songbird's crazy world

 A small piece of good news.  My missing garden flag turned up.  As I suspected, it was buried in the snow.  So when the temperature rose to 40°F and the snow began to melt, my flag turned up. What else is buried under all that white stuff?  I guess we’ll find out … eventually. The TV meteorologist is saying we might get more snow next week. Or maybe we’ll get rain …and flooding. Yes, that was me spreading ice melt on the driveway.  One fall on the driveway was one fall too many. There’s a ginger cat living in my neighborhood, I’ve seen him on my Ring cameras, walking through my yard as if he owned the place.  I’ve posted some of the videos.  I thought he belonged to someone, but I was mistaken. One of my neighbors told me that “everyone” feeds the poor thing.  He’s certainly not starving. But it’s cold outside. Here is the most recent video. He was crying at my door.  If I had known …  Sigh. There was a pond near my parents’ house ...

  Farewell, Amanda Welcome to  Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!  Saturday 9: Farewell, Amanda (1949) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here .     1) The record begins with a long instrumental interlude, and when the lyrics kick in at about the 1:00 mark, they bid Amanda "farewell, adios, addio, adieu." Of course you recognize "farewell" as English. Without looking it up, can you identify the other languages? Spanish, Italian and French,   2) Can you say "goodbye" in a language not represented in question #1? Shalom,  L’hitrao...

 So the Olympics are over, and suddenly all our favorite network shows are back. Matlock. Elsbeth. Law & Order. Ghosts. Happy’s Place. And we still have all the shows we’re streaming, Dr. Who.  The Pitt. Star Trek. Not to mention, baseball is back. And considering we are expecting more snow next week.  When will it be spring?

 The battle of the stairs

 Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Saturday afternoon.  It’s 45°F and sunny.  The snow pack has mostly melted.  As I walk through the neighborhood my phone keeps buzzing — the MLB app updating the Mets/Marlins score.  I can almost convince myself it’s spring. Almost. Another app is also buzzing. Weather bug wants me to know a blizzard is coming, (And when it arrived the next day it packed a real punch.) Enjoy the pseudo-spring skies, we won’t see them again for awhile … #skywatchfriday

 Blizzard ends, we spend two days cleaning up, and then this happened No wonder I feel frustrated … Thinking warm thoughts. I’m starting to buy spring clothes.  Now that I’ll be in the office four days a week, I’ll need more work-appropriate outfits.  We’re business casual, which means comfortable but not too relaxed.  Since I lost the weight I actually like shopping for clothes. So I mentioned my employer offers a “healthy living” program, with incentives such as gift cards and reduced premiums for health insurance.  This month’s focus was heart health, and today I attended a Webinar about heart health. Nothing I didn’t already know, but if I get participation credit for it, why not?   Someone mentioned that we’re all returning to the office. The presenter reminded us that there are exercises you can do at your desk, stretching and such.  I used to do that, and I suppose I can start again. And I really need to do my chair yoga more often, it really ma...

 It took two days to clear snow off the driveway and sidewalk …only for another storm to hit this morning.  Not a huge storm, but on top of the two feet we got during the blizzard … Winter 2024-2025 I was able to walk around the neighborhood almost every weekend.  This year…I am glad I bought the treadmill. I am so sick of snow.  Make it stop.  Please.

 So much snow!  Even with the snowblower we cleaned only half of the driveway yesterday.  And we have a problem — the town plowed our street but left a huge pile of densely-packed snow at the foot of our driveway.   Ugh. One of my garden flags apparently blew away in the storm.  The cute one, with the snowman and the Valentines hearts. Or maybe it’s buried under the snow.  Only time will tell.  At least I can work from home. I was able to take a walk Saturday —the photos will be posted for Skywatch Friday — but I won’t be able to do that again for awhile.   Pity, because I have a great new case for my water bottle, it even has room for my phone. Great for walks at Jones Beach or Eisenhower Park. Yeah, I’m thinking warm thoughts. Baseball is back.  Yes, it’s just spring training, but still … the season begins March 26.  I’m looking forward to it. We’re starting to think about summer vacation, a roadtrip to … not sure where.  We don’t...

 It’s 10 AM, we’ve already gotten about about 20 inches of snow and it’s still snowing.  Overnight we experienced a “bomb cyclone” and “thundersnow”.  Travel bans still in effect, even the snowplows are getting stuck. My ground level Ring cameras are completely buried.   My other cameras … And a few photos from my front window Can’t show the back yard,the windows are covered with snow.

 A free choice week. And I am so sick of winter!  I want to go somewhere warm. Thinking warm thoughts …

 That snowstorm last month was bad, but tonight’s storm is going to be worse.  Much worse.  A blizzard is a severe winter storm officially defined by the  National Weather Service  as having sustained winds or frequent gusts of wind in excess of 35 mph and visibility reduced to 1/4 mile, lasting at least 3 hours,  So it started as light snow in the early afternoon …but the snow got heavy by dinner time.  The meteorologist on the 6 o’clock news said the snow was falling at a rate of 1” to 2” per hour, with Long Island expected to get between 18” to 24” by the time the storm ends. We’re also expecting high winds and coastal flooding.  Yep, an authentic blizzard, The back yard: And the front yard: Not too bad yet, but it’s getting worse.  I’ve got one camera that’s already covered in snow and not really recording. There are travel bans on all the roads and highways, and mass transit — buses and trains — will  suspend service tonight. A...

