I Feel Cheated
Snow occurred this weekend, all around us, but not where we actually were. Saturday, we were down at the museum, planning the re-re-wiring of the portable layout, working on finances, and spending a frustrating couple of hours trying to adjust the programming of a locomotive before succeeding. Phone calls from various members' families indicated snow was falling at home and sticking. It was slightly overcast at the museum, and that was it. Supposedly it was snowing at home.
By the time we got to the house, the ground was merely damp. However, our "movie date" Saturday evening took us into town, and we got to see some remnants of the day's fluffy white stuff crystalizing on top of people's vehicles and on the decorative shrubbery. It wasn't as disappointing as the 1977 snowfall I witnessed in New Orleans--where it was lovely white flakes until about one foot from the ground before suddenly condensing into rain.
Feast or Famine
I've been struggling to develop content for the newsletter because there are long stretches of time where nothing gets reported, no railfans reporting, etc. All of a sudden, I have way too much for a single newsletter. I'm going to pull one of the articles I wrote and postpone it until next month, and that should normalize the size of the newsletter.
Classical Pass
ealdthryth and I started in on the "classical music" section of our music library, and discovered that some of our tastes have changed. We came to the conclusion that although we like the pieces, we aren't going to actively seek them out. Most of them we would have to listen to at home because they would be too sleep-inducing to listen to while driving. We are keeping a lot of it, but it came as a small surprise that we started agreeing to let proportionally more CDs from this section go to a new home.
Change is Imminent
A small suggestion about rearranging stuff by bringing a small bookshelf back downstairs to use while we refloor the living room triggered a mass migration of furniture. ealdthryth is eager for us to get started but recognizes the real work isn't likely to occur until March. In the interim, we can "clear the decks" and prepare for the change, though. The end tables migrated away--one to nest with its brethren in the office and the other to the third floor. The printer and in-boxes moved to the old entertainment center while its contents moved to the small bookshelf along with the read-and-review trays. The small file cabinet migrated to its temporary location, though we had to repair one of the drawer slides, so the actual drawer is still sitting in the living room. All of a sudden, the living room feels incredibly empty and we haven't even moved the bulky furniture. Even the loop of Lego trains that ealdthryth has been playing with got put away.
All of it needed to be done, but it feels like we did it way ahead of schedule. In two weeks, the couch will go away, and while I work on the floor, we will search for a replacement--a Mission or Arts & Crafts style futon in cinnamon. I'd like the color to be some sort of sage or dark green, but a rust color wouldn't be bad, either. Alas, everything I find online is "Espresso" or "natural pine" or is REALLY expensive. Meh.
Now that there is floor space, I need to acquire the flooring so it can acclimate to the house.
Where is that tape measure?
Finicky Fu
It used to be that the cats would gobble down all their tinned food within a half-hour of us putting it out for them. Recently, it has been taking them all day--by the end of which, the remaining food is dried out and kind of crusty. We made the decision to reduce the tinned food to half a can at each feeding, but I'm a little worried that will cause them to eat more kibble--which Dr. Furr says is like feeding them cookies. Given Ignatius has diabetes, this doesn't sound like a great plan. Too bad there isn't some way to automatically dispense measured quantities of fresh gushy food at regular intervals....
Prequel to Bewitched?
I call it a "movie date", but we did go with the Library's Staff Association to see Beautiful Creatures on Saturday. One of the librarians suggested it, but she was disappointed that the movie was very little like the book, and apologized profusely. Personally, I was entertained, and the movie held together from cinematic perspective. I did have issues with the horrendous "southern accents" that were attempted by some of the cast. My only comment was they needed Dr. Hadley's help. Desperately.
In the end, I wondered if this was the way Darren and Samantha Stevens started out....
The Path Not Taken
I'm excited to see the article about one of my former professors: Professors contribute to Academy Award Nominee Films
And it makes me want to kick myself repeatedly for not actually attempting to acquire my dream job in favor of "making a living". ealdthryth encouraged me to go back to school once she changed careers, but I didn't have a "portfolio" to work with and was feeling too swamped with other stuff to develop one. It didn't help that we had just bought a new house and were trying to stabilize our income. Going back to school didn't seem like the right choice at the time. Sigh I wonder if I am too old to reconsider.
