raining in the afternoon

and too cold to even stand out on the front porch very long....oh well, don't really need to go outside for anything.....some football on TV today I guess...might watch some later to take me on into the evening....will try to stay up and watch the ball drop I guess, but don't know if I will make it.....I did last year because I found some rock and roll show on one of the oddball channels, like VH1C or something.....might as well stay awake, since around here they let anybody shoot off skyrockets in their back yard or whatever, so there's lots of noise at midnight.....

raining at bedtime

so I slept like a log, thank goodness ....had not slept well the night before. The paper is saying that the first week of the new year is going to be 6 to 9 degrees colder than normal....so it's going to be in the 20's at night for a while. So I should drive the Jeep every other day probably, even if I don't have anyplace to go, judging from my vehicle experience last Winter.....I made fajita quesadillas last night, doing the fajita part in my old skillet, and using the new large one that Dan sent me to melt the cheese once they were folded over in the tortilla, if you see what I mean. It was very tasty, and gave me a mexican food fix. As a news update, the neighbor who stabbed his girlfriend to death on Christmas was himself found dead in an abandoned Burger King in Naples, Florida.

wow

the 12 string is a whole 'nuther ball of wax altogether.....takes a light touch....and the sucker is huge, bigger than a six string dreadnought? Or maybe that's just my impression....don't know if I have the tuning correct yet, but it sounds pretty awesome....the herringbone purling looks nice...no shipping damage I can see.....

just lie down on the sofa

and maybe bend my back the right way.....tweaked it somehow carrying in the groceries? I don't know what happens sometimes.....got a lot at the store, should last awhile....the stuff for New Year's, and also fixings for fajitas and tacos, for some variety. Cold and overcast weather-wise....waiting for the UPS truck, their online tracker says my guitar was loaded for delivery around 7:30 this morning in Spartanburg.....

crime report

There were all kinds of police cars and ambulances this morning over on Academy, the block with the old mill store which is now United Way.....from what I can gather, the guy Leon who lived in the green cottage near the old mill parking lot stabbed his girlfriend to death on Christmas day, and the body was just found today....Leon is long gone I guess, considered armed and dangerous.....all I know about him is that he had this hot-rod Maverick, an old Ford V8 with loud exhaust.....this would be three backyards west and over the fence north from my house, I think....yesterday I had read about the eight or so domestic violence arrests in Laurens County over the holiday weekend, and thought about what a season to be jolly.....and it gets worse looks like ......peace on earth and goodwill to men......

29.0, clear, calm

that was at sunrise....a little wind has come up since then.....last night I finished up the last of the ham I had sliced, with brown rice and broccoli spears. I've still got a big chunk of ham with the bone part wrapped up in foil, for the black-eyed peas, etc....I noticed yesterday that they still have those bargain price hams at the market, but I'm too tired of ham to buy another one.....I should make fajitas, to use the new iron skillet......or string beef tacos, haven't done those in ages either....

by two in the afternoon

it was warm enough to take a relatively comfortable walk.....some kids with shiny new bikes riding around the park.....

clear, cold, monday

went to the grocery store to get bread, and at 10:30 in the morning it's still dang chilly. But it's sunny and warm in the living room, thank goodness....Wednesday, senior discount day, I'll do a bigger shopping and get the black-eyed peas, a sweet onion, a bell pepper, collard greens, corn bread mix....and then I'll be all set for New Year's ....I'll fix it in the crock pot with the ham and bone....I don't do the sugar tomato sauce for myself, though I used to do it for the folks....

never going to make it

through the Clemson bowl game....it doesn't even start for an hour, and I'm already falling asleep on the sofa....I'll read about it in the morning maybe.......

out in the piney woods

The Jeep cranked over OK, so I went out through the National Forest land along the 72. Went down a forest service road for a while, a gravel road.....got to the train tracks and turned around and came back out to the highway.....I like just going along through the forest like that, peaceful out in the sticks......well, peaceful here in town too this holiday weekend, hardly see anybody around, not much traffic on the streets.....like everybody's conked out....or they went to Nashville to watch Clemson, or something......broke a string on my white Strat....I know I've got more strings around somewhere, but danged if I can remember where I put them......

