Ian Abel

Happy solar orbit to @grandadbob BIN day, BINs out and done fairly early. Yesterday was another quiet one, punctuated by Brendan stopping over to retrieve Whitney. Got a message late evening from Jemma that she's now qualified on the B757 and B767 - yay. She has one more week of training starting in a few days to do the B767-400ER specifics in the sim and international operations stuff. Today will be off to choir practice and pre-rehearsal happy hour later, so glad I've got heated seats and steering wheel on the new(er) chariot. Considered S0DDING cold this morning IMHO, at -14c buqqering about with the BINs. It IS sunny but doesn't help much, high of -1c forecast. Stay warm...

HUMP day... Yesterday was an "inside" day given the snow was pretty unrelenting. In what is a very unusual event, the MSP airport was closed for two hours due to poor visibility and snow-fall rates, the plows couldn't keep up. Only happened a handful of times in the 40+ years I've lived here! Snow slowed by early evening, leaving us with 6+ inches, the city plows were round at least 4 times during the day, and our "plow guy" got to us around 8PM No problem as we had no need or intention of going out anyway 😃 I had to shovel a small area out back for Whitney, and it all looks especially winter-wonderland now. -10c getting the newspaper, sunny and cold, -5c the high "with luck" 🤯 Onward.

Chewsday. Quiet yesterday but a nice evening with friends, including an Indian take-out, not done that in a while so it was well received. Today, slow, and waiting for the potential storm that's been forecast. So far, about an inch or so and the snow is quite light, supposed to pick up later, we'll see! -4c first thing with snow just starting as I retrieved the newspaper, high only of ZERO forecast but it's still -3c at 11AM so not sure we'll reach the heady warmth of ZERO 🤪 Carry on.

Morning... Several days "off" as a result of the Thanksgiving holiday here. The "day" went very well, entire immediate family involved, and all enjoyed ourselves. Black Friday was avoided at all levels, frankly nothing much appear on enough of an offer to rally care. One ANNOYANCE was the delivery that was supposed to occur Wednesday - they called at 0631 saying they'd be arriving in ten minutes - and just when I hoped for a lay in 🤪 Saturday spent with errands and the arrival of Whitney (including a walkies) as Jemma was back down to Atlanta to continue training. Saturday also spent putting the holiday lighting up around the exterior of the house. Sunday up early to sign and two services for the First Sunday of Advent - bloody tired by the end of it, and the Mrs has a cold into the bargain so very low key afternoon. Today, have friends coming for dinner and working. Weather has been pretty good overall as a prefix to what we're supposed to get tomorrow - 3-5 inches snow accumulation! -5C first thing, high overcast and a +6C forecast high for the day, with the snow possibly starting late evening. Carry on.

Last day of the week for me - POETT I suppose 🤪 Yesterday a brief interaction with the Long Island client, potential for more crazy report modifications, but that will be next week with the impending holiday! Good and shorter than usual choir rehearsal last evening giving more time for post rehearsal drinking <hic> One of my choir pals has a bunch of Lionel O gauge stuff he's no use for and has asked if I might help (as in DO IT) sell it all on eBay. He's never done any buying or selling on eBay before so I may well help him out. He just needs to "dispose" of it per orders from his better half, something about a waste-of-space 😃 Today, Jemma is expected any moment, back from training and coming over for coffee and to pick up Whitney. Will be nice to hear her tales of training etc. Tomorrow, of course, Thanksgiving. Everyone will be over here for a 3PM or so dinner. Hard to call it a celebration giving the true background, but that's what most here consider it. Will be fun to have everyone together no matter what. WAS expecting a delivery of some materials for water mitigation at the rental property this AM, however, received an email at 0731 stating it's rescheduled for Friday. VERY HANDY, since there's no guarantee when it'll arrive, window is 6AM - 8PM, and I did have someone scheduled to do the work Friday, he usually start first thing. -6C and sunny first thing, heading for +4C later. The next four days expecting lows around ZERO and highs 2-5C Carry on.

