FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 10:40 AM

Nix the Yahoo mail, it turns out they still want cash to download into a computer program. I forget about it for years at a time, but it can work as a backup email if some account insists on an email account in order to get a discount.

My attention can once again turn to the outdoors since it will warm up into the 70s by midweek. I have a list of garden chores to start, with the first being to trim the dry canes from around the asparagus. There are still pieces of ice around, but yesterday afternoon I took a straight-ended shovel and noisily scraped the ice off of the paths up to the doors.

The jigsaw puzzle* of the African Veldt with an astonishing number of biomes around the edge (tropical additions for color) is coming along. I might manage to finish it this week.




*Try to avoid these same-shaped puzzle pieces in the future. They're murder to assemble.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 11:31 PM

I thought buttons were standard but zippers were forbidden. My great aunts (on my father's side) had a summer house in Amish country in central Pennsylvania (very near Mudcat Central, as a matter of fact) and I would see the black horse-drawn family carriages roll past the house.

Loading email into the new computer setup is still problematic - is it going to the C: or the D: drive? There are tons of messages in several well-established accounts. And today I realized that after years of not allowing download of messages, Yahoo seems to have set up POP email access without an annual charge. That one predates gmail by several years. At one time Yahoo had a lot of my activity with not only email but also photo albums (sold off and eventually ending up as Flickr, I think). The history of the Internet is written in Yahoo, one of the first big indexes (as compared to a search engine) way back when.

After an evening of laundry and picking up the bedroom is back to the pre-deep freeze setting, with the bed made, flannel PJs through the laundry, and things generally back to normal. But as predicted earlier, the muddy prints stretch through the house. First mop of the week will be before bed this evening.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 04:41 PM

The Mennonites of Millbank Family Furniture are not Old Order folks in buttonless clothes, but modern Canadians who happen to belong to a communitarian sect of Anabaptists. I’m sure they do their own website, if only because it’s very basic — the kind a business has when they know their customers go on line for reconnaissance and won’t buy until they see the goods in real life.

The TV stand I ordered will come to Stratford by truck, probably around Easter. It’s to be built of quarter-sawn oak that will weigh far more than I can hoist by myself even if it would fit in the car, which I rather doubt.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 11:37 AM

I did a Google search on Mennonite furniture makers in that town; they have some nice pieces (and must contract with a web content producer to put up their site?) How long from order to delivery? Will you pick it up? I don't suppose it comes to town in a horse-drawn wagon?

Mail was held up for two days, some of it delivered in the village yesterday, but upon checking with "Informed Delivery" I see they still had mine at the depot in a holding pattern. Hopefully today the mail carrier will crunch through the remaining ice on my street and bring it by. I put sand on the walk yesterday.

It was another night of the dogs in with the door flap covered, so I was up before dawn to take them out then re-cover the door. This morning their treat will be late because my neighbor was going out for coffee with an old friend and will be home any minute. I've had the cover on this morning, but at about 10am all three dogs rattled into my office and made it clear they all needed something, and as we went back through the house they were glad to see me remove the door. Now they're out in the slush and sunshine and can come and go as they wish. I'll be mopping the muddy den floor every day this week, I'm sure.

Meanwhile, my computer setup has two browsers with the extended desktop, but since the rebuild Browser #1 kept turning itself off after 60 seconds of no activity. So, for example, studying my paper notes to solve Wordle this morning had it going off too soon. Tweak the mouse and it's back, but the shutoff is annoying. I researched the sleeping browser and decided it is way too early in this rebuild to start playing with the RegEdit stuff, so found a troubleshooter to try. It reset the sleep time and I went back and put it where I want, but in the process it seems to have fixed the sleeping browser problem. Whew.

I've ordered items for the exercise program I am going to begin (Essentrics) - I have the donut cushion (meant for hemorrhoid sufferers) that is good under your hip for leg lefts (my sister swears by it) and ordered two pair of yoga pants. The pants I have here seem to have shrunk since I bought them 2 years ago . . . I was wearing yoga pants under my fleece pants during the freeze so they aren't just for exercise.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Feb 22 - 06:17 PM

Oh, yes, the water softener is necessary.

Stratford water is liquid limestone. Without the softener, the entire plumbing system of the house would eventually block up with limescale, and all water-heating appliances would be doomed. Also, detergents and soaps do not work properly in hard water.

