Tuesday, January 19, 2021

It's a new day!

 I think the title says it all....

Tho in retrospect (as I sit here and ponder)...I have to admit on this eve of newness that I'm very afraid of what MIGHT happen tomorrow. I certainly didn't foresee the happenings of that horrible day a few weeks ago, when our country's actual government was directly attacked for the first time in history. Watching those videos was sickening...I felt much like I did back on 9/11 watching the towers burn (and then collapse): disbelief, sadness, fear, and anger. Lots of anger. How DARE they!

OK...I will leave this one wide open, like our future. Hopefully the Asylum will get back to Inane and not Insane, like it feels things have been for some time now.

Bring it!

25 comments:

  1. It is a great day today! Loved President Biden's speech - struck just the right tone.

    Matt, sorry about your puppy's surgery. You do seem to have bad luck with your dogs! I guess I have been extraordinarily lucky, in over 50 years of owning cats I only had one emergency - my crazy tortie Gomez jumped or fell off the apartment balcony and broke his leg. That was in 1976 or so, the bill was about $200 - but that was 2 weeks pay for me at that time!

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  2. Hey Rae...I was at work so only saw snippets of Pres. Biden's speech. I sure hope he can heal our torn country...we really need that. But I'm afraid there is no healing...we are SO divided...it's been a long time since there was any middle ground. But I'm hopeful. We need hope now as much as anything! (and we need to somehow REALLY ramp up dismal (pathetic?) pace of vaccines getting into people!) At the current rate it will be years instead of months. The doses are out there...so whatever the problem is in getting it into people needs to be sorted out QUICK. Millions and millions of doses sitting in boxes and freezers while people are still dying is so wrong. I lost my dad when there was still no hope...can you imagine how it must feel NOW to lose someone when the vaccine is RIGHT THERE? Pres. Biden has said this is his #1 priority...so he is already on the right track with his priorities IMHO. We have lots of problems, he sure inherited a big steaming pile.

    As to Abbey...she is 99.9% (ok...lets just call it 100%, with stitches still in her belly). She has NO IDEA that she was in danger, or had surgery, or anything...she is jumping on/off furniture, gobbling her food down like she may never see more, yep...I'd say completely normal. Growling at Sophie whenever she thinks there is a turf-violation...barking at animals on the TV...yep....normal. I've even been taking them for very short walks, just because they are incredibly wild when I get home from work...but keeping them down to about 10 minutes instead of the usual 40 minute 2 mile walk we do pretty much daily. When her stitches are out (early next week...hopefully Monday) we will ramp that right back up to full on in short order...trying to tire them out a teensy bit every day just to calm them down some. They sure have a LOT of energy!

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  3. Hey Matt & Rae, can't remember if I've said it yet but here it is again if so : HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

    So sorry to read about Abbey! And thank goodness, she'll be alright! (Although $3000 bill would about kill ME! Ooof!) I know I've asked this before but would pet insurance not help with expenses like this? I've never looked into the product as I haven't owned a pet since I lived on the farm but wow, the vet prices are as bad as human medical costs these days! Is Abbey's breed susceptible to such blockages? Is there a way/diet to prevent them? Prunes? :)

    I was at my office Wed but was still able to click onto CNN's livestream to watch most of the ceremony & thought it was really good! I did miss seeing the usual hordes on the mall but the flags were a touching tribute to all who have died so far of this horrible virus. And Biden's speech (in fact ALL he has said since elected) is such a CONTRAST to the nonsensical &or bullying ramblings of the narcissistic piece of shit SOCIOPATH he replaced that it's almost shocking. HOWEVER, "unity" is a goal AFTER we hunt down & prosecute the bastards (including inside Congress & the previous administration) that participated, incited, &/or funded the INSURRECTION on 1/6/21! And most of all, the SOCIOPATH must be impeached by the SENATE & never be allowed to run for any federal office again. Then, the CRIMINAL courts need to go after him & his treasonous CRIME FAMILY.

