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My thoughts released; a mind set free |
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These pages contain my thoughts, from meandering ideas and persuasions to deep cerebrations and serious mentations. Why, for what purpose? To release my mind and set creativity free. Somewhere inside the constraints of my mind dwells a writer, a poet, an artist who paints with words. In here I release those constraints and set the artist free. Perhaps, lost somewhere in the depths of thought, is a story or a poem, waiting to be written. 
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| It was another beautiful Minnesota day, sunny, light breeze, and warm temperatures; this time of year anything over thirty is nice, but we must have hit forty this afternoon. I spent the morning working in the house rearranging a few things and doing a tad of spring cleaning. Then it was a light lunch and outside for a while. We still have some snow that's melting and a lot of ice built up around the buildings. I cleared the rest of the snow away from the house, which should cut back a little on the ice we keep getting over the sidewalks, but until the ice that built up over the winter melts, we are going to have slippery walks. If I had known how much ice was going to build up, I would have kept the snow cleared back from the house more, but even then, most of it is from snow melting on the roof, running onto the ground, and then freezing. I did chip away a bit more of the ice, but most of it's too thick to bust loose. So, I ended up chipping a trench to channel some of the water to one area of the sidewalk instead of it melting and coating the majority of it. It should help a lot, but there's still quite a build-up on each side of the sidewalk between the house and garage that's going to continue to melt onto the walk. Hopefully, if the warm weather holds, most of it should melt off this weekend. If the sun was a bit higher, it would speed up the melting a lot, but unfortunately, it's on the north side of the house and pretty shaded. Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit warmer yet, so I'd like to work on a project out in the garage. Anything but more shoveling snow and ice, and especially chipping it away. I can't believe how stiff and sore my arms are from working at this most of the week. I'm definitely out of shape! That's another activity I want to start now that the weather is nicer, going for an afternoon walk. I need to take off a few (quite a few, plus a few more) pounds, and walking sounds like a good start. I've already cut back on how much I eat, but I'm not seeing much for results since I haven't been doing anything much for exercise. But, that's another topic for another day. |
| Barely made it in here today, only a half-hour left. I had another busy day. It was super nice again, almost forty degrees out. The snow is melting fast and it's making a mess with all the ice build-up we had this winter. We would get some warmer weather and things would melt, but then it would turn cold and create a lot of ice. The end result is a lot of ice-damns so no place for the run-off to drain and with the ground still frozen, it pools up, refreezes, and backs up even more. So, with the thawing temperatures, I've been shoveling back some of the snow and chipping away at the ice. I'm talking six to eight inches of ice build-up in places, especially where the house and garage roofs drain. I saw yesterday that we had water backing up into the garage, and of course, it's cold enough at night to refreeze, which freezes the overhead door down In the process of it trying to open, the opener has bent a couple of the supports on the door, so today I set about straightening them and trying to reinforce them a bit. I managed to get them pretty straight and hopefully reinforced enough to hold, but if not, I'll have to go pick up some angled steel and reinforce them more. Once that was done, the next logical task was to try and get some of the ice and snow back from the doorway. I managed to get about four feet cleared out, but the melting is still draining towards the garage. I also trenched a bit so that the majority of the water drained into the yard, but the ground is frozen too hard to trench it properly. It's good for now, but it's looking like I have a few projects to work on besides the current list. Now, just waiting for the ground to unthaw so I can get started. I also have to replace some deck boards, but that will wait for warmer weather still. |
| I planned on writing in here last night after everyone went to bed, but I was too tired and went to bed, too. So, here I am getting this written while everyone is gone and I have some time to myself. I finally got out ice fishing over the weekend. It's kind of ironic, our fishing season ends at the end of February and I managed to fish the last two days. Now, I need to get a new license to go back out. It's also ironic that I had to put off going out because of frigid temperatures and arctic windchill and can't go out now because it's too warm. Well, I could go out, but I would have to pull all my gear and that would be difficult with the snow melting and the ice being slick and wet; too slick and wet to drive out there I doubt I could get back off the lake because the approach is a pretty steep incline. This is one of the times when I could really use four-wheel drive. Of course, even better would be a four-wheeler, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. Did I catch any fish? No! In fact, the first day out, Saturday, I drove out to a likely spot, set up, and got ready to fish. That's when I realized I had forgotten to get my tackle box out of the garage. I had everything else ready to go and loaded in the pickup on Friday but had taken my tackle box out to put a few things in. And, then I left it sitting there on the counter. Luckily, I had one hook in this knot-tying gadget I had bought and attached to one of my fishing poles, so I at least was able to fish. Even though I had forgotten tackle and didn't catch anything, I enjoyed myself and was out for about three and a half hours. I didn't head out until after my wife and two girls had left for the weekend, so it was after one in the afternoon when I got going. It was a cold day, only in the teens and pretty windy, but I got the pop-up fish shelter put up without any problems and once inside, was comfortable. By two-thirty, it was getting colder and I started up my portable heater and fished, with one hook, in just my Writing.Com hoodie I purchased in January. Sunday I went out earlier since nobody was home and the family wouldn't get back until about four. It was another cold day, barely in the teens, and even windier. I had a little more trouble getting the fish shelter set up, it wanted to blow across the ice, but I was prepared and had an anchor ready to secure it once I had the sides popped up. I put in a couple more, securing three sides so the wind couldn't blow underneath, and set up for some afternoon fishing. I was pretty cold when I got inside, but once the door was zipped shut, it warmed up nice from the sunshine without starting the heater. I fished and relaxed, enjoying the afternoon, but around one-thirty again, the sun was too low to keep the shelter warm and I had to start the heater for a bit. I fished, drank some coffee, and enjoyed myself. I finally decided I should head in around four-thirty. I took my time putting things away, but once I stepped out of the shelter, I froze my caboose. