January 2024 Chat Thread.

[bazookagoof]

Happy New Year, ladies! 

I'm still here, but dealing with added burdens; my dad was diagnosed with cellulitis and ended up in the hospital around Christmas time. He waited too long to go to the emergency room, otherwise he probably wouldn't still be there right now. (My mom insisted, but he was being stubborn.)

He will need to go to a nursing home temporarily for rehab until his legs get better. I'm trying to make time to visit him, but these ten hour shifts six days a week are making it difficult. He's usually asleep anyway when I go, it's more about keeping my mom company. My younger brother is able to find time, so things are okay. 

I also got a notice for jury duty later this month. (sigh)

[3piggles]

If it isn't one thing, it's another. I'm really sorry about your dad. Speaking from your mom's perspective, she's really worried. She chose him, and vice versa, so she's worried is ways you and your brother aren't. I know how I felt when I saw Vic lying is the backyard. I have a feeling he's always been a bit stubborn. I hope he's learned his lesson. Maybe 2024 will be when he turns over a new leaf, and starts taking better care of himself.

I hope the new year is much better to you than the old year. Best wishes for a happy and positive new year!

[Bean]

Blimey, that's not a relaxing start to the New Year, Baz. I hope your dad makes a good recovery, and that adding in regular visits to your already busy schedule isn't too much of a stretch. I hope you still have time to eat!

Happy New Year to everyone - even if it's not off to the best of starts, I hope it's a good one for us all!

[3piggles]

Happy New Year, everyone! We may be about to get our first real snow. After Vic's incident last January, I was okay with it not snowing. Temps are still unseasonable high, so we'll probably get heavy, wet snow if we get any. The system bringing the weather is still on the west coast, so a we won't get anything until Sunday. I was watching the Massachusetts weather report, and their predicting a high chance of several inches to a foot of accumulation on Cape Cod and the Islands. Most of Cape Cod is out to sea, as are the islands. It's looking as if all of New England is going to get snow, it's just a question of how much.

I have a question for you two with teens. Do you know what tiny desktop concerts are? We heard the phrase for the first time last night.

[bazookagoof]

Jan 3, 2024 15:00:30 GMT 3piggles said:

I have a question for you two with teens. Do you know what tiny desktop concerts are? We heard the phrase for the first time last night.

Someone passed a link to me a few months ago. It's a series of live concerts by various musicians. I don't know why they use the phrase, but I imagine the setups are not giant stadium venues, but smaller studio rooms. 

[Bean]

I'm glad you answered. I know Shades posted one in the Music Thread, and it was in a small room, not literally on a small desk. But that's the sum of my knowledge!

[3piggles]

We actually googled it, and more or less understood it, but wondered if it was a common phrase everyone knew but us.

[bazookagoof]

This getting up to be at work at 4am is wreaking havoc on my regular schedule. I actually get up at 1:30am on weekends and stay up simply because my body says we can't sleep anymore.

I've been making lists and trying to do assorted tasks just because I'm seeing this as an opportunity to accomplish various minor goals like scrubbing the toilets and reorganizing some shelves. It's kinda nice.   

I made a list this morning with ten items and I'm almost done with #7 and it's only 7am. The other things can't happen yet, but they will soon. I need to grocery shop but the store doesn't open yet, and I need to visit my dad (who's in a nursing home recuperating) but not until the late morning.

I might almost miss this when my workplace goes back to a 6am start time.

[Bean]

Well, I'd not be excited about scrubbing the loo at 2am, but I'm very happy you can see the positives in this routine adjustment!

What time do you need to go to bed to get up at 1.30?

[3piggles]

You seem to be adapting to the time change very well. You'll adapt, again, when they change back to regular hours. I guess you just get as much done as you can, until then

[bazookagoof]

I turn in around 6:15 pm, and am asleep by 7. I get anywhere from 5-6 hours of sleep. It's not great, but I do what I can. This week we seem to be switching back to 8 hour shifts, but the weather is getting bad- so I'm turning in just so I can allow for extended travel times and not be late!

I allowed for an extra 30 minutes this morning, and this was a wise decision. I don't know what tomorrow will be like- it's snowing like crazy and if it continues throughout the night, I may have to get up around 2 am again! 

[Bean]

Roll on spring - normal shifts and clear roads!

[3piggles]

Really. Your weather hasn't been getting to us as snow, just limited snow changing to rain, or all rain. We had another storm moving in tonight. Dusting to an inch of snow. Maybe 1/4" of rain. I doubt we'll go to walk at 5:45 tomorrow morning. The whole mess is supposed to be out of here by 1p.m. This winter has been weird, so far.

It will be good to go back to 8 hours for the very reason you stated. You have time to leave early, shovel snow, etc. Still, just getting back to normal will be good.

[Bean]

We're due snow today - well, that's what one weather forecast says, another seems to think it'll be more like sleet or drizzle.

[3piggles]

Did you get any snow. We've got a solid 3". Vic just came in from clearing that. At least it's light, fluffy snow!

[Bean]

I was on my way home at lunchtime and there were a few flakes in the air, but nothing settled. It ended up stopping a bit further north, where they've had quite a lot. It's really cold and icy though.

[3piggles]

It snowed all day today, but we only have a dusting. The major storm missed us completely.

[Bean]

So your husband had a more restful weekend than he might have been prepared for!

[3piggles]

So restful he was bored It is just plain cold. It was 5F when I got up at 5 a.m. It's 22F with a windchill factor of 16F. At least it's above 0.

I really can't complain. The Kansas City Chiefs played their last game at -27F. They did act as if it cold at all, but as soon as a player came off the field, someone covered him in a warm jacket. The Chiefs are playing the Bills in Buffalo, NY, which is on Lake Erie where it meets the Niagara River. They get lake-effect snows that blow in from the lake and cover them in feet of snow. The game the Bills were suppose to play in Buffalo kept getting postponed because no one could see where they were going through the blowing snow. When the wind/snow finally stopped, they paid people $20/hr. to shovel out the stadium. Fans were tossing snow like confetti every time their team did well. They had people plowing the parking lots, but not clearing snow from the seats in the stadium-5-6' of snow. People turned out by the hundreds to shovel. As of yesterday, over a week since the storm started, the news reports said they were almost done removing the snow. We haven't had anything like that since the Blizzard of '78, and then we didn't have wind-driven snow.

I'll settle for what I've got because it could be SO much worse!

[Bean]

That sounds like a game everyone will remember!

We've had a storm here, high winds have been howling around us all night - so noisy. It should be passing over later today and then I'll go and clear up outside and see if any new objects have blown in!