songbird's crazy world

 Baby, it’s cold outside …  Didn’t realize Long Island was relocated to the Arctic. Thank goodness for the snow blower. We had a visitor. My bird feeder needs to be refilled.  It seems every bird in the neighborhood paid us a visit yesterday. You can see the feeder is empty, they’re scavenging for seeds that fell onto the snow. Got on the scale this morning and saw a number I haven’t seen since I was in college.  I am amazed. When I look at my doctor’s clinical notes in the Patient Portal and see that she describes me as being “normal weight” and not “obese” …  It’s suddenly fun to buy clothes …   My employer has a wellness program.  You download an app and earn points by doing activities that benefit your physical and mental health.  Examples include exercise, visiting your doctor, doing a meditation, keeping a food diary, linking your Fitbit to the app …  doing these activities in sufficient quantity earns gift cards and ultimately results ...

 So yesterday we went outside around 4:30 in the afternoon By then we’d gotten about 12inches of snow. We couldn’t open the storm door without doing some shoveling.  Normally we’d wait for the storm to end, but the snow had turned to sleet, and we wanted to do some cleanup before everything got icy.  So we cleaned  off the cars (my next house will have a garage!) and used the snow blower, fully anticipating that we’d have to do additional cleanup in the morning.  We weren’t wrong.  This morning meant another round of cleanup.   Half of the neighborhood has snow blowers.  We heard them before we went outside and again after we came in. The other half of the neighborhood is posting on Ring and next door, seeking to hire someone to remove snow.  Most of the schools are closed today.  I, however, have the privilege of working from home, so no snow day for me. At least I don’t have to drive in this weather.  And now we’re dealing with Ar...

 Free choice week and my mind has gone here Yep .., pink sand beaches on my mind …

 

 So we are hunkered down and riding out the storm. The temperature dropped a lot yesterday, it’s artic.The snow has started.  The forecast has changed, the total we are expecting is now 9 inches if snow — still enough to disrupt the railroad and airports, enough to close schools and libraries and etc. But the house is warm and cozy, we have plenty of food, and we will be just fine. Of course, the storm means no walk through the neighborhood … but I do have the treadmill  and I bought another toy… It should be here by Wednesday. I had an appointment with my doctor last week, and he ordered bloodwork.  No surprise there.  I’m still waiting to talk to him about all of the results, but when I looked at the Patient Portal … my celiac panel shows no evidence of disease — which happens sometimes when you stick to a gluten free diet.  It’s a good thing … I mean, I’m not happy about the food restrictions, but I do feel healthier.  And that’s the goal, isn’t it?...

 Snowmaggedon is coming … they’re predicting up to 14 inches of snow starting tomorrow into Monday. And arctic temperatures too. The snow blower is gassed up, we’ve got a bag of ice melt … filled the cars with gas so that the tanks won’t freeze …refrigerator and pantry are stocked …we’ve got flashlights and candles in case we lose power … So we’ll be cozy during the storm. 

  Up the Ladder to the Roof 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: Up the Ladder to the Roof (1970) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here .   1) Many people are uncomfortable with ladders. Some feel unsteady on the steps, others have a fear of heights. Then there's the superstition that warns against walking under ladders. Are you afraid of ladders? I’m not afraid, but I do have a healthy respect for ladders.   2) In this song, the Supremes advise us to go up the ladder to the roof to be closer to Heaven. While poetic, that's no...

