What did you do today? - 2021 version

[street]

Bummer day. We tried to make an appointment to get DW's car inspected (WV has an annual inspection) and found out the shop we had been going to for the the last 19 years closed. The owner was one of the nicest and happiest guys you'd ever want to meet and he ran an honest shop, sometimes hard to find. The last time I asked him about retirement was about two years ago, he was 71 then, and he said he loved what he was doing, had been working on cars since he was 14, and couldn't imagine doing anything else.

The owner of the pizza shop next door said he had cancer and had to retire for what time he had left. That's a definite downer for quite a while here, we really liked Roger.

WOW! Sorry to hear that.
A few years back I lost my mechanic that worked out of his shop also. He had a heart attack and died a few days after, he done some work for me. I missed him great dearly as a friend and as a mechanic.

 

[street]

I did decide to go work on the shallow well this morning. Packed a lunch and headed over with a 5 feet extension of pipe to see if I could hit water.

By golly if I didn't hit water about 17.5 feet. When I seen water dripping off the end of the auger, I was very happy. I couldn't dig it any deeper at the point, it just filled in with mud and water. I should be in good water table with another 5 feet and be able to use shallow well equipment etc.

I then pulled up some old barbwire along a fence row that I'm removing. Looks like snow in the forecast and will be burning a pile of old wood, when we get a good heavy snow. Hoping next week to burn with no danger of starting a wildfire.

 

[Ronstar]

^ congrats on hitting water street!

Today went for a hike, did some woodworking, helped DW put up the Christmas tree, and organized my bug out bag.

 

[NW-Bound]

Looking through a desk drawer today I came upon an envelope of EE bonds. Two of them quit earning interest this summer, so I'm gonna cash them in. Better than finding quarters in the couch cushions.

Back in the day, MegaMotors used to coerce the employees to buy these, so I invested the minimum per paycheck toward the largest denomination. Still ended up with a stack of them.

The same happened with my wife and her megacorp. When I remembered about them a few years ago, asked her about them, and found out that they already stopped earning interest for a few years.

Cashing them at the local bank was quick and easy.

 

[NW-Bound]

I did decide to go work on the shallow well this morning. Packed a lunch and headed over with a 5 feet extension of pipe to see if I could hit water.

By golly if I didn't hit water about 17.5 feet. When i seem water dripping off the end of the auger, I was very happy. I couldn't dig it any deeper at the point, it just filled in with mud and water. I should be in good water table with another 5 feet and be able to use shallow well equipment etc...

Dang! Living in the arid SW, I envy people with so easily accessed water.

Of course, I do not envy your winter precipitation.

 

[aja8888]

Dang! Living in the arid SW, I envy people with so easily accessed water.

Of course, I do not envy your winter precipitation.

Or temperatures.

 

[NW-Bound]

I live less than three miles from the downtown heart of a major city, so I was a bit surprised to see this very healthy, well-fed coyote in the back yard this afternoon.

We've had some scrawny ones in the past, but this guy has it all figured out. I've alerted my neighbors who have pets.

These guys just love house cats. (Ask me how i know) LOL!

Walking around our neighborhood, we saw so many signs posted on street lamps with pictures of people's lost cats. No, the cats are goners, but their owners are still holding out some hope.

We have seen coyotes running around the neighborhood the last few years. But these posted missing cat signs are now popping up all over the place.

 

[NW-Bound]

Or temperatures.

Or places where they have too much water.

Like water up to their nose, literally.

"If it's not one thing, it's 'nother" -- Gilda Radner

 

[GoBears]

I met friends for brunch and had the best corned beef hash that I have had in ages. Came back home to be confronted by the pandemic pup wondering where the heck I had been and demanding a walk. Much of yesterday and tomorrow will be spent trying to make sense of MIL’s trust and assets - she is still terribly confused as her husband handled the finances — it has been 9 months since her husband died and only now do we have a good idea of what was held in the trust and outside of the trust. Several lessons: (1) DRIP stock purchase programs are more trouble than they are worth, particularly when the investor does not keep track of the cost basis, (2) broad index funds are even more appealing after one encounters 75+ individual holdings spread across three brokerage investment accounts and the broker has not yet supplied the necessary cost basis information, and (3) think carefully about prohibiting the surviving spouse’s ability to use half of the trust principal for his/her support - low bond yields means the income generated by the trust may not alone be sufficient to support the survivor at their current standard of living.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I decorated the house for Christmas except for the tree which we don't have yet. I had lunch with a friend and took my youngest son to his orthodontist appointment. Tomorrow my husband will be home from a 3 day fishing trip in Louisiana and we'll go cut a Christmas tree.

 

[MRG]

Received the letter confirming my Medicare starts in February 2022!

