. It's been three weeks, and because of the weather, they're unsure when they'll receive it. They're such bozos that I didn't even get upset. And so it goes.

I stopped at Tops—it's next door to the dealer—and picked up a few things Evie needed for chili. I was home by 3:00, tired from my early morning, so I read and napped for half an hour. Around 4:30, I made myself go for a walk in the neighborhood despite the cold and stayed out for 20 minutes. It felt good to get some fresh air, even if it was hard to breathe.

Woodlawn Mailboxes

We had our wine time from 5:00 until 6:00, when Evie went into the kitchen, fried up some potatoes, grilled a couple of steaks, and made a salad. Dinner was great, and we watched some news, then a couple of Colbert episodes before Evie went up to bed. I then watched another episode of The Night Manager and some NBA before going up to read and sleep, hoping for a good night.

Minus Three Degrees

Evie's Photo Of A Male Cardinal

6:44

6:56

7:40

7:40

7:40

7:42

7:46

8:28

It's another early morning for me—up at 6:00 to utter darkness, though the sky began to lighten around 6:40 with hues of rose, orange, and yellow. We must have gotten a couple of inches of snow overnight, so I'll be out shoveling this morning. As I finish this at 8:20, the sun's out and Evie's still sleeping, so I'll wait for her to read the blog before publishing it. Since I woke, the temperature has only gone down, from -1º at 6:15 to -3º at 8:30. 

Tuesday was a good day, considering the weather. We were both up early at 7:00. I had yoga at 9:30, and Evie had school, so after the usual coffee, blog, and breakfast, I went outside to shovel, clear off the car, pull the Subaru out of the garage, and get it ready for Evie. I left at 9:10 for yoga.

When I walked into class, one of my friends called me over with bad news: my friend Paul, a buddy from Ryder's Cup who had been in hospice, had died on Monday. It was expected, but still devastating. Class was rigorous, and despite my mood, I hung in there and made it through. Afterward, I stopped at Ryder's Cup, where my friends were gathered along with Paul's brother from Las Vegas. I talked briefly with him, offered my condolences, and then sat down with my other friends for half an hour, all of whom were saddened by Paul's passing. Four of us have become friends over the past few years simply by having coffee at Ryder's Cup.

I didn't feel like shopping, but Evie had made a list, so I drove to Wegmans, picked up what we needed, and didn't get home until 12:30.

I had another bowl of kuru fasulye for lunch—I never seem to get tired of it. I continued with my series, The Night Manager, then finished my trifecta of a meal, reading, and a nap. What a nice way to enjoy the afternoon. Evie came home around 2:30, tired but happy from her class. The kids have been warned by their teacher not to get up and hug Evie when she walks in. Well, yesterday the teacher wasn't there, so the whole gang got up and hugged her when she arrived. How sweet.

After my nap, I had a long call with my financial advisor from Schwab. We're trying to figure out what's in our best interest as we look toward the future financially. He's a really good guy—so patient and helpful when I have trouble following his directions on the website as we switch funds around. As a teacher, I never had to worry about stocks, mutual funds, index funds, and ETFs because I never had much money. After the call, we scheduled a couple more conversations, and then I had time to read.

5:44 PM

By 5:00, Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters, and I talked with my sister Ellen for a half hour; she is just recovering from an ablation and is doing well despite being snowed in. As always, we mostly discussed books and TV series we liked. 

After our calls, we had our wine and listened to the news until Evie got dinner ready—BLTs. Yum. Nothing like lots of bacon. We watched Hometown, caught some of the news, and then Evie went up to bed while I ended the night with The Night Manager. It was a busy day.

Getting Colder: 1º

7:24

7:53

It's 7:45, and we've both been up for 45 minutes. It's another white morning, light snow falling on the snow-covered lake and yard. Evie has school despite the temperature, and I'm hoping to make it to yoga. Once I finish this, I'll head out to shovel the driveway, clear the snow off the Kia, pull the Outback out of the garage, and get it ready for Evie.

Neighbors Cross Country Skiing The Lake

Yesterday was not your typical Monday because of the weather. For once, I slept in and had a relaxing coffee and breakfast since neither of us had anything pressing to do. Around 10:30, I finished breakfast and the blog, then went out to clear three or four inches of snow with the battery-powered snow shovel. It took a while, and I finished the job with a regular shovel. When I tried to open the garage door to get the Outback, one of the doors wouldn't budge—it was frozen shut. I attempted to heat the metal with a blowtorch, but to no avail. Finally, I called my neighbor Jim, who seems able to fix anything. He tried as well, then ended up using a tool to shave some wood off the door, and voila—it finally opened. It's great to have good friends and neighbors. I just wish I could help him out sometime; maybe I could proofread something for him. After all, I am an English teacher.

Yesterday At Noon

We weren't done until after noon, so when I came in, I had lunch—another bowl of kuru fasulye, what else—and watched something on TV, though I can't remember what. I then went upstairs to read and tried to nap, to no avail. So I came back downstairs to join Evie and read for the rest of the afternoon, usually on the couch. We were looking forward to wine time at 5:00 and listened to the nonstop news about the shooting in Minneapolis—nothing about Ukraine, Epstein, or healthcare.