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped even more. But it didn't take long to put things in the truck, only about five minutes to take the shelter down and stow it, and then I was in a nice warm truck, which I had started as soon as I came out of the shelter. I'm hoping to get out some more, but not sure when. Today and most of the week is going to be very warm, getting up to fifty tomorrow. I do have cleats and a sled I can use to pull everything out, but it's going to be a sloppy mess on the ice. Hopefully, we get some cooler weather so I can get out a few more times yet this winter. |
| And again it's been five days! How is that possible, I only skipped a couple? And so it goes, I take a couple of days off from writing in my blog and it multiplies to five. I just don't get it... But that's beside the point. I've been busy, I finished up most of the projects going on in the house with my last entry, but still had a few things to do in the garage. I had planned on leaving them for another day and getting out ice fishing, but things don't always go as planned. In fact, it's been my observation that things tend to go any which way but as planned, especially over the last year. So, what exactly did happen that I missed five days instead of just a few? I really don't know, honest. I just got busy and before you know it, five days are gone. It all started Wednesday when I had to take my wife to work, then pick her up and take her to some medical tests. I tend, as you can see, to stay up pretty late so I can have my time here without interruptions and distractions. So, Tuesday even though I tried to get to bed a bit earlier, ended up a late night for me. I tried to go to bed early, but I couldn't sleep because I got used to being up late. But I still was up early Wednesday to see the girls off to school and to get my wife to work. Then, since I couldn't go out fishing without risking being super late to pick my wife up, I decided to get a start on the garage. I mean, how long can it take to clean out and organize a garage? See, our neighbor, a very nice fellow, gave me a base cabinet and countertop to put in the garage for storage and a workbench. But, I needed to clean and reorganize the garage to make a spot to put it. I had it all planned out in my head, I just needed to move things around a bit after I cleaned it up. But, as I said, things don't seem to go as planned very often. So, I cleaned and moved things a bit and then measured the area that the cabinet was going to go into. It didn't fit. I had to move a few more things, which of course meant I had to clean them off and out as well. But, that didn't work as well as I had planned, either. So, in desperation to get things to at least make room for the cabinet before I had to stop and go get my wife, I had to pull everything out of the back of the garage and start all over with my planning. By the time I had everything moved, it was time to stop, wash up, and then take my wife to her tests. The garage was a disaster, but I had everything moved to bring the cabinet in. The problem was, first of all, I didn't have enough room to bring anything into the garage. The second, it was starting to snow and the car was sitting outside. Now, a little snow isn't going to hurt the car any, but my wife had to go to work in the morning, which meant she would have to go out earlier to clean the snow from the car. Sure, she could do that, but I didn't want my project to make more work for her, so I needed to get things figured out. I did this planning while she was getting her test done. After we got home, I spent a little time with her then headed to the garage to get things set so I could bring the cabinet in. The only way was to move some of the stuff outside and open up a corridor to bring the cabinet in. I moved the car back some and moved items from the garage outside and soon enough had enough room to bring the cabinet in. Next, I swept up the area where the cabinet would sit and then started the pickup so I could go get it. By now, it was getting late, getting dark, and getting on to be dinner time. I drove over to the neighbors and guess what? Yep, he was gone; no way to get the cabinet now. So I drove back home, parked the pickup, and set about hauling things back in. While I was hauling, I made sure I left the room to bring the car in for the night, so I had to put a lot of the stuff in the area where the cabinet was going to go. Yeah, you see where I'm going, don't you? I did get things back in, I had room for the car and parked that, then came in just in time to eat a late dinner. I was beaten, I was tired, and of course, working in the garage, I was dirty. But, after dinner, both girls needed to take showers and or baths for school, so I had to wait to get my shower in. By the time the water heated back up, everyone was in bed and as soon as I was done, I went to bed and collapsed into a deep slumber. The next day I woke up so stiff and sore, I could barely drink my coffee. But after everyone had left for school and work, I got busy measuring and figuring out a new plan. Then, I saw the neighbor come home and was just about to go over and talk to him and get the cabinet when my phone rang. I had to run to town to pick up prescriptions. I wasn't going to miss the neighbor again, so I jumped in the pickup and went to get the cabinet. Of course, the neighbor likes to talk and visit, so it took a bit before I left. Not that I mind, I enjoy visiting with him and he always has a good conversation. But, after a bit, I told him I had to get to the pharmacy and