Daily Ooos: Wednesday, February 16

[faerywings]

Oh my goodness, I am not going to complain about the weather in NJ ever again. I am horrified at the stories coming out from TX. We have dealt with no power for a few days in the cold before but never temps as low as they are experiencing. Not to mention, I imagine our houses up here are better insulated because I am seeing photos of thermostats saying that is it 30-40*F *inside* the homes. How can you function in that? Our house is set to 66* during the day and 62* at night and I am always freezing. I really hope that these people get heat restored soon. And don't get me started on the homeless [tape over mouth smilie]

We lucked out with the weather, we only got glazing of ice and the precipitation ended earlier than expected. We are getting ready for more snow tomorrow and Friday but I think it is only going to be 6-8" or so as of the current forecast.
I scrapped another page so I am halfway done. 10 more LOs to do before March 31. Spent a large portion of my day refreshing vaccine websites with no luck. Literally like winning the lottery at this point the way the odds are. I will be doing that again today a bit. I have to pick up groceries today and that is the only "project" I have. On the record-- I am not complaining about the weather here, *winks*, but I really can't wait for spring. Just to have something to do!

Actually, before I post this I have a funny story to share. My entire family is bonkers and ridiculous and this one is about my mom. Caitlyn called her a couple of days ago to chat and told her that she had a Valentine this year. She has been nervous about having Tom meet the family (not so much me or Scott) because of the way he looks. He is a tattoo artist/piercer and has lots of ink and piercing to go with long hair and a long beard. He looks the type that if you saw him in an alley, you might walk a bit faster. I told Cait that I went through this on a smaller scale when Gary met my parents- he had long hair, mustache, tattoos, drove a van with a skull decoration hanging from the rearview. So while I am not a fan of facial piercings, I wouldn't hold it against him if he makes her happy and treats her well.
Anyway, my mom must have asked what he looked like and she hedged a bit. My mom got curious and Googled him! And she found his Instagram! OMG, I will never underestimate my mother again. I guess when she wants to figure something out on the computer, she is 100% capable of doing it on her own ROTFLMAO! When she told me this yesterday, she asked me not to say anything to Caitlyn. I told her there was no WAY I was going to be able to do that, that I would slip since it was too darn funny. She asked me to have Caitlyn call her and then Cait and I were cracking up over it. My mom is -- SMH-- I don't even have the words!! Now my mom is looking forward to meeting him once everyone is vaccinated but we will have to make sure she is going to behave when she does. Hahaha!

Have a fab day! Please stay warm!

 

[faerywings]

Kay- Yikes, you have been cold. It was 18* here when I took the dogs out this morning but the sun is shining so at least it doesn't look as cold as it is. We are going to be layering up in here too. We got a heating oil fill yesterday and the total even made Gary's eyebrows rise. Between that and the email notification from the electric company about higher than normal usage, it is going to be an expensive month.
heh, we are halfway through the banana bread already. I always wonder if I should freeze some but it is gone within a few days so why bother?

@VickiStegall Cracked up at your OK meme! But wow, that sounds like a lot of snow for you guys. Do you have a fireplace? Stay safe!

Trudy- yuck to all of that snow. Think it will warm up and melt quickly? That is a nice thank you for your Gary from the neighbor. A nice bottle of scotch would do the trick! Hope that he is not as stiff by now. How was your swim?
Happy b-day to Heather! Tell her I am sending hugs to her for a very happy and healthy year ahead.
I love that draft feature too. Now I don't have to obsessively Ctrl-C over and over.

@bcgal00 - That is too bad- I didn't consider that J won't be able to visit with you if she is going to need to be "bubbled" with B. How are vaccines by you, has B been able to get one? I hope that this ends soon for you guys.
Congrats on the new camera! I can't imagine you ever taking a photo that isn't 100% amazing.

@Cherylndesigns - I am so sorry that you are still dealing with the cold and snow but hey, you have a bit of water and that must be amazing! Your grandkids are fabulous. I can't imagine what you would be going through if you didn't have them helping out so much. Sending you warm and snuggly hugs!

