Rusty's Ramblings

[E_T]

Ah, but they can still be good church goers and still steal you blind...  They just absolve themselves in Confession...

[Geo]

Ah, but they can still be good church goers and still steal you blind...  They just absolve themselves in Confession...

Confession won't help you when you're laid off. Doubly so if the parish won't help out because a certain former boss puts in a bad word in the local church's charity department.

[Rusty Edge]

I returned from Florida to snow cover and temps in the 20s. I think I was gone 13 days, and for the first time in years I didn't get sick. Considering the amount of children in Disney, touching handrails, elevator buttons, sinks, etc. I feel lucky.

Well, healthy too. I had a visit with a urologist regarding my PSA test. The increase was more than usual, but I'm still below avg. for my age. He thinks my MD was overreacting, no cancer concerns whatsoever, and I'm fine for another year. I saw him before for kidney stone surgery, and he congratulated me on the diet. I saw the optometrist today, he took pictures inside my pupils and my eyes are healthy, too. There's some eye disease issues in my family.

I cleaned out the front coat closet. It is what I call a flying closet- the box protrudes out the corner of the house ( but still under the roof eaves. ), kinda like those pop-outs on expensive campig trailers.  No foundation under it, and maybe less insulation. I knew there was some mold, that's the main reason I wanted to clean it out. It turns out that the tiled floor of this closet has sagged and gapped about a 1/4 inch in both outside corners, letting in air/causing condensation. Anyway, I got the closet bleached, stuff in it washed, thrown out, or put into storage in the case of shoes that are too loose because of my weight loss. Then I re-organized it. I still intend to caulk it, but I have to buy some.

My Dad moved to the assisted living near his house. It really tired him out, but he is rested up now. So my Mom can drive herself to see him everyday, even in the winter. It's like going to the post office. Now neighbors and church people can come to see him too. The meals there don't have as many desserts, and they aren't serving cookies or ice cream or donoughts every afternoon. That's a good thing, he doesn't need to gain any more weight.


After all of the dining, I'm eager to cook. Well, I'll probably put other updates and comments in the Lazy Gourmet, Diet Crap, and political threads.

[Rusty Edge]

We've had 3 guest cats above our 3 resident cats and one long term guest cat, for a total of seven since Thursday night. Only sneezed twice since then and that was when I was moving boxes and likely liberating dust. This immunotherapy continues to work, even though I'm not taking it any more. I'm a guy that could feel my head closing up in a matter of minutes whenever there were more than two cats in the house, before the immunotherapy.

Gave blood, the least activity I've ever seen at the donation center with the exception of a weather event once. Essentially people are busy near any holiday, which means that the blood is more in need, and if you make the time, you can get in and out faster.

Cleaners are coming tomorrow, they have been doing a good job.

My other sister should be staying with my Mom now. My dad's getting acclimated, and recovering from the move. My brother took a trip to Portugal for a vacation. Even though this aging parent stuff has consumed my year, I appreciate that this works so much better with the four of us working as a team, taking turns, using our individual talents. I'm grateful for that. So are the parents. The downside is that there are only a pair of children between us. The example isn't being shared very far. 

The Mrs. has been happy with my cooking, mostly. There have been some healthy substitutions to make things acceptable to my diet. Cauliflower "rice" was one. She actually prefered it in a stew to brocolli and cauliflower floretts, where it could take on the other flavors in the pot. As a rice substitute, not so much. Oh well, that just means that I'll be making basamati rice in the Instapot, and controling my portion of it.


Smartification of the home and rsearch continues. As for other projects, I want to replace some lights and a bathroom fan/light that have been in place since the home was built in the 1980s, and only work sometimes.

[Geo]

Cauliflower and broccoli mixed up?
That's too much of similar ingredients in a dish for me.

[Rusty Edge]

Cauliflower and broccoli mixed up?
That's too much of similar ingredients in a dish for me.

Normandy mix- frozen carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, which I normally put in a stew with beef, potatoes, and a couple shallots for flavor and for her. I think shallots are a seasoning, she thinks they are vegetables. She like carrots as long as they're cooked until they are soft.


I substituted carrots and cauliflower rice for the Normandy mix, because I was out of it.