    As much as the RELIEF after the past 4 years of hell has been as welcome as water on a 100 degree day, we must NEVER FORGET HOW CLOSE THIS COUNTRY CAME TO LOSING DEMOCRACY! Just a few other GOP-NAZIs in place of the law abiding Republican officials in certain states & our country would be in ruins, held in bondage to a f*ckin dictator! The day/week after the 2016 election, I repeatedly said it was the WORST disaster for this country since the Civil War & people scoffed. Not much scoffing anymore unless they're one of the NAZIs.

    And the person or people (or country) behind that god-awful 'Q-anon' bullshit must also be uncovered & prosecuted. The amount of damage it's caused this country is almost mind numbing.

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    1. Hey Susie...glad you are back...as to pet insurance, we figure we are self-insured...any insurance is a gamble, and the only real winners are the insurance company. It's not cheap...we discussed it when they were puppies and figured we would take our chances. My crystal ball didn't work very well (again). Such is life...that's why they come to us (monsters in need). We have good jobs and no kids...really our dogs are our only indulgences...otherwise we save ferociously for retirement. At least we don't have to put them thru college!

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  4. Anyhoo, enough 'politics' for today! Sorry that I've been absent the past few weeks but the new year is always a lot of finishing year-end reports, etc. Plus, the past month has been extra difficult as the Sunday BEFORE Xmas, I fell on my stairs; I somehow missed the last 2 steps & fell in a heap with my legs & feet bent under. The feet took the biggest impact & I broke two of my toes & severely bruised 3-4 others & the sides & tops of my feet. The pain was awful & I could not wear regular shoes on the right foot until just last week. Right after it happened, I was in shock & then SO relieved that I did not break anything else that I've just dealt with the feet pain. If not for COVID, I would have gone to the Drs the next day but was more petrified of the virus, so stayed home. I also hurt my back too but the feet hurt so much more that I kept ignoring the back but it keeps reminding me. In fact, the back is more of an issue right now that the feet; if I stand for more than 15-20 minutes, the pain in my back is unbearable. I've had to deal with occasional lower back pain on my right side for more than 30 years but this pain is more in the middle & on the LEFT side. Argh! After more than a decade, I'm finally starting to diet again & lose weight & that SHOULD help eventually. However, I'll probably have to delay my planned start of exercising.

    Well, it COULD have been MUCH worse, so I'm grateful. One of my biggest fears the past 10 months is if I had some sort of medical/dental/house issue that needed the intervention of an expert. I now only go to the grocery store once every THREE weeks (at 6AM) & to my office once/week where I usually see NO ONE the entire day. I keep calling Kaiser's 'COVID Vaccine Hotline" for when I can get the freakin vaccine & STILL no info. I'm not 65 but I do have health issues so I'm HOPING I can get it next month. And of course praying that my allergies to the 2 drug families won't exclude me from getting it!

    Have all the health care workers gotten the vaccine yet? I can't seem to find the info on that. The vaccine rollout was one more thing the previous pathetic "administration" f*cked up!

    Well, stay safe & try to think of all the things we can look forward to in, let's say, 6-7 MONTHS? But if the Olympics are cancelled, I will be almost as devastated as the athletes! I'd be fine if they just put ALL the athletes & officials in a BIG BUBBLE & no fans! It's a TV SHOW for most of the billions that watch anyway so if the only on-site spectators are other athletes/officials in the bubble, then so be it. I think the world NEEDS these Olympics, more than ever!

