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FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 15 Jan 22 - 01:29 PM Dupont: Exciting news: The old K sink is coming out! It may be a reaction to a death in the "family" - my gardening friend of 60 years (95) died peacefully in her sleep yesterday morning. Her eldest son phoned me and we chatted briefly about the importance of this relationship in his mother's and my lives. I have, of course, known him for most of his life. After talking with him, I was fragile and phoned R and asked that he come home before 10 pm! He came home about 7 and we had a light supper and watched TV. With me reeling with dry sobs over this huge hole in my life; so many memories. In trying to get the computer to attach to the TV, I messed up big time. In the midst of watching Canadian Dragon's Den on Gem,. it suddenly switched to US programming - I guess. Nothing we did remedied the situation. We could still watch ordinary TV. I will phone HELP when I feel better. THEN, today, I got "Freshy" when opening a new tab; I managed to find help to get rid of that. YAY for me! I also got rid of that ISSU thing!! Later will see if anything helped Gem. The kitchen sink: R finally decided to look seriously at it this am after I said I would settle for the new faucet - the old one has been leaking into a bowl - a very good bowl! - and does not work well. SO, the sink seemed irreversibly attached to the counter and the counter desperately attached to the cabinets... He started cutting the sink with a hacksaw - two small cuts at the rim about an inch apart. Nothing seemed to slide between sink and counter... While his back was turned, I took hammer and an old kitchen knife and ... voila! I bent the small piece back and he could see the glue... OH! OK. He, now, seemed to see a way forward. I am hiding out in the TV room while he goes at it. HOPE! My dear friend always said the best thing we can give someone is hope... Sunny day and -24C! A good day to sit in my new space listening to music, as I did yesterday as I began processing this big change. Her son told me: Someone wondered out loud if she was still lucid. "I AM VERY LUCID!" and that was the last word(s)! This grief is going to take a while. Yes, her being is within me and I can still "talk with her" but it ain't the same! |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Jan 22 - 12:22 PM I'll trade you a Winco bag of two 5 lb chickens for a 5 lb bag of onions. I think next time I get onions I'll dice and freeze some of them. I've done that in the past as a convenience move (scoop out how much I need to add to the skillet while cooking), and they'll keep better than fresh sitting on the counter. They don't seem to store for as long as they used to. (It occurs to me that the small cash-and-carry restaurant supply store a few blocks from here might have onions.) Charmion, you probably wouldn't salvage the tires off of the totaled car to put on the new one, but if you have any spare lightly-used tires set aside maybe you can sell to defray the cost of the next car's tires. Or negotiate a trade with the tire supplier? I pulled up reviews of the car you name on Car and Driver, and it sounds like the replacement you're getting will be fun to drive. "It's one of the best in the business and makes every drive an engaging experience." You could do a lot worse! I'd love to drive a manual transmission vehicle again, and it sounds like VW is the only company that makes one that's nice to drive. Standards are an afterthought with other manufacturers and they haven't worked to improve the shifting experience. I didn't have as many layers to go through for my COVID vaccines early last year, but I was aware that January and February shots in a large public room (a gymnasium) meant having to dress so it was modest and so the person with the needle didn't need to wait for me to go through too many layers. A short sleeved t-shirt under the long sleeved sweater and jacket accomplished that. The booster was in warm weather in a grocery store pharmacy when the short-sleeved t-shirt was standard apparel. The wind is gusting today, rattling things around the outside of the house. A good day to work on indoors projects. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 15 Jan 22 - 11:41 AM Not a single piece of fresh chicken in the stores. No cat food either. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 15 Jan 22 - 07:59 AM Today I get my booster shot. It’s almost Ottawa cold, however, which means lined jeans and the down-filled coat as well as wool socks and a fleece sweater. Peeling off three layers of bulky clothing in the cramped space of the clinic without losing mitts, muffler and hat will be the social challenge of the weekend. The car saga continues to unfold. Indeed, the choice of replacement vehicles has been so drastically restricted by supply problems that I consider myself very lucky to have found a gently used 2021 VW Golf GTI that will cost a mere Cdn$10,000 more than the plain-Jane Golf that died in the collision. I have top-of-the-line insurance with depreciation protection, too, so the settlement will be generous. I have been saving for years, so I can pay the difference without going into debt. Oh yeah, I also need a new set of snow tires, and of course the GTI won’t take the alloy rims I have in storage with the Golf’s three-season radials. That means buying a very expensive second set of GTI alloy rims. Each new expense feels like another air-bag going off in my face. On the fitness front, gyms are still closed in Ontario. I hiked downtown to the post office yesterday despite the deep cold and the ice underfoot, and it definitely felt good to stretch my legs for a change. The now-obligatory mask protects the face from the biting wind, too. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Jan 22 - 11:54 PM The double mask setup was ok, not uncomfortable, but it certainly was a lot of layers. Three in the cloth mask, three in the surgical mask. The cloth mask keeps the surgical one right up against your face. Wind gusts overnight and through tomorrow; I picked up a couple of things I should have brought in and I think a couple of light trash bags have left the yard. I'll look in the morning. The oddest thing at the grocery store - they are completely out of onions. Not a one in sight. It seems this is happening around town in other grocery stores as well. I need a couple more, I'll have to see if I can do curbside pickup at one of the grocery stores that has them still. