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A View From the Field |
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November, 2015 November 30 Another not very good day. I got to bed around 11:30 last night, and by that time it was pretty cold in the house. I had a hard time falling asleep, until I got the bed warmed up, and every time I had to get up in the night, getting back in was difficult because I had two cats with me. They know where it's warm. I was sleeping very nicely when the alarm went off at 8:30, and I really didn't want to get up, but I did, and I got dressed in cold mode - taking off one layer just as I was about to put on another one.
The repairman got here before I'd eaten my breakfast, but I pointed him in the direction of the mechanical room and ate. The report isn't good. I still don't have any heat or hot water. He fixed the leak, but the vent fan died, and they didn't have one in stock. The new one should arrive tomorrow with any luck. In the meantime, I have the space heater on in the studio, which has finally warmed it up, and they loaned me a couple for my bedroom and bathroom. I haven't been up there to check how it is, but it has to be warmer than the 52º it was when we turned them on.
I wasn't too uncomfortable, since I have my fleece robe on over my sweats, but oh, my, are the seats in the bathroom cold! I sure am hoping to have some heat tomorrow! For one thing, I'm running out of dishes to eat off of, unless I haul out some of the good china. And the good china doesn't have any cereal bowls. I'm thinking about making a pot of pea soup tomorrow, though, and that will help.
What a pain.
One nice thing, and one thing that warmed the studio, is that it was partly sunny almost all day, and I could sit in the sun...with a cat on my lap. It got pretty warm for the end of November, too. The high temperature was 40º, and there was no wind. It was clouding up at sunset, though, and tomorrow we are going to have rain and/or snow and all the rest of it. Yuck.
The guys spent quite a bit of time with me or on me. Right now, Louie is behind the monitor and Grayson is using some file folders for a pillow. This is the warmest place in the house, and they want to be warm.
I don't feel good. Part of it is not enough sleep, but I really don't feel good besides that. So I think I will hope it's sort of warm in the bedroom and bathroom and go to bed soon. I will probably have to wear my bed socks again, though, because the floors will be cold. That makes it hard for me to get up off the toilet, even when I'm standing on a bath rug, because my feet slip. Oh, well, this too will pass.
Now it's a warmish (for November) cloudy night in the field and I want heat!
November 29 Ugh. Not a good day. I forgot to upload this last night, and I wouldn't have known it except for one of my loyal readers. Thanks, Susan.
I made it into bed by 10:15 last night, but I didn't sleep very well, and I was up every hour and a half or so. I was awake at 6:15 and I decided I just didn't feel good enough to get up, so I turned off the alarm and went back to bed and I didn't get up until around 9:30. It didn't occur to me until later that besides this being the First Sunday in Advent, it was a Fifth Sunday, so there was communion. Oh, well.
I knitted for a long time and I'm only 10 rows from the end of the first chart. This isn't easy knitting, but it's sort of fun. I did the first strawberries, with the nupp in the middle, and I found that much harder than the ones I've done before. It was partly the small needles and partly that I was knitting five together instead of purling, and it was hard. I managed, although I don't think they look very good.
Other than that, I didn't do anything. I had a ton of emails - all for either Black Friday or Cyber Monday or both - and it took me a long time to get through them. I didn't see anything to buy that I had to have.
Late in the afternoon, I remembered that it's been a while since I did a Windows update, so I did that on both computers, for once without any problems. I found a little program that changes some switches so that it won't natter me about Windows 10 anymore, and that helped a lot. I heard some more things about that operating system that have pretty much decided me that I won't ever upgrade.
What I didn't realize until almost 8:30 tonight is that sometime during the day my boiler stopped working. EEK!!! I realized it when I went to wash my hands and the water was cold. So I climbed down to the basement, and when I went into the mechanical room, there was water all over the floor and it was dripping down over the main water line into the boiler, and probably onto the pump I just had installed last year. Oh, woe! Anyway, it was cool in the room, which leads me to believe that whatever died did so early today.
While I was there, I did reset the circuit breaker for the studio, but I haven't had a chance to work with that yet.
So I hauled myself back upstairs and called the repair people, and there will be someone here tomorrow morning, I hope. It's actually not that cold in here yet, because while it's not very warm outside, there isn't any wind. But there isn't any hot water. I wanted to wash dishes tonight, since almost everything is dirty. When having the water heater tied into the boiler isn't the best idea. Sigh. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make it through the season without having repairs to the heating system. Talk about a lemon... Oh, the joys of the happy householder!
The weather was dull and gray. The high temperature was 36º, and there was no wind all day. Environment Canada said it was supposed to clear up this afternoon, but it didn't.
The guys slept, but they both got some lap time, and they were very interested when I went downstairs and into the mechanical room, but I didn't do anything there that interested them much.
So it wasn't a very good day. I apparently have a little cold or something, and I don't feel very good, so I will be going up to the north end shortly. It's a cold, calm, cloudy night in the field.
November 28 I'm late.
I was in bed by 1:00 AM, which is early for me. I had hoped to be earlier, but I was reading and of course I spent some time staring at the floor in the bathroom. I slept hard, so hard that I had a potty dream this morning, the first one I've had in a very long time. This one was interesting in that it was in a hospital and the reason I couldn't go to the bathroom was that some doctor or technician was trying to ask me a bunch of questions. Needless to say, I leaked a bit and had to clean myself up. Not, I'm happy to say, on the bed.
Speaking of the bed, when I went to get in last night, there was something little and dark in the middle of it, and when I looked more closely, it was a red bead. I'll be turning up those beads for years, I'm sure.
I got up around 10:30 and I knitted on the new shawl for over two hours. It will go slowly, I'm sure, but with those teensy needles (2.25 mm), I can't knit fast even with sock yarn, and this is cobweb weight. I wanted to do two repeats of the edging, which is 20 rows, but I won't be able to do that anymore. I did get beyond the hearts pattern and into the next one. Actually, the hearts follow the edges all the way to the top, and as the pattern widens, there are other things in the middle. The one I'm doing now is called "peas" and I have to admit, it does sort of look like dried peas. It's worked on both sides, but it's the only pattern that is. I don't think I mentioned that when I took a good look at the pattern, I discovered that it has nupps. I hate nupps, but since they're there, I'll work them. It will just slow me down. They are mostly in the middle of a pattern called "strawberries."
Other than that, and completely unloading the dishwasher, I didn't do anything. I'm so late because I was reading (of course), and besides, I wasn't hungry enough to eat dinner until just a little while ago. However, I have a scratchy throat and right now I don't feel very good, so I suspect I'm coming down with a cold again. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I want to go to church, although I'm not sure I can sing, and I need to stop at Pat's. This time, I'm running out of lettuce.
The weather turned nice. It was mostly sunny all day, and the high temperature was 36º. There was a little wind, with gusts up to 21 mph, mostly from the northwest. The camera hung up around 2:30, but I guess that was all right, because it was a very pretty picture. The snow melted off the garage roof, but it didn't melt off the deck.
The guys slept. Grayson got some lap time, but I haven't seen Louie since I got dressed.
So it was a rather truncated day, and I must try to get to bed at a semi-reasonable hour tonight, although it won't be as early as I'd like. Now it's a clear (I think) breezy night in the field.
November 27 So last night it was mostly the music. There was Mozart, Schubert, Bach, Beethoven and Dvorak's "New World" symphony, among other things. I wasn't quite as late as the night before, but it was too late, and then I didn't sleep very well for some reason.
I got up around 10:30 and I finished the beaded shawl. Now it only needs to be blocked. It's going to be a very pretty thing, even though I'm not sure how good my knitting was. That was about all I did, although I did go to the post office. None of my packages came, but there was one misfile, so I'll have to go back tomorrow. It was somebody else's pills. Every so often somebody looks only at the first name on an address and something gets misfiled.
The weather was cold - really cold. The temperature went steadily down all day, from 29º at midnight, to 21º now, although it's been that cold for several hours. It was quite windy overnight, with gusts up to 30 mph from the northeast, but after around 11:00 the wind began to drop. I guess it's supposed to warm up a lot tomorrow, too, so that will be nice. It was cloudy all day, but not nearly as dark as it was yesterday, and there was only a teensy bit of new snow. Some little snowballs hit my windshield when I was at the post office.
