Staying the Course -- March 16, 2021

[Superbob]

Oh wow, it's late Tuesday night, and I haven't posted a STC new-week starter yet. Getting to be a habit with me. Anyway, greetings, and ...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

What are you all doing to celebrate, if you are? Aren't we all Irish on Saint Paddy's Day, eh? We likely will get a couple of corned beef and cabbage dinners from one of our local eateries going Irish fare. Take-out, most likely. Places likely will be packed and though we eat out sometimes, still don't want to be in tightly packed crowds, though we have had the Pfizer vaccine.

This is going to be very short for starters.. Will try to add some more later in week. A lot going on with family, mostly positive.

Won't lie to you: A lot of times I think I really have very little of general interest with which to pen a proper week-starter, and I think about suggesting we just merge into the small talk or off-topic forum -- whatever it's called now. But then one by one, y'all check in with interesting posts about a wide range of topics. So I guess I serve a purpose in doing this.

Right now, though, I need some sleep. (It's good for the heart, you know.) So night-night and ...

Cheers,
Superbob

 

[Superbob]

We here in coastal Carolina are in tornado alley for today. TOR:CON of 7. Same system that hit Alabama, Mississippi, other Southern states yesterday. We are in the "very likely" zone for severe weather. Right now, I miss the days we had a basement when we lived in the mountains. If we get hit, rescuers can look for two old folks and one old dog in interior closet -- only "safe" place we have. Wish us well. If the worst happens, I leave Stay the Course duties to Superman.

Meanwhile, about 2 hours before storm is expected to hit, DW and I have a telemed appointment with our doctor. Kinda weird.

 

[Superman]

Wow! Well, that’s a frightening update. I’ll have to post my own later, but want to wish you safety and looking forward to many more course starters from you in the future. Hope it all blows over.

 

[Superbob]

Well, we flat lucked out today! Tornado warnings to the south of us, to the west of us, to the north of us, and even to the east of us (out over the ocean, just 25 miles offshore). But nothing here,not even a heavy shower. Our cloud cover held throughout the day, and that was fortunate 'cause sun boils up these storm systems. Hope our neighbors came through okay.

 

[epstns]

I've been up here in my second floor "radio shack" connecting with ham operators all over South America and Western Europe today -- and listening to the 40-50 MPH winds trying to blow the storm windows off the house. We are under no storm watches or warnings, but it is far windier than even usual in Chicago.

Been trying to keep up appearances of normalcy, too, with the usual quick shopping trips and so forth. Wife has finished her J&J Covid vaccine, while I have had dose #1 of Pfizer, with #2 to come in a couple of weeks. Once all that "settles in" we can try to determine what the next new normal can be. Right now, we are in sort of the "honeymoon" period when we can look forward to being "more normal" without having to define any of it. I'm sure it will be limited, compared to pre-Covid times, as many of the businesses and activities we used to frequent are either still closed under protocol, or just gone forever.

We figure we will at least be able to enjoy re-exploring the remaining restaurants around, as some are gone, there are a few new ones, and I'm sure many of the existing ones have changed either their menus, their themes or their cooks. It will be like starting all over again finding new favorites and (hopefully) re-meeting old ones. There goes the diet. . . and I was doing so well. . .

 

[MartinF]

Haven't checked in for a while. Went into the belly of the beast today (Anaheim, one of the cities with high virus numbers) and received my first Moderna vaccine. No reaction so far. My wife received the same vaccine a week ago.
Finally received my 90 day layoff notice at work. They're closing our site so they have to let us know. My last day is July 2. I'm 64 so it most likely means I'm done working. Just a couple years short of retirement. I'm fine with that, ready for it.
Not walking as much as I would like but weight still down below 170.
One down side of the COVID pandemic is that our gardener disappeared. So I'm the new gardener now. My wife found a free electric lawn mower so I cut the grass today. It's been a cold winter but it's finally starting to get warmer. Tomorrow's run is in San Juan Capistrano.