Celebrating here that 2.9 inches of snow last night pushed Boston to 108.6 inches (9+feet) for the season to break the record since records have been kept since 1872. Locals have been itching for this record since our deep January and February.

With a few warm days last week it's become possible to walk for several miles on the sidewalks without having to use the streets. That's important since the streets are still squeezed by the mounds of snow and drivers don't have simple options to avoid pedestrians.

Bill for the snow record. Let's hope it can now end since the record has fallen.

DH and I are commencing our "Spring Cleanup" of our unhealthy habits today. We will try to eat healthily, not drink alcohol or excess caffeine, and work out moderately every day until Easter. That's step one.

Dagmar

Hullo all.

(When I was a child I used to see 'hullo', 'hallo' and 'hello' in books. Now I only see 'hello' unless it's in another language. Spellcheckers have a great deal to answer for, in my opinion.)

Good morning!

Not much to report here other than what seems to be record heat. We've hit 92 two days in a row. I want our "winter" back. I'd much prefer it to be in the mid 70's like normal.

You know, Bill, I was actually watching the news to see whether your region broke that record or not -- like a win for the Patriots or a Tsarnov conviction, it seemed as if it would help the collective morale.

We had a gray and rainy weekend, but we're far enough south in the weather formation that no snow fell. I was able to drive to two errands, to the hairdresser and grocery store. I went a little too fast, rebelling like a teenager against my mother's slow and cautious senior citizen driving style. Of course, this wasn't a good idea, what with the numerous pot-holes in the roads that the freezing and thawing has caused.

I walked more than I have yet on a weekend, in addition to two sessions at the gym. But by Sunday night, I found that I'd "over-done" it -- my leg was swollen, I could feel prickling around the metal plate implanted within it, I walked stiff and bow-legged and I felt physically exhausted.

Today I've got that examination by the insurance company's doctor, with my lawyer or one of her paralegals also present. I have to sign the legal complaint, too. I'll be glad when this day ends.

I was able to get out into my garden this weekend, did some work to get the raised beds ready for spring planting. What I discovered was FIREANTS. My raised beds are full of fireants. I have to figure out how to get them out of there. They are EVIL.

Bill -high five on the snow record. Now it can go away.

Saef - I hope today goes well for you.

Allison - don't like the record heat out there.

Dagmar - cheers for healthy habits!

Shannon - I've just looked up fireants. Yikes. I use boiling water on ants nests here. Would that work?

Shannon, I just listened to a "You Bet Your Garden" podcast where Howard Garrett AKA The Dirt Doctor was interviewed about how to control fire ants organically. You might want to check it out.

Bill, now that the record has been broken it's time for spring.

Allison, we are also having hot days north of Bakersfield. Ugh. DH hasn't even prepped the swamp cooler yet, and that's our only cooling besides fans. He says he'll do it Wednesday.

Saef, maybe it's good timing that you overdid it with your walking, just in time for your insurance company checkup

Hullo, Birchie I vote for turning off all spell-checking and becoming human spell-checkers. Once upon a time people actually knew how to spell.

Dagmar, sounds like a good Spring Cleaning plan!

Big news for me - I signed my retirement papers and my last official work day will be Friday, May 1. The dept will probably hire me back as a retiree on an emergency basis but maybe just part time. I feel very bad leaving them in the lurch but I would feel worse giving up $45K+ of accumulated vacation/sick hours. Big wide world, here I come!!

Thursday I leave for the Bataan Death March in White Sands, NM. The event is on Sunday, then I'll get home the following Tuesday. Weather prediction is for high 70's but, thank goodness, it will be breezy. My training hike last Saturday was HOT and miserable and only 15 miles compared to the 26.2 I'll be doing on Sunday. My bad (right) knee is acting up a bit but hopefully will settle down as I'll be giving it a rest all week.

Bill - Wow, I hadn't heard it had snowed and had no idea you would be breaking a record up there. It's over soon!