left with the cabinet in the truck. After I got back home, I unloaded the cabinet and got it set into place. Now I could measure and figure things out for sure to know where everything would fit. Of course, it took a while to figure it all out and by the time I had a new plan, the girls were home from school. I finished up my planning and figuring and came inside to spend a bit of time with them. After visiting with the girls it was time to start dinner, which got done right about the time my wife got home. I had thought about just leaving the car outside since the garage was once again a disaster, but guess what? Yeah, it started snowing again right after the freezing sleet. I enjoyed dinner with my family, but they went back out to finish up in the garage so I could get the car inside for the night. Everything fit as planned, but it still took a while to move everything, so it ended up another late night. But, I had the job done! Well, most of it; I still have a few things to do, but not until it gets warmer out and we can move a few things outdoors. For now, however, the garage is done. The car came back in and I could finally go out fishing. But, I was exhausted from too much work and too little sleep, so I took a day off just to putz around the house and rest up. Besides, my back was very tight as well as my whole body being sore from doing so much. Yesterday I finally got out on the ice and fished for a while. Again, things did not go according to plan, but that's a tale for another day... |
| It was another beautiful winter day for Minnesota, the snow was melting and the sun was shining most of the day. I didn't get to enjoy much of it, I was finishing up some work in the house. I thought about putting it off and going out ice fishing, but it was a bit windy for setting up my pop-up shelter, so I stuck to the plan and got it done. Tomorrow is supposed to be pretty nice as well, but we have a chance of a lot of snow and freezing rain. That's alright, I have to drive my wife around for some medical appointments, so I won't have time to head to the lake anyway. Well, I say it's alright, but not if we get a crap-load of snow on top of ice; that's never any good. But, I'm thinking we won't get a lot of snow. But, with the temperature just dropping below freezing right now, it could be icy driving come morning. I'm glad I decided to listen to the guy at the garage when he suggested I put good snow and ice tires on the car for the winter, they have helped a few times now. Seriously, I wasn't going to, I had planned to go with all-season tires, but he convinced me and I cannot believe the difference they make on icy roads and pulling the car through deep snow. I also have some work to do in the garage tomorrow, if my wife is up to helping me move a few things after we get back home. I have a couple of items that I just can't handle by myself that need to get moved out of the way so I can put install a work cabinet. Most of the stuff I need to rearrange I can do by myself, but there are a couple that are just too awkward to move alone. The hardest part is trying to figure out how to organize everything so I can get the car back in when I finish. That leaves Wednesday to get out fishing, but the snow and freezing rain extend into Wednesday as well. Again, I don't think we are going to get much, and if it's icy Wednesday morning, I can wait until the afternoon to go out, once it's warmed up enough to melt off the ice. I'm staying optimistic and looking toward the brighter side. |
| It was a beautiful winter day here in Minnesota, we had mild wind, a little snow, and temperatures above freezing. I cleaned my pickup off from snow and started it for the first time in a couple of weeks. With the bitter cold, I didn't need to use it, so there was no reason to start it. It turned over fine, but after two weeks of arctic cold, it didn't want to start right away. But, it did fire and then start, running a bit rough for a few minutes, but then it was fine. I shoveled out the area around it and then we hauled the recyclables. Being so nice out, I kind of wanted to get more outside work done, but I also wanted to finish up the work we had been doing inside. Also, after working pretty hard the last five days, it was kind of nice to take it a bit easy today, too. Tomorrow is supposed to be equally nice, so I will get some more of the outside work done and get myself set up to get out ice fishing. I have a pretty full schedule for Tuesday, so I'm looking at finally getting out on the ice Wednesday. But, if I get done sooner tomorrow, I may venture out for a short excursion tomorrow, and possibly make it out for a few hours Tuesday. I'll leave both days open if time permits. |
| Another good day, warmer temps, and getting quite a bit done. It's still not warm enough to do much outside without dressing up in forty pounds of clothing, but it hit nine degrees above zero this afternoon and it's still one degree above zero at midnight. Tomorrow should get up to twenty and Sunday almost thirty. As of right now, most of next week should see us at or above freezing! I have a lot to do outside and in the garage which isn't heated, so the nice weather this weekend will be great. Today I worked inside most of the day. We ordered new dinnerware and a good knife set and got most of it today so I had to clean out the old and wash and put away the new. There are still a couple of items arriving Monday, but if all goes well, I should be out on the lake trying out some ice fishing most of the afternoon, so the rest will have to wait until Monday evening. I did get out and shoveled some snow; we didn't have much, maybe an inch or two that needed to get cleaned up, but with it being so cold, I put it off. It was more difficult to shovel, but I'd rather work a little harder when it's nice out than to freeze my but off shoveling snow in the arctic cold. I know, not anything very exciting or entertaining, but that's the problem when the weather keeps you inside most of the time. Between Covid, quarantine, and the cold, I haven't gone anyplace or done anything for a couple of months. Well, I've done a little around the house, but nothing to inspire writing. Hopefully, with the warmer weather and being able to get outside, that will change. Now, off to bed. |