Chewsday, but HUMP day for me. Reminder that we have Thursday/Thanksgiving and Friday off - YAY! Nothing of note yesterday <yawn> though Mrs has succumbed to a sinus issue, mostly headache, and is NOT a happy camper. Today - Mrs off for lunch with a friend, nursing her still sinus headache, later I'm off to choir rehearsal since we can't do Thursday (see line 1 above), and are singing this coming Sunday for the first Sunday in Advent - two services... Had to take a "Cyber Security" test/assignment today from the corporate IT department. Multiple choice and not sure who created it but pretty much our cat could have aced it! <DUH!> Weather remains Minnesota coldfor November, meaning you UK lot would panic, -8C first thing, sunny and a high of +2C "perhaps" 🤪 Onward...

Ahhh Monday. Busy weekend, lots of running around/errands Saturday, Sunday up early to sing with the schola at 9 and 11am! -7C heading out Sunday early and didn't warm up much all day. Good day to stay in, read, nap and generally stay warm 😃 This week will be very short as Thursday is Thanksgiving Day here, and we (my company along with many) get Friday off also. Will avoid Black Friday, unless I find something online, the shops are always stupid, and I've NEVER undertaken to subject myself to that idiocy. 🤯 Tally ho.

POETS, we'll give it a go probably. Yesterday, enjoyable Zoom with some friends, work and then off to choir rehearsal. Went long as we had a schola rehearsal immediately following. Managed a happy hour pre-choir then done. Seem to have had a sore throat the last couple of days, no other symptoms, lurgy test negative (precaution due to choir gathering). Nuisance more than anything. -9C first thing with a high overcast. -5C the expected high, no precipitation forecast for the next few days, just blQQdy cold. 🤪 Carry on.

BIN day, all sorted. Yesterday, nothing to see here, move along... except it DID continue snowing, light but continual <yawn> Woke early with a sore throat, seems related to the bedroom being cooler than expected, cold air seeming to be the culprit, I hope. Later, choir rehearsal, preceded by happy hour pizza and beer, hopefully. Will be a late one as we have a secondary rehearsal for the schola following the main rehearsal. With luck will be done by 9:30PM <yawn> More snow and -6C at BIN time, high of -1C expected and onward with the snow, light mostly. Later.

HUMP day. Nothing to report from yesterday, looks like the same non-events today! Mrs off for a lunchtime walk with a friend, then lunch and that's it. -5C overcast and STILL something falling from the sky first thing. It's almost imperceptible but is of the frozen rather than liquid variety. High of 1C forecast. Onward.

Nice tax return, that'll pay for the steak 🤪🤣🤣🤣

Chewsday... Little of note from yesterday - Mrs took Whitney for a walk as Whitney loves the snow, likes sniffing out the mice and vole trails under the snow 🤪 Snow off and on most of yesterday and overnight, continuing now, but VERY light and not adding much to the overall accumulation maybe 3 inches or so. Staying inside in the warm will be the order of the day, though the Mrs and Whitney likely will do another walk. Fitting look back in time from Facebook - was EIGHT YEARS ago today that Jemma was in training with Compass on the Embraer E190, from there she's passed through to Delta and the 737-800 and as we speak (type) is now down in Atlanta training on the Boeing 767-400ER to fly internationally - very proud of her. Weather first thing overcast, light snow and -1C, supposed to have light snow all day and a high of3C Tally ho.

Arrghhhh.... AWOL Thursday and Friday! Major panic at client as they "suddenly" decided they needed to add several lines to their financial statements reports - to account for several new accounts to report 2022 Bond filings and fees which were to be entered and reported for October and forward! WAIT?!?!?! this is a panic BECAUSE? Last time I looked 2022 started A BLQQDY LONG TIME BACK, and they have just decided they need this stuff NOW for the current reporting period that they needed to present by FRIDAY AFTERNOON. Give me strength! Suffice to say it was non-stop and I was more than pleased when Friday afternoon rolled around, and they were sure everything was as needed. 🤯 Friday evening Jemma over for dinner and an overnight as she was heading back to Atlanta to continue training Saturday morning and decided just to stay with us rather than have to drop Whitney off early on her way out. Saturday, a planned neighbor's happy hour here, very enjoyable, then Sunday cleaning up the wreckage from the night before and some resting/napping 😃 So here we are, Monday and so far, no panic from the client, must mean it's all shipshape. Weather over the weekend was rather chilly and today; from the backyard webcam. Expecting 2-3 inches supposedly, was -5C earlier and a high of 0C expected. Carry on.