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 14 Jan 22 - 02:22 PM A sewing project has arisen: one of the friends mentioned in the last post has to do in-person teaching in his community college classroom, so has asked if I can make a mask that includes a clear panel in the center of it so students can see his mouth moving when he talks. There are students whose first language is not English and they need all the help they can get to understand the lecture. This will be an interesting challenge and I'll take it up this weekend. Today is our last warm day before a string of very cold days (we're at the bottom edge of what the Weather Channel has dubbed Winter Storm "Izzy.") So I'll finish some of the outdoors work today and start on the mask tomorrow. Yesterday I drove four miles in a perfect square as I did my cardboard/Goodwill run. I'll double that distance today when, way after busy hours, I head over to the 24-hour grocery for some fresh produce and dairy for myself and my ex. Double-masked. He'll pick up groceries here tomorrow when he returns a pot that I delivered his xmas present in (mentioned earlier). Two boxes of rapid tests finally arrived. I read that insurance companies aren't going to be set for customers to just ring up tests at the pharmacy and have it covered by tomorrow (Biden's date for doing this. Insurance companies usually deal with medical codes, not barcodes). I don't know if I'll bother to try to get reimbursed, but the article said to keep both the receipts and the boxes in case they are required for reimbursement. According to recent research the BinaxNOW rapid test from Abbott Laboratories is the most effective at catching Omicron variant, but as soon as that was posted they probably sold out everywhere. Here is a helpful article from the New York Times: Which Covid Test Should I Get? When Should I Test? What If I Can’t Find One? Answers About Testing and Omicron Facing long lines and shortages of home test kits during the latest surge, people are searching for answers about Covid tests. My jigsaw puzzle cover is working as I hoped. The new puzzle is 500 pieces and seems easy except that all of the pieces are exactly the same shape so you can mistakenly pair the wrong pieces. So that's why the puzzles with individually shaped pieces make a big deal about it on the box. I've had those so far and didn't realize this other sort was available. The puzzle cover is made of previously unused acrylic and there is a several inch wide extra flap on it; I'll cut that off and use it for the masks mentioned above. I just hadn't gotten around to trimming it yet, but I have a need for it now. Stay safe, everyone! Omicron seems to be roaring through communities for the next couple of weeks. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Jan 22 - 10:07 PM There is more progress in the garage with the left side now cleared (after sweeping out the center yesterday). Flattened boxes went to the village recycle bins, a portable table that I've never managed to set up properly has gone to Goodwill (it was given by a friend who probably had the same problem). The busiest area is at the back by the work bench, so I'll leave that for last. Some stuff moved out to the greenhouse, and some stuff was put into use. For example, I had two unused metal hose caddies collecting dust that have now been attached to the back side of the new fence that faces the street. This 10' stretch of fence hides trash cans and yard equipment, and now it will hold some of the short segments of hose that I rely on for my garden irrigation each year. Another set of friends have been knocked off their feet by COVID. They were running medical-type errands today, looking for an xray for her injured ankle; her ankle will be ok, but when he asked if they had a COVID test (because he needs it before his medical appointment tomorrow) bad news - he came up positive. They are both vaccinated and boosted but with other health issues, and have headed home to quarantine and hope to dodge this bullet. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 13 Jan 22 - 05:26 PM Dupont: I know I am in bad shape when I cannot tell glass from plastic. The nice farm milk is in a plastic bottle so I do not have to think about taking it back! Just try to find more uses for it! Today, I woke up alive for a change. Made humus,applesauce, cooked more black beans - have found they go well with beets! Also potatoes and cauliflower to have on hand. Cleared a couple things from frig to make room for new. Kept trying to get on internet and, finally, decided to phone provider which, wisely, offered a nice message telling us there is a problem; I could stop thinking about it and tried to use apple TV which must also be internet dependent. OK. Cleared back deck, brought in as much wood as space and have found it already dry enough to use!! Nice fire in stove. Feels good on a grey day at -9C again. Also unearthed the bin of smaller wood and made it accessible but no room in house for it yet. Did not get to the pottery yet; probably not today but hopeful for tomorrow. Feel good about feeling good and getting some things done without feeling I was dragging my tail behind me. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jan 22 - 10:18 PM I have no idea what time the trash guys will come past in the morning, but I'm ready! Bags are at the curb in the can (to keep coyotes and raccoons out of it). Twice in one week! My garage got a good sweep out and there are a couple of bags (including the torn up foam rubber from a dog bed that Cookie demolished and spread around). I moved a few large things to get the worst of it. Tomorrow I'll rearrange some of those large objects. I wore a mask for this work since there are a lot of mouse droppings (we don't have hantavirus here, but I keep that in mind with this work). If I clear up the area enough I can leave the stall gate open and let the dogs chase mice overnight. That would keep them entertained. My old Catahoula Poppy used to chase mice in there regularly, knocking over things in the process. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 12 Jan 22 - 07:20 PM Dupont: No sun today and still COLD! Up to minus 9C right now. I have not cleared the back deck nor brought in more wood as I do not want to let cold air in! In fact, I seem to be in one of my do nothing phases - nothing but internet, that is. Made cauliflower cheddar soup yesterday and burned it! But not too badly; it is still good. Went for groceries on Monday and had to have help x2. The yogurt was on the top shelf - way back there! - so I watched for someone taller to fetch it down for me - all 3 large ones while we were at it; it was on sale. Looking for the milk I wanted, I must have looked at sea, a youngish woman asked if I needed help; She shouted at the person on the other side of the cooler (in French) and I managed to get 2% but also found a glass bottle!! of unhomogenized 3.8% from a farm in Riviere du Loup and a one qt of 3%. Then she asked, what else? Eggs! I had not found the brown eggs - but she did! Boy, did I ever feel OLD! She was so kind! I checked the farm on the internet today and found it really interesting; will look for their milk again. Hope I can take the bottle back! Cleared out the "studio" some more but have not gotten down to work yet. I do believe the weather affects me even though I am in a wam house; I know the atmospheric pressure does and today was another heavy, snowing lightly day. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jan 22 - 01:16 PM There was a story on Marketplace (public radio) yesterday that doesn't seem to be linked from their homepage yet. I'll share instead this one from last month, a similar story: Car dealerships short on cars, going big on prices My second coherent thought after reading Charmion's account of totalling her relatively new car was "where will the next car come from?" They're hard to find and getting so expensive. There are strategies, and they discussed it on the program (hence trying to find the link) - such as going way out of town to smaller communities where there perhaps isn't as much turnover in the car dealerships. I have a few disposable surgical masks here at the house, and will be double-masking if I have to go out. I've ordered more (nothing comes "tomorrow" from Amazon any more, Saturday is as soon as they can manage, but I'm ok until then.) I was thinking about heading over to a favorite grocery store during their quietest hours, but even that is too much right now. Any store's checkout counter is likely to be a vector for Omicron. And I think my ex and I are back to shopping for each other, taking turns so we both aren't exposed as often. At this point his is the only house I feel comfortable walking into because I know he hasn't been out anywhere for days. (Yesterday I delivered the delayed holiday meal of his favorite Puerto Rican arroz con gandules dish.) The difference between the extreme risk of Omicron versus original COVID almost two years ago is that most of us have paid attention and learned a lot and know which risks are worth taking and how to mitigate those risks. It sounds like one reason prices are inflated now is that a lot of people stuck at home are shopping to relieve their boredom. Instead of drilling down and working on existing projects, they're bringing in new devices to entertain. I'm trying to do the opposite and making my list (I've done it before) of projects here at the house that I can do without having to go out for parts (or very little shopping involved.) As of yesterday, the top of my list is organizing the garage; last night when I drove the SUV I admired how good the corner of the garage looked since I swept it up last week. That pile of swept debris needs adding to and then picking up. I can drive in and out easily, but the sides need organization and I get such a boost from looking at it when everything is easy to find. Then I can work on the new gate that goes beside the garage because I have all of those parts also. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion's brother Andrew Date: 12 Jan 22 - 10:42 AM Oh, Charmion, what a damned fool! It will stand as an unfortunate example of how our ill-advised decisions can have catastrophic effects on others who have no agency. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 12 Jan 22 - 09:52 AM No, Steve, not too heavy. This topic has been well-chewed on this thread since the first vaccines were announced. In the news this morning, from Québec City, Premier Legault has announced his intention to introduce a health tax to be levied from the unvaccinated to help off-set the pressure they are putting on the health-care system in particular and society in general. The pundits are saying that it will hurt more than it helps, and I rather agree; the unvaxxed will only wallow more deeply in their grievances while the revenue can’t undo the decades of under-funding that underlie the capacity problems that most bedevil hospitals and their staff. Today I must take the Chevy cracker-box on the highway for the first time to practise for tomorrow’s unavoidable trip to the allergist in Kichener. Its lack of snow tires (not required by law and therefore not provided by the rental agency) puts a shiver in my bones; it’s a tiny car, and a sideways skid in the wrong place at the wrong time could be Really Bad. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 12 Jan 22 - 06:04 AM Just briefly to follow that (wrong thread, I know...). One facet of a strategy to persuade the vaccine-hesitant (to call them by a too-kind name) would be to give far more publicity to the fact that it's the unvaccinated who now constitute not only the lion's share of seriously ill people, but who are also the people clogging up intensive care units in hospitals, to the detriment of patients who need urgent care through far less fault of their own. Sorry, a bit heavy... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jan 22 - 12:35 AM There are way too many of those stories around. A local GOP politician who made a big deal of protesting the vaccines died of COVID on Monday. The story went something like "The local GOP office reported her death. Several of her Facebook posts were removed. Spokeswoman says this is 'no time to fight about vaccines.'" Wrong characterization - not "fight." Teach. This is exactly the time to make the point that she could have saved her own life and her friends and family that grief. Meanwhile, today it was reported that some immunocompromised people will be able to get a fourth shot soon. Starting later this week, some at-risk Americans become eligible for a 4th shot. Some people are born with absent or faulty immune systems, and in others, treatments for some diseases like cancer diminish the potency of immune defenses. The C.D.C. estimates there are about seven million immunocompromised individuals in the country. The last time something like this (a booster) was suggested, it didn't take long before we were all getting them. Meanwhile, much of the world still hasn't had the access to any vaccines. (There was another vaccine developed, this one by Texas researchers using older vaccine forms, that they will give away. A plant in India is making it now. A new coronavirus vaccine heading to India was developed by a small team in Texas. It expects nothing in return. Good for them. We need more selfless acts, fewer corporations making billions while a big chunk of the population ignores common sense. Time to take a day or two off from the news. