Silly Site o' the Day

The frigid-for-autumn weather should break tomorrow, but first I had to get through today. Once I was on the express bus things were a bit better, and of course the office isn't as cold as the apartment. But I slept lousy after yesterday's convo, so I've been awake since around 3:30 AM or so, and at 4:30 PM I decided to leave as I just couldn't concentrate any more. Now the laundered clothing has finally been put away after the bag sat for two days, and the space heater is working beautifully in the bedroom, so I don't even care that much that the Yankees lost and the Mets are losing. After all, who would with chicken daddies to look at?

Silly Site o' the Day

The sibling conference call was a difficult conversation, but we do have a plan moving forward, and maybe in a week or so my stomach will settle. The weather continues its frigid pace, and I needed space heaters most of the day as I worked from home. If you don't mind, I'd rather not see a gallery of crocheted pants...

Silly Site o' the Day

Early winter weather has us in its grip now, naturally since I had to go to Manhattan. Fortunately I was busy enough not to have to think about Mom's situation, about which I'm more pessimistic than I've been. My brothers and I have a major conference call tomorrow about it, but in the meantime the stress is affecting us all in different ways, and for me it translates into gastrointestinal distress, lots and lots of burping from nowhere. Ah well, it could be worse. Oh, it is, we're in the middle of election season. Here's a silly site about that:

Via Mark Evanier.

Silly Site o' the Day

I had so much going on this weekend I completely forgot to note how much around-the-house organizing I got accomplished, everything from reconciling finances to doing my Woolite wash to finishing about three months' worth of the local paper to throwing out our trash. It helped a lot to come back to an organized apartment after all that. Unfortunately, and I'll blame the Mets because why not (but more likely my stomach and inability to breathe properly) I slept pretty lousy, and was up from 4-5 AM then had Robin wake me again at 7, so I sleepwalked through my work-at-home day doing stuff that required expertise rather than deep thought. I filled my eight hours and was able to watch the Mets win this time, tying their series (as much as I love them I don't think they have a chance against the Dodgers, but I'm happy about the one win so far). Yanks are on now and looking fairly nice so far. Maybe what I like about baseball is that all the players wear caps; when did hats go out of style, anyway?

Silly Site o' the Day

Today was the second day of Family Obligation Weekend, as we ventured into my ancestral spawning grounds of Rockland County to celebrate my uncle's 90th birthday. All his progeny, and their progeny, and THEIR progeny, were there (my uncle's eldest embraced ultra-religious Judaism and had a quiverfull of kids who in turn, well, you get the idea), as well as my godson and various cousins and my bro and sis-in-law, and a grand time was had by all. Even though I could do without the religious aspect of everything, the kosher food wasn't bad and I love love love Rockland County in the autumn, my favorite season in my absolute favorite place. I told my cousin I feel like I'm unstuck in time; when I look at the cousins' grandkids I'm that age, then their now-married children and I'm that age, and of course the age I'm at now, then my uncle and Mom yesterday and I see my future at that age too. But it's a pleasant unstuck-in-time feeling, and being there and then kept me grounded despite my exhaustion. We decided to try our favorite sushi place on the way back, and we now know a shortcut from the Saw Mill Parkway so it was technically not out of our way, but I think the whole last month or so finally caught up with me and my stomach only let me eat about half of what I usually put away there. So glad I'm home now, I'm not fond of night driving any more (for those interested, the car is still purring fine) and the southbound Deegan was slammed at this hour, but we're home now and maybe I'll have my appetite back by tomorrow so I can try some AI-generated potato chip flavors...

Silly Site o' the Day

The long weekend began with a trip to NJ to see Mom in the rehab center, possibly the last time she'll be there as her COVID isolation ends in a few days and it appears her insurance will want her out of there and into a long-term care facility. As far as I'm concerned it cannot come soon enough, as this place doesn't seem to have done her much good. At least in the nursing home she'll be able to establish a new routine. But it was very emotionally draining, even more so as she took advantage of the Jewish holiday to kind of throw things in the face of the family atheist. In any case, I was pretty emotionally drained by the time we got home (passing at least two accidents on the way back, including one on the bridge, so even with the gorgeous foliage that didn't help), and I feel like I'm running on fumes at the moment. Not even the world's greatest mullets can get a smile out of me at the moment.

Silly Site o' the Day

With a busy weekend looming, we decided to do our grocery shopping during my lunch break today, which worked out pretty well considering I didn't feel right all day. Not sure if it's the dropping temps (our landlord isn't back from the west coast and we can't have our heat turned on until his return) or nervousness about all the driving (although the car does seem fine) or the exhaustion from work, but I've definitely been under the weather all day. Nonetheless, I pushed through, made more progress than I thought I would, even cleared most of my personal email and printed out a bunch of financial stuff before giving up to watch some west coast baseball (looks like the Mets will be facing the Dodgers in the NLCS). Maybe tomorrow I won't feel as overwhelmed. I just don't feel ready for the later months in the year, let alone the 2025 Catzilla calendar...

Silly Site o' the Day

I watched the end of the Yankees game this evening the way I spied the end of yesterday's Mets game - in bed with my eyes closed. But I woke up long enough to hear them win, so that's all that matters. Both New York teams in their respective championship series, so I'm happy! Not as happy that I'll be out and about both days this coming weekend, as I'm visiting Mom on Saturday and her brother my uncle (for his big 90th birthday bash with all his progeny present, and that's a lot of cousins!) on Sunday. I'm just so tired from a very busy workday and commute, and another busy day coming up tomorrow, that I'm feeling very overwhelmed at the moment. I had hoped to take the car in to make sure I get new wheel rims so I don't get another flat tire miles away from home, but it's just not going to happen this weekend. Neither is grocery shopping, I'll have to do that on my lunch hour tomorrow. But I have to concentrate as much as I can during work hours to get everything squared away that suddenly came onto my plate. Sometimes it's just feast or famine, I suppose. It could be far worse, at least I'm not in the path of a hurricane or tornado. And at least I don't have a glitter butt. Erm, that I know of.

Silly Site o' the Day

On the one hand, Hurricane Milton made landfall just south of where my Tampa friends are, so I hope everyone's in their safe place. On the other, the Mets are actually in the National League Championship Series! What a wonderful game to watch. And I made a killer stir fry, with enough ingredients that I'll be eating leftovers for at least two more meals. My legs and feet aren't as bad as yesterday so I'm hoping not to move around a lot in Manhattan tomorrow; at least I'm prepared for the trip now. I just need to stay out of the way of Google Street View or someone might make a street ghost painting of me. (Kodai Senga: "It not real ghost!" /Senga)

Silly Site o' the Day

Hurricane Milton continues to creep closer to the Tampa area, and I continue to hobble about Manhattan. I was on my feet way too much in the office today, and paid the price later. I'm getting too old for this stuff, particularly as the weather starts to cool. At least I don't have to reach for the microwave!