Golly, if this past weekend is any indication, we’re in for an Olde Tyme winter this year. I don’t know what the official snow totals are so far, but out where I live, we had nine inches as of about 2:00 yesterday afternoon – and there was no end in sight. It’s too dark to see how much we’ve gotten since then, but it looks like quite a bit. Another 8-10 inches at least, I bet. Maybe more. And the forecast for this week is snow, snow, snow, a little less snow, snow, and snow (and maybe a Nor’easter for next Sunday/Monday). Cold, too. Not so bad temperature-wise (it’s about 20 degrees out there at the moment), but the wind has been constant at 20-25 mph, so it was feeling a little nippy out there on the tractor (especially when facing directly into the wind with the snow being driven into my face). Beats using a shovel, though. So, time for one more cup of coffee, and then time to plow the driveway (again). I guess my ‘My Shape’ morning workout will just have to wait today (which is OK, ‘cuz two days of it has me kinda sore anyway – god, what pathetic shape I’ve allowed myself to get into; oh well, gotta start someplace).

Tonight is the season finale of Boardwalk Empire, which is too darn bad. With ‘Big Love’ not starting until January, I’m not sure what there is worth watching (never did get into ‘In Treatment.’ I watched it a couple of times and realized I really didn’t give a crap about the characters in it – I’m not allowed to complain, so why should I have to listen to somebody else. Usually I try to give these shows a fair chance, but, I just couldn’t get into it) on HBO for a while. Though ‘Men of a Certain Age’ starts tomorrow, and I like that. Oh well, from the looks of things, I may be spending a lot of time plowing the driveway anyway. Speaking of which….

Yep, it’s Saturday, and I started out the morning with a rousing workout. Well, actually I started out the day with coffee, last night’s Sanctuary and Medium, and then a rousing workout, courtesy of my latest Kinect ‘game’ – “Your Shape.” It’s hard not to feel like an idiot when you’re doing what, heretofore, I’d have considered girlie exercises done to girlie music (I wonder if you can change that somewhere?), while being nagged by some broad telling you you’re not doing it right. It’s even harder with your wife sitting there watching and laughing at you. But, I made some decent progress for my first time, and am still sweating as I write this. Hopefully I’ll be motivated to continue with this (without an audience) on at least a three days a week basis. Plus get in a game or two of ping pong (which has certainly come a long way since my first game of pong – which my favorite but much older sister was kind enough to buy for me, oh, probably in the neighborhood of 35 or more years ago). Oh well, time to measure to go buy some pipe and fittings, get some diesel fuel, and then get ready to do some driveway plowing. Seems to be snowing out there.

Today is my favorite sister’s birthday. I think she turns 29 today (more or less). It’s also Amanda Seyfried’s birthday. Amanda, if you don’t have any plans tonight, I’d be happy to go out and celebrate with you. It’s Friday, so I can maybe even stay up ’til 10:00. Maybe. If you make it worth my while. 😉

It’s also Ozzie Osbourne’s birthday today, and Daryl Hannah hits the big 5-0 (yes Daryl and I were born a month apart, and I’ve always – and by always, I mean ever since the movie ‘Summer Lovers’ – thought we were destined to be together – but, then again, I always – and by always, I mean ever since her guest roles on ‘The Courtship of Eddie’s Father’ – thought Jodie Foster and I were destined to be together, too, and that’s not really working out – though with Jodie I have an excuse, what with her playing for the other team and all). Anyhow, Daryl, if you wanna hang out with Amanda and me tonight, that’s cool (maybe even crank up some Jackson Browne tunes).

In other news, the Hess gas station I worked at about, oh, must be 25 years ago or more, was robbed last night. I hope the poor schmuck working there was keeping up on his drops. If you’ve never had the pleasure of working at such an establishment, there’s a safe cemented into the floor with a little slot in it, and anytime you had more than a couple hundred bucks in the till, you were supposed to put it in an envelope and drop it down the chute. Being a schmuck and all, you didn’t have the combination to the safe, so the hope was that the robber would believe you when you told him that was all the money you had, and not blow your head off out of spite. Either way, the asshole that owned the place wouldn’t lose much money (except whatever it cost to clean your brain bits off the wall).

I don’t know if the same asshole owns the place or not. If so, I know that no matter how little money he lost last nickel – even if it was only a nickel – will pain him greatly. And that would be a good thing. Did I mention he was an asshole?

