More Snow, Less Wind, and a Long Weekend

More snow, less wind, than last night. November 23, 2012.

It sounded like winter last night, with wind rushing a little snow around the house. I stayed up later than I might have, since weather reports kept adding 'one more thing' to the forecast: but kept insisting that the excitement would be over at 6:00 this morning. As it turns out, they were right.

Staying inside makes sense in that sort of weather, but for some folks staying put isn't an option.

"Warm weather gives way to snowy, cold Thanksgiving"
Ryan Johnson, INFORUM (November 22, 2012, 9:26 p.m.)

"The unseasonably warm weather of recent days came to an abrupt end Thanksgiving afternoon...

"...Meteorologist Brad Hopkins said Fargo started its Thanksgiving at about 39 degrees, but the temperature dropped to about 20 by the evening as strong winds and 1 to 2 inches of snow swept across most of the Red River Valley and parts of Minnesota.

"...Pembina County in northeastern North Dakota issued a no-travel advisory at 6 p.m. because of black ice and poor conditions.

"Gusts of more than 30 mph also reduced visibility and contributed to accidents along Interstate 94 near Fergus Falls, Minn...."

Now I'm going to get back to having a relaxed Thanksgiving Day weekend.

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Thanksgiving, 2012: Macy's Parade; Wind Advisory; Relaxing"
  (November 22, 2012)
• "Thanksgiving Day, 2012: Desperate Times..."
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (November 22, 2012)
• "Christmas, 2011"
  (December 25, 2011)
• "Wintry Weather and a Balky Furnace"
  (October 27, 2010)
• "October's Dull Gray Weather; Winter Preparations; and a Fine Son"
  (October 20, 2009)

Dense Fog

I drove up to Hillsboro, North Dakota, today: and back. My wife and I had to take care of some business up there, involving the Spiral Light Candle company. That's what my son-in-law and #2 daughter have been working at developing for about a year now.

I'd hoped that the patchy fog we'd driven through on the way up would be gone this evening. Instead, starting between Fargo and Fergus Falls, we met light fog, medium fog, and downright emphatic fog.

It is not a good sign, when driving on an Interstate at night, when the lights of the semi in front of you disappear. Along, apparently, with the edge of the road.

I was very glad to be home, under our own roof, where I learned that there's a Dense Fog Advisory on until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. Thankfully, I probably won't have to go out in it.

Now, an unabashed bit of self-promotion:

• Spiral Light Candle Corporation
  • Website, spirallightcandle.com
  • Spiral Light Candle Corp. Storefront
    (Our presence on Amazon.com)
• From another one of my blogs:
  • " 'Confidence' and a T-Shirt"
    Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (January 19, 2012)
  • "Spiral Light Candle Factory Construction: More Photos"
    Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (January 18, 2012)
  • "Factory Construction on Schedule; National Sales Manager Hired"
    Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (January 4, 2012)
  • "Candles: Analysis, News, and Very Odd Questions"
    Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (December 3, 2011)

A Month in Fast-Forward

Repeating a point from Tuesday's post, this month has felt like it's been in fast forward. It isn't that I've been busy. At least, I don't seem to have gotten much done. It's like my mind's been doing laps 'round the gym.

It can't be mental exercise, though, or I'd have been a little smarter. Case in point: over the weekend, My son and I went out for some groceries. That's when I realized that I didn't have my car keys in my pocket. Or, in any other reasonable place. Or in a few unreasonable places, for that matter.

We got the groceries, using spare keys, but I still wanted to find my set. I even considered the possibility that I might have chucked them in the trash, while dealing with some stuff we really did want to throw out.

Sound familiar? It should. I'd gone through about the same thing with an appointment book last week ("Friday: Where'd Wednesday and Thursday Go?" (July 11, 2008)).

That night, walking through what I'd done after the last time I remembered using the keys, I came to my computer desk.

I'm learning: Instead of telling myself how I couldn't have, I checked in one of the drawers. There were the keys. Right where I'd put them.

I don't generally do that sort of thing.

There's a pretty good explanation. We've been sorting through a household-full of stuff that's been taken down from the Red River Valley. Besides what I can see and touch, there are a lot of memories there.

I'm down to about four piles of books to go through - for now - so that's pretty much taken care of.

My father's doing about the same, although I've gotten a phone call from someone he's been dealing with, asking me to please get the power of attorney paperwork to them. They're right, of course: but it's another reminder that my father is getting rather close to the end of his life.

Not the happiest thought in the world.

Where was I?

Right. July in fast-forward.

Whether all this explains why I've been feeling like one of those wind-up toys that whiz around in circles until they run into something, or not, is anyone's guess.

My mind's done another lap around the gym, and I'll be repeating myself soon.

Time to stop.

Friday: Where'd Wednesday and Thursday Go?

That whizzing sound I heard must have been this week going by.

I spent more time than I liked, Wednesday morning, finding out that a Microsoft Windows update and my firewall software hadn't gotten along very well, with the result that none of my browsers could reach the internet. (More about that at "ZoneAlarm Microsoft Update Cuts Internet Access" Apathetic Lemming of the North (July 9, 2008)) and "Microsoft Update and Zone Alarm: a Tribute to Tech Support" Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (July 11, 2008).)

The rest of Wednesday is something of a blur. I know that the household went through its usual routines - including an evening reading of Garfield - but I can't pull out specific details.

Thursday is a bit better, in terms of memory. I got that filling replaced - the one that popped out last week. The process didn't take very long, and was much less uncomfortable than it could have been. Mostly because the dentist didn't use Novocain.

