USMB Coffee Shop IV

[gallantwarrior]

The east coast has really had it bad. Pretty much from North Carolina to Maine. Just brutal cold and lots of snow.

Me and my ex lived in Minneapolis for about six years so I know cold and snow. It can truly wear on you after a while. Try two weeks where it never gets above zero and the snow is frozen like grey sludgy concrete. Not fun.

Been there, done that, WQ. And I've actually know folks from MN who moved up here for the better weather!

 

[gallantwarrior]

Good morning everybody. I really REALLY didn't want to get up this morning. The bed was comfy and warm and was enjoying catching up on the news and stuff on TV and cat napping along the way. But I guess I just couldn't not feel guilty staying there all morning, so I'm up and at it. Hombre is making himself pretty to go to his volunteer job in a bit. Still overcast and chilly here but temps are a bit over freezing now so should be a typical February winter day here. Eyeing the next storm due to arrive for the weekend, but they haven't really hit a forecast yet, so I'm not too optimistic.

Congrats to AA on her new microwave. Waaaaaay back in the 1970's we were one of the last of our friends to splurge on a microwave oven. And we spent something like $350 for a little space saver Litton 750 watt oven. It was a miraculous thing. Thirty years later that little oven looked like hell but it was still chugging along and appeared it would never die. So we finally gave it to Good Will and bought a nice big 1100 watt oven with the turn table and all the bells and whistles and cost a little over $100. It was wonderful, but it died after 5 years. So we now have a new one that we bought at Wal-mart. It is only 1000 watt but is nice and large does everything we need a microwave to do and it cost I think something like $70 or so? I don't expect them to get much cheaper but it's good they're cheap if they aren't going to hold up all that long.

While I like my microwave, I can (and do) live well without it when I'm off-grid. I just put the coffee pot on the wood burning stove and it stays warm all day, if the coffee lasts that long. Anything else can be done using conventional methods of food preparation. You can even dry your socks by hanging them near the stove, too!

 

[Foxfyre]

Morning CS Greetings!
My one day in the week when I don't have some job, or the other, to get done. I hope the day finds all of you well, or at least on the mend. Reading through the posts, everyone does seem happy and busy enough.
It's still in the mid- to high-30's here and melting like it's April. I checked my daughter's local temps in NC and they're in the mid-20s (bwahahaha!). I'll have to call later and gloat.
Little snow is a mixed blessing up here. The good news is that Anchorage has saved around $1 million in their city maintenance budget by not having to clear and haul snow in immense quantities. They've redirected a lot of that money to road maintenance, which is much needed. We've got potholes that could swallow a good-sized SUV with no hope of retrieval. Not having scraped the roads as much as usual, maybe they won't have to spend too much re-painting the road markings, either.
The down side to a winter with little snow and early melting: the Iron Dog snowmachine race is brutal. And they cancelled the Iditarod dog sled race for lack of snow! The horror!!! Fur Rondy will go on as usual, sans any of the sled races or other snow-related activities. No snow shoe soft ball, dang!

I believe this is the first year the Iditarod has been cancelled since they've called it the Iditarod beginning in 1973? I have been a fan of the race from afar. But I think there were times when the Iditarod's predecessors were cancelled due to lack of snow back in the 1960's so it isn't unprecedented.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Morning CS Greetings!
My one day in the week when I don't have some job, or the other, to get done. I hope the day finds all of you well, or at least on the mend. Reading through the posts, everyone does seem happy and busy enough.
It's still in the mid- to high-30's here and melting like it's April. I checked my daughter's local temps in NC and they're in the mid-20s (bwahahaha!). I'll have to call later and gloat.
Little snow is a mixed blessing up here. The good news is that Anchorage has saved around $1 million in their city maintenance budget by not having to clear and haul snow in immense quantities. They've redirected a lot of that money to road maintenance, which is much needed. We've got potholes that could swallow a good-sized SUV with no hope of retrieval. Not having scraped the roads as much as usual, maybe they won't have to spend too much re-painting the road markings, either.
The down side to a winter with little snow and early melting: the Iron Dog snowmachine race is brutal. And they cancelled the Iditarod dog sled race for lack of snow! The horror!!! Fur Rondy will go on as usual, sans any of the sled races or other snow-related activities. No snow shoe soft ball, dang!