| Today went pretty well. I wasn't tired like I have been, although I still have some trouble sleeping at night. I wasn't coughing as much last night but still had to take cough syrup before I went to bed and once during the night. I also woke up at four this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I tried for half an hour, then got up and took a sleep aid. It did the trick, I was soon sleeping sound and didn't wake until nearly eight-thirty. The downside is I felt groggy and out of it for a couple of hours after waking up. Once I did get woke up I had a pretty productive day. I got the younger girl's room cleaned, even though she was supposed to clean it herself. When she looks for some of her stuff she left laying on the floor she'll understand why she should clean her room herself instead of leaving it for me to clean. I don't sort through the stuff, if it's dirty clothes, they go in the hamper, otherwise, it's all trash to me. I figure if it's on the floor and she can't bother herself to pick it up, she must not want it. I also cooked up a pot of chili for supper. Well, I didn't actually cook it, my older daughter did. We worked together on it, but I did more of the prep cook and she did the serious cooking. It was nice having a break from cooking myself, and a lot more fun sharing the experience with her. She loves most of the things I cook and often states that she plans on fixing the same foods even after she moves out in a couple of years. So, I figure the best way for her to learn is to get cooking them now, with some assistance. We both enjoyed it and hopefully, she will join me and assist in more cooking. Oh, and the chili was a big hit, the entire pot was cleaned up in one sitting. Now, time to wrap this up and head to bed. |
| I took a short break from blogging, a couple of days; or so I thought, turns out it's been five! I just haven't had much to write about and I've been extremely tired. The tired part is from not sleeping the best at night. Some Covid leftovers that I'm really getting tired of. My sinuses are stuffy and when I lie down, I start coughing. I use cough syrup and it helps, but it only lasts for a few hours, then I wake up coughing and stuffed up again. I tried a different kind, one that takes care of the stuffy nose as well as the cough, but after a couple of nights, it had my stomach all tore up. Of course, it's winter in Minnesota so the air is dry, especially through this cold snap we've had for over a week now. Yesterday was the first day the thermometer read above 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold is also the reason for not having a lot to write about. When you get up to a temperature of -33 degrees Fahrenheit it kind of prevents you from doing a whole lot of anything except stay inside. I think it also had a lot to do with me feeling so tired. Sure, not getting a good night of sleep is the number one reason, but lack of fresh air and being stuck in a stuffy, dry house doesn't generate a lot of energy or motivation. Now, we are seeing higher temperatures, still in the single digits, but hey, that feels good after double digits below zero with a wind making it feel even colder. Now, it's still three degrees out, above zero! And, it's only supposed to drop a little below zero by morning, with a balmy high of ten degrees tomorrow. And it just keeps climbing through the week and by this weekend, we may get above freezing. That will provide me with more fresh air, and I may even get to go out ice fishing. Yes, I haven't gotten out yet, but I should be able to get a few outings in before the temperatures get too high and soften the ice. Now, time to wrap things up and go try to sleep. |
| I didn't get in here to post an entry yesterday. I've been doing real well at blogging almost everyday but for one odd reason or another, I couldn't think of anything to blog about yesterday. It was one of those foggy-in-the-brain kinds of days, or would that be "daze". I know part of it stems from my taking a nap. I don't know why, but it seems if I lie down and sleep during the day, I have a difficult time waking all the way up after. And, speaking of naps, I've been taking a lot of them. This week was the first week with the girls back in school, and I've spent most of it catching up on my sleep. I know I need the rest, but at the same time, I feel like I'm wasting my alone time. Not that I can do much with my time if I can't keep my eyes open. Why? For one, I haven't been sleeping well at night. Yeah, I knew that was coming, I hear you loud and clear, if I stop sleeping during the day, I'll sleep better at night. I say, "Go lick a toad!" I'm tired and napping because I didn't sleep the night before, not the other way around. I know part of why I can't sleep well at night, too. As soon as I lie down, I get stuffed up, congested, and start coughing. It's been like this for the past week or better; ever since my bout with Covid. I know, it makes no sense to me, either. I can't sleep at night, but if I lie down during the day, I fall into a deep and restful sleep. What's up with that? I have been trying different things to overcome this, cough syrups, decongestants, etc... I've had mixed results with them. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don't. I also have humidifiers going to combat the dry air, which helps a lot. Last night, I was up pretty late, a result of sleeping so much yesterday, and was very tired when I went to bed. I took a different kind of cough syrup and fell right to sleep without waking up shortly after with the coughing. It was great! I also slept in until ten this morning, about eight hours of sleep last night. I feel good and should be able to sleep better tonight, if the cough medicine works again. Let's hope. |
| Another day home alone and I'm loving it. It's warmed up some, a nice -6 Fahrenheit with a light wind so it's feeling like -23. But the suns shining and the house blocks the wind so it's not too bad sitting out on the step for my smoke breaks. The temperature is going to drop through the afternoon and hit a -17 by midnight, and -23 degrees by morning. We won't see the temperature rise above zero until next week if the forecast is correct. I was hoping to get out and try some ice fishing, something I have done very little of. I have gone out with my brother a few times in the past, but that was on shallow lakes in South Dakota, and neither of us really knew what we were doing. We did catch some fish, but more by luck than by knowing what to do. So, I decided I needed to get out and give it a try, learn how to catch some crappies and sunfish, and get some fresh air and exercise. I had a few items from the past but needed to purchase most of the stuff I needed. I ordered a bit here and there and now have everything I need to get out and fish. But, then the schools shut