I drove out to Millbank this afternoon to order a TV console from the Mennonite furniture factory there. Millbank is way out in the country, deep in redneck territory, and I saw many protest signs on the way, including even an American Confederate flag hanging off a beat-up truck in the bustling metropolis of Gad’s Hill. Colour me disappointed in my neighbours, who should damned well know better.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 04 Feb 22 - 03:19 PM

Beaver:

Is the water softener really necessary?

Drive is plowed. No point in going anywhere at -17C. But I came out to library to use the internet. Steve told me something about a whole lot of complaints about Trudeau, and the trucks are still in Ottawa? Hope to find some news.

Oh, and in Toronto as well. This is not good.

Well, the wood is in, the sun is shining, the bills are paid, and water is on the stove. Now I can go home and continue the book.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 22 - 10:40 AM

When it rains, it pours - or, the devices are in cahoots. The water softener sussed the news that the insurance company coughed up the rest of the cash from the car. Devious things, these machines in our lives.

I had another night of getting up in the wee hours to pull on outdoor clothes and take the dogs out. Normally they have full access through the dog door, but the ice is still out there and the 80-year-old next door doesn't need to have the dogs out in the yard barking at 6am to get their over-the-fence daily treat. (As soon as they see their kitchen light on, Pepper starts making noise, though I zapped her earlier this week to stop it for a while.) I let them out after 8am and texted that the dogs were available for their treats. I walked out again, to be sure my neighbor got back into his house ok. I've also sprinkled lava sand on the front walk here and will probably shovel ice in the back on the patio. If I put sand down back there the dogs track it in like crazy. Getting out the back glass sliding door is difficult with the iced up track. I have to lift the door up a bit before it will slide. This isn't the time of year to have that door go off the track completely so I'm very careful.

There seems to have been an explosion of paper around here so tackling that is job one today.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Feb 22 - 09:50 AM

Aaaaand … this time it’s the water softener, which has died. Bloody hell. Reggie the plumber says a new one, installed, will run me about $1,400.

Well. Ain’t that a kick in the slats?

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Feb 22 - 09:17 AM

PVC pipe is toxic to make (in southern states) but there is nothing safer, better, stronger or cheaper.

Besides garbage day there is little challenge today except for a 40 degree plunge in temps tonight. I set up two laser star makers for the ceiling. It has fictional stationary and moving stars with a cresent moon and various colored nebulas. I used to have am accurate mini planatarium but the lasers stars have more impact.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Feb 22 - 08:55 AM

Another plumbing crisis this morning: water spurting out from under the water softener in the least accessible corner of the basement. The plumber is due sometime this morning, so no pool class for me today. And my next water bill will be a doozy.

This is the third major leak in those aged copper pipes in the four and a half years I’ve lived in this house. They’re original equipment, so they date from 1974, when world copper prices went stratospheric after the Pinochet coup in Chile. I rather think it’s time for a systemic approach to this problem.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 22 - 12:09 AM

I used a saucepan instead of a Dutch oven to make a small batch of pot roast this evening. It took long enough that I ate something else for dinner and this will be for lunch or dinner tomorrow and another couple of meals. My goal is to have way more vegetables in there than meat and I still run out of vege before the meat is gone. I LOVE the potatoes and carrots cooked in this broth.

It stayed below freezing all day, as it will tomorrow. Tomorrow morning is apparently the part of this cold snap that will be hardest on the power grid. Fingers crossed we stay powered up.

Today I continued to work on the organization of my computer files and programs. It's slow going, but looks like it will work when I finish. I'm trying to keep the data on the D: drive and just have the programs installed on the much smaller C: drive. Programs don't seem to give you the option of where to install them like they used to. Win11 reared it's head and said it is time to install. I don't think so.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 03 Feb 22 - 02:17 PM

Beaver:

Waiting for the drive to be plowed. Maybe I will try to drive out after lunch; try being the operative word! The road is clear.

Shoveled out and got to library, went through emails and a bit of FB. Chilly in the car and I don't want to run the engine more, so home to the wood stove! And a good book. Hoping Steve cleared drive but ... I will park on the road. It is clear and sanded.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 03 Feb 22 - 12:49 PM

It’s been snowing for days in Stratford, but the temperature’s dropping now so we can shovel out with confidence that we’ve had our limit. For the moment. I think Neil-across-the-street disapproves of my shovelling technique — or maybe (probably) he’s just gallant. I caught him in the act of clearing my footpath this morning, and yesterday he was working on the driveway when I reminded him that I’m a paid-up customer of Nick’s Snow Removal.

