What did you do today? - 2023/2024 version

[Gumby]

New year, new thread. Here's a link to last year. https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/what-did-you-do-today-2022-version-112375.html

As for me, I got up early and started in on our annual New Year's Day brunch. First, I made cranberry scones from scratch, with honey and roasted walnut butter to be served with them. Then, I set about ironing and starching our white linen tablecloth and napkins and polishing all the silver. When the young wife woke up, she made the butternut squash and smoked chicken hash. We grew the squash in our garden over the summer and I smoked the chicken on Friday. At the very end, I poached some eggs to put atop the hash. The low winter sun streaming through our dining room windows made all the silver and crystal and china glitter and shine as we toasted the New Year with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne while listening to George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". This is the 33rd year in a row we have done this. I always enjoy it, and it makes me hopeful for the year ahead. Happy New Year to all of you.

 

[braumeister]

I've always enjoyed having some pickled herring on New Year's Day.

The custom came from my father's family, and is traditional in much of northern Germany. Supposedly, it will bring you luck for the coming year.

The only kind I really enjoy is Vita, probably because that's all that was available where I grew up.

 

[ElizabethT]

An odd New Years day here today what with no Rose Parade or Rose Bowl (both pushed to tomorrow, Monday, due to an agreement made many years ago between the city of Pasadena and it's local religious congregations, that no parade would ever occur on a Sunday).

We will instead be spending the day walking about eight miles along the beach, streaming Maverick, and enjoying NYE leftovers.

 

[pacergal]

A quiet foggy day here, started a load of laundry, turned the page in my planner to a New Year and new joyous time with family!
The firecrackers started at 10pm last night and continued......

 

[frayne]

Dog sitting last night and today until my son returns from watching the OSU/Georgia game in Atlanta. Calling for a high of 68 degrees today which is a far cry from the 8 degree temps from last weekend. Probably watch a little pro football this afternoon, clean up my sticks in preparation for my usual Monday outing. Already printed out my EOY financials, licked my wounds and hoping for a kinder 2023. Happy New Year all.

 

[finnski1]

New year, new thread. Here's a link to last year. https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/what-did-you-do-today-2022-version-112375.html

As for me, I got up early and started in on our annual New Year's Day brunch. First, I made cranberry scones from scratch, with honey and roasted walnut butter to be served with them. Then, I set about ironing and starching our white linen tablecloth and napkins and polishing all the silver. When the young wife woke up, she made the butternut squash and smoked chicken hash. We grew the squash in our garden over the summer and I smoked the chicken on Friday. At the very end, I poached some eggs to put atop the hash. The low winter sun streaming through our dining room windows made all the silver and crystal and china glitter and shine as we toasted the New Year with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne while listening to George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". This is the 33rd year in a row we have done this. I always enjoy it, and it makes me hopeful for the year ahead. Happy New Year to all of you.

Excellent tradition. Well done.

 

[Lsbcal]

Gumby, impressed that your energy level was much higher then mine this morning.

Since we are between storms and today is sunny with high 50's I will go for a run in the park in the afternoon. This year I seem to be 2 pounds heavier then the start of last year so need to keep up the exercise. Last year I had some minor running related leg issues so lower mileage. Changed to a combo of running one day, walking the next.

As I get older this will be a long term battle which I hope to be a winner at. Fingers crossed.

 

[donheff]

I spent the morning collimating (aligning the mirrors) on the 22 year old home made telescope I resurrected from storage last year. I bought a fancy little collimation tool a few months ago and immediately proceeded to screw everything up. With some helpful online advice, I started over and got it dialed back in this morning. Or I hope so.

 

[MichaelB]

I went out for my morning walk and found pretty think fog, which is quite unusual in South Florida. By the time I had finished the fog had gone and the sun was shining on a beautiful day. I can’t help but feel this is a good omen for the new year.

 

[Sue J]

Our 4 year old grandson slept over last night. He's an early riser and loves it when Grandpa makes him breakfast.

His newest interest is DOORBELLS! Our house is from 1955 and we have the original doorbell and it makes a classic ding dong sound. He loves pressing the outside button and then running to the bell mounted in the hallway while one of us presses the button. We even got him a step ladder so that he could see the workings with the cover off.