The guys slept, as usual. They didn't even get very much lap time because they were asleep.
So that was my day. Tomorrow I can go back to the Orenburg shawl, and I'm sure that will keep me occupied for several months. I suppose I should be working on the Ojo di Dios shawl, but that isn't nearly as interesting. Now it's a very cold, cloudy night in the field.
November 26 - Thanksgiving Day I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.
I was ridiculously late again, but I really had to wash my hair before I went to bed. It wasn't quite an all-nighter, but almost. I didn't get up until 1:00, and then I knitted a repeat and a half. I want to be done with this thing! As a result, I didn't have time to do much of anything else.
I did cook a little. I bought a turkey breast from Schwan's. It's grossly overpriced, but it turned out well, when I cooked it my way. I used the convection oven and when it had defrosted, I used the probe, so it didn't overcook. What did happen, though is that the bag ruptured in several places. That wasn't so bad, though, because I boiled up what leaked into the pan and the gravy was nice and brown. It was also lumpy, but that was my fault. I didn't mix the flour with water before I added it to the juices, and that was a bad mistake. It tasted wonderful, though, on frozen mashed potatoes. I had Brussels sprouts (also Schwan's) and they were good but overcooked, so I will have to experiment. Unlike some people, I like Brussels sprouts, as well as spinach and some other odd veggies. However, I like my sprouts to be almost crisp and barely cooked. These were soft and almost mushy, and that brings out the strong cucurbit flavors I don't like. Anyway, I ended with some ice cream and American Spoon Foods Summer Berry Compote. Oh, yum! Now I am nice and full and sleepy. Maybe I won't be up so late tonight, but I'm not making any promises.
It was a good day to ignore the outside. The temperature went down all day, from 44º at midnight to 30º now. The wind has been gusty all day, with gusts up to 30 mph from the northeast, and the lake has been singing softly. It was very dark and dreary, to the extent that I should have had the lights on when I was knitting. I know the automatic nightlight was on, at least a bit. It snowed lightly all day, too, although not a lot of it registered at the weather station. I would say there has been about an inch or a little more since 7:00 AM. A typical Thanksgiving Day in Copper Harbor.
The guys slept and I didn't see much of them, although they both got some lap time. Grayson thought he wanted some turkey, but when I gave him some he sniffed it and went away. Poo. Shows what he knows. I think Louie would have eaten it, but he wasn't anywhere to be found.
When I was bringing my tray to the studio, when I put my cane aside to turn off the kitchen lights, it fell on the floor, so I went to put the tray down on the dining room table and I pushed over my big mug of water all over everything. Yuck, what a mess! I poured the water and ice off my plate, and it didn't seem to do much harm, but still. There was water and gravy and mashed potatoes all over everything. Sometimes I am klutzier than other times.
So that was my day. I wasn't up long enough to do much more than my surfing. Now it's a dark, cold, windy and snowy night in the field and Thanksgiving is over.
November 25 Well, I was earlier last night, but not that early, and I didn't get up until around 11:30. I knitted, and now I have only three repeats to go! Whee! I might even get to wear this thing. I'm not sure I'm very happy with the quality of my knitting on it, but it's going to be a pretty thing anyway. And the Orenburg shawl awaits...
I was late in eating breakfast, but I got the last load of clothes washed and dried. It's been a long time since I've not gotten the wash done on Saturday. Maybe I can get back on track now. It was helped along because I had to wash bottoms enough that I had enough underpants to last a few days.
On that topic, I can't tell yet if my fiber is doing any good at all. One day it seems like it and the next it doesn't. I had an accident on my way to the north end last night, but I was all right today, at least so far. It gets old.
The weather was cloudy, dark and moist. The high temperature was 45º, briefly, but it was in the 40s for most of the day. It was quite breezy until around 2:00, with gusts up to 30 mph from the southwest, but lately the wind has shifted a bit to the west and died down. It was a dark, cloudy day, and there was a bit of rain, but most of it was so light it didn't register at the weather station. I guess tomorrow is supposed to be worse, with rain turning to snow and falling temperatures, and Friday isn't supposed to get over 30º. Ah, winter.
I didn't see much of the guys today. They slept.
Today was Social Security day, so I paid a few bills. Friday, when I go to the post office, I'll pay a couple more. It's nice to have some money again, although the tax bills should come in next week, and I'm not looking forward to that.
Now it's dark and cloudy but a rather warm night in the field, and maybe, just maybe, I can get to bed at a reasonable hour?
November 24 I pulled an all-nighter last night, so I don't have anything to report. The camera didn't come up this morning, and it was 4:45 before I discovered that. Sorry. I did knit.
The weather was more or less nondescript again. The high temperature was 37º, and there wasn't any wind. It was cloudy but not too dark all day. It's interesting to me that around 4:00, all of a sudden, like flipping a switch, it gets obviously darker than it's been all day. The sun is so low in the sky that evening twilight actually starts about an hour before the sun actually sets.
The guys mostly slept. They both got some lap time.
So that was all there was. I will be earlier tonight. It's a cloudy, calm night in the field.
November 23 For some reason, I kept thinking today was Tuesday. Maybe it was because I slept for so long last night. I was in bed shortly after 10:00, and I didn't get up until nearly10:30 this morning. Of course, I was up several times during the night, but not for long. I felt much better today, but I still have a scratchy throat and I'm tired again.
I was late enough that I didn't do very much. Of course I knitted, and I washed one load of clothes, after I had an accident and had to change my bottoms. That was about it.
The weather was sort of nondescript. The temperature has finally gotten up to 37º and the wind was calm for most of the day, although it's gotten up over 15 mph from the north lately. We had any number of little snow showers. There was snow on the garage roof when I got up, but it went away quickly and nothing else stuck. It was dark and gloomy all day. The day was exactly 9 hours long today.
The guys slept. Both of them got some lap time,
So that was another terminally quiet day. It's a dark, cloudy night in the field.
November 22 I had to fill the pill dispensers and wash my hair, so it was around 10:00 when I finally turned out the light. I guess I slept all right, although it didn't feel like it and I was up several times. I have a scratchy throat, but a Sucret took care of it. It's sore again, so I will eat another one when I go to bed tonight. I don't know where I could have picked up a cold, but it looks like I probably am fighting one. I mean, I was hardly out at all.
I got up at the usual Sunday hour, and I was doing fine until I didn't quite make it to the bathroom. Then I had to clean up after myself as well as get dressed, so I didn't get away nearly as early as I wanted to. The road was miserable, snow and ice covered all the way to town. Bill, Mary Ann's husband, said it was slippery, but I didn't notice it so much, since I was going much slower than I usually do There wasn't much traffic, but I had to pass a couple of cars that thought it was much slipperier than it was. So I was late getting to church. Well, not too late, but I had to fudge a parking place, because the other two handicap places were full. I knew the piece we sang, so I sang with the choir, and there was communion. Pastor had a good sermon.
When church was over, it was snowing rather hard. I had to get gas. I had noticed on my way down that the station that usually has higher prices had their gas for $2.099, and that's what it was at the place I usually get it, but i had a coupon for 20¢ a gallon off. I only needed about 16 gallons, but I can't remember the last time when I got gas for less than $30. Amazing. I wonder how long that will last? The price is 40¢ a gallon less than it was the last time I filled up.
It wasn't a pleasant trip home. It was snowing, and it was so cold that the snow was very dry and I had to follow a guy all the way to Lac LaBelle road. He was churning up enough of a wake that for a lot of the time I couldn't see him at all. It took me nearly an hour to get home. I read my paper, changed my clothes, had some lunch, and I didn't do anything else for the rest of the afternoon. I did write a bit. Around 4:00, I got so sleepy I was tempted to go to bed right then, but I didn't. I won't be late tonight, though.
