So I'm still cuddled up with my little siamese cat in bed, trying to decide whether I should brave the cold air, when Mr. Downeastdoingstuff bounces in and announces that we should go out to breakfast. Normally not such a big deal Today…..well….
"What's the temperature out?", I inquire. "Minus 17", he says. So off we go to the Cracker Barrel. By the time we got ready, it was much better anyway. See?
It's amazing what one gets used to. The sun was out.
It's 9:10 a.m. It's up to -1 degree. And still snowing a bit. It should all be over with very soon….or so the local weather person claims. Wind chills….well….see for yourself.
OK, so I lied about the -1 degree. It's actually zero now. (Note the "feels like -21ยบ…") Here are a couple of my fav birds roosting outside my kitchen window. Mourning doves. Love 'em.
They have a really hard time feeding off the bird feeders, so they ground feed under the bird feeders, but with the snow it was so hard for them. Mr. Downeastdoingstuff (aka Birdman) went out and put a tray of seeds on the ground, but the snow did quick work of it.
Window in family room. That red sliver is our garage.
Door was shut all night. This is how much snow the wind drove through the crack into our entrance hall. Help.
Snowing out, going to get worse tonight. No school and I'll be surprised if there's school tomorrow. This is tacked on to a week and a half of Christmas break, aka Winter break.
It was 1 degree this morning creating this Mondrian artwork on my kitchen window.
Winter's very pretty. :-p Update: It's 5:30 pm and it's -3. Blizzard outside. Gonna last all night. A teacher in my school was collecting money to fight Global warming and they were doing a dip into the ocean yesterday. Case closed.
So today Mr. Downeastdoingstuff, aka Birdman, announces he wants to make some Mojitos. Mojitos??
"Do you know how to make one?", I ask.
"No", he replies.
"Well, I know you have muddle some mint leaves in the bottom of a glass first.", I inform him.
"???"
":-/"
"Muddle?"
(blink...blink)
"Let's just not use mint leaves!", he declares
"No, I'm pretty sure that's an integral part of the recipe.", I say.
So, off I go to my best friend......Google.
Come to find out we need to make something called 'simple syrup'. It's a good thing that this idea of Birdman's came just after breakfast because to make simple syrup you have to make it hot and then let it cool before you actually use it.
I found a recipe and emailed it to Birdman's computer. He's the drink maker around here.
Late afternoon I went to Hannaford's and got the ingredients.
(I picked up 3 Lobsters, too...just in case.)
Here we go:
Rum, simple syrup, mint leaves, lime and club soda.
Muddle the leaves first.
"???"
Next step? You Tube.
(we'd be in big trouble without the computer)
Important fact learned. Do NOT muddle it too much. Be gentle. Key to a great Mojito.
Easy on the muddling.
Twenty minutes later, 2 great Mojitos. Here's one. (I photographed Birdman's Mojito because mine was half gone already at this point.) ;-/
:-)
:-) :-) :-) :-p
Drinking the Mojito, Birdman is playing with his i-phone.
Next thing I know he tells me that he's looking at the weather radar map. We are having a few storms coming through the area, as you can see....
Then he tells me that he decided to scroll to the right to see if he can get to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean on his i-phone.
I'm, like, whatever.
This is what he finds....
(apparently the Atlantic Ocean...)
After more scrolling, more apparent Atlantic Ocean. And then....and THEN...here's what he finds!
It's really there! Great Britain.
Chance of a few showers and no Mojitos in sight.
But then again, it's not cocktail hour there anymore.
....or maybe it's just beginning.....
As Jimmy Buffet says, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere."
Cheers.
the recipe:
Bacardi Mojito
Ingredients
12 fresh spearmint leaves
1/2 lime
2 tablespoons simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves, cooled) or 4 teaspoons sugar
In a tall glass, muddle or mash together the mint leaves and lime. Add the simple syrup or sugar and fill the glass with ice. Add the rum and top with club soda, stir well.Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint.
I complain when it's cold.....and now I'm complaining because it's too dang HOT!
Is there anything wrong with wanting everything just to be PERFECT all the time???? Huh????
I was thinking about putting on my bathing suit to keep cool. This I can do, 'cause I'm inside my own house and do not have to gross anyone out....other than Birdman.
I feel good about saving the world from embarrassment.
These folks however, apparently don't care about that....
hmmmm, I look pretty darn good.......well......comparatively.
