Wednesday, February 10, 2010

SNOWPOCALYPSE II: ELECTRIC QUICKENING BOOGALOO, THE SQUEAKQUEL: SNOW HARDER: I hope all my fellow Northeast dwellers are indoors, safe and sound today. Let us know what's going in in your neck of the woods, and what we can do to amuse you.

71 comments:

  1. I don't really have anything to say relating to this subject (I'm in western Canada - Calgary, specifically - where we're in the middle of an awesomely unseasonably warm winter), but I just wanted to say that Adam, that might be my favorite post title ever.

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  2. It's actually not all that bad in NYC, but I'm working from home anyway--only real problem is that my firm's system for logging in remotely has crashed, so I have limited access.  Fortunately, I e-mailed the key docs to myself at home, so was able to work from there.

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  3. patricia12:02 PM

    Fortunately or unfortunately?  Your perspective in this comment is all wrong.

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  4. I have a deadline for major motions next week--drafts needed to be revised ASAP.  Ah, this is the life.

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  5. We only have 2-3 inches in Brooklyn; the snow has stopped for the time being. My college canceled classes, so I don't have to teach tonight. I'm using the day to read and make lentil soup, all while refusing to get out of my pajamas. There is something about a snow day that just demands pajamas and comfort food.

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  6. Joseph J. Finn12:08 PM

    We did have an earthquake here in northern IL, which was interesting.

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  7. definitely less snow that over the weekend, but praise be to the JMU administrators who closed school!  when i got the text at 5:28 am, i jumped out of bed, did a little dance, and then got back in bed.  now i won't have to go to my painful meeting until friday!!  i will be uber-productive today by doing my taxes and making many batches of rice krispy treats. yay snow!

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  8. It is actually the end of the world outside here in Silver Spring, MD.  Not as much snow as last time, but definitely more of a blizzard.  Luckily, I have a bunch of friends in my neighborhood, so we'll probably do more movie watching and maybe some snow ball fighting once the wind calms down.

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  9. Benner12:34 PM

    Just went to the post office in Brooklyn.  It is sleeting and icy on your face should you walk North.

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  10. calliekl12:44 PM

    Boston cancelled school last night for today, and it is currently... misting in Cambridge. Way to go, guys.

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  11. Caroline1:00 PM

    I'm with Maddie. In Arlington VA, we've hit white-out conditions on and off through the morning. The brave little evergreen sapling outside my window, which was bowed over by the last round of snow (24") is now completely invisible, just a white lump. Normally i'd welcome an impromptu vacation, but my quota doesn't take a week off just because i do, and even though i live on the underground part of Metro, i'm not about to head in to my (closed) office today. The husband and i are both going a little stir crazy -- i just scrubbed the bathroom floor for the second time in four days, and he's chopping up all the potatoes in the house. I suppose i shouldn't complain too much; now, at least, we have a sparkling clean house and delicious soup in the slow cooker. But, man, my kingdom for a trip to Target!

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  12. Emily1:16 PM

    Brenner, I see what you mean. I just got back from the store and that North wind with the sleet is not fun.

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  13. A light--but quickly gaining--snow here, an hour north of NYC. Trying to stay focused on an edit. A bit worried about tomorrow. But I'll worry about that tomorrow.

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  14. Adam C.1:27 PM

    Drifts are starting to get kinda big in the Philly Main Line suburbs -- we did the initial shoveling and completed our snow-Totoro about an hour ago, but the snow is coming down harder now, and we've been getting periodic thunderclaps.  My neighbor's phone, cable, and internet lines were weighed down by the snow and are currently half-buried in his yard, but somehow he still has service - he told me that's happened to them before.  Meanwhile, I'm keeping a watchful eye on all of the tree limbs....

