Still Cold and Other Observations

 

All right! This is getting ridiculous now. Still cold!

Yesterday I gathered up all my chargers and tech stuff for my trip next month to Palm Springs. I don't think I forgot anything. If I did, I'll just buy more when I arrive at my destination. So many devices and so many different chargers. 

Yesterday I had a spooky experience. I made my weekly visit to my favorite thrift store. I think I have a stalker now. This guy who volunteers at the thrift store kept following me around. Literally right behind me. Last year he delivered a bookcase to my house and I think became enamored of me because he is MUCH too friendly whenever I encounter him at the thrift store. Now I know how women feel with unwanted attention. Creeped out. He keeps trying to engage in conversation with me. He even followed me out to my car. Damn! 

Of course I may be totally imagining things. But I don't think so. 

Never a dull moment around here folks! 

GO AWAY SNOW!

Selfie taken of me this morning in my driveway of the sunrise. Today will be a wonderful day, we're melting some snow today!

 Finally, a day with above freezing temperatures!

The snow has been hanging around here since last Sunday. I am so tired of it. 

The forecast today is a high of 41 degrees. I'll take it!

Today I finalize the packing of that box I'm sending out to my host in Cathedral City, California for my Palm Springs visit next month. The box, which I'm probably sending by Fed Ex, contains clothing, and my medications and a few other necessities that I normally would put in a suitcase and pay American Airline to lose, misplace, send to my destination in California. I got my new chargers for my iPhone 16. I'll put them and my spare teeth and my MacBook Air in my carryon bag.

I think I'm ready to go folks! 

Driveway Shoveled!

I did it! 

That wasn't my intention this morning when I got up and no snow has melted. Normally when we get snow here in southern coastal Delaware, it's gone the next day or two. That's because the snowfall is rarely above two inches and the snow melts the snow the next day. Not this time though. This snow descended upon Casa Tipton-Kelly this past Sunday night. I haven't been out of the house since. That all changed this morning. I felt cabin fever creeping in so I decided to attack my ice and snow driveway. 

I wasn't intending to do the whole driveway but once I started I kept pushing myself 

First thing I did was that ice and snow barrier at the end of my driveway that the community snow plow left me with. That took a while but I got it done. Yes I did! 

Then I got my big snow shovel out and finished the rest of my driveway. First I had to get my shovels which I had stupidity moved to my shed at the edge of my lot. That took a trudge out through the foot high snow in my acre back yard. Fun times. That was slow going. It took a while but I got it done. Yes I did!

I completed shoveling the whole driveway in two stages. The first stage was that barrier at the end of my driveway and breaking up a swath of ice on the road. I didn't want to get stuck there with my 2010 Subaru Forrester. I had that picture in my mind, spinning my wheels, stuck. 

All told it took me about four hours to complete the job. Yes, I got it done. This is the first time I've ever shoveled the whole driveway. Bill would have been proud of me. In fact, I believe Bill helped me.

Now the consequence of pushing myself, I have muscles that I didn't know I had that are aching now. 

Oh yes, more snow expected tonight. 

Cabin Fever

 

Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk after the snow

All right folks, I'm feeling the effects of cabin fever.

I have been out of the house since last Saturday. 

My driveway hasn't been cleared. The temperature hasn't risen above freezing since the snow storm of nine inches last Sunday night. 

Yesterday I guy trudged through the snow to knock on my door and asked if I wanted my driveway shoveled. I turned him down outright. I didn't even ask how much he was charging. On the NextDoor app I saw where these guy were charging $100 and up. I am not paying $100 to have my driveway shoveled for $100. Maybe $30 but NOT $100 or even $150. I even read some reports on NextDoor where some people paid up front and yes, the shoveler only did a half ass job and left. 

NEVER PAY UP FRONT FOR ANY JOB!

Tomorrow is trash pickup day and this week is recycle day too. I'm not putting out my two trash cans. I couldn't get them over the frozen humps of snow at the bottom of my driveway. I checked with my neighbor, who ventured out yesterday, and he said the main roads were clear. I have a Subaru all wheel drive and could probably get over the frozen humps of snow but I don't need to go out now so I'm not taking a chance of getting stuck. 