The Fitbit app on my iPad informs me that I have lost 30 pounds since September 2020. No wonder my wonky foot doesn’t hurt so much these days.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Feb 22 - 10:53 AM

The next door folks give the dogs a treat in the morning, but since there was ice forming overnight I got a text asking if I could keep the dogs in till it was full light (because one of them barks until she gets her treat, though I've reduced the amount of barking by zapping her with a training collar occasionally). I was up a couple of times during the night to take them out (since they usually have free access to the yard via the dog door). Cookie had to be dragged out, she doesn't like that cold, but got lots of praise when she finally pooped and we could all go in again. We all went out to the fence this morning after a text was sent telling them the dog door was again uncovered. I wanted to be sure he got back to the house ok (they have a large concrete patio are behind their house and it's iced over.)

Cookie outgrew her dog jacket since last year and I'm not driving to Petco for a new one in the ice so I'll widen the front leg openings and put a little more Velcro on so it will meet under her tummy. She hated this thing when I first tried to put it on her last year at this time, but once in it she happily wore it for five days straight. Now she loves the idea of a jacket.

Today is a day for long socks, fleece sweat pants, a t-shirt layered under a big baggy sweatshirt, and static electricity like crazy. The house has two heating zones, so in the interest of conserving electricity I'll have the heat up only in the office and let the rest of the house cool down to 62 before the heat comes on over there (it's programmed that way anyway, from when I left the house to go to work, before retirement. I never changed it.)

Baking day today, it seems. And maybe pot roast or a stew.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 22 - 07:28 PM

The cold rain has started here, the beginning of the descent in to a cold slippery world for the rest of the week. I got home before much rain started, the plants that needed bringing in are in. It won't be anything like Dorothy's white world, but we'll all be chilly. There are lots of weather closures showing up on websites and news programs. An occasional snow day is nice, as long as it doesn't come with the extended power outage.

I need to go get the bag of lava sand and have it handy for the porch and walks. It does track into the house, but it's what I have around here.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 02 Feb 22 - 01:05 PM

BEAVER!

On Monday, realized I had the energy, weather report was good, so I packed up and left Tues am with a very easy trip. Home at 4:30 to a freshly cleared Driveway! (I had texted ahead!) AND no water - frozen somewhere - probably under the floor. Larry came over and we talked about it. Later I remembered vaguely this happening a couple years ago. Pots of snow on wood stove suffice. Phoned R and we reached mutual - that is probable reason. Nothing for it unless it thaws itself. Above freezing today, and yesterday, but that might not be adequate. I can live with it.

However, when I went to go on computer, a small cord is missing. I NEVER... but have searched all possible places. For lack of an 8 inch connector cord, I came out in the snow - wet snow! - to the library, to connect with the world, sitting in car as library is not open AND
I would not go inside if it were.

The house is well provisioned, no water spewing anywhere, only food in the frig froze! Electric is working. Electric blanket warmed bed last night! Cold spell starting tonight so, I dug a path through about two feet of light snow to wood and replenished supply and a path to studio to turn down electric heater which I could not access before I left - cost extra to keep it warmer than necessary but not too bad.

May not go anywhere tomorrow as this wet snow will freeze into a mess by morning. Only one degree above freezing at the moment. Must get home before the freeze starts!

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 22 - 11:59 AM

I forgot to roll past the village recycle bins yesterday, but this morning I'm glad that the flattened boxes are still in the back of the SUV. A few will come back into the house to be taped around the outside of the wire kennel, creating a warm cave for one or two of the dogs. I forgot about doing that last year during the big freeze, but it dawned on me this morning as I looked at the large glass doors on the north end of the den. They also have nice dog beds in the den, but I may move them into my office where there is only one external wall and a separate heat pump to keep that room warmer. And come to think of it, if I had to camp out again, the office would be much roomier than the closet but still possible to keep warm. I could build a blanket fort. :)

Lunch today with my daughter, and I think the meal that appeals to me most today involves lots of carbs. A cheesy chicken pasta dish from our favorite French café.

Winter storm warning goes into effect at 6pm today.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 09:12 PM

I should have extended that remark to past the musical contingent; there seem to be a lot of big names passing away, it has the feel of 2020 again. Here's a Hollywood list as one example. There's a meme out there that says "I didn't realize that 2020 was a trilogy."

