Photo of the Day: Bumped Off

The day after the war - er, storm, you start to catalog the injuries to your soldiers.

Someone didn't fend off Old Man Winter, left pieces behind on the field of battle.

~ photo by iPhone.

Here We Go Again: Snowstorm Prep 2016

Prepare! Don't Let a #WinterStorm Take You by Surprise. https://t.co/1JnO1HYp5Y | https://t.co/Kr39xluFVE pic.twitter.com/dJQb3I4F9I

— NWS (@NWS) January 22, 2016

Things your bookseller might have in their bag. pic.twitter.com/mPHUQxEB0s

— Strand Book Store (@strandbookstore) January 22, 2016

Now, besides all of the things pictured above - which I have - and  the latter of which could be true for a bibliophile/librarian/ME, I also feel prepared for the IMPENDING SNOWSTORM JONAS OF DOOM 2016. 

I'm good.

As long as the power stays on and pipes don't burst that is, but the major feet of snow is going to end up south of us, at least "write now."

I'm really, really good. My fridge is full for the first time in MONTHS.

Because of the off-site work retreat in CT yesterday, I rented a car for 48hrs to get there, pop up to see friend Jane for dinner, head to my favorite Trader Joe's, and then do some errands today.

I could have done more errands but was doing a neighbor a favor, and due to the storm, the urgency was for groceries and beverages.

Here's my cart full at Trader Joe's, which somehow only ended up being 4 full brown-paper bags,and yet, the exact correct amount for my freezer, minus the packaging for some of the frozen brown rice. GO ME! 

(Dad, apparently I DO have some packing spatial relations after all, thank you very much! AND, despite people being jerks and cutting me off, driving with their hazards in the wrong lanes and not driving some of these CT routes in over 10 years, the car was returned fine, no worries, Susan.)

Not pictured in the stockup:

• the 3 flats of Diet Coke bottles and cans residing at the office (the office is Pepsi-stocked); 
• the stash of bags from Target with staples like chunky peanut butter and more soda for the house; 
• the 3 bags/boxes and easels and whiteboards and materials moved for the retreat; 
• and the trashed hauled.

I'm good for groceries and snow activities.  I've got:

• 20 books in a to-be-read pile,
• a bag full of work from the office, not to mention the remote connection to the office, 
• 2 unfinished baby blankets that I could work on, 
• 15 letters I have to write, 
• blog posts to "retroblog,"
• a pile of personal archiving,
• laundry/cleaning,
• filing/bill paying,
• baking/cooking, and oh yes, vegging.

I think I'm actually running a fever, so I'm off to pop NyQuil, get in my pjs, and crash. I'll wake up to a Winter Wonderland of some sort of storm.

Hunker down, ya'll.

43 Ideas for Birthday 43: Tiny Transportation

The rest of this post is pending....

But it will focus on trains, accidents, sadness, and transportation alternatives that look like, this:

Stay tuned.

Photo of the Day: Weighed Down

The family weigh-stone
Presented with these comments:

Work, while no where as onerous as in my previous incarnation, is starting to weigh me down. I had all of February's posts mapped out and scheduled for release long ago. Sadly, I wasn't able to do this for March ... quite yet. Posts may be sporadic for a while.

Letters from Ollie J - Feb. 4, 1984

Apparently the trend towards accidents runs in the family, skipping a generation or two along the way. I hope that means that Amber and Elle drive like Grandmary and not like their Auntie Nettie.

4 Feb 1984

[The Farm
Pikeville, NC]

Dear [Auntie Nettie],

Here goes your long awaited letter. I did appreciate the one you sent me. Thanks so much-

Grandma hasn’t been her self in a few months. Just felt bad (cold) then the accident – So please forgive me for not writting[sic].

I am here at home all alone now. All are gone to town or to Carl’s house. Don’t think they will do much there as it is raining.

My ribs are too sore for me to do much so don’t go down there – only to look.

Uncle Hyrum lets me keep his car but haven’t used it must. Just plain haven’t felt like it.

Hope you are fealing[sic] good. Cheerfull[sic] and Happy. Smile and the world smiles with you.

Grandma loves you

Thanks for the gifts you made and sent me

Went by and looked at my car yesterday. Yes it is in the shop. Took broken pieces off and wating for new parts to come. Looks bad but hope it will soon be OK again.

Tell boys I love them too.

By[sic] for now

Grandma [Ollie]

When POTUS comes to town

and requires blocking off the street by the Big J ... and his motorcade* drives by ... this is what you can see from my office window!


*may or may not contain the POTUS, and may or may not be actual motorcade, and may or may not be driving the wrong way down the street

Safety Reminder from "Crash"

As someone whose life was saved numerous* times thanks to wearing my seat belt, I strongly encourage you to buckle up -- always wear your seat belt.

This is probably the most beautiful safety reminder I've ever seen.

Please share this message and help save lives.

Courtesy of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership out of the U.K.

*Sadly, I'm not exaggerating.

Apple Picking - Part 3

S.L. Summer Fridays

S.L. here again, just writing to catch you up on my summer activities. Auntie Nettie has Fridays off in the summer (the Big J is really nice that way), so she's been taking advantage of them (finally) to go out and do things.

I tag along sometimes. Mostly though, I'm going off on some of my own Amazing Adventures.

Some of the Fridays this summer have been pretty quiet. For example, while Auntie Nettie was working on crochet projects, I was learning new skills, like quilting and tightrope walking and hula hoop juggling with Jedi swords.

I also did some editing for some friends. I had to consult my reference materials, because

my skills had seriously gone to pot.

I also did some travelling this summer.

I rented a VERY nice muscle carto go and visit friends in the wine country.

We had a ball catching up,

and going on a picnic -- where I drank too much.This was an interesting trip, because my friends tried to convert me to being a Diet Pepsi drinker AND a Yankee fan. This Diet Coke drinker and anyone-But-the-Yankees fan was very nice to her host.

(Look at the swag she tried to bribe me with.)

Later in the summer, I took a taxi ride. I had a hard time at first hailing a cab, when suddenly they all swarmed me. It's a multi-car pile-up. After that was sorted out, I headed downtown to Chinatown. I visited a Zen garden and had a visitation from a Celestial Being.
We bonded over a pot of tea and decided to go dress shopping. Which one should I choose? We decided that it might be a good idea to buy this one, in case my boyfriend, Casanova, ever decided to commit.

We then met up with Frieda Flamingo, who gave us a tour of the NBC Studios.

After the tour, we all went out for ice cream.

More girl talk ensued as we inhaled lots of chocolate, 'cuz

Girls+talk+dress+shopping=need for chocolate!

Finally, one of my more recent summer Friday adventures included a spontaneous trip to Caramoor Country, so I could get in touch with nature.

Maybe I should have planned ahead?
Darn!

Perhaps the best thing I have learned this summer is to relax and explore.
Mostly though, I've seriously begun to adopt this motto.
(read the fine print!)

More soooooooooooooon!

Future Drivers of America

Beware,

The future drivers of America are already practicing their skills, much to the consternation of their siblings and cousins.

I present, Amber ...

taking her sister for a ride.

Elle looks a little daunted by the prospect.
Drew wants to have a bike without training wheels.

Something like this!

That's much better!

He is also annoyed by slow drivers.

As for me, now that the road is clear ...
I'm thinking about getting me one of these blue beauties.
Nightmares or dreams.

Two sides of one coin.

Watch out world. We're driving!