    Gotta scoot. Take care! :)

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    1. OMG!!! No wonder you haven't been visiting lately...gravity is great right until you fall...your description of it is terrifying, and you are so very lucky you weren't hurt MUCH worse! And not going to the Dr...wow, that is serious as hurt as you were! (I think you were right...we are constantly asking the question "if I were to catch Covid and die, would it have been worth it?") May be that's a bit extreme...but right now, with the vaccine OUT THERE...all those who are dying at this point is such a waste! Losing our dad back in June was hard and very sad, but there was no hope then...losing friends/loved-ones now while we wait our turn for the vaccine would make me MAD!! And people are dying in RECORD numbers!! News last night, over 4300 in the US YESTERDAY!! And yet the vaccine is sitting in rooms and freezers. ARGH!!! Don't get me started!!!

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  5. SusieB, so sorry to hear about your fall! Let me offer my experience - I kept walking and working for 12.5 hour days on my foot with the broken toes and because of that (because I was walking oddly to reduce the pain) I set myself up for continuing problems for years with that foot - to this day! So, take it easy on that foot, find a walking splint or boot if you can to wear (I was not allowed to work with one) IF you have to be on your feet more than a little bit.
    Do you remember when I slipped on the ice and when off my porch a few years ago? I did go to the urgent care because of the pain, but they didn't see the fractured vertebra or rib on the xrays. If you landed on your back (or struck it on a stair edge on your way down) and your pain continues you probably should go to get it checked out. I was lucky that the breaks were stable so I only had to restrict certain movements (lifting, carrying, push/pull) until they healed.
    Seriously, the MD offices are being very careful. Just wear a good fitting mask, take a little bottle of hand sanitizer, and don't be shy to ask anyone that comes near you to adjust theirs if it is needed.
    Sadly, I am seeing reports that a high percentage - like 40% - of the workers in elderly facilities (the first to be vaccinated in Ohio) have refused the vaccine. They are still vaccinating health care/first responders now, and starting on the over 85yo group. Sounds like it will be several weeks before my turn comes up.

    I agree about tracking down the Q-Anon instigators (more than one I bet) but not sure what crime they could be charged with. Unfortunately, the nutcases who believed them will just see any arrests as more proof of the "deep state" working against "patriots". So awful!!

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    1. I love it that the FBI is tracking down the Capitol Insurgents and arresting them! They were SO ARROGANT!! I hope they get much more than a hand-slap (yea...we will see).

      I think workers in critical areas (retirement homes/communities) should be REQUIRED to take the vaccine unless you have valid medical history of extreme allergic reactions. This is MUCH DIFFERENT than the flu. It was an employee (of course) who brought it into the assisted living home my dad lived at. I'd say it was inevitable, but that's not the case...not ONE Of the people I work with has brought it into work (yet anyway). We are all being careful and it's been working (fingers crossed that I didn't jinx myself). I donated blood Thurs after work...want the antibody test (I still think our entire crew was exposed back last February when we were down in El Segundo...about half of our crew was sick to varrying degrees, a bunch had loss of smell/taste..but back then we had no idea it was a covid symptom. And then we traveled to Florida (near the end of Feb)...and not long after we arrived there they had people catching it (they knew by then what it was)...WE might very well have been the super-spreaders to our Cape Canaveral brothers and sisters! (none died but several of them were tested positive after we left). But also there were no precations being taken back then until right as we were getting ready to come home (mid March).

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  6. I meant to include that several days after the fall, the pain intensified to the point of being hard to breathe! I went to the employee health office who sent me down to the ER for an MRI - that is when they finally saw the breaks and put me on activity restrictions.
    I had come over today to talk about the cycling season - so far it seems that nearly all of the February races are being cancelled or rescheduled. Guess it is going to be a messed up season again. I've been trying to wrap my head around the teams (new team names and new sponsors - even new names for the professional team categories) and what riders are on what teams now. I never fully figured all that out LAST year, with so little cycling to watch. Since my NBCSportsGold ticket is still active, I really should turn on some replays of the TdF and Vuelta and lose myself in the beauty of cycling for a few hours!