It was a busy day, as tomorrow will be, then it'll be weather enforced puttering around the house. The cold weather warning is from Arizona to the far NE of New England, taking in a LOT of territory. I volunteer at a local museum two days a week, and started back up this morning, though they're telling everyone to stay home due to inclement weather on Thursday. I'll be back next week.

Later, Costco was bustling, but is so large that it wasn't too crowded. I know my trip was less expensive than it might have been because I stopped and got a hamburger for lunch before going shopping. The shopping cart fills up in a hurry when you're hungry.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 03:09 PM

Whether you are rich or poor its good to get money, but when talking Amazon money,, you're talking obscenities.

One more room to go then all the crap will be concentrated in the basement where the paid purge happens.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 01:19 PM

Okay, Steve, 82. Also a very respectable age.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 01:08 PM

She was only 82, Charmion.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 12:15 PM

The last lump of insurance dough has landed, plumping my bank account to a satisfying degree. My visitor came early and has gone home to receive a visitor of her own. I somehow never got the vacuum cleaner and out so the house was just as dirty this morning as it was yesterday, and she either did not notice or was too polite to notice the clumps of cat hair plastered to the grille of the cold-air return.

We had tea and a lovely chat. Her visitor is coming to Stratford to recover from a broken ankle, and we made plans for her to bolt over here for more tea and chat when she needs less demanding company.

I'm not sure Norma Waterson would have been entirely enthusiastic about living a lot longer, Stilly. She was 85, a pretty respectable age at which to pop one's clogs. My grandmother lived to be 98, and she regretted remaining on this side of the sod for at least the last five years of that -- she said so, and I believed her. Blind, deaf and too weak to play the piano any more, she was bored out of her mind most of the time. As for poor Tony, he had MS and death could well have been a relief and a release. We can enjoy their music for the rest of *our* lives, which is lucky for us and good for them, as we can thus hear them as they would like to be remembered.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 10:25 AM

2022 seems to be picking up where 2020 left off; every time I open Mudcat I see a new obit thread for some fine musician who should have lived a lot longer. :-( This is not the kind of "decluttering" we want, planet.

I woke wondering maybe if I'm developing a bit of a bladder infection so first thing this morning I steam juiced some cranberries (from bags in the freezer) to make myself juice to mix a strong batch of cranapple juice. That usually nips it in the bud. And I can use the pulp for baking later.

Appointments this week, today and tomorrow, before the snow arrives overnight Wednesday. There is some cosmic good luck in that timing! The battery for the Canon camera is charged—I love getting photos of the yard and dogs in the snow. Hopefully without the shut down we had last year. I did manage to get some extra mileage out of last year's storm. Since I didn't have much interesting to write about in my holiday letter I extracted portions of the journal I kept during the storm and added a few photos. People were very interested in the photo of the dogs in the closet with me. :)

Steam juicer has finished, cranapple is mixed. Onward into the day.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 03:14 PM

"Money is always nice."

Money may not have been what you hoped for, but at least it will help you get what you want.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 12:57 PM

I’m having a visitor tomorrow, so I must clean today. The clouds of cat hair are downright reprehensible.

But first — a visit to the dentist! Whee! My favourite!

In other news, the insurance company has capitulated and will pay what it promised. I’m to receive another lump of dough by Interac e-transfer, probably over night.

Money is always nice.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 10:02 AM

The virtual insides of my big Dell look like a storage shed with a few things on the shelves but no organization to them to speak of. There's a lot of stuff piled up outside waiting to come in. And I'm struggling with Gmail and Thunderbird. Google insists on making it difficult to use these two things together.

The "coldest weather of the season" is headed this way mid-week. Even some snow in the forecast. I'll finish my shopping for fresh produce tomorrow and have everything ready to go. Hopefully no repeat of last February's freeze. We are better prepared this time around, even if the state electrical grid is the same ol' same ol'.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Jan 22 - 05:41 PM

I spent 6 more hours of hard work and finished the rest of the room doubling the space. I set up the new organic tv. Like a living being it will degrade over time but its prime of life will offer an image superior to any competition. The wow factor was achieved.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jan 22 - 05:25 PM

The new computer setup is still a mess, not logging on to email yet (and I can't get it to load all of my settings, but I may find a way to move them from the old computer where it is still installed though unused for 2 years). But I'm slowly adding in things and now with my security suite and Malwarebytes in place, I can move forward.

