Cold, Cold, Cold

 

View out of my front door yesterday, January 27, 2026

This is a view of the cul de sac from my front door.

Fortunately we here in southern coastal Delaware didn't receive a lot of snow (about three inches) but we did receive and continue to have a lot of cold.

The temperature right now as I type this blog posting is nineteen degrees. While not as cold as Alaska, Minnesota or even Quebec Canada (where Pat was working at his Go Valet job today), nineteen degrees is cold for us Delawareans. 

This cold is expected to continue for the next seven days with another winter storm watch this weekend.

I have enough food to last me a month, thanks to my unfortunate lifelong habit of over shopping and two refrigerators and one freezer chest for storage. However, I am getting cabin fever. Just another reason why I'll never put myself into an assisted living facility. 

I feel like I am in a prison now. 

I feel like I am being smothered. 

January and February of each year for me are always the worst months of the year. To me these months are the "just get through" months.

However, I have much to continue to be thankful for.

I have my independence. I have a comfortable and warm home. I have friends that I can talk to on FaceTime and Zoom. I have my social network on Threads. 

Normally, this time of year I would be getting ready for my annual trip to Palm Springs for Modernism Week. A two week celebration of the glorious days of the Fifties. Oh for those calm filled days. I remember being bored by the Eisenhower Years. Hey, I'll take that boredom of those years over the danger and chaos of the Trump Years now. 

In the future, long after I am gone, school kids will read about these years and wonder "How did they manage to survive?" One day at a time folks, one day at a time.

First Snow Of The Season

 

Last year we got by without any significant snow. 

I didn't mind. I hate the snow.

Nice to look at but very treacherous for this old man. Talk to my torn quadricep leg muscle of ten years ago about that.

A couple of days we received our first snow of the season. Not much by Iowa standards but a fair amount for us. About four inches. 

I didn't dare shovel our driveway. I'm not taking any chances of slipping and falling and breaking any of my old bones. Come to think of it, I've never broken a bone in my body. I've had a lot of other body failures but no broken bones. And I plan to keep that record. Thus, no going on on the black ice in my driveway that underlies the snow and shoveling.

With our black macadamed driveway the sun melts the snow which it did yesterday. We still have ice at the "lake" at the end of our driveway. Our poor fish pond is frozen over. I hope my dozen or so goldfish can survive this winter too like they did last year. Those goldfish are amazing at how hardy they are. Dig the pond deep enough and they survive and I had that pond dug four feet deep. They're down there, moving slowly. In a cold stupor no doubt. They manage.

With the sunshine, everything is a brilliant white outside. I definitely had to wear my wrap around eye exam sunglasses yesterday when I drove myself and Bill to Food Lion for groceries. 

Already I see green shoots of new daffodil growth bravely pushing through the snow. Those daffodils are relentless. 

Have a great day everyone and if you're in snow country, be careful!

Way Too Cold

Downingtwon train station - I used to stand near the yellow line on the left waiting for my daily commute train to Philadelphia - this photo was taken on a warmer day. On cold winter days, that was a brutal place to stand and wait for the train - I'll never forget those painful days

A fierce cold has descended upon much of our country, especially in the Midwest. 

The temperature now is 15 degrees. I saw on the TV news tonight some areas in the Midwest are experience 45 degrees below zero, and that's not wind chill.  

Bill came in my headquarters (my home office, which I transformed our smallest bedroom into) and asked if he should turn the water off.  He's afraid that our pipes would freeze in these cold temperatures.  I told him no, don't worry about it.  If there was a danger I'm sure I wouldn't have received warnings from our electric power service and NextDoor app.  We're doing just fine here at our cozy, warm home.  I am so glad I went with gas (propane) heat when I had our house built. In Pennsylvania we had electric power.  Very, very expensive and that heat pump just ran and ran when it got this cold.  Of course propane gas isn't cheap either but it's more economical than electric heat.  Plus, I find gas heat more comfortable than electric heat.

On cold sunny days like this my bedroom, with four windows facing both south and west, enjoy sumptuous solar heat. That was an accident. I didn't plan positioning our house that way, a lucky coincidence. My daily afternoon naps in my solar warmed bedroom are so comforting, especially when the wind is whipping around just outside my bedroom windows. 

