Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Oct.19 to Oct. 25

Tags:

Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings diaries give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.

In lieu of daily check-ins, which have gone on hiatus, Welcomings diaries will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning) and then, if necessary due to a large number of comments, again on Wednesday or Thursday to close out the week. To find the diaries, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).

The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.

So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?

…


Categories: Uncategorized.

/ 127 Comments

127 comments

  2. anotherdemocrat

    sunny & high around 90

    Eating breakfast, watching Up. Got the Walk this afternoon. Unfortunately, I don’t feel super well. I may skip the actual walking part. Right now, I’m forcing myself to eat an almond butter sandwich.

  3. princesspat

    RonK is going hiking at Mt Baker with the grand girls today. It’s fun to watch them pack their snacks and talk about what they will see on the mountain.

    I have a small but creative sewing project to finish for my SIL’s Halloween party. A simple table cloth has become one with banding, a runner for the hall table now combines 4 fabrics, the other runner just has 3 prints but I’ll quilt it with a spider web pattern, and why not make some napkins too!

    I needed a creative distraction this month to counter the medical news blues but now I need to finish it.

  4. DeniseVelez

    Sorry to be so late – but got bogged down in stuff here and now have a student on the way to the house.

    Will check in again later this afternoon.

  5. Diana in NoVa

    Tried to have a nap but couldn’t, too much to think about. We went out looking for a new car yesterday at 5 p.m., thinking we’d have plenty of time to “look” before dinner at 6:30–huh! At 10 p.m. we rolled home in a new (used) silver Toyota Camry hybrid.

    Need to pack for Texas next weekend. Took Miss Pink Cheeks to Frying Pan Farm yesterday but she and her cousin simply ran around yelling and having fun. We never did go on any of the carnival rides or buy any food!  We just went on a hay ride and visited a farm stall to buy apple cider and apples.

    Have bought the domain–Jan, your info was invaluable–but only bought the “.com” version, not the “.net” and “.org.” (GoDaddy seems to think one is made of money.) Now for the innumerable other chores associated with it.

    Another, hope you’ll feel better, and princesspat, have fun with your sewing projects!

    Hope everyone will have a good day.

  6. bfitzinAR

    as it was in the mid-60s.  Just finished my first Skype session with my younger son and family.  I wish my DiL weren’t so Republican – her daddy was career military then career State Dept and is now retiring for the 3rd time from being a gummint contractor – he, of course, earned every penny but otherwise gummint is inefficient and should be turned over to for-profit business who know how to do things.  I disagree most politely and Drew sits there staying out of it.  She a sweet person and very competent herself but somehow doesn’t seem to get that almost her entire life (including some of her own employment since she was a teacher before she married my son) she has been the beneficiary of our government in action.  But then, that’s Republicans all over.  Hope everybody had a nice weekend.  {{{HUGS}}}

  8. JanF

    It is 47 degrees in Madison with an expected high of 58. Mostly sunny skies.

    Busy day here … I haven’t even had time to read the news yet!! See all y’all later.

  9. Diana in NoVa

    And I have to figure out how to drive the new car. Still freaked out because the car keys are so weird and one has to push a button to get the car going.

    Will try to check in later!

  10. DeniseVelez

    very chilly here this morning – I have the heat on.

    Have been buried in paper grading – again.

    Coming up for air.

