Freezing On A Hot Merry Christmas Eve Morning In Texas

Yes, it was well below freezing when I ventured out to my too cool pool for some hot tub hydrotherapy on this Merry Christmas Eve Morning.

Tomorrow morning I must remember to wear my Santa cap to my morning hot tub dip.

As you can see, the hot tub is big enough to enable swimming action, thus providing some endorphin inducing aerobic action.

However.

The hot tub is hot, which really is not all that conducive to pleasant aerobic action without short pool dips. But, the pool is being too cool, even for my genetically mutated Polar Bear self. So, I overheat in the hot tub, with the necessary cooling provided by stepping out of the pool and standing in the frigid air til I feel a chill and then get back in the hot tub.

I do not think I will be going on a Christmas Eve afternoon hike or walk. I think I will go to Walmart and enjoy pushing a cart through the throngs of fellow lemmings....

Today I Learned The Fosdick Flock Of Seagulls Do Not Like Whole Wheat Stuffing

Today was my first time back at Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake since, I think, the Great North Texas Ice Storm of 2013.

Upon arrival I quickly noticed a Flock of Seagulls had joined the Fosducks who are in permanent residence floating on Fosick Lake or slacking on the ground on the lake's perimeter.

Today I remembered to bring some Fosduck feed in the form of whole wheat stuffing mix I got at Town Talk, but which I did not find too tasty.

The Fosducks seemed to have a mighty fine time eating the Town Talk whole wheat stuffing. However, the Flock of Seagulls showed absolutely no interest in getting stuffed with stuffing.

Speaking of getting stuffed with stuffing, that will not be happening with my Christmas menu, it being a menu on which nothing is getting stuffed.

Unless I overeat the Turkey Pot Pie.....

This Morning My Mom Insisted I Open A Package From Arizona To Find A Plethora Of Christmas Cookies

I called my mom and dad this morning to let them know that a package from Arizona had arrived.

My mom asked about the package delivery soon after answering the phone.

When I said I had not yet opened the package mom told me I needed to open it at once, because the box was full of stuff which needed to be eaten.

So, after getting off the phone I opened the box and what to my wondering eyes appeared? A selection of the greatest hits of my mom's Christmas cookies.

The box contained the assortment you see in the foreground, plus a sub-box full of gingersnap cookies, plus the fruitcake hovering above the boxes.

I have never understood some people's aversion to fruitcake. I have always liked fruitcake. Maybe it is my mom's fruitcake I have always liked and that I have never been exposed to the type fruitcake to which people have an aversion.

Due to my mom's macular degeneration my dad acts as mom's sous chef for cooking operations.  I suspect maybe my sister was part of this cookie cooking operation. Though I have seen my mom and dad in cooperative cooking mode and it is an impressively efficient operation.

I may be going into a form of diabetic shock in the coming day or two. I am not used to eating dessert type sugary stuff.....

Seeing A Spencer Jack's Uncle Joey Lookalike In Walmart Put Me In A Merry Melancholy Christmas Mood

In the picture on the left you are in the backyard of the house I grew up in, in Burlington, Washington.

1027 Washington Avenue.

If I remember correctly, at this point in time my brother, he being the guy on the left in the picture, had bought the house from my mom and dad.

The reason we were getting our picture taken was because myself and most of my siblings had attended my nephew Jason's high school graduation and were at the after party at my brother's house.

That would be my nephew Jason standing between my brother and me, which would make nephew Joey on the right.

Now, what prompted this trip down memory lane?

Well, I was in Walmart around noon, a busy Walmart, very busy. I was in the frozen vegetable section of the frozen foods area when this mom and her boy walked up, with the mom and her boy engaged in an amusing conversation about the boy's vegetable issues.

The boy reminded me of Joey.

Suddenly I found myself in a very Merry Melancholy Christmas mood as I continued to walk around in Walmart, pushing an empty shopping cart.

My nephew Jason's graduation from high school happened a year or two before I moved to Texas.

My brother, Jason and Joey look so young in the above picture, while I've not aged a day. I assume I can attribute this to the healthy Texas lifestyle.