Otherwise, it’s official: SU football is going to play in a bowl game for the first time since the 2004 season. And there’s good news for Sue, ‘cuz they’ll be playing in the new Yankee stadium, so she’ll be able to attend. Yes, a football game outdoors in New York on December 30th. :cold: Should be fun. You can tell it’s a prestigious bowl game, because it’s being played on a Thursday afternoon at 3:30 (so I should hopefully get to see most of the 4th quarter after work). Still, beggars can’t be choosers, and we’re not complaining.

Well, Friday is upon us, and not a moment too soon. I’m looking forward to getting this horrible 5-day week behind me. And we’re supposed to get some more snow this weekend, which means I should get some quality seat time on the tractor. I see that my insulated Elmer Fudd hat with the faux-fur ear flaps has made it over from the old house (though there appears to be no sign of my insulated coveralls), so that’s a good thing. I had a hard time seeing behind me with my hood up the other night, so I got kinda cold. The hat should be a big improvement. And besides, it make me look pretty hot.

Play your cards right, Daryl and Amanda, and I might wear it for you tonight. :hubba:

We got some snow yesterday. Not as much as they got south of Buffalo, where lake effect off Lake Erie dumped a foot of snow (and counting). To quote Arlo Guthrie, “the NY State Thruway is closed, man.” But enough where I got to get out there on the tractor and plow the driveway. I’ve never had so much fun moving snow (everything’s better on a tractor, I’ve come to find out). Then I came in and played several rousing ping pong matches on the XBOX (my shoulder was pretty sore by the time I was done), and then tried my hand (and legs) at track and field. Despite having trouble because I couldn’t stop laughing (having to run in place and then jump up in the air to do the long jump and run the hurdles is inexplicably hilarious – as is running in place and throwing the javelin), I managed to win the competition against all the other computer opponents (of course, I selected beginner level opponents). The only event I bombed in was the discus, which I didn’t actually get the hang of. The big question is, do I order the ‘My Shape’ game? Oh, I think I do. In fact, I think I just did.

In other news that I’m not really paying attention to, it looks like the Republicans – after being elected to power for a scant four weeks or so, and not actually taking office yet – have managed to rescue the economy (if not the world) from the evil clutches of the incompetent Democrats.

The economy is showing new life in the final months of the year. Factories are busier, construction spending is up, and auto sales are rising. And on Wednesday the stock market had its best day since September after a report that the private sector hired the most workers in three years.

“The economy is starting to show better overall momentum,” said Brian Bethune, an economist at IHS Global Insight. “There’s a steady improvement in the overall tone.”

A private trade group said U.S. factory output grew for the 16th straight month in November as auto sales rebounded and businesses invested more in industrial machinery.

Imagine that. Two years of Obama put the economy in the crapper after years of, well, I forget who it was that was running the show before Obama, but surely they had nothing to do with the sorry state of affairs we’ve seen lately (and don’t call me Shirley), and it only takes a month of Republicans doing little more than sniffing at the seats of power in Congress to turn things around.

Of course, Republicans have God on their side.

Why, oh why, did we ever let these Jehova-fearing geniuses fall from power in the first place?

Yesterday, I succumbed to temptation and purchased a ‘Kinect’ for my XBOX, along with the Sports game. Far be it for me to gush over anything, but goddamn it’s pretty cool. So far, I’ve tried Table Tennis, Boxing, Bowling, and Beach Volleyball. My shoulder is killing me today (messed it up bowling, trying to put some spin on the ball), and I was pretty tired by the time I quit (especially the boxing; that was a lot of work). About the only thing I don’t like is that after you play a game, it shows you a straight up video of what a f*cking idiot you looked like while playing. It would be pretty funny if it was somebody else, though. The dogs thought I was nuts, and promptly proceeded to the kitchen where they could watch and wonder what the hell I was doing from a safe distance.

To balance my frivolous purchase, I also put in an order for 4 tons of wood pellets. They won’t be delivered until 12/20, which gives me time to clear a space in the garage (and save up for them; at $234 a ton including delivery, they’ll cost me close to a thousand bucks, but that’s the price one pays for keeping warm). Not sure how much I’ll go through. In the past, I never used more than a 40 pound bag a day in the coldest weather, though my current configuration is quite a bit different (and I have a bigger stove). A bag a day between now and the end of April would be about 3 tons (and I have probably 3/4 of a ton on hand), so 4 tons should be ample. But, we’ll see.