  11. bfitzinAR

    writing it.  54 rising to 71 in Fay., AR – cloudy, maybe and maybe not rain but definitely less electricity generation.  Of course I’ve been losing electricity generation due to seasonal angle of the sun – but was losing more than expected and finally figured out why.  One more time of “experts” not listening – don’t know whether it’s a gender issue or just a “we’re the experts” issue but getting kind of P.O.’d about it.  Back in April I urged them to place the panels at the west end of the roof because of the oak tree in the side yard.  They said the oak wouldn’t be a problem (deciduous and all that) but the wild cherry in the front yard would be so they recommended placing the panels on the east end of the house.  They’re the pros, right?  They have the fancy meter that tells them what’s going to shade where at any given time of the year, right?  I unfortunately let them put the panels where they wanted to.  What those pros apparently didn’t know is that the wild cherry loses its leaves very early in Autumn while the oak does not – and some years the oak doesn’t lose its leaves at all until Spring’s new growth pushes the old ones out.  So.  I’m losing about 1 KWH per day at the moment and will probably be 2 or 3 KWHs per day the few weeks around the solstice at a time of year when I can’t afford to lose any production.  But I can’t afford to move them or add more panels.  I’m going to give it the full year of production before I make any choices about taking down the tree which I most certainly do not want to do.  I planted that tree, nursed it through ice storms and 110 degree heat waves.  And it’s an oak which I don’t need to explain to the folks on this site.   Sigh.  Oh well, it gives me something to complain about once I’m off the Court, right?  {{{HUGS}}}

  12. anotherdemocrat

    Busy morning, dropping off the car, getting the rental (which I hate) and getting a temporary parking permit. The car is a Dodge, has definitely been driven by a smoker & worst of all, the sound system won’t take a flash drive. Also, the shifting is weird.

    Anyway, gotta work. We have lovely weather – 60s to upper 80s.

  13. princesspat

    I listened to my creative vision so my simple sewing project became a challenge, but I solved it, yay! I was afraid I had lost my touch as my skills are definitely rusty.

    I’ll go to the pool soon, then finish my project.  

  15. JanF

    It is 47 degrees in Madison on its way up to 53 … mostly sunny skies in the forecast.

    A quick scan of the news suggests that the Ebola hype will live on mainly in right-wing echo chambers where the main disease is Obama Derangement Syndrome. The funniest part of this article about chief FoxRacist, “Dr” Keith Ablow is the correction. Apparently after he was identified as a Tufts professor, the university contacted TPM: “This post has been updated to make clear that Ablow is an assistant clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, which is a voluntary, unpaid appointment at the school.” I have a suggestion for Tufts: drop him. Unless you want to forever have to defend your association with someone who is using his medical degree to gin up racial hatred, you should find someone else for that position. I hear Bozo the Clown is available.

    Early voting started in Wisconsin. I will try to get to the polls today to bank my vote. Then when I see the despicable ads on my teevee, I can laugh at them and say “Spend your money, Kochs, my vote is already cast”.

    See all y’alls later!

  16. Diana in NoVa

    It must have rained a bit during the night because parts of the street are still wet.

    Today is our 47th wedding anniversary! Our only plans are for the visit to Texas on the weekend. Tonight I must take Miss Pink Cheeks to her Daisy meeting. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Daisies, they’re a pre-Brownie, pre-Girl Scout group. Last night I ironed the patches onto her vest with Grandpa’s help (he made the chalk marks and counted off the seconds).

    Woke up to find that Oscar Pretorius gets only 5 years for murdering his girlfriend, and may not even serve all of that. He may get to convert it to house arrest (in his uncle’s mansion) after 10 months. Thus are women’s lives held cheaply.

    So burning with the injustice toward women that I don’t know what to do. One can’t go about converting everyone to the religion of the Goddess. Most people are perfectly satisfied with their religion or the lack thereof. Unfortunately patriarchal religion teaches disempowerment and disrespect for women who, after all, are the life-givers and nurturers.

    Oh, well, end of rant! Everyone have a good day!

  17. anotherdemocrat

    Cool morning, especially since I drove with all 4 windows all the way down. Have I mentioned hating the rental car? Anyway, high in the 80s.

    Listened to the cd of the new U2 album on the way in. It has acoustic versions of the songs on the iTunes download. They are (of course) gorgeous.

    Puzzling over my sample ballot: http://www.traviscountyclerk.o… There are some judicial races – multi-county ones – where I’ll have to vote Green, because there’s no Dem & I ain’t voting Libertarian or leaving it blank. The Repub should at least have to work for it.

    Tuesday is usually our busiest day for new applications. But I really hope I leave early because my car is done.

