Bfth's Boring Blog

 Today marks the 6th month "anniversary" of purchasing a house in the Poconos.  (Sort of...we signed the paperwork on the 29th of August, but there is no 29th of February...at least this year.)  Six months and I sill sometimes wonder if I made the right decision.  There has been quite a bit of good, bad and downright strange over these past months.  I'll leave you to judge which would be which as I highlight some things that have happened since the end of August 2024. I've had the HVAC/Plumbing/Electric company come out here at least 6 times over those months.  On the very day we moved in they came to clean the ductwork, which apparently had never been cleaned.  It took the technician 6 hours. I had them come out and put in a uv light in the HVAC system . (Studies have shown that UV-C light, the type used in HVAC systems, can effectively kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.)  I've had a Nest thermostat installed.  (Trying to be more efficient a...

 Another Sunday and more thoughts from me that are mostly discombobulated.  With everything that's going on in the world, can my thoughts be anything but?  So on the 23rd day of February (one day after Washington's Birthday), here is some random crap that is rolling around in my mind: Today marks my maternal grandmother's birthday.  I'm not sure how old she would have been as her birth certificate was destroyed in a fire and she didn't like to talk age.  I was told that the year of her birth was wrong on her driver's license and she chose not to fix it.  Doesn't really matter now.  I keep hoping I will see a robin today because that was her/our thing.  Who would see the first robin of the year, my grandmother, my mother or me?  Since I'm the only one left...I have seen some birds flying around today, but no red breasts.  I also heard a bird (or birds) singing this morning, which gives me som...

 This has been a not so simple week.  There's so much chaos and anger in the world, it's maddening, frustrating and heartbreaking all at the same time.  The world seems to be spiraling out of control and I don't want to minimize all the terrible things that are going on around.  However, the constant noise is making me sick.  I don't need any more anxiety.  I don't think you do either.  Being overwhelmed by the state of affairs is not helpful.  So while ignoring the news should not be an option (we NEED to be aware of what is going on from reliable sources...I am NOT one of those sources), I'm trying to stay as upbeat as I can.  (Even while I can smell the smoke from the dumpster fires.) To that end, I'm looking for an answer to what I HOPE is a simple question. This question is probably best answered by a specific group of people and/or friends.  I think (and I could be wrong) that my Pennsylvania peeps would be my best resource, but ...

 There is so much NEGATIVE in the world.  (Due to a variety of reasons.)  It's hard to get up and face the day with a smile, as we should.  When the world seems to have gone mad, it helps (somewhat) to find the little things that can lighten your heart. Today I have an example of that, but before I tell you about the little thing that made me feel good, I have to go back to last week.   As you may know, it's been brutally cold recently.  I know it's winter, but...We've had cold, wind, snow and ice week after week.  Not that we have piles of it, but just enough.  And just when you think we're turning a corner... Because it has been so cold and because my sleeping pattern (if such a thing exists) when I need to be in the office goes off the rails (waking around 3:30), I've been catching an early bus.  You may be tired of hearing it, but I have the option of 2 buses to get to Newark (where I hop on the light rail).  One picks up...

  I have two totally unrelated thoughts that have been chewing at my brain today thanks to two unrelated social media posts from friends.  (This is not a bad thing!)  So indulge me for a few minutes while I share what I've been mulling over in my mind. Friend #1 wrote that she is losing her job yesterday.  She didn't lose it because she isn't a good employee, she lost it because the small local business that she worked for is closing down.  I don't know how long she worked there or how long the business had been in operation, but my heart aches for her.  Losing a job, no matter what the job might be, is painful. My friend has down played the loss.  She points out that it was only a part time job and the money that she made there went for "trivial" items such as coffee and a travel fund.  She is the friend that I met up with a Disneyworld last September.  ( https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2...

 For the record, I am "old".  I think I have always been old.  I think and act like an "old person."  Which for me means I think logically (most of the time), I am reasonable (most of the time) and I often (not always) thrifty.  And that means that while today may be Valentine's Day, I am not getting, nor do I necessarily want, flowers, candy or jewelry.  I'm not even getting a card, nor do I want one.  (Well, that's not completely true.  When my father was alive and healthy, he would always send me a Valentine's Day card and I DO wish I could have one of those today.) It is a cold Valentine's Day here in the Northeast.  (Side note:  I am SO OVER winter.  For the most part it's been colder than usual, something that I'm not fond of.  We've also had more snow storms than we've had in a long time, which I am also not a fan of.  We haven't had that much snow accumulation, but we have had day after day of snowfall and ice....

  February 12th is Lincoln's Birthday.  He's my FAVORITE President of all times.  (Partially because of some family ties, but that's just part of it.)  I am so old that I remember when we didn't have a President's Day, but instead celebrated two holidays in February (not counting Groundhog Day and Superbowl Sunday, which wasn't always in February anyway), and those two were Lincoln's Birthday and Washington's Birthday.  While they may not be national holidays anymore, they are still important days for me. This February 12th I "celebrated" by getting sick.  Nothing too major, just your typical head/chest thing.  For once I decided listen to my body and took a sick day.  (Amazing, I know.)  While I was resting (or at least trying to and ignore work emails that came in), my mind wandered to various questions.  None of which are related to Lincoln (or Washington for that matter), but I thought I'd just pose them here. Why can't I find the f...