On cold days like this I remember those days when I used to stand on a train platform in Downingtown for my daily commute to my job in Philadelphia. I used to stand in the old fashion train station until someone burned it down. Then the railroad replaced the burned out train station with one of those glass enclosures that sort of stop some of the wind but still so very cold. I'm glad those days are behind me.  

If you're in a cold part of the country, stay inside folks and keep warm.  Don't tempt fate.  Spring is coming!

I Hate The Cold

Pat, layered up tonight, for his nighttime walk in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - he will not be wearing this garb in California

The two least liked months of the year are about half over. January and February, I dread those months. Those are the "lost months" to me. 

Each year the cold bothers me more and more. I now understand while old folks want to retire to "warmer climes".  I know I do.  But I do like the change of seasons. I don't think I will ever move away from where I live here in southern Delaware. But I do like to get a respite from the cold.  That's why I talked my Travel Buddy (that would be Pat) to extend our annual trip to LaLa Land (that would be Los Angeles and Palm Springs) to two weeks from one week.  My idea escape from winter would be to spend TWO MONTHS in California.  Ah yes, to live and breath among the swaying palm trees and warm breezes caressing my aged, weathered cheeks (on my face that is).

I'm at work now (the hotel). Quiet night at the hotel, only three room occupied (out of 22 rooms and 3 suites).  A few minutes ago I went outside to do my rounds (check balcony lights and locks on doors).  Man, it is cold out there!  Actually the temperature was 31 degrees.  Pat, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada just came in from his walk in 19 degrees.  At least we don't have snow here (thank goodness).  Pat's got snow in Hamilton.

This morning I took Bill to see his VA doctor for the results of his labs.  Bill's doing fine.  Bill does have to get his ears cleaned (wax buildup) and he needs an eye examination but health wise, Bill is doing great.  

I'm making progress, albeit slow, in cleaning out my years of accumulations of things after cleaning out our basement media/storage room. I'm coming across a lot of items that is jogging my memory of my previous life working at the banks where I was employed for thirty-seven years.  Names I've long forgotten, I'll hang on to those items.  I am throwing things out.  Progress.

Last week a local thrift store picked up to three foot high speakers that Bill no longer wanted.  On Wednesday the people from Dry Zone are coming to fix the leak in our basement wall, which resulted in a leak which resulted in our emptying out the basement media/storage room and ripping up the very expensive Berber carpet.  Once we get that leak fixed we're going to have a home theater in that room. Finally, after living here for thirteen years.  No more junk room.  Progress.

I have to make progress folks. I'll share something with you. I feel I'm slowing down. I don't have the energy I used to have. This has been gradual the past five years, ever since my prostate cancer surgery. My cancer has not returned but I don't have the energy I used to have.  There are many signs that I have conveniently chosen to ignore but I can no longer ignore. 

Just keeping it real here folks. Perhaps I'll write more on this subject in future blog posts. But to wrap up this blog post, it's cold outside and I don't like it. So looking forward to California.

More Palm Springs Memories

Last night I braved the cold, damp wind to attend my HOA board meeting at my neighbor's house. 

A second nor'easter had just roared through the East Coast since I returned from Palm Springs, California last month. Thank goodness we missed the snow here in southern Delaware. Unfortunately my longtime friend Larry, who lives in northern Delaware, was inundated with the white stuff.  Keep those Currier and Ives scenes up there Lar. Don't need that white stuff down here.

Walking through that bone-chilling cold last night reminded me of those glorious warm days I enjoyed just a few short weeks ago in California. This is why every year, as long as I am physically able and can afford it, I will punch a hole in winter and spend at least two weeks in sunny California.

Pat in the courtyard of our rented Airbnb in Palm Springs

The video posted here is of our (me and Pat's) last day at our Airbnb in Palm Springs. Folks, never in my life did I anticipate I would ever stay in such a luxurious place as I did in Palm Springs. Just goes to show you, go for your dreams. They may just some day come true. 

Pat and me at our Airbnb in the courtyard of our rented Airbnb in Palm Springs last month

Snowed In - Cabin Fever

Here we are at the aftermath of our first major winter storm. Bill is outside shoveling the driveway.  The temperature is a frigid 14 degrees.