  18. bfitzinAR

    of whatever in F which I wasn’t expecting.  Foggy.  Hope it clears off by 11 (when the sun gets high enough for my system to be generating electricity).  Secretary’s here so I’m hiking down to the Courthouse to vote early today.  Also see the Treasurer and maybe the Judge about how to present a millage increase in a manner that might actually be discussed and not just blown off.  Not until next month, of course, I pinky-swore promised the head of the Dem Central Committee I wouldn’t talk about raising taxes until after the election.  But next month is actually the only chance we have to do it anyway – millage is set on the 3rd Thursday regular QC meeting in November.  I wish I thought I could pull it off – my last gift to the County.  But I’m still going to try even though I know it’s a forlorn hope.  Anyway, stuff to do so I’d better go do it and then head up the street.  {{{HUGS}}}

  19. princesspat

    I had a bout of insomnia last night, but fortunately I did finally sleep well so I’m late, but rested. I’m counting the days for the meeting with the surgeon on the 24th, and even though I have less to worry about apparently I am!

    So another day of sewing and house keeping chores and maybe enough concentration to start a new book.

  20. JanF

    It is 33 degrees in Madison WI on its way up to 56 … fog right now, clearing after sunrise. Sunny skies in the forecast.

    I voted!! Or at least I filled out an in-person absentee ballot and it was stuffed into a box to be brought to the precinct voting location on November 4th. Experts are saying that the Wisconsin gubernatorial election will be decided by less than 20,000 votes. And guess what? Mary Burke is not afraid of Democrats, even progressive Democrats: Michelle Obama, here twice; Elizabeth Warren was here; Bill Clinton will be in Milwaukee on Friday … and Barack Obama will be here the week before the election. The way you win in a purple state in a low turnout midterm election is you Get Out The Vote. You get your voters to the polls and you don’t worry about the voters who will never vote for a Democrat. And you make great ads like this:



    “We can’t afford 4 more years of Scott Walker … and we don’t have to”

    I also got to vote on two referenda (both non-binding) in Dane County. One was in support of a $10.10 minimum wage (the one that Gov. Bully of New Jersey is sick of hearing about), and this:

    Dane County Referendum #2 (BadgerCare):

    “Shall the next Governor and State Legislature accept available federal funds for BadgerCare to ensure that thousands of Wisconsin citizens have access to quality and affordable health coverage?”

    Ha! I couldn’t have worded it better myself!

    psst! National Republicans!! You might want to consider that having the RNC chair call Wisconsin voters stupid is not going to make Wisconsinites like your candidates better. And to call them stupid while you are campaigning for a woman who said that allowing gay marriage would result in people marrying clocks and tables … perhaps a bit of inward reflection would be in order. On second thought, please proceed GOP, please proceed. .

    Busy day … see all y’all later!!

  21. Portlaw

    Got back last night and will spend the next few days trying to get things back in order. I see you have been very busy and I have a lot of reading to do to catch up! Hope you have all been in good health and good spirits. Will check in later.  

  22. Diana in NoVa

    Welcome back, Portlaw! Hope you had a good visit. Jan, good on yer for early voting! Let’s hope for the best.

    Took Miss Pink Cheeks to her first Daisy meeting last night and found out that I didn’t iron her troop numbers on to her vest properly. Agh, hope that can be fixed. She had a good time at the meeting, though.

    We are frantically trying to get ready for our visit to San Antonio this weekend. We were too busy with grandchildren to celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary yesterday.

    Off to watch the news. It’s probably going to be Ben Bradlee on all channels all the time. It’s hard to believe that Watergate and the Pentagon Papers happened 40-odd years ago.

    A good day to everyone in Moosylvania!

  23. anotherdemocrat

    I’m staying home today. Had a really awful night’s sleep. Definitely going to exercise today. And please, please, please let my car be ready.