  A friend of mine, who I have known for over 30 years, posted a link on social media that really burned me up.  To be clear, it was not my friend who burned me up or her posting the link (which she found laughable).  It was what the "commentator" of a certain "news" channel said that really got up in my craw.  It annoyed me so much, that I went and checked out the "commentator" and his daily show to make sure that it wasn't edited in some way. (While I was really ticked, I wanted to make sure that it was an actual clip and not someone trying to manipulate things...no matter what the source is, everything is worthy of a double check.)  And sure enough had been posted WAS said. Now you'd think that what ticked me off was the political rhetoric.  This man is conservative and is on a conservative news station.  It wasn't the political rhetoric.  What I heard, I expected.  I may be disgusted and offended, but that didn't set me off. So what DID...

 Our house in the Poconos has a lot more space and storage than our 100+ year old house in New Jersey.  So we've dragged a lot of "junk" from there to here.  For me this includes plastic containers that sat in the basement for years filled with notebooks.  And I mean a LOT of notebooks.  Some filled.  Others have writings and are mostly blank. So what are these notebooks?  Well, they are "diaries" as well as attempts at stories/fiction.  (And let me be perfectly clear, these attempts are mostly "fan fiction" rip off that just might constitute plagiarism.)  I dug through some of them today. I read things that made me cringe and realize that while in some ways I may have been a mature kid, as a "young" adult (take that as you will), I was pretty darned immature and downright idiotic.  When did I actually "grow up?"  I'm not sure I ever actually did, but I'd like to think I've matured and gotten (a little) wiser. I du...

  February 7, 1964, was 61 years ago.  It's hard for me to believe.  And in case you didn't know, I WASN'T alive on that date.  Although in some ways I wish I was.  I don't WANT to be older (I feel old enough most of the time), but I would have liked to have been alive that day.  Or maybe you should make those days, since it was 2 days later that the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.  (If you're not  old enough to know who that was, go ahead and Google it.  If you don't know who the Beatles are, then I have to wonder if you are human.  And you should probably stop reading this post right now...not that this one is going to be long.) Yes, it was 61 years ago today that the Beatles landed on American soil.  The rest, as they say, is history. The Beatles certainly changed history.  Though all might not agree; I'd say for the better.  Their music can be a salve to the soul.  It lifts us up when we are down.  ...

  We're still in the midst of winter.  It's cold and gray.  (And I'm so over it.)  While the snow outside can be pretty to look at, I'm ready for spring.  I'm ready for those warmer days. I've never been very good in keeping plants, whether they be indoor or out.  My father was the "plant man."  He mostly grew tomatoes and cucumbers in his later years, but when I was a kid, he grew those and a whole lot more.  He dug out a plot of land in the backyard and grew flowers and a variety of vegetables over the years such as peppers, zucchini (I'm not a fan) and even corn for popping.  (I'll have to admit that it didn't turn out too great, but...)  He would start his seeds indoors under a grow lamp in the colder months and then transplant them outside in the spring.  When he gave up the house with the plot of land for a large garden (a plot that is now grown over and not in use which is sad), he still started his seedlings indoors (...

 Things are pretty crazy in the world  I keep thinking back to the "popular" questions:   are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?  Now four years ago , we were still in the midst of Covid, which was definitely NOT a fun time.   However, by then  we were moving forward.  Vaccines were on the horizon.   So while it was not a great time, it felt like we were emerging from the dark days of 2020. There was reason for hope.  Today...I'm not feeling the hope.  (Though I do try to see the bright side whenever I can.)  I continue to battle anxiety.  Anxiety that I feel for myself and for the world at large.   Let's been honest, chaos surrounds us, no matter who we are or where we are .What the heck is going on?  What the hell happened to common sense and decency?  When did "Christian values" cease to include Christ's teachings?  You DO know the guy who the religion was named for him, r...

  As I write this, it is a cold, overcast day in the Pocono Mountains.  However, earlier today, when poor Punxsutawney Phil was pulled out of his home, there was sunshine.  Phil saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter.  (Which actually puts us just about at the date when spring arrives on the calendar.)  I'm not thrilled with that.  It puts us at the halfway mark.  We've gone through about six weeks of winter already.  Many of those days have been colder and grayer than I can recall recent years being.  I've asked people in the Poconos as well as in NJ, if this year seems to be colder than usual.  I've heard a lot of yes (usually said in resignation). I've never been a fan of winter. (Sorry to all my winter fans out there.  I know you exist, I just don't live in your sphere.)  So, why did you move to the mountains Bfth, I hear you ask.  Well, I like the mountains.  I like the trees.  I like ...