The weather was cold and rather snowy, at least this morning. The temperature overnight was between 25º and 30º and there was some wind from the north with gusts up to 25 mph. It didn't snow much more here. However, it cleared up late in the day (how nice!) and now the temperature is down to 19º, with almost no wind. It was a pretty afternoon, with quite a lot of sunshine and all those puffy gray clouds.
The guys apparently decided there wasn't any use in trying to convince me not to go to church, so they didn't try. When I had my accident, Louie was sitting in the hallway staring at the floor as if to say, "How yucky!" I agreed with him. Grayson has spent quite a bit of time on me this afternoon, and Louie got some, too.
So that was my day, and I'm tired. It's a clear (I think) very cold night in the field.
November 21 Nothing much to report. I got to bed around midnight, but I didn't sleep very well at all again. I was up every hour and a half or so until around 6:00. After that, I was only up one more time, and I got up around 11:30. I knitted, of course. Only six more repeats! Yea!!
I was so late that I didn't do anything. This was supposed to be washday, but I didn't even start on it. I still have some underwear, so tomorrow or Monday will do. I hope eventually to get back on schedule - but that applies to everything, including when I go to bed at night. We'll see how that works.
It was a pretty day, if cold. The temperature was about steady at 28º and there was some wind this morning. It was from the north, and by this afternoon, it was nearly calm again. It was partly cloudy. There were those big, puffy gray clouds that sometimes drop snow on us, but today they didn't, and they never did gather together so we couldn't see some sunshine. It was getting cloudy again by sunset. Sunset, by the way, was at 5:09 PM, and the days are just over 9 hours long now. The sun doesn't rise until 8:04 AM, and even at noon it's only about 23º above the horizon, so we actually only have about 7 hours when it's really daylight. It's the only disadvantage I've found to living here.
The guys slept, although Grayson wanted to sleep mostly on me, for some reason. Louie got some lap time, too. Since I pulled down the shutters on the porch, Grayson spends some time staring out the door, and I don't know if he's puzzled about why it's so dark out there or he's looking at his reflection in the glass.
It's too soon to really tell, but I have a little hope that taking my psillium capsules might be helping some. Not a lot, but some...or maybe I'm just over the really runny phase for this time.
So now it's a dark, cold, night in the field and I have a lot to do before I can go to bed.
November 20 I wasn't early last night, but I was earlier than I've been lately, so I guess that was good. It was a very noisy night, but it didn't keep me awake. There was enough of a draft around the windows that I closed the blinds before I went to bed. I hate to do that, but it does help keep it warmer in the bedroom. I slept fairly well, but I was up at least four times, which was annoying.
I got up around 9:30. I had to get up, and I decided not to go back to bed. I knitted, and I'm down to seven more repeats.
Except to go to the post office and put away my Schwan's order, I didn't do anything. There was a lot of stuff at the post office, and I had a nice chat with Ron. Neither of us are ready for it to be winter yet.
It wasn't completely winter. The temperature was about steady at 31º. It was windy. The wind was from the west until about midnight, when it shifted to the northwest, and it was gusting to over 30 mph, but the highest gusts, 36 mph, were at 8:00 this morning. It's just that when it's blowing from that direction, it hits the corner of the house and it's noisy. The lake was singing tenor. It wasn't nearly as big a storm as they had been predicting, but they usually overreact anyway. It did snow off and on last night and today, but we actually didn't get very much snow at all, at least here. The Schwan's guy said there was a lot more south of the bridge. It's still windy, but the worst is over with. Of course, it was dull and gray all day, and it's still cloudy, and I suppose there will be a few more snow flurries. It was all lake effect, coming in waves.
The guys slept. Grayson didn't get his usual time on my lap because I was doing other things. Louie didn't even try. He's out in the great room on his scratching pad, which is his favorite place to sleep, for some reason I don't understand.
So that's all I know. Now it's a cold, dark night in the field.
November 19 I was ridiculously late again last night. Partly it was to get the dishwasher ready to run and partly it was to wash my hair. I slept well, and I got up around 11:00, I think, but I didn't get enough sleep. I knitted and I now have only 8 more repeats to go. I really will finish this thing!
I didn't have time to do a lot, but I did go out onto the deck and pull down the shutters over the porch. I picked a time when it wasn't blowing and it wasn't snowing and it wasn't too hard. Now I won't be able to look out from the closet until next spring. Sigh.
I didn't go to choir. I wanted to. I got all bundled up, but I got to the bottom of the steps in the breezeway and thought, "It's really stupid to do this" so I got my package, turned around, and came back in. I was really sorry not to go; there won't be another practice before next Sunday and what we're singing then is hard. It actually wasn't too bad when I was ready to leave, but I kept thinking about the snow and the wind and the dark and I decided it wasn't worth it.
Oh, the snow and the wind. The high temperature for the day (not including last night when it was falling from 50º) was 36º, but the wind has shifted around to the west and there were gusts up to 32 mph. There was some rain this morning while it was still relatively warm, and it has been snowing off and on all afternoon, more or less hard. And between 3:45 and 4:00 there was actually some clear sky and sunshine. Geez! Lately, it's been snowing and blowing pretty continuously. I don't think there will be much accumulation, but the temperature is down at or below freezing, so it will accumulate. Every so often I can hear the wind thud against the house. I'm sure, now that the wind has shifted around to the west, that the lake is fussing. There aren't any ships on it, either, and one, at least, is sheltering in Bete Gris bay. Well, it's that time of year. This is our Gale of November, I guess.
I think the guys slept. At least I didn't see much of them. Grayson thought he wanted to sit on me when it was about time to leave for choir, but I wouldn't let him, and then I came back, so he went away until I got my dinner. When I wouldn't give him any, he went away again. I haven't seen much of Louie, but he sleeps most of the time anyway.
So it was a short day, and I didn't get to do what I wanted to, but now I can go to bed at some reasonable hour, I hope. It's a cold, windy, snowy night in the field. And folks, regardless of the date, winter has come to the Keweenaw.
November 18 I was later than I intended last night, of course. I didn't get to bed until around 1:30. I slept very well, with only two wakeups, and I didn't get up until after 1:00. Wow! I knew I didn't get enough sleep the night before, but still. So today has been a very truncated day.
The only thing I did was almost get the dishwasher ready to run. I have run out of cereal bowls, which I use a whole lot. I cooked my kale tonight, and it's good, but not something I want to make a staple of my diet. I didn't put enough shallots in it, though. I like shallots. They have a milder and slightly different flavor than onions and that's nice with some things. It made a boatload, though, so I'll be eating it for a couple more days.
The weather was really weird. The high temperature was 57º (not a record) but it was - and still is - very windy. The wind was from the south and there were gusts as high as 39 mph. It was cloudy for most of the day, but there was even a little sunshine right before sunset, and when I went to get dinner, The crescent moon was shining brightly in the south. I guess the roof is going to cave in tomorrow, with temperatures in the 30s and high winds, and probably some snow late in the day - of course, since I have to go down to Laurium tomorrow night. Sigh. Well, I guess it's time. I wish it could have lasted longer.
The guys slept, although at one point, when I was doing something, they both wanted to sit on me. When I got up Louie was in bed with me, and in fact, when I rolled over, I rolled on him until he moved. I wonder if he worries when I don't get up. He lost his last owner. I often wish I knew what goes on in their little minds.
So that was my day. Tonight I have to wash dishes and take a bath. Period. No weaseling out of it. It's a clear (maybe) windy night in the field and the gale is coming...the gale is coming...
November 17 Well, I pulled an all-nighter last night. I was reading Trine and time just passed...and passed...and passed...
So I got up late and I didn't do anything today.
The weather was stormy. It didn't start raining much until this evening, but it was windy, with gusts up to 41 mph from the south. We've had 0.54" of rain since 6:00. It was cloudy all day, but it got very dark very early. The high temperature was 52º, which wasn't too bad.
When I got up, the clocks were blinking, and when I got to the kitchen I could hear the generator. It apparently went off around 12:30, and it was over 3 hours before it came back up, but it was apparently quite local, and in fact, it might have been on our road. At least, when I could hear again, I heard chain saws. Whatever. Of course that meant everything went off and I had to set all the clocks. The computer had successfully rebooted, so that was good.