I have been sewing this weekend, finishing masks I started ages ago. I have a couple of gifts to make once these are out of the way. This is a good activity to alternate with the computer restoration.

And one last observation about the computer - thank dawg I had Chrome synched. It made getting into these sites a lot easier.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jan 22 - 09:49 PM

My ex had a multi-part exchange with his insurance company to get his roof replaced recently. It involved taking it to the next level and bringing in a second opinion because they were only willing at first to offer a few hundred dollars and hope he'd take it and go away. He went through the various protest steps and finally got the new roof. Customer Service hacks. This may help. Back in the day when everything was done by mail and certified letters offered gravitas, there was a book called Super Threats: How to Sound Like a Lawyer and Get Your Rights on Your Own that I used successfully a few times. It's beyond old at this point, published in 1977 before the Internet, before email, before much of life as we know it. But still, the advice about keeping records, registering what you can, keeping notes, taking names, it's all still helpful.

In under an hour the computer backup will be finished and I'll see what I can do to restore the desktop. I'll finish the contract work I do every Saturday to have it out of the way first. Not really looking forward to this. I think I'll do my exercises before I get started, to give myself an energy boost.

I figured out that I can join the online site for the exercise program I'm going to start, then logon to the Fire Stick app to keep the price lower. If I join with the app itself, it's $5 more a month (Amazon takes a 25% cut).

Stay warm, all of you in the path of the snow bomb.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 29 Jan 22 - 06:12 PM

I have been feeling an urge to watch TV lately, so I toted it out of the basement and parked it opposite the comfy chair. The cats enjoy TV. I hope they like “Station Eleven”.

St James’s Stratford is doing Evensong tomorrow with proper music — but only four choristers (one of them being me) and no congregation in the church; it’s to be live-streamed. We had keep-your-distance rehearsal this morning and it should be boffo, or as boffo as brass-and-class Anglican liturgy gets when performed by a quartet. Proper singing, even in a mask, really gets my endorphins pumping.

The insurance company is fussing over how much to pay me and making a real dog’s breakfast of the transaction. Now they say they made a mistake (that would be *another* mistake) in offering what it said on the bill of sale because that sum included extended warranties. Ummmm, I had to replace the warranties as well as the car … It is indeed true that insurance companies are deeply committed to gathering money in, not paying it out.

Beautiful sunshine in Stratford today, and almost no wind. Cold, but not Army cold.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 29 Jan 22 - 11:26 AM

Dupont:

Managed a bit of cleaning today - maybe an hour of stretching and bending to clear the debris from the fern and and dust and cobwebs as I noticed such with the terrific sun. Went out to find some tahini but only tiny jars available; I searched on line.. But I bought 3 almond croissants, the first in a few weeks to I have been good about that. One half is a treat. Then to M&M for frozen cabbage rolls which R parcels out as a bit of interest to his late night suppers.

Computer informed me I have averaged almost 8 hours a day which seems too much. Some of that is trying to figure it out and a couple long sessions on Applehelp. Then it decided to upgrade and now I need help again. I unsubscribe as much as I can give up. Read a lot of news, and pottery stuff, listen to some music and delete over 100 emails/day. Tiresome and time-consuming but interesting enough. And connect with lots of friends - very important. This all takes time. ...

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jan 22 - 07:55 PM

Sounds like a day of re-discovery, Don! I did that kind of cleaning in my office, though, and had a huge computer crash, so be warned: no good deed goes unpunished!

I decided the tubular sided step stool thing I was using, even with a extended handle, just wasn't sturdy enough, so I gave it to Goodwill after buying a solid fiberglass stepladder.

This afternoon I started work in the sewing studio again, so far ironing the most recently-purchased fabric that had been washed but not rolled so I can arrange it in layers on the cutting board. It's mask time again, and like Dorothy going into her potting studio, it feels wonderful to get back into that creative space.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Jan 22 - 06:47 PM

I reorganized a floor to ceiling 15 foot book case with art encyclopedias, 9 shelves of dvds and 50 lbs of CDs in zip closed note books. Now beside it is a 7 stereo component book shelf. It took me all freakin day. There was enough dust to choke a goat but its all done now after being a catch all for 5 years. I'm glad my step ladder has a railing. There was plenty to donate. I found the cables on Amazon that will take a USB to ancient f plugs so I can use my old onkyo amp with the tv. I found some old HD radios and got them up and running. annnd here comes the snow.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jan 22 - 11:50 AM

Despite the current hit to your pocketbook, I am pleased to see you back in a reliable car, and one with a bit more ooomph to help keep you safe. Good job picking it up and not turning the cracker box into a tractor trailer hood ornament on the way there.