down and I ended up playing teacher to my two daughters for distance learning. Next, we got exposed to Covid and my wife got sick. She was home for a few weeks, but since she was sick, I needed to be here to care for her and continue playing teacher. By the time she was feeling better, I was sick and we were all quarantined. Sure, once I was feeling better I could have gone out, but by then, my wife was back to work and the girls and I were still quarantined at home, so more distance learning. Besides, even after I felt better, I had little energy, I would do small things and need to rest, so I took it easy until I regained my strength. Now I'm feeling better, have more energy, and should be out ice fishing since the girls are back in school this week. But, the old Dodge Ram doesn't do well in the cold. I have to take it in and have it serviced, and I want the transmission checked. When it's cold out, the transmission slips until it gets warmed up. I can use it, but I need to let it run for fifteen minutes or more before moving it. That was with temperatures down in the teens, so I'm not sure how it would go with it sub-zero now. So, for now anyway, I'm enjoying a quiet and peaceful house, getting some stuff done around here, and spending a bit more time in WDC. Sunday night the girls were so excited they couldn't sleep, so I didn't get much either, so Monday I napped and got caught up on my sleep. Yesterday I moved some stuff around and got a few things done before school let out. Today I took a decongestant that made me tired, so again, a nice long winter's nap. It's funny, I feel fine, but my sinuses get a bit dry and stuffed up; not bad most days, just a stuffy nose. But, at night, it gets worse. Once I lie down, it seems I stuff up so much I can't breathe through my nose and my throat gets itchy from the drainage and I end up coughing and can't sleep. I usually lie on my left side, but that's the worst. I found if I lie on my right side, I clear up a bit. Most nights that's enough, other nights I take a cough syrup before bed and do pretty good. But, since the temperature dropped so low, the air has gotten very dry inside the house and it's worse now. Bad enough that I continue to wake up through the night from coughing. Once I get up, it clears up in a few minutes, but as soon as I lie back down, the stuffiness and coughing return. This morning I was tired from not sleeping well last night, so my wife suggested I try some Nyquil and see if it helps. I know, it's a night time medication, but I was tired and wanted to sleep more, so I took a shot, the one it comes with, and snuggled into bed. I fell asleep quickly and didn't wake up for four hours! If it works this good tonight, I have this problem solved. Also, I moved the humidifier and it seems to be doing a better job now, so not quite as dry in here. It seems to hold the humidity at about 35%. I also put on e in the bedroom to raise the humidity a bit in there at night. |
| Another nice day. No, not weather-wise, it's colder than cold here, and no end in sight. Right now, it's -9 Fahrenheit and it will drop even more through the night. But, the girls are back at school, the second day now, and I'm loving the peace and quiet of the days. Yesterday was the first day I had the house to myself from 8:30 to 3:30 and guess what I did? I'm sure you had a lot of good guesses, but no, I didn't do much of anything. In fact, I slept most of the day. I got up and seen the girls off to the bus, then kissed my wife before she went to work. Then, sweet silence and the house all to myself. Well me and Hannah, my four-legged friend. But, with it being so cold, she didn't want to spend time outside unless absolutely necessary, and then just long enough to take care of business. I spent a couple of hours online, then, being up late the night before, decided to lie down for a nice nap. I haven't been getting much for sleep, five or six hours, but never sound sleep straight through. So, I took my nap, woke up once, and used the bathroom, but didn't look at the clock, figuring it hadn't been that long since I had lied down. I dozed right back off and when I did wake, I thought I had napped for about an hour or maybe two. I had in fact slept most of the day, about four hours. But, I felt better after, and even though I had slept that much, I still was tired last night and was in bed by 10:30. It was nice, my youngest was pretty worn out from school and was sleeping much earlier than I had expected. Normally, I'm doing good to get her to bed by 10:30, and then she reads for a half hour or more. Sunday night, being so excited to be returning to school, she didn't sleep much at all. She was up after 11:00, then read for a half-hour, and when I checked on her at midnight, she was still awake. Tonight, however, she fell asleep watching television sometime around 9:30 or thereabouts. I did stay up today. I was kind of tired, but not enough to justify taking a nap. So, I got some things done around the house, spent some time online, and even got to do a little in WDC before the girls came home. Then it was time to visit with them for a bit before starting dinner. After dinner, I relaxed with my wife and we watched a movie, then she retired and I'm here, getting my blog done before midnight. Next, it's off to bed so I can be up early again tomorrow. I don't have any plans, just kind of taking things as they come. I would like to get out ice fishing, but with it so cold and the wind chills, I don't want to run the truck. I'm hoping I can at least get out a few times before the season ends. I have some stuff to do in the garage, too, but since it's not heated, that will have to wait, as well. |
