The year 2018 comes to an end in about two and a half hours, at least it does here in the Eastern time zone. It's pouring rain outside and the temperature is rising - I guess it's opposite day for New Year's Eve. Shouldn't it be cold and snowy? Anyway, I'm glad to be looking ahead to 2019. I wonder what the year will bring? I guess I'll find out - time, as they say,... Read more →
Now let's take a look at the second half of the year in pictures! In July, we went to see Cirque du Soleil's Volta under the big top. It was a wonderful show! In August, a freak downpour caused serious flooding outside my office. It wasn't terrible in my neighborhood, thankfully. We also visited the Reading Pagoda, one of Pennsylvania's Top Ten Marvels. We climbed all the way to the top - 84 steps! In... Read more →
Rather than spew lots of words about 2018, I've decided to let pictures give the highlights of my year. In January, I started chemotherapy for Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma. In February, I bought my inspirational bracelet. I wore it until I found out that I was in complete remission. In March, we had four nor'easters! We lost power when this tree fell on the power lines. But the storms did not keep us from attending Weetacon... Read more →
Oh hi! We had, of course, the best Christmas ever. On Christmas Eve, Joe and I threw some stuff in a bag and took a cab to the train station. We're both pretty sure that the hole in the door of the cab came from a bullet; it's Philly, after all. Naturally we were two hours early, because every time we allow a lot of time for the Schuylkill Expressway to be hosed up, it's... Read more →
All the Christmas chores are done! After Joe went off to work yesterday afternoon, I sat myself down with wrapping paper, scissors, tape, and Sharpie for the annual wrappening. I must say, it's a lot less onerous when there are only four folks to wrap for. And only two of those four get multiple presents! It wasn't awfully cold this morning, so I walked outside for the first time in quite a while. It was...... Read more →
We heard the siren when we were on our second cups of coffee. It was indeed a fire engine, but it was moving awfully slowly. Wait! Could it be? YES! Hi Santa! Merry Christmas! Read more →
It seems wrong that tonight's full moon is called the Cold Moon when it's 59 degrees outside. (It's also called the Long Nights Moon; I wrote about that a long time ago.) It's also the Winter Solstice, when darkness falls at 4:39 in the afternoon and lasts until 7:19 tomorrow morning. A long, long night. So much dark. I have mixed feelings about the night. I'm scared of it, a legacy of another cold Winter... Read more →
Joe had a tough time at work yesterday evening. Why do normally nice people suddenly turn into rude motherfuckers when it gets close to Christmas? Whatever happened to peace and good will? There were the people who ignored the "Line starts here" sign and walked right up to Joe's register. When Joe politely told them where the line was, they gave all kinds of excuses: But you just waited on her. (Yes, because she was... Read more →
My Pop had his own creative names for things. For example, he had a gardening tool that he called a "hooka-hooka." This tool was simply a hoe without a blade. The hook that the blade was attached to remained. Pop realized that the hook was ideal for precise weeding around his tomatoes and beans, so a broken hoe became a valuable hooka-hooka. He didn't like being late. If you were dragging your feet and making... Read more →
Oh, I know - it's Monday. What am I thinking, doing Sunday Stealing on Monday? Well, I'm thinking I'm tired and the weekend memes come in handy! What season has your favorite looks? Late fall and/or early spring, when it's cool enough to wear sweaters and boots but warm enough to go without a coat. Formal or casual? Definitely casual, but I do clean up nice. Early in my career, I remember being encouraged to... Read more →