Good early morning GH. We have just cruised past 12:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 34° as we head down to our high of 22°. Tuesday promises to be colder still, with a high of only 13°. Each day also shows a chance of one inch of additional snow. We actually have piles on the piles all around town. The long time locals are even being surprised by the amount of snow we have received and continue to receive.

Out west, they are in a serious drought. It was in the mid-sixties in Denver for the NFL football game. California is seeing restaurants going to paper plates to save on the required amount of water for sanitary dish-washing. Unfortunately, that means that the landfills will be overflowing. Many sources have been given for the phrase, TANSTAAFL, which translates to "There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch." Fiorello La Guardia, one time mayor of New York City is said to have used a variant in the 1930s. Robert Heinlein in his novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress used the phrase as shown, and there are others.

In any case, the chickens are coming home to roost. (Have I used enough colloquialisms now?) Snow pack in the mountains above California is nearly non-existent, causing some water reservoirs to have less than 100 days or less of supply. Is it necessary to have off-season vegetables at all times of the year that come from California? Not if it means that the people have to go without drinking water. Is the drought due to some unknown cause? I don't know, but something has to change, and something has already changed. Droughts are becoming all to common, while greater than normal snowfall in the Midwest continues to occur. Many other examples can be found. Oh well, I have been on my soapbox long enough.

In local news, many of the downtown restaurants were crowded on a Sunday that saw temperatures in the mid-thirties. As I noted earlier, that will change by today when our high struggles to get to the lower twenties. I managed to get in two sets of homework exercises yesterday too.

I am still having trouble with one that requires me to use a dowel rod to push my right arm to a 90° angle by using my left arm. I guess that I just have to keep working on it. I didn't play my guitar yesterday, as I couldn't get my arm over the top. That too will require more work.

I did manage to get all the laundry washed on Sunday. I still have to fold the towels and things, and that will occupy part of my morning. I got the winter squash baked and stored yesterday. That freed up a laundry basket in the mud room for the dirty downstairs laundry like cloth table napkins and utility towels. Mary hopes that she can find an attractive basket on one of our summer forays into the antique stores. At any rate, the basket is available until we fill it with squash next fall. I got in a little one-armed dusting and cleaning too. Those activities will take a bit longer with one hand, but I will get them done.

No trains this morning, at least so far. Since I usually hear one by now, it looks like they will wait until later tonight. Sunrise will occur at 8:10 AM and sunset at 5:42 PM. The days are getting longer and the pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in a couple of weeks. Once again, the Tigers will be expectant. My beloved Red Sox hope to be contenders once again too, in spite of a series of defections by free agents. And the boys in blue promise that they will be competitive, just wait until next year. Plus, the White Caps, known here as The Caps, hope to have their recently damaged ballpark ready by spring. This year, Mary and I will get there for sure.

We also hope to make a Tiger's game or two. They are across the state in Detroit, so we have to plan accordingly. It has been several years since I have been to an American League ballpark, so I am looking forward to that. I can already taste the hot dogs and chili.

More bed time awaits as does...Teat time. Ciao.