Kick. Kick. Kick.
By the time we got to the house, the ground was merely damp. However, our "movie date" Saturday evening took us into town, and we got to see some remnants of the day's fluffy white stuff crystalizing on top of people's vehicles and on the decorative shrubbery. It wasn't as disappointing as the 1977 snowfall I witnessed in New Orleans--where it was lovely white flakes until about one foot from the ground before suddenly condensing into rain.
Feast or Famine
I've been struggling to develop content for the newsletter because there are long stretches of time where nothing gets reported, no railfans reporting, etc. All of a sudden, I have way too much for a single newsletter. I'm going to pull one of the articles I wrote and postpone it until next month, and that should normalize the size of the newsletter.
Classical Pass
ealdthryth and I started in on the "classical music" section of our music library, and discovered that some of our tastes have changed. We came to the conclusion that although we like the pieces, we aren't going to actively seek them out. Most of them we would have to listen to at home because they would be too sleep-inducing to listen to while driving. We are keeping a lot of it, but it came as a small surprise that we started agreeing to let proportionally more CDs from this section go to a new home.
Change is Imminent
A small suggestion about rearranging stuff by bringing a small bookshelf back downstairs to use while we refloor the living room triggered a mass migration of furniture. ealdthryth is eager for us to get started but recognizes the real work isn't likely to occur until March. In the interim, we can "clear the decks" and prepare for the change, though. The end tables migrated away--one to nest with its brethren in the office and the other to the third floor. The printer and in-boxes moved to the old entertainment center while its contents moved to the small bookshelf along with the read-and-review trays. The small file cabinet migrated to its temporary location, though we had to repair one of the drawer slides, so the actual drawer is still sitting in the living room. All of a sudden, the living room feels incredibly empty and we haven't even moved the bulky furniture. Even the loop of Lego trains that ealdthryth has been playing with got put away.
All of it needed to be done, but it feels like we did it way ahead of schedule. In two weeks, the couch will go away, and while I work on the floor, we will search for a replacement--a Mission or Arts & Crafts style futon in cinnamon. I'd like the color to be some sort of sage or dark green, but a rust color wouldn't be bad, either. Alas, everything I find online is "Espresso" or "natural pine" or is REALLY expensive. Meh.
Now that there is floor space, I need to acquire the flooring so it can acclimate to the house.
Where is that tape measure?
Finicky Fu
It used to be that the cats would gobble down all their tinned food within a half-hour of us putting it out for them. Recently, it has been taking them all day--by the end of which, the remaining food is dried out and kind of crusty. We made the decision to reduce the tinned food to half a can at each feeding, but I'm a little worried that will cause them to eat more kibble--which Dr. Furr says is like feeding them cookies. Given Ignatius has diabetes, this doesn't sound like a great plan. Too bad there isn't some way to automatically dispense measured quantities of fresh gushy food at regular intervals....
Prequel to Bewitched?
I call it a "movie date", but we did go with the Library's Staff Association to see Beautiful Creatures on Saturday. One of the librarians suggested it, but she was disappointed that the movie was very little like the book, and apologized profusely. Personally, I was entertained, and the movie held together from cinematic perspective. I did have issues with the horrendous "southern accents" that were attempted by some of the cast. My only comment was they needed Dr. Hadley's help. Desperately.
In the end, I wondered if this was the way Darren and Samantha Stevens started out....
The Path Not Taken
I'm excited to see the article about one of my former professors: Professors contribute to Academy Award Nominee Films
And it makes me want to kick myself repeatedly for not actually attempting to acquire my dream job in favor of "making a living". ealdthryth encouraged me to go back to school once she changed careers, but I didn't have a "portfolio" to work with and was feeling too swamped with other stuff to develop one. It didn't help that we had just bought a new house and were trying to stabilize our income. Going back to school didn't seem like the right choice at the time. Sigh I wonder if I am too old to reconsider.
Kick. Kick. Kick.