what are you doing right now?

[MarionTh230]

Checking in here to see how everybody is faring with the extreme cold.  The front came in around midnight, so it's just the beginning here.  We'll see how things go tonight.

About to get moving now that I'm done with coffee.  Baking sugar cookies with kiddo, cornbread, and some light cleaning.  Mostly picking up and putting stuff away.  Will run the vacuum as well.

Stay warm and stay safe friends!

[wvugurl26]

The weather Channel app said it was 3 here. My car said 1 when I started it. I'm going to the pharmacy to pick up grandma's antibiotic. When I got in last night she was coughing like crazy and had a fever of 102. She normally runs 97 something.

I dragged her to the ER kicking and screaming. Fortunately it's not pneumonia. I masked up and it was empty when we arrived so hopefully I don't pick up a bug.

After the pharmacy I need to finish my menu and shopping list. I was going to do some of this last night but I was sitting in the ER.

[saveinla]

Dec 23, 2022 10:07:16 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

Mulling over the new CD interest rates. I missed one at my CU where I keep my emergency fund but did opt for a 9 month.

From what I'm reading some CDs could go to 5% to 5.25%. Then more shuffling. I did cash one out waiting for January 1 2023 on a sparkling new Treasury Direct deposit.

I need to shower, eat then balance my checkbook from online. I doubt I'll see a print statement for a while since the northern tier is snowed/blizzarded in. I'm in hibernating mode and want to sleep long hours. So much better than nervous waking during the night. It's not bitter cold here. People are staying in at night so there is less noise.

Where are you getting 5 or 5.25%? All I can see is 3%.

[chiver78]

yikes, WVU. glad you were there to take care of her!

re: weather. deep freeze hasn't hit us yet, that's tonight after all the rain. that should be fun. I've actually got my side door open for now, so Punk can come and go as she pleases. my weather app says 57 degrees here in SE Massachusetts right now.

[minnesotapaintlady]

MN appears to be closed today according to MN511. 🤣 Glad I get to hole up at home.

I did take the heated house out to the barn cat who basically refused such pansy treatment. I put her food bowl in there so she'd at least be forced to sit in there for a bit and thaw her toes. Meanwhile my house cats were all pissed off that I took it away! They are currently both sitting in the spot it was glaring at me.

[cooper88]

I just heard DH letting the dog out and telling her he would let her back in in less than five minutes. I'm guessing he was bargaining with her.

[saveinla]

I wont tell you how cold I am here  in warm and sunny SoCal  .

Hope everyone stays safe in this weather.

[minnesotapaintlady]

I sent Carrot downstairs to get the ornaments out of the guest bedroom closet. His response? "We have a guest bedroom?" Have I ever mentioned he's afraid of the basement? I keep trying to get him to move into one of the bedrooms down there so I can have my original office back but he refuses even though he'd have a way bigger room.

[raeoflyte]

Our outside spigot burst last night. Dh heard and saw it and got the water turned off right away and of the half dozen plumbers I called 2 were available this morning. I'll count all of it as a Christmas miracle.

Plumber is getting parts now and will add a shut off inside just for that spigot for the future.

[chiver78]

I just caught this story on my local news lol.... make sure you watch the whole video in the embedded tweet about halfway down. 🤣🤣🤣

people.com/human-interest/sports-reporter-makes-feelings-very-clear-when-covering-morning-weather-during-blizzard/

[Deleted]

Well, we survived the night without a power outage and the water is running fine. Some of my neighbors aren't so lucky. They listened to the City's advice and did not let the faucets drip so they are frozen solid.

I called the generator company this morning and they said they "would try to get him out next Thursday". Sure they will, and the Easter Bunny will be here in the Spring too

[daisylu]

Dec 23, 2022 11:43:51 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I just caught this story on my local news lol.... make sure you watch the whole video in the embedded tweet about halfway down. 🤣🤣🤣

people.com/human-interest/sports-reporter-makes-feelings-very-clear-when-covering-morning-weather-during-blizzard/

🤣

[daisylu]

I was one of the ones having issues logging in this morning, seems fine now.

Currently 15 degrees here now, with wind chill feels of 2 degrees. Hoping the power holds up. 🤞

Got gifts wrapped this morning - had to run out for a couple more bags. Grocery store is right next door, but no way I was braving that. Parking lot was 98% full. Luckily, I could live without a few things for a while.

[lurkyloo]

We went from absolutely pouring rain all day yesterday, to snow flurries blowing sideways for about half an hour, to crazy wind and the sudden temp drop.  Watching the wind as I try to come up with annual review goals for the work I’ve done so fair...seems a tad unfair    I know, for instance, not to put “get trainwreck project funded” down as a concrete goal 

Making progress, I think.  Got DS to wrap his presents for DH this morning, did the remaining grocery shopping last night although I’d like to pick up a loaf of decent bread tomorrow.  Still have some wrapping to do, want to drop off first wave of IL presents (snacks from Cost Plus mostly), need to sew DS’ pajama pants, and tomorrow is probably going to be mortal combat, cookie baking edition.  (Soooo much easier when DS doesn’t want to help    Bonding time, right?)