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  7. Today it is reported that NBCUniversal (ie Comcast) is going to shut down NBCSports Network, and move some (no word on what) content to USA channel and Peacock. The story said nothing about the Olympic Channel (which I can't get anyway without subscribing to a cable or high tier streaming service) or the SportsGold subscription services.

    And, Tom Dumoulin is reportedly "taking a break" from cycling and has left the Jumbo training camp. Seems he might still be suffering after effects from that crash at the Giro in 2019? Such a shame, when he had just hit his stride as a top contender - he is only 30 now!

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    1. Say WHAAAATTTTT? I wonder what's going to happen to the NBCS Gold internet package? And will they continue to support the TDF with the full crew? And what about the spring classics broadcasts? Will be interesting to see how this plays out...thanks for the heads up Rae...I had no idea till you told us...wow! (and WOW for Tommy D...in the prime of his career...how sad!)

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    2. I've been worried the past 5 years or so that NBC would stop carrying the TDF &/or move it to some damn streaming thing. I did NOT imagine that the NBCSN channel itself would be cancelled since it became THE location for the NHL & England's Premiere League soccer. I found this out late on Friday & was shocked & desperately depressed as I'm betting the Tour will be moved to that damn Peacock thing which I HATE ALREADY as NBC has already moved the cross-country skiing & Speedskating there! I can't get the internet in my house till this Fall at the earliest & even then, I do NOT want to have to PAY even more money to watch what SHOULD be on cable which is egregiously overpriced & yet Comcast raises EVERY YEAR!

      It means that by next year, it looks as if my 36 year-old love affair with the Tour de France will come to an end. I'm devastated.

      Meanwhile, HOW MANY F*CKIN CHANNELS broadcast college football & basketball?! I used to enjoy both of them but over the past few years, my interest as waned while my ire towards the NCAA, the schools & the TV networks has increased. And last Fall, I watched NONE of CF except the Ohio State-Clemson playoff game. I'd planned to watch the NCG but after 5 minutes of just the 2nd quarter, turned it off as I could see Bama would win yet again & my god, I'm SO sick of that team I could scream.

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    3. At some point I will have to figure out what channel the TDF will be shown on...and IF they will continue the NBCSN Gold internet thing (which I got last year for the first time and LOVED IT!) Sure hope it's some channel you will have access to Susie...it would be pretty devastating to NOT have TDF coverage of some sort...

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  8. Thanks Rae for the info on your injury. My foot/toes are slowly doing better while the back is still the biggest issue. I'm actually shocked at myself that for the 1st 2-3 weeks after the fall, I barely noticed I'd hurt my back. But the pain from the feet just blocked everything else out. I'm very lucky in many ways & one is that thanks to damn COVID, I didn't have to go into the office & walk, etc every day. Plus, the holidays were even more days I could just prop up my feet on the couch. On the days I worked at home, I propped my right foot on a big pillow & then moved over to the sofa with the laptop in the early afternoon. And on the one day each week that I did go into the office, it did not rain & was in fact (until last week) warmer than usual this time of year so wearing my open toe sandals with thick socks was doable. I switched to my open-toe slide-on slippers once in the office & that made it bearable. If that accident had happened during a "normal" year, I'd have had to miss weeks of work! Of course, if I wasn't so stressed about COVID every damn day, I may not have fallen in the 1st place!

    This past Sunday, I started doing my back stretches that I USED to do every day after my worst back injury (21 years ago this month & was in the hospital & then rehab place for a week & then home for 3 more weeks recovering) but had stopped over a decade ago when I stopped working out. I can't believe it, but they are ALREADY helping! The pain is still there, especially if I stand in place, but I can feel the difference. I will slowly increase my exercises & have already started walking the 50ft stretch I have in the house. Back, forth, back, forth, etc. Eventually, when the weather warms up a bit & my back/feet are painfree, I will either start walking outside in my neighborhood or buy a folding treadmill (that does NOT need any assembly!). I just read a review of one called the "Treadly 2" on CNN last week & it looks like a possibility.