I last saw my nephew Joey the first time I met Joey's nephew, Spencer Jack, back in early August of 2008 at Bay View State Park.

In the picture on the right, that would be Joey on the left, with Spencer Jack insisting Joey eat something.

Being at Bay View State Park and meeting Spencer Jack for the first time seems so recent, yet it was over 5 years ago.

I have seen Spencer Jack and his dad since that day at Bay View, 5 years ago, back in March of 2012, in Arizona.

A couple months ago my mom asked me to arrange for me and Joey to come to Arizona this past week, but that could not be arranged. I feel sort of bad about this, which likely adds to the Merry Melancholy Christmas mood.

Below we see the aforementioned mom and dad, on that day over 5 years ago, at Bay View State Park, with Spencer Jack and Joey, along with either Blue or Max in scavenging poodle mode. Likely Max, Blue is usually too refined to scavenge.

Now, how am I going to get myself out of this Merry Melancholy Christmas mood? Maybe a cup of coffee will help.....

You Can Not Disown Your Sister

Last night one of my fraudulent activity monitors who monitors fraudulent activity in the Tacoma, Washington zone emailed me an email with the subject line:

YOU NEED TO DISOWN YOUR SISTER

The message in the fraudulent activity monitor's email was not shouted in capitals like the subject line of the email was shouted.

The message in the email was a copy and pasting of a totally inappropriate Facebook comment, commenting on some clearly irrational Facebook ranting.

I don't quite know what would be gained by disowning ones sister. I Googled the subject to find that a lot of people are interested in disowning some of their siblings for a wide variety of reasons.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on ones point of view on this serious subject, there is no legal mechanism by which one can disown a sibling.

More than one person advised those seeking a sibling disownment to simply cease contact with the annoying sibling. That seemed to be good advice and relatively easy to do, particular if one is blessed with a geographic buffer of a couple thousand miles.....

It Is Freezing On The 2nd Day Of Winter In Texas

I did not realize til after yesterday's fall of the sun, also known as sunset, that fall of 2013 had become history with yesterday's shortest day of the year and the start of winter.

And now, this morning, the 2nd day of winter, we have returned to winter appropriate temperatures, as in, as you can see, it is freezing, with the wind making that 32 degrees really feel like 22 degrees.

Yesterday I did not venture out into the flooding landscape during my usual pool-time part of the morning.

This morning I did venture out to the pool, what with no rain falling and the sky somewhat clear of clouds.

Yesterday's deluge added several inches to the pool depth. I did not get in the too cool pool this morning. The hot tub provided my only hydrotherapy.

Making My Way Over Flooding Streets To Go Treasure Hunting At Town Talk

In the picture you are looking west at a very wet Randol Mill Road, around noon, this next to last Saturday of 2013.

I ventured out into the ongoing deluge to make my weekly Town Talk trek.

For a moment or two I considered going on a bumbershoot enabled walk in the rain, but opted not to.

Right after I snapped this picture a vehicle passed me on the right, hitting a big puddle, which sent a wall of water on to my windshield, virtually blinding me for a second or two.

Town Talk was not as busy as I expected it to be. I suppose a lot of people did not feel like navigating drenching downpours to go treasure hunting.

I got some real good rabbit food today at Town Talk. The reader board out front said "Salad Bowls 2/$1"

I have no idea what was meant by "Salad Bowls" til I found them. A variety of various salads of sorts like Mixed Greens Bacon Ranch Salad. I had that one for lunch. In addition to several salad bags I also got rabbit food in the form of big carrots. I don't know if rabbits like tortillas, but I got a big bag of flour tortillas, thick homemade type tortillas which I used as hamburger buns for lunch.

Excuse me, knock on the door, I'll be right back....

This is unprecedented. Yesterday there were two knocks on the door with packages being delivered by the USPS mailman. Today, the door knock brought the same result, another package delivered to my door by the USPS mailman. This package is another one from Washington, specifically a town named Seattle.

Switching the subject from packages back to food.

