Warming Up

7:25

8:36

It’s 8:00, and we’ve both been up since 7:00. Evie starts kindergarten again today, and although I have nothing planned, I was awake by 7:00 as well. It was 30º when I got up, and the forecast calls for snow, sleet, or rain on and off today as temperatures rise into the 40s.

Ice Fishing Off Long Point This Morning

Monday was mostly cloudy, with a bit of sun and blue sky later in the day. Temperatures stayed in the 30s, though it was colder in the morning. The day began as usual—coffee, the blog, breakfast, and a discussion of our plans, especially what we would have for dinner. I woke up thinking about an Asian eggplant dish we used to make with hot bean sauce, only to realize I had forgotten to buy eggplant at Wegmans on Sunday.

By 10:30, I headed to Wegmans, stopping first at Ryder’s Cup for coffee. I ended up chatting with the guys there for a good half hour. Monday is the best day to shop at Wegmans; most people have already shopped over the weekend or wait for 5% Tuesday. After shopping, I drove to the Kia dealer and made an appointment to fix the air flap on my car this Thursday. They’re giving me a four-wheel-drive loaner until the repair is done.

I was home by 12:30 and had lunch—a toasted ham and cheese sandwich and the rest of Wegmans’ chicken noodle soup. I’ve gone back to watching Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren during lunch. By 1:30, I was upstairs reading and then took a solid forty-five-minute nap. Around 4:00, I went out for a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood as the snow on the roads turned to slush. It always feels good to get outside and clear your head of the world’s problems.

Woodlawn Road

View Of Woodlawn North

Cap of Snow

By 5:00, we were enjoying a seven-dollar bottle of sauvignon blanc from Costco, which we liked quite a bit. Earlier, Evie had grilled a couple of pounds of eggplant in the air fryer, so by 6:00 I was putting together our spicy eggplant dish with garlic, ginger, lots of soy, and hot bean sauce. We served it over rice, and both of us thought it was a bit too salty—probably from too much soy. Still, I liked it enough to have two helpings, and there’s plenty left for my lunch today.

We watched three episodes of our series, and after Evie went to bed, I watched Prime Suspect until 10:00.

Thanks for all the comments. It’s essential to understand how different people think, and we can learn from those whose views differ from our own. I’m calling a cease-fire on the discussion, however, and hoping for the best for Venezuela and its citizens—though with Trump, Stephen Miller, and Pete Hegseth in charge, I’m not optimistic.