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 11 Jan 22 - 10:04 PM I just learned that the pater familias across the street, aged 44 with two little kids, died of COVID just before Christmas. Not vaccinated, none of his family vaccinated. Bloody hell. I’m getting my booster shot on Saturday. Can’t wait. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jan 22 - 08:32 PM That room sounds lovely, Dorothy! I have two rooms here that I reworked during the first year of the pandemic (three actually - I swapped contents between the sun room and the front room, and the sewing studio was organized.) Every time I walk into the sewing studio it's just so inviting and is very bright in the afternoon. This afternoon I made the holiday batch of arroz con gandules for my ex (if you look it up you'll see this listed as the "national dish of Puerto Rico"). It came out pretty good; this time I used smoked chicken because he didn't want ham or bacon (though fat back or bacon are traditional sources of oil and flavor). I smoked the chicken breasts last month and froze several to use for seasoning like this. The rice was made today because before now he had too much stuff in his fridge and freezer. Consumable gifts don't need to be decluttered later. It is sounding more like I'm going to have to take the entire month of January away from my volunteer work; Omicron is pushing the numbers so high that the graphs have an almost straight line up. Today I went into the house at my ex's because both of us have been away from people for several days and both recently tested with negative results. There are so few instances like that. I was wearing a mask when I handed a gift over to my next door neighbor this afternoon (on her porch)—she's the one who had COVID last month, and the reason I was recently tested. She looked like she's feeling much better. That's good. Now I hope she gets the vaccine when enough time from the illness has passed. I will encourage her to do so. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 11 Jan 22 - 04:44 PM Dupont: A quick post as I lose the last of the sunlight in my new sitting space in front of the Double South windows. Posts on Clayart the last few days encouraged me to go in the wanna-be studio/was gonna be bathroom and look at what needed to be done to make it more enticing. I told R what I wanted to go in the front hall but --- in one ear... This am I asked for help to get a beautiful antique daybed from the "studio" into the second floor hall. Now comfy with cushions! Love it! Of course the ugly, uncomfortable antique stuff he had put there... 2 chairs and a love seat need homes... One in the back corner and the love seat... half blocking the door to a room. BUT I have a lovely spot. AND more room in the "studio". When we were first moving here, I bought a sofa I just love for this space but it ended up in the LR - until the Victorian one gets moved here. I got tired of waiting. What will we do with the day bed later? For now, I really do not care. This has cheered me up! And my Georgia O'Keefe print on the wall next to me! |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jan 22 - 11:32 AM Yesterday I dug around the depths of the kitchen cabinet where I keep various table cloths, party serving trays, and a couple of folded clear acrylic sheets that I put over the table tops to protect the wood from spills. Essential when the kids were small, now optional. I was going to sacrifice a table cover to the cause of trimming down to cover the top of my puzzle table in the sunroom but I found an L-shaped large scrap piece that I was able to trim and run under the sewing machine (the walking foot was perfect for this because this stuff is kind of sticky to work with) and cobble together a top. Frankenstein's clear quilted table cover. I wanted to use the large black spring binder clips to hold it in place and had one of them from here in my office. I poked around the kitchen junk drawer and den library table drawer searching for more. This morning I remembered the drawer in the antique secretary/bookshelf in my bedroom and found three more. Perfect! They slide over the edge of the table and hold the plastic in place; I'll only need to remove them on one side and lift the cover. I may decide to use some tissue paper between the puzzle and the cover if pieces try to stick to it. All of this because the puppy figured out that the puzzle pieces are apparently edible and stands on her back feet to graze the pieces at the edge of the table. I caught her one time. That first puzzle was used and a few pieces kind of crusty so I think they smelled like food, and that's all it took. She tasted the next puzzle (my holiday one) and demolished a completed portion (one of the few larger charismatic parts of the puzzle to work from). Now she's blocked from access to that tabletop, but I can see the puzzle through the acrylic. These puzzles have become a wonderful mental exercise; studying each piece, learning the image used for the puzzle, detecting shifts in color to put together large swaths that appear to be the same color (sky and water and forests, in particular). I place a few pieces at a time then return to whatever else I was working on. I've missed doing the puzzles for a few weeks because I knew pieces were missing so was bound to be disappointed if I finished it. This last one (holiday) was an inexpensive used one, but I also realized that the artist cheated in the perspective - the people and buildings in the distance weren't as small as they should have been, making it quite difficult to sort pieces. All of this added up to a puzzle that was trashed and I'm starting fresh today with a new sealed puzzle (that I got on deep discount at Thursday Morning, a discount store with stuff from high end department stores.) The delay in tossing the holiday puzzle and starting a fresh one represents the "invention" period, during which I was mulling the possible answers to the problem. /jigsaw puzzle rant off/ |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Jan 22 - 03:30 PM I had no idea those cork pullers are so expensive! I had three, one broke after years of use, and I can't remember who I gave the other one to. Probably family or a very close friend. I haven't been to the greenhouse in a few days and my two pots of bat-faced cuphea dried up. I'll continue to water because I don't know if they died of dry or cold (the heater should be working back there). It may come back from the roots if they're ok. This time of year I drink more tea - my limit on black tea is two "normal" sized cups (~ 10 oz) in the morning, but I had a cup of midday green tea, and from now on it's decaff or herbal so I can get to sleep at night. I need to remember to drink more water also; I sometimes get leg cramps when I do my exercises if I don't hydrate well enough during the day. It looks like a nice week coming up, so some outdoor chores may be completed. Thank goodness for a bright sunny day - it helps the mood considerably. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 10 Jan 22 - 01:16 PM The worry about planes has caused us to shelve travel plans (to Europe anyway) for now. I've never heard of those cork pullers! The winged corkscrews are my biggest culprits for wrecking corks. I bought two good-quality waiter's friends many years ago after a cheaper one broke, thinking that a spare was a wise-virgin purchase, but up to now it's still lashed to its packaging. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 10 Jan 22 - 12:49 PM You're braver than I am, Keb. I don't know what it would take to get me on a plane these days, but it would probably involve shackles. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: keberoxu Date: 10 Jan 22 - 12:30 PM How thoughtful of you, Stilly, to ask after my well-being. Thank you so much. Yes, I got on that airplane two weeks ago today. The next morning, at that other location, I was in the airport trying to get onto an airplane back. So it was all over on Tuesday December 28 when I returned. As I am in congregate housing now, with COVID-19 testing every week, I have since been tested at least three times, and the results are always negative. Yes, being crammed in a series of tin cans with wings on them with a bunch of other people ... is anxiety-provoking. Everybody, I mean everybody, had face-masks on. And the airplane stewardess instructions to passengers now include the suggestion that when drinks or snacks are served in-flight, that each passenger, in between sips/swallows or bites/chews, should slap that facemask back over their nose and mouth. No more specific instruction than that, and you can still see the point of it -- it's easy, when drinking or eating, to just leave the facemask off even if you are done swallowing/chewing, and just sit there breathing. With everybody packed in next to you. Well, I can't speak for the other passengers, all of whom were strangers, but I seem to have got through the errand I was running, and the traveling, none the worse for wear. Being on the plane, all that said, isn't so bad. Being in the airport terminal is far far worse, because the airlines are woefully understaffed. And I was traveling right after Christmas so you know that there were far too many passengers all traveling at once ... with their small children AND their pet dogs ... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Jan 22 - 12:21 PM I prefer a Cork puller, it avoids the cork bits that the corkscrew sometimes causes. On very rare occasions if I meet a cork that won't let the puller slide into place for removal I resort to the winged corkscrew. I'd never heard of a cork puller before I brought home a bunch of kitchen gadgets from my dad's house after clearing out his estate. I have over the years figured out what most of them were for. This one was not difficult. I missed the trash pickup this morning, but when I looked up the street realized that they hadn't run past the houses up the rest of my street (they turned at the corner opposite my house and went up the hill instead of continuing on my street. I live at a "T" intersection.) So I carried my small bag of trash next door and called that neighbor (moved in a few months ago) and explained that I'd left my trash at his curb, so don't be alarmed if they notice an extra bag. In our little corner of the village we have been known to spread out trash among several houses when someone has a lot to go out but it isn't our month for bulky waste pickup. Everyone instead gets a little more than usual. We're a cooperative little ant hill here. :) Looking back at the earliest posts in this thread I see that Keberoxu was on a plane over the holidays. I hope that has panned out well and no ill effects resulted from such close proximity to others. Did you take any rapid or PCR tests after? |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 10 Jan 22 - 11:51 AM Do you mean failure to extract the cork cleanly, or material failure in the corkscrew itself? |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 10 Jan 22 - 11:44 AM Failure rate, Charmion. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 10 Jan 22 - 10:23 AM What do you have against other kinds of corkscrew, Steve? I use a waiter’s friend myself, but I can see the day coming when my hands are too rickety for it. So I’m not doctrinaire. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 10 Jan 22 - 05:22 AM Well I guess I've been a wine drinker for a half-century. Two or three decades ago, cork taint was a massive issue, and I lost count of the number of times I returned corked bottles for a refund. For a while, fake corks made of a dense plastic were all the rage (they still exist). I hate them for several reasons, not least because they can be leaky and allow air to get in and spoil the wine, and because they are hard to re-insert in the half-full bottle. Screw caps are very popular here and are no longer seen as toppings for inferior wine. Real corks are still used by traditional wineries, and good quality control has meant that cork taint is quite rare these days. The wine cork industry in southern Europe is ancient and traditional and I'd hate to see it disappear. The metal collar below the screw cap (as well as the screw cap itself) is environmentally incredibly unfriendly unfortunately. I love using a corkscrew but the only type I'll countenance is the waiter's friend, which, if you avoid poor-quality ones, never fails to get the cork out cleanly and will last a lifetime. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 10 Jan 22 - 04:09 AM speaking of co-mingled jigsaw puzzles, I once found 2 sticky-taped boxes of the same vintage 500 piece puzzle in a charity shop. 1 box was heavy, the other very light, indicating they just might be co-mingled, so I bought them both. One contained all the edge pieces, good thing I didn't just buy one box, sigh, so I pulled out every piece & put them on my plywood & perspex boards, & made one, then the other. All pieces were present & the 2 puzzles were re-sealed & went to different charity shops. sandra |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Jan 22 - 09:42 PM Lately I've run a small experiment to see if there are acceptable wines that come with the Stelvin screw cap, and there are. I've found a couple of under $10 merlot, pinot noir, and others that are actual varieties, not just "California red" and other low-end blends. Costco has several. I've kept up the varied colors of vegetables and fruits, and it helps reduce the snacking; by the time I've finished a fruit and a vegetable with the main, there is less room for dessert. Sometimes a glass of wine with the meal is the dessert. Another quiet week ahead as Omicron roars through the state. I have a list of things that need doing, and keeping track of what is the day of the week it is part of that list. On the 17th I'll look at the COVID-19 numbers and decide if it is prudent to try going out in a limited way. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 09 Jan 22 - 07:38 PM I've often found that the rocket-fuel wine, earlier regarded as unpalatable, isn't half bad...as long as you've had a glass or three of the good stuff first... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: JennieG Date: 09 Jan 22 - 06:43 PM Peu importe....... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 09 Jan 22 - 05:45 PM Well, the « orange » wine turned iut to need aeration, like a red. I guzzled the rest today, and it was just fine. And my phone has reverted to French. Whatever. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Jan 22 - 11:10 AM I'm going to poke around to see if I have a sheet of that clear acrylic sheeting that I used to put on the wooden table tops to prevent spills on the wood (sometimes I put a table cloth over it, sometimes I put it over the table cloth). Chances are I have a piece I can trim to fit this table, and then clamp it down on the sides, and remove one side and roll it back when I want to work the puzzle. I think I might simply use a couple of those extra-large binder clips for this. The mid-century table top I use for puzzles has a beveled edge, no trim to make the edge too thick for this. Jon, I am curious if those puzzles were commingled by your father. The only way to sort them is to work them side by side to sort the pieces. A lot more complicated than a game of double solitaire, etc. By default, January ends up being a "no spend" month—as the bills from the holidays come in the resolve to do better is typically at the top of my To Do list. I see that UPS stocks are listed on the NY Stock Exchange, and I certainly contributed to this year's profits. Sigh. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Jon Freeman Date: 08 Jan 22 - 01:17 PM Jigsaws... I got some thick A3 card before Christmas and (the one he's doing now aside as that is a new one I got him for Christmas) I'm asking dad to do his 250 piece Wentworth jigsaws on this stuff. The idea is that I can stack any (and hope no one clumsy knocks them) that have missing pieces in their nearly completed states and hope to finish them if the missing bits turn up. One bit of good news is that the missing piece from the church one I had custom made has turned up. I've also been able to box a couple of others up as checked and complete. Other than that, so far we have. One jigsaw with a missing piece, 3 pieces waiting to find the jigsaw(s) they belong to and one box and its bag without any pieces. The last of these might be interesting if dad has put the pieces for two puzzles in another one of the bags. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 08 Jan 22 - 12:43 PM There are more speeding accidents on these pandemic roads, watch out. Also there is more drinking. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jan 22 - 12:29 PM The Nissan Pathfinder I drive has a huge windshield and I usually have the visor in the down position versus having the seat in a higher position. And I have wrap-around sunglasses that I always wear when I'm driving, even on cloudy days, because of the glare. But that visor - managing to keep sun from coming through the gap by the mirror, etc., does offer up a distraction. Thank you, JennieG, for saying what we all should have: "So long as you are o.k." Allergy symptoms are going full-tilt this morning, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes. Except for itchy eyes, this could be describing some of the Omicron symptoms. This is why I'm staying home. (I was at the grocery store briefly on the 5th; I made a note now for my own "contact tracing." I went in because the parking lot was almost empty and I was out after about 10 minutes. In this day and age, that is living dangerously.) Before Xmas I bought a large bag (8 pounds) of navel oranges; I've given oranges away, over Xmas family was here and we ate a few, and today when I ate yet another I see I have three more to go. This has seemed like an almost bottomless bag of oranges. It serves as a reminder to me that I'm trying to eat fruit and vegetables in lots of colors. The Swiss chard in the fridge is the variety with a red stem; there are asparagus spears and a yellow bent-neck squash along with broccoli and cauliflower. Beets. So much of what I eat is in the cruciferous or tobacco families so I'm making a point of getting other plant families. Yesterday I used up some tag ends of things (three varieties of cheese, diced ham, some sliced hard salami) in a batch of macaroni and cheese. The pasta was a rice-based gluten free one that I've had around for a while (it keeps). I added turmeric to give it a bright yellow color and a grind of black pepper and some thyme to give it a nice herbal bite and it was amazing. I haven't tried to lose weight in a while, but I'm enjoying managing to eat healthier. Finally, yesterday I admitted defeat on the 750-piece holiday puzzle I had set up in mid-December. The dog demolished the corner I had assembled and I could never get up the interest to work on it much. I had a few edges and a couple of larger more charismatic features put together, but I wasn't going to finish this till Michaelmas at this rate. Before I set out another puzzle I need to set up some kind of barrier that will cover the puzzle when I'm not working on it, to keep that pup from destroying another one. For the time being I had propped things around the edges so I could see if it was disturbed, but the goal is to prevent her having access at all. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 08 Jan 22 - 11:35 AM There's nothing worse than opening a bottle to find that you've got disappointing wine. As it's usually my fault for buying it, I end up punishing myself by finishing the bottle and giving Mrs Steve something nice instead. It's the kind of guy I am... ;-) My foot issue was a split in the skin under the ball of my foot. I try to keep the skin thin but there must be something in the way I walk that keeps making it go thicker and liable to split. Sorry, too much info there! Anyway, I can go for a walk now. Oh, except that we have driving rain and a gale-force wind... I use two hiking poles now for all except short walks. The ones I bought are Black Diamond brand, pretty expensive but really good (I've had adverse experience of cheapos). No shock-absorbers for me, and I use rubber tips on hard surfaces so it doesn't sound as if Blind Pugh is around... They're great for keeping an upright posture and I don't have to keep stopping on account of my dodgy back. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: pattyClink Date: 08 Jan 22 - 11:24 AM Similar here Steve, a joint bugging me. Yesterday I ventured out and found an aquatic center with a great pool. Got in a great workout, no weight-bearing. But, can't do that every day, so now outside I go to get in a few moves with the weight bar before too many people wake up and are available to stare. There is a lot to be said for a 'don't-break-the-chain' approach where you just determine to do Something every day, regardless of how little or how odd it might be. Yes, there should be a 'day of rest' but that can translate down to 'ambling scenic walk' instead of something more focused. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 08 Jan 22 - 11:17 AM Steve, I think most of us feel a bit porky after any festal season, but especially Christmas. And those who live in northern climes, like you and me, have good reason to limit our time outside. Sorry about your wonky foot — I have one myself. My arthritic foot has a certain daily number of pain-free flexions in it, depending on footwear, so I try to keep my winter excursions limited to hikes (with stick) to the bank or pharmacy. Snow boots are heavier and stiffer than the sneakers I usually wear, so they reduce my range. Besides, every footpath (sidewalk) in town has at least a skim coat of ice, if not jeezly great lumps of the stuff. One of the pleasures of life in this part of Canada is access to niche products from the Niagara wine region. This year, several vintners are selling “orange” wines — that is, white wines that are fermented on the grape skins. I cracked one last night with my humble supper (chicken cutlet and green beans), and it was … interesting. More body than the same grapes would have yielded in a more traditional vintage, but not enough fruit flavour to balance it quite the way I like for quaffing without food. One glass was fine, but the rest is in the fridge under a vacuum cork for future reference. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 08 Jan 22 - 09:07 AM All over Christmas I've had a sore foot, now healing nicely, that's stopped me from going for walks. The weather has conspired too, and, as ever, I've stuffed me face (we're back on healthy food such as veggie pasta dishes and fishy things now). The upshot is, er, several extra pounds around the middle. I'll be taking steps... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: JennieG Date: 07 Jan 22 - 07:09 PM Oh, Charmion! So long as you are O.K. Pity about your car, but cars can be fixed or replaced. Main thing is that you are all right. I have only ever had one accident, over 30 years ago. I was all set to make a right hand turn into a side street when a motor cyclist came straight at me from ahead. I slammed on the brakes but we still collided. Fortunately neither of us was hurt, the car had fixable minor damage and so did his bike. To this day I don't know how it happened. The sun wasn't in my eyes, but there were parked cars and a pedestrian crossing to watch out for.....I just didn't see him. A decent pair of sunnies would be a Good Thing. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 07 Jan 22 - 07:09 PM Blue blocker (orange beige colored) polorized glasses work well for me . They enhance color, minimize glare and add contrast. Sometimes there is no avoiding sun blindness. 2 days ago someone almost T boned me because they could not see the traffic light due to afternoon sun low in sky this winter season and chose not to stop but they did slow down honking as if they had the right of way on red. I drive defensively and imagine every tenth driver is intoxicated or challenged. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 07 Jan 22 - 06:42 PM I ran four unavoidable errands today without damage to anything except my wallet, so I guess I’m on the mend. Every time I approached a traffic signal, I took care to note how visible it was to me behind the wheel. With the sun visor down, they vanish from sight when I’m still anywhere up to 150 metres back from the intersection. Tuesday was bright and sunny, and I had the sun visor folded down. That’s why I didn’t see that the light had changed. I guess I had better get a good set of sunglasses and stop using the visor. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 07 Jan 22 - 05:24 PM I got my licence late as I was a nervous driver & only drove for 3 years, short trips only as driving also tired me. I (slightly) bumped into the car in front in my first week! Repair cost $50 & I was only earning $25 a week. My father was a mechanic & got my 15 year old car from a friend in the trade ($150), & did repairs for wholesale cost of parts, so when he retired I happily sold it for $100, bought a shopping trolley & have used trolleys & public transport ever since. Speaking of exercise programs, a friend in her mid 80s was using the stretching exercises of one of Britain's major ballet companies, & is now using Lucy Wyndham-Read's Fitness exercises Yes, Lucy in Martyn's daughter, & my friend used to sing with him in the early 60s when he lived in Australia. videos- 7 to 15 min. home workouts My friend has lost weight, gained muscle tone & altho she (sensibly) still uses a stick to guard against falls, is very happy with the program. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: keberoxu Date: 07 Jan 22 - 04:33 PM When I was in the accident that totaled my car years ago, I was not at all at fault. It still scares the bejeebers out of you, AND one hates losing one's car. I still mourn for that car, I was partial to it. And they don't make 'em like that model any more either. