Old Pa

HAHAHAHAHA. Lola, my four-year-old (shown in my avatar and above on her back) is just nuts about snow, especially after nearly nailing a squirrel yesterday under the bird feeder. Since then, she's been reviewing the backyard's happy hunting ground at high speed at every opportunity. Rosie, my eleven-year-old, (administering the "sugar" to Lola) is much more reluctant about the cold and when it's more than double digits below zero, she goes around the back alternating feet she is holding up. She needs no words to fully express her distate for the cold. Neither spaniel has needed a leash (except in heavy traffic) since they learned to heel. This morning was 22F; that's a 44F increase in temp from yesterday at the same time. And the barometer dropped more than an inch. Another wearing feature of winter is the weather volatility and its effects on the body and psyche. Dark grey monochrome now with light snow; no color and no horizon. The depths of winter look like this.

-22F at the house this morning, but we're to climb to a balmey 9F later in the day. There seem to be hard lines for critters and machines in the cold. I don't take the dogs out hunting below 5F any more; too hard on all of us and there's never much game out. By 0F, we're done with our nightly mile walk. At -10F, the lines of dead towed-in cars by the local mechanics start to grow. By -20F conventional shock absorbers might as well be steel rods and the fog of exhaust gas at stop lights is ethereal. Bah.

-23F this morning at the house. Wind chill around -37F. No more snow and the little featherballs haven't discovered their new 10# hanging lunch counter. Only a matter of time.

Four to five inches of powder yesterday during the day with a high of 10F. At midnight, we traded out "winter weather advisory" for a "wind chill advisory". This morning was -18F at the house and there was between an inch and fifteen inches of blowing/drifting powder to come off the drive. Plus a second heavy icey packed "gift" from the city plow. High today of 0F. Have to make another bird seed run. The little feathered fucks were all puffed up this morning at the feeder. Tonight is to be two to four more inches of powder. If it did not involve more population and pollution, I would be full committed to global warming.

An upgrade from my Garmin GPS60CS in anticipation of the Spring Prairie Poodle Safari.

Original release vinyl.

Happy Birthday over here, too!

Three years ago from similar circumstances I lost 40# and have kept it off. My doctor told me my gut was a new gland of mine whose secretions had me aimed at heart disease and diabetes. Then he waved a bunch of lab reports at me which supported his argument. I really did not enjoy being lectured to in that way. So I put together a system that worked for me. Now when I see my doc, he just grins at me. I kind of fell off the wagon and stopped losing weight, but I should lose another 20#, so I'm intensifying the program with the New Year. At least I did not put any weight on over the holidays. It's all about intakes and outputs. All, I should add, while regularly consuming four beers a day. Intakes are anything with calories you consume. Outputs are physical activities that burn calories and/or build muscle. My diet worked because 1) there was always something I could eat and 2) I found things I could eat regularly that I really liked. Eating at home works the best for me. The basic plan is to start with five or six "mini meals" (150 to 300 calories each) spaced evenly throughout your waking day. Feeling deprived is a recipe for failure. Always have some raw fruit or vegetables you can snack on. Prepared frozen low fat/calorie foods (Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice) have come a long way. I like the Lean Cuisine pizza and flatbread sandwiches and the Healthy Choice pizza breads. Healthy Choice and Progresso both make some good low fat/calorie canned soup, just the thing in winter. Orville's smart pop microwave popcorn is a good indulgence. Just read the labels. Tabasco Chipotle sauce, fresh cracked black pepper, and garlic powder add flavor without calories. A little crumbled cooked bacon (a teaspoon full) adds great flavor without many calories. Restaurant and fast food are usually calorie bombs. You have just got to say no to sneaking that shit. Salads with meat are how I eat out. All the fast food places have them now. Any salad dressing you can see through is okay. I park out as far as I can in every parking lot and use the stairs instead of elevators for three up and five down. Painlessly adds physical activity while removing stress. It's also prevented a lot of "parking lot rash" to my car and served up some real entertainment watching blimps fight over close parking spaces. Yoga has turned out to be a Godsend. To think that I used to make fun of it. Sara Ivanhoe's "Yoga for Dummies" DVDs were available from my local library. Sara gives you a good start on the fundimentals and basics and is not too hard on the eyes either. The yoga also de-stressed me, which seems to have helped with my blood chemistry and vitals. Getting more healthy and fit is just about the best thing you can do for yourself. Good Luck!

Happy and Prosperous New Year, all!

Happy Birthday Jacob! Many more in good health!

Day after Christmas was up to 40F. Good for space management (shoveled snow compacted so more can be fit) but not walking. 80% of the spaniels' usual evening mile long walking route is now glare ice. And now it's snowing pretty good out there. Powder snow on glare ice = YEEEHAAAA!

With over twenty years of retrospect, by far one of the best purchases of my life was Casa del Old Pa (A/K/A Wiseacre; a little lawyer joke). And the second best choice may well have been paying the mortgage off ten years ago.

Or you will throw your back out kicking yourself.

Not just a nice wet bar on the sidewall of your new drive-in home theater?

The Jenn-Aire has a downdraft exhaust fan built in and a recessed flood can above it, so there was no need for an exhaust fan or additional light there. The Sharp RC-1210 is an over-the-counter design with a task light that lights up the kitchen's darkest corner and optional hanging tool bar. Increased my useable counter prep space by about 50%. BTW, microwave ovens have advanced since I bought the one 23 years ago that we replaced in the remodel. Since my style of camp cooking is based upon producing leftovers that are even better the second time around, the "Sensor Reheat" function really works well. Hot ham plate last night (spiral cut glazed ham, green bean casserole, yam cassolet, and au gratin potatoes) last night, Pot Roast plate (chuck roast studded with whole garlic cloves on both sides seared on all sides and then slow braised in Summit Winter Ale with herbed roasted root vegetables and steamed seasoned dressed fresh green beans) for dinner tonight. All leftovers!

Since you insist, a couple more:

1968 Simca 1204. Yes, 1204cc was the engine displacement. But the back seat folded down flat. God love the French!

B4: After:

Happy Birthday Chris! Many more in good health!

There you go! That's more like it! I mean, after all, a "quality confessional experience"? I can think of a few, and they are all profane. You mean, you're not as serious as grawk?

Now don't get your panties in a bunch. It was funny. What, you didn't think "quality confessional experience" was funny? You must be as serious as grawk.

With all due respect, Volts, this kind of response fails to promote a quality confessional experience.

Father Postjack, I have sinned and continue to sin yet unto this day. It's been God knows how long since my last confession. In fact, this may well be my first confession. Anyway, about three years ago I decided that my audio equipment was the best I had ever owned and that I was completely happy with it. Since then, other than cleaning connections and replacing things that broke or wore out, I haven't spent another dime on audio gear. Just listened to great music every day. No single-sided this or balanced that. No headphone of the month or interconnect for eternity. And I've been happy. De-stressed in audio regards and really happy. Which may be the greatest sin of all . . .

*celebrating 24 years of self-employment* SWMBO (a/k/a "The Boss") got me an 8 quart cast iron Le Creuset Oval French Oven in red (that produced an exquisite chuck pot roast Saturday night) and a Suunto X9i (that works ).

And I will forward that address to the guy I gave the books to a couple of years ago. Why does this thread have me hearing SCOTS' "Dirt Track Date" playing in the back of my head?