late in the afternoon

it got all the way up to 37 today....I did walk and get the paper after the sidewalks thawed....and I had a half sandwich for lunch with rye bread, mayo and german mustard, cold pork roast, and pickle slices......I think I'll have fried chicken wings and kidney beans with onion for supper.....most of the yard has melted off, just some ice concentrations in shady places left....doesn't sound like a waterfall outside anymore, like it did when it was all melting off the trees and the roof.....

slouching in my sweats

because there doesn't seem to be much point in getting dressed and pulling my boots on to go outside yet....it's 20 degrees and looks real slick....the store might not be open yet to get the paper anyway......last night on the news the officials were telling people to just stay inside their homes....they were getting tired of pulling vehicles out of the ditch.....I had rye bread french toast for breakfast....wow, the rising sun is turning the ice crystals on the trees bright pink.....

well

it's not getting warmer, it's getting colder as the day goes by....down to 25F later in the afternoon....going down to 16 overnight? Nobody seems to be driving around.....

careful walking

this morning.....30F, mix of ice and snow on the ground....I cut across on grass where I could, for better footing....it might get up to 33 later today, so it says in the paper....I had a plate of pork roast dinner last night....one meal I could do is fish and grits with pinto beans.....I'm glad I found something to read at the library, because it looks like an indoor weekend for sure.....that's OK, no need to try to go anywhere on the ice.....

upgrade

At first they were saying that we wouldn't get much snow and ice in this county, but the postings this morning indicate maybe three inches of accumulation before it starts moving out late Saturday.....whatever.....where some cousins live in North Carolina they are saying a foot of snow over the weekend.....

winter storm warning

for the weekend....but the snow will probably miss getting here again, it will be more to the north.....50% chance of a dusting here Saturday night is what they are saying right now....30F on the morning walk today.....should be in the 50's for the afternoon walk.....the skillet pork roast came out really tasty, enough left for a couple more dinners, and cold pork sandwiches I imagine....I think I can do rolled fish taco for lunch.....

back from the store

looking forward to this evening because I got a piece of pork roast and red potatoes to cook for dinner....that will go in the iron skillet Dan sent for Christmas, and into the oven at 350 until 160-70 internal temp. Serve with peas, and gravy made in same skillet. Sounds like a plan....24F on the morning walk, and still freezing when I went to the store.....but bright and sunny!

whew

walked the park in the wind....45 degrees, but with gusts to 20 mph or so....makes you feel like you've done something by the time you get back....before that I'd spent a couple hours working on guitars and then playing them in a bit, and re-tuning. Bronze Martin strings on the Taylor, plus a cleaning job, got that one back in shape.....and the 12 string got the broken little G replaced, and the white Strat got a new heavier B string. They were talking on FB yesterday about hash-brown casserole recipes, and it struck me that I have the fixings for one of those, so I'll try that tonight....and then grocery shopping in the morning......

the music shop in Laurens

doesn't open 'til 11, I think. I'm looking for some guitar strings.....clear today, but with a wind-chill factor in the air.....yesterday afternoon the wind was blowing me around on my walk, but it won't be that strong today, with the front long gone.....

so much for that

I started wondering about income tax, so I checked IRS and SCDOR websites, and I don't need to file this year.....or probably any year in the future....

wind today

there was a lot of rain in the middle of the night, and there is a wind advisory for today as the front moves away....winds up to 40 mph in the afternoon maybe....but its a lot warmer, in the 50's this morning.....I'm going to the library.....

so far

the bad part of the storm track has been sliding by the county to the north and west.....but we're still under tornado watch here until one in the morning I think....and flash flood watch.....

light rain

on my newspaper walk, turning to heavier ran right as I got back to the house, so I didn't get very wet really....steady rain since then....so another day to stay inside to stay warm and dry....football games on later anyway......

maybe lots of rain tonight

they just issued a flash flood watch for the county....