  24. bfitzinAR

    although only producing 100 watts right now thanks to the time of day and shade from that oak tree – could power a 100-watt light bulb if I had one in the house 🙂 – but I’ll be working up to generating in the 1000-watt range over the next 2 hours and it should stay in that category barring clouds moving in until about 4:30 then start cranking down as the sun’s angle gets more oblique.

    Having a nice b’day week – not only no QC, but had a nice card from my sister in London (where she & her petroleum-engineer husband are stationed) as well as cards from friends and a couple of the faculty (and chocolate from one of the faculty!), skype visit with my younger son and family, phone call from my youngest sister, and tonight my older son is taking me out for a belated b’day dinner (Thai).  Also voted yesterday (and discussed some QC issues with County people at the voting site – not so pleasant, but it was good to have caught them outside the actual meetings).  Hope everybody else is having a good week – now we’re at the mid-point it’s even possible to tell 🙂  {{{HUGS}}}

  25. princesspat

    Another restless night, so another sleepy morning. But I’m going to do something fun and away from the house regardless.

  26. anotherdemocrat

    Well, I didn’t exercise, but I did vote; and I took out the trash (it’s all the way on the other side of the complex, so that was some exercise) and I took 2 trips of recycling out to the bins. Now doing laundry. So – productive, just no exercise.

  27. JanF

    It is 38 degrees here in Madison with an expected high of 56. Late morning early afternoon showers are in the forecast and I can see a line moving through Iowa.

    The midterm polls are freaking out a little bit and it is difficult to know if it is anything real or that people are starting to pay attention, pollsters are switching from registered to likely or something else entirely.

    Here is what I do know: polls don’t vote, people do. A poll measures what a person who picks up a phone is thinking about doing 12 days from now (or in the next few days, if they can early vote). PLUS this year the polls themselves are the story, suggesting that the media focus on the horserace has now entered that phase where the reporters start interviewing each other because the candidates are busy getting out the vote.

    In Wisconsin, the NOT breaking news is that Democrat Mary Burke voted for Democrat Barack Obama twice … and that President Obama, who won Wisconsin handily (twice), is going to be in Milwaukee next Tuesday for a GOTV rally. She can win if we vote and national Democrats are helping us get our voters to the polls.

    My heart goes out to our friend Canada which has been the target of two attacks: one by a terrorist and one by a self-absorbed “journalist”. I do wish that we had a national media that conducted themselves like the CBC did. Our cable TV is awful. I thought it was particularly rude that MSNBC cut away when the press conference switched to French because FRENCH!!! Instead of hearing the information in another language, which would be good for us, they subjected us to overtalk by overblown “experts” in their studios.

    Busy day here. See all y’alls later!

  28. DeniseVelez

    last night’s storm up here did a lot of damage – lots of trees down in my area.

    Hope today’s weather is better even though we still have rain.

  29. Diana in NoVa

    Wonder whether I should walk Miss Pink Cheeks to school or drive her again. Yesterday I drove, with Baby Pink Cheeks wailing away in the back seat.

    Anyway, it was awful news from Canada. I’d hoped they wouldn’t be like us, with gun murders every five minutes.

    Sorry to hear about all the fallen trees, Denise. Hope you don’t have wind today. Watching Wisconsin with interest–I DO hope Wisconsinites have had enough of Scotty and will vote for someone sane.

    Need to finish packing tonight. We’re hoping to get the early flight tomorrow.

    Hope everyone in Mooseland will have a good day!

  30. anotherdemocrat

    well, not Texas summer temps, but for some of y’all, this would be summer – 90s by the weekend; there’s only been maybe 2 mornings that sandals weren’t the best idea, & even those I still could wear them, since it’s barely 2 blocks from the garage to the building

    Yesterday was nice. Lazy, but nice. And I at least slept till 4:30 this morning. (sad when that’s an “accomplishment”). Drinking super-strong tea & eating healthy breakfast (quinoa, kale, tempeh). I swear I’m walking after work today.