Alice- Congrats on retirement coming up! I'm so jealous! I'm ready to do the same. Hope your knee feels better soon. I'm finding with all the running/biking I'm doing I keep getting little flare-ups here and there but luckily they go away after a day or two of rest. The problem is I can't stand to rest.

Saef - I had to laugh at you rebelling while driving. I'm the same way -- that old rebellious streak returns. With me it has to do with my MIL because I see her all the time. I don't get to see my mom much, and she doesn't really offer advice so there isn't much rebelling going on. But, I was happy to read you are driving! Hope it's sunny and getting nicer. My DD is home for Spring Break and today is beautiful down here and she is in heaven.

Shannon - we use Amdro Fireant control down here in Florida. Those things are vicious and the sting hurts for hours and then turns into a 3 day itch. The only problem is the ants in that mound die, and then they seem to relocate a few feet over.

Dagmar - sounds like lent! My lenten goal has been to not gossip. So it's been rather lonely. It reminds me of a line in Terms of Endearment (I think... or some other old move). "If you can't say something nice, come sit by me".

Spelling -- used to be an expert. My husband would even call me and ask me how to spell words. It's gone - I have to check my spelling in Word. I may have mentioned this earlier but there was a good article I mentioned to my students about how all the technology has made us less intelligent (to put it kindly). The article said that pilots can't remember how to land on their own (OMG!) and that doctors have trouble remembering certain procedures that machines now do for them (OMG x2).
You would hope that our brains would make room for more things since there is so much we don't have to know anymore, but not sure that is happening.

My DD and I ran the 10K on Saturday. I was very happy with my time (1 hour 5 minutes). She did it in 53 minutes. I ran the whole way without stopping - "ran" is a little generous -- it is a slow jog. But I'm thrilled with it. I have to figure out my next race/goal because that is what keeps me motivated I think.

OK, it's not spring break for me yet, so I best get off here and back to work!

I am still an ace at spotting typos and spelling usage errors - bow instead of bough etc. - but not my own. Years of editing and proofing ad copy and being an ace speller as a kid have stayed with me. Not much use for such a talent but hey! OK to brag about whatever special talents we have right?

Dagmar

The resort where my in-laws live has a bad fire ant problem. They've managed to keep it at bay but they do pop up here and there. Two weeks ago, my golf ball landed in a garden and when I did my free drop from the garden the ball was immediately covered with ants. I've been bitten by them, too. They hurt like heck and the bites last a long time.

Alice~we services our swamp coolers just before the holidays to avoid the possibility of bursting a line but as soon as the weather started to warm up, I sent DH back up to the roof to hook the water back up! We're comfortable thank goodness. And congrats on your retirement! Won't your company cash out your vacation? When I worked at the hospital we could do that and we allow it here at our little company.

Sharon - that line was from Steel Magnolias. I believe it was delivered by Olimpia Dukakis' character, Clarie. I play it in my head quite often.

Wow Howlin' that is some kind of race!!!
Bill -Just met a recent Boston transplant who is happy not to have been part of the snow record.

Saef - Wishing you well this week!

Allison - Wow heat! What's that?

During our cold snap I was barely able to maintain my high winter weight and not let it get any higher. Two days ago it warmed up, now I'm back to bicycling almost 16 miles a day up our little Mt Carbon near our house (900' ascent on a paved bike trail... exercise heaven!). Well whaddaya know, weight loss is returning...

I have work to do with my Choctoberfest (this year's chocolate festival is Sept 19 just NW of Denver). This Sunday, Karen and I drive to Albuquerque for the biggest chocolate festival around, 16,000 people attending. My job includes tons of chocolate sampling while I hobnob and network with the chocolatiers. Tough job, actually. My goal is to isolate this crazy day and get back on track Monday (right now I eat only one square of dark chocolate a day--50 calories or so--and no other processed sugar).

Oh! You are right! LOL - it was a funny line.

Her character is paraphrasing Alice Roosevelt Longworth:
"If you haven't got anything good to say about anybody, come sit next to me."
She had it embroidered in a pillow.

http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/08/09/sit-by-me/