Yesterday I spent most of the day in our fireplace and gas propane warmed house at my computer. I reviewed all 846 photos from my Tipton family reunion of 2011. Now to take the next step and upload those photos to Shutterfly and share with relatives who attended that reunion.  I meant to share these photos sooner but you know how time gets away from you.  Wow.  That seven years went by fast.

I haven't been out of the house since I returned from work at the hotel Wednesday night, just as the snow was starting to fall, sideways.  No need to go out, I have enough pita chips and hummus to last me for at least a week.

Tomorrow the temperature is forecast to drop to ONE DEGREE.  Hey folks, no fan of winter Arctic temperatures here.  My two week winter escape to California can't come soon enough. I just hope that when my flight takes off Sunday February 11th that the roads are clear to Philly International airport.  I don't want any delay to my annual Winter Escape. 



UPDATE! 

I heard a motor so I looked out the window. There it was! A very generous neighbor is using his snowblower to clear out our driveway. Bill was out there earlier shoveling. I don't shovel. My lame excuse is that I fear falling but really I just don't like the cold. I would just as well prefer to wait for the snow to melt.  Yep, I'm lazy and a wuss. Now that I have made my mea culpa, I am so thankful to that neighbor who just cleared out our driveway with his snowblower.  

Thank you!

Now for lunch and a afternoon nap in my solar heated bedroom.

Snowstorm!

A storm coming and I'm right in the track!

The snow is here!  

When I was a kid, I looked forward to snow storms because he got off from school. Well, those days are LONG gone folks. These days, I DO NOT look forward to snow storms.  In fact, I hate snow.  Not only for the inconvenience but because to me, at my advanced age (76) and advancing arthritis, I am in great danger of falling and seriously injuring myself. Three years ago I did just that, I fell leaving work at the hotel and tore my quadricep muscle in my left leg. To fix that fall, I had to have major surgery to tie that quadricep muscle back and twelve weeks for recuperation to grow the muscle tissue back.  My left still isn't right but at least I can use my leg. Folks, I don't want a repeat of that accident.

I was scheduled to work today at the hotel.  I called my boss at the hotel and offered to stay overnight last night at the hotel so I wouldn't have to drive in the snow today. One of my co-workers offered to work for me today if I would take her shift last night.  How generous of her!  Thank you!

I went in last night with the understanding that I would leave at the sight of the first snow flakes which were scheduled to start fluttering around ten o'clock.  My normal shift end is eleven o'clock. I didn't want a repeat of a few years ago when I left too late and almost got caught in the blinding snow.  I'm not religious and I don't pray but I was praying that night traveling down that snow covered road in the sideways snow. Praying that I would get home safe.  I did.  I vowed that I would never put myself in that situation again. And I haven't.  

Last night the snow started to fall about 9:40 pm.  I quickly did the night audit, locked up the hotel, called my boss to inform him I was leaving and I took off on the lightly covered snow covered roads.  I made it home just in time.  Even though the hotel where I work is quite comfortable, there is no place like home.  This was the scene outside my bedroom window before I went to bed last night. This major winter snow storm was just getting started. And I was out of it. Relief!




Very pretty for sure. But I was so glad I was home in my warm and comfortable bedroom.

I had a good night's sleep. This was the scene outside my bedroom window when I woke up this morning.

The storm tracker this morning. East coast covered!

 Just as I expected folks. Total white out. 

I'm not going anywhere today. Or tomorrow or maybe even the day after. I don't have to go back to work until Monday. Hopefully by then all this paralyzing white stuff will have been neutralized.



I love my river birch trees. Winter, spring, summer and fall. Always beautiful. Check them out this morning swaying in the snow storm gusts of wind. Beautiful! Glad I'm not out in it though.

I ventured out on our back deck this morning in the sideways snow to experience this rare snow storm (for southern Delaware) first hand. Bit cold folks. And again, I am SO GLAD I don't have to go to work or go out in this dangerous time. I can't afford another fall. 




It's days like this folks when I really appreciate my good fortune and circumstance in life. I have a secure and comfortable home. Secure that is as long as some idiot driver doesn't crash into one of those electrical poles along our roads down here. Seems as if every snow storm someone is out driving about and ends up sliding and crashing into one of those electric power posts knocking out power for hundreds. The question I always ask "What is SO important that ANYONE has to be driving around in weather like this?" Probably someone who ran out of cigarettes and out to buy some more. I doubt if doctors are crashing into utility poles.  