| A new week began today, the Super Bowl was played, and tomorrow the girls return to school. I'm hoping it will be a good week, and so far, it's starting out right. As for the Super Bowl, it didn't matter to me which team won, I'm not all that big on watching sports and didn't have a favored team picked out. For me, it was a pretty quiet day except for the youngest girl who is very excited about getting to return to school tomorrow. Even with being so excited, she actually behaved pretty well, but she was pretty distracted. It's to be expected since she loves school and hasn't been to school since Thanksgiving break. They shut things down here because of the increase in Covid cases and the school was closed until mid-January. Unfortunately, a relative who was pretty sick decided to go visiting despite having Covid symptoms. Within a couple of days, we were notified that he had gone into the hospital emergency room because he had gotten so sick and had been diagnosed with and tested positive for Covid. He was held overnight, treated with something, and sent home. But, the damage was done and my wife got sick, tested positive for Covid, and we all ended up quarantined through this weekend, but thankfully, we are all cleared now. It's sad, neither of the girls got sick or tested positive, but we still had to sit it out and wait. Tomorrow will be the first day in almost three months that I have the house to myself for most of the day. The last time was early January when my wife ad the girls went to my mother-in-law's and got exposed to Covid. It was a nice break, but having my wife get sick and ending up under quarantine kind of ruined it. Now, I can get out ice fishing once it warms up a bit. But, for the rest of this week and into early next week, we won't see the thermometer rise above negative numbers; it's extremely cold and dangerous windchills for the next few days. Maybe we will get a break, but the forecast looks like sub-zero for the next week. I may venture out, anyway. The problem isn't being out on the lake when it's this cold, I have a pop-up shelter and a nice little heater. No, the problem is the truck isn't working right, the transmission wants to slip when it's this cold unless I let it warm up for half an hour or better. Mostly, I'm just eager to have the girls back in school and be done playing teacher for distance learning. |
| Well, I didn't even make it in here yesterday, it was just one of those days that left me exhausted, so instead of staying up to blog, I went to bed early. Today was pretty trying as well, my wife went to the clinic because she's been having a sharp pain in her chest. It moves around some, so we were both pretty sure it wasn't her heart but wanted to get it checked out just in case. We were right, it wasn't her heart, in fact, just about everything checked out great. But, on the chest X-Ray, they found a spot. They're convinced it's not cancer, but did a CAT Scan anyway, to be even more sure. Again, the answer was negative, not very likely anything to worry about. The thoughts are it's some scarring from her past, but since she just had Covid last month, they want to keep an eye on it. It could be a clot or just some inflammation from the virus. So, she has to keep an eye on how it's feeling, do some breathing exercises, and go back in about three months from now and have it checked. If it's scarring, it should still show up the same, but they are thinking more on the lines of Covid and it should be smaller or possibly gone by then. But, if the pain continues or gets worse, she has to go back in and have more tests done. Again, more problems just because her brother had to go out visiting when he was feeling very sick and in fact had Covid. Between the loss of work, the girls missing school, and my wife getting so sick, and now this. Sure, we would all like to tell him just how we think and feel about his actions, but the sad truth is, he would take pride in knowing he caused us problems and misery. He's that kind of person, living a miserable life, but instead of making changes to improve his life, he prefers to try and bring everyone around him down. None of us are angry with him. The girls are a bit resentful, but I try and explain that is not the emotion to dwell on. I'm not going to lie to them and sugar coat it, but in being honest, I tell them that he's a very miserable person, so he wants to share his misery with others. They ask, "Why?" I answer, "People like that don't have any happiness, so they try to steal someone, anyone, else. When they see they have brought misery to another, they don't see their own misery for a spell." |
| We've had a pretty mild winter so far for this part of the country, but all good things must end. We have gotten lucky in the snowstorms that have rumbled through, never getting more than a few inches, usually. We did get a bit later in the fall with some pretty chilly temperatures following the snow, but only for a week, then it was back to more summer-like temperatures. We did get a couple of days of snow that left us with about seven or eight inches, but most of that melted. Most of the time, two or three inches is all we got. Temperatures also have stayed pretty nice with it just cold enough to finally get the lakes froze enough to ice fish. Even so, we are still having people break through from time to time. It just hasn't been cold enough for more than a night or two to make good ice and thick ice. To top it off, we get days warm enough to melt it some as well. But, that ended yesterday. We started out above freezing but the temperature dropped through the day with midnight's low being today's high. It's dropped steadily through the day with it currently being one-degree Fahrenheit but feels like minus fifteen. It's supposed to warm up a couple of degrees before dropping below zero tomorrow night and by Monday morning we will wake to a balmy fifteen below zero. If the forecast holds true, we won't see the mercury above zero until Tuesday. It's a good time to stay inside and read a good book, play some games, and watch some old movies. It's also a good time for the lakes to get a good, solid, and thick layer of ice, so when it warms up a bit, I can go out and finally get some ice fishing done since the girls will finally be back at school. |
| I usually shy away from religious and political writing, but tonight I'm making an exception. Even so, it's not fully on religion, just the story of the fall from Eden. I don't remember just how it got brought up in the first place, but a few evenings ago my wife and I ended up in a discussion on the topic of who should get the blame. Of course, according to the story, Eve was tricked by the serpent and took the fruit and ate of it. Then she presented it to Adam, who knew better, took it from her and ate anyway. In this context, Eve sinned first, but she was tricked; I know, still no excuse, but for the sake of argument. Then, presenting the fruit to Adam, he took it without trickery and knowingly sinned. We know how the story goes from there. In this context, the woman gets the blame but did anyone stop to ask her why she listened to the serpent? What else was going on at the time, and why was she off with her pet instead of with her man? There are more questions that should be answered, although it will make no difference in the end. The way I see it, Adam was lonely so Eve was created to be his companion. The perfect woman designed