The guys slept, and Grayson spent most of the afternoon sleeping on my lap, although every so often he will jump up and go away, but then he comes back.
So it was not much of a day, and I won't be up very much longer tonight, even though I've started reading a new episode. It's a dark, windy, rainy night in the field, but it's not very cold.
November 16 As usual, I diddled around last night, and it was around 11:30 when I got to bed. There were some stars overnight, and when I was up around 6:00, I looked out the front windows and there were Capella, Aldebaran and Orion setting! It wasn't really clear, but those winter stars are so bright it didn't matter. I slept very well, with only two wakeups, and i got up around 9:30 feeling much better. I think slowly I'm coming out of it. I knitted, of course, and I now only have 11 more repeats to go. It's such a pretty thing!
I actually did something useful today, although my back was bothering me so I didn't do as much as I'd hoped. I washed up all the pans in the sink before breakfast, in part because I needed to use a couple of them. I have had one egg around for some time (not the same egg, of course) and today I had the time and the appetite to do something about it, so for the first time in a very long time I had French toast and sausage for breakfast. It was just yummy, with a layer of lime curd between the two pieces of toast. I ate late enough that I wasn't hungry until it was too late to cook much, so my chicken breasts and kale are still in the fridge.
After that, and after I put all the dirty dishes in the sink to soak, I didn't do much, except that I had an accident and had to change my bottoms, so I washed a load of dirty stuff. I have been thinking about my condition, since it doesn't seem to be getting any better, and as a result, I sent for some fiber pills. Not Metamucil: when I read the ingredients of that, it all has sugar in it (or aspartame), and besides, it is very expensive for what you get. So I sent for some other stuff, and we'll see how it works. What put me on to it is that when I've eaten beans, I have much less of a problem. It's still not good, but I've never tried it for more than one day. Wouldn't that be nice? It should arrive on Wednesday - oh, goodie, another six pills! - and we'll see how it goes. Besides, it will get me drinking the water I should have. I have a little hope.
The weather was sort of interesting. The high temperature was only 48º. The wind was from the south, and occasionally it got very strong, with gusts up to 39 mph. It seemed like there would be a short period of sunshine followed by a short, strong rain shower, and then the sun would peek out again. Not all that rain showed up in the weather station report. No doubt that's why I hurt so much and at one point, I had some problems getting up. It's supposed to be about the same for the next couple of days, except warmer, and then they are predicting snow for Thursday and Friday. I keep reminding myself that it's time, only I wish it would hold off some more.
The guys slept, of course.
So that was my quiet day, and I don't think I'll be too late tonight, either. I do feel better than I have, but only a lot of sleep will cure me. Now it's a dark, cloudy, probably rainy night in the field.
November 15 Geez, halfway through November already! The year is almost over! Where did it go?
I got to bed shortly after 10:00 last night, and while it took me a while to get to sleep, once I did, I did good. However, I had to get up around 6:00 and that wasn't fair. I went back to bed, and when the alarm went off, I was just getting into a deep sleep again. Unfair!!
I kept zoning out, so I was late leaving and late getting to church, which meant that somebody else had parked in "my" parking place, but that was all right. Church was good. Pastor's sermon was good. We sang pretty well.
Oh, yes, and right after I turned up the hill from Copper Harbor, I had to come to a stop so suddenly that everything on the seat ended up on the floor, because there was a flock of wild turkeys standing right in the middle of the road. I almost had wild turkey for Thanksgiving! Some of them ran across the road when I came up, but the rest were just standing in the other lane when I went by them. I thought wild turkeys were supposed to be smart! Anyway, I think it's another artifact of global warming. There didn't used to be turkeys this far north, just like there didn't used to be cardinals this far north. They were gone when I came home, but they're around.
I decided to take Cliff Drive down and that was a mistake. It was rather nasty, even though there had been quite a lot of traffic. They don't plow it, so there was ice and snow. I had to go around a guy going extremely slowly, which annoyed me, and then there was a guy going slowly in the other direction, almost down the middle of the road, which also annoyed me. I guess I'll just go through Mohawk from now on and try to plan my trips with extra time.
Then it was off to the supermarket, where I did some damage. Part of it was that there is a JD gift package that I've been trying to get that has a rocks glass and a shot glass with it. Since I broke one of my JD glasses, I wanted another one. But there was only a fifth of JD in the package, so I had to buy more. I'm set for a while now. I was disappointed that there wasn't any whitefish. I don't like lake trout enough to spend that kind of money on it. I did get a nice lamb steak, which I had tonight, and it was very good. Otherwise, it was just the usual stuff. I got some kale - they are now selling it in a bag, stripped off the ribs, which is very convenient. I got some shallots and some mushrooms (which were on sale) to make my nice braise, but I was too tired tonight to make it. I will have it with my chicken tomorrow or (or maybe and) with my fish on Tuesday. It seems like there were a lot of bags.
When I got home, I was so tired and hungry that I just left everything in the car, changed clothes and ate lunch. Then I zoned out at the computer again and I didn't unload the car until around 7:00. Fortunately, the only frozen stuff I had was some rice, which was defrosted, but that doesn't matter. Now the fridge is packed again, but I have lots of good stuff to eat.
I am exhausted, and I don't think I'll be up very late tonight. Or I hope not.
The weather was nice, for mid-November. The high temperature was 51º and the wind was under 10 mph all day. It was cloudy at sunrise but it was clearing when I was on my way to church. I was amazed by how much snow there was from about halfway to Delaware all the way to Laurium. They haven't posted anything on the Keweenaw County website yet (the URL has changed, by the way), but I would say it was something between 4" and 6". We didn't get any that stuck. By the time I got out of church, it had cleared up and the afternoon was clear and blue - so pretty! I never get tired of coming down the hill from the Mountain Lodge and seeing the lake in front of me.
The guys slept. When I came into the kitchen this morning, there was another dead field mouse on the floor. Good thing I'm not very squeamish, because I had to dispose of it. Neither of them were interested in going out into the breezeway. Evidently that last time they got out finally taught them a lesson. Grayson was interested in what I was doing out there, but when he saw the bags piling up on the platform, he lost interest.
So that was my day, and I'm tired. Really tired. I won't be up very long tonight. Now it's a clear, cool night in the field.
November 14 I got to bed around 11:00 last night, but I had a little trouble getting to sleep, for some reason. Once I did, I did good, and I got up around 9:30. I immediately spliced in the new skein of yarn and knitted a repeat, so I'm off and running. It took me a while, but there was the splicing and I had a few other minor problems.
I didn't do anything else. I just don't feel very good. I probably have a slight cold, or maybe it's still the result of the flu shot, but my head is fuzzy and sometimes aches, and I've been having palpitations for some reason. So I mostly sat.
The weather turned rather nice, I think. The high temperature was 48º, briefly, but it was a lot warmer than yesterday. There was some wind, from the southwest, early in the afternoon, with gusts up to 26 mph, but it's been calm or nearly calm for the past hours. It was cloudy in the morning, but the clouds began to dissipate around the time I got up, and it was mostly clear this afternoon, with some high, wispy cirrus clouds. It was nice to see the sunshine for a change, and when I went to get dinner, the thin crescent moon was setting over the Mountain Lodge, so pretty. There was less earthshine than I expected, which must mean it's not very cloudy anywhere in this hemisphere.
The guys slept, although Grayson got some lap time, but not as much as he wanted. He's sitting behind the monitor right now, because I won't let him sit on my lap while I'm typing. I didn't see much of Louie after I got dressed. They both are in the bathroom when I get up in the morning, and while mostly they sleep, if I don't pay attention to them, they are likely to start mixing it up. This morning, Grayson started it.
So that was a very quiet day, and I'm hoping to get to bed early tonight. I have to shop for food tomorrow, so I need to be strong.
Now it's a mostly clear, cool night in the field.
November 13 I was in bed before midnight last night, which is surprising for a Thursday, but I was tired. I guess I was: I was only up twice and I didn't get up until 10:45. I felt much better today, although I'm tired again now.
