Saturday, January 9, 2010

Burr! Florida is supposed to be Warm

This is the coldest and the longest it has been cold in the____about 40 years I've lived in Fla.
I decided that I wouldn't go to the beach area this morning to meet the running group. When the weather people were talking about ice on the bridges, possible sleet for this morning I said forget it. They were going to do 11 miles, which I don't think I'm up to.
And the wind! The wind chill must drop it another 10 degrees.
DH & I made the rounds of BJ's, Lowe's etc. today in the mid morning. Abot 38 when we were driving about. DH found a dowl rod 4' long to make a new closet rod for my room. He has an 8' one for his closet, and a device to hang the new flat screen TV on the wall. So that's out day.

I have the bird of paradise and some other plants covered in tarps and old towels, so they are OK. The angel's trumpet plant was covered for 2 nights, but the wind blew it off. The freeze hit it, but I'm sure it will be OK if I cut it at ground level. That's what happened last year.

JANE-wise to stay home. Flying in this weather is not fun, plus all the germs picked up certainly would do your brother no good. We think that is how my DH got the mono 2 Septembers ago.
Going to snuggle on the couch under some quilts, and watch some football if it is on. The crockpot has a pork roast in it, and it smells so good.
Everyone stay warm out there.
Sara in Frozen Florida

Friday, January 8, 2010

Prius

Jane in NC - your post about your drop in fuel efficiency piqued my interest, so I Googled it. Apparently 20% to 40% drop in really cold weather, like we've been having, is normal for Prius and any car. The same basic answer is on several sites and discussion boards. The gas engine has to run more to create the heat for defroster and interior. I drive a Toyota product and have had noticed a couple MPG less in the past couple weeks. My car is kept in a garage and I haven't driven much, so it might be worse if I parked outdoors and had a lot of hills.

STILL HERE

As you can see I'm still at home. DB had a rough time of it in surgery Wednesday and his friend who is acting as liaison with family tells me he's in the critical care unit and not allowed visitors except for her. She said yesterday that he's too wiped out to want to respond to anyone so she just stayed long enough to tell him that she'd spoken with me and to one of DDs. He'll transfer to in-patient rehab when he's ready. She advised and I agreed that there is no point in my trying to get there considering the chancey weather and I wouldn't be able to be of any service to him until he is much better. On top of the heart he has a "chronic" sinus infection and all this makes him extremely vulnerable to infection and the medical advice is that going through to major airports and one small one would expose me to lots of bugs, possibly H1N1 which might not threaten me but in view of his vulnerability they are being especially careful of infection. Sounds sensible to me. A group from his church were turned away. I've been pushing him for years that I think his constant throat clearing is indicative of allergy which he denies. My informant and I have entered a conspiracy in which she will tell the surgeon about his life long throat clearing which he always claimed was a habit. She and I agree that he will be much healthier if he is forced to deal with that.

Soooo, I actually resumed work on DD's wedding quilt. I have some regrets about the original conception but with a bit more than a third of the blocks made and hundreds invested in fabric I'll just live with those regrets.

Very cold here for this part of the world. Just a bit of snow but on the shaded portions of my driveway I'm trapped for the weekend at least. There will allegedly be temps in 40sF Sunday but that just means ice if the shaded portion of the driveway begins to melt then freezes when the temp drops in late afternoon. Do I have some regrets about buying the Prius? In a word: yes. The fuel efficiency has gone down by 20% recently and when I called the service dept. at the dealership I was told that always happens when the heat and/or defroster is operating. I refilled the tank and for about 90 miles drove without heat and there was no difference. While last winter wasn't nearly as cold as this one I certainly ran the heat without a loss of fuel efficiency. I smell a problem at the service dept. Think I'll call the boss next Monday. Sounds like BS to me. The fuel efficiency is what motivated me to pass over the AWD vehicles for this one.

Well, I haven't heard from Albuquerque today and it's almost 7 PM there so I'm going to call the friend or the hospital.

Jane

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Thursday morning

Sara in FL - I've been watching the news, following the disaster-in-the-making down in Florida for the crops. That is just what they don't need on top of this awful economy.

I think we've dodged a bullet with the snow forecast. Weather guy said our air is so dry, the snow is evaporating before it hits the ground. That's fine with me. :o) I need to go to chiropractor today, so no snow ensures that he'll make it into his office.

It is supposed to go to 8°F tonight and tomorrow night. Hopefully it won't be that bad. We had 100 people at quilt guild on Tuesday. I think everyone had cabin fever and needed to get out.