30.6F at sunrise

fixed nutmeg french toast with ham, coffee, orange juice....walked for the paper....mostly clear, just a few clouds to the south-east.....I should fire up the Jeep and drive it some I guess....

iron skillet frittata

for supper....I did go for a walk in the middle of the day, and walked dang fast to keep from freezing....there was a little bit of sun, but it was still cold.....I guess there is some college bowl football on today, but I haven't watched any.....Clemson is on Sunday in Nashville....just a sleepy gray day here pretty much.....

day after Christmas morning

fog and freezing.....but they say the sun will come out sometime today. Stayed up to watch the Chargers, but went ahead and went to bed when they sent in the second-string quarterback....that tells you the game is good as over.....

Christmas morning

pouring rain, but warmer....I drove to get the newspaper.....Lakers and Cavs are on in the afternoon, and later there's Chargers and Titans.....last night on BBC they had old Christmas episodes of Blackadder, Keeping Up Appearances, and Are You Being Served.....pretty funny stuff....I had ham-scramble, grits, and wheat toast with apple jelly for holiday breakfast.....hope everyone has a good Christmas day.

north wind

I usually go for a walk sometime in the middle of the day, but with that cold wind blowing and me with a runny nose already, I'm just going to stay inside where it's warm, rather than risking more of a head cold.....

.4 above freezing

I like it when the church bells in downtown Clinton play Christmas carols.....I found my red holiday sweater in the Jeep, and washed it yesterday, so I've got it on now....used to always wear it to work on Christmas Eve.....there's some holly in the back yard, and mistletoe on the oak out front....that's the extent of my seasonal decoration.....

continues cold

27F at sunrise....chilly morning walk.....had to use the booster to start the Jeep and go for groceries....hadn't started it since Sunday....got a package from Caroline, so now I have two presents to open Christmas morning....no tree to put them under, but what the heck. Reading the local paper, it looks like it's mandatory to go hog wild with Christmas morning breakfast...some strange recipes provided....I might just do ham and eggs and grits? The scalloped potatoes came out fine, lots left....a couple more meals anyway......whatever storm is coming from the West is going to bring rain here Friday they are saying, won't be cold enough for snow under the latest computer models.....

got it in the oven

even put pimento cheese on top....

got warm enough

to sit out on the front porch for a bit in the afternoon....walked the mill park earlier....got to keep walking to avoid "walking-disorder"......finished off the pizza today, had wurst, kraut, and a mash last night....it's 2:40.....guess I could go ahead and do escalloped potatoes with ham and alfredo sauce.....creamed corn for the veggie side maybe....I've got onion and garlic.....

frosty

aches and pains....too many decades on this planet.....my right shoulder was hurting there for a while, but something popped in it the other morning, so it stopped bothering me. It also helps to switch boots every so often....a different stride seems to work the muscles and joints with some variation, which is a good thing. In the paper, an article about walking and age says that "the inability to walk the relatively short distance of four blocks" is being used to define the onset of "walking-disorder"......and if your walking is disordered, then all sorts of other health problems and hazards follow, etc....Another decade to that point? I don't know.....

Tomorrow will be 0m 1s longer.

Because today is the shortest day....happy solstice! 24F on my sunrise walk.....it helps to breath through the muffler, keeps your nose warm....I had pizza for lunch and dinner yesterday, that was different, haven't done that in a long time. Still pizza left for lunch today, I guess.

sunny,blue skies, below freezing

but it looks nice.....with all the shopping hype, I feel like I should go out and buy something....but I can't think of anything I need, or even want in particular.....I guess I could go buy a pizza....I haven't done that yet in Carolina....I imagine they are about the same as in California...then I could eat pizza and watch football....there are probably pizza coupons somewhere in all these Sunday newspaper ads....

I thought the sun was coming out

so I went for a walk, but it was actually mostly overcast and windy... I was bundled up pretty well, so I didn't freeze.....going to watch the Fresno State bowl game....