I wanted to knit, so I started the Orenburg shawl and did 34 rows in about two hours. They are short rows, but it's a new pattern, with very fine yarn on #1 needles, so I thought I did pretty well. Today my new yarn came, and, wonder of wonders, one skein is the same dye lot as the rest, so I'm home free. The other is not, though, and while I don't need it for this project, it still annoys me that they send two skeins of different dye lots. I've complained to them before about this, but obviously it's still going on. Anyway, tomorrow I can go back to my beads. I want to get that thing done! I will just use the yarn off the skein, as I've done before. It's not the ideal way to work, but it will do. I must get back downstairs to turn that circuit breaker back on, but then it will mean rewiring a whole lot of stuff before I could use the ball winder anyway.
I need to do that, because some stuff came for some gifts I want to give Johanna's baby, and I need the sewing machine - as well as some interfacing - to make them. So I will have to go downstairs soon.
The weather continued to be nasty. When I got up, there was a dusting of snow on the garage roof and some small spots on the ground, and all the time I was knitting there were occasional snow flurries, but nothing much stuck. From what I hear, that wasn't the case in Calumet. The temperature was nearly steady between 36º and 39º, but there was a brisk wind out of the north with gusts up to 34 mph. The wind is dying down a bit now, but the lake is still fussing. It was dark and dismal all day, a good day to ignore all that.
The guys did. They were sleepy. They both got some lap time.
So that was a quiet day, and I plan to sleep some more tonight. It's a dark, cold, windy night in the field.
November 12 I was still too late last night. I think either I'm having a reaction to the flu shot or I have the Shari Syndrome again - or maybe both - but I don't feel very good and I'm tired. By the time I got to bed the wind was gusting up to almost 30 mph from the east and it was very noisy up a the north end.
I didn't sleep very well, and I didn't realize why until this morning, when I discovered that I hadn't taken my evening pills last night. Oops. That's the first time in a while that I've forgotten them. I took the blood thinner this morning, but not the others, since they don't matter as much, and I did take them all tonight. Tonight my toes shouldn't be nearly as sore as they were last night.
I didn't do anything. I ran out of yarn right at the end of the 13th repeat of the edging, so I'm half done. I'm hoping the yarn I ordered is at the post office. I can get it tomorrow and then start looking at it under all the different kinds of lights I have in the house. With any luck, it will match well enough to use. I have my fingers crossed.
Tonight I went to choir practice, which was short and not very useful, except that I'd forgotten what we're singing on Sunday. Pastor is out of town, so we made do. The trip was, um, interesting. It started raining around the time I went to bed this morning, and it was still raining when I started for town. I had to go more slowly than I do in the clear, dry weather, and besides, it was dark at 5:30. It wasn't raining too hard here, but it poured from the Mountain Lodge to Kearsarge, and some of that rain was sort of hard. The trip home was worse. It wasn't raining in Laurium, but it started by Kearsarge and that continued until after Delaware. Well - it wasn't all rain. It was snowing for a good part of the time. It wasn't sticking, but it was definitely snow. It was rather interesting, actually. A vertical difference of 10 feet or so made the difference between rain and snow or sleet, so it sort of went in and out. Once I got to Lake Medora, it was rain, and it had almost stopped anyway.
It was a very yucky day, weatherwise. The temperature was 45º until noon, and then it slowly went down, and now it's 39º here. It was colder up the hill, but not any colder than 34º. It was dark and miserable, and we've had almost 1½" of rain. The wind peaked at 11:00 AM with 32 mph gusts from the east, and lately the wind has been abating some and shifting around toward the northeast. I expect there will be some snow by morning. It was really nasty, and my joints have been complaining loudly all day, even some that usually don't bother me. Yuck.
The guys, wisely, slept. They both got some lap time, but mostly they went wherever they go to zonk out.
So that was a more or less nothing day, and I still don't feel very good. I should sleep better tonight, if my toes aren't bothering me, and I hope I'm slowly getting over whatever has ailed me for the past two days.
Now it's a dark, windy, rainy - and snowy - night in the field and the gales of November are upon us. The only thing is, it's supposed to be nice again by Sunday. We can hope.
November 11 - Veteran's Day I ended up going to bed about the same time as I did the night before. I went up to the north end at a semi-reasonable time, but then I started reading the magazine that has my next project in it (or part of it - I had to go online to get the charts), and so it was late when I turned out the light. Sigh.
I got up around 10:00 again, and I knitted. I think I can do one more repeat of the edging before I run out of yarn, which will be half of the whole edge. I hope the new yarn comes soon and it matches! Well, I can always start the next project.
That silk and camel yarn keeps calling me, even though I don't like the color very well. Actually, it's a very nice color. My perception of "camel" color is those yellowy-tan camelhair coats we wore (if we could afford them) when I was in high school. This isn't like that at all. It's sort of a pale pinky-tan and if I don't like it, it's because I think the shawl would look better in white or natural. It will be nice, and it will go with everything I wear, as long as I'm careful about the mix. I'm actually anxious to start it, but since I want to wear the current project for Christmas, I need to get it done and blocked.
That was all I did. I didn't feel very robust, and I actually felt pretty bad before I ate. I'm still very tired. So I did nothing. I was sorry to see that for the next two weeks there will be no chapel, but they are on a quarter system (still the dumbest thing colleges ever did), and the quarter ends Friday. The next quarter doesn't start until the Monday after Thanksgiving, but then there is a couple of weeks' hiatus for Christmas and New Year. I will miss it when I can't watch it. There is going to be an Advent Choral Service on December 12, which should be something to hear. Well, I'll cope.
The weather was in change mode. The temperature got up to 53º a couple of times and it was in the low 50s for the afternoon. There wasn't much wind until the past three hours, and then it began to rise. We now have 27 mph gusts. This is still from the south, so the worst of the storms are still far to our southwest, but it looks like it's coming in our direction. Tomorrow won't be a very nice day. It was clear and sunny when I got up, but then a cloud deck moved in around 10:30 and it was gray and dismal for the rest of the day. Well, I won't complain too much. We couldn't have expected such a nice run of weather this late in the fall.
The guys slept, mostly. Right after I finished breakfast, they both wanted to sit on my lap, but I had to make a fast trip to the powder room. Grayson got some lap time later, but Louie went off to sleep and I haven't seen him since.
So that was all there was. I have to wash my hair again tonight, and I need to get to bed earlier. We'll see how that works. Now it's a cloudy night in the field, and while it's still fairly warm, the storms are coming...the storms are coming...
November 10 Oh, sigh. I just didn't want to take that bath last night, and as a result I was much too late getting to bed. i managed to get about 8 hours' sleep, but I was so tired that it wasn't enough. I got up around 10:00, and I didn't do much but eat breakfast and clean up after an accident. I didn't even get to read all my email or all my funnies.
I got my flu shot, so I'm covered there. I guess they've found getting pneumonia within a month of the flu shot doesn't work very well, so I will have to go back for that. It will be in December, and I'm not sure about that, but it doesn't matter as much anyway. The flu shot is the more important one.
The appointment for the flu shot was for 1:00 or so, and I was only at the clinic for half an hour, so I was very early for my eye appointment. On my way, I stopped and got gas, and I got to the eye doctor about 2:00 - and they took me right away! How nice! It was also nice that I didn't get my eyes dilated. I guess he just wants to check on my corneas and my residual cataracts every six months or so. The complete exam will be in May. He did find that I had some stray eyelashes, though. I know I checked that about a month ago and there weren't any, so they grew fast. I will have to try to remember to check every couple of weeks. Anyway, I knew there was some irritation in that eye, but I didn't realize it was from that. My eye feels much better now. And there doesn't seem to be much, if any, change in my eyes.
Anyway, I thought about it and decided not to try to food shop. It was a bit of a disappointment - I could have used some fresh fish - but I am really tired, and it was an effort to walk, so I came home, and I got here before 4:00. It's not like I don't have anything to eat.
