We all awakened to another morning with a good helping of snow on the ground, and like most, it ends up being the first thing that must be attended to before all else. With that said, a good half of my morning was spent shoveling, and thank goodness it was a day off for many, where the foot traffic was light which made for easier snow removal. When I stepped back and had a good look at my office’s front sidewalks, I’d say they were the cleanest in the Downtown, but it didn’t take long for those pedestrians to create cat tracks from the snow they were dragging from the un-shoveled sidewalks on either side of me. Oh well, it was a sight to behold while it lasted.
It was about the slowest day in real estate I’ve had in months, and likely because of it being the day after Christmas which was part of this year’s three day holiday, so with all the free time I had, I continued on with my end-of-the-year job of clearing out old files and arranging for new file drawers to be used for the coming year. I also spent time getting my journal pages prepared for my daunting job of getting my 2022 tax information sorted out so I can more easily make all those year-end journal entries. Of course I also must have a large work area prepared, just so I can spread everything out, and the workhorse for that is my twelve-foot long thrasher’s table I have in my conference room. I’m so glad I hung onto it because its size is just what I’ve needed over the years, but didn’t have a room large enough for it until I moved to our new location.
Having run out of garbage bags, I stopped over to Fareway to get another box and while there, I ran into one of my chums who was busy looking for bargains in the meat section. I swear he’s one of the most smiling individuals I’ve ever met, and since I knew he grew up on an old-fashioned farm where there was more hand and leg work than machine work, I couldn’t help mentioning how this last blizzard reminded me of those bitter winter days and nights whenever out taking care of the animals. He did mention having been stranded at a relative’s farmhouse during one of those wicked nights last week, but instead of complaining about it, he went on to say how much of an unexpected experience it was. I think the world should start taking lessons from him in regards to the way in which they react to stumbling blocks in their lives. He’s done well for himself, and I’m sure it’s because of the work ethic he developed during those formative years on the farm. In spite of being in his 50’s, he still has the frame of a 25 year old, and likely because he doesn’t allow any grass to grow under his feet.
In between working on my year-end stuff, I went back to my piano and ran thru all the hymns I was given for this coming Sunday’s Service over at St. Paul Lutheran. The recent extreme cold days and nights must’ve affected its soundboard, because the moment I started playing, I cold tell it was a little off. I hope it falls back into relative pitch, and if it doesn’t, I’ll have to call a tuner when Spring arrives because it more sooner than later, becomes very annoying. Just think of some you’ve had to listen to who sings noticeably off pitch.
When now speaking about being off pitch, I was reminded of the time a “reli” of mine once demanding I listen to her sing, and in spite of telling me she’d been taking vocal music lessons for months on end, I couldn’t help wondering why her instructor didn’t have the nerve to tell her she was singing off pitch. To me, it sounded more like something you’d hear while watching one of the main characters of that British sitcom “Keeping Up Appearances”, who always insisted she was a star vocalist. Who could ever forget Hyacinth Bucket, bellering like a cow in heat whenever she had the opportunity? Too funny.
We’ve been getting some serious interest in my listing at 304 N. Fairview in Manly, so hopefully we’ll get something going on it. I knew there’d be a buyer coming around who’d recognize quality of construction, as well as its prime west-side location. Not only do I find the floor plan a classic, but that monster near double-deep garage is enough to make anyone want to salivate over the extra work area and storage it offers. To build that garage today, it would cost a good $50 – $60K. Yes, and that’s due to the rising costs of materials and labor in these times.
Not long ago, someone mentioned something about one of their relatives taking dog de-wormer pills as an alternative to chemotherapy. When I heard that, I just about lost it because anyone in their right mind would know that de-worming drugs are completely out of the ballpark. Unless I’ve been living under a basket, there’s got to be no sense to it at all. I’m sure somebody watched a video or read something on the internet about it, and decided it was worth a try.
Speaking of the internet, I just read today where the Russian State television was singing high praises over that crazy Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz refusing to stand, or applause during Zelinsky’s speech in Congress last week, and of course Tucker Carlson made Russian TV stardom by taking swipes at the way in which Zelinsky was dressed, while also making fun of our members of Congress by saying they looked like a bunch of clapping seals.
Now, when you stand back far enough and look at this, and then imagine if the tables were turned where they were Russian citizens and freely taking prime-time swipes at members of the Duma. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that all three of them would either be given life sentences in far-northerly Siberian prisons, or suddenly drop dead from what they’d just eaten, or possibly somehow having thrown themselves out of rooms five stories above. I understand we live in a democracy, but when people like those three use it to promote themselves and undermine others, that’s a gray area for me.
Tonight’s One-liner is: Modesty is the color of virtue.