So here I stay today folks. I hope all of you, are also in a good place today.  And for those of you who aren't experiencing this snow, I'll be with you next month.  Yes, Pat and I will be in sunny California for two whole weeks!  Yipee! Can't wait to experience that dry heat of Palm Springs.

Stay safe and warm everyone!

Back To Normal

This photo has nothing to do with this post. I found it this morning while going through my thousands of photos. It was taken at the Tipton Family Reunion October 9, 2011. Again, I am always surprised at how fast time goes by. This was SEVEN years ago! Where will I be seven years from now?

\Well, we got through another holiday season. Now life can go back to normal. 

I'm not a total bah humbug for Christmas and "the holidays", which actually starts with Halloween.  But I'm always glad when life can go back to the normal routine. Well, as normal as one can expect in today's world with the Orange Monster In The White House sending reckless Tweets out putting the world on edge for a nuclear war. Yes, I said it.  Are you as embarrassed as I am that Trump represents us in the world?  I'm not only embarrassed but I lose sleep at night wondering what the next outrage will come from the adult day care center that is now the White House. But enough of this worry, I'm going to try and live my life as normal as I can.

Today that will be a challenge.  We're expecting a nor'easter snowstorm to hit the eastern coast here later tonight. I'm scheduled to work at the hotel tomorrow afternoon. Do I go in now and stay overnight or do I take a chance that the major portion of this winter snowstorm/cyclone will bypass us here on the eastern coast of southern Delaware. I'll make that decision later today. 

As some of you probably know that county is in the grip of Artic temperatures. We have the fireplace going here at Casa Tipton-Kelly. On sunny days like this my bedroom has a delicious comforting solar heat that I luxuriate in. In fact right after this blog posting I'm going to indulge in that satisfying warmth.

Next up on my agenda is preparing for my annual trip to sunny California next month. That's right folks, this year we're (my Canadian Travel Buddy Pat) spending two weeks in California, one week in Los Angeles (West Hollywood) and a week in Palm Springs.  And as luck would have it my good blogger friend Dr. Spo and his entourage will be in Palm Springs the same time Pat and I are there.  Spo and his buddies will be staying at Indulge. Pat and I will be staying at an Airbnb with a pool!  Yes folks, I will take my bathing suit with me.  This should be interesting since I haven't worn since I developed a pot belly. Where did that pot belly come from?  Comes with age folks. Old guys get it.  

Now to get through this snow storm.

Annual Trip To Los Angeles

Pat standing in line at the Veggie Grill at 8000 Sunset Boulevard last year, our favorite place to eat when we're in West Hollywood

Talk about good timing! Originally I had planned our (me and my Canadian sidekick Pat) annual trip to La La Land  (West Hollywood, Los Angeles) for this date.  For the last two years Pat and I enjoyed the easy freedom and balmy breezes of southern California in early January.  However, I decided this year to go in February. 

Pat and I meet up four times a year.  

In the Spring we meet in Philadelphia and stay at the guest suite of my long time friend Don McK.'s co-op on 21st and Chestnut Street. We make a side trip of a few days here at my home in southern Delaware to sample the delights of Lewes (the Nectar restaurant) and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  

At the end of summer, Labor Day I fly to Buffalo, New York where Pat picks me up and we cross the border to Canada and stay overnight in Niagara Falls Canada. From Niagara Falls Pat drives me to his very cool minimalist home in Toronto where I spend a week enjoying the famous Canadian hospitality.  While there we take in the annual Canadian National Exhibition. 

Then, during my birthday in early November we return to Philadelphia and the guest suite at my friend Don's co-op in Center City, Philadelphia.  

Originally we got together again in January to celebrate Pat's late December birthday. However, I noticed last year the long gap between January and May so that's why I decided to forward our departure date for the land of warm breezes and palm trees to the middle of February.  

Wasn't I lucky this year not to have planned to leave for Los Angeles in early January?  If so I would have had to manage to get to the Philadelphia International Airport through all the snow and ice.  Thank goodness I don't have to do that.  But . . . . . who knows what the weather will be like here February 12th, when I am scheduled to leave.  It's always a roll of the dice when one decides to leave the cold of winter for the tropical weather of southern California.  But you know folks, it's worth it!