So that's all over. I should get the oil changed in the car and get it all ready for winter, but maybe next week. Or not. I am hoping we'll have a mild enough winter that I can get out on a regular schedule.
Speaking of mild weather, it was another one today. The high temperature was 55º and there was almost no wind. It was from the southwest, like it has been for the past couple of days. It was cloudier today, though, with lots of high, wispy cirrus clouds, although it looked like it was pretty clear at sunset. I guess tomorrow is the last day of the warm weather, but we'll see what happens.
The guys were sleepy, although they got some lap time. Grayson was happy to see me come home.
When I left the house, I came around the corner to go down to the culverts and two deer were standing in the middle of the road. They left at once, of course, but I was glad to see them. I was afraid we'd lost our little herd, but I guess not.
When I got home and finished my surfing, I discovered that the Alder was just leaving the harbor. I'm assuming she was here to pick up our buoy, so I managed to miss seeing that happen again this year. I don't look out toward the lighthouse when I'm driving by the Fort anymore, darn it, because if I had, I would have seen the whole thing. Darn. Well, someday I'll see it. Anyway, now that nice soft noise we hear when it's nearly calm is gone until next May, and that means winter is officially here in the Keweenaw. Sigh.
Now it's apparently a clear, calm night in the field, and I'm tired.
November 9 Well, it was a mixed day.
I didn't get to bed as early as I wanted to, but once I did, I did good. I was up several times, and there were stars, although they weren't especially bright. I got up around 9:30, and I knitted. It looks like I only have enough yarn for another repeat or a little more, so I'll soon have to suspend work on this project until I get the new yarn, and hope it matches.
I can start on the Orenberg shawl, which is in silk and camel hair yarn, natural color. The yarn is some of the yummiest I've used, as well as some of the finest. It's definitely cobweb weight, and the shawl is done on a #1 needle. It starts at the bottom, and it's 100" across the top, so it's going to be a very long project. I'm anxious to start it, but when I get the new yarn, I will finish that one, either (hopefully) with the new yarn or by ripping out a whole lot of stitches and making it smaller. Boy, do I hope I don't have to do that!
When I came down to the kitchen, there was a dead field mouse on the floor. Well, I guess it's time. Those little things are so cute - when they're alive - but I just don't want them in my house, because they are very destructive, and I'm always grateful to the guys when they take one out. However, I had to dispose of the body before breakfast, which isn't my favorite task. Fortunately, I had a grocery bag someplace where Louie couldn't get to it that I could use to remove the carcass to the trash bag in the breezeway.
I didn't do a whole lot more, and what I did wasn't exactly what I'd planned. Late in the day, I decided I should update the laptop, since I haven't had it on in a while. First, I tried to plug in the surge suppressor it was plugged into, and when I plugged that in, it went "pop!" very loudly, and now the circuit breaker has tripped again. Oh. I was afraid of that, but I guess it's better than the sewing machine. So now I need to go down and reset the breaker again and I had to plug the laptop into the thing on the floor (which is a real Rube Goldberg), because it shut down for no battery power. That wasn't too bad, because I like to run down the batteries every so often. It seems to keep them running longer.
However, when I got power to the laptop again and tried to begin updating Norton, it kept telling me it couldn't because my subscription had expired. Hey, I renewed that a long time ago, and I've updated since then. So I kept trying and it kept telling me I couldn't until I finally started a live chat with Norton. Well. When they tried to update, it worked like a charm. They gave me a couple of reasons why it might not have worked for me, none of which make any sense. I guess, though, that I won't try to do that update at 3:00 in the afternoon again.
The reason I wanted to do all that stuff is that a week or so ago, I found a program that purports to stop Microsoft from trying to download Windows 10, and I wanted to get it onto the laptop and run so I can do the monthly updates. I did manage to do that, which is a relief. How I hate those people! So now I think both computers are configured so that I can do the monthly updates like I usually do, whenever I have time, but it was a struggle.
The weather was nice again. The high temperature was a little cooler than yesterday - 57º - but it was in the 50s between 11:00 and 4:00. There was a bit of wind overnight, but it was close to calm for most of the afternoon. It was completely clear all day, and it was so pretty!
The guys mostly slept, but they had a busy night, while I was sleeping. Grayson got some lap time, but Louie kept coming around when I was busy so he hasn't had any yet. Anyway, I certainly am grateful that they know what their part of the bargain is.
So that was my day. Tonight I have to take a bath, so my hair is clean for the nurse and the eye doctor tomorrow. That will be a mostly lost day, but I will get gas and probably do some shopping while I'm down in that vicinity. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to shop with my eyes dilated, but it's almost time anyway, so I might as well try. But we'll see when I get out of the eye doctor's.
Now it's a clear, coolish night in the field.
November 8 I was later than I hoped last night, which is normal, but I got to bed around 10:30, and then I had a hard time getting to sleep. I was thinking about what I'd been writing, but I guess the real reason was that I'm not used to going to bed so early. Well, I'll try to do it again tonight and see what happens this time. I was up any number of times during the night - getting rid of fluid - and there were stars. They weren't very bright, except for Venus around 4:30 and something, probably one of the stars in Orion, a couple of hours earlier. That was off in the east, where I just get that wedge of sky between the top of the garage and the top of the bathroom windows. To the north, it wasn't very bright at all, but I could see Polaris.
I got up at 6:30, of course. That is just the wrong time for me, no matter when I get to bed. It's no wonder I was so sleep deprived all the time I was working. I've discovered that if you have to get up when your body thinks it should be sleeping, no matter how much sleep you've had beforehand, you'll feel tired. I did. I still do.
I got away about when I wanted to, but then I got out on the covered road and discovered that the rain of yesterday along with a temperature of about 34º overnight had left the road almost covered with frost. I didn't slide, but I had to go more slowly than I'd planned. I wasn't much later than I'd planned, because once I got to Delaware, it was clear and dry and there was no traffic. Aah! The tourists are gone!
Church was good. There was communion and we sang pretty well. It was an easy song, though. The congregation was supposed to join us on the refrain, but I didn't see more than three or four people, if that, singing. Hey, guys! Make a joyful noise! Pastor's sermon was good, and he chanted most of the old service (page 184 in the new hymnal), which I like. He didn't leave anything out, either.
We have a little boy in our congregation who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (I think that's what they're calling it now). He has a difficult time. This fall, they decided to try to get him into the life of the congregation by making him an acolyte (or the acolyte, since nobody else ever shows up). They started with lighting and putting out the candles, and that hasn't been easy, because our candles can be balky and he isn't very tall yet, but he persisted, and even though someone has had to help him occasionally, he seems to have it down pretty good now. Today, they got him to be the one who picks up the communion glasses after each table. Our church does it a little different than any other church I've gone to. He managed that pretty well, actually. It has been so nice to see him overcoming each task that he needs to do. I'm sure he is a handful, both at home and at school, but he seems to be coming along.
There is no question that this child has a problem, but the way they are defining mental disorders these days, I'm beginning to wonder if anybody is "normal," whatever that is. Based upon what I hear, I'm sure I'm not. And I guess my opinion is that if the psychologists are defining mental disorders in such a way that everybody has at least one, maybe it's the definitions that are wrong, not the people. I seriously doubt anybody in the world is completely "normal" the way they are defining it now. And that's not right. End of rant.
The weather turned out to be remarkably nice. The temperature got down to 34º all night long, and it warmed up slowly, but by 4:00 it was 60º and it was in the upper 50s all afternoon. There was some wind (up to 20 mph) when I was going to church, but this afternoon it was under 10 mph. It was clear and lovely all day. While we were having all that rain yesterday, they did indeed have snow in Calumet, but it looked like only about half an inch stuck, and most of that was gone by the time I came home. Well, I guess it's time. When I looked at the forecast this morning, they said rain and snow for Thursday and Friday, but now it's just all rain. They say there might be some on Friday in Calumet, but that may change, too. Calumet is the "higher elevations" and they do tend to get snow more than we do, event though Delaware ends up with more for the year.
