Bfth's Boring Blog

 The Mardi Gras partying is over.  (Not that I really partied...I did do some excessive drinking and eating over the past couple of days though.)  We've entered the season of Lent.  For me it's a time of (self) restriction (No alcohol and no chocolate...we'll see how that goes.  Some years I'm good; other's not so much.)  It's also a time of reflection.  This is my way of observing Lent.  (Your mileage may vary.) This Ash Wednesday is gray and gloomy where I am.  What it's NOT is terribly cold, which thrills me.  While snow still surrounds me, it IS starting to melt a bit.  I take that as a big win.  (Although I don't know how long that "win" will last.)  I can actually see part of my deck.  (Not all, but I'll take it.)  Some of my bushes are devoid of snow.  My driveway is relatively clear.  (Again for now.)  A few more days like this (at least temperature wise), and I might be able to take...

 I know a people fear Friday the 13th (and I'm not talking about the movie).  I've always liked Friday the 13th (not the movie).  I was married on Friday the 13th and so far that's turned out well.  (It's only been 29 years.)  In general, I look forward to Friday the 13th.  It's usually a good day for me.  Usually... For everything has its exception right?  As often as Friday the 13th comes, there have got to be some not so good ones, right? Now Friday, February 13th wasn't the worst day of my life.  It wasn't terrible.  It wasn't awful.  It was just...annoying, frustrating and somewhat costly... It was a busy work day for me.  (Why are Fridays becoming more and more crazy?  They used to be quiet days and that's gone out the window.)  Towards the end of the day, I was walking through the living/dining room and I heard a dripping sound.  A dripping sound is never good.  If you read this:   https://b...

I've always been a worrywart. I worry too much. I worry about big things; I worry about little things. And I know worrying won't make things better or even change things, but I worry.    Recently with the cold weather I've been worried about the houses. I worry about the house in Pennsylvania with the heat constantly running. Even though I had the furnace serviced in the fall I worry that something will go wrong.    I worry about the house in New Jersey. When I leave the house I set the temperature on the thermostat to 62. I worry that that's not warm enough. When I got a call from the oil delivery company on Monday saying that they had tried to deliver oil to the house in New Jersey but were unable to do so as a result of all the snow, I worried even more. I worry that the pipes will freeze. None of this has happened, yet... You can bet when I got home to New Jersey on Monday evening, I made sure to shovel out the back of the house where the fill for the oil tan...

 With temperatures being a high in the teens (that was overnight) and dropping throughout the day, there was no way I was going anywhere.  (Even though I wanted to check the mailbox to see if they delivered mail...I know it's hard to get to and I don't think we've been getting it and will need to go to the post office on Monday to try and figure it all out.)  So here's what I did... Saturday:  Reluctantly got out of bed at 6:45.  (Late for me).  Went to do a few minutes of walk aerobics, but my husband got up and started coffee and once that happens I have to get my cup.  So I bagged the walking and sat down with a hot cup and did the NY Times puzzles.  (What the hell was up with Connections?  I mean I eventually got the connections, but the graphics were not very good making things much more difficult.)  Then since it was cold out, I figured the best way to warm up was to bake.  So it was time for egg free biscotti.  An...

 People are outraged that the current president posted a racist video which depicted a former president and his wife as dancing apes.  I am outraged too, but it's no surprise and I've been outraged for years. I am outraged that the current president (BEFORE he was president) said he could grab women by the pussy. (The actual quote, "Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.") I am outraged that the current president (again, before he was president) said, ”I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?"  (How is that okay for ANYONE to say?  ANYONE?) I am outraged that the current president has called women reporters stupid, obnoxious, piggy and a whole slew of other sexist, mean and degrading things. I am outraged at how the current president and his administration has treated immigrants, especially children.  How it's seemingly "okay" to arrest, hurt or kill someone who is peaceful...

  I think we all know that it's been snowy.  (Even in places that aren't supposed to have snow.)  It's been cold.  Bitter cold.  We are surrounded by ice, which can be extremely dangerous and at this point I think everyone just wants it to go away...either by melting it or just chopping it to pieces and throwing in the deepest dirtiest ditch where it can melt or rot...I've just had it.  (Haven't we all?) But what concerns me most (well maybe that's an overstatement) is that I think this weather is making people stupid.  (Or in maybe that should be MORE stupid than usual.)  And to back up this observation, here are two examples and photographic proof. Example 1:  I live on a private drive.  (I know I've said this so many times that you have got to be tired of me saying it.)  No matter what the weather, it is not a through street.  It does not magically turn into one when the sun is out.  It doesn't suddenly appear in th...