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  15. Professor Jeff1:39 PM

    Also in the Main Line 'burbs outside Philly, so we've had the same experience as Adam C. -- increasingly heavy snowfall throughout the day, occasional thunderclaps and lightning, and general wariness about trees and wires.  My university thankfully cancelled classes, but I can't afford to miss a whole session of my once-a-week major seminar, so I'm meeting my students for an online discussion later this afternoon.  I'm guess I should try to get dressed by then -- just doesn't seem professional to lead a virtual class clad in a hoodie and pajama pants.

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  16. Xydexx1:40 PM

    Working from home today. No mail service, so we're all out of NetFlix. -=(

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  17. As of this morning, it wasn't that bad in NYC--could have certainly made it in to work had I tried--now, it's really coming down--looks like an inch or two has accumulated already, and I'm on a major thoroughfare.  Trying to pick up kids from school in this would have been a nightmare.  I may trek out just to the supermarket downstairs tonight, which'll give me a better idea.

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  18. Xydexx1:43 PM

    PS: I'm in Leesburg, VA. The snow covered all my efforts of digging out my car earlier this week. Which is fine, I actually like shoveling snow. -:)

    View from my home office.

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  19. I'm in midtown Manhattan, at work.  The show must go on, and all that... even if you just work in the administrative offices.  We have a small pre-show event tonight, and as it starts to snow harder out there, we're all wondering how many people are going to no-show.

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  20. Leslie2:02 PM

    Another Main Liner. Wondering where all this snow is going to go.  The snow thunder really blew my mind.  

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  21. Leslie2:07 PM

    How about a natural disaster version of Humiliation?  Have you ever been in an earthquake, blizzard, fire, hurricane, etc?

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  22. Emily2:15 PM

    I'm making my students post to a discussion board because we are missing class tonight. But I have no plans to get dressed for the event. You're a far more dedicated Professor than me, obviously.

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  23. Maggie2:22 PM

    I'm in the (closed) office in DC, but am watching it snow upwards from my window.  I have a short walk to the metro from home, so it wasn't too bad for me, but there's no way anyone could drive in this.  It's almost total white out conditions and they've pulled the plows off the roads as a result.  It has officially reached "SNOverkill" for me.

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  24. Andrew2:24 PM

    Earlier today, I was questioning the need to have made this a work from home day. Now, looking at the enormous flakes blowing sideways across my window, I'm glad we did. 

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  25. J. Bowman2:29 PM

    We have zero precip (as the cable weather guys refer to it) in WS, but it's quite breezy outside - I was just out walking the dog, and watched a large branch blow off a tree and shatter on the sidewalk a few hundred feet ahead of us. Spent the rest of the walk nervously looking up.

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  26. Long Island here.  I probably could have made it to the office this morning, but my firm shut down and looking out the window I'm not sure how easily I could have made it home.  Working on a brief all day is somewhat better in sweatpants.

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  27. Squid2:37 PM

    On my way to the bus stop this morning, I freed a car stuck in a windrow left behind by last night's plow.  That kind of pushing first thing in the morning has me feeling a little creaky, but I figure my good deed for the day is out of the way.  For the most part, I was just happy that St. Paul's public works guys decided there was enough snow to bother plowing.  Our streets have been terrible lately.

    Normally, I enjoy laughing at the metropolis when they get a little weather.  But when it's measured in feet instead of inches, even this Twin Citian has to tip his hat.  That's a proper couple of storms!

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  28. gretchen2:38 PM

    In NYC.  Last night, I kept calling it a Snoxaggeration, but as I look at the window right now, it's really coming down.  I really would not want to be out in that.  Fortunately, remote access from home for my firm is hanging in there, and even my hard-bitten, snow-jaded colleagues are sympathetic to a "very pregnant" (actual quote from my doctor) woman who does not want to slip and slide to the subway!

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  29. Andrew2:40 PM

    (I'm in Brooklyn, fwiw)

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  30. patricia2:50 PM

    I keep wishing for a snow day down here in Atlanta (where it is chilly but beautifully sunny), but the reality is that I would have to figure out a way to work from home with my husband and two little kids underfoot, for the very same reason.  Well, because of deals closing next week, but same concept.  Keep on living the dream!