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jan 22 - 02:46 PM I'm so sorry! Your great little VW! Several years ago I missed taking my turn properly at an intersection that was broken and was blinking red all directions. I was t-boned, rear seat on my side, low speed, but being out of turn, it was on me. I don't think I said anything at the time, just took photos, exchanged information, and a police officer made notes and had the other car towed. No ticket. I got a new (to me) vehicle shortly after learning my unibody SUV was totaled. The difference in how you're treated can be in the insurance company you have - I use a very polite insurance company. They raised my rates for several years, but I am back in good standing with them. You might want to have those groceries delivered. Every muscle is going to be stiff for a few days, and getting into a car (rental or other) and driving may be difficult at first. You'll revisit the accident - wondering how you missed that light? Don't beat yourself up - accidents happen. There were probably factors involved that you can conclude contributed to missing the light. Was the sun in your eyes? Did you look at the radio for a moment? These are things that can be corrected. I had a passenger and turned my head just long enough to not realize I was following another vehicle when I should have stopped. I try to be all the more careful, and taking the defensive driving course really again helped. Understanding that you did a great job in the past (and will again) also does help. The worst of 2022 is over. The rest of the year will be much better! I queried Google about actuarial figures on driving accidents and came up with this from Quora: So if you got your license at age 16, the odds are quite good that you’ll experience some kind of crash by the time you’re 34, at the latest. Over the course of a typical long, driving lifetime, you should have a total of three to four accidents. You've already beat the odds on your first accident, so you'll do fine for the rest of your driving life. ❤ |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 07 Jan 22 - 01:25 PM Sometimes it's just plain your fault and denial is useless. This end, even if you're bang to rights, insurance companies don't like it if they hear that you've admitted liability on the spot. I got into hot water on one occasion when I'd done just that. It was OK in the end, thankfully. I can't remember now which of my rather numerous accidents it was, but they've all been minor, thank goodness! It's always a nasty thing to happen, so keep yer pecker up and take it easy for a bit. I find that evening access to a corkscrew can help... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 07 Jan 22 - 01:05 PM Crisp and cold in Stratford, with bright sunshine today. Normal winter weather for southwestern Ontario. One of the cardinals resident in my hedge gave me a rousing performance of his slide-whistle impression this morning, so I know all is well in his little world. Not so much for me. On Tuesday, I had a car accident in which I T-boned a perfectly innocent Ford in broad daylight, the result of failing to stop at a red light. In something like 45 years of driving, I have never done anything like that before; in fact, I’ve never had so much as a speeding ticket. I hit the Ford on the passenger side and I was in third gear, doing about 45 kph, so the poor driver was flung against the door. She was properly belted in, and suffered only bruising. The passenger side of her car was all stove in. My car is probably a write-off because its air-bags deployed, and I spent several hours in the emergency room being investigated for a lot of things it never occurred to me to worry about. The air-bag hit my hands, so they look as if I had punched somebody’s lights out. Apart from that, I’m physically fine. Mentally, I’m still badly rattled. The police constable was downright sweet to me, which I did not expect and remain very grateful for. I guess it helped that I accepted responsibility and expressed remorse as soon as she told me what I had done. She gave me a ticket for running the light but did not charge me with anything else. The insurance people are efficient and kind, as well. I have a rental car until they decide whether my poor VW is toast. Doing without a car is not an option as long as I live in this house; the nearest supermarket is four kilometres away. So life goes on, as it does. I need milk and veg, so I have to crawl out of my hole whether I want to or not. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jan 22 - 11:58 AM My sister is a fan of the stretch/exercise program called Essentrics by Canadian ballerina and fitness guru Miranda Esmonde-White. I found it on one of the second string PBS stations this week, various broadcast times, and catching it again last night realize they play the same episode all week. That said, this is the first time in ages I've wished for a DVR to catch these programs and build up a backlog. (I have a virtual DVR on Sling TV, but they don't broadcast any of the PBS channels that I could record.) Each year's set of exercise broadcasts comes in just north of $50, a monthly subscription is about $16 with access to all broadcasts ("cheaper than a gym" says my sister). She doesn't know that the gym I go to is paid for by Silver Sneakers (it's a big full-service gym, so that is a nice benefit). #Frugal I have lots of options - Silver Sneakers is the big one, offered through my insurance. Hinge Health I've used for months, it's a phone app. For now I'm cobbling together routines that are free (broadcast TV, insurance, retiree benefits, etc.). The gym isn't a safe choice for now, but walking and gardening are a usual routine. Another freeze overnight, followed by a sparkling bright day. There's a little hyacinth bulb on my kitchen windowsill to perk up the new year mornings (it's only a couple of inches tall so far, no sign of what color the flowers will be.) There are daffodils sprouting in the front yard (also just leaves, no sign of the flowers yet). The daytime temperatures will be in the 60s most of the week. I had a bowl of hot oatmeal from my little 1-quart crockpot - when it cooks overnight it's super creamy and the dates are soft and caramelized (this pot makes enough for four breakfasts that reheat in the microwave). Welcome to winter in Texas. |
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