The guys were sleepy. I was writing, so nobody got to sit on me very much. Grayson would like to now, but I'm typing again, so he can't. Louie just slept.
So that was my day. I got so tired in the late afternoon that I almost fell asleep in my chair (not yet! Not yet!), so I'm not going to try to stay up. I'm at a pause in the story anyway, so I might as well go to bed. I have to go to Calumet on Tuesday to see the eye doctor and to get a flu shot, so I need to try to stay on a normal human schedule. We'll see how long that lasts. I hope, for a long time.
Now it's a clear, warmish night in the field and there will be stars tonight.
November 7 I was later than I intended last night. I just fooled around for a while, and then on my way to the north end, I remembered that I wanted to wash dishes for a change before the dishwasher was bulging. So I had to put the rest of the stuff in. I slept fairly well, although I was up several times. I got up around 9:30, I think, and I knitted. I am definitely not going to have enough yarn, so all I can hope is that the skeins I have on order will match. If they don't, and I have to rip (heaven forbid!), the shawl will be 4" or 5" shorter than it is now, and I don't want that. So we'll see. If I run out of yarn before the new comes, I can start the next project.
I didn't do anything today. I had one of the nastiest accidents I've had in a while, so I had to wash clothes, which need to be put in the dryer, but late in the afternoon, I started writing for the first time in a while, and it wasn't on George. It was on the sequel to Special Forces, and I'm trying something a bit different, with two intersecting story lines. We'll see how it goes.
The weather was nasty. Really nasty. The high temperature was only 42º, and it kept going up and down like a sine wave between 37º and 42º. That's not much difference, but it looks impressive on the graph. We had 0.17" of rain at various times, and the wind got up to 33 mph gusts around noon, in the middle of one of the rain squalls. Other times, it was nearly calm. Yuck. However, there is some indication that there was snow in Calumet, so I guess we can't complain too much. Tomorrow is supposed to be back up into the middle 50s with sunshine, which will be nice for a change. Well, that's November, and I keep remembering that last year at this time we had snow on the ground and we had a blizzard for Veteran's Day, so we're still ahead of that. I think everybody is relieved. We've had two rugged winters. It's time for a respite.
The guys, of course, slept. Grayson wanted to sleep on me, but then, so did Louie. When I started typing, Louie was asleep on his scratching pad and Grayson was curled up on the lower level of the kitty condo. They look like little angel cats when they're asleep. They still want to mix it up, though, so I don't think they like each other very well, at least when I'm around.
So that was my quiet day, and I will be off to the north end early tonight to try to get a head start on tomorrow. Now it's a cold, cloudy and somewhat rainy night in the field, but it's supposed to clear up after midnight.
November 6 I wasn't early last night, but it was a whole lot earlier than I have been lately. That has its downside, too. I was up several times and I don't sleep quite as deeply when I'm not exhausted. I don't remember exactly when I got up, 8:45 or 9:45, and I knitted with some difficulty. I seem to have a hard time with the first couple of stitches on each right side row. But I got the repeat done, so I'm making progress, and it's now clear that I won't have nearly enough yarn in this skein to finish, so I hope the new yarn will match.
I didn't do a whole lot, for all the time I should have had. I had an accident because I was reading something interesting, and I had to clean up from that. I seem to have lost a pair of jeans, but if you saw the laundry room, you'd know why. I went to the post office, where there wasn't much of anything except my new credit card and a replacement for the other one, too, with chips in them. My old one had a chip in it, too, so I'm not quite sure why I got a new one. They did extend the expiration date on both cards, too.
I had some conversation with the newspaper circulation manager about my problem with the papers, and everyone involved is frustrated with it. It seems that every fall, I start missing one or two papers a week. I'm pretty sure it's someone or some ones who are here for hunting season, and they just figure that since I don't get my paper every day, I don't want it. Wrong. In fact, since I don't get them every day, I am more interested in getting every one. I don't think it's anybody local, because most of them are honest, and this only happens in the fall. We are frustrated.
I also called the clinic, and when I am down in Calumet to see the eye doctor on Tuesday, I will stop and get my flu shot. Unfortunately, I can't get my pneumonia shot the same day, but maybe we can schedule it. I should take my car in for an oil change anyway, just to get it ready for the winter. I am planning on being able to get out all winter this year.
The weather was very autumnal, if not very cold. The wind started blowing last night, and it banged around the house all night long, with sustained winds up to 30 mph and gusts up to 40 mph from the north to northwest. It wasn't cold, although it's supposed to be tomorrow. The high temperature during the day was 46º, and when I was out, it didn't seem bad, although I was well bundled up. It was mostly cloudy, but the clouds were those puffy gray things that have patches of blue between them, and every so often there were a few rays of sunshine. It's still blowing, and around 8:00 it started raining lightly. I guess it's supposed to be much colder and rainy tomorrow, but I still don't see any hint of the "s" word in the forecasts I trust. It might snow in Calumet, but it won't here.
The guys were sleepy. When I got up to go to the post office, Louie was asleep on one of the scratching pads and Grayson was in the upper level of the kitty condo (not the top). It isn't very big, and even though he's not a big cat, he was sort of wedged in. That's the first time I think I've seen him on the upper level. Of course, he got some lap time, too, and so did Louie.
So that was a quiet day, and even though I got what should have been enough sleep last night, I'm tired enough that I hope to get to bed at a very reasonable hour tonight. It's a dark, windy, rainy night in the field.
November 5 It was a ridiculous hour when I got to bed again, but I had to wash my hair and I think I just didn't want to do it. If there were only some kind of shower that I could step into and - whoosh! - I would be clean! Of course, when I'm late, I'm tired and not as stable on my feet, so that makes it harder, but it's such an effort I try to avoid it. Then my hair gets to looking like a bottle of oil got poured on it, and then there is no alternative. Sigh.
I slept well when I finally got to bed, of course, but I was very late getting up, and then I knitted. I'm getting anxious to finish this project. I did the eighth repeat of the edging, but I still have 18 more to go, and I may run out of yarn before then. We'll see about that. My order of more yarn is on its way, but I only hope it will be the same dyelot, and if it isn't, it will match well enough not to be obvious. Of course, even the same dyelot doesn't guarantee a match. On one of the shawls I did in the very fine yarn, the ball I ordered said it was the same dyelot, but it's very obvious where I had to change balls. Well, we'll see.
I have to chuckle at myself, though. I made provision for ripping out the last repeat on the body of the shawl if I ran into this situation, but there is one thing I discovered about myself when I was doing software support - NEVER go back! Even if it takes a prodigious effort to make things work right, never go back. I think it's a rule all good software support people have.
I was late enough that I didn't do much but watch chapel and read my email. Then I was off to choir. It was pretty relaxed tonight, but we're back almost to normal. We have a lot of music to get ready for the next couple of months, of course, but it looks like at least for the next three weeks or so, we'll be doing some really easy things. Pastor wants us to do the "O Antiphons" for Advent, and those aren't easy, but it's fun to rise to the challenge of some hard music. They are beautiful, and I'm sure we'll get it before we have to sing.
The weather was amazing. It was cloudy and sometimes dull, but the high temperature was 63º, briefly. There was a 5 hour hiatus when the weather station was down, but I don't think it was any warmer then. It's still (at 10:00) 61º. There wasn't much wind during the day, but it's been gusty lately and it's supposed to be more seasonal tomorrow. That means we set a new record today. Well, last year at this time, we had snow and it was cold. I hope that bodes well for our winter. We could use a mild winter for a change. Let's hope. Anyway, it was great to go running out without any clothes on on the fifth of November.
The guys were sleepy. Grayson was at the door when I came home, but I managed to keep him from getting out. He didn't try very hard anyway. Louie wanted to sit on me just about the time I left for choir, so he hasn't gotten his yet. Grayson knows when I start looking at the chapel service, and he comes right away and sits on me. He knows I won't be doing much for a while, so he curls up on my lap and goes to sleep. I had to move him today because I had to walk halfway through, but when I came back, so did he.