Relaxing in the living room.  One little miscreant, who shall remain nameless (I’m looking at someone with black fur and white paws) broke one of my vases … she jumped into the mantle and knocked it over … this is not her first vase … you may recall  this post . They say if you have two cats, one will be an angel and one will be … a mischievous cat. Duchess is our angel … Shadow looks so innocent when she’s sleeping …

The sky just after sunset  #skywatchfriday

 So I followed up with my doctor today.  I still don’t know why I fainted, but my doctor wasn’t overly concerned.  It sounds like an isolated incident, could have been caused by dehydration, sleep deprivation, etc. But she did order additional bloodwork.  Better safe than sorry, Our medical needs as we get older … sigh. But better than the alternative. Work has been hectic but interesting.  When lawyers get sued, it’s for very interesting reasons and by very interesting plaintiffs.  Some plaintiffs are famous.  Or infamous.  I must remain professional, though… We’re expecting another snowstorm this weekend.  A serious accumulation of snow this time.  Thank goodness for the snow blower.   Of course this puts a damper on any weekend plans.   Well probably stay in.   It’ll be a good weekend for binge watching. We’ve been streaming one of the new  Star Trek series. Do you realize that it’s an anniversary this year?  ...

 We sat down last night and started talking about shore excursions for the cruise.  Yeah, I know, the cruise isn’t until October, but we like to plan early, The ship will spend two days in Bermuda, so we will have plenty of time to explore.  Drew is talking about an excursion that sails into the  Bermuda Triangle . You know I am a fan of the strange, dark and mysterious… More travel is in the works … last year we canceled a trip and we are going to rebook it.  We planned a trip to visit friends in Florida, we purchased airline tickets and packed our suitcases.  Our friends had a family emergency, so we canceled the trip and got a refund from Jet Blue — a credit that must be used within one year of the original booking date (March 22).  So we will be headed to Florida soon to visit our friends. Drew spent over an hour on the phone last night with Jet Blue straightening out his account.   I wonder if we will be able to see our house from the plane. ...

 And the theme?   Learn something about this first month of the new year and build your playlist around that for your music inspiration. January is known for cold weather, short days and post-holiday letdown.  But it’s also a month of new beginnings, of possibilities.  There’s a lot to learn about the month,  . So, an interesting fact about this month:  January’s Moon is called the Wolf Moon. The Saxon word for the month was  Wulf-monath  or “wolf month.” Hmmm Another fun fact  Ellis Island opened on January 1st, 1892 allowing more than 20 million immigrants to enter the United States. January 13 is National Rubber Duck Day National Popcorn Day is observed on January 19 So yes, it’s an interesting month. Let’s celebrate 

 It’s snowing again.  We’re expecting 3” - 5”. In the overall scheme of things, that’s not a lot of snow.  Not a major snow event,  But it’s enough to make the roads slippery and driving more dangerous.   It’s enough to make us decide to cancel plans to go out to breakfast.  The pancakes can wait another day. If I don’t have to drive in snow … I mean, if there was someplace we needed to be we’d go, but … It’s Sunday, si we’re hunkering down …

  Man I Need 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: Man I Need (2025) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here .   1) In this song, Olivia Dean is looking for a man who wants to really communicate and doesn't make her "read between the lines." Tell us about a time when you felt you had to work hard to figure out what someone was trying to tell you. Literally or figuratively? I’m adapting to a new job and it’s exhausting. I was so tired one night that I literally couldn’t understand what Drew was asking me.   2) She's eage...

 My new workout buddy Yeah, I literally have to lock her out of the room when I want to use the treadmill. (One of my best finds on Amazon, by the way … it’s too cold and wet to walk outside) What you have to understand about the relationship between Shadow and Duchess …  Drew and I have been together for a long time, but we weren’t living together when Drew adopted Duchess or when I adopted Shadow.  Shadow has always been amenable to hanging out with other cats, but a huge part of Duchess’s personality was based on being THE CAT , meaning the only cat …  So of course there is rivalry, there are territorial issues. The other day I heard Duchess growling.  When I went into the living room … Yeah, another face off. Then Shadow followed her up the stairs…and then .,, But later They don’t cuddle, they don’t groom each other, but we often find them sitting in companionable silence …

 Late afternoon walk and this was the sky What I love about this … the sun shining on the water tower with rain clouds behind it … #skywatchfriday

