Thursday February 2

Still cloudy today, but temps already in the low 40s, and will continue a gentle warm up for a few days. I must remember to get to the well house and turn off the heat lamp too.

I slid off the anti carb bandwagon last night, and had a roast beef sammich, with toasted buns in the fry pan, pickles, slice of real cheese, some mayo and mustard…and fries. My BS was still only 127 this morning. Sometimes, one just has to say “what the heck!”

Still, was a nice change from the drudgery of the same thing, day after day.

The kid ended up calling in yesterday, instead of leading me to believe that they had  closed due to road conditions; no, huh uh, it was likely too icy for her to make the 50 mile  round trip on the icy roads, that continued to degrade during the day.

My Linux version, Mint 19.3, Tricia, is end of life in April, meaning no more support. I see no alternative except dumping Mint altogether, and going with Ubuntu or Debian, as long as I can find a 32 bit OS…seems everything is shifting to 64 bit these days.

I’ll likely not find another deal like this notebook for $400, without an OS that I got in 2014. Most reliable computer I ever had.

This time of the month is time for me to order my measly allotment of OTC meds from United Healthcare…and of course, they are out of what I needed most, which is so fucking typical. They have gone from (two years ago) being able to order $90 per quarter, with little or no restrictions on amounts, with ample variety to choose from in many categories.

Last year, their stock depleted by at least half, and this year it’s $35 per month, and they are pretty much out of what I need most. This is one of those deals that one has to “use it or lose it”.

So tired of being manipulated by the big corporations.

 

Wednesday February 1

The weather app said it was snowing on and off all night, but no accumulations developed.

I do however, have this

At least the pipes didn’t freeze.

I don’t think it got below 31 degrees last night.

The kids’ work closed today; at least for the morning.

We are still under winter storm warning through tomorrow morning at 6 am.

It’s 32° now, and may reach 38 by end of day.

The lights flickered this morning, but stayed on.

We turned on the central heat last night on and off a couple times. It doesn’t take long to heat up the back bedroom. We are finding that the electric space heaters are not very efficient, but are better than nothing. They seem destined to warm up the bathrooms, and we take turns when watching TV.

Apparently, the wife was dealing with another sleepless night, as when I arrived the in kitchen this morning, the stereo was on, as was the LR heater, and the kitchen light…some disarray in the kitchen sink as well indicated someone had “been messing with the dishes”…that’s the best way I can put it.

She hasn’t as of yet, made an appearance today.

More coffee for me…I think I’ll top it off with a little Irish Cream…just a wee bit.

16 pounds down since January 2.

Still not smoking. I’m glad I won’t have to look forward to go into town and replenish my smokes today.

I made another batch of homemade cocktail sauce today. It goes quickly when I make the chicken strips. Likely only one more day of those left as well.

My SS check this month again, will arrive early. Eventually, it will catch up with me, and I’ll have to wait an unseemingly long time (extra week) when it does. It all depends on how the days of the week fall every month.

Stay warm out there…it ain’t over yet.

New month, new days to mark on your calendar:

tomorrow, the big day for the Ground Hogs…never did care about it, and even thought it was a ridiculous tradition since I was a kid..

Valentine’s Day on the 14th…a guy’s chance to make up points…there is no such thing as “overdoing it” for Valentine’s Day…

Last Day Of January 2023

And winter reminds us once again, that it is unstoppable. There was actually snow in the forecast for today, and still is for the morning.

It was 30° when I rolled out of bed at 11:30. I noticed the bird bath was frozen over except for a little hole where the water still drips into the basin.

Forecast for today shows a high of 37…it’s 32 now and cloudy.

I noticed the trash people have already been here and gone. Last week it as 3 pm before they arrived. Wish I had their schedule.

My fried chicken and beef strips came out well last night. The roast too was a thing of beauty.

My BS was up this morning to 133; likely because of the breading I used on the fried meat strips and of course, the gravy. It was a risk I was willing to take.

I am still cleaning up the cast iron and the stove. The ceramic top stoves are OK, but kind of a pain to clean after a meal like last night.