HUMP day. Yesterday not a lot to report, voting was the highlight (arguable!!). At least in our area it's not congested or contentious, small queue and done. Afternoon saw Brendan drop Whitney off as he was going out with friends for an extended pub/restaurant crawl and asked if we'd watch her. Of course, she's so much fun to have around, and we've not seen here for a couple of weeks anyway! Today, nothing of interest, unless the client panics over anything. Whitney will be picked up later, not sure who will be over, Jemma will be home flying in for a couple of days, has a break from her training, so may see her. Weird weather, some rain yesterday, 8C first thing, light rain, high expected to be 18 with light rain most of the day THEN - Friday through Monday highs may not be above ZERO with overnight lows in the -4 to -6 range Carry on.

THAT'S IT!!!!!! I DEMAND the re-introduction of the GROAN button ASAP!!!

To clear up any confusion ❓ 🤪 noun: ordinance; plural noun: ordinances 1. NORTH AMERICAN a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority. "a city ordinance banned smoking in nearly all types of restaurants" noun: ordnance 1. mounted guns; artillery. "the gun was a brand new piece of ordnance"

Chewsday, and here in the US it's one of those terrifying days on the calendar...Mid-Term Election Day 🤯🤯🤯🤯 Yesterday, nothing to report, all quiet save a quick update of some reports that APPEAR SO FAR to have been the way they're needed. Today - Mrs NOT a happy camper as she was awoken by large amounts of leaf-blowing by the company contracted by the neighbor across the street. Can't start ANY such work here until 0730 according to city ordinance, they started with an intolerable din at 0731, Mrs VERY unimpressed. At least it meant we went to vote early as the polls open at 0700 anyway. So, done our duty, we'll see what the outcome is. Nothing else on the calendar, just slowly working and continuing to deal with the early darkness in the evening now our clocks have set back - as of Sunday 2AM ZERO and overcast when the Mrs was rudely awoken, expecting 13 for the high, though I think that's optimistic. Some rain/slush possible also. Onward.

Morning... Busy weekend, yes. Doing what, I have no idea!! 🤯 Seemed to just fly by with a lot of errands, some autumn cleanup of the patio furniture etc., shopping for miscellaneous "stuff", a concert Saturday evening. Done! Jemma is down in Atlanta doing conversion training onto the 767-400ER, but as Brendan had his latest trip switched out so it could be used for training flights, we didn't get Whitney, she's home with him. Bob is p!ssed that the weather has taken a turn for the much cooler, so isn't inclined to be outside much. That's about it. This week is the https://simfest.co.uk/worldflight-2022 flight sim event I have been going to in the UK in past years, unable to plan to be there this year, but still following it online/live. Anyone willing to support their chosen charity "The Lullaby Trust" with donations feel free to follow the link above. Strong winds order of the day over the weekend, all quiet now BUT, -3C first thing, partly sunny and may reach 6C if we're lucky! Tally ho.

Happy anniversary to @jjb1970 and Mrs. AWOL again due to a very busy weekend+ with friends staying here as well as a full Sunday schedule including singing at two services AND the evening filled with a concert that was exceptional for us "oldies". Local musicians presented the "Sounds of Laurel Canyon", music from the late '60s featuring too many artists/groups to name, but the play list was; SET 1 Mr. Tambourine Man For What It’s Worth California Dreamin’ Dr. My Eyes Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow Everybody’s Talkin At Me Happy Together Different Drum Take It Easy Sweet Baby James You’ve Been In Love Too Long In My Room Mama Told Me Not to Come SET 2 Ventura Highway Old Man Monday Monday I’m The Slime Angel Big Yellow Taxi Light My Fire Last Train to Clarkesville Suite Judy Blue Eyes Encore: Turn Turn Turn After that it took a while to return to a more calm state and get to sleep! 😀 Then, Monday was Halloween, plenty of kids over, still fascinated by the train - the dads especially 🤣 Now back working without anything else happening of note. Weather very confusing as it was lovely all weekend and Halloween, today 12C and sunny first thing, headed for a high of 23C! In MINNESOTA in NOVEMBER, good grief!!! Still, it'll be a high 7C with a low around ZERO by Saturday. Onward.