Here I am complaining about being stuck in my house when those horrendous California wildfires are happening in the Los Angeles area. Just awful, those fires. What a shame! My heart breaks for those people who have lost their homes. This morning I was watching a report on this actor who was venturing into those burned out areas trying to save pets who were left behind. I can hardly bear to think about it.  Blessed are those like this man who tries to save those pets. People like him renew my faith in humanity. 

I just about finished my packing for my trip to Palm Springs next month. As usual I was taking too many clothes. Pat talked me out of them. One thing I can't do without is my meds. Check it out. Had to refresh all my pill holders. I had label them. I can't remember them all now without labeling.

God, I wish I wasn't taking this trip. So much hassle and I haven't even boarded the plane. That should be fun, me with my cane, which I do have labeled with my name and phone number.

Last night I spent quality time with Bill. Yes, he came back to visit me by that Christmas light that he blinks on and off. That's Bill. I feel his presence when that light is on. I don't care what any one says, I know what I know. That is Bill. 

Bill's light, the yellow light in the middle of this photo at the top. 

By the way, I just checked to see if the light was on now, it isn't. But if it comes on later, I will sit in my living room and be with Bill for a while like I was last night. 

Lately, the past week or so I've been having dreams that others are in my bedroom with me. The sounds remind me of the sounds of the second floor apartment building where I grew up on Washington Avenue in Downingtown. That was Grand Central Station with people coming in and out (relatives who also lived in the same apartment building). I haven't heard those sounds since I was eight years old. At first I didn't recognize them. They sounded familiar but I couldn't place them. Now I know what they are. 

I do think when we have a physical death from this life that we are reunited with our friends, family and pets from our life. Oh what pleasure that gives me to think that is what awaits me when I return to my spiritual world.

Stay safe out there folks!

Snowed In!

 

Anderson Corner Road, where my late friend Bob McCamley used to live. I obtained this picture from a local news website showing the amount of snow on the roads here in Sussex County. This is rare for us folks. Probably the last snow of this amount I will see in this lifetime. The last time we had this much snow was about eight years ago. The difference was it was mostly gone in two days. This snow is going to hang around a while, just like it used to when we lived in Pennsylvania. 

I'm snowed in here folks!

Usually when we get the rare snow here in southern coastal Delaware, the snow is gone the next day. Not this time! This snow is staying a while.

The reason why is because the temperature is below freezing and forecast to stay that way for at least the next two days.

I didn't go out at all yesterday nor did I go out Monday. My driveway is unplowed and will stay that way until the sun melts the snow from said driveway. No way I'm paying $100 or more to clear my driveway. 

Everything is so expensive these days and my modest pension payments from three of the banks where I worked are the same as they were when I started to collect those monthly payment eighteen years ago. Thank goodness my Social Security payments have increased or else I would be in a world of hurt now. This year I've had a triple whammy hit me, no income from my part-time job at the hotel and no income from Bill's Social Security payments. I have some modest investments earning dividend income that helps with my major expense.......insurance payments. You know, that "free" Medicare "entitlement". Seems to me I remember paying into that for all my working years. But I'm not going to go on that rant now. My house is paid for and I can keep the heat and electric on, at least for as many years as I have left to live which isn't a whole lot now.

Speaking of which, Bill has contacted me a different way now. He turns the exhaust fan off then back on in my little toilet room off my bathroom. That Bill! Still has his sense of humor.

I'm trying not to watch too much of the news. Trump is up to his same old shit. Now he wants to take over Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." What a fucking idiot! I wonder if my fellow Americans who voted for Trump

can get their head out of their ass long enough to finally admit that they made a BIG MISTAKE putting Trump in office. Hey folks, he ain't going to lower the price of eggs. 

Nine Inches

Nine inches. 

That was the amount of snowfall we received here in Sussex County, Delaware. 

I'll be snowed in for the next few days.

I won't even attempt to shovel myself out. If I did my eighty-three year old heart would probably give up the ranch and one of my neighbors would eventually find my half frozen body in my driveway. I still have that very expensive Palm Springs trip next month that I've already paid the airfare and VRBO rental. Can't let that go to waste. That trip will be my "last hurrah" as a name dropping Older Gay Guy making feeble attempts to impress one and all with my annual holidays in Palm Springs, the Older Gay Man Mecca of the United States. Unfortunately, after this year I can no longer afford to make the trip nor can my body hold up for getting there by flying connecting flights and then once I am in Palm Springs I just can't walk around as much as I used to in my Foolish Youth.

