Thursday

Winter is here. The snow from Sunday has pretty well stuck around, and we got an additional 2-3 inches on Wednesday. Now, a cold front has come in and we're looking at single digits tonight.

This guy is complaining about missing the memo to head South. On my front tree with the new Canon.

My really nice-guy next-door neighbor was diagnosed with a bulging disk in his back last week. Bummer. He's been considering retirement, and I actually met with him last month to help him and his wife with some of the pension numbers. And he's a guy who is always outside, working in the yard, doing a project in the garage, or tweaking something on his truck. It looks like he's going to be on the shelf for a while, so I (gladly) become his sidewalk and driveway snow clearer. I need to fire up the blower. The shovel is OK, but we're talking several linear feet now.

I supplemented somebody's bottom line today as I signed up for an additional $12/month sports package with DirectTV. For some reason, DTV's normal expanded package of channels included ESPN, ESPN News, ESPN Classic, and ESPN 2, but not ESPN U. And the last couple of Iowa games had been on ESPN U. Of course. Add to it the fact that the expanded normal package also did not include the other Comcast regional sports channels, other than Chicago, and I figure that my marginal cost was worth it.

Since the marginal cost of adding me to the user list was the sunken cost of some computer program time (I signed up online), DTV has a marginal benefit of $12 per month less the contract fees to the various channels (which are zero-cost marginal benefits to those folks as well). Everybody wins incrementally (provided I watch, and feel good about, a game or two each month).

My general marginal costs were also increased today by a Winter season subscription to the local Gold's Gym. I figured I needed a destination (other than my basement) to keep up a fitness regimen over the next four months. I sweet-talked the clerk to piggy-back 2 on to my membership with no entry fee and with a fee of only $20 per month. The combined charges were very reasonable (especially considering 1.1's one-day fee over Thanksgiving). So we're both in there until April.

Here's a little shout out to 1 as Daughter of the Day. This pic was taken last Saturday when she and 1.1 left for their return to the TC. She's got a plate-full going these days with teaching full time, assistant varsity girls b-ball coach, marathon training, wife and Lucy-watcher. The hours get pretty well consumed, and that's when everything goes right. You're the best, Kiddo!

And just for yuks, here's a view of 1.001 getting ready to head North. Is this the first "pet" to make it on 4000 Days?

3 reports that the landlord is sending in the exterminators. There's film out there recording the last visit of the creatures. In case anyone is interested.

Have a great day.

BCOT