 

[Walt34]

Dusted off the snow blower and filled the tires with air to the correct pressure, made sure it had oil in it, and confirmed the electric starter works while I had it close to an outlet. I've never actually used the electric starter to start the engine but keeping Murphy's Law in mind I test it occasionally. The forecast is for some snow Thursday, probably not enough to be concerned with, but that's the time to get it up to the garage for when we do need it. With luck I won't have to put fuel in it all winter and can just drag it back down to the shed in the spring. But I still told DW that "I hope it snows rear-end deep to a giraffe" just to make her moan.

Putzed around with some R/C airplanes, one under construction and the others just maintenance stuff for next season.

 

[MC Rider]

Recently I found the Skechers stores here were out of my favorite shoe, but I could sign up for e mail notice when they come in, so I did. I wonder if they are stuck on a container ship offshore. Both my current pairs are showing their age.


Today I found a new in box pair in the closet I had forgot about. Woo Hoo! I used to always buy 1 get 1 half off, and this pair got forgotten. When my ship comes in I think I'll buy 2 pairs again. Especially if they have a deal.

 

[Music Lover]

We are replacing old dated casing and baseboards so yesterday I removed all of them from the living room and hallway...5 doors and a large opening to the kitchen. We painted the walls and then I cut and installed all the casing around the openings. Will do the baseboards tomorrow.

This is one of the last jobs from a major reno, all that's left is painting the kitchen, back landing and stairs leading to the basement, then installing the new door casing and baseboards. Then the house is 100% complete

 

[Walt34]

Took DW's car out for the annual state inspection so that's done for another year.

Then I brought the snow blower, three snow shovels, and a can of fuel up to the garage in preparation for... hopefully nothing. Isn't that the way it's supposed to work, that if I have everything ready for snow then we won't get any at all? DW is of the opposite mind, in believing that the preparations will in fact hasten the arrival of snow and worsen the amount when it does arrive. So now I'm confused.

 

[38Chevy454]

Then I brought the snow blower, three snow shovels, and a can of fuel up to the garage in preparation for... hopefully nothing. Isn't that the way it's supposed to work, that if I have everything ready for snow then we won't get any at all? DW is of the opposite mind, in believing that the preparations will in fact hasten the arrival of snow and worsen the amount when it does arrive. So now I'm confused.

Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

 

[MC Rider]

No need for a snow shovel to prevent snow here.
That stuff stays up on the mountains where it belongs.

 

[1242Vintage]

Fun day. Went to the gym then over to FIL house to rewire light switch and program so exterior lights go on at night and off at dawn.

Then a late afternoon bike ride and when I got home picked up a couple tix to see Bengals and Browns on 9-January with daughter and wifey.

Now for some steak and Collard greens w/ bacon.



Pic is from my bike ride.

 

[Dash man]

Went to Costco to get my hearing tested. Results were exactly as I suspected. Hearing was damaged from my AF flying years and have deteriorated enough to need some help. Pick up my new ears on the 18th.

 

[Gumby]

Today, we brought out our last batch of chopped Serrano peppers that have been fermenting in brine for the last ten weeks. We ran them through the food mill, then I canned 3 quarter pint jars of hot sauce, with about 2 ounces left to put in small bottle and refrigerate for immediate use.

After that, I got my deli slicer out and thin sliced the bottom round roast that I had smoked yesterday afternoon. The young wife made sourdough sandwich rolls and the necessary beef/onion broth for us to have french dip sandwiches for dinner. Mmmm, good.

 

[street]

I rang the bell for "Salvation Army" and seems to always make me reflect over the past years and the blessing I have in life.

 

[aja8888]

I fixed a plumbing leak at my daughters house this morning. An under sink shutoff valve started leaking. Simple job....tighten packing nut. Hard job....getting my 78 year old body under the sink and back up without help. (LOL)

 

[Calico]

I took my car (Honda Fit, 13 years old) in for its mandatory annual state inspection. The car passed inspection with flying colors. The techs recommended a flush of the fuel system, and they had time to do it today, so I read a few more chapters in my book while they did that. They have a mask mandate, so I didn't mind waiting in their waiting room.

Then I went to the library and did something I haven't been able to do since March of 2020 - I sat down and spent two hours there, just reading and soaking up that wonderful "library feeling" I have missed! All seating had been removed during the pandemic to discourage lingering, but it was just returned.

They have a mask mandate, and there was 100% compliance. In addition, the library has absolutely soaring ceilings, and the furniture is spaced out quite a bit. They do ask that people don't eat or drink yet (this was allowed pre-pandemic).

In the early days of the pandemic I picked up holds curbside. Then they opened the lobby to allow indoor hold pickups. Eventually they allowed folks to browse the stacks (very briefly). And now the seating is back, with no time limit - absolute bliss! It was great to see lots of families with little kids browsing in the children's room again.

I would have spent longer there, but by this time I had been wearing my mask for four hours total, and apparently that is my limit.

I'm so glad my "happy place" is back to 98% normal.

 

[RobbieB]

Got lit up!

Deck the halls -

 

[street]

Looks great Robbie!