Enjoy the heat!
p.s. We have NO air conditioner.
UPDATE: This is the thermometer at around 4:30 pm. (I know it's in the sun.) The crazy thing is that the thermometer doesn't go any higher, so who knows what it really was.
Not much happening around here, so in order to come up with a new post, I had to do some scrounging. I don't want my 3 fans to think I've succumbed to an untimely end.
1st scrounge:
Baby Downeastdoingstuff and I met on Fort Hill to see the Super Moon come up. I read that some predicted doom and gloom as a result of this celestial event, but all was well.
It was supposed to be 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger. I think it was only 13 percent larger.
Yesterday morning I drove to work behind this truck for about 10 miles. I tried to avert my eyes from.....well.....you know, but I couldn't. Pervert.
Finally, this was the view THIS MORNING. Hey, it's spring!!! What the heck? That's it. Pathetic, huh? I need more material......
We battened down all the hatches, bought batteries, got gas for the generator, brought in all the cushions from the deck furniture and ate all the sweets in the freezer just in case....
All night long..........it just rained. I don't think a gust of wind appeared unless a car drove by.
But the Princess and the Pea made her appearance on the deck cushions.
During those 45 minutes that we were seeking shelter in our basement during a tornado warning, I was thinking about what I should have grabbed before the tornado rips my house apart akimbo.
Mr. Downeastdoing stuff already did this self evaluation and his determination was: beer.
I, myself, gave this more thought than that.
Many people say family photos. Yeah, maybe, but I can see with my 89 year old parents that they are trying to foist their collection of family photos onto me and I really don't want them. Oh yeah, I took a few so that I would remember that even I, was once a baby and I did graduate Junior High, High School and College in an actual cap and gown. But other than that, I didn't really take any other 'black and white' and faded color snap shots.
So who is going to want the 8 organized in chronological order albums I made? Not my child who doesn't want anything that isn't on his i-phone.
So family photos....maybe.
Let's see...here is my top ten list of what should be grabbed just before your life is going to be torn apart...
10. Family photos...maybe.
9. Family documents....I guess....although they can all be replaced....for a fee, I'm sure.
8. Recipes....especially old, favorite ones and the Slovak family ones (that's what I am). I should type those onto my laptop, now that I think about it. Yeah, good idea.(That's why I keep this blog, makes me think about these things...)
7. Hairdryer and round brushes....I know, I know, I can replace these, but I would need them the very minute the tornado is over and Mr. Downeastdoingstuff starts up the generator. (I have major hair issues and I would think the humidity would be high after a tornado is over, what with all the ripped up water pipes and stuff.)
6. Jewelry.....not that I have anything all that great, but I've already been through having my house robbed and ALL my jewelry taken at one time and then having to replace it. (NOTE: My advice to anyone that wears jewelry. DO NOT, I say, DO NOT keep all your jewelry in one spot, ie. a jewelry box. All the burglar has to do is to grab it in one fell swoop and it's gone.) Rather keep your jewelry all over the house or in boxes that say Rat Poison.
5. A coffee yogurt and a Diet Pepsi. You probably will be hungry right after surveying the damage and digging around for your family photos. Don't forget a spoon.
4. My purse. I might need my credit cards and car keys, assuming the car is not in a tree somewhere. Lip gloss and sunglasses, too.
3. My paintings.....although this is too daunting a task, it would be nice to have.
3a. My Laptop and charger. (use with generator) 'nuf said.
2. My Cats.....Little Molly and Sophie. Can't live without them, cause they're purrrrfect.
1. My retainer. OK. Yeah. My retainer.
Being an adult orthodontic patient, insurance didn't cover any of the million dollars it cost me. Everynight I have to wear a clear plastic retainer for the rest of my life if I don't want to revisit the Orthodontist. And I am fully aware that every night when I put it on, it is tight and is loose by morning. So my teeth shift even during the course of the day.
JUST IMAGINE sifting through tons of debris that used to be our house after a category Fujita scale-5 tornado looking for a clear, plastic retainer. Ain't gonna happen. And it takes weeks to get a new one made. So, that is the number one thing I should have grabbed.
(Well, it's tied at number one with the cats, truth be told.)
Hey, I live in Maine. We're not supposed to get tornado warnings. Are we?
It started out a gorgeous, warm summer day. Weather forecasts were predicting severe thunderstorms in the afternoon, but we've heard that before.