    It looks now that "normal" work life won't even begin to resume til June at the earliest & it's hard to accept as I'd been thinking for months that we'd be back in the office full time by Spring. I've moved up my retirement target date again to next year, somewhere between Labor Day & end of the year & desperately hope to have at least one full year of "normal work life" before I call it a day. Being in my office & the building even just the one day/week has helped me stay grounded to "reality" the past 10 months even though it is extremely odd every time.

    Ooh, gotta run. Catch ya later! Take care!

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    1. Gads I can't imagine being hurt like you are Susie...feet, back...I've been SO VERY LUCKY that I've never (never say never...jinx??) hurt my back. I know that I DO have neck issues (hurt that long ago in the Navy)...and when it gets bad I have exercises to do that greatly help...but as most of us, when it gets better I stop doing them. Glad your exercises are helping...I know just to go to a Physical therapist my copay is like $30 PER APPT! (maybe that's low...but when you are going 20 times it's like HOLY CATS! I'm NOT Paying THAT for exercises I can do at home!)

      I don't expect us to get our "herd immunity" till near fall at the current rate of things...AND there's this to consider (which no one is talking about): most of the smart people are admitting the antibodys (after you've had Covid) don't hang out for long in your blood...like just a few months. So the big question: so after you've had Covid (or got the vaccinations), how long are you immune before you need ANOTHER vaccination? If it takes us longer than 6 months to vaccinate most of the country, and the antibody's are only with you for 3 months or so (what I'm hearing)...can you catch it again and again? And with the ever mutating worse versions, are we EVER going to get out of this? Just when I thought we had light at the end of the tunnel, it looks like it was just somebody IN the tunnel with a match, not the end of the tunnel at all.

      OK...not that I'm totally depressed again, gotta get back to work. Just call me "Mr. Sunshine!"

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  9. Oh...and our winter storms have FINALLY arrived! Today is the worst so far...howling winds, supposed to get between 2 and 5" of rain...may not seem like much to everybody EAST of CA...but for us here in the land of DON'T GET STORMS, it's a doosie! So much for my Mt biking for a month or so (till the dirt dries out)...stupid storms! (cuz it's all about me...and as a mt biker I LOVE drought!)

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  10. Oh I remember those late winter storms in San Diego - with flooding in river and creek basins. Two to five inches of rain in one storm - or one week! - here would overwhelm us - we would have serious floods. My backyard is underwater a couple of times every late winter/early spring from heavy rain.

    Susie, so glad that your back and toes are starting to feel better! and glad to hear that you will be able to get internet, although it is still a long wait until you do. We are lucky here that we have a choice of 3 internet/cable providers (WOW, Spectrum and ATT), so we can switch and bargain for lower fees. Which reminds me, I need to call my current internet provider and ask them why they are giving new subscribers 200mbs service for $30, but charging me $45 (supposedly should be $65 but I asked for and got a "discount" 18 months ago) for ONLY 30 mbs!!!

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  11. We actually still have DSL internet (pretty slow, not even the 30mbs you are currently getting)...it's good enough for us tho...we can stream video which is good...(but just barely). A lot of what we watch is via our Amazon firestick...gives us access to Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, CBS all access...and that's where I got my NBCSports Gold linked thru (if I'm not watching it on the PC). We do have Spectrum available here and they are always advertising $45 a month each for TV and Internet (if you bundle them both)...haven't switched as we still like our Direct TV satellite...but they charge a lot. Maybe we should look at the spectrum sometime...see what channels they offer. And faster internet would be nice...we both can't stream video at the same time. Not that I stream video unless it's Tour time.

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    1. I do fine with the 30mbs, actually, but I think they should offer me a much lower price! It looks like the minimum for new subscribers is 100mbs, for less than they are charging me!