@nancyr- ooooooh noooooooooooooo! Your windshield is like mine- cracked. I have been asking Gary to call the ins co too but I am glad he hasn't yet b/c I don't want to hear him yelling if he had the same issues as you did. What a mess that was. I am glad that you got it scheduled, but are you getting snow on Thursday? We are supposed to be. Another reason that Gary hasn't called yet is that if it is too cold outside, the windshield won't "set" right. That happened to us a few years ago and they had to come back a couple of times.
Oh- I kept reading and yup, you have more snow coming up too. This winter sucks. We got to 40* in the afternoon but standing on the snow with the dogs, it didn't feel warm at all. It must have felt great to be out with Luther. The longer days are nice though and I am focusing on that to get me through. Woo hoo! Good luck, NJ Devils!

@felis I am so happy that the sites I recommended are helping you. I should spend more time watching the videos because they have to be more helpful than the diagrams. I am looking forward to hearing your story
I should really read entire posts before I write mine I see that the videos help you. Maybe I should try watching them instead of reading.
I would say Bad Middleton, but no such things as bad dogs. LOL Were you able to recover the roses any better or are you hoping that they will be ok on their own?

@LSlycord what a mess of a day!! Poor Sydney, is she very upset that she can't do the science Olympiad? This year has been so brutal for students. Cait was in quarantine a year ago when this first started but since that had started, everything has closed and went remote for her so I guess technically she hasn't been out! haha!!
I am sorry that the kids have to go through this. But is it me or does it not make sense that she has to quarantine, but Shaun who would be exposed to her does not? None of it makes any sense to me.

Ok, better get into the shower and start my day. Hugs!!!

 

[taxed4ever]

Morning ladies and happy hump day! Not that Wednesday is any different than any other day!! Well yesterday's swim was interesting to say the least. First off it was freezing cold in the water! Only 72 degrees, its usually 83-85 degrees. BRRRR!! then about 15 minutes into my swim they are getting everyone out of the pool and shutting it down for a couple of hours. WTH?? Well it turns out that someone Sh*t in the pool. OMG no one is sure if it was from the swim time before us or if it happened during our swim time. It was in the1st lane where most of the very elderly are put who do not swim too well. How embarrassing for whoever it was. So we were told to shower off and go home. Glad I was in the far lane away from the disaster area! Uggh!! Came home and had another really good shower and then sanitized all my swim gear too. Today I will get my grocery order done and hopefully I can pick up at a good time tomorrow. I need to get a couple of sympathy cards done today and Start to work on our Sadie's birthday card too. I did get a page done yesterday and will get that posted into the gallery this morning. A beautiful sunny but chilly day so far. Hope to get out for a walk later on.

@faerywings - Chris your Mom is a hoot!! What a great story! Sure hope she behaves herself when she meets this young man in person!! Glad that you are not getting the horrible weather that is happening in so many other places in the States! It must be terrible to have to deal with that kind of cold when the houses are not built for extreme weather! Hope you win the vaccine lottery today! We still have no idea when we will be getting our vaccines! Spring is just around the corner, it has to be as my hydrangea already has new buds on it and my daffodils are getting taller already, it is just crazy!

@bcgal00 - Rae how exciting for you to be getting a new camera! It sounds like it will be great for all of your outdoor photos! I had a dream about you the other night... I wanted to get a nice portrait photo of Gary and I for our Anniversary and asked you if you would do it for me LOL. Of course in my dream there was no more Covid . I guess you guys did not get as much snow as we did here on the Island if your snow is almost gone already?

@Cherylndesigns - That is such great news that you finally got your water back! Dealing with the crazy cold weather is bad enough but not having water is worse! Yes it will be a great family story to tell in the coming years! You will never forget this Covid Winter!!

@nancyr - OMG how awful that you now have a smashed windshield! Who would have thought that the ice would fall on your car like that? Hope you are able to get to your Dr. appointment, then more snow coming your way? This winter must seem never ending! Glad that you were out on such a great walk with Luther though, yes the days are a bit longer now and soon the snow will melt! We also watched the Justin Timberlake movie and really liked it! The young boy was so good in it! It was a difficult subject to watch though, but so well done! Glad that your Devils are back and will keep my fingers crossed for you that they defeat those darn Rangers LOL.

@felis - Thanks for the Birthday wishes for our Heather! She had a lovely day with her guys and actually got our Birthday Card that day! Most of her gifts arrived a few days earlier, but oh my the letter mail is so slow! Yes I suppose it is a celebration day for me also, after all I am the one who went through all the work of labour to give birth to her . Next year she will turn 40 so hopefully we can be together to celebrate this milestone birthday!