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  31. Tosy and Cosh3:00 PM

    Northern New Jersey - working from home rather than trek into downtown Manhattan. Have a good foot so far, maybe more, still coming down heavily. Did one sholveling session so far, will have to do another later this night/evening. Kids are still in pajamas and doing V-Day cards, wife is painting, and I am working in between shoveling. Snow days used to be more fun.

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  32. <span>Brownies in the oven, snow falling outside my windows, and working from home on my birthday? Yeah, it's a good day! 
     
    I'm in central NJ and we have some serious snow piling up out there. At least, that's how it appears from my second-floor apartment. It's been coming down pretty steadily all day but has really picked up over the past 90 minutes or so. I do feel bad for my dad; as a mailman he's out working in this. I feel less bad for my landlords - they live downstairs and are currently disturbing my peaceful snowy day with their loud snowblower. But I'm sure I'll appreciate that when I finally venture forth into the storm to dig out my car.</span>
    <span></span>
    <span>Post title is awesome but needs to include "Snotorious B.I.G" in there somewhere!</span>

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  33. Snowing steadily here in the Alleghenies.  I made it to work, though.  Supposedly 10 inches when all done.

    To amuse me?  Hmmm, it's not Memorial Day, so I guess it's too early for Spelling Bee threads.  However, I note that the Olathe Kansas Regional is tomorrow and will choose a champion not named Kavya Shivashankar for the first time in four years.  Among the contestants:  third-grader Vanya Shivashankar. 

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  34. Here in Fairfax, it's coming down (and windy).  I'm doing a bunch of long conference calls today, nursing a sore back, and researching places we can go to escape our home for the long weekend.  My daughter's school district just announced that it would indeed be closed down all week.

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  35. Adam C.3:33 PM

    Just did another quick shoveling of the path from the house to the car, and in front of the driveway.  Plow hasn't been by since early this morning, so the road's pretty much a no go anyway at this point (at least w/o a 4WD).  And for that matter, PennDOT has closed the interstates in the Philadelphia metro area, so it's not like we could get anywhere far enough away even if we could drive.  The wind seems to have died down for the moment, but forecasts have it picking up again in a big way tonight.  Still anxiously hoping power stays on, at least through dinnertime (although I could always go clear off the grill in the back if I had to).  Keeping the heat jacked up just in case.

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  36. For what it's worth, thinking of driving to Savannah.  (Mrs. Russ hates flying, so we reserve that for major trips.)

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  37. Emily3:40 PM

    Happy Birthday!

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  38. Here in South Central PA everything is closed. Malls, banks, mail service, even the turnpike. I live in a development and at the moment I can't see the house across the street. Since we just got 2' on Saturday, I'm a bit stir crazy now.

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  39. We're just south of DC, were able to leave the house last Friday, yesterday and hopefully this Friday.  Have spent about five hours since Saturday shoveling snow off of back deck, fifteen feet of sidewalk, off of cars, and from around cars. The worst part of doing all this cooking is washing all the dishes.  Too bad the Olympics aren't going on this week.

    As for storms I've been in:  tornados twice, near Dallas, when I was a small child.  Worst hail storms in DFW (probably late 70s).  It was a couple of years before you didn't see cars that looked like golf balls.  In Austin when F5 tornado hit Jarrell and wiped it off the map.  Seeing a green sky is never good.  Now the worst winter snows in DC history.

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  40. I'm not going to ask what prompted you to locate this information.

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  41. Adam C.5:06 PM

    I just watched through the kitchen window as a bough snapped off one of the big pines in our backyard - fortunately, the branch was already hanging too low to be a danger to anything around it.  There's another big one that's hanging precariously low from the other pine -- no way can it withstand collecting snow for a couple more hours. 