Not a cloud in the sky.
By late afternoon the weatherman had hi-jacked all 3 Portland stations. They were showing non-stop radar maps of the rapidly changing weather situation.
"See this hook? Sure sign of rotation. Wait...yes....our doppler radar indicates two rotations (code word for tornado) right there and there.", says the meteorologist as excited as I've ever heard him while using a pointer aiming right at where we live !
"You're sh!ting, me!" I proclaim.
"I must stress", says the weather guy, "this is a serious situation. A warning is much worst than a watch. You must take precautions right now."
Promptly a graphic comes up withdirections for what to do.
1.Go down the cellar if you have one. If not, go to they furthest place in the house away from windows. Do not open any windows.
2. Cover your head and neck with pillows or mattresses. Try to go under a sturdy workbench or table.(Workbench...ha...ours doesn't get any work done on it....plus it's out in the garage, But that's another story.)
3. If you are outside, do not attempt to outdrive a tornado. Get out of the car and lay in a ditch.
(I have issues with this one, but nevertheless.....)
In a controlled panic I ask Hubby....."how do we know when to go down the cellar?"
A confused look is all I get. My interpretation of the look is, "I'm not going down the *&%$# cellar!"
Five minutes later we are down the damp, unfinished 200 year old *&%$# cellar with every pillow I could find, 3 flashlights, 2 cats and a portable radio that emitted static.
It was way to creepy for me. Scrunched up on one of the pillows, I was just waiting for the sound of a freight train. Thank God, it never came.
But it did come elsewhere.......
Despite the tree damage, there appears to be little structural damage. We lucked out....this time.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service confirmed that 3 tornados touched down in Maine that day. The above pictures show the damage from one of them.
Sequestered inside, forced to drink tea and listen to Christmas music and the crackle of the fire in the woodstove. Making a list and checking it twice.
Admiring my 10 year old french fry from DiMillos restaurant relegated to be an ornament.
Mr. Downeastdoingstuff thinks it's stupid.
It's my favorite decoration on the tree.
I had to glue Joseph's head back on today. Mary and the baby were glad to see this after living with headless Joe for 4 days.
OK, OK. enough is enough. I HAVE to garden. I can't wait around for a month in June and July NOT to garden !!
Oh, yeah, It's raining. Rained all day yesterday, too. The only 2 days it didn't rain, at least not all day, we weren't here! (not that I'm complaining about THAT !)
So here I am, gardening, in the rain, come heck or high water.
(Witness Protection Program blurry face...)
AND I am wearing a FLEECE top under that raincoat !
Supposed to be nice tomorrow ! (I'll believe it when I see it.)
Ever hear that saying, it goes something like this...."April showers, bring May showers,which bring June showers..." Isn't that how it goes? If it isn't, it should be re-written.
Even my cats won't go out today in fear of coming back in and looking like this:
So, on this rainy and very windy, cool day, this is what I suggest one does.
Or perhaps this:
Some canines would probably pop open a cold one:
Although all that snacking and drinking might lead to this....
If you HAVE to go out into the rain, this is rather a clever thing to use.
These are kinda cute, but I don't know how you keep the rain out of your FACE!!
and believe it or not, some folks don't know how to use a regular umbrella correctly.
Actually, THIS is the umbrella that I want to be using...ASAP !!
All images and text on this blog, Downeast Doing Stuff, are original unless noted otherwise. Please do not copy, use or distribute without my written consent. All rights reserved 2009.
Good grief.
The crazy thing is that the thermometer doesn't go any higher, so who knows what it really was.
That's it. Pathetic, huh? I need more material......
Can't be too careful....
Good bye Hurricane Earl.
Despite the tree damage, there appears to be little structural damage. We lucked out....this time.
My beautiful forsythia blooms.....;-(
Keep your heads up little tulip and iris sprouts, it'll get better.
It was bound to happen. The first snow day. 
Sequestered inside, forced to drink tea and listen to Christmas music and the crackle of the fire in the woodstove. Making a list and checking it twice.
Admiring my 10 year old french fry from DiMillos restaurant relegated to be an ornament.
AND I am wearing a FLEECE top under that raincoat !
Bring raingear.
Well, not really sunbathing, BUT I have been out and enjoying that bright yellow thing up in the sky. It's warm and bright, just the way I like it.
Or perhaps this:
Thank you very much.