After using this type of stove for years, I discovered a way to clean them. Since last night was mostly deep fried food, then pan gravy, the stove took some hits.

First, I begin with a cold stove top. Take all your pots and pans off. I use a half sponge, half Scotch Brite to do the initial clean. Using very hot tap water with Dawn on it, I clean the stove top allowing sudsy soap on the stove. Don’t be afraid to use the Scotch Brite side to grind off the hard to clean spots that may be burned on. Rinse the sponge well and clean off said suds. I then go to those Clorox wipes (3 is enough), and run them over the stove top until is wet and shiny with whatever chemicals are in there, and then I take 3 sections of a paper towel folded on itself, and making one swipe up, then back, then flip the towel to a clean surface, to again until stove surface is shiny with no smears. Will last until the next round of frying; rinse, repeat. One must use a clean surface on the paper towel, or it will smear. I fold mine so that I get six clean sections to wipe the stove surface dry.

I tried that bottle of liquid abrasive they sell you, and it does work, but one still has to provide a sponge then paper towels to finish cleaning.

The wife did our taxes, and we will be getting a refund. It seems when we pulled money from the wife’s 401k, we had them take 20% out for taxes, and 20% is too much. The guy who “handles” her money thought it a bad idea too, but I would rather get a refund, then get surprised with a $2000 tax bill…but that’s just me.

I have misplaced my lancets for getting that drop of blood for BS testing.

Sigh. No good deed and all that…

The Big Texan Steak Ranch

In Amarillo Texas, there is a steak house known for its 72 oz steak dinner(that’s 6 pounds), and if one can eat it in less than an hour, it’s free. It also includes a baked tater and of course, beans.

https://kfor.com/news/watch-woman-break-big-texan-72-oz-steak-record-eats-3-steaks-in-20-minutes-flat/

This tiny lady ate three dinners in 20 minutes.

Leave your table manners ta home.

I have not ever been there, but I have been to a joint in Dallas that would not allow neckties, and after a brief ceremony, would parade around before cutting off a man’s necktie. This would then be stapled to the walls with a business card, to join thousands already there. It seems that this place also had a very long slide which allowed one to slide down for something free…I don’t recall.

And Just Like That

We’re in the middle of a winter storm warning until noon Wednesday…and just a few days ago it was over 80 here, and I ran the a/c yesterday…not today, cowboy.

Icy conditions in the forecast henceforth.

I am also aware that other folks around the country have it much worse.

The wife is angry because she made some ding dang appt at a consignment store for this afternoon, and is further more angry because she still does not know how to use the heater in her car. So, she will risk life, limb, and injury to others all the way to the big city, fiddling with the damn heater.

Yes, the car cleaned up nicely, and I was pretty bushed after, and I didn’t do the wheels. I was so out of breath when I finished rinsing, that I just drove the car back into the carport, put away the ladder (hell yes, ladder…can’t do the roof without it as there is nothing to hold on to even standing on the wheel wells). I did not chamois windows either. My pickup is a cakewalk compared to the Escape as far as washing. There must be an acre and a half of roof on the Escape…not so on the Ranger.

I turned on the a/c in the b/r and collapsed on the bed, totally out of breath. I mean I filled my lungs to capacity, and could get just enough O2 to where I wasn’t gasping.

So, I made my trip to the well house and turned on my makeshift heat lamp to keep the temp above freezing. I coiled up the garden hose (kinda) and put it back where it’s s’posed to be after yesterday’s fiasco, and thus endeth my outside time today.

‘Twas indeed a good day to sleep until noon.

During the wife’s brief escapade yesterday with the kid, she picked up a 4 lb eye of round roast, which I have just tossed into the oven with some green, red, orange peppers, celery, and onion, seared in cast iron for 3 minutes on each side. I started the oven at 300°, and lowered it to 250° for the duration. If the meat thermometer continues to climb too rapidly, I’ll lower to 225. It’s in a brown n bag..my beef medium of choice.

Baked taters on the side, none of which I will partake. I am also doing deep fried chicken sticks and beef sticks with pan gravy. Those are soaking in buttermilk for a total of 24 hours.