      I have a Roku and currently am subscribed to NBCSportsGold, Starz, CBSAll Access (but I may drop that one after next month), and Hulu (special offer, $2/month) which I haven't even looked at since I signed up in early Dec.
      There are lots of channels offered free via the Roku and also via my LG TV's app -- but most seem to have little interest for me. I mean, America's Funniest Home Videos channel? TMZ channel? The LG even has 17 - count'em- 17 sports channels, NONE of which show any cycling :( :(

      More cycling news:
      End of career edition: Cav will be riding for QuickStep again; Edvald Boassen-Hagen and Nikki Terpstra have stepped down to ProTeam (formerly ProConti) at Total-Direct Energie
      New team name and signing: Romain Bardet has moved from Ag2R to the (formerly Sunweb) WorldTeam Team DSM

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  12. And the forecast is 6 more weeks of winter...isn't it almost always? That Phil needs to get some rose-colored glasses!

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  13. So today was Abbeys fourth birthday. Posted a pic on FB (pretty much the same pic as we take every year...only a different candle). They sure love their helping of liverwurst that is the birthday cake!

    Also today I got my first Covid vaccination! I knew we (contractors to the Air Force) were slated for the 2nd wave of shots...which is currently underway here on base...but we had no set plan...suddenly just after lunch there was a scramble as there was extra doses for today and there was a lotto draw and I was one of the winners. It was the Pfizer vaccine...and I will get my 2nd dose in 21 days. On the one hand I guess I'm really lucky. But on the other, did I just take a shot away from someone who is in the high-risk category (and they might die because of me)? This is pretty unprecedented territory we are in, and I have very mixed feelings...I'm happy that soon I will be safe from this disease...but people are and will continue to die from it, and that makes me feel guilty as I'm not high-risk...it's only my job that makes me "essential". I think every death now that vaccines are out there is SO sad and unnecessary...can't imagine how bad it would hurt to lose someone now...knowing that staying alive was just a shot (or 2) away.

    Anyway...it's still all so surreal...like a BAD DREAM I just don't wake up from. And I have no idea how long Jeannie will have to wait for her shots...and just because I will (hopefully) be immune in just a few weeks, it sounds like I could be a carrier and still unknowingly bring it home. That's too horrible to even think about....

    OK. That's all. Super-Bowl weekend...didn't watch ANY football this last year...zero (not even any college)...tho we will watch the game. We have our usual $5 bet...I have Tampa Bay and Jeannie has KC. I've never been a New England fan...but now I'm rooting for Brady to pull this off with TB...that man is a WINNER!

    Have a good weekend...the light at the end of the tunnel is on...it's just that it is a much longer tunnel than we thought...hang in there and stay safe!

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  14. Dropped in to say Hi! and Hello Racing!
    I wasn't able to find a way to watch either Omloop or k-b-k, but here is a nice article about the contenders: read://https_www.msn.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.msn.com%2Fen-us%2Fsports%2Fmore-sports%2F8-conclusions-from-opening-weekend%2Far-BB1e7aAW (from cyclingnews). Many names that are not so familiar to me after last year! But, hooray for Heinrich Haussler! I spoke with him once at the Tour of Missouri, he was very gracious and friendly to the old lady!
    I tried my usual pirate stream source, but my Avast kept shutting it down because (it said) one of its ads had malware.
    Trek came through with a win by former WC Mads Peterson - seems this kid isn't a flash in the pan! And QuickStep once again was strong - wonder if they will be the dominant team again this season?
    One of my favorite spring races, Strade Bianche, is Saturday so I am hoping to find a livestream for that. CyclingFans, which used to be my main source, no longer seems to post "alternative" streams. Perhaps it's time to try a VPN again, although I was disappointed to find that I would still have to buy access to Eurosport and couldn't because I'm not in the UK. I like their commentary, watching French or Italian doesn't work so well for me but at least I can see the race and perhaps follow a live ticker.
    After a couple of weeks of 8" of snow and ice on the ground, overcast skies (seriously, C-bus in winter is gloomier than Portland), and temps that never cleared 32F, it really feels like spring - despite the 20F temp this AM! the sun is shining brightly, songbirds are twittering, the snow is gone -- I've survived another winter!
    I am scheduled to get my first vaccine jab on Friday - no idea which it will be.
    Matt don't feel the least bit guilty about getting yours when you did. I personally feel that the more people who are in the younger working group who get it, the less actual spread there will be. I would gladly give up my spot to someone in that category, but the system isn't working that way right now. At least, although the rate of infection is still very high, there is definitely less need for hospitalizations and fewer critically ill in the hospital (from news reports). Yes, light at the very distant end of the tunnel!
    SusieB, hope all is well with you!
    Rae

