A Day Late

A day late and a dollar short your love reaches me out of time and out of luck.  There is not much left to salvage of the life once enjoyed.  The once upon a time has come to an end.

End or beginning ~ it depends on how you look at it!


***
By the way don't watch the movie Everything Must Go,
it's depressing.

Wolves

An old Grandfather told his Grandson, "My son there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.  One is evil.  It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego.  The other is good.  It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth."

The Grandson thought about it and asked, "Grandfather which wolf wins?"

The Grandfather quietly replied, "The one you feed".

Yet Another Weather Update

Wind	Calm (direction variable)
Visibility	1/4 mile(s)
Sky conditions	partly cloudy
Weather	Freezing fog
Temperature	-50 F (-46 C)
Pressure (altimeter)	29.67 in. Hg (1004 hPa)

Yep that's right there is nothing to do but check the weather to see just how cold it is now.  Sunday supper with family has been canceled on account of the unsafe driving conditions ~ icefog and very low visibility.

Boo! Hiss! Grrrr! Ick! Yuck! 

And last but not least... really?

-50 F

---

24 Hour Summary
	Time EST (UTC)	Temperature F (C)		Pressure Inches (hPa)	Wind MPH	Weather
	5 PM (22) Jan 28	-43 (-42)		30.06 (1017)	Calm	freezing fog
	4 PM (21) Jan 28	-45 (-43)		30.07 (1018)	Calm	freezing fog
	3 PM (20) Jan 28	-49 (-45)		30.09 (1018)	Calm	freezing fog
	2 PM (19) Jan 28	-50 (-46)		30.1 (1019)	Calm	freezing fog
	1 PM (18) Jan 28	-47 (-44)		30.11 (1019)	ENE 3	freezing fog
	Noon (17) Jan 28	-47 (-44)		30.13 (1020)	N 3	freezing fog
	11 AM (16) Jan 28	-47 (-44)		30.15 (1020)	NE 3	freezing fog
	10 AM (15) Jan 28	-47 (-44)		30.18 (1022)	Calm	freezing fog
	9 AM (14) Jan 28	-47 (-44)		30.19 (1022)	Calm	freezing fog
	8 AM (13) Jan 28	-47 (-44)		30.2 (1022)	Calm	freezing fog
	7 AM (12) Jan 28	-47 (-44)		30.22 (1023)	Calm	mist
	6 AM (11) Jan 28	-45 (-43)		30.22 (1023)	Calm	mist
	5 AM (10) Jan 28	-45 (-43)		30.23 (1023)	Calm	mist
	4 AM (9) Jan 28	-45 (-43)		30.24 (1024)	Calm	mist
	3 AM (8) Jan 28	-45 (-43)		30.24 (1024)	Calm	mist
	2 AM (7) Jan 28	-43 (-42)		30.24 (1024)	Calm	mist
	1 AM (6) Jan 28	-43 (-42)		30.25 (1024)	Calm	mist
	Midnight (5) Jan 28	-43 (-42)		30.25 (1024)	Calm	mist

Today's Weather

Today's weather ~ you've got to be joking me!

No joke ~ it is even colder than the last cold snap just a week ago.

Wind	from the NE (040 degrees) at 3 MPH (3 KT) (direction variable)
Visibility	1/2 mile(s)
Sky conditions	mostly cloudy
Weather	Freezing fog
Temperature	-47 F (-44 C)
Pressure (altimeter)	30.15 in. Hg (1020 hPa)

Mom just called and it is -52 F where she lives in North Pole.  They are always colder there by the river than we are in town near the airport.

Keep those fires stoked and warm slippers on your feet!

Last of the Cold Mornings

Orbiting our world is a fireball of life giving rays and heat.  As we gain those precious seconds and minutes we can once again put another long dark winter behind us and look headlong to the coming summer of never ending days filled with joy.

Word of the Day ~ Schlockmeister

schlockmeister

PRONUNCIATION:

(SHLOK-my-stuhr)                  

MEANING:

noun: One who deals in inferior goods.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Yiddish shlak (evil, nuisance) + German Meister (master). Earliest documented use: 1965.

Tune Tuesday

Currently listening to Dig by Incubus

Tune Tuesday ~ this is a cool song with good lyrics in fact it might be the only song by Incubus that I like.  Good song ~ have a listen just ignore the video as it might ruin the song for you and I am not sure what the video is trying to say anyhow.

At any rate have a great Tuesday!

The End?