    Oh, and the snow is now alternating between blowing horizontally and in vaguely cyclonic patterns.  Time to make some dinner. 

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  42. Carrie5:41 PM

    The projectile snowfall made it difficult to drive 40 blocks across Philadelphia to see "Percy Jackson & the Olympians." But driving 20 mph, I made it faster than had there been ordinary traffic. Whiteout on the way home.

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  43. Carrie5:41 PM

    The projectile snowfall made it difficult to drive 40 blocks across Philadelphia to see "Percy Jackson & the Olympians." But driving 20 mph, I made it faster than had there been ordinary traffic. Whiteout on the way home.

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  44. Carrie5:41 PM

    The projectile snowfall made it difficult to drive 40 blocks across Philadelphia to see "Percy Jackson & the Olympians." But driving 20 mph, I made it faster than had there been ordinary traffic. Whiteout on the way home.

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  45. Carrie5:41 PM

    The projectile snowfall made it difficult to drive 40 blocks across Philadelphia to see "Percy Jackson & the Olympians." But driving 20 mph, I made it faster than had there been ordinary traffic. Whiteout on the way home.

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  46. Maggie5:53 PM

    Looks like snow in DC area has mostly stopped but it is incredibly windy.  As a reward for trekking into the office this morning, I'm re-watching "In the Loop" with a giant mug of hot chocolate.  It is holding up remarkably well.  Along with Bright Star, one of my favorite movies from last year.

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  47. calliekl5:58 PM

    Snow finally started sticking in Cambridge, MA around 4:30. Left work around 5, took me almost no time at all to get home. Like 5 cars total on 128. Deval Patrick sent all nonessential state personnel home around noon, for what amounted to be a light dusting of snow. I am officially embarassed to call myself a New Englander.

    BTW, when did this whole idea of calling off school the night before start? Seems like such a bad idea, especially in New England.

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  48. patricia5:58 PM

    Hubby and I are headed to Savannah this weekend also (without the kids for the first time ever, yay!), where it is forecast to be mid-50s and sunny.  If you feel like doing the drive, it's definitely a weather-friendly destination.

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  49. Maddy6:06 PM

    It is the best idea (if you're a kid, that is).  One time we had a snow day for rain.  They've been canceling school especially far in advance this week (although with good reason, obviously).  On Sunday they called off Monday and Tuesday, and then yesterday they called off Wednesday through Friday.

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  50. Thanks!  Mrs. Russ has wanted to visit for a long time.  Not sure the 9-hour drive will work for us, but it's nice to consider.

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  51. Jennifer J.6:18 PM

    We had a lovely visit to Savannah once. A very beautiful little B & B, too. I sure miss travel. :)

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  52. calliekl6:24 PM

    But won't you hate that in June? It would drive me crazy that my summer vacation was cut short because they called off school for rain.

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  53. Maddy7:00 PM

    Usually when they're wrong like that we won't have had enough snow days to merit going into summer break (they build I think four or five days into the schedule).  And actually, the last time we had a storm anywhere near as big as this we didn't have to make up any of the days-- they just declared it a state of emergency.  I can remember two years when we've had to go into the summer and it wasn't that bad (and definitely worth gettting some days off in the middle of winter).  But I know this year people are extra worried about testing preparedness (which a few more days at the end of the school year won't help), so I'm hearing rumors that our spring break might get cut short.  Which would not be so great.  But I guess what can you do?  All of our snow days this year have actually been legitimate.

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  54. Maddy7:01 PM

    <span>Usually when they're wrong like that we won't have had enough snow days to merit going into summer break (they build I think four or five days into the schedule).  And actually, the last time we had a storm anywhere near as big as this we didn't have to make up any of the days-- they just declared it a state of emergency.  I can remember two years when we've had to go into the summer and it wasn't that bad (and definitely worth gettting some days off in the middle of winter).  But I know this year people are extra worried about testing preparedness (which a few more days at the end of the school year won't help), so I'm hearing rumors that our spring break might get cut short.  Which would not be so great.  But I guess what can you do?  All of our snow days this year have actually been legitimate.</span>

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  55. bella wilfer7:02 PM

    Living in LA, I can never decide if I'm jealous of people getting a crazy blizzard that keeps them snuggled in bed rather than heading to work in the sunshine or if they should be jealous of me.