He's a great kid and he really enjoys being here alone with us, without his 16 mo old brother or his parents.

WE ARE SO LUCKY!

 

[Teacher Terry]

Yesterday at 9 am when my weather app said it was raining it actually was snowing quite hard. By 1 we had lost internet, tv and half the power. Oddly my condo building must be on 2 transformers. So I cancelled dinner plans with friends and spent the daylight hours finding the space heater, extra blankets, extension cords, etc and figuring out which plugs had power.

ETA for power is 6pm but who knows. I had so many blankets on my bed that I could hardly turn over. I won’t go out until the heat is back on because without the space heater running my dogs would be cold.

 

[irishgal]

Hiked the dogs for an hour, worked out in the home gym, did some tracking practice with the dogs, they are all now resting.
Need to brush hog an area then will try to find a good book to start.

 

[Toast]

What did you do today? - 2023 version

We have sunny weather after a week of non-stop clouds and rain. So nice! We spent the morning outside taking down our Christmas decorations and then played ball with our dog in the backyard. A wonderful start to 2023!

 

[skyking1]

I did a little cabinetry repurposing I will post in another thread, and then we came to Seattle to watch the game with my sister and brothers.
Sister's husband and son are at the game and we are spending precious time with her. It's a win-win.

 

[Car-Guy]

Took down the Christmas tree, inside and outside Christmas decorations and stored them away for another year... Tried to tell the DW to just leave them up so we could celebrate all year around.... But no dice.

 

[Freedom56]

Started taking down the outdoor Christmas lights but then it started raining again.

 

[Palmtree]

Due to a large excessive meal on new years eve, we skipped our traditional big Sunday brunch and went with oatmeal, fruit and yogurt. I spent a hour or more creating a net worth statement. It's an annual tradition going back many years and always done on January 1st. After that me and wife took advantage of the warm weather and went for a walk. When we returned, we got into our lounge around the house clothes, opened a good bottle of Champagne and we spent a few minutes reviewing the investments. (down 17%!) My wife has just finished scrap booking the summer vacation pictures from our three week trip in Croatia and Italy. The next hour or two was spent sipping champagne while looking and the pictures, remembering the trip, reminiscing about the whole year and dreaming of trips yet to be.

 

[Trailwalker]

Early morning four mile hike across overnight crunchy snow. Roasted coffee for the week. Moved some firewood closer to the house. Tended to the woodstove. Overheated the house. Watched football.

 

[Getyoung]

Went for a couple of nice long walks. Picked up a few groceries to make a big stir fry, gotta take it easy for a few days! Did some year end work on the computer. All in all a pretty laid back day.

 

[Philliefan33]

DH and I have colds, so have been couch potatoes for a couple of days. (Just colds - I tested). We postponed a trip to see my parents so we wouldn’t bring the germs to them. I would’ve liked to take advantage of the relatively warm weather and gone for a bike ride but I just don’t have the energy. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[TrvlBug]

Did a bit of yard cleanup from Saturday's rainstorm in the SF Bay Area, grocery shopping, took a nice long walk with DH to enjoy the sunny day. They are forecasting rainy weather for the next 2 weeks.

 

[MC Rider]

Changed my address online with DMV (Dept of Motor Vehicles) a while back.
Went online today to get a new card with our new address. Filled out app online, and was able to make an appointment at their local office less than 2 hours later. Went in and was back out the door in 5 minutes, no waiting. New card will come in the mail in a couple weeks.


A HUGE contrast to going to DMV in Los Angeles where I had to make appt weeks ahead and still wait in line, and was there an hour or 2. Which seemed not bad at the time.

 

[Chuckanut]

I spent a good 15 minutes this morning looking out my living room window at a unusual and quite beautiful scene. A soft pink light bathed the entire neighborhood and probably farther out. It was surreal, almost magical. We get some nice sunsets and sunrises this time of year thanks to the near constant presence of clouds, but this one was just marvelous.

 

[MC Rider]

Pics or.....


You know.

 

[Gumby]

I went shoe shopping with the young wife. We're still married and she bought a pair of shoes, so it went okay.