Heat Wave!

Hey folks, we're having a heat wave here in southern Delaware!

Well, actually not a heat wave but the temperature right now is 68 degrees.  Wow!  I'll take it.  

Temperatures this morning when I began my walk - warmer here in Milton than in Los Angeles and Phoenix!

What a pleasure it was this morning to take my daily walk. 

Temperatures now in Milton, Delaware where I live

The temperature early this morning was 61 degrees.  Very windy but I could handle the wind in my face when the temperatures are this mild. I CAN'T handle a cold wind in my face. 

This is what I like about living in southern Delaware.  Even in the depths of winter, we still get mild days like today. Oh sure, we get snow too but not that much.  And if we do the snow usually only lasts a day or two.  

I'm loving this weather folks!  

Musings on a Gray Cold February Sunday

A couple of Valentine guests for the weekend at the hotel last night - nice to see happiness

Only a few more weeks to go folks until the onset of Spring.  Oh yes, this year especially I will appreciate the entry of warmer temperatures and longer days.

Last night I worked at the hotel.  Hotel was full because of Valentine's Day weekend.  I usually don't work weekends so it took a little adjustment to the wants and needs of a hotel full of guests.  My normal shifts are Mondays and Thursdays, 3 PM to 11 PM.  Light workload (usually) folks.  It always takes  little bit of adjustment for me to cope with the weekend crowd and their needs and requests for the best restaurants to dine in town, which most of them are closed for the season. After all, this is Slower Lower Delaware (LSD).

Won't be long now until the crocus bloom and the green spring buds will sprout out on the dormant tree twigs and branches.  And another season begins.  Tell you what folks, I'm thankful I'm still around to enjoy yet another fabulous season.  Especially this time of year when my memories are of my departed friends Wayne and Ed who died this time last year.  

And I continue The Journey . . . . . alone.

Ready For Winter?

Ron on the Russian Front at home in Delaware last winter

Are you ready for the cold winds of winter to blow down from the north?  I am.  

Spring and summer are great but I've had enough. Enough with the heat and humidity.  Enough with the summertime traffic making Route One a parking lot.  Enough with the crowds.  Enough.

Sometimes I wonder if we didn't make a mistake moving to a resort community. Basically in the summer we have to avoid the main thoroughfare (Route One) to do any of our chores including my ever increasing doctor's appointments.  Basically, we residents are trapped in our own homes until the summertime visitors go away.  

Now the first signs of fall are peeking around the corner.  Some of the leaves have started to fall off our triumvirate of river birch trees in the oval planter outside my bedroom windows.

This morning the temperature was 56 degrees.  Ah yes, fall is coming.

And what is on the agenda this week?  I'm gearing up for my 55th high school class reunion this Saturday at the Downingtown Country Club in (of all places) Downingtown, Pennsylvania.  This reunion is being held in the daytime (12 noon to 3 pm), because we old folk don't/can't drive at night. It seems like only yesterday we were 17 years old, going to live forever, and eager to explode onto the world with our youthful enthusiasm.  Now we're old and decrepit and counting the days until the next doctor's visit. 

The rest of my week will be taking it easy around the house here, catching up on my backlog of e-mails and trying to catch up on my favorite bloggers.  

It's all good folks.  I got out of bed this morning and put both feet on the floor.  Ron gets another day on this earth to tantalize, intrigue, impress and (occasionally) piss off someone with my strong opinions.  As a matter of fact I did piss off Someone yesterday with my strong opinion of a certain phony billionaire who is out to cure world hunger (in India mainly, like India with it's ever prospering economy can't take care of their own and this self-important, smudged glasses, still wearing his hair in bangs billionaire doesn't see the need to help out the hungry in this country but then that's not as sexy as CURING WORLD HUNGER.) 

Bill Gates, the biggest phony on the planet

Currently I am thoroughly enjoying the NFL billionaires flapping about trying to contain the damage done to their image by some of their thug players who beat their wives and children.  Maybe they could start with Roger Goodell, their grossly overpaid NFL commissioner who could donate part of his 42 MILLION DOLLAR SALARY (yes, you read that right) to help women and children who are abused.  Now that's putting your money where your mouth is.  But no, the NFL owners would rather put money into paying media consultants for damage control. But that's another subject for another blog at another time . . . perhaps. 

