TubaOrNotTuba

Snap! That wind is cold. I’m really looking forward to mid-week, when this “cold snap” takes a break. Long enough to drive the big Green Machine indoors, and move the faithful flower pot away from the plow line. The deck furniture can wait (very weather resistant), and I rather enjoy the assistance provided by a thin layer of snow, going downhill. Soon. Oh, and don’t forget the BBQ. I don’t imagine I’ll do much grill time between now and spring, so it also deserves a warm and dry place to hibernate. I can’t imagine how all those folks in the south get by without the fun of fall.

The official term is “snow squalls”. Something to do with an ideal temperature and humidity level, and then it snows, quickly. All fascinating, until you’re actually caught up in one, and visibility just goes away. Someone asked on a forum, last evening, about how to tell if one had started and the response was curt: look out the window.

Interesting day in Canadian sports coverage. At long last, the person most likely to make crappy comments has been relieved of his duties. He finally said too much, and when the broadcasting council complaint server went into overload, somebody finally reacted. No more loud plaid jackets to distract the common man while the rant takes place.

I swear, there were little bits of white stuff falling from the sky this afternoon. The dog can corroborate; he trapped some in his fur. As soon as he came inside, all the evidence disappeared. Magically, as if some strange force of physics was in play.

Want to watch a scary movie? Go ahead; choose one that deals with the business ethic (oxymoron, given that there isn’t one). On TV right now, something involving an effort to attach insurance liability to a series of shell companies. Or as I see it, playing “pin the tail on the donkey”. Not pretty, and not reassuring. I hope that I never have to call on my agent, because I now stand less “assured” of the outcome in any confrontation involving my loss and their money. Worse than politicians. Is it accidental that our latest aspirant to the prime-ministerial chair was a failed insurance agent?

That went well. The hurricane, I mean. After twenty hours in the company of “genny”, our life is back to normal. One tree branch, a birch, in the front yard. Nothing else. I should underline that: Nothing else. No more stress than an ordinary windy afternoon.

Started our day on a normal note, with breakfast in town. Lots of bacon. Oh, and friends. Anyhow, my first social meal since back early in the season; the dog kept me out of circulation through the warmer days.  Those appear to be over.

Several months back, the music stopped. Seems much longer, in retrospect. You see, I have really grown attached to a small Internet radio receiver based on one of my Raspberry Pi boards. The system worked very well, until an update came along and caused a cascade of problems. I tried going “back”, but never managed to succeed. And so, in the blink of an eye, my access to good retro music vanished.

Now that was a trailer! The new Downton Abbey movie has me anxiously waiting for the opening credits, even if there isn’t a chance that I’ll be in a cinema seat, two weeks hence. I want to see the movie; I don’t want to share the experience with hundreds of strangers (or acquaintances). There has to be a better way than this public release. How about, for example, on TV? I have surround sound, and the screen on my living room wall is new and still shiny.

If you get tired watching the weather, keep an eye on that other storm. Brexit. The plot line has a lot of twists and curves. Today (was it only today?), the vote went against the newest UK prime minister, and the UK Parliament may not go into hibernation for the next few weeks . There could be some more voting, and a general election if trends continue. For me, I’m going to watch the pound… I have something I’d like to order from across the pond, and I am quite willing to save a few dollars through political instability.