    Tomorrow, the agency’s charitable campaign (used to be the United Way drive, but they opened it to other charitable federations) wraps up. We’re almost to the number the director said would get breakfast tacos for all the contributors. And I get my 15 year certificate & gift. I’m gonna wear a skirt for the ceremony. Hope I don’t scare anyone. And I hope I don’t catch it in my chair’s rollers, it’s kinda flouncy.

  31. Portlaw

    the news. I know one will be good but not sure about the other!

    I still have some unpacking to do (remember, Dians, that what you pack must be unpacked!) and mail to go through.

    Hope it’s a good day for all.

    Am pasting a clip from a NYTimes article about hope, dreams, and hard work.

    Nine years old and orphaned by ethnic genocide, he was living in a burned-out car in a Rwandan garbage dump where he scavenged for food and clothes. Daytimes, he was a street beggar. He had not bathed in more than a year.

    When an American charity worker, Clare Effiong, visited the dump one Sunday, other children scattered. Filthy and hungry, Justus Uwayesu stayed put, and she asked him why.

    I want to go to school,” he replied. He is now a student at Harvard.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10…

    Am so awed by both of them, Mr. Uwayesu and Ms. Effiong. They each had a dream and set about to achieve it. Wishing them both the best on the challenging roads ahead.

  32. princesspat

    Good morning from the still dark west coast. Still lots of leaves on the trees outside my windows but they are starting to fall. We always hope for a good wind so we can share with the neighbors 🙂

  33. bfitzinAR

    Won’t get much electricity generated today.  I’ve averaged about 4.5KWH over the last 10 days – not great but could have been a heck of a lot worse.  Dinner (Thai restaurant) last night with my elder son and my middle 2 grandsons was fun.  I had the ginger chicken while son had “evil forest prince” – mostly for the name (heh), younger grandson had very bland Crab Rangoon with coconut milk soup and rice, and older grandson had Thai BBQ as hot as it comes with extra hot sauce on the side (and “still waiting for the burn” after he ate it, another “heh”).  My DiL was off on a shopping spree in Eureka Springs with her mom.  So chalk up another pleasant no QC day.  🙂  Have the good Friday Eve and {{{HUGS}}}

  34. JanF

    It is 49 degrees in Madison with an expected high of 65 … dense fog advisory this morning. We are having unseasonably warm weather with a high of 73 expected on Monday. I was kind of ready for cool days so I am not sure I like this although not having to turn the furnace on is a good thing.

    I am scratching my head over why a doctor who had just been in west Africa treating Ebola patients had not checked into a hospital on his return to the states to get tested … and then quarantined. Without knowing more I don’t want to judge him but that seems a bit negligent. The disease is not just his to deal with; it is a deadly virus than can kill people who don’t get it treated. A city as big as NYC is probably filled with people who will get sick and not get treated due to mental health issues or homelessness issues or because they don’t trust hospitals. Not very wise.

    I have decided to not look at polls anymore and I will not weep and gnash my teeth over things I can’t control. We need to get our people to the polls because we outnumber those who want to destroy the good government programs put in place to help people (here is a glimpse of their Utopia). Just look at this!!

    That is us … more popular than them. Now, we need to turn it into votes.

    See all y’all later!

  35. DeniseVelez

    I guess it’s good – ebola madness has now come to NYC. 🙁

    Hubby and I are going away for the weekend to visit a friend who lives about 4 hours away but are leaving at 5am tomorrow instead of this evening after work to avoid the awful Friday traffic.

  36. Portlaw

    throughout beautiful Moosylvania.

    Am sure when I go to Starbucks. everyone will be in hazmat outfits. Sigh. And, to think, my taxi went by Bellevue Hospital where the poor Ebola patient is!!!  I dread looking at my email. Such madness. I feel I am living in the Middle Ages.  As for me, Craig Spencer  works for Doctors Without Borders and is a hero. Wish him and his medical team all the best.