Enjoy the day folks, while it lasts anyway.

The Winter That Won't Quit

Bill shoveling the driveway…….again

Usually by this time of the year (early March) the winter pansies are in full bloom and the daffodils are just beginning to bloom.  Not this year folks. Everything is under a layer of ice and four inches of snow.  Oh no, this is the year of the Winter That Won't Leave.

I haven't been out of the house in the past two days, which is very unusual for me.  Usually I have to get out at least once during the day if only to make a run to Food Lion.  I'm beginning to get cabin fever.  I don't like it.  I feel like I'm being smothered.

Thank goodness it's not deep - but there is a layer of ice under this snow - dangerous

I do tend to get claustrophobic. I'm not one of those who fear elevators but I don't like being holed up in one unit for very long.  I don't like the feeling of being crowded either.  That's one of the main reasons I moved out of Center City Philadelphia. I felt like I was being smothered.  

We moved to East Brandywine Township, on a seven acre wooded lot outside of Downingtown, Pennsylvania.  We lived there for twenty-five years until I started to feel smothered again.  Even though I love the hills and topography of Pennsylvania I moved to the flat coastal plains of southern Delaware for the space (and low taxes).  I'm pretty sure this is where I will end my journey.  By the time other retirees start to flood this area I'll be long gone, hopefully.

Okay Spring, let's go.

Actually, I did go out of the house…..to get the mail.  I need to get in my car and DRIVE!

Sunday Meanderings

Or musings, or observations. Here it is Sunday again, one week since my last "bitch" post.

Yesterday, as you can see, I wrote about why I don't watch the Olympics. 

• Too many commercials
• Too much one sided coverage of American athletes
• Too many profiles of the hardships the American athletes had to go through to participate in the Olympics
• Too much taped (not live) coverage
• Too many commercials
• Too much talk

The Olympic Snowboarding medal winners - what? No buzz cuts? Looks like snowboarders from Central Casting.  

It's only a little over a month until the Bloggerpalooza.  It looks like we're going to have about the same number of participants this year (20) as we did last year.  A few will not be coming and a few new folks will be coming.  It looks like a wash.  This week and next week I'll review the "prizes" and get in touch with Marshall Manlove, our hypnotist to make suggestions for his show.  Anyone still wanting to attend contact me by e-mail and I'll give you the details.

Wild and crazy bloggers at last year's Bloggerpalooza

Yesterday I talked to my brother Isaac in Pennsylvania.  He just got his power back after being out since last Wednesday.  Mother of God, can you imagine?  I am SO GLAD I moved from PA, and not just because of the all too frequent power outages.  We lived on a beautiful piece of land (6.875 wooded acres) but with all those trees, every time there was a heavy wind, the power went out.  DONT.MISS.THAT.  In fact, right before we moved  down here (Delaware) in 2006 the power was out most of the week in the heat of summer after a heavy wind storm.  That was just another reminder to get out of Pennsylvania, and their ever increasing confiscatory taxes. And especially now, since they have a Republican governor and Republican controlled state legislature that is trying to suppress the vote with the bogus voter ID law and their war on women.  When I heard of those shenanigans I was doubly glad to get out of that state, no matter how geographically beautiful it is.  And they're also anti-gay.  No marriage equality in Alabama north of the border….er Pennsylvania.

A Chester County road that I used to travel in PA - after the ice storm last week

More doctor's appointments this week.  Not too bad, I go to the dentist on Wednesday.  Bill pointed out to me the dried blood on my shirt that I didn't know was there.  That was as a result of my dermatologist scrapping a keratosis patch off of my left torso under my arm.  Always something folks.  

I did a preliminary run on my taxes.  First time I'm filing jointly.  Bill and I are officially married which means we will now enjoy and benefit from the same marital protections that straight couples have had since the beginning of time.  So far, instead of owing over a $1,000 like I did last year, it looks like I'm getting back $985 this year.  Hey, feels good to be EQUAL and not Less Than.

Is it me or has this winter seemed like it's going on forever?  Wow.  I am SO READY for spring.  

