Still Breathing

I guess it's time for another entry, though nothing much is going on.

Christmas bins

I have yet to get all the boxes down to the basement, mostly because once I got everything into the new bins, there are excess boxes, which means having to glean everything out of them, then break them down and get them out to the garage.

New plant in the window

It seems like, being cooped up in the house on cold days, I could get all this stuff done, but I seem only to attack one or two chores a day—if there's nothing good on Netflix. I have been making a concerted effort to keep the kitchen clean (it's very easy for things to pile up). I have the disability that most men have: being incapable of rinsing a dish and putting it directly into the dishwasher. My M.O. is to stack them up in the right side of the sink and let them "soak" (which means just sit there). Pots and pans need to be done by hand, so those pile up in left side. Lately, I've tried to have everything clean before I go to bed, and this has been fairly successful.

Little improvements have cropped up around the house, like a new caddy for the shower upstairs (the old one had weird red stuff growing on it: it was only 12 years old), finally repotting the plant I got several months ago at the grocery store (it's at the living room window, adding class to the place). More puttering. I also got a second toolbox, so there's one for downstairs and one for upstairs. Maybe I'll get to mounting all the stuff needs mounting (the vacuum cleaner, new smoke/CO detectors) and get the rest of the artwork up on the walls.

Sitting area is looking good these days

Things have been nice and warm (well, 40s and 50s, which seems almost tropical) and the snow has melted away. It would seem that spring was here, but the upcoming week will bring a cold snap, a couple days of near-freezing daytime highs and down into the teens at night. Get precipitation with that, and it means more snow and more snow removal. I am now fully prepared for winter weather, with my snow thrower, my snow shovel, my snow boots and nearly 70 pounds of ice melt salt still remaining. This will ensure that we don't have any more heavy snows.

Mower and thrower: Going green

I have been thinking on spring though, and bought a lawn mower that runs on the same batteries as the snow thrower. I'm taking responsibility for the yard myself, since hiring someone is such a pain. Mark (my previous yard guy) really spoiled me. I figure taking over the mowing might even lead to getting out in the yard and planting something. I'd really like to have something planted that would come up with the spring thaw. Something with color.

I have also been tackling the unpacked boxes upstairs. When you have extra room, it's very easy to leave all the stuff you don't use all the time in the boxes it arrived in. Most of it is office flotsam that really should be stowed or tossed, but there's enough stuff among it that should be out and available, so each box needs going through. I'm digging through, organizing stuff to be stowed and finding homes for the stuff I want to keep out and available. And getting rid of more empty boxes. Then there's the books and the artwork.

Sassy brassy stuff

I've finally put up the brass hook rack in the bedroom. I dragged out all the brass stuff that hadn't been polished in three or four years and bought some Brasso. It took a good afternoon of elbow grease, but now my comedy/tragedy masks, the hook rack, and the house numbers are all shiny. (Getting the numbers back on the door is another chore I've been putting off because of the cold.)

I also broke down last month and bought a new iPhone 7 (my previous phone was an iPhone 4 and the battery was starting to fizzle, not holding a charge overnight). The new phone has lots of bells and whistles, and I now get reception when I'm out in Ettrick at Pam and Steve's place (Friday nights are Pizza Nights, you'll recall).

Finally found a decent lamp

The last and most recent acquisition is a lamp for the "conversation area" in the living room. I finally found one that I liked that didn't cost an arm and a leg. And, of course, it came in a box; two boxes, actually. More breaking down and stowing.

This weekend we spring ahead, timewise, and I think the change will do a lot toward making things feel more like spring. This past winter, I noticed how long nights and short days affect me. It's not as pronounced as dark winters in Alaska were, but it still is a change. Maybe I need one of those sun therapy lamps.

I've gotten used to the cold, though, and enjoy it. Temperatures in the 30s are quite comfortable, and when it gets into the 40s things are downright cozy. All too soon, though, I'll be bitching about the weather being hot and muggy. Life's like that.