@BrightEyes - Sure hope you are staying warm and cozy in your house Kay!
@VickiStegall - I am sending warming thoughts your way also Vicki! Such horrible weather for all of you!

@LSlycord - Aww that is horrible that your Sydney can't be at her science Olympiad Competition! I hope that she is not too upset by it! I was wondering the same thing as Chris, why is Shaun not being quarantined also?? Hope you are enjoying the much more mild temps today and wish I could sit around the pool with you today!!

Ok I better get my grocery order done so that I can grab a good time slot for pickup. Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

 

[BrightEyes]

I am doing a happy dance.... got the notice yesterday afternoon and was able to get my Covid vaccine appointment set up for tomorrow afternoon. It is a 'drive-thru' event so no standing in a crowd. Will be taking a book to read (while waiting) and a warm fuzzy throw (to use when the engine is turned off). At least the weather is a bit warmer... got up to 40* already. I drove over the Post Office late yesterday afternoon to get some bills paid. First time to venture out for several days since the weather had turned bad. Will run a few errands tomorrow while I am out... drop off my tax paperwork with the accountant, go to the bank, and maybe the grocery store.

Chris, your mom is a hoot!!! Glad she talked to Cait about the BF. Who knows what she will say when she actually meets him. Hoping you can get your vaccine appts soon.

Trudy, YIKES.... what a bad experience at the pool. My heart goes out to the person who caused the problem. Yep, I would be sanitizing everything, too. Kudos to the pool personnel who were monitoring things and got everyone out of the water quickly.

Cheryl, glad to hear you finally have water again. Your kids and family have been such a lifesaver for you during this. Hope that you start getting some warmer temps like we are finally having. Though we are still being ask to keep gas and electric usage down as much as possible.

Oh, no... Nancy... didn't think about ice falling onto your car and breaking the windshield. Hope it doesn't crack any worse as you do your doc's appts.

Linda, so sorry about your DD having to miss out on her event due to exposure to a classmate who has covid.

Well, need to get dressed and get some lunch.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

Hello my lovelies. Thanks for all of the loving and warm wishes (no pun intended on "warm"). It was a balmy 27 degrees today - it's supposed to be 57 by next week. I can deal with that.

Thank you @faerywings @taxed4ever @BrightEyes for sending love and good vibes - we have full water as of this afternoon. We had it everywhere but the hot water in the kitchen. DH plugged my hairdryer in and left it under the kitchen sink for about 2 hours and we finally got it! Why knew that a lowly hairdryer would be the best tool in the toolbox?????

We have been so fortunate to NOT have lost power even if we did have some "brown-outs". They were organized enough to tell us which county was going to have them and when. Not bad, huh? What a horrible time for this part of the country that doesn't normally experience this!! My youngest stepson lives in Dallas and they've had the same weather. It's crazy.

We have a new GMC Terrain Denali - with everything you can imagine on it. DH went down the hill and tried to go up the other hill to get our mail and he got stuck. He said the SUV started sliding off the road. We have so many ravines on our property that he could only imagine getting stranded in one of them. When he felt the car trying to spin out, he just parked it (down by the barn by the rental house) and fortunately our son-in-law was close by. He came in his monster truck and picked Chuck up and crunched right up the big hill and brought him home. Our SUV is sitting at the bottom of the hill. Remember when Braden's truck got stranded? Same thing and now Ava has a dead battery in her SUV. AHHHHHHH wonderful winter. Again, thank the Lord for family all watching out for each other. We can honestly understand why "country folks" all have big trucks.

Well, I knew it was too good to last. That "dedicated hotspot" that was hooked up to my laptop refuses to download my files. UGH - I'm SO frustrated. This means I'll have to get in the car (when we get it back) and drive somewhere. I'm SO over this.

Enough of my fun and games. Waving "hi" to all and sending a group hug.

 

[felis]

Chris, your mom is fire! Hope she will follow your instruction during their meeting! But it's worth it first to hear her and give her some reassurance! He sounds like handsome, but you aren't mentioned anything about how solid he is. I trust on Cait that she put her priorities right! But your mom's delicate check up does no harm !
You can say "Awful Middleton!", and you wouldn't be wrong! This little boy is such a disaster, we was considered even to ask dog trainer for help. But it will be such a serious punch at my professional dignity, so they gives me time till the summer. But he have that face, that got me! And I'm tender again.