By the way, I'm watching some really good TV now.  I rent Netflix DVD's which I find is the best way to watch TV.  I can't stand all the commercials on TV, that's why I mostly don't watch TV.  The only TV I watch is MSNBC and the daily lineup of Ed Schultz, Rev. Al Sharpton, Chris Matthews, Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell.  I don't watch any other TV except for my Netflix rentals, which I'm binging on "The Good Wife" right now.  Oh SOOO GOOD.  I binge on those DVD right in my home movie theater, which is my oh so comfy bedroom.

I used to watch shows like "American Idol" but stopped watching when Simon Cowell left and was replaced by the ciphers like Jo-Lo (still can't believe they're paying that giggling phony 15M a year for what?) and Mariah Carey.  What am I missing here?  And they wonder why their viewership has gone down.  Make it interesting folks and get the phonies off.

Talk about a freaking clown show - WTF is this? This is what I'm going to waste my time watching? "Hey Dawg", "Giggle, giggle", and that old man flirting with girls young enough to be his granddaughter?  What's with the sunglasses on his head?  No case? Oh, I get it.  Steven is COOL!

Okay, enough bitching from this quarter.  I feel better now.  

Fighting Off a Cold

Cold Ron (note, please don't use this as your Facebook profile picture without my permission)

This is the first year I can remember since we moved to Delaware in November of 2006 that I haven't had a cold.  

In my Flaming Youth I never got colds.  I remember there were times I wish I had a cold so I could get out of school.  One time, when I was twelves years old, I even foolishly cavorted around outside in the cold winter air hoping  to get a cold. Didn't happen.  I was always healthy as a horse.  The only school days I ever missed was because I was quarantined because of one of my brothers' illnesses.  I even missed my sixth grade class trip to Washington D.C. because my brothers John and Isaac had scarlet fever.  This was back in the Fifties when our doctor (Dr. Neff, who actually visited your home with his black bag, imagine that) slapped a big red quarantined sign on the door to our cockroach infested apartment at 120 Washington Avenue in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. 

All the years I worked at the bank in Philadelphia, I never got a cold until the last few years.  I remember one time riding the train in and another passenger sneezed on the back of my neck.  Two days later I had a cold you wouldn't believe. 

Of course I tried to work through the cold and continued to go to work.  This wasn't school days I was trying to miss.  I had a lot of responsibility and just couldn't afford to miss any work.  Didn't do me any good though, I was useless at work.  In addition to spreading germs willy nilly, I just didn't have any energy.  I remember going home on the train, I was ensconced in the back seat of the train, sniffling, sneezing and aching all over.  When I head the conductor yell "Downingtown!" I just couldn't move.  I wanted to stay on that train and go wherever it was going to take me.  I wanted to die.  

Since moving to Delaware, I've caught at least two big colds a year.  Two years ago I had a cold so bad that I went to the doctor's for the first time in my life.  I was so congested that I was afraid if I went to sleep I wouldn't wake up.  Turns out it was a good thing I did because my doctor told me that my left lung had filled up and if I had waited much longer I would have pneumonia.  That scared me.  

That diagnosis reminded me of a 31 year old co-worker of mine when I worked at Girard Bank.  He was a very active guy and like me, he wasn't going to let a few sniffles stop him from going to work and playing ice hockey after work.  The next day he didn't come into work.  I asked "Where's Rich?"  I was told "Oh, didn't you hear?"  I said "No, what happened?"  I was told "After he finished his hockey game after work he went home. They found him dead in his car which was parked in his driveway. The doctor said he had 'walking pneumonia."  Well folks, I had never heard of walking pneumonia before but I never forgot that incident.  

So folks, about three times this season when I felt a cold coming on I took a shot of freshly squeezed orange juice and a Cold EeZe table (which doesn't taste all that great by the way).

So far so good except for last night.  About four hours into my shift at the hotel I got the nose running like a spigot (or "faucet" for my Canadian readers). Oh uh, COLD.COMING.ON.  

Last night I slept like the dead.  This morning I had an early appointment at my dermatologist (yes, more slicing and dicing Ron - this time to scrap a keratosis patch off of my left side under my arm - why it's there I have NO IDEA).  

My dermatologist's office - my home away from home

Right now I'm updating this blog but shortly I will have lunch then REST.  Thank God today is sunny, no snow (YES!) and we have power, unlike so many of my fellow citizens just to the north of us here in LSD.  