just for him, truly a match made in, well in the Garden. But, in creation, God had provided everything Adam had needed. He was content for a while, but then decided he wanted a mate. It's right there, the start of the fall, Adam, the man, being discontent with all that he had. I'm sure Adam adored Eve and for a time it was bliss. But for how long had he been the only person? For how long had he made all the decisions based on only his desires? How long had he enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the Garden? Now, he has a partner who also wants some things, she loves him and wants to be a part of all that he does, and she loves talking with her man. How long before Adam discovered one must be careful about what one wishes, it may come true? In time I'm sure Adam realized how much he had lost in his gaining a partner. But, what could he do, ask God to turn back into a rib? No, that would only prove he was wrong and God was right. Hey, doesn't that sound like Lucifer's rant? Of course, being the man, he could fix this, but how. Well, he couldn't ditch Eve, so he needed to give her something to do. So, here are all these animals maybe she can pick one for a pet. Sure, she needs a pet, that way she can spend time with her pet and Adam can have a break from her. I'm sure it got to a point that whenever she spent too much time with her man, he would tell her, go talk to your pet for a while, I gave you that pet and it's your responsibility. This worked great, but what Adam didn't realize, her pet was talking back to her. Eve no longer needed to put up with the rejection she felt from Adam, she could talk to her pet who understood her perfectly. Of course, Adam wasn't any the wiser, Eve was occupied and that suited him fine. Yep, Adam was on top of it all, he had it all now, the trophy wife, the Garden, and all the time he wanted for himself. Well, until he found out that her pet had convinced her to eat the forbidden fruit. Yes, the woman took the blame for the first sin, but isn't discontentment also a sin? No, I guess it's not, it's just the fuel needed to get things rolling. I'm sure he also passed the original story down through the generations just to cover up his part in the mess, just as men have been trying to cover their asses ever since... |
| Okay, so I decided to try and grow a beard and full mustache again. This time I started out right and let it grow unhindered. I purchased care products and styling balms and set about growing a long beard. But, it didn't get so much long as it did bushy, no matter what I did. My mustache, which I waxed and combed to the sides, not a full handlebar effect, but more like ole Santa's, refused to grow any direction but down. I even tried this mustache mud product. It was more comfortable than the heavy wax but still felt like I had tried to glue my 'stache in place. It worked great, but I would have to put the stuff on three or more times a day! I eventually got tired of having it forever in my mouth and trimmed it back. Tonight I had enough of trying to put beard balms and beard oils on my face to try and tame my wolf-man fur and cut that off, too. It was curly, unruly, and thicker than sheep's wool! Seriously, it was close to as thick as a lamb's full coat and refused to lie down. Yes, the mustache refused to do anything but lie straight down, the beard refused to lie down at all. If I had curly hair on my head, I would have looked like a middle-aged werewolf or wolf-man. But, the hair on my head is very fine, very soft, and very straight, just the opposite of my facial hair. I was just going to take a shower, wash my hair, beard, and mustache, then condition them all. I looked in the mirror and then at the various containers of beard balms and oils, and thought, "What's the use, the longer it gets, the bushier it gets. I got out the clipper and went to work. five, maybe ten minutes later and the bathroom sink was completely full of curly, coarse hair. I didn't cut it all off, I put a guard on and left about a quarter-inch of man-growth. I knew if I cut it all off and then shaved it smooth the skin would break out in revolt! Hell, my face hasn't seen the light of day in about six months. Also, from past experience, one does not want to go from thick beard to shaved skin this time of year in this part of the country. I don't know if you realize how much protection from the cold and wind a face of hair provides? Even shaving off a short beard in the winter means for a few days, one's face will freeze. On top of that, my face has been heavily protected from the elements for over six months and the last it felt the movement of the outdoor breeze, the air was warm and humid, now it's cold and dry. No, to shave it all off would have my face freezing, dried out, and possibly even cracked before it adjusts to the winter climate. I'll leave a short growth for a few days, condition the skin with moisturizers, then cut it back to a nice stubble for a couple of days before taking a razor to the skin again. And, even then, I'm not shaving more than once a week. My skin tends to get very irritated from shaving, it always has, so I tend to be one of these guys who styles a five-o'clock shadow. Yes, a week before the beard is completely gone. Well, not completely, I have favored a mustache and goatee for many years and it is my wife's preference as well. Not long, but not stubbly and irritating to her kisses, either. |
| A new week, a new month, and yes, a new year. January started out just fine, I was eager for mid-month and the girls returning to school so I would have more time alone. Time I was going to use to write and do some ice fishing as well as get some projects done at home. Then, we had a Covid exposure and my wife got sick and was quarantined until later in the month. Since the girls were also exposed, they would be home a couple of weeks longer, too. At least, that's what we thought. But, they went into quarantine from the date my wife completed her quarantine, no school until February eighth. That was a big disappointment for all of us, but nothing could be done to change it. If that wasn't enough to screw up the month, I ended up with a sinus infection, then gave myself a mild concussion, and before that had healed, got sick myself. The only good part of it all is neither of the girls got sick at all. But, I started feeling better three days ago and have been free of fever and symptoms for the last three days. I did quite a bit today and didn't even run out of energy. So, February is looking pretty good and I'm at least getting some work done around the house. Soon, I should be able to get out ice fishing, and if the girls continue to show no symptoms, they still get to return to school on the eighth. I also started working more towards losing some extra pounds I put on since the pandemic hit, and if the weather isn't too cold, plan on start walking a bit each day. I'm also logging what I eat and have cut back a lot on how much coffee I drink; the last few days about half of what I normally would. I did make another pot today, but I only had a couple of cups from it. I'm also cutting out a lot of salt, and that's the tough part. Cooking from scratch makes it easy, but anything from the restaurants or canned, boxed, and even frozen has so much damn salt added to it. I'm positive and motivated, and hopefully, in a week or two, I can post here about my achievements and let you know if I'm catching any fish. |