My neighbors returned for a week's stay at DisneyWorld late last night to this maelstrom of snow and icy rain. They had to get out of their driveway because both of them work and their kids have to go to school. Oh I am SO THANKFUL I am not working anymore and worry about how I was going to get to work at the hotel. Those days are in the past. Part of my very interesting memory bank.

If Bill was still here, he would be outside shoveling the snow right now. Oh how Bill loved to shovel the snow. This snow just brings back more memories of Bill. Every day it seems as if something reminds me of Bill. Bless his heart. He was so good to me. I miss him. I miss him. I miss him!

Bill shoveling snow from our driveway back in the day March 3, 2014

So how do I keep myself entertained when I'm snowed in like this? NOT.A.PROBLEM.

This morning I made a cherry pie. I pitted those expensive cherries imported from Chile that I brought a week ago ($4.99 a bag). That takes a while but I don't mind. I love to cook for myself. I'm still taking on the challenge of making that Perfect Pie Crust which I think I have finally mastered by using my food processor. I make a butter pie crust. SO GOOD! I made another apple pie over the week. I kept a couple pieces but froze the rest. Fruit pies freeze very well. I freeze individual portions. Works out well when my sweet tooth hits after my evening dinner. I do what you're not supposed to do, eat a dessert before bedtime.

My homemade lattice apple pie. Watch out Martha Stewart!

I hope this is the last snow of the season for here. This amount of snow is very unusual for Sussex County. I think the last time we had this much snow had to be at least ten years ago. I think snow is pretty but I would prefer to see it somewhere else than here. 

Winter Storm Watch

 

One of my neighbor's fur babies I'm watching while they're in Disney World

We're going to get some snow here folks! 

The snow is forecast to start at around 11 PM tonight and continue for the next twelve hours.

We don't get much snow here in southern coastal Delaware. However, every now and then we get walloped. I hope this isn't one of those times.

I think the last time we got any significant snow was at least five years ago. I know it was before I was caregiving for Bill and that was four years ago.

I used to dread the snow. Actually I still dread the snow but this time it won't be as bad because I don't have to travel in it

When I worked at the hotel I had some really scary times. I remember one time that the snow began coming down heavy about an hour before I left work for the night. By the time I was out on Route One, I couldn't see the highway, everything was all white. I had considered going back to the hotel (I live four miles from the hotel) but I was about halfway home so I decided to chance it. I was lucky, I made it home without any mishaps but it was close because I literally couldn't see where the side of the road ended. I feared going off the road and getting stuck in a ditch and thus stranded and thus freezing to death. Phew! I used up on of the remaining nine lives that night.

For this snowstorm I am comfortable ensconced here at home. My very comfortable and warm home. And here I intend to stay. This would be a good time to pack my clothes and send them to Glenn, my host in Palm Springs for my holiday next month. I'm not taking a suitcase with me on the plane. I'm mailing my clothes Priority Mail USPS. I don't want to go through the hassle with checking my luggage in on the plane, especially since I have to make connections. Phoenix going out and Dallas/Forth Worth coming back. I'm giving the United States Post Office a month to get my parcel of clothes out there to Palm Springs. Think that's enough? You never know with our Post Office. 

I hate to say this but in a way I wish I wasn't making this trip but I've already committed to it. This will be my last hurrah. Me and Pat's annual trip to Palm Springs was different when Bill was here at home. I loved Bill but it was nice to get away for a while. Now that I am here alone, it's different. Yes, Bill's spirit is still with me which I much appreciate but I'm just too comfortable here at home. I actually live in a resort, the Rehoboth Beach area. 

The past week I've been watching and taking care of my neighbor's fur babies (a dog and a cat) while they are enjoying a holiday at Disney World in Florida. They will collect my mail while I'm away. My neighbor on the other side also will be watching my house. He's a widower like me. We watch out for each other. I am so lucky to have such good neighbors. 

Now to settle in for the white stuff. 

So glad I don't have to travel in it.