Trudy, that's gross! But the cold-water shock makes strange things with the body! Poor person, how embarrassing! It's better that they aren't figure out, or at least aren't told who was!

Kay, sounds as you have plan for lots of errands in one going out, good luck all to happen easily!

Cheryl, ouch, it's sounds scary with these roads! It's really nice that you have such a lovely family! Be careful and stay warm!


No I absolutely don't have any idea what I was doing today! I think it was hibernate day.
If I'm got it right your country is in emergency because of the cold weather, how sad for all these people (and animals)!

 

[nancyr]

Well I am very late today. It was a cold but sunny day. My windshield left bits of glass on the passenger seat and the dashboard so I had to clear all that out before driving. But I did make it to the eye doctor and he fixed my glasses and I had just a bit of a change but I ordered new glasses anyway. An extra is always good to have. He takes these cool photos of the inside of the eye and they are so cool to see. You can see the optic nerve and blood vessels - I love this stuff! Of course we talked Covid and he got it from his wife, who got it from her son, who got it from his girlfriend. Wow. But he said none of the symptoms were too bad mostly fatigue. But so glad that is done. Got a phone call from Safelite about windshield replacement. We all agreed that it would be best to just reschedule so it will now be done on Monday. I rescheduled my doctor appointment for next Wednesday so now I can just enjoy the snow and relax. I have food so I don't have to go to the store so that is good. But boy not having a car is the pits. But the good news is my NJ Devils won last night. The Rangers I think did not take them seriously as my Devils had not played in 16 days. My goalie is so good. In order to make up for all the games missed they will be playing every other day. But that is good for me. The games in Dallas are all being postponed due to the bad weather. I don't usually talk politics but it is pretty funny to me that those in charge are on TV blaming a law that has not even been passed and all listening to how CA did things instead of (at least so it seems to me) taking charge and saying what they are doing to get heat and water to those suffering! I know it seems like they are not as well constructed but I would think they should have a lot of insulation because in the summer you want to keep all that heat and humidity out and make the air conditioning more cost saving. But I feel so sorry for those people and the animals.

@faerywings Chris that is hysterical about your mom and the use of a computer. I think your mom just likes your company and Cait's so it is easy to come and have you help! Glad you are having fun with the new book for your nephew. And yes the vaccine search is as bad as getting that lucky lottery ticket. Good searching.

@taxed4ever Trudy that is so gross about the pool. Glad you were in a far lane. Too bad the person in the pool did not just get out and use the bathroom! I only like pools that are warm. Have fun working on the cards!

@BrightEyes Kay congrats on getting the appointment for the vaccine. Makes me happy the more that get it the better it will be for all. Sounds like you were a busy bee today. Keep warm! My sister did the vaccine as a drive through and not once did she have time to stop and read. She said she had to keep watching the people tell her where to drive and not drive into anyone else's car.

@Cherylndesigns congrats on the water. Cracked me up your use of the hair drier. Sorry the car got stuck at the bottom of the hill. Keep warm!

@felis I think tomorrow will be my hibernation day. I like that description of a day instead of a do nothing day.

Have a great day all!

 

[LSlycord]

Good evening ladies. Glad to hear that everyone is well. Sydney has settled into quarantine. No symptoms. And, yes, it is crazy that Shaun doesn’t need to quarantine. The rules for quarantines, the rule for vaccinations...so much doesn’t make sense.

@BrightEyes congratulations on the vaccine. Excellent news. And I love the drive through!

@Cherylndesigns I‘m so glad that you have water. Sorry about your husband having to park the car, but it is so good the way your family is always there to take care of each other. Now, if you can just get the internet figured out.

@faerywings i love the story about your mom. I can’t hardly wait for the pandemic to get under control so she can meet Cait’s boyfriend. I can’t wait to hear how that meeting goes.

@taxed4ever well Swimming was quite an adventure. Since Shaun is a lifeguard, part of his training is how to handle that type of situation. Fortunately, he has never had that experience.

@felis a day of hibernation sounds just Perfect. We all need days like that!