Dinner was leftover chicken and rice with a broccoli, egg, and mayo salad. We watched the first episode of The Night Manager, then a Colbert before Evie went up to bed. I watched another episode of The Night Manager and some basketball before heading up around 10:00 to read.

Staying Cold

7:41

8:10

The Sun

I actually slept in until 7:30 this morning. My Apple Watch gave me a sleep score of 76—I'm usually in the 60s. Right now it's 8:33 and cloudy, with no snow but a chilly 5°. It looks as though this week will be much the same: cold with little, if any, major snowfall. By the way, my cold is much better—less coughing and just a stuffy nose. I may even venture out today for the first time since Wednesday. Our road was just plowed, and I gave Eric 30 bucks for helping clear the driveway yesterday. I'll still have to get out there this morning after breakfast and the blog, though, since we got at least four more inches overnight.

More Shoveling This Morning

It snowed most of the day on Sunday. I was up early, around 6:30, and it was already coming down. We had no plans for the day other than waiting for the NFL playoff games to begin midafternoon. We listened to the news most of the morning—the pundits debating the death of the ICU nurse in Minneapolis. It makes me wonder if there's such a thing as truth anymore. We wrote the blog, and I had my usual breakfast before heading out to shovel the driveway for the first time with my battery-powered shovel. Around 11:00, our plow guy came by, and I asked him to clear the parking area so that by noon, we'd be in good shape. While I was outside, Evie assembled our dinner of lemon chicken early, just in case we lost electricity.

I had kuru fasulye for lunch with rice around 12:30, then went outside and shoveled another two or three inches before coming back in to read and nap. After my nap, I shoveled again before settling in to watch the first playoff game. While I was napping, Evie made brownies for dessert and watched some tv. The Patriots/Broncos game was a bore, ending around 6:00 when I went out to shovel yet again. We had lemon chicken for dinner with rice—a good choice—and watched a Hometown episode before returning to the second playoff game between the Seahawks and Rams. Around 8:30, I went outside to shovel for what I hoped would be the last time. Evie had had enough football and went up to bed, leaving me to watch the Seahawks edge out a victory over the Rams. The game didn't end until close to 10:00, so I'd had enough myself and went upstairs to read and sleep. A day of too much shoveling and football.

Early Morning Whiteout

7:17

8:00

Sunday Morning

It's 8:05, and I've been up since 6:30. I actually slept well, waking only once, and my cold seems to be improving. The weather is ominous—I can barely see Long Point through the haze. The temperature, however, is 14º warmer than yesterday's 7 below zero. We're expecting 10 inches of snow or more, though it hasn't started falling yet. I'm sure I'll be outside shoveling two or three times during the day, and unfortunately, it's windy, making the task even more difficult.

Saturday Morning

Yesterday I woke feeling much the same as Friday, if not slightly worse. I was awake at 5:00, up at 6:00, and had a leisurely morning with a couple of cups of coffee, reading both the Times and the Post while waiting for Evie to proofread the blog. Once she was up, we published it, and I found myself growing restless despite my cold. When I looked outside, I noticed we'd gotten three or four inches of snow overnight. Despite the sub-zero temperature, I decided to shovel. I dressed in layers, wore a mask like an ice agent, and shoveled for maybe 15 minutes. I was surprisingly warm the entire time, probably because there was no wind.

Local Ice Agent Out Shoveling

Saturday Errands and Afternoon

Saturday, of course, means going to the Transfer Station. Evie didn't want me to go at first, and I agreed, but after being outside shoveling, I decided I felt well enough. We gathered the trash, and I was off around 11:15, joining a few other hardy souls who also wanted to dispose of their refuse. Once home, I was happy to settle on the couch with my book until lunch—the rest of the chicken noodle soup and a toasted cheese sandwich with jelly. Delicious. I found a new European crime series called Darkness: Those Who Kill. I don't love it, but it's worth watching during lunch. Strangely, I have little interest anymore in watching college basketball, which I used to love. Now I find it boring, much like the NBA.

Hearty Souls

Ice Fishermen And Child

After lunch, I read for a while and then took a long nap—maybe an hour—waking up groggy and disoriented about the time of day. By 3:00, I was back on the couch reading Theo of Golden, waiting for Evie to join me. Much of the afternoon was spent watching ice fishermen walk in and out of the lake, despite the cold. We sat around until 5:00, when we had our wine. Evie had already prepped dinner—breaded pork chops. Around 6:00, she fried them, then put them in the oven with baked potatoes, and we were enjoying a feast by 6:30.

Sitting On An Orange Bucket

Saturday Evening

We were somewhat at a loss for what to watch and decided on My Lottery Dream Home with David Bromsted. We watched three episodes, and the last one was particularly interesting. David's house in Orlando was destroyed by a hurricane in 2022, and the hour-long episode focused on rebuilding and renovating his new home. It gave insight into his passion for collecting, especially glass, and his distinctive taste—a pink Tudor, if you can imagine it. The show also touched on his serious depression and drug use following the loss of his home, and his decision to seek help—a real success story. After Evie went to bed, I watched my series, Darkness, then headed upstairs early myself.