Have you been on unemployment for a while? Might wanna get out there and get a paper route or something, ‘cuz the Republicans have blocked an extension of unemployment benefits. If you’re unemployed and you voted for a Republican/teabagger, well, guess what? You got what you deserve. It’s just a shame you stuck the rest of us with these idiots.

It’s actually about 60 degrees out this morning, but very windy and with heavy rains coming a little bit later on. Of course, what with the weekend coming and all, temperatures are supposed to drop later on this week. I guess it’ll be a good opportunity to work on my ping pong skills.

I won’t lie to you. Yesterday was hard. Really hard. In no way, shape, or form did I want to leave the house, let alone go to work yesterday. And it was a day filled with frustration and chair time, though I finally managed to fix something that really shouldn’t have been broken, but was anyway (I also managed to not buy anything, which is good). Damn you, ColdFusion 9! It was also sunny and warm yesterday – and I missed all of it (except for the drive in, which at least I can appreciate, now that it’s a half-hour trip). I can’t wait until there’s daylight after work again (in about six months). There’s a ridge due west of my house that bay windows in the living room and dining room look over, and sunsets are gorgeous (when I’m there, and when there’s sun – two hard-to-satisfy conditions this time of year). Today is supposed to be warm as well, though not sunny (a little rainy, in fact). That wouldn’t bother me at all if I was off today. I have a bunch of things I’d like to get done outside, and a little rain wouldn’t bother me a bit.

While I wasn’t paying attention to the local news this morning, they made the astonishing announcement that the Wall St., automakers, etc. bailout that had people all up-in-teabags this past election is almost entirely paid back (with still more to come, quite possibly). Astonishing, because it isn’t frickin’ news – and was in fact well-know (and dutifully ignored by media and teabaggers alike) before the election. So congratulations for keeping all that under wraps. No doubt John Boehner will be taking credit for getting all that money back for the taxpayers (before returning it once again in the form of tax cuts for mega corporations and rich people).

Speaking of the Boehner, it appears that the White House sees him as a “possible partner” to work with. This sort of thing – if nothing else – should cause you to be greatly disappointed in Obama. His insistence on being naive or stupid (or whatever it is he is) enough to think that any of these people will do more than stick a knife in his back while looking him in the eye (which of course involves a reach around) is perhaps the most disappointing thing about his administration. And the reason the Democrats took such a shellacking in the past election.

Fortunately, I’m not paying attention.

Sad news yesterday. One of my all-time personal favorites – Leslie Nielsen – passed away at the age of 84, which seems awfully young to me these days. I’m sure everybody thinks of Airplane or The Naked Gun series, but my favorite is probably Forbidden Planet, in which Nielsen costarred with Robby the Robot (and other lesser-known actors like Ann Francis, Walter Pidgeon, and Earl Holliman). He also gave a memorable guest performance of Col. Buzz Buzzington in an episode of M*A*S*H, and was, of course, the ill-fated captain in the original The Poseidon Adventure. Like most talented, funny people, Leslie Nielsen was born in Canada (his father was a Mountie, even). We’ll miss you, Leslie.

More sad news locally, as our own missing blonde girl event (you may have heard about it, as it made the national news) came to an unhappy – yet predictable – end with the discovery of her body not far from where she lived. Home for the holidays, the 20 yr old college student (who they kept referring to as a “woman,” but at my advanced age, 20 just seems like a young kid) was apparently killed by an ex-boyfriend in her own home and dumped “like garbage” (as our always happy to garner publicity DA so tactfully stated) in a field not far from where she lived. Very sad.

What, we make it through Black Frickin’ Friday, and now they expect us to go back to work and use our corporate Internet connections to buy more shit? Where do they think I’m gonna get the money for all this economy stimulatin’? I do have my eye on a set of Paynes forks for the tractor, though. But $284 plus another $30+ shipping is a bit more than I feel comfortable spending, what with the first mortgage payment due Wednesday. I will, of course, have to get them – but I probably wouldn’t be using them before next spring, and they’re only $15 off anyway, so I reckon I’ll hold off for now.

The thought of having to go back to work again today is pretty sickening. But only another 13½ years to go.

It seems like as if it was just yesterday when I was at work, excitedly anticipating four whole days off. Work has become a pain in the ass (more than usual), and I really needed the time off. And now, it’s over. Back to work tomorrow, with a five-day week to face. That really suck. What we need is a good old-fashioned war to take our minds off of things. Not this Afghanistan nonsense (that’s not a war; we need tanks and aircraft carriers and John Wayne-type stuff). Fortunately, we may just have one in the works over there in Korea. And it’s got everything we need.