As long as we don’t lose power, should be all right.

 

Sunday January 29

I am still in need of a haircut. I am disappointed in my regular cutter, as she seems unreachable, or at least uninterested in my business…I mean, c’mon man..I am  mostly bald…it takes 5 minutes to use a point zero blade on my head, and I give a $20 tip…I just don’t understand today’s youth.

I’ve been carrying around the $30 in my wallet since early November.

I still have a coupon at the “other” hardware store that I have to use by the 31st.

It rained most of the morning, and has stopped with the sun now out and a temp of 65°.

On the 1st, I am eligible to order another $35 worth of OTC meds from UHC…UHC, a perfect example of tightassery…last year it was $90 per quarter…and their choices of various things has narrowed noticeably.

Looking for a fiber supplement? Well, if you like orange flavor, they have all you can order per quarter..don’t like the orange? you’re screwed.

Looking for alcohol swabs for your BS monitoring? again, you’re screwed.

Need mouthwash? faghetaboutit..

As with all things, the price goes up, and the quality goes down…

Your life and mine is being run by insurance corporations, and has been for decades. Your best weapon against the outrageous health insurance rules is to stay healthy, and take care of yourself…that’ll get ’em..

Remember when liability only was the way to go? and how cheap it was? Man, those were the days. Now, if you drop everything but liability, you will hardly see any change in your premium…yes, a slight exaggeration on my part, but you get my drift…

In my 40 years of owning/driving cars, home ownership, I can only remember twice when I got a check from the insurance company, and it was made out to the damned roofer…but I was honored to do so….NOT.

I am really getting tired of the non stop protein intake. I have been good at not eating any carbs since the 2nd. And somewhat successful at losing some weight, but the trips to the bathroom are getting old; three times a day now, and I am hesitant to take any type of Imodium AD for that.

Not one potato, French fry, corn chip, kernel of corn, Bit O Honey, carrot, in the past 4 weeks. I cut out the Irish Cream for breakfast coffee too (this was a first) to aid in the carb lowering process. Mostly, I don’t eat any breakfast, and fast until dinner. I got tired of eating salad more quickly this round than before, and there is plenty of salad fixin’s just waiting to be used.

I made some chili the other night…dunno, but something just ain’t right. Good thing I did not make a couple gallons of that.

Oh well, if it was easy, anyone could do it.

I think maybe I’ll go outside and wash the wife’s car while the women are out grocery shopping.

Saturday January 28

Looks like Federal Bribery and Corruption department is in full swing.

https://thefederalist.com/2023/01/26/interior-department-blocks-minnesota-twin-metals-

mining-project-in-big-win-for-beijing/

No doubt this mining application was denied because the Chinese did not want the competition, so the Biden controlled administration made it so.

And Zelinsky got his tanks, his billions of dollars, now wants F-16s. I say make him pay for them.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2023/01/27/after-securing-western-battle-tanks-ukraine-now-wants-f-16-fighter-jets-n1665585?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Lemme get this straight…

 

One of the most dangerous men in the world

You’re on my list, Bill.

Some rain last night. and more in the forecast for the next few days. Overnight temps in the 40s and daytime will reach the 60s…cloudy today…rain chances increase tomorrow and the next day.

Winter is still among us, and more cold weather on the way.

Personally, I’ll take all the cold days I can get. There are way too many hot days that outnumber the colder ones here.

I talked to my cousin from North Dakota last night, and was saying he’d had enough winter and was ready for spring. He lives close to the Sheyenne River, and it frequently floods. Last year it took out the bridge, cutting off a lot of folks’ access to the highway, causing them to go around the “hard way” which is little more than a dirt trail through what they call “the grasslands”.

How they’re gonna get two cranes, one on either side of the river to rebuild the bridge, I don’t know.

This is same cousin who informed me of Roundup ready corn. Yes, they sell corn that is Roundup proof. I actually bought some off Ebay to plant in the corn field, but that was the year I had my eyes opened to the fact that digested grasses through a horse’s digestive system, does not kill the weed seeds…I still have that generation of weeds growing in the cornfield and the gardens…pesky bastiges…