We discovered, several years ago, that most of the discomfort I've associated with dental work came from side effects of that local anesthetic. I'll want it, if I ever have 'deep' work done, but not for something like this.

That process done, I went home, got some work done and discovered that I'd misplaced my appointment book and a notepad that I use. Enlisting my family's help, we didn't find them.

My son asked me, 'could they be by your bed?' I assured him that this was quite impossible. I hadn't been upstairs after the dental work that day. I would have remembered something like that.

Time passed. I had looked in all the sensible places, and some of the not-so-sensible ones. By this time it was too late to call, but I figured that I'd probably left them at the dentist's, that exercise place, or the gas station.

I started to jot that memorandum down in the appointment book - but that was what I'd lost.

Then, a thought struck me. My son had almost quoted advice I give him, when he's looking for something - look everywhere, even places where you know the thing isn't.

And, I'd almost quoted him, refuting the suggestion.

When my son repeats my advice, maybe I should follow it.

I went upstairs.

The appointment book and notepad weren't by the bed.

They were on the bookcase near the bed.

In plain sight.

I took them downstairs. My son was outside at the time, but as soon as he came it, I showed him the two items. And told him where I'd found them. He wasn't surprised at all.

My wife and #3 daughter decided to conserve their strength, so they stayed home from Soo Bahk Do Thursday night. That left me with the opportunity of taking my son, and sitting out a class. He's learned quite a bit, since the last time I saw him in class. And, I had a chance to see some of the dons (teachers) run through part of a cane form that they'd seen.

Soo Bahk Do class in Sauk Centre

One of my hopes is that I'll get exercised and flexible enough again, so that I can start picking up where I left off in Soo Bahk Do. Realistically, picking up somewhat behind where I left off.

Once again, my son and I read Garfield.

Around midnight, I wondered why I was awake, and why someone was doing arc welding outside. As more of my brain came online, I realized that the blueish-white light was lightning, and that what had registered as heavy machinery was thunder.

That got me awake. Computers off and unplugged, I stayed up a few minutes to watch the show. Also, since there was a severe weather alert, to make sure that the storm went by without causing any trouble.

That done, I got back to sleep.

Which brings me to today.

I've resolved the Microsoft update and firewall issue, found out how to contact someone for my former employer (I still do the occasional job for them), and had a conversation with one of the technicians who's been working on my son's computer. We should be able to pick it up next week. My son asked if he could tag along (his phrase) when I get it - which I think is a fine idea.

My wife and #3 daughter, and my son, went out for groceries this morning: and showed his remote-control mover to the Sauk Centre grandpa. Once home, the two ladies got final preparations for the trip to the Red River Valley done.

Around 2:30 or 3:00, one of my sister-in-laws and her daughter showed up, talked a bit, and took off with my wife and #3 daughter.

That left me and my son in charge of the house.

So far, about five hours and one meal later, we haven't done any real damage. In fact, things are going rather well. We hope to see the ladies again, sometime Sunday.

Sunday: Rest, Grilling, Long Distance Calls, and the Triple-A

#1 daughter managed to see part of the zoo in Washington, DC, before she left. She hadn't planned on it: she stumbled on it while being lost.

I'm going to be glad when, by the grace of God and an over-worked guardian angel, she gets back to Minnesota. I think she's had a good trip, but it's taken quite a bit out of me. And my wife. #1 daughter tells me that she'd like to get back to Washington some day, and see more of the city.

A little after I'd have expected #1 daughter to be on the bus and headed home, the phone rang. I was in the living room, my wife took the call in the kitchen. I heard her say, "how did you do that?!" Then, "are you all right?"

That got my attention.

I figured that #1 daughter had missed the bus (best-case scenario), run afoul of one of our nation's capital's more colorful residents (not-so-good-case scenario), or - I've got a pretty good imagination, so there was a sort of traffic jam in my mind at that point.

The call was from #2 daughter. She'd managed to drive her car of Interstate 29, a few miles south of where my father lives. She was 'way past being peeved with herself.

Good news: She was in good shape, and had a cell phone.

Bad news: The cell phone was low on charge. At that point, #3 daughter was peeved with #2 daughter, too. #3 apparently has been extolling the virtue and prudence of keeping cell phones fully charged.

It's an interesting age we live in: a young woman is stuck in snow in the Red River Valley of the North. The people best positioned to help her are about 150 miles away.

My wife had decided, some months back, that with #2 daughter and other members of the family spread out so much, and on the road so often, that signing up with Triple-A made sense. I wasn't so sure at the time. Now, I'm glad she set that up.

As it turns out, a trucker came along and pulled #2 daughter out before the AAA-sponsored wrecker got to her.

Aside from that, it's been a nice, quiet day. I grilled lunch, but over-did the burgers a little. Walking that fine line between done-right and faux-hockey-puck is surprisingly challenging.

I said that I'd try to get some photos ready. Here they are:

Our son's Valentine's Day card bucket, and delivery system. No simple box for that lad.

A few inches of snow shoveled away, and I was ready to grill. That's the track of the Amazing Appearing Rabbit, just off the corner of the grill.

Track of the Amazing Appearing (or Disappearing) Rabbit. Being a little less dramatic, but more realistic, I suppose a rabbit heading south stopped, and did a fast 180 to head north again.

Sunday: Photos

I took some photos while traveling. Here are three of them:

Mid-morning shadows in the Red River Valley of the north.

This little girl was praying this afternoon at St. Mary's Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota.

I was back in Minnesota by the time the sun started setting. I took this north and west of Fergus Falls.