I don't think

it's going to warm up much today....overcast, north wind, next storm due after midnight, then rain all day Sunday? The paper had the Bobcats and Hawks listed on SportsSouth last night, which is one of the oddball channels I get on DISH, but right at gametime they blacked it out....well, half-way between Atlanta and Charlotte, maybe I'm in both their home markets or something....so I watched some of the Lakers-Knicks until half-time, switching to Top Gear during commercials, it was one I hadn't seen....new season starts Monday....had taco de pollo for lunch, tonight will be fried chicken with biscuits and baby limas. And with biscuits cooked, I can have Sunday breakfast of biscuit and gravy with egg over easy, coffee, orange juice.....

colder

after the rain front passed through yesterday, cold air moved in....not as cold as the cold snap..."seasonable" cold is what they call it....so today will be cold, and over the weekend more rain is predicted....some of the out west weather working it's way here I guess....I'm going to go over to WalMart, the local equivalent of going to the mall.....

holy cow

been looking at a Yahoo slideshow of conditions in California....looks like a big soak....

wind, rain

staying inside today looks like....but the storm is coming up off the Gulf, so the heater doesn't need to kick on, not a freezing storm.....paid a couple bills online, mail hasn't come yet, but the city meter reader came by yesterday, so soon there will be the power-water bill too.....Lakers and Cavaliers are on tonight, but it doesn't start until 8:15, so I'll be ready to fall asleep by half-time I bet....

very tender

little piece of New York strip steak....stuffed with diced garlic, and smothered with alfredo sauce....with fresh asparagus, also with alfredo sauce.....no "starch" side, you don't need that....all items on sale today cheap....but while I was at the store, I forgot eggs, and they were on sale 88 cents a dozen....oh well....no rain here yet, but the sky looks threatening to the West....was warm enough to take a shower without heating up the house first....was a good day for walks....

clouding up

rain after noon today, and then most of Thursday? I need to think of some meals and go get groceries....

wonders of technology

just spent half an hour streaming Sly and the Family Stone and Average White Band....with the MacBook and earphones.....at Wal*Mart for $148 you can get a Samsung Blu-Ray player that will also stream YouTube if you can figure out how to get the DSL into it....and it will "upconvert" or something like that....it will make your DVD's better? I don't think I need one, but it's interesting to know that such things exist.....wait a year and pick one up at a pawn shop for $25 maybe.....nice here today looks like, going to warm up again....guess California is getting some rain.....going to rain here too sometime this week I think....

much warmer

than it was during the cold snap....52F outside around 10 in the morning. A thing in the paper the other day had quoted someone at the gas company as saying "We sent out bills ranging from $100 to $700" ....I'm glad they didn't send me one of those $700 suckers....

lots of rain

during the night, but it stopped by the time I went for the paper....going to be coming and going until the afternoon....the rain, that is....french canadian toast for breakfast.....french toast with a little Royal Canadian in the egg batter.....

been raining

for quite a few hours.....don't know how long I'll stay awake into another football game....maybe it will be closer than the first one.....can't take anymore commercials though, so the sound is off...just listening to the rain....

actually above freezing at dawn

for the first time in weeks....clouded over, supposed to rain in the afternoon, good day to sit and watch football.....poached egg on toast for breakfast, half a grilled jack cheese on 12 grain sandwich with Fritos for lunch, small pork chop with fried apples and mac-n-cheese for dinner.....I've lost five pounds during the cold snap....eating the same as usual, but I figure walking in the cold fires up the metabolism more, so you burn off some fat?

good taco

for lunch.....and now it's actually warm outside....going for a walk.

only freezing

this morning....32 degrees, and it might get up to 60 this afternoon.....I got some canned chicken and some angel hair slaw to make tacos.....and some jack cheese.....I looked under the house and I don't see any drips from the long freeze breaking any pipes.....I was reading that all this freezing we've had kills lots of ants.....

a guy called

from Social Security.....he said my application looked like a done deal to him, and a direct deposit should hit my bank the third Wednesday in June, and every third Wednesday thereafter until the end of time.....as far as I'm concerned, time ends when I kick the bucket.....

back to frost

for a while there it was really cold in the morning, but there was no frost....because there wasn't much humidity....today is actually warmer, but frostier, because it's still below freezing, but more moist. The weather lady last night said that the forecast for the next three months is still for colder than normal temps in our region.....the cousins are dealing with health problems of the older generation.....all I can say about that is what I found out dealing with the folks: you have to deal with the realities as best you can. Not much in the way of advice, but that's all I can come up with.