31 with the windchill

but I guess it stopped raining sometime during the night.....my front porch chairs had blown into the yard next door sometime during all that.....looks like another day to just hunker down and try to stay warm....Asheville had a record snowfall, but it didn't get this far south to speak of.....

think I'll take a nap

the snow is a no show here and now....just cold, wind, rain.....tornado warnings to the south, winter storm warnings to the north... wet betwixt and between.....

well

everyone was saying they would rather have a white Christmas than have the snow this weekend, so the forecasters are now calling for the snow next Thursday.....quel bizarre....

fired up the old metabolism

it looked like I could get a walk in around one in the afternoon....but out there in the cold wind I bet I was burning big calories just keeping moving to keep from chilling out in a negative fashion....had a grilled ham and pimento cheese half-sandwich for lunch....that ham fries up really tasty.....

28.7F at 7:45 AM

so it was a cold walk this morning.....and for Friday morning the forecast is for an inch of snow! Have to wait and see about that.....had ham and yams and peas last night, am thinking banger and a mash with pease tonight.....I put some of the raisin sauce from the ham on the yams....Don't think I need to drive anywhere today.... I've got the battery booster plugged in on the laundry porch, keep a charge on that in case I need it like I did last year when starting the Jeep in 20 degree weather...it's a week 'til Christmas?

took a neighborhood walk

varied my route a little bit....it was calling for mostly sunny and mid-fifties today, but really it's mid-forties and mostly cloudy......I bought yams, peas, sauerkraut, and cream style corn this morning....got to get my roughage.....and 12 grain bread.....my Gas Authority bill came and I paid it online through the bank.....50 bucks for 11-15 to 12-15....not too bad, since we had a real cold snap in there with twenties at night....the next two will be higher.....but, if all goes well, by April I can start collecting Social Security, which will just about cover my monthly expenses......that's the plan anyway.....

35F

on the early morning walk today...but there is a little sunshine.....the ham came out tasty, I had grits and snap beans with it last night....today is grocery day, so I'll get sweet potato and other potato and some green vegetables of some sort.....and I could use a loaf of bread.....we'll see what else looks good.....

let's see now....

after two hours you uncover the ham, and baste it with the drippings....and leave it uncovered and go ahead in put in the meat thermometer, not touching the bone.....by now the whole house smells like Christmas already, 10 days early....oh well....

downright balmy

compared to the way it has been lately....59F on the early morning walk....warm foggy air is coming over from the gulf coast states.....I need to vacuum the carpet sometime soon.....and I think that around 2:30 this afternoon I'll put the ham in the oven with the ginger ale, so I can have something other than meatloaf for dinner.....with all that ham, I'll have to make scalloped potatoes some time.....and it is a bone-in ham, so I can keep the hambone with some meat on it to simmer with the black-eyed peas on the rapidly approaching New Year.....

lots of fog, a little warmer

I can go out and walk for some exercise today....it was just too cold and wet over the weekend to do that....and I might go to the library, though the books aren't due until tomorrow.....

Chargers

I think this is maybe the second Charger game they have had on here on Sunday....and they are up at the half....stopped raining here around three in the afternoon, but remains chilly....I've gone out on the porch a couple of times, and just turned around and came back inside....so the only walk today was early in the morning for the paper.....

fog, drizzle

34 degrees, heavier rain headed this way on the radar.....nutmeg french toast for breakfast.....

eight at night

rain and 33 degrees, so it's liquid, not frozen....Celtics and Bulls just started, but I doubt if I'll stay awake through that....

gloves and muffler

Got them out of the drawer this morning, 'cause it was another nippy walk.....I didn't drive anywhere yesterday, but I think I'll go over to the store today for laundry soap and whatever else, partly just to fire up the Jeep and keep it's juices flowing in the sub-freezing conditions....slept better last night, I think because I stayed up later watching an old western movie....my back feels better today too, at least right now.... they are saying rain and maybe sleet starting this afternoon and going on into Sunday morning......

evening

I heated up leftover creamed spinach, and meat-loaf with BBQ sauce, and biscuits. My back has been bothering me today....can't think of what I did different yesterday to tweak it....

