Icicles

meisajDaily Life

A short tale about Marceline and icicles.

Marceline and I were shoveling the driveway yesterday so that Sam could get out safely and her evening trip to the store. Despite it only being 24° f outside, we had a blast and stayed outside for quite a bit.

Even though it hasn’t been above freezing in weeks, because the front of our house gets so much sun we’ve had a lot of snow thawing and freezing on a roof lately, and the ice has been clogging our gutters leading to long icicles.

I knocked a few down for marceline. She carried them around the whole time we were outside. Only letting go of them to bend down and pick up snowballs to throw back on the ground just like grampy had taught her two weeks ago.

She refused to leave them outside and brought them inside with her after we had finished shoveling.

I gave her a tupperware container to put them in and she grabbed a spoon and started stirring and said “I’m cooking I’m cooking,” before disappearing into the house with the container.

Several times last night I walked around the house looking for this container afraid I was going to wake up to find a giant wet spot on the ground from melted icicles. I accepted my fate around 10:30pm and went to bed.

To my surprise (and thankfully not horror) Marceline had set it upright on the couch and it stayed that way all night. When Marceline saw it this morning she gave it a few more stirs again claiming to be cooking before we dumped it down the drain.

KLD 2021

meisajDaily Life

It’s the 10th annual Kenny Loggins Day.

I’m further ingratiating Marceline to my personal holiday today. She’s heard nothing but Kenny Loggins all day long, with a brief interlude for some songs by Elmo.

I also made my annual Kenny Loggins day chocolate chip cookie cake. Came out fantastic as always.

I keep saying next year I’ll dedicate more time to Kenny Loggins day, but these last couple years January and February have been pretty busy months.

Maybe next year I can refresh my Kenny Loggins day promo materials.

Comfort – Friday September 11

meisajDaily Life

I’ve been trying to figure out what my comfort level is. What brings me comfort – aside from family and friends obviously.

For entertainment – I’ve discovered a new show – Corner Gas. It has been an immediate hit with me. I like to describe as almost Seinfeld but if Seinfeld was in Canada, centered around the only gas station for 40 miles (kilometers?) in either direction.

It has a small cast and half hour episode fits several story lines in. It’s makes me laugh, and is an easy binge. And free! It’s on IMDB‘s free streaming service. Or you can stream it on Amazon Prime. It’s not Letterkenny – which is another hilarious Canadian comedy. No were near as cuss filled or topical as Letterkenny, but then I think that is why I find it so comforting. It is just a good background show that doesn’t require you to pay attention to one scene to get the comedy they are doing in the next.

Anyways, I have a feeling that it will join my repeat shows like Black Books, The IT Crowd and a few others. And of course Futurama. Which I fall asleep to every night. I don’t watch it, I just load up and episode or two on my bluetooth sleeping mask and pass out to a comforting, familiar show.

Just shows that don’t nessecarily have to be binges anymore, I’ve watched them all multiple times, but as good background noise when WCLV, a podcast, or other music just isn’t cutting it.

Aside from comfort entertainment, I’ve been trying to fit reading into my schedule. I found out the Kindle doesn’t keep Marceline awake when I am rocking her to sleep. So I’ve gotten through two books in August and I’m almost done with the Maltese Falcon (like 20 more pages).

As far as hobbies, exercising has helped me feel better. Running on the treadmill every other day or so. I don’t have a goal yet, but running a half marathon sounds easily doable at this point. When races come back that is. I haven’t done a road race since college? I think. So 20 years about.

She is wondering why the zoo animals are so far away.

And eventually, maybe, drawing again. I like having my sketchbooks to look back at, but that is a lot of free time to expect with a 17 month old daughter as cute and active as Marceline is.

PS – 9-11 is a weird day. 19 years ago I was in Erie, PA on the last leg of a road trip across the country. I was 22 and pretty cynical about the world. Also driving from Erie to Niagara Falls was just nuts on that day.

At the same time it is my brother-in-laws birthday. A celebration?

Victoria Taylor – Wednesday Sept 2

meisajDaily Life

I have no idea who Victoria Taylor is. But she makes a great spice.

A few years ago for Christmas Sam bought me a jar of Honey Aleppo Pepper spice from World Market. It was amazing. Like blow my socks off perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavor. I put it on everything – chicken, wraps, pizza, pasta, rice…. everything we had. The jar was empty pretty quickly (ok, like 3 months or so of constant usage).

Now World Market is great. It is my go to store for Christmas Shopping, particularly stocking stuffing. And while I love walking through World Market, it is not in any way a cheap store. It sucks money out of my wallet like no other store.

Not to mention the store moved like 3 miles further down the road this spring – so its not a quick hop to get there anymore, its like a long lunge or something. A stride? I don’t know, not far away but not exactly convenient either.

I looked on Amazon but it seemed like a lot to pay for a spice. $1.98 an ounce.

But on the Victoria Taylor website I could buy the same container of spice for $1.56 an ounce. Or I could buy it in bulk for $1.23 an ounce. A way better deal. But I’d have to pay shipping which would raise the price.

UNLESS…. I bought two bulk containers. And had SPICE FOREVER.

You know what they say in Dune… “The spice must flow.” With two giant 19.4 ounce tubs of spice…. the spice can finally flow.

Thank goodness this stuff is shelf stable and doesn’t expire for several years.

In other news – I’m starting a new book today. Felt really good finishing two books in August – A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived and Find Me. I’ve already picked out my two books for September – The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) and The Maltese Falcon. I like the idea of reading two books a month, one non-fiction and one fiction, and neither are as deep as A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived was, so it shouldn’t be a challenge to finish.

Hyperbola vs Hyperbola – Tuesday Sept 1

meisajDaily Life

Way back in the before times of 2001 and 2002 I was living in Queensbury and reconnected with some old high school friends. We spent our not doing too much, but we had a favorite hang out and it was the Lagoon. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist anymore but was fun for a bunch of 22 year-olds. Free darts, cheap drinks and food. And of course some live music.

Hyperbola was a band that consisted of three guys I went to high school with. I’m not sure how many of their shows we attended. I lived in Queensbury from September 2001 until August 2002 and it seemed like more than a few times, and I quite enjoyed them.

I bought both of their albums – Long Dub Mini Groove and Long Dub Mini Groove II. Both pretty good and I still listen to them on a regular occasion.

Yesterday I was walking Marceline to the park, and decided to listen to some music while she was chilling in the stroller. It’s a mile walk and Marceline zones the whole time. But despite searching google, youtube and other places, I couldn’t find anything left over from that time period. No really old recording or video from their performances.

Instead I found this weird band named Hyperbola on the Spotify. Definitely the same band I saw in Queensbury. I listened to their album bringing it up from 2 listens per month to 3 listens per month.

I also found another band named Hyperbola on Bandcamp. Again not the same band, unless they moved to the Ukraine without letting anyone know. They at least sound a little bit closer to the band what I remember.

Anyways, I eventually pulled up a Hyperbola album I have stored online to listen to.

Here’s Reason to Love by Hyperbola.

Andrew, Greg, Tim, if you are out there… thanks for the great music.