fried egg sandwich

I think that's what I'll have for lunch.....bumped up the heat for a half hour and took a shower.....my Clinton and Newberry Natural Gas Authority bill for roughly the last four weeks was $103.66....not too bad when you consider that they are saying those were the coldest days in a row in the last 30 years......

did go for a walk

and after the way things have been lately, 42 felt downright balmy! Getting overcast now, which is a good thing really, as moisture might hold the warmth some.....had a taco for lunch.....

butterflyed pork chop

with black pepper gravy and black-eyed peas with mixed turnip and mustard greens.....that will be one dinner....another will be meatloaf and mashed potatoes with brussel sprouts......they had Fritos on sale, so I got two bags....and my favorite 12-grain bread was on special too.....it was 32F, sunny and bright whilst out shopping....I walked yesterday afternoon, should be able to walk again today alright, as long as the wind stays relatively calm......

it is warmer

this morning....20's instead of teens......I usually go grocery shopping on Wednesday, but I'm out of apple juice, peanuts, bread, and Fritos.....and cash too....so I'll go today instead.....hopefully they will have the automatic cashier things open, it's like an ATM for food and cash-back.....

might be warmer

this week....I hope so, my gas bill is going to be killer.....on the positive side, SS should start going direct deposit into my checking starting in May. I just sent my application online.....I can check the status after 5 days.

Jets at Chargers

next Sunday....I think that's what they are saying.....they are also saying it's going to be ten degrees warmer here this Monday.....fine with me....

Sunday morning drive

out through the countryside.....went south and then cut back through Joanna and around again back home.....it's farming country through some of that....you see cattle and those big rolls of hay, etc....ice on some of the ponds you can see from the road, and frozen ditches along the highway, but bright sunshine and blue sky.....

I was right

about the earthquake weather looks like.....12.8F as I sit here trying to decide if I should go for the paper now or wait until later.....the trouble is, it won't really get much warmer very soon, if today is like yesterday.....at least there is some playoff football on today in the afternoon....yesterday afternoon I just took a nap on the sofa....

beefy quesadilla, some olives, red wine (lunch)

I got some olives a while ago because they were two for one, and they're good for you....I've got some flour tortillas to use up, so maybe Sunday breakfast will be huevos rancheros with tortillas instead of the french toast ......sunny, blue skies, below freezing.....I'd still like to take another walk.....maybe it will warm up a little bit more in the afternoon.....

earthquake weather

on the west coast? There was one in Milpitas.....frozen weather on the east coast....the shrimp boats ended their season because they were catching frozen shrimp.....it says 15.9F right now about 8 in the morning.....I'm sitting here trying to decide whether or not to go walk and get the newspaper .....I don't see much in the way of sunshine on the horizon yet, some clouds in that direction.....if you don't check FB or Tingle-Family, Aunt Addie is in the hospital in Greenwood....Cindy reports that they are treating her for an infection.....SELF in Greenwood is the big regional medical facility.....

I saw a car with snow on it

but I didn't see any snow here.....I went to WalMart and got a high-flow furnace filter, because I saw a thing on TV that said the cheaper the better as far as saving on your electric bill....the more expensive filters that say they mirco-filter allergens etc....make the fan work harder than it needs to. It was time to change the filter anyway. I thought about getting a calendar for the kitchen too, but all WalMart had was things like Michael Jackson and John Wayne...or cats or something....no art calendars like I was thinking of.....who would want a Michael Jackson wall calendar? Don't answer. While I was in WalMart I got a one dollar double cheeseburger and a one dollar drink at the McDonald's inside there. Still cold here, but it's cold all over the world it seems, with record snow in Europe, China, etc...

snow?