It’s got that olde-tyme feel to it (hell, it was never even officially over, so we can pick things right back up and boogie like it’s 1953 again – and, let’s face it, everything was better in 1953: men were men, women were women, gay people hadn’t been invented, let alone served in the military, and white males – the ones not stuck in Korea, anyway – had it great). Plus, it would, in theory, be two little countries fighting each other (one, a version of what the US used to be with a strong economy, innovation, and manufacturing tons of shit for the global marketplace, and the other a vision of what Republicans and teabaggers are driving this country to become – a pathetic, terrified, backward little nation living in the 21st Century equivalent of the Stone Age, with just enough military strength to be an annoying pain in the ass to the more civilized parts of the world), but in reality be two big military and economic powers fighting a proxy war.

We might even be able to get China to lend us money to fight a war against N. Korea, who they would also be funding at the same time. It could go on for decades, with lots of money to be had by all (well, not all, of course, but you know what I mean).

Granted, it’s a bit of a twist in that it’s usually the US of A that funds both sides of a war, but it would still be pretty interesting. And good for the economy (and by the economy, I of course mean Haliburton, the Carlyle Group, and Exxon-Mobile).

Also, there are a lot of idle people out there that need jobs, and this would put the young ones to work serving their country in the armed forces (where Haliburton could make tons of money feeding them and whatnot – and if a few get electrocuted in the shower, well, there’s plenty more where they came from), and the company formerly known as Blackwater could provide us with all the Christian Jihadist mercenaries we could use. The question is, would we have a WWII-style manufacturing ramp-up to put folks to work in the factories by producing tanks and planes and ships and guns, or would we outsource all the manufacturing to, like, China? Heh. I guess that’s a pretty silly question.

A pretty good scam, there. China lends us money to produce weapons, which we give back to them to manufacture using slave labor. A win-win.

Plus M*A*S*H was a very popular teevee show, so another Korean War should be very good for ratings.

And in the end, it’s all about the ratings, isn’t it?

Against my better judgment, I did, indeed, venture out amongst the humans yesterday – but only as far as Home Depot, and only because I needed to get some stuff to do some fixes around the house (being a good little consumer, though, I couldn’t resist picking up the little compressor they had for $69, which also came with a brad nailer/stapler. It’s a handy little bugger). The main thing was to take care of a couple of leaks in what has become the bane of my existence – the waste pipes. Fortunately, yesterday wasn’t going to involve anything major or nasty. So I thought. First off was a fairly slow drip at the point where the soil pipe leave the house. What I have is an old cast iron ‘Y’ and cleanout with 4″ PVC shoved into it, and it was leaking at the packing a bit. I don’t happen to have a lead ladle (not that I can find, at least), and I don’t know if that’d be a good idea with the plastic anyway, so I got some some goop to smoosh in there that’s designed to harden up. As a backup plan, I got a rubber doughnut. Fortunately, the packing sucked up the goop pretty good, and seems to have solved the problem. Cool. Next, a slightly more involved item.

There’s a 4″ line that has a nearly horizontal run the length of the basement (behind a wall for a good stretch, just to make it a pain in the ass), with a 45° elbow that was leaking. The elbow is in a pain in the ass place, but relatively accessible, so no big deal. Now, had I been thinking, the leak, elbow, and fact the the line really wasn’t pitched properly would all have been clues as to what would be lurking there (not to mention the smell as I started to cut into the pipe). Not really sure what I might have done differently – except maybe put a bucket underneath the pipe, but well, I wasn’t really thinking.

So, not to get too graphic, but there was a pretty large amount of what I’ll call raw sewage in the pipe, and it was most definitely not a pleasant experience. But once you’ve cut things open, there’s really nothing left to do but persevere. And then promptly shower. Hopefully I’ve got a little better pitch in the line now, if nothing else.

So, yesterday was fairly productive, all things considered. I hadn’t set out to accomplish a whole lot, but I did what I wanted to do. I should probably make a run over to the old house and grab my table saw and some more of my tools, but it’s kind of cold out, we got a nice little dusting of snow overnight, and they say we may pick up a couple more inches over the course of the day today, so maybe I’ll just hang out and do laundry while hoping that SU doesn’t stink it up too bad against Boston College at noon.

Just not in the mood for too much more than that, I don’t think. Especially with the thought of Monday looming on the horizon.