POETS - that IS happening, I need some time this afternoon to continue work on the garden railway loop in preparation for Halloween! Yesterday, continued quiet with a brief uptick when a report needed some rush but simple changes, and that did it for work. Later a very acceptable, some in the congregation actually called it memorable, performance by the choir at the evening service. Drinks and munchies at our preferred watering hole taken in afterwards by a larger than normal group, maybe we can get a discount rate if we drag enough of the choir over there 😂 Today - as stated, afternoon will include some work outside on the Halloween Express. Jemma may also be over for a visit with mum... Weekend looks to be "varied", tomorrow more outside work and a few other items for Halloween preparation. Sunday, choir sings at 9am and 11am, THEN the evening is the first of this years' concert series, we're donor/patrons so attend all, PLUS I've been recruited to sell "at-the-door" tickets beforehand. Will be BUSY for sure, with our travelling friends also staying here with us for a couple of nights, as they are still waiting for their condo/coop remodeling to be completed. 6C and very autumnal with clear blue sky right now (see below), possibly a high of 16C and no precipitation in the forecast for at least a week! Later

BIN day. Somehow, we had rather a lot of ALL varieties of stuff that needs taking away. Anyway, did manage to get everything out to the appropriate spot and all gone already, except the recycle which is usually picked up later in the day. Yesterday quiet as expected, today will be the same until this evening. We're singing at the "All Souls memorial service". 7PM and it's in the Memorial Garden, so may be a wee bit chilly. Supposed to be about 11C by then, and we're standing out there about 30 minutes singing much of the time, before repairing inside to finish! RANT: So yesterday, took the current collection of dead batteries, including the "dangerous/damaged Li one" to the nearest recommended recycle site. Happens to be one of several stores (this is a Battery store) listed that handle recycling of batteries. Turns out they CHARGE for recycling, $2 a pound weight for alkaline and Li/phone batteries are a flat $15 a piece - bit rude since a replacement of the same battery is only $19!! Had I bothered to go to the local government recycle center it'd have been free, but that's a 20+ minute drive away. It doesn't bother me that "I" had to pay, can afford it, of course, but with everyone pushing to NOT have folks throw batteries in the garbage to eventually end up in a landfill, what about those that cannot afford the cost, locally, or the time/ability to travel to an out-of-the-way location that's free. Limited/low income folks are probably likely to simply chuck them in the trash. Maybe there should be a small recovery charge in terms of a few cents/pennies per battery to cover the cost and help make the recycling better??? RANT OFF. 4C and overcast at BIN time, high supposed to reach 14C MAYBE. Carry on.

Probably should have been more specific, there are hazardous materials/battery drop-off centers for these items, I'm heading to one of those 😀

HUMP day. All quiet here yesterday, pretty sure that's a good option really. Today, much of the same, will probably have to take the Lithium battery from the Mrs old phone to a recycle center as it's rather bloated and may be a liability!! Another chilly one here today, 0C first thing with sunny skies, looking at 10C for the high. Onward.

Chewsday. Morning all (late morning for most) Yesterday fairly pedestrian, spent personal time after work transferring info to the Mrs new phone, old phone broken but at least capable of being used to transfer all the data to the replacement. Love having insurance on phone, far cheaper than simply buying a new one! Today expected to be "simple" and quiet, just toiling away, oh well 🙂 Weather taking a turn downward, 3C first thing, 10C the expected high. Onward.

Morning... Sorry for the AWOL, in case anyone noticed, or not! Be very busy her, last week taken up with guests, enjoyable with plenty of time used up on a variety of things. Weekend also busy here, got both the fly and latest lurgy booster Saturday, no real side-effects other than tired. Spent some of Sunday - the time I wasn't tired - getting the garden railway line extended and cleaned for the Halloween running. Sums it all up for now. 9C first thing and DARK! At 7:10 seemed light nighttime still. 21C the expected high, chance of rain later. Carry on.