The oh-so-slow data transfer is more than half way now. I think by Sunday I'll start rebuilding and then upgrading to Win11. Meanwhile, this WiFi only laptop gives me a reminder about why threads in batches of 50 and with descending numbers are so helpful here at Mudcat. One aspect of moderation mode opens whole threads and it takes a while.

After measuring in the bedroom I decided to simply slide everything over to the left a foot to increase the exercise space. Turning the bed may come later, it's six of one half-dozen of the other. Who knows what I might find that has been chalked up as "lost forever" if I move the bed. I'm thinking in particular there's a pocket knife that disappeared one day. I thinned some of the stuff sitting on the dresser and wash stand, more items to recycle or put in e-waste.

Neighbor transported to hospital this week is hanging on in ICU. I'm prepared to start baking should things change. Actually, either way. If she comes home or if she doesn't, the offering of warm dinner rolls to the household will be welcome (and with a restricted diet she can still eat those). The son really likes my apple pie, so if bad news, it might be time to start joining Dorothy in apple peeling.

My wasband has ordered a new phone, his first ever smart phone. The family is thrilled that he will finally be able to see the photos we send or read longer texts (all of which resulted in error messages in his tiny soon-to-be-defunct slider phone.) He sent me the phone model and I reviewed the options - it looks good. It's a mid-range less expensive Samsung that came out last year, so not super expensive but up to date. The company he's joining is sending it, so hopefully everything is set to go, just transfer the number. I expect to run a tutorial at some outdoors location early next week. Reminding him that it's just a small computer in his pocket will make it easier to learn to use, just not reminding him about the state of the big computer on my desk will make it approachable. :-/

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Jan 22 - 08:12 AM

We have our own crop of asshats, Donuel. Holocaust denial is alive and well in Canada — the home of “none is too many” — and thousands of Afghans our government promised to resettle are still freezing in transit camps or dodging the Taliban. Oh, and have you read about the trucker convoy heading to Ottawa? Check it out — they have a manifesto and everything.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, public health restrictions are easing up. The Y reopens on Monday, and choir practice will resume on 7 February. If the stars realign just right, I might go out for lunch next week.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Jan 22 - 06:28 AM

The Big Screen store motto "No need to miss a single moment of the agonizing holocaust in crystal clear clarity."

On holocaust remeberance day yesterday Tennesee banned the anti holocaust book 'Maus'.

Never again!

yes again ... sigh ...but this time you can't escape to the USA. You gotta go to Canada.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Jan 22 - 09:10 PM

I finally took possession of my nearly new VW GTI today. The weather was so disgusting that even the 18-wheelers on the highway were keeping to the usually ignored speed limit, and the Chevy cracker-box tried to ditch itself in a big patch of drifted snow at the county line.

The GTI is comfortable, stable and powerful, just what I like for foul conditions. My bank account is badly deflated, but at least I didn’t have to take a loan.

And the insurance company got its numbers wrong and short-changed me by about two thousand dollars. So that business is still to be settled. I sicced the Stratford insurance broker on them; he has all the direct phone numbers.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jan 22 - 08:53 PM

Self-care is something we all need to do, so Dorothy, your comfortable feet are a good start. And paring apples in one room and taking them to the kitchen - sounds good! I've had slow days like that also this week, the process of getting over the bug from last weekend.

I've started doing the Essentrics stretching in addition to the Hinge Health exercises, but figuring out the best time of day is what I'm considering now. I think I ought to spread it out, leave the 15 minutes of hip-strengthening exercises at bedtime and do the stretching when I get up. I'm rearranging the bedroom some to remind me to exercise. Simply turning the bed 90^o in the corner where it sits and arranging a washstand and trunk will make more room for the exercise space.

A few more things have been dropped into the donation bin today. The hard drive backup is crawling steadily, and I've again rearranged the kitchen workspace. Standing was getting old so I've shifted the computer two feet to the right to the peninsula counter that has a 12" overhang and tall stools for sitting and eating or working.