... One could say, in fact, that no story really has a beginning, and that no story really has an end, as all of the world's stories are as jumbled as the items in the arboretum, with their details and secrets all heaped together so that the whole story, from beginning to end, depends on how you look at it.  We might even say that the world is always in medias res - a Latin phrase which means "in the midst of things" or "in the middle of a narrative" - and that it is impossible to solve any mystery, or find the root of any trouble, and so The End is really the middle of the story, as many people in this history will live long past the close of Chapter Thirteen...

A Series of Unfortunate Events Book the Thirteenth 

by Lemony Snicket titled The End

*Pages 288-289 *

The end? 

Or the beginning? 

It depends on how you look at it.

We Can See the Light!

Today's weather is still cold compared to some but is warmer than last weekend. With the pressure falling back down to a more normal range for this area things are feeling better! Best news of all is that there is still a hint of dusky light in the sky at 4:00 pm. 

The end is in sight! 

We WIN!

Today's Weather ~ Looking Better

Wind

Calm

Visibility

6 mile(s)

Sky conditions

mostly cloudy

Weather

Mist

Precipitation last hour

0.01 inches

Temperature

-27.9 F (-33.3 C)

Dew Point

-32.1 F (-35.6 C)

Relative Humidity

79%

Pressure (altimeter)

29.24 in. Hg (990 hPa)

Pressure tendency

0.06 inches (1.9 hPa) lower than three hours ago

Advice Friday

Be sure not to confuse epic with meaningful!

You might think that some event or gathering of people was an epic time had by all but what you should really be asking yourself is... was it meaningful and will it add to my life in the years that follow?

Hope you have a meaningful day!

~~~

Let's Rock & Roll

Classes start today at the local university and the halls will be rockin and rollin with energetic young folk bent on gaining an education so that they can change the world. Good luck with that, and in the mean time if you need to find your class room stop by my office as I am always here to lend a helping hand.

The next few weeks will be busy but it keeps me out of trouble and keeps my mind occupied so as not to notice that winter still has a hold on our world.  Before I know it spring will be here in all its glory!

Enjoy your day and smile with a happy heart!

Weather Update ~ NWS Chat

NOAA's National Weather Services Chat

NOAK49 PAFG 181243

PNSAFG

AKZ222-190045-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK

343 AM AKST WED JAN 18 2012

...THE 40 BELOW TEMPERATURES KEEP ON COMING AT FAIRBANKS...

THE LOW TEMPERATURE SO FAR TODAY AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS BEEN 43 BELOW. THIS IS THE 12TH DAY THIS MONTH WITH A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 40 BELOW OR LOWER AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THIS

IS NOW THE GREATEST NUMBER OF 40 BELOW DAYS DURING

THE MONTH OF JANUARY SINCE THE 1989 COLD SNAP WHEN THERE WERE 14. JANUARY 1971 STILL HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE MOST 40 BELOW DAYS IN JANUARY WITH 21.

TODAY IS THE 6TH DAY IN A ROW WITH A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 40 BELOW OR COLDER. IT IS LONGEST CONSECUTIVE STRETCH OF 40 BELOW DAYS SINCE THE COLD SNAP OF LATE DECEMBER 2008 INTO JANUARY 2009 THAT PRODUCED 15 DAYS IN A ROW OF 40 BELOW COLD.

~~~

Word of the Day ~ Schmutz

schmutz or shmutz

PRONUNCIATION:

(shmuhts, shmoots)                

MEANING:

noun: Dirt, filth, or any undesirable substance.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Yiddish shmuts. Earliest documented use: 1968.

We use this word frequently around our house.

Weather Update

Wind	Calm
Visibility	4 mile(s)
Sky conditions	mostly cloudy
Weather	Mist
Temperature	-32 F (-36 C)
Pressure (altimeter)	31.08 in. Hg (1052 hPa)

It is amazing what 13 degrees will do to the feelings of cold and dread. The barometric pressure is still high causing a bit of a head ache for yours truly but even the smallest of warmer temperatures makes a body feel more energetic.

Hope everyone is having a good day and feel warm of heart and light of spirit.

Today's Weather

Wind Calm (direction variable) Visibility 1/4 mile(s) Sky conditions obscured Weather Freezing fog Temperature -43 F (-42 C) Pressure (altimeter) 31.07 in. Hg (1052 hPa)
Same thing ~ different day!

-45 F in Fairbanks

View of our house and street today at temperatures of -45 Fahrenheit. The pressure today is 31.01 which is so high that even the big jets cannot shoot an ILS approach into Fairbanks which means the skies are quiet and Josh will not be home this weekend.

Stay indoors and warm!