I believe this is the first year the Iditarod has been cancelled since they've called it the Iditarod beginning in 1973? I have been a fan of the race from afar. But I think there were times when the Iditarod's predecessors were cancelled due to lack of snow back in the 1960's so it isn't unprecedented.

Not unprecedented, but rare. If you've ever seen them trucking snow into downtown Anchorage so they could start the race, you'd be pretty impressed with their determination to let the show go on.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Well, here it is Tuesday morning again. Seems like it's been coming around about once a week now. Pretty regular. Guess it's here to stay and not just a passing fad. Might as well have some more coffee and get used to it.

Somethings never change huh, BBD? Give Taco a little squeeze for me? I can just see that feisty-looking little face right now...lol. I hope Jingles is hanging in there, too, and I hope I remembered his name correctly.

Jingles is a "lady" and she thinks she's the Queen around here. She seems to be doing very well lately but she has gotten old and slowed down quite a bit. As far as Taco goes, he's a real mess. He thinks he is the "King of the Roost". He has sat with me for most of the morning in the recliner but the instant that Mrs. BBD gets home from quilting today he will be by her side and I will be placed on ignore. Darned dog...

 

[Ernie S.]

OK seriously behind here. I was up about 7 yesterday morning and headed in to work just passed noon. It was a normal Monday. That means in addition to opening up, I had to set up for poker. Poker started at 6 and it was over at midnight.
At 2 AM we all then went to work. Doc's is closed today. It's a day of major cleaning and maintenance... stuff we can't do with customers in the bar. Max and I sanded and prepped the bar for adding numerous coats of polyurethane and the first coat was on at 4:45. The second was done about 7 AM. I was just about dead with this cold and all so the wife and I came home to get some shut eye. I'm about to get dressed to head back for more.

 

[Sherry]

 

[blackhawk]

For those on the east coast getting hammered by all the snow stay strong spring is coming.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good night darlinks. I love you guys.

And we're still keeping vigil for

Harper (Save's granddaughter),
Sunshine,
Pogo’s friend Pat and special comfort for Pogo,
TK, and TK's grandma,
Sheila’s friend Shirley,
Spoonie, Ringel, 007, Hombre, and Sheila's sore backs,
Sherry’s Mom,
Becki and Becki’s hubby,
Sheila and son Andrew,
Noomi’s Auntie Marj,
The Ringels in difficult transition,
GW's daughter's friend Sachendra,
Ernie's friend and colleague Max,
Boedicca's mom for healing and relief from pain,
Mrs. BBD's knee,
Mrs. O and SFCOllie and Colonel,
Save and Mrs. L in adversity,
Foxfyre's daughter for successful healing,
007
Those in the dangerous cold zones,
All of us and those we care about who are looking for work,
Safe travels for those traveling,
All who are dealing with colds and flu,
And all others we love and hold in concern.

And the light is on awaiting the return of Oddball, Sunshine, Jughead, Sheila, and Becki and all the others who have been MIA lately. We hope everyone is okay.

P.S. Sometimes in the editing of the vigil list or when I have switched computers, somebody gets dropped that is supposed to be on it. This will always be inadvertent and if ya'll would call it to my attention, it would be much appreciated.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Ni-night, Foxy! Sleep well, all.

 

[Ernie S.]

OK seriously behind here. I was up about 7 yesterday morning and headed in to work just passed noon. It was a normal Monday. That means in addition to opening up, I had to set up for poker. Poker started at 6 and it was over at midnight.
At 2 AM we all then went to work. Doc's is closed today. It's a day of major cleaning and maintenance... stuff we can't do with customers in the bar. Max and I sanded and prepped the bar for adding numerous coats of polyurethane and the first coat was on at 4:45. The second was done about 7 AM. I was just about dead with this cold and all so the wife and I came home to get some shut eye. I'm about to get dressed to head back for more.