Feeling stressed out right now.  New job, new routine, lots to learn.  But I’ll be ok, it will just take time. New office is ok.  I go to the office every Tuesday and Thursday.  It’s a 25 minute drive, not terrible.  It’s a quiet office, I can get a lot done. Thank goodness I bought the treadmill, it makes finding time to exercise so much easier. Though I haven’t abandoned the idea of going back to Planet Fitness soon.  My goal for the Christmas season was to maintain my weight, to not gain the 5-10 pounds “everyone” gains over the holidays. I succeeded, my weight is actually down a little from where it was in November.   I am so looking forward to our cruise in October.  We’re also talking about a quick trip to Florida to visit old friends.  We were supposed to go last year, but had to cancel …

 So I mentioned that I wanted to plan a getaway. We will be taking a cruise in October. Short cruise, only five days.  Sailing out of Cape Liberty in New Jersey — that’s New York Harbor, Making port in Bermuda. We booked a balcony cabin, I really enjoy spending time on my balcony during a cruise.  First time we don’t have to fly to the cruise port. It’s going to be fun.

The weather yesterday was great — 45° and sunny.  So I took a walk.   Weirdness in the neighborhood.  We still have houses decorated for Christmas, but then I saw this. Very cute, but I’m not ready for Valentine’s Day. And there’s actually a house on my block that has two pumpkins in display.  Can you believe it?  I would have thought the squirrels…. The weather is supposed to change soon, colder temperatures and snow in the forecast.   Glad I bought the treadmill. Cane home and caught a sunset through my window. I was looking at the window because of the birds.  Yes, I’m filling my bird feeders.  The cats love to watch the backyard show. And maybe I was influenced by this… Mary Poppins  was the very first movie I saw in a theater.  And I played the soundtrack album over and over and over … Neighbors have reported seeing a hawk in the area.  I looked for the hawk during my walk, but no luck. But the other morning I saw a whole flock...

 And it’s a free choice week. Songbird is feeling nostalgic this week.  So let’s get into the Time Machine and travel back to 1986 …  I was just starting out in my career, working in lower Manhattan, living in my first apartment in Brooklyn, and newly engaged planning my wedding.  Some of the big news stories of the year included (1) the Challenger disaster, (2)  the re-election of Ferdinand Marcos in a rigged election in the Philippines, (3) actor Clint Eastwood elected mayor of Carmel, California, (4) we were all watching the skies for Halley’s Comet, (5) Chernobyl, (6) Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone’s vault, (7) Elie Wiesel won the Nobel Peace Prize,  (8) Iran-Contra, (9) the U.S celebrated Martin Luther King Day for the very first time and (10) Microsoft had its initial public offering (if only I had known …) In sports (1) the Chicago Bears beat the New England .Patriots in the Superbowl, (2) Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion (...

 Did you see this article?  Woman Loses 130 Pounds I know exactly how she feels! Remember  this post ? And last week … Walking into my new office wearing a skirt, sweater and boots …

 

 The Christmas decorations are slowly coming down around the neighborhood, but one of my neighbors has already decorated for Valentine’s Day — a large inflatable.  I’ll try to grab a photo soon. I’m slowly getting used to my new job. There’s a learning curve and I’m learning. It's also very hectic and intense.   But I am glad it’s the weekend.  No major plans this weekend, just a lot of errands and housework.  I’ll make time for a walk and for my yoga workout, but there’s nothing else on the agenda. But I’m thinking it’s time to start planning a getaway.

  Volare 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: Volare (1960)   Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) The word "volare" is Italian for "to fly." Say something else in Italian. Mangia! 2) This week, Bobby Rydell invites us to take off with him up in the clouds and  promises we'll find a rainbow. Countless lyricists have included rainbows in their songs. Can you name another song that mentions rainbows?   3) His happy heart is singing. What is making you happy this morning?   4) Bobby Rydell, like Frankie Av...