Mrs Whiggins

Sam Hurley had a great high jump at the meet--he's second on the indoor list right now. And Lindhorst just ran a pretty good 800 as well. They do need to make sure all the relays are scoring points; that's the bread and butter right there. On the women's side, Arkansas is an early leader, but the champs aren't until March so we'll see how it shakes out. Texas is traveling to Boston U for a meet at the end of the month, and while it isn't at the same track, it seems like a good plan as a test run.

We buy all of our autos used. The newest is my 2013 and what you're talking about is evident even then. When we got the 2013 (bought pre-pandemic) we handed the 2010 CRV to one of our teens and with just that three year window everything just wasn't quite as solid. That being said, the issues that have developed in later models that I've read both on here and elsewhere may mean we look around at comparable models from other manufacturers for the next go around. We've never been particularly locked in to one specific make/model. We shop around the used market for reliable, safe transport and go from there. Got a great deal on a 2010 Outback that is still working for another teen, and the twenty year old Toyota is chugging right along with regular maintenance. Definitely think the construction quality among the last few years is just not that great. I miss the old tiny trucks that Toyota used to make that ran forever even if they rusted like a sumbitch. You could fix that thing with odds and ends from the junk drawer in the garage and it would go like a champ. (Probably a deathtrap against today's massive beasts on the road but c'est la vie).

*not a doctor* I've gotten the pneumonia vaccine. I've had pneumonia and it messed up my lungs ever after. And that was when I was a young adult. If I was 70, you bet I would get the vaccine because spending a week in the hospital having them perform chest percussion is not something I'd care to revisit.

I hope you don't mind, but I moved your quote to this thread for 2024... Thoughts vary as to 'best' when it comes to protocol. I have a very small garden compared to some of you and I pull up my tomatoes when they're done. That is mostly due to concerns about fungal diseases and such that can be present in the soil. Since I have a combination of the large black plastic pots and one small 4X8 bed, you can see why it's a little harder to rotate and/or turn over the soil. I do try and rehabilitate the soil as much as I can with some amendments. I also grow some veggies and herbs mixed in with our flower beds and so it isn't as noticeable if I yank or leave them either way. These are the types of plants that are not as fussy--the chards and the dills and so on. Other gardeners advise leaving the dead plants, especially the roots as it provides nourishment but also advise crop rotation if you do this. If you have the space to rotate, then this may be a good plan for you. Maybe some other posters here will chime in with their methods. Lastly, I've never done a cover crop as that is something I picture more with large expansive beds, but that is another way to keep the soil in good condition.

IIRC, Iowa was also pretty big in starting and continuing a 'rails to trails' program repurposing unused RR tracks to bicycle/hiking trails. When I lived in Nebraska, they had some of those and it was really nice. The glaciated areas in those states (WI/Iowa) are very unique and fun to explore. Devil's Lake (the natural parts not the touristy parts) was fun to hike. Driving along the Mississippi in the fall before the rains came and dropped the leaves was another. We didn't have much $$ so we would find little day trips here and there to get away and like you said, quite a few fun places to spend a day. Back to the caucus though, I've derailed this enough I suppose!

What is up with the flag on the interviewee's t-shirt? I see that it is a cross, but is that something the evangelicals have adopted? It isn't a historical flag although there were flags with stars in circles.

I haven't been to Iowa since we moved south, but have fond memories of the Amana colonies (where I had my very first brat and became a forever fan) and also Dubuque, which had a picturesque river beauty combined with the gritty manufacturing roots of its past that (at the time of our living in the upper midwest) had not been gentrified or yet upscaled. I've never minded "flyover" country with respect to the land and resources. It's amazing. But its politics are getting in its own way.

I think I get what Elon is all in an upset about now. He wants to build a Mojo Dojo Casa Car with a lot of horsepower. Elon doesn't think he's Kenough and he's been slowing morphing into Klaus Barbie.

So short-sighted of you to leave off @Armybrat's generation with this Buster Keaton classic:

Go straight to the taxpayer supported source? I use NWS For Example, here is the austin area weather discussion. You can check out their precip and temp and wind graphs and such directly on the website and it's quite useful IMO. Just plug in your location in the search bar and it's got everything I need. https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=EWX&issuedby=EWX&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1

Postponed the morning perambulation. Sidewalks are slick and that's a sure way to end up in a viral cell phone video of suburban moms who think they can skate.