I have to go out next week for a couple of appointments and will resume volunteer work. I'm set with masks, and am told that all of the staff in the part of the museum where I volunteer are wearing masks. Good.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 27 Jan 22 - 01:37 PM

Dupont:

With no inclination to go home to Beaver - weather is forbidding with severe cold and sporadic snow; energy level is sub par and I have large chunks of each day when "it doesn't matter". I think I am spending more time in bed than out of bed and even after I get up, I want to go back. Brain gets tired and things do not get read; eyes get uncomfortable and I keep trying to find a solution - a fingertip of honey sometimes helps clear the eyes. Things ache here and there, now and then.

There must be mail in the box at Beaver; I consider asking someone to get it and send anything important to me. Then I don't do anything. I need a new sticker for car license and started to go on line to try to do it... I gave up...

A potter friend suggested "just throw two things"; it is too much trouble to change into work clothes. I keep hoping that tomorrow will be better. Then:

Yesterday I did two loads of laundry - redid the bedding, put the freshly washed throw back on the TV room Futon and everything is put away. A fitted sheet from unknown source (R) is in the "leaving" pile. I also went for groceries - to a store almost empty of people as was the hardware store where I bought two brooms and a large dust pan. This is in hopes of keeping things a little cleaner - one upstairs and one down (no excuses!) and the dust pan is to make an effort to compost the never-ending debris from the huge fern. Also brought in 4 armloads of wood and have kept the stove going. Cooked a batch of rice w/o burning it(!) and a large batch of applesauce w/o...! My new modus o.. is to take apples, cutting board, pan and knife up to TV room so I can sit and ready the apples; take the full pan down and put on stove at a LOW heat. YAY! And a new batch of black beans - unburned! Little things matter. but no pots thrown...

Spent time checking into the state of mind of a friend at a distance; had a great phone visit with a man whom R and I have met and he is aware and doing what can be done. Also messaged a couple other mutual friends to check their awareness that support/encouragement would be good. Will continue to keep an eye on his posts, as well as another friend in crisis. There is so much happening to bring one down these days. Moving into a "senior's residence" is one more blow for the one friend.

Trying to feel better, to figure out what could make me feel better, I finally got it together to soak my feet this morning- in hot water with Epsom salt, then used a couple products to improve the very dry mess of it. And trimmed toenails. This seems so simple but it has not been done in far too long - I just couldn't.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Jan 22 - 11:30 AM

I'm making a stand for the new electronic gadget. I've joined a huge 80 lbs subwoofer to a full spectrum speaker and attached a screw removable board permanently joined to the tv base. Perfect height to hold the 80 lb oled 65 inch tv. I couldn't lift it up to the tall wall mount anyway. I thought I had a 65 inch tv but apparently not, since this thing is enormous, with the stand it is 60 inches tall. Its as awkwardly heavy as it is fragile, just a quarter inch thick glass screen that broke when the corner touched the floor. The replacement comes on sunday. Amazing Amazon. So the learning curve has led to this surprisingly good looking new piece of furniture that matches the tv and is more secure than a table with legs.
After all the weight lifting yesterday I feel fine today. I guess it wasn't enough to feel the burn.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jan 22 - 11:08 AM

The computer backup slowly continues and my odd kitchen office is up and running. It's a strange day as I continue to remember the things I need to reproduce in order to do the work I normally do (contract job).

My across-the-street neighbor was taken away in an ambulance yesterday; I watched from the house, I didn't step over to say anything. That was a family time and frankly I couldn't tell if she was conscious. I've been in this house about three weeks shy of 20 years and I fear our neighborhood is about to lose one of the fixtures in this little world.

Getting back to work around here, photography for eBay and more moving of things into the donation bin.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 22 - 03:44 PM

My kitchen laptop is now connected to the ink jet printer (thank goodness that was in place - the network doesn't need the big computer to be running, or even extant, to run). I installed a new browser to use with my work accounts and have slowly added them to a growing list of tabs that will open at once. Glad I don't have to move the laptop into the office or lug one of the printers into the kitchen.

The backup is slowly moving into the new hard drive, and I have an older backup in a hard drive from the previous machine if catastrophe happens (worse than already). But the more current data I can hold onto, the better. I'm going to have to recreate quite a few files for now.

I went in this afternoon and reset the computer to "NEVER" as far as going to sleep. That's what shut down the backup I started yesterday.

There is redundancy around the house with tablets and Bluetooth keyboards, the phone, etc., but working on the big desktop is still the gold standard. Everything else is just getting by.