Cleaning and organizing still on the list since SIL is staying over.  Thinking DH can disconnect from work long enough to help with that    And cooking...there is essentially no difference between Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at our house, except Christmas adds a lot more to the balancing act.

[wvugurl26]

That is a Christmas miracle rae.

It was 45 when we got home at 11pm from the ER. It's 1 this morning. Grandma is much better today although I think the cough gets worse at night. I'm going to pick up some Mucinex when I go back out. Today's dose of antibiotics is down.

This morning she said the guy from the couple who clean and do chores was sick last week when they came. I have worried for 3 years now about dragging something in and giving it to her. I guess others don't care.

I am still surprised she caved and went to the ER. She was fighting me good last night. I'll remind my DH just who's granddaughter I am next time he says I'm stubborn.

[andi9899]

Dec 22, 2022 20:07:39 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Dec 22, 2022 19:59:34 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I ended up with a breakfast burrito of sorts. I cut up some potatoes, smoked sausage, green pepper and had onions already cut up and cooked those. I felt like breakfast so I put eggs in a separate pan and spooned in some of my concoction. Then I put it in a big tortilla with cheese, salsa and sour cream. What I didn't mix with the egg can be eaten on its own for lunch drizzled with ranch dressing. I'll likely eat this all weekend.

Dang, that sounds good!

It really was.

[andi9899]

My cousin just left. The guy that put the dishwasher in said I had some electrical problem because the dishwasher was fried. I had already had an electrician out once this summer that told me there was no electrical problem. My cousin is an electrician and he just came and looked at it and said there's no problem. He said I just had a bad dishwasher. Glad I didn't pay an electrician to come out again and tell me there was no problem. That would have pissed me off.

[andi9899]

Also, T1 just informed me that her car insurance lapsed and they won't reinstate it. Why did I have children?!

[countrygirl2]

What a mess. We were stuck in indi for 3 hours. The plane was stuck to the ground.  Will write on different co Peter.

[teen persuasion]

Dec 23, 2022 10:35:00 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Well, my dumbass forgot to leave the faucets on and the kitchen sink froze. The bathroom plumbing works so I'm using that for now. I need it to get above zero so that the kitchen will work. Luckily the washer which is just below it works so I'm doing laundry. Boo!

We use a blowdryer on frozen pipes to try to thaw them.  Open the  faucet, and work backward from the faucet down the pipe - you want the melt water to have a path to escape to reduce pressure.  

If it stays frozen too long, expanding ice can burst the pipe.

[ners]

Happy I can log in again.  Grateful my company let me work from home.  (Not the norm for this new job.). Feel sorry for the receptionist she is unable to work from home.  She lives close and was planning on coming in.

Praying I do not lose power.   

[susana1954]

I'm baking a cake.

The first wave of family (my son's) came this morning.  They are all boys so the younger ones got stuff like Nerf guns and boxing gloves.  Penny was not amused.  She finally calmed down as she sat in my lap, but they kept trying to come near her.  She wasn't having it.  She didn't snap or anything, just warning growls and then barks.  I told them to count their fingers when they got here.  If they wanted to go home with the same number, they should leave Penny alone.

She's sleeping it off right now.  Poor baby.  We do it again tomorrow night, but this time with almost all girls.  I hope she and Carrie get along.  It has been a couple of years since Carrie has been here.

[finnime]

Also glad I can sign in. I'm about to bake a pecan pie and cheesecake before we go out to eat at an Italian restaurant. It's been raining most of the day. I did wrap and wrap presents. Have more wrapping to go; also, need to decorate tree already. Maybe when DD wakes from her nap.

I have a card with $20 in it ready for the mail carrier. Do you do this--give the carrier anything at the holidays? DH thinks it's important. I agree it is for the trash and recycling crews, but the USPS? Unsure.

[swamp]

I was told not to go to work today. NYS shut us down. The mall is closed now too. 

[wvugurl26]

I would give the mail carrier the card but mine gives excellent service. She takes great care of our packages.

[jerseygirl]

Dec 23, 2022 13:26:21 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

What a mess. We were stuck in indi for 3 hours. The plane was stuck to the ground.  Will write on different co Peter.

Hoping you get to your son’s family without more problems

[giramomma]

Dec 23, 2022 14:05:12 GMT -5 swamp said:

I was told not to go to work today. NYS shut us down. The mall is closed now too. 

My colleague told me Buffalo was supposed to get several feet of snow from the storm..

[busymom]

The wind gusts are just whipping around the house.  I can only imagine what it must to like trying to drive in open country today, with all of the loose snow blowing around.  We've probably got a total of about 10-12 inches of snow on the ground.  And, without the wind chill the temperature here is -2.


I just took a pie out of the oven.  I'm thankful I still had baking to do, because even with good insulation, it's hard to keep the house warm on a day like today.

[giramomma]

I am really freaking out about everything. Quietly.

But, it would be nice if I didn't have to ask if it was OK if ate lunch for 5 minutes...

[raeoflyte]

Dec 23, 2022 13:21:45 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Also, T1 just informed me that her car insurance lapsed and they won't reinstate it. Why did I have children?!

The shoe-makers children always seems to come true.

Dh and I messed up on car insurance once. I'm pretty sure progressive took us.