Darkness

Darkness rolls in and stock-stills itself across our world sacking what little daylight we recovered this short day.  All is gray on the inside and the outer skin.  We are alone and feel abandoned as if that punch in the gut sent us reeling to the outer regions of space.  Cold, dark and unforgiving.

It is always darkest before the dawn.  Oh sun please rise and shine your rays upon our faces so that we might feel breath again enter our bodies.

Dear Lord grant us your grace.

So that this too shall pass.

Take Flight Friday

Take flight Friday for a great weekend!

Word of the Day ~ Nosh

nosh

PRONUNCIATION:

(nosh)                           

MEANING:

verb tr., intr.: To snack or eat between meals.
noun: A snack.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Yiddish nashn (to nibble). Earliest documented use: 1873.

Finished Project No.3

Hurray!  Another project finished and another piece of furniture in our home to enjoy.  Thanks for following along as I share and show off project paradise from our home!

Project No.3 Grout

Apply a thick layer of grout around the bottom and the edge.

The grout product that I used sets rather quickly and you can begin the clean up right away ~ no waiting ~ hurray!

Messy fun part of putting the grout on the top and being sure to fill all the gaps.

Wiping off the extra grout and the haze takes a bit of time and is also messy ~ I love the messy part of projects.

Grout is all applied and the stones are all wiped down ~ now we wait four hours before the grout haze can be removed with a soft cloth.  There is another 24 hours wait time after that before the sealer can be applied and the finished project enjoyed.

Project No.3 ~ Next Step

Next step ~ set the glass tiles on the edge and apply them with tile adhesive. Wait four hours for them to be secure. 
It then took me about two hours to finely fit the rocks in the puzzle around the top to my liking.

All the stones are set and the adhesive has to cure for 48 hours before I can apply the grout.

I hate waiting....

Do You Believe?

Liking yourself, even loving yourself is very important to our self esteem. We just should not be boastful about our self love!

We need a healthy self esteem to be able to accomplish all the greatness we were meant to in our time here!

To much self esteem leads to narcissism, not good.  Not enough self esteem is almost even worse!

Yet we must all remember that even in our darkest hour and in the darkest cave... we are worthy... we are loved... and we have a grand purpose, we just sometimes do not know it and cannot see it on account of the darkness.

Even the smallest candle shines a bright light in the dark cave... that candle is hope!

Have hope! Have faith! Believe!

Christmas Break Project No.3

Christmas break project number 3 ~ giving new life to a 1970's coffee table.  We stripped off the top Formica in the icky gold and brown tones and cleaned up the top so that it can be tiled.

This was fun and dangerous as the top shattered and splintered.  Kenny did require a bandage for his thumb.  

I spent some time pondering over just what look I wanted to go with and it was  a choice between having the square glass tiles on the side, one row or two and if I wanted to also have a row of glass tiles around the top edge to frame in the stones.  I ended up choosing one row of glass tiles around the bottom edge and none on the top.

Today's Weather Update

A close look at the Fairbanks tab and you can see the moon in the image ~ yes the moon is still out and we are still awaiting sunrise at 10:48 a.m.  Sure could use some sunshine.  Hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Christmas Break Project No.2

Saving our old couch from the dump heap! 
Look boys this is what we mean when we said
"Don't plop onto the couch"!

We were tired of the springs having been sprung and creating an uncomfortable sitting experience.

Step number one ~ have a peek inside.

Step number two ~ retie the front and middle row springs back together.

There were two of them that were in really tough shape but we think we saved them.

Step number three ~  use jute striping to reinforce the support for the springs.

Step number four ~ weave in a second row of jute.

Kenny & Karie have a fun time hammering with the upholstery hammer.  It is magnetic on one end to aid in setting the tacks then you turn the hammer over and nail the tacks into the couch frame.

The finished underside!

The finished topside!

Back in couch sitting business!

Word of the Day ~ Naches

naches

PRONUNCIATION:

(NAKH-es)                 

MEANING:

noun: Emotional gratification or pride, especially taken vicariously at the achievement of one's children.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Yiddish (nakhes), from Hebrew nakhat (contentment). Earliest documented use: 1929.

Christmas Break Projects

First up on the Christmas break project list ~ clean out the hall-under-the-stairs-closet ~ and boy was it a mess and an all day project.

We are proud to report that there were no skeletons in the closet and after giving away four boxes and two big bags of "stuff" everything else is now nicely stowed back in the closet with room to spare!

Goose Sense

When you see geese flying along in “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way.  As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following.  By flying in “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone – and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What messages do we give others when we honk from behind?

Finally – and this is important – when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection.  They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies; and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

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