To make this temporary workspace more comfortable I've moved the pad for my standing desk into the kitchen to use at the waist-high bookshelf where the laptop lives. Elsewhere I rearranged bedroom chairs so I can use a library chair (a solid walnut-looking piece with the back wrapping to the arms, probably not bentwood) as the barre for the exercises I'm starting with the Essentrics program (I have two or three DVDs to work with before I decide if I want to join online). She suggests a simple and portable setup with a yoga mat, a length of cloth or a belt (I'm using the gait belt from my knee surgery PT), and a sturdy chair. Since I'm mostly doing other things than working on my computer today I imagine I'll move more stuff before day's end.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 22 - 10:42 AM

As a recipient of both the super-strength Flu vaccine and three of the COVID vaccines, I can only conclude that I had a modified version of the flu last weekend. COVID test came back negative. Whew! I have needed to pick up mail at the post office for days and didn't want to go till I knew for sure.

Amazon came through overnight with a faster external hard drive and I'm moving data from the drive that will be wiped by Windows to a backup via the old computer with no Internet connection. In a few hours I can let the new desktop be exposed to the ministrations of Dell and Windows and see if it will come back with a completely empty "renewed" machine. Then I have to work on it quite a lot before I can work on it. It looks like no more drawer decluttering for the rest of the week.

Damn. The machine is dead. Long live the machine.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 26 Jan 22 - 07:18 AM

Sorry about the PC, SRS. Sometimes, they seem to conspire to be as bloody minded as possible... I hope you've got it sorted. Re your question in the other thread, if I was faced with the reinstallation of everything, I would put Win 11 on but that's just me.

I got more gadgetry yesterday. A SPDIF audio splitter and a Bluetooth transmitter. Sound from the living room tv can now be played to Bluetooth headphones and/or the tv sound base. With luck, it will put an end to mum moaning about sound (either too loud or sometimes on at all) from the tv. We’ll have to see how it goes but dad has said he’s quite comfortable with the headphones.

A couple of little things I need to do, partly as mum had a clear out in the bedroom are to have a bonfire. I'll try to do that tomorrow as the forecast is for a bright sunny day. She also wants some bases of drawers lining. I got some coloured A2 card from Amazon for this but need to motivate myself to to the job.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: JennieG
Date: 25 Jan 22 - 07:53 PM

Many many years ago (when I was young and slender.....sigh) I worked for the Goodyear tyre company, back in the days before computers and copy machines when typists used carbon paper to make more than one copy. (Yes, I am that old.)

I was given a letter to type referencing the end-of-year shutdown when many employees took their annual holidays, to allow for factory machine maintenance. It was duly typed; I checked it, my boss checked it, his boss checked it, for all I know the Big Boss Upstairs checked it too.....and it still made its way to Akron, Ohio, with the heading "Christmas Shitdown", causing, I believe, great merriment on arrival.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jan 22 - 05:47 PM

I really should have removed that external drive with all of the video files. It's killing me waiting for the backup before the reinstall, but it has started so I'm not going to interrupt it. 12% after 3 hours.

I have the old computer set up and am going to do some photo processing on it (it doesn't connect to the Internet), and I have this little backup laptop in the kitchen I mostly forget about. Limping along, but it's like travelling in the Shuttlecraft instead of on the Enterprise.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jan 22 - 01:54 PM

Dyslexia and no squiggly red line under the word work hand in hand to give lots of typos like that.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Jan 22 - 01:45 PM

I asked about the mopping, Stilly, because
the 24 January post reads "moping".

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jan 22 - 01:20 PM

Something went pear-shaped overnight when I set up system restore to get the glitch out of my desktop computer's right click context menu operation. The account on the Windows 11 thread.

I'm waiting on an onion bagel to toast as part of lunch. I'll focus on not burning the bagel or dropping the butter, and work upward from there.

Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 11:33 PM

Mopping is finished, and the room has the slight lemon-fresh scent of PineSol. Three dog bed covers were washed in a Gain knockoff detergent from Aldi (I usually use a gently scented environmentally friendly detergent sheet) and a HUGE gob of dog hair came out of the dryer lint filter. I wiped down the inside of the washer and got a fair amount of dirt and hair, and when I pulled the dry covers out of the dryer there was still a piece of chewed stick stuck to one of them.

Of course they couldn't leave it alone - this evening I walked into my office and could see muddy footprints on the tile floor, tracked all the way through the house from the back door after today's rain. Gotta love 'em, the dogs don't leave anything clean for long.