Hugs to everyone, and stay warm & dry!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

I heard from Pamela, a DUG

Goodmorning:
Hope all of us in North America are staying somewhat warm. It was 21 at our airport, setting a record low for this date. I think it's up to 37 now. So much for the resolution to walk/run 3 miles this morning. Maybe towards noon.
Just wanted the Old WWQP people to know that while cleaning out my quilting room I found an E mail dated Nov, 2003 from Pamela in Aussie land. She is retired from work, her DH retires tomorrow, and is a new grandmom.
She couldn't figure out the new board, after being off for a while. I'll send her an E and tell her how to be invited.
The fires/floods did not affect where she is living, thankfully.
Going to crank up my internal motor and drink a bucket of tea with juice and spices and tackle the top coat of the wooden cutting & pressing stations DH constructed for me. While that is drying I'll stick my nose outside again.
Sara in frosty Fla. --PS on the morning news an interview from a farmer in Plant City, Fla. where all the yummy spring strawberries come from--they are trying to save some of the crops. Over half of all the strawberries have been ruined my the below freezing temps.

Monday, January 4, 2010

PENDING ABSENCE

Just got word that DB will be having a triple by-pass within a week so I'll be heading to Albuquerque in a few days. Probably won't be posting til he's home and can show me how to use his lap top. He sounds happy go lucky on phone tonight. Friends have already offered to take him in so he's not in a desperate situation. But he is widowed and his dog is in a kennel. Shadow will stay with my wonderful neighbors who spoil her rotten and feed her stuff I don't especially approve of but it beats spending a week or more in a kennel. They really love her and she reciprocates.

I want to drive but the weather is fierce between here and there so can't take the chance. I can get a flight from Atlanta with only one change but that's in Kansas City which, I understand, has been hit hard with snow lately. One of the reasons I would like to drive would be so I could have Shadow's company and so I could take sewing machine and DD's wedding quilt stuff. The one way trip buying on Travelocity is less than $200 and I sure couldn't drive for anything near that low.

Will check in when DB can show me how.

Jane

PS to ROSEY, Since he will be on a seriously heart healthy diet regimen I still intend to be the first to lose that five pounds. Just wish I could get out for more than ten minutes without my fingers going numb. Wind chills here have been in the negative range and are to remain that way for most of the coming week. DB has mentioned in the past that the big hospital where he is has a very good fitness center so maybe I can work out when he's getting rehab. Their daytime temps are relatively moderate most of the time.

SCARING DOGS

Shadow is a very timid dog by temperament. Ultimately we found that taking the advice about picking the low ranking dog in the litter makes for a much more biddable dog was sound. However it took some doing to get her to feel confident in the company of other dogs and strangers.When she was just a bit more than 12 weeks old I was appointed chief house break trainer as Molly and Al went off to go hunting in the mid west. He'd fashioned a barrier confining her to the kitchen so that all accidents occurred on the vinyl floor when not under supervision. I'd put her in there with her crate and headed to the shower one morning. When I was preparing to step into or out of the shower, don't recall which, I heard doggie toe nail clicks far closer to the bedroom than to the kitchen. Emerging from the bedroom in my birthday suit to see what was up there was Shadow in the living room having climbed over the barrier. She took one look at me and screamed in terror at the sight of me in that unfamiliar condition. She ran for the kitchen, I lifted her over the barrier and she sped into the crate cowering in the very back of it. When I stopped laughing I approached slowly speaking to her in soothing tones, put my outstretched hand in the crate and as soon as she got a sniff she was immediately happy. I couldn't resist calling Al to give him the latest on his brave hearted future hunter. It was near Halloween and I suggested we start a business making a new Halloween costume to frighten all the children: The Naked Jane Outfit.

Jane in freezing mts of NC

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Moooovie review

I needed to get out of the house and have a focus for my day so called friend, Virginia, and talked her into seeing "Did you hear what happened to the Morgans" I told her I was desperate because I don't particularly like Sarah Jessica Parker...all that hair, thin body, angular face, a bit of a fluff actress...but hey, I like looking at Hugh Grant despite his posteuring the same way in each film. He seems to have a permanently stiff uppercrust neck and accent, copied his walk from Prince Phillip, I think...but I've always enjoyed his movies...so...Guess what...I did enjoy the movie even though I knew it was light comedy..and I did enjoy SJParker. So there you are..."It's Complicated" and "The Morgans"...if you're looking for entertainment of a light and poofy kind...they're okay. Of course, I'd go to see Meryl Streep standing on a soap box on the corner, any day.

Rosey