Musings

The Guru and I took a stroll in the last of the day’s sunlight (at least in our neighborhood), and found only a few bits of snow remaining in the sun. In the shade: more.

Although these may look like huge drifts perhaps on dense wheat stubble, it’s a manicured lawn composed of one of those heat-hardy southern grasses that turns brown to cheer you up in the winter….

Thus: show thickness is a mere centimeter or so.

And the audio track was mostly drip drip drip….

Posted at 5:40 PM | 3 Comments »

GJP goal: “Georgia Justice Project (GJP) breaks the cycle of poverty by defending the indigent criminally accused and, win or lose, standing with them as they rebuild their lives.” This is not Barry Scheck’s Innocence Project.

Walked to a fried chicken dinner with The Author and The Brothers in the revitalizing neighborhood along Edgewood and marveled at the new trolley tracks (not yet trolley-fied). Yeah, a bit chilly out (brrrr!), but we kept moving, slowing only for the icy zones and red lights. Fun!

If you haven’t already, read Rebecca’s story on Politico.com about Atlanta and the snow-event traffic jam. Most cogent piece on that subject to date.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Neighborhood biz

We trotted out all our slick-walking strategies (e.g., stick to snowy edges where the footing is better (when it is); take teensy steps to keep your balance…), and wandered the neighborhood during the “heat of the afternoon” looking for sunny spots (that were less slippery—and warmer). Above freezing (at least in the sun), and blacktop meant some reversal of the traffic-stopping conditions. Temporarily anyway.

Yeah, not tough for the Midwest (thank you, S—and W!!, the star!), but paralyzing for this area.

We’ll awaken tomorrow and look for some global-warming.

Posted at 8:31 PM | 2 Comments »

In the last snowstorm, fingers were pointed at the city for not getting streets cleaned/sanded. Today, I think the city did fine with what they could control, mostly. The problem was often just plain too much traffic, and too many vehicles with drivers who were beyond their experience level. As we got closer to dusk, the temps kept dropping, and then ice came into play and basically it didn’t matter how many/few vehicles were out there—just plain NOT-driving weather!

Of course, the weather has been in bands, different depending on latitude…along with the late-day and overnight dropping temps….

We had to grin when we saw this Trunkster, complete with carrot nose! We also were glad to see kids skidding down hills, safely in parks.

Full report: we made a safe, albeit long, trip to the airport and back; took over three hours….

Posted at 6:50 PM | 3 Comments »

Took a deep breath and headed over to the Sweeeedish Inexpensive Furniture Place. Looked at several possibilities for creating an elevated desktop surface for My New Stand-Up Desk.

I arrived thinking I had my variables nailed, then developed doubts as we ticked through options…namely: add a piece atop an existing surface—somewhat like a table-top lectern, but wider as I have two monitors, and duh flat OR get a new group of pieces that would assemble to create a work-surface of the correct height…or presumed correct height.

Circled the place twice, deliberating. (Avoided the meatballs and cinnamon buns both times.)

Bought a Snorgbröd or Snøttkkragg or Årdnoskk or something. Strictly speaking, probably too much particle board buried under plastic veneer, but undeniably cost effective.

Have to clean and de-clutter office before assembling, to make The New Arrangement work….

Posted at 11:27 PM | 1 Comment »

I just love embroidery. I gave an easy version of it a try—with wool multi-ply—when I did bargello (all those decades ago). This fine work…with silk—WAY beyond my skill set.

And, yes, I understand this was done by machine. Still.

Posted at 10:07 PM | Comments Off on Breath-taking embroidery

Given how much talk is floating around about how healthy it is to use a standing desk—or, with the addition of more $$, a treadmill desk—there are surprisingly few options offered…via googling and amazon…in the marketplace.

Lacking obvious choices at under $800 (!!, or $1300, or??!!), we’re off to Eye-Key-Ahhhhhh on Monday. Probably to find something that will function as a raised surface to add atop my current desktop. Which is really a table. (Long story.)

Still, if I were in the mood to Shark Tank into the furniture business, it would be with a standing desk, adjustable, with a two-level work surface, one level for the keyboard…and “materials”…and another for the monitor (monitors, in many cases) to sit on, at the proper eye-level.

It’s not simple: see this UofM webpage (love the photo; off to find brand-new, clean seee-ment blocks haha).

Posted at 10:34 PM | 2 Comments »

…mean cold cold cold. That, plus the vortex.

The vastness of what I don’t know is…staggering. Like that Irving Berlin wrote “Blue Skies” (1926). Thank you, WikiPee.

Posted at 6:19 PM | Comments Off on Nothing but blue skies…

This winter’s science experiment is holding on (barely, I think). Thyme anyone?

Posted at 11:21 PM | 1 Comment »

Here’s proof that green food is more than vegetables.

The cheese wheel-ette is from a Georgia dairy, and three mints have loads of antioxidants.

So there….

Posted at 8:17 PM | Comments Off on Streeeeetch your mind