Once again the prediction is for snow maybe tonight and on into Friday morning.....didn't happen here last time, but we'll see I guess....last night I watched "Howard's End" on Encore. That's a good movie.....this morning I took the usual walk (19.3) and later spent maybe an hour streaming David Bowie videos on YouTube, because I woke up this morning humming "Sorrow" for some reason.....connected with an unremembered dream? And then I did a fairly long session with the 12 string.....I think the mail truck has already been by, but I haven't looked out on the porch yet to see if anything came....probably not. Supper last night was a beef burrito with a handful of olives as the side. This evening I think I'll do chipped beef again, this time with sprouts as the veggie. For 74 cents (minus my 5% senior discount) I got another packet of cornbread mix yesterday, to have with the endless black-eyed peas....you just add water and bake for half an hour and it makes a nine inch dish.....

went over by the mill

it wasn't too cold if you just keep moving....I was all bundled up anyway....big line at the food bank on the corner, they give out those almost outdated type foodstuffs on some days of the week....maybe they got more money with the new year or something, because it looked like it had about petered out in December.....

didn't get much at the store

I've got three different kinds of leftovers for dinners, so I just got eggs and orange juice and a couple of other little things.....32.3F at 11 in the morning.....walked this morning at 19 degrees, at sun up. They are saying this is the longest cold snap in 28 years, or something like that.....

21 again

degrees, that is.....and things are predicted to stay pretty much the same until Thursday night, when it might snow.....or be cold and wet instead of cold and dry....on TV last night they said not to use soap and hot water to wash your face in this weather; it would be bad for your skin(?)

Hopefully the heating ducts in the crawl space are keeping the pipes from freezing....that's my theory anyway. The tacos last night worked OK....canned roast beef, cilantro, bell pepper, sweet onion, generic salsa, flour tortillas, "Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend"......poor shredded mexicans...

afternoon walk

at 36F and gusty on and off breeze.....needed to walk though, move muscles some.....it's clear out, so sitting inside where it's warm you don't realize that it hasn't really warmed up out there, even with all the sunshine.....

walked for the paper

at 21F....but no wind to speak of, so it wasn't that bad.....later the Jeep did start at 25F so I could go turn in my library books and get some more....still lots of food, so I didn't go to the store while I was over on that end of town.....think I'll make tacos tonight.....at the Resort, Taco Night was just another excuse for a party.....

by around nine

it had warmed up to 25F, so I went for my walk, etc...am considering Pimento cheese quesadilla for lunch in a while....of course supper will be black-eyed peas.....

no sunrise walk for the newspaper

because it's 19F outside....I'll wait for the sun to maybe bring things up closer to freezing before I try to make it around to the store and back. The weather dude last night said the interaction between a high and a low was acting to funnel an "Arctic blast" into the Upstate. Oh well, I've got plenty of food and drink on hand, and Encore Western is having a 24 hour "Gunsmoke" marathon. Last night I caught a couple hours worth of the "Have Gun-Will Travel" marathon....that was pretty cool.....

trying for variety

or at least not eating the same dinner one night that I had the night before.....while I was in WalMart getting a four-pak of Heet, I wandered into the food section and found a little jar of chipped beef looking just like I remembered it always looking....even with the stars around the rim like a jelly jar....anyway, I know how to make chipped beef on toast, or SOS or Shit on a Shingle....but I Googled it anyway for the fun of it....there are lots of entries of course, but the interesting one was from seebeecookbook which told how they fixed it according to military manuals from WWI forward.....and there was a really fancy southerncooking version with mushrooms and all kinds of good stuff....but I'm just going to do the basic, like Joan used to make. It got all the way up to 34F today....whoop-de-do!

getting even colder

they were saying there would be lows in the 20's this week, but now they are saying lows in the teens. By the way, are the first three years of this decade the "pre-teens"? We'll all have to go to boy-band shows, and twit? And how long will it take me to eat a couple gallons of black-eyed peas with ham? It's tasty, anyway. SC plays UConn in the Pizza Bowl at 2 in the afternoon....This morning I'm thinking of driving over to WalMart....mainly just to get out of the house....and I could buy some Heet .....that's the alcohol for the gas tank that you should probably use if it's going to be in the teens at night......

important progress has been made

this year the cheap champagne has a stopper that you twist one way to open the bottle, and then you can put it back on and twist the other way to recork the bottle. Somebody should get an award for that. I don't think it worked that way last year anyway....can't really remember that far back....not so cold today, not freezing at sunrise for a change....but they say a cold front is on the way that will take us back to freezing for a week or so.....8 plus 3 is 11, so that is when the Rose Parade comes on here......the black-eyed peas are slowly cooking.....