| Today was another good day. What's even better is last night was a restful night; the first in at least a week. I slept sound, waking only once very early this morning to get a drink of water and use the bathroom. It was also the first night in a week without fevers and waking in a pool of sweat, no weird dreams. I took it easy today, after doing so much yesterday. So far, no fever yesterday or today. I still have a ways to go to return to feeling good, but I'm happy for now with just not feeling bad. I'll be heading off to bed after I finish here and looking forward to another good night's sleep. I haven't planned anything for tomorrow, it's more just see how I feel and take things slow and easy for now, but I did have thoughts of maybe getting out and doing some ice fishing in the not so distant future. I still haven't had an opportunity to go out and try my gear out, and have been waiting since the first part of the month after the last few items arrived that I had ordered. The first hold-up was my wife getting Covid and while she didn't get seriously ill, she was exhausted and unable to do anything. Also, she stayed separated from the girls and I did what I could to prevent catching it while still taking care of her. I do firmly believe now, after all the precautions, the masks don't do squat. Then, I got sick right as she was ending quarantine and was beginning to feel better. I had helped with some stuff in storage and stirred up a lot of dust, which always triggers a sinus problem with me. Then, even as I thought I was getting over that, the weather turned cold and the air got dry and it just hung in there. No fever or other symptoms, just irritated sinuses and pressure. Then, while working o a shelving project I pulled a knuckleheaded move and whacked my head real hard and messed myself up pretty good. The symptoms were there but with Covid, they didn't want me to come in, so the checkup was done over the phone, answering questions ad describing my problems. It was likely I had a mild concussion and needed to take it easy for a few days to a week. Before that cleared up, the fevers started and my energy was gone. No other symptoms and I'm not complaining, it was rough just sweating and freezing through the days and nights, and when I say no energy, I mean completely drained. Heating up a can of soup was enough to send me off to bed, too tired and exhausted to even eat my soup. Was it Covid? More than likely. But, again, unless I really needed medical attention, the clinic preferred I stay home and not risk spreading it. The doctor again did a phone interview and since my wife had tested positive and I had lost my ability to smell, figured I had contacted Covid. The good news is, I'm already feeling better. The girls were exposed at the same time my wife was, but they have not gotten sick. It was a hell of a start to the new year, but January is done and hopefully February treats us better. |
| It's been a few days... five to be exact. My last entry was about one day at a time and I was able to reinforce that ideal over the last five, it really works. I had been suffering from a sinus infection and feeling pretty tough, but then five days ago, all hell broke loose and I wasn't so much feeling tough, I was feeling like a three-day-old road-kill in July. I slept a lot, but never more than a few hours at a time. I was hot and cold, shivering or sweating, and I just ached everywhere. I dozed more than slept since it was never sound, I had troubled dreams and crazy songs stuck in my head, and I had no sense of balance. I also had no energy, making lunch was like a ten-mile hike with a pack on. Yesterday I was feeling a bit better, more like a fresh road-kill. I still ached, but not as bad. I had a bit of an appetite again and could accomplish easy tasks without feeling exhausted. I slept a bit better as well. The first half of the night sucked, tossing and sweating, but then I finally fell into a deeper sleep and woke this morning without lying in a pool of my own sweat. I also made it through the entire day without sweating like I was doing calisthenics in a sauna. I was easily tired by doing things, but not exhausted as I had been. In fact, we had purchased a portable kitchen island that came a few days ago and I was able to assemble it with the help of my wife. It took all day, and I was tired but we got it finished and I'm still up. It was a very rough week, and if I had looked at the week before me, I would have been overwhelmed, but instead, I looked at the day I had and did what I needed to get through it. Then, it would be time for bed and I would focus on trying to sleep and have the best night possible. I took over-the-counter medications for the worst of the symptoms, I tried to eat healthy even though there was no appetite, and I did my best to keep things from spreading to the girls. That was my focus, knowing that in a day or two, or three, I would eventually feel better. Each day I completed was another day closer to that day. Today was the day, I woke after sleeping soundly for about half the night, I had a bit of appetite, and I could do a few things without feeling like I was going to collapse from exhaustion. I wasn't sure if I wanted to tackle the island project, but my wife was up to it and did much of the work making it possible for me to see the project through to the end. It also made it more fun and gave us memories we can cherish over the years. I'm not over this yet, but I'm another day closer. I'm hoping I'll sleep better tonight, and I'll find out soon after I post this. Tomorrow? Well, we'll wait and see what the new day brings. |
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