37.7

Well, it's around two in the afternoon, and it's still too cold to take a comfortable walk, so I'll give it up for the day. I was just reading about the 140 sq. kilometre iceberg heading for Australia....the Aussies were hiring a boat to go out and have a big keg party on it, since it's Summer Down Under....but it got too hot and the berg started melting and breaking up, so they decided the idea was maybe dangerous.....

the puddles were frozen

this morning....about 28F when I went for the paper....it's about the time I usually go for another walk, but it's only 32F still.....so maybe this afternoon....

mid-20's

tonight in the Upstate, mid teens in the NC mountains...

more on meat-loaf

I had never made a meat loaf and pimento cheese spread sandwich before, but I imagined it would be tasty....well, yup...that worked.....one slice of toasted wheat berry bread, about an inch of cold meat loaf, two bread-and-butter pickle slices, and half of the toast spread with pimento.....I am replete.....(plus a hand full of original Fritos and a glass of mountain burgundy)

sunny, blue skies

but the windchill is keeping it nippy outside....I'm going to drive over to WalMart for more Blue Goo, and I want to look at those Lodge frying pans again....the meat loaf worked, and it made a lot, so it will be a while before I get around to cooking the ham....looking ahead, I'm sure there will be some ham left by New Year's, to put in with the black-eyed peas....

high winds

continue today. Down in Cross Hill, some mobile homes were blown over or off their foundations by 85 mph straight line winds in that storm before dawn. Not too bad out here and now....took a walk right before lunch and it wasn't very cold....I'm going to make meat-loaf with ground beef, pork sausage, mushroom soup, an egg, cornbread stuffing, and whatever seems right....I have a loaf pan I've been using since the dawn of time, or right around then....and baked potato and creamed spinach? mmmm......

5:25 AM

the storm siren sounds...so I looked at the radar and the worst of it was almost here.... the lights flickered a couple of times, but stayed on....and after 10 minutes or so it was past and I went back to bed until 6:30, while the house warmed up.....they are still saying chance of mixed rain and sleet or snow this coming weekend.....calm now, and I'll head out for groceries in a bit.....

sizzlin' skillet

sliced potato, apple wedges, pork chop with BBQ sauce.....I've got a big cast iron frying pan that I got for a dollar at a church lady sale, and you can do a lot with that. But I might look over at WalMart again and see if they have those large cast iron Lodge skillets still....they were 12 bucks....then I could do even fancier cooking, with two nice pans.....still raining, I'm hoping there's a good NBA game on tonight, like there was last night.....

it's been pouring

for hours....going to keep going on into Wednesday, maybe....

It's a bargain to live in Upstate

this from a Forbes survey, cited in the paper this morning....stable housing market is the big factor.....36F on my morning walk.....as I was going down Pitts, the guy driving the leaf vacuum truck stopped to talk....he said he had grown up right down the block....he told me that where the barber shop is now there used to be a pretty rowdy beer bar....that makes sense, the place looks like an old bar, with a big gravel and grass parking area around it.....and a couple of blocks from the mill would have been a good place for a beer joint.....the storm that was out West is headed this way, it looks pretty close on the radar, already crossed over from Georgia, so another walk this morning is iffy....

soup and cheese toast for lunch

I've been punching keys trying to get yahoo and google to believe that I'm in the Eastern time zone, EST not PST .....

went out to the store

because I was out of bread....also got some nuts and enough for a couple of dinners, before I do another weekly shopping Wednesday....it is cold outside, mid-30's .....I was thinking of taking the mill walk after I got back from the store, but I'm going to wait until the afternoon, see if it is any warmer then.....I got a good deal on some pork chops, so today I'll fix a chop with lima beans and mac-n-cheese.....I still have the mac-n-cheese because I didn't use it with the ham after all....instead I used up the corn bread, with red eye gravy on it. A googled source said red eye gravy was pan drippings from frying country ham, mixed with water or coffee..."poor man gravy"....coffee sounds kinda strange....I just used water and a little tabasco....that worked.....

never did get up to 48

I think maybe it got to a high of 45.....and the weather lady had a nice simple forecast.."it's going to be freezing everywhere"....

stayed up late

watching Clemson get beat by Georgia Tech.....but slept pretty well. Sunday french toast and sausage breakfast, then 28 degree walk to get the newspaper. That'll wake you up good....looking for a high of 48 today.....