OK. I'm officially wiped out. 29 of the last 36 hours have been spent at Doc's with less than 5 hours of sleep.
The bar is all shiny and well protected with another 10 coats of polyurethane. The front of the bar has been repainted, bathrooms freshened up wood work all wiped down with Murphy's. Some overgrown landscaping removed and beds prepped for new plantings. Major inventories taken. Bills paid and copius amounts of Cuban coffee (and some Elijah Craig) consumed.
People did wander in from time to time but sales were under $100, mostly because we handed customers sand paper and paint brushes.
I go to bed. G'night!

 

[Ringel05]

Good morning, no news yet on the job in El Paso and the wife is stressed over it so I took her up to the Springs yesterday for some thrift store retail therapy not to mention going to Wally-World for some items we have a hard time finding down here in Podunk.
Yes Sherry, we have plastic bags full of plastic bags because we have 7 reusable bags I almost always forget to take to the store or in the store (when I've put them in the vehicle........) and forget to take the bag of bags to the store for recycling.
Today's supposed to be nice and warm, lower 40s but tonight the new front moves in and is expected to drop 3 to 6 inches of new snow on us.

 

[Big Black Dog]

It's Wednesday morning and I WANT A PEPSI. I gave up drinking pop for Lent. So, I guess I shall have another cup of coffee and be thankful that I haven't given in and had myself a Pepsi. I should have given up drinking water instead of Pepsi. You live and you learn...

 

[Foxfyre]

Not me. We have a decorative terry cloth container tube thing in the kitchen where we stuff all the plastic bags--it dispenses them out the bottom as we need them. It replaced the plastic bag that held all the other plastic bags.

 

[Foxfyre]

It's Wednesday morning and I WANT A PEPSI. I gave up drinking pop for Lent. So, I guess I shall have another cup of coffee and be thankful that I haven't given in and had myself a Pepsi. I should have given up drinking water instead of Pepsi. You live and you learn...

Or you could be like me and give up jellied eels for Lent. (Admitting that sort of misses the point though.)

 

[Ringel05]

It's Wednesday morning and I WANT A PEPSI. I gave up drinking pop for Lent. So, I guess I shall have another cup of coffee and be thankful that I haven't given in and had myself a Pepsi. I should have given up drinking water instead of Pepsi. You live and you learn...

Speaking of I'm having my Coke Zero right now........

 

[Ringel05]

Not me. We have a decorative terry cloth container tube thing in the kitchen where we stuff all the plastic bags--it dispenses them out the bottom as we need them. It replaced the plastic bag that held all the other plastic bags.

I have one of those too...... It's full....... and I haven't pulled any bags out of it in months.......

 

[Foxfyre]

A bright beautiful sunny day here before, as Ringel said, the new storm arrives for the weekend. If we get any precip it is more likely to be in the form of rain though and I'm not holding my breath for that to happen. Much more likely just some clouds and wind.

Don't forget that Survivor and Amazing Race both premiere tonight--new threads for both have been started in the TV Forum. I love both.

Do I want breakfast? Still trying to decide.

 

[Foxfyre]

Not me. We have a decorative terry cloth container tube thing in the kitchen where we stuff all the plastic bags--it dispenses them out the bottom as we need them. It replaced the plastic bag that held all the other plastic bags.

I have one of those too...... It's full....... and I haven't pulled any bags out of it in months.......

We use them mostly to wrap meat scraps and other potentially smelly stuff for disposal in the trash. Once in a blue moon we need one for something else but it is rare. We don't accumulate them much anymore though since we went to the permanent bags that we take to the store when we grocery shop.

 

[Ava]

Not me. We have a decorative terry cloth container tube thing in the kitchen where we stuff all the plastic bags--it dispenses them out the bottom as we need them. It replaced the plastic bag that held all the other plastic bags.

Sounds neat! I stuff mine in a cabinet, all over the place....