Inauguration Day

I checked the Channel 4 (Click on Detroit) weather when I woke up and found it was a balmy 9 degrees F. The high today is supposed to be 16 degrees, but negating that is a bit of a North-northwest wind (wind chill, baby, if you believe in that stuff). Temperatures at this time of the season are supposed to be an average of 31 degrees, BTW. As I said before, I can't wait to get my gas bill!

You remember my neighbor next door, who went with an auxiliary wood heater. I posted a picture of the wood he'd secured for the winter, way back when. I would guess, based on buying wood on St. Clair, that he had about twelve cords or more of wood, cut and split. Well, looking outside today, he has probably less than two cords left!

Speaking of averages, they said on TV this morning that the snowfall to date for my area this winter is 42 inches (and the average is 21 inches). And we still have half the winter to go! So, considering I have had my driveway plowed three times (or $60.00 US) to date (I know, I know, I only paid the guy $40.00 so far - but I am here if he wants to pick up his last $20.00), I feel I am way ahead of the game, rather than buying a snow blower and then having to gas it and maintain it!

At lunch, I stopped at the Newburgh Coney Island for my usual Tuesday (and sometimes leftover on Wednesday) fare when I have errands in that neck of the woods: a bowl of the bean and ham soup and a mini-Greek salad ($5.51 plus tip). That soup is excellent, BTW, but forget about their usual chicken and dumpling soup (all you taste is dough) or the Friday clam chowder (mine is sooo much better).

They have a widescreen TV up on the wall that is usually tuned to one of those daytime talk shows. But, today it was the Inauguration ceremonies (this was the time when the ex-presidents and dignitaries were still arriving - about 11:15 PM). When they weren't waiting tables or cooking, all the Greek staff would stand out front and watch. It struck me then (and Jake reiterated last night) that, no matter what your nationality or your political views, we were all witness to history today.

Then, I went to Lowe's and dropped another $60.00 on what I had hoped was the end of the downstairs bathroom project. Turns out it wasn't. When I inquired about another quart of Glidden paint (to supplement the one quart I had) the lady informed me (rather frostily, I thought) that Glidden was sold by Home Depot, not Lowe's.

I stopped at CVS on the way home to get the three prescriptions I had called in. $45.00 later, I was headed home, feeling a bit broke!

I again waited, porch light on, for my snowplow guy. I did ask where I could drop the money off, but he said he's just stop by and get it. So, now I'm stuck with waiting, every night... Actually, I'm starting to think he has a regular job, so I probably won't see him until next weekend.

Dinner was warmed up venison chili and the last of Mom's salted wheat crackers. I didn't feel much like working on the bathroom tonight, so I did a lot of catch-up stuff on the computer and then watched TV until bedtime.