 

 We are expecting a blizzard. Yeah … I’m so excited …not. We have ice melt, snow shovels and gas for the snowblower.  We have flashlights and candles in case the power goes out.  The pantry and freezer are well stocked.  Filled the tanks in both cars to make sure they don’t freeze.  Windshields are covered so that the wipers don’t freeze to the glass.  It’s a pity the house no longer has a working fireplace, so no need to stick up on Duraflame. We are ready.

  With or Without You Welcome to  Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! Saturday 9: With or Without You (1987)    Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here .   1) "With or Without You" is about the pain of love. What song reminds you of an old romance? Is it about the joy of love or the pain?   2) U2 lead singer Bono has admitted that, when the group recorded this song in the 1980s, he was wrestling with his real-life commitment issues. He was trying to resolve the responsibilities of being a husband with the demands of his career. He worked it through,...

 So it rained all day today, melting most of the snow pack that was still on the ground  Just in time for the nor’easter to hit Sunday.  We are expecting 10-13 inches of snow. Here on Long Island we expect cold weather, we expect snow and ice.  But this winter has been colder and with much more snow than usual. Can it be spring soon? Time to hunker down.  Again.

 For the first time in forever I was able to take a walk in my neighborhood. There’s still snow in the ground, but the sidewalks are clear. The snow on my lawn is filthy, car exhaust has turned it black … But it felt good to be outside, to get some fresh air.   Some of my neighbors still have Christmas decorations on their lawns, a few have decor from Valentine’s Day, and one has already decorated for St. Patrick’s Day.  I hope to be able to walk again soon. They’re forecasting snow again this weekend…

The spy  Interesting place to sit  So regal … we knew what we were doing when we named her Duchess.

 Winter …ugh … #skywatchfriday

 This song is on my mind today. Gee …I wonder why …

 So when I was offered this job it was considered hybrid — two days a week in office, three days remote. The office isn’t far … 20 -30 minute commute.  Not bad. Then last week there was a Town Hall.  That’s what corporate America uses to describe a meeting when the higher-ups talk to the rank-and-file about major events in the life of the company.   (When I worked at AIG during the government financial bailout we had some very scary Town Hall meetings.) Well, last week’s meeting was all about remote vs hybrid vs “in office” scheduling. So it should come as no surprise that we got an email today.  The new policy, starting at the end of April, will be four days a week in office, with Friday being an optional work-from-home day. Wish i’d known that when I was job hunting in December.  I would have taken the job anyway but my expectations would have been different. We were told that overall we are more productive in office, more collaborative.  That does n...

 Today is Mardi Gras.  It is also the Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year).  And it is also the start of Ramadan.  Three holidays calculated by the moon. And in the ethnic salad that is the NYC metropolitan area, I’ve got neighbors celebrating each holiday. Yes, I called it a “salad”, not a “melting pot”.  We can debate the terms if you like … I just keep counting down the days until spring.  We got 3 inches of snow Sunday night.  Not a lot, but on top of what we still have from the big storm in January,  three weeks ago, it’s too much.  But spring training has begun, the first televised game will be Saturday.  Yay!  It’s 37°F right now … another sign that things are looking up.

 Short girl problems … when you are only 5 feet tall, when you buy dresses, skirts and pants, you have to factor in the cost of hemming each garment.  Some brands have “petite” sizes, but most do not … on Saturday I took several new items to my tailor. You don’t want to know what it’s costing me.   And then there’s the supermarket issue …asking strangers to grab an item from the top shelf because I can’t reach it. Ugh. But I’m pleased to report I have an absolutely brilliant son-in-law.  He fixed a problem we were having with our smart TV. Yay! We messed it up while streaming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.  Really enjoying the series.  Next up will be Discovery  followed by Star Fleet Academy . We’ve also also have to catch up with Dr. Who, we haven’t seen the most recent Doctor … We’ve also been streaming The Pitt . Great show. Streaming … what a different world. I remember when broadcast TV was the only option, when cable was considered cutting edge....

February ‘s birthstone is the  Amethyst  and flower is the  Violet . Both are  purple  in color. Find song picks inspired by these things. Let’s start here — roses are red, violets are blue …  Add a little Stevie Nicks Amethyst is a purple stone … so Hendrix And then And finally 

 

  Won't You Be My Valentine? Welcome to  Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!   Saturday 9: Won't You Be My Valentine? (1961)   Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here .   1) Dore Alpert sings that while he considered asking others to be his Valentine, he's sure that this is the girl he wants to love "forever more." What do you think is the secret of a long-lasting romantic relationship? If there really is a secret I wish someone would tell me.  Relationships always require effort to maintain. 2) Dore is better known as Herb Alpert. He us...