  37. anotherdemocrat

    upper 80s today, 90s over the weekend – I’m glad I can still wear sandals, but this is really a bit much

    At work, wearing a skirt. Weird. Breakfast & strong tea. last night, after the news about the doctor in NY, there were lots of jokes & comments about bowling in my Twitter feed. Here’s how my brain works – earworm immediately switched to Take the Skinheads Bowling, which I haven’t heard since the mid-’80s but was perfectly reproduced in my head — I looked up the video & sang along with it on the 1st viewing.

    So happy to have my car back. I’ll be paying off the $500 for a long time, but that’s ok, at least I can. Eventually.

  38. bfitzinAR

    Got a few weird messes to clean up here at work (people being paid from incorrect cost centers) but hopefully won’t take long.  Got another acupuncture appt this afternoon – I think it’s helping, but as with all natural remedies, it’s not an immediate change and I’ll have to give it time.  Wish America didn’t have the attitude of “if I don’t know why this works then obviously it doesn’t work and only a sucker would fall for it” when it comes to “alternative” remedies.  We’d have a whole lot more sound research out there if disproving a cause didn’t supposedly disprove the effect and shut down research.  sigh.

    Wish I was better at internet searches – there is an anthology of “how to win the peace” essays published in 1945 that is fascinating in its attempts to deal with ills society is facing to this day – race, ethnicity, religion etc.  People trying to show other people the path away from Nazi Germany requires change at home as well as arms abroad.  (Believe it or not, Frank Sinatra wrote one of them.)  I know it exists – I used to own it but I loaned to a friend who’s been Across The Bridge for several years now and C.C. only knows what happened to all her (and my) books.  I’ve been trying to find it again but can’t even remember the correct title much less who published it and let’s say my searches based on theme and publishing year have been less than helpful.  Anybody have any ideas?  Thanks, have the good weekend, and {{{HUGS}}}

  39. princesspat

    The colder temperatures at night are encouraging the leaves to show their colors. Fortunately I’ve got most of the fall outdoor chores taken care of.

    So this afternoon I meet with the surgeon to learn decide what will happen with the large cyst on my kidney. The good news from the first surgery has made me less worried, but worry is relative it seems. I’ll be glad when this is over.

  40. anotherdemocrat

    I know April is my anniversary, but I figured maybe they award it at the EOQ following… Anyway, they order stuff for the year all at once, so mine is next spring. Wore a skirt for no good reason.

  42. JanF

    It is 56 degrees in Madison with an expected high of 63. Sunny skies in the forecast.

    I scanned the news and I see that the NY and NJ governors have ordered a quarantine for anyone arriving via their states’ airports who may have been in contact with Ebola. In my mind this shows the silliness of the travel ban response: you can’t stop the spread of a deadly disease by closing off one avenue where it may arrive. We need to eradicate it at its source. Period.

    There was a terrible tragedy in Washington state where a troubled young man who had access to a gun killed and wounded some high school students and then killed himself. Guns and troubled youth don’t mix well. I wonder also about a culture that convinces young men that being rejected for a date is the worst thing that can happen to them. Suicide is sad but murder-suicide is awful.

    See all y’alls later!

     

  43. princesspat

    Well, the wait continues. For a number of medically complicated reasons the urologist/surgeon I saw yesterday feels I should go to a Seattle kidney surgeon who specializes in removing he type of growth I have. He uses robotic methods that will be less risky for me given the coagulation issues I have.

    I would prefer local surgery, NOW…..but when she said, “If it were me, or my mom, this is what I would do” I knew I had to listen. So she’ll start the referral process and get the insurance ok, and I should see the Seattle doc by mid November 🙁

    I’m going to drive sew my self crazy if I keep worrying so my hope is I can just relax and wait.

  44. anotherdemocrat

    Did 3.7 miles this morning, had breakfast tacos then came home & went to sleep. Got the groceries bought. Gonna stay awake long enough to watch Dr. Who.

    My shoulder is so stiff, not only could I not do pushups, I couldn’t do situps either. Even after getting a massage yesterday. I’ll get another next week.

    Tomorrow I’ll make kale with tempeh, and a VietNamese noodle dish. But now I’m just clearing the dvr.

Comments are closed.