So that was another truncated day, and I'm hoping to get to bed a bit earlier tonight, but it won't be before 11:00, because they are playing an Arvo Pärt choral piece right now and after that there is a Bach keyboard concerto. I guess I haven't mentioned that I dig Arvo Pärt, but you know how I feel about Bach.
Now it's a warm, clear (I think - I saw stars on the way home), windy night in the field. It's been nice while it lasted.
November 4 I was late, but not as late as the night before, and I was so tired, I fell asleep without my pillow, so when I woke up about 6 hours later, I had a stiff neck. Oops. So I turned over and slept for another 5 hours or so, this time on the pillow. I knitted, and even though I tried to go fast and not make marks every two rows, it still took me an hour and a half to do one repeat, so I guess that's the time. I am so ready for this project to end, but I guess I have that problem with every project.
Other than that, I didn't do much. I puttered a bit in the kitchen and brought in some stuff from the breezeway, but I didn't unload all the boxes.
The weather was nice. I should have stuck my nose outside. The high temperature for the day was at noon, 63º, and the wind was calm then. It picked up just enough later that it cooled down a bit, but only into the upper 50s, so the whole day was nice. When I got up, I could hear the bell buoy, but I noticed that the Alder is over at Isle Royale, so it won't be here much longer. It was nearly clear all day, even though when I looked at the MODIS imagery, it was a bit hazy and there is a big hunk of thick clouds to our west. The wind is from the southwest, so I guess we'll have most of another day of this lovely weather before we get hammered again. I can stand it.
The guys mostly slept, although Grayson still wants to sleep on me. I was out into the breezeway a couple of times and I managed to keep them inside. They can go out when I get home tomorrow night.
So that was another quiet day, and here is Grayson wanting to sit on me again. It's a clear (I think) warmish night in the field.
November 3 I guess I lost track of time last night and it was ridiculously late when I got to bed. I slept, of course, and I think it was about 6 hours before I woke up and had to walk. I've been forgetting to drink my water lately and it shows. Anyway, then I went back to bed, and first I got a phone call that I should have ignored - one of those things that says "We have some information about your credit card" and is actually probably a phishing attempt. Then Grayson came and laid down on the pillow about an inch from my nose and went to sleep. I did go back to sleep for a couple of hours, though. Then I got up and knitted, and like it or not, it is taking me an hour and a half to do one repeat of the edging. I'm beginning to get worried about the amount of yarn I have left, so I ordered some more. If I don't need it, I can either send it back or use it for another project; it's a color I like (obviously, or I wouldn't have gotten into such a big project with it). I'm only hoping it will be the same dye lot or at least it will look the same.
Last night, I couldn't find the chapel service, so I emailed them and it was late when they told me where it was. It was very nice, too. They have been having what they call Good Shepherd Institute for the past three days. It's a meeting that seems to be mostly about using the arts in worship in the church. Mostly music, of course, which is why the Choral Vespers and the Hymn Festival, but they also celebrate the other arts, and the homily talked about how they decided to have a space in the new library for the visual arts...it's still all about Jesus.
So I didn't have a lot of time to do much of anything today, but that's usual, too.
The weather was interesting, but the camera hung up again and I didn't realize it until about 2:30, so we didn't get to see the fog steal in. The high temperature was 51º and there was no wind to speak of. It was so humid that it got very foggy after noon, and it has been pea soup ever since, which means the humidity has been close to 100% all day. It was cloudy and foggy here and all along the shore, but I was amused to see that it was clear and sunny in Calumet. I'll take the fog, although it would be nice to see a bit of sunshine for a change.
The guys slept, and Grayson seems to want to sleep mostly on me for some reason. Louie wanted some lap time, too, but he came just about the time I decided to do this, so I had to boot him off.
And that was it. Now it's a cool, foggy night in the field and maybe, just maybe, I can get to bed at a semi-reasonable time?
November 2 Well, I just finished watching the Hymn Festival at the seminary, and it was very nice. I'm not sure I would have chosen just those hymns, and I learned a few new ones, but everybody sang with gusto. The Kantorei and a children's choir sang, and there was a brass quartet and tympani, as well as at least a cello. It was lovely.
I didn't get to bed until around 11:00 last night, for reasons I don't really know, and I had a hard time falling asleep, but once I did, I was good. It has something to do with having something different to do the next day, I think. My mind doesn't want to let it go.
I got up around 9:30. I had an accident on my way to get ready to leave (of course) but as I was about to get dressed again, Scot called to say that Johanna was running late. So I went back to the computer, and I was late. Figures.
I feel much better for my massage. Particularly, my back feels good for the first time in a week or more. Things like my feet (no, not the bottoms) and some other places still hurt, but at least I can stand for more than five minutes without my back hurting. Sawyer had gotten a ton of candy for Halloween, so I raided his stash and had some nice stuff I don't get anymore. I did discover that those Snickers miniatures I love so much have gotten a whole lot smaller since the last time I had any. Like about half the size. Oh, no they couldn't possibly raise the price or even put fewer in a bag. Oh no. They had to make every one smaller. Grr.
The weather wasn't bad. The high temperature got up to 53º and there was no wind at all, so it was rather nice out, even though it's still humid. It was cloudy this morning, but it cleared up by sunset. The camera had a problem around 5:30, so we didn't get the last few pictures, but oh, well.
As far as I know, the guys slept. Grayson got some lap time, but the only time I saw Louie was when he came up from the basement after I came home. You'd think by this time he'd know the sound of my car, wouldn't you? He's just not going to take any chances.
So that was a quiet day, and now it's a clear (I think) coolish night in the field.
November 1 - All Saint's Day Oh, am I tired! I didn't sleep very well, even though I got to bed around 9:00 EST. My feet were cold, and I just couldn't get them warm, and then I was up any number of times with a strange feeing in my gut. I did sleep at last, but I didn't get nearly as much as I wanted, and I had to get up before the alarm went off to go yet again. Yuck. Not a good way to start out!
I got away when I wanted to, though, with all my stuff. We had to sing at church, of course, and I think we did a pretty good job. Then there was a very nice potluck lunch that we all needed.
The concert went off very well, I thought. Mostly we sang well. I screwed up a couple of things, but then, I think practically everybody did, and I doubt anybody else noticed. I was a bit annoyed when I completely lost my place in one song, because the same thing happened on Thursday. I think the pages were sticking together. I managed to recover before the end, though. Our descant didn't go very well, but then, as Barbara pointed out, we'd never actually gotten to practice it. Maybe next year...or maybe later this month. I think we sing it again.
There was coffee and dessert after the concert, but I left. I was exhausted and I had to get gas...which was $2.299, by the way. I got home around 4:00 and just made it to the bathroom. There is something strange going on my gut, and I don't know quite what. I was toying with the idea of taking a nap, but I decided just to go to bed early instead.
Besides, the seminary broadcast their Choral Vespers Service, and I wanted to see it. We Lutherans sing a lot. I was a bit disappointed, but it wasn't their fault. Their video switching equipment failed, and they didn't get it going until the middle of the sermon, which meant we didn't get to see the choir, soloists and orchestra during their Bach cantata. It sounded wonderful, though. There are some very talented musicians associated with that school, not even including the faculty and students. This group was the Schola Cantorum, which is a mixed choir from the community - I noticed that the wives of several faculty members sing in it - and they are very, very good. Pastor mentioned that he had originally been planning to go down for the service, until our plans got mixed up. I'd love to go too, sometime. There was one verse of almost all the hymns that everybody sang in parts, and it was beautiful.
That just ended, and as soon as I finish getting this posted, I'm going to bed!
The weather was not the best, although it was better than yesterday. It rained almost all night and only stopped around 5:00, and it was cloudy and humid all day. The high temperature was 50º, but that was late this afternoon. When I got to church, it was still very cool and very humid. I was glad I had decided not to even try to stand up to sing.
I don't know much of what the guys did, but I suspect they just slept. Grayson slept on my lap for a while when I got home, until I had to get up and take a walk and get my dinner. I think they're getting over the idea that I'm going to go away and not come back.
So that was my day. Now it's a cool, dark night in the field. Last updated 12/01/15 10:18 PM |