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  15. Hey Rae...glad to hear you are out there still...sorry about your winter, but I guess it's pretty normal there (never heard it called C-bus before...interesting)

    Susie, how are you doing in your winter? The east coast has had their share of crappy weather....brr...you both can keep that! I HATE WINTER!

    As to cycling, I was on my NBCSportsGold app just this last weekend trying to set it up to remind me of all the races...not sure that I succeeded (haven't gotten any notices yet). It's been a super-busy last month for me so I have been totally MIA here...lots going on both at work and at home (long story short on the home busy: new carpet installed in 2 bedrooms, had to completely paint them both BEFORE the carpet came, ran out of time and the carpet was in, but now I've emptied/painted both closets (ceilings too), trying to rebuild and get all the stuff we had moved in our living room back into the bedrooms...(it's a freaking nightmare!) And work has been quite hectic (and ramping up to even worse as deadlines approach and management is panicking), looks like I need to work both days this weekend. AND...to make everything else even better, we've had stupid high winds nearly every day for about a MONTH now which is crushing my winter/spring cycling/training...20-35+mph, with just a handful of regular breezy days (10-15mph). Add to that pretty chilly temps we've had (for us anyway) and I'm not getting in much riding, cuz I'm the poster-child of a fair-weather-rider.

    Gotta scoot...hope to come back soon and do an update...gosh, just not enough time in the day (that, or my time-management skills really stink...which is likely the real truth). Stay warm! And COME ON SPRING!!!

    Good luck getting the races...I just don't have time for that right now...

    OH...I got my 2nd shot last Friday...so I'm just about good to go...but Jeannie (still working from home hiding out from the world) hasn't been able to get hers yet...so I still need to be really careful to NOT bring it into the house.

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  16. Howdy! Been so long, I can't remember what I may have said last time! Well, our winter is pretty much over (WHOO-HOO!) & we were MUCH luckier than most of the states east of the Mississippi as we got snow/ice only 3 times & the most I got in one snow was about 6 inches. It was the wet/heavy kind & was mixed in with sleet & ice, which made it impossible for me to push. I got my next-door neighbor kid to shovel the 2nd snow but let the 3rd one just melt over 4 days since I only leave the house once/week to go into the office. Since Dec, I only go to the grocery store once/every 4 weeks between 6-6:45 AM. As soon as I get fully vaccinated (WHENEVER THAT WILL BE & YES I'M STILL FREAKIN WAITING!), I'll go back to every 3 weeks & maybe even every two! Whoo-hoo!

    My diet & exercise program is progressing but I'm losing slower than I ever have & it's very frustrating! I know this is fact since I have notebooks & datebooks filled with ALL my previous diet/workouts going back to the late 80s. I can look up exactly what I ate every day, my workouts sets & # of reps, how I felt, etc. I'm eating about the same as during my last big diet, started in 2003, this time I started exercising a week sooner & am a bit farther along (I started this time around 12-15 minutes & am now up to 1hr 43 minutes) & yet am losing weight at a substantially slower rate. The only difference is my age & that I'm past "the change". ARGH! Plus, for the 1st timer ever, every night, a couple hours after the workout is over, I just feel stiff! I HATE getting old!