While making lunch I also made a batch of refried beans, well, began the process of making refried beans by installing the ingredients in the slow cooker. One of the ingredients is a chopped up jalapeno. I thought I'd thoroughly washed my hands after chopping the jalapeno.

However, a strong burning sensation is currently occurring in several sensitive locations.

The rain has stopped downpouring. For now. So far I have heard nary a boom of thunder.

The Rain Is Downpouring In North Texas On The Next To Last Saturday Of 2013

I don't remember when last I saw rain falling in downpour mode at my current location on the planet in the copious amounts that are falling on this next to last Saturday of 2013.

At the time this morning of my regularly scheduled pool and hot tub bout the route to the pool was in flash flooding mode.

But fear of wading through a flash flood was not the reason I bailed on getting cold this morning. It was the downpouring that greatly lessened the pool appeal.

You can sort of tell via the above picture how dark and dreary this day is starting out to be. When I stepped outside to take a picture I stayed under cover rather than step out into the downpour to take a picture from my usual location at the railing's edge.

I do not foresee a walk under a bumbershoot in my future for today. I do see a visit to Town Talk in my future today to do some treasure hunting.

With this being the last Saturday before Christmas, Town Talk should be a busy zoo today.

Today The United States Postal Service Delivered A Christmas Miracle To Texas

Today in my world a Christmas Miracle occurred.

Two packages were delivered to my door by a United States Postal Service mailman.

Last year, a few days before Christmas, I got a note in my mailbox telling me the mailman was unable to deliver a package. This turned into a month long debacle after which a box of stale cookies were finally successfully delivered, although not to my mailbox or front door, but to a neighbor's front door.

Around 1 this afternoon I heard someone knocking on my door. I opened the door to find a mailman handing me a package.

Then somewhere between 3 and 4 this afternoon I heard someone knocking again. I opened the door to find the same mailman delivering another package.

Unprecedented service from the US Postal Service.

In the photo above, that would be package #1, from Washington, on the bottom, with package #2, from Arizona, on top.

Sitting on top of package #2 is my one and only Christmas decoration, that being my lovable Christmoose, who moved to Texas with me, way back late in the last century.

I won't be opening these packages until Christmas. It gives me something to look forward to, which is something I need during this bleak, cheerful, happy holidays time of the year....

A Warm Walk With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Ends Cold

I got rained on whilst in the pool and hot tub this morning. The drippage was quite refreshing.

This morning's bout in the cool pool and the less cool hot tub did not give me as many aerobically induced endorphins as I need to make myself feel mighty fine.

So, with the outer world temperature at my location in the 70s I used my motorized vehicular transporter to take myself to Arlington to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area to go on a walk with the Indian ghosts, optimistic, was I, that I would not need a bumbershoot to do so.

Turns out, for once, my optimism proved to be warranted. Nothing dripped on me whilst walking with the Indian ghosts today.

When I got to the area of the Village Creek Blue Bayou I saw tire tracks leading from the paved trail. I followed the trail of the tire tracks and eventually came to the big white pipeline you see above, hovering above the creek that brings water to the Village Creek Blue Bayou.

I have no idea what is being piped across the creek and into the natural area.

After walking with the Indian ghosts I dropped in on the very conveniently located, newly opened, ALDI to get myself some needed vittles.

At the ALDI point in time the outer world air was still semi-balmy, warm, and very humid.

And then, in the less than three mile distance from ALDI to my abode, I arrived at my parking location and exited my vehicle to discover the predicted temperature drop had arrived sooner than I thought it was predicted to.

Like I already said, when I left my abode the outer world was in the 70 degree zone. When I returned, less than two hours later, the temperature in the outer world at my abode had plummeted into the 40s.

I do not know when the predicted thunderstorm action is predicted to arrive. Flash flooding is also in the forecast.

I am prepared. My hatches have been totally battened.

One second, please, someone is knocking on my door....

United States Postal Service mailman hand delivering a package from Washington. A year ago, almost to the day, a month long delivery failure ensued with the USPS that eventually ended with the successful delivery of a  box of stale Christmas cookies.