I read about this outbreak when the news first broke. We have a distant family member that lives there with her family and it reminded me that her child isn't vaccinated. He's older, pre-teen and she was (still is AFAIK) into the no substances into my child's body that aren't natural or something like that. It wasn't the autism-vaccine theory, she didn't subscribe to that but she wouldn't allow commercial food products and such. Some areas of the country have larger groups of unvaccinated children like hers and it is worrisome as they've joined forces with the other anti-vax groups. While daycares are great incubators, older children are more mobile and congregate in disparate clusters where vaccine requirements may be lax: sports teams, parties, schools (public schools are hit or miss on strict exemption policies), home school groups, and so on. It's concerning that we're revisiting this disease and its consequences when we had all but put it in the rearview mirror. Given the health care deserts that have developed in the U.S., more outbreaks are likely on the horizon.

People dismissed Napoleon and Hitler, too. But when there was turmoil and their societies longed for a strongman, they stepped into the breach. One was a competent, ruthless military strategist, the other a screaming effective orator. You might say that DeSantis is neither, but he's an opportunist and if there is an opportunity for him to be an authoritarian ruler, he will grasp it. Fanny pack and all. He's not going to go away even if he is sidelined in this round. Whether he will be cast off for good remains to be seen.

This one is on the nightstand but haven't cracked it open yet. Have switched to some lighter reading for the last few months just to get through the holiday season...

Due to the icy weather predicted to arrive last night, I went for a long walk prior to the game. Hustled home when I saw it was starting; spouse was watching when I returned and I ask the score. 7-0 GB and I was a little surprised but not a big deal. He's watching and I'm going around doing tasks, pre-supper prep etc and whenever he yells out, 'they scored,' was more and more like what the hell because it was (almost) always the Packers. The same Packers that I had assumed were underdogs. So I trot in to watch circa 2nd quarter. The folks that were talking about the defensive 'cushion'? Yeah, that seemed accurate and the weird thing was it had the effect/appearance that Dallas hadn't game planned anything. NGL, I was rooting for GB, after living up north for many years, we liked them--or more accurately, we disliked Jones and the way he micro-managed to the point of missing the big picture of team ownership (emphasis on team). Green Bay may go no further after this game, but they had in a way, less to lose, but they played like a team that was invested in winning, in proving something by winning. That seems more important than being invested in an image and proving something by trying to protect that image. (my amateur p.o.v. on Jones' method).

Mandatory Clip in any northern volcano thread:

Tried out a few new recipes last night; fortunately no ill effects and used up some odds and ends in various specialty liquours. Safe travels!

I like the hole that you've dug, it's very nice. I would like to point out that had you gone with a wider shallower hole you could've had a nice ice skating rink this weekend.

Are you referring to Indoor or Outdoor? I'm not sure how fleshed out the rest of their squad is, but Texas Tech has some flyers on their men's team. Def give the nod to Texas in the field events except maybe vault? Still a little early to figure it all out, IMO but I wish all the athletes good meets and no injuries. Some of the best squads in the nation in this state.

Believe it or not, Indiana can get pretty fuckin hot in August. It's not Texas/Arizona hot but still quite toasty on certain days. Oh I know, and fewer of the older homes have central AC. But this game is at Kyle Field and in August that place will be like a steamy fryer.

Their first game (Notre Dame) is going to loom large in August. It's a home game and that helps them because that stadium is going to be hot even if they played at ten o'clock at night but Notre Dame has aspirations on going better than this season (10-3) and probably has a better shot at realizing them than A&M. That's even with the cream puff schedule the Ag has (excepting one or two games, UT being one of them).

I'll give them an "A" for punctuation but an "F" apiece in plumbing tech. ed. and physics because that lame ass plunger cannot take care of that load.

@cactusflinthead --our red oak has finally lost the last of its leaves, most of which I raked up and either gave to a neighbor who has a shredder or tossed in my own garden. However, I usually mulch mow in the last of the batch to give the lawn a little tidy clip and deposit some nutrients. The final drop got a little late this year though until that wind hit. Too late? It's supposed to grow warmer mid week and I will put it on my list unless you think it gives the weeds more sun to germinate (because herbicide never gets em all). Thanks and bless.

Crossing fingers that you get your electricity back. That's pretty cold.