    February was especially trying as that is when our area got all its snow. And the Westminster Dog Show was postponed till June or something. Watching winter sports & the WDS are the only things that keep me from cracking entirely during winter in non-Olympic years but THIS year, several of the things I've watched the past few years were not on TV, thanks to NBC.

    Anyhoo, I'm glad you're both doing well. I've lost track of cycling entirely & until last week, had stopped checking the 2 cycling websites I used to go to every day. Oh, the Olympic Channel started airing last year's Tour stages every week day this week. They did that for the Vuelta a couple months ago, but they had carried that race live so that made sense. Maybe this is where NBC will move the TDF coverage this or next year? It's my only hope as I refuse to spend even MORE money to watch what should be on TV. I HATE the freakin "streaming" bullshit. Just one more thing to BLAME MILLENNIALS! And Generation Z! If it actually cut my cable cost due to competition, I might feel more receptive, but NO, Comcast just keeps raising prices every freakin year! NOTHING that I use has gone up in price over the last 20 years like cable, not phone, not nat gas, not electricity, not water! I 1st got cable in the Fall of 1995 & it cost $25/month! I'm a big TV watcher, so will always keep cable but am very worried about its unending cost escalation in the future when I'm no longer getting a paycheck!

    Ooh, I have to run. I'll come back next week to chat some more. Have a good weekend!

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  17. Hey Rae & Susie...gosh...I'm totally MIA for about 2 months now...time is swooping by. Work has been rather hectic, more-so than normal anyway...AND, we had new carpet put in the bedrooms a few weeks ago (which entailed TOTALLY emptying them AND the closets). I painted both rooms before the carpet came, which was a huge job (including the ceilings). Ran out of time and had to paint both closets AFTER the new carpet was in...turns out painting closets sucks...my analogy is like painting a coffin you are lying in...I end up with paint all over me. And then all the trim...baseboards worst of all (especially now with new carpet). The last few weekends it's been finishing the shelving in the master walk-in closet (including painting all that), and we are slowly moving stuff out of the living room back into the bedrooms.

    Anyway, I haven't been keeping up w/ cycling at all...I tried a few times last week to watch some of the Paris-Niece on the NBCSN Gold but just couldn't get into it...(don't even know who won, tho I do hope to go back and watch the stages, even if I have to FF thru most of it). Also trying to revive MY cycling...the last 2 months have been rather horrible weather for us...high winds and even storms...not that we've had nearly enough rain but the winds all thru Feb and thru most of the last 2 weeks have been abby-normal. So my cycling fitness plummeted as I just can't make myself go out in 30+ winds (and cold...low 50's when I get off work, mid 40's by 5pm which is about when I'd be finishing a ride). Usually Feb here is a big month for me on the Mt bike...long weekend rides (6-8hrs)...but w/ the winds we've had I haven't done much at all. Yep...I am SUCH a fair-weather-rider. But the last few days the winds have dropped to 'normal' levels and the time change helps a ton (getting out of work at what WAS 2pm is a lot better), so I am making myself get out there...figure it's either that or become a couch-potato.

    Anyway...I need to up my game and get back here more often...hang in there both of you...we have good things coming soon....oh, and btw, I got my shots...how about you both? Jeannie is still waiting for hers, no idea when she will fall in line here in CA, afraid it could still be a while...I'll feel a lot better after she's vaccinated and can stop worrying so much.

    And today was St Pattys day...that means warmer weather is coming. Hooray...we've made it thru the darkest months, and that includes a full YEAR of the pandemic...hard to believe it's been that long, isn't it? Still it feels like a bad movie or dream to think of where we are right now (still). It will really be something when (if?) we go back to "normal", if we ever really go there...I have a feeling we will be getting Covid-shots for the rest of our life...don't think we can ever close Pandora's Covid-box now that it's out there.

    OK...gotta hit it...stay safe and keep busy...later gators!

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