I'm thankful I don't have to go into work until next Tuesday.  I'm going to spend the next two or three days here at Casa Tipton-Kelly, nursing this cold.  It's all good folks, I have a nice, solar warmed, sunny bedroom. And that's where I'll be if anyone is looking for me.  

Have a great day!

My lair

One More Month

Me at Wegmann's in Downingtown, PA 2013

Every year I dread the months of January and February.  Those months are the "just get through it months" for me.  Unlike many of my gay peers, I'm not rich and thus cannot afford to winter in the warmer climes of Florida.  

Doesn't it seem like January and February come around real fast and linger, and linger?  

Thank goodness I live in southern Delaware.  The winters aren't as severe as when we lived in southeastern Pennsylvania, which is in a different temperate zone.  However, this year we've had two winter snowstorms.  Not as fierce as other parts of the country but bad enough.  

I'm no fan of the snow.  Maybe when I was a kid and hoping for some time off from school but as an adult?  No way.  Snow was always a danger and major inconvenience.
  

The view from my living room window of snowbirds feeding on our crepe myrtle seeds (I'm glad I didn't trim that tree!)

We're in February now.  A very short month.  The crocus will be pushing through the cold earth in a few weeks.  Then the daffodils which are the harbinger of Spring for sure.  

The days are getting longer.  My mood is lifting.  Soon the sun will be with us again and our skin, my old skin, will feel the warmth of the sun.  Soon.

Me at our former Pennsylvania property last year

Snow Again!

Dawn this morning - that's bill shoveling our driveway

Yep!  More snow.  What's going on here?  Usually we get one of two snowfalls here in Lower Slower Delaware.  And that snow doesn't stay on the ground long, it's usually gone the next day.  Not this year.  We're having a regular winter around here. The last snowfall didn't even have a chance to melt away and here we go again, more snow last night.  Ah well, did you here what happened in Atlanta?  They had an inch or two of snow last night, completely shut them down.  People sleeping in their cars on the highway.  As I often say, "It could be worse."

Bill was out early this morning shoveling out our driveway.  He's getting on my case because we got rid of our snowblower when we moved down here to Delaware, where there is NO SNOW.

Nanook of the North (aka Bill) finished shoveling our driveway - I'm ready to go to work!

Snowbirds

Snowbird out in the cold (looking out our living room window)

This afternoon I happened to look out the side window in our living room and I saw about a half a dozen snowbirds picking seeds from our crepe myrtle tree.  

Poor little thing is cold and hungry

Today was another cold and windy day with more snow.  Not a whole lot of snow but enough to coat the landscape in a blanket of white.

My tracks out to the bird baths in our backyard yesterday

Earlier Bill and I went to Milton. I needed to get more bananas and some Neosporin for my wounds caused yesterday by my dermatologist taking biopsies.  Bill also need some medicine, Old Man Stuff.  We didn't tarry too long out in the cold and wind.

I'm so glad I didn't have a chance to cut back this crepe myrtle

Yesterday I saw our resident catbird land on our snow covered back deck, looking a bit bedraggled.  Poor thing, it was probably looking for some water and food.  I don't have a heated birdbath but I ordered one from Amazon.com after seeing the sorry state of my avian friend yesterday.

All puffed up to keep warm - that's the blinds at the top of this photo - he was too cold to care that I took his picture

I love our backyard.  My ongoing project is to make it a bird sanctuary/retreat by planting bushes and trees that provide shelter and food for the birds.  It wasn't my intention to have an animal retreat but I also have resident rabbits.  Bill said he saw one yesterday.  I don't know what the poor thing could find for food, the snow is frozen over everything edible.  

The rabbit lives under yonder shed

This is the first year that I've seen snowbirds.  I was very happy to see them feeding off of the seeds of our crepe myrtle tree.  I'm glad I didn't cut that tree back yet like I did the others we have. Next year I won't cut any of them back until the threat of snow and cold is past.  Now I know why the garden center advised me to cut them back in late February.  

Survival

While others do the Polar Dip and 5k runs for various causes, this is my Causes. Providing a backyard habitat for those creatures that were here long before us and will be here long after us.  That makes me feel good.

Cold in Delaware