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  56. My Firm has announced we'll be open tomorrow ... at 10am.  Folks who can't make it need to use personal/vacation time, and the School District of Philadelphia is already closed for tomorrow.

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  57. MMMan7:10 PM

    I could tell you anyway. :-)

    I know the regional bees are in February and March so I google for info on them. 

    When it comes to the Bee, I follow the regular season as well as the playoffs.

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  58. Mr. Cosmo7:32 PM

    Absolutely no reason that everything could not have been open today in NYC.  It was moderately bad for about an hour, but it was too warm for the snow to linger on most roads.  Frankly, I think NYC and Boston just got jealous of DC and Philly getting days off, so we decided to take one -- needed or not.

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  59. Adam C.7:38 PM

    Our office policy is that the office is closed if the School District of Philadelphia is closed.  Woo-hoo!  Glad that before I left the office yesterday I e-mailed myself all of those docs I need to work on....

    Meanwhile, Lower Merion schools had a scheduled early dismissal tomorrow, followed by Friday off and Monday off for President's Day.  The automated system called about a half-hour ago, announcing that all schools are now closed tomorrow, so my kids are off until Tuesday.  Assuming that the snow that's forecast for Monday doesn't throw a giant frigid monkey wrench into that.

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  60. The federal government is closed tomorrow, which generally means my firm is closed.

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  61. Jenn.8:32 PM

    Tired of the snow and the wind, but the wind is not tired of blowing around all of the snow.  Ahh, DC, why couldn't you have gotten this out of your system last winter, when I wasn't living here?

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  62. Thank you!

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  63. Adam C.9:00 PM

    Down goes bough #2! 

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  64. Emily9:21 PM

    How was the movie?

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  65. Adlai9:23 PM

    Unless you're on skype, I don't understand why you wouldn't wear pajama pants. 

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  66. Late to this one, but I was home today - even though my office was open.  I didn't feel like dealing with the Long Island Railroad - because if they hit 10 inches, they would have closed it down.  Instead, answered emails in my PJs (although there weren't many), did my taxes and overall, enjoyed being home.  Tomorrow, I will be making the trek in....

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  67. P.S. We have about 11 inches on the North Shore of LI.  It's still coming down and it's like no one even attempted to shovel!

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  68. J. Bowman11:07 PM

    I just learned a new word.

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  69. Heather K10:10 AM

    My Mom is a teacher and she would always rather go in (hopefully with a two hour delay) on bad weather days than make it up in June.  Always.  Of course she lives closer to her school than most of her students do.

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  70. Heather K10:13 AM

    I was supposed to fly from Chicago MDW to NYC LGA on Tuesday night but that flight was cancelled due to windy snowy weather here in Chicago, so I rescheduled in advance to Wednesday midday, but by the time Southwest was flying again out of Midway it was not flying in or out of LaGuardia.  At which point I gave up and called the trip off.

    I am at work when I was supposed to be on vacation.  BIG FROWNY FACE!

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  71. Jim Bell12:45 PM

    I spent the afternoon catching up on cooking projects.  I made a nice chile with 4 or 5 kinds of chili powders and some really nice mexican oregano, a batch of sunday meat gravy (although unfortunately I did not have any fatty pork, and the meatballs suffered from no parsley, but some really good hot sausage was a plus), and, I made a nice batch of shrimp salad which I had for breakfast this morning.  Apart from that, my wife bought an inflatable bouncie thingy for our 2 year 8 month old that literally inflates to the size of most of our condo, so we spent the afternoon bouncing.. well me mostly watching.

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