Red Devils state champs!

Clinton 35, Myrtle Beach 26, FINAL. Red Devils returned a kick- off 97 yards in the last three minutes to seal the deal. So the last seed takes 5 in a row away from home to take the whole enchilada.....

parade pix

are up on flikr.....use the slideshoe option while singing "Jingle Bell Hop" for the best effect....

on the radar

it looks like it's snowing across the county line around Newberry, but the flurry isn't moving in this direction.....it's not cold enough for snow to stick anyway.....in an hour or so I'll walk the two blocks to the parade route on Broad Street, see how that turns out.....

country ham, black-eyed peas, cornbread

was for supper....never did warm up today....USA will play England in the World Cup next June? Hardly seems like four years have gone by since the last go-around....the various ethnic groups at the swap meet got really excited about the futbol.....I've got a channel on Dish that doesn't show anything else, as far as I know....

friday

39 degrees, overcast.....80 percent chance it will rain on the parade Saturday, but maybe not on the big football game in Columbia....the Clinton game I mean....and it's going to be cold too, maybe cold enough for snow in places.....but I have lots of turkey stew, that can keep you warm....it came out pretty tasty.....

morning after

Well, streams and creeks did leave their banks....and the Reedy River rose up in downtown Greenville, but didn't do much damage really.....the weather service said one tree down SSE of Laurens was reported "by a trained observer"......and the 3.11 " of rain at GSP was a Dec. 2 record....which all brings us to the "Something else to worry about" department.....namely, the article on the front page of today's paper about all the old mill company dams around the Upstate that could fail in a heavy rain, but are not maintained or even monitored by anybody. In the old days, when you built a mill you needed a water supply, so you damned up a creek or a small river....something on your own property that you could do whatever you wanted to with.....and now the mill companies are long gone, but the old dams remain....until they fail, causing damage and maybe death downstream......our local mill has a pond, but no dam I can see....and it's pretty well fenced off so kids can't go drown in the pond I guess....speaking of the mill, it's sunny out now, so I'll go take a walk over that way.....got a turkey stew in the slow cooker.....

streams and creeks will come out of their banks

they worded that pretty plainly.....been pouring all day, but the heaviest part will be rolling through in the next two or three hours, as I read it. I had a turkey salad sandwich for lunch, and I've got country ham slice, mac and cheese bake, and lima beans for supper. Damn, the tornado siren is going off.....

no more walks today

I don't think....chilly blowing rain, heavy at times.....and one thing mentioned mixed rain and snow by the weekend? Hope it doesn't rain on our Christmas parade, I want to remember the camera and get some pix this year....like when the parade stops for a train to go through....so for this cold weather I'm going to use up some turkey in a stew....I've got onion, and a bell pepper, a can of black beans, a can of corn, a jar of salsa......and maybe chicken broth and rice could go in with that and diced turkey.....slow cook all day, maybe Thursday.....

raining, flash flood watch

But on the radar it looks like there's a break coming up, so I'm waiting to take my walk to get the paper. It's morning rush hour, such as it is in Clinton....and it's been raining, so of course you can hear sirens.....somebody got in a wreak I bet, because people always speed up in the rain instead of slowing down. Never have figured out why. I'm just a couple of blocks from where the ambulance dispatches, so I notice when it does.

frosty

28.7 F the hour after sunrise.....but no clouds, so the sun is shining in right now.....a bigger storm front coming Wednesday, bigger than Monday's......and then there is going to be a cold spell, freezing overnight for a while.....I need to go get orange juice, and apple juice....and apples too I guess.....stayed up later than usual watching some old movie, so I slept real well, but had a dream marathon it seems to me, and too many dreams make me wake up tired....can't win for losing.....