[Rusty Edge]

Today is relatively mild for polar vortex. High of 6F and low of 0. The problem is tomorrow is going to warm into the 20s, drop 7-12 inches of snow. Then Tues high 0, low -25. Wed, high -14, low of -23. It is predicted to break into the positive temps again of Friday followed by snow on the weekend.

It means that I need to do some roof raking on Monday.

What really concerns me is a potential power outage. We had one earlier this winter. I've got a fireplace, some wood and some charcoal. I can crack the faucets. I can buy some time.

[Geo]

What really concerns me is a potential power outage. We had one earlier this winter. I've got a fireplace, some wood and some charcoal. I can crack the faucets. I can buy some time.

The funny thing on my side of the Atlantic is all kind of doomsday scenarios regarding power outages were spread in the news midfall because most of our nuclear plants were offline due to delays in maintenance.
Admittedly we mostly had a mild winter here sofar, but none of it came true. Not a single power outage I know of.

[Rusty Edge]

What really concerns me is a potential power outage. We had one earlier this winter. I've got a fireplace, some wood and some charcoal. I can crack the faucets. I can buy some time.

The funny thing on my side of the Atlantic is all kind of doomsday scenarios regarding power outages were spread in the news midfall because most of our nuclear plants were offline due to delays in maintenance.
Admittedly we mostly had a mild winter here sofar, but none of it came true. Not a single power outage I know of.

They aren't talking about power outages. A lot of the lines are buried underground here, and there's no freezing rain forecast. It's just my pessimistic nature to worry about worst cases. Then when something finally happens, like our subdivision not getting plowed out tomorrow, I shrug it off and say "could be worse," and deal with it. But while I'm waiting with little to do, my imagination gets traction.

[Rusty Edge]

Well, the last couple of days I have been rousted out of bed to get ready to help family members whose cars wouldn't start. As it happened, there work was called off or other arrangements were made before I had to go, but I got shorted on sleep and fed coffee anyway.


As for the roof raking, it revealed that there was some ice damming going on beneath the snow. While I thought it was too cold for the heat cables to work, apparently there was enough snow to insulate the roof enough for some of it to melt against the roof. So, more trips on the ladder than I expected. Live and learn.


Today it happened. My wife woke me up early. -24, the power is out and they don't know when they can restore it. It also meant no coffee or tea for me this morning. Got the fire going. Opened an upstairs faucet, but since I wasn't awake yet I turned on hot rather than cold water. Drank a coke today. Prepped some soup but forgot a key component. The power returned later than they eventually estimated, but at least the garage didn't freeze. Recently the power went off again, but returned. So, we're coping.

[Geo]

Well, the last couple of days I have been rousted out of bed to get ready to help family members whose cars wouldn't start. As it happened, there work was called off or other arrangements were made before I had to go, but I got shorted on sleep and fed coffee anyway.

I hope that doesn't mean YOU need a functioning car for that?

[Unorthodox]

You don't have an oldschool coffee pot for making it by the fire? 

[Rusty Edge]

I was always a tea drinker. I only ever drank coffee for medicinal purposes when no other caffeine was available. Budget meetings or late night drives. My wife never touches the stuff. So no coffee pots.

I took it up last year as part of my diet. I have quit drinking sweet beverages, and coffee is often the only alternative, depending upon where I go. Also, according to diet theory there are health benefits- so I start the day with two Keurig cups of Kirkland light roast. Then usually follow up with green tea. I don't like the taste of either, but I do believe I'm better off without the sweet tooth.

My wife is not a camper. She likes bathrooms, so I got rid of such practical gear to reduce clutter. I more likely would have boiled water and made tea because I have all manner of paraphenalia, bags and leaves. But as you know, a can of soda sure is a quick and convenient fix.

[Unorthodox]

Been trying to switch to the green tea myself, but afternoon not morning.  It's not bad, and can keep me off the soda in the evening. 

I used to do soda every meal.  Now it's one of those yogurt drinks in the morning.  A V-8 at lunch, and a green tea when I get home.  Water for dinner.  But there are days when I just can't put aside that evening sugar fix. 

And K-cup?  shame. 

[Geo]

I'm already happy I managed to decrease my sugar intake when drinking tea; one spoon instead of two goes in the cup these days.