What are you doing today?

Enjoying coffee out of my Spode Christmas Tree pattern mug and looking out at a sullen, grey sky and sullen, brownish lake after a lot of rain and an abrupt drop in temperature during the night. Once in a while an errant snowflake will drift idly past, but thankfully we are not due to receive any accumulation. While I was preparing the coffee I fortunately did remember to get the shrimp out of the freezer so it can be thawing in readiness for my enjoyment later. I also honored the day by having my OJ out of a Waterford tumbler.

After I'm more awake, I'll send out a a few texts and emails, then later in the day will make a few phone calls as well, and probably will receive a couple, too. It is quiet around the neighborhood today so far; some people have indeed traveled anyway, while others may be with family or friends locally. I am just as happy to be here at home, nice and cozy and warm, and I'll putter around this afternoon, do something with the camera and relax.
 
Half a chicken breast each. Not sure what they weigh each, but we share it between us. Not really roasted either as the oil would cause Mrs AFB issues. So just a skinless chicken breast. A bit of salt and pepper.

Hell I might become a little selfish in that situation and split the chicken piece before cooking!
 
Mrs AFB always dishes up and probably splits the food 55/45 in my favour. But all helps with the weight loss. I was 12.2 last week. See where we are on Sunday.
 
Mrs AFB always dishes up and probably splits the food 55/45 in my favour. But all helps with the weight loss. I was 12.2 last week. See where we are on Sunday.

Ah, now see I have to be my own minder on that score and try to pretend I must serve at least two other people from whatever I've just prepared if I had set about cooking while hungry. 😋

The only way I manage not to put on the pounds is tell myself there's never going to be another opportunity to cook a meal so best set aside --right now!!-- the leftovers-to-be, and only then set about plating up what's for dinner.

"Sometimes that works..." but then again sometimes I'm gloriously incorrigible. Price paid later in more dance workouts.
 
Today started with a wake up at 4am from my 7 year old daughter asking if it was Christmas yet?! We managed to encourage her back to bed and then with much wondering around the landing at 6am she managed to wake my 4 year old daughter up and the over excited screaming and fast talking began during present opening. A day of tidying up toys and bagging up the waste plastic, wrapping paper and cardboard has been my day. Managed to squeeze in some Christmas dinner and now sipping gin and tonics while the kids are exhausted in bed. It’ll all start again tomorrow [emoji30].

Hopefully a nice walk in the morning and hoping the weather is as dry and as crisp as it has been today.
 
Been sending and receiving Christmas messages with my family. I visited my mom briefly to take her some ham—which unfortunately was a disappointment. Someone told my wife “You just have to try the ham from Aldi.” Meh. My wife’s ham is renown—but not this one.

My daughter sent me a photo of my 8 year old grandson at a local store’s Christmas shop. It’s a tradition to pick out an ornament that represents the year. He chose one that is a Rubik’s cube. Asked why, he said, “Because this year was hard.”

Kid’s got a talent for metaphors, that’s for sure.
 
Managed to get by with a mere 8.5 hours of sleep last night. Down from the 12. I've been getting. (See my journal "on becoming a cat.") It's cold. Think I'll take a nap when I finish my coffee.
 
Managed to get by with a mere 8.5 hours of sleep last night. Down from the 12. I've been getting. (See my journal "on becoming a cat.") It's cold. Think I'll take a nap when I finish my coffee.
Wow. If I get 3-4 unbroken it’s rare.
 
Managed to get by with a mere 8.5 hours of sleep last night. Down from the 12. I've been getting. (See my journal "on becoming a cat.") It's cold. Think I'll take a nap when I finish my coffee.

This time of year, twelve hours sleep sounds about right. And necessary.
 
I've been spending all day trying to figure out why I haven't noticed a single eyebrow hair that's grown to over an inch long until now.
 
Also, I found this picture of me when I was a kid. It's seasonally appropriate too!

File00150.jpg
 
A busier day than I'd anticipated when I first arose today..... My plan was to get over to the library in the afternoon to return a couple of books which were due today -- somehow I'd not paid attention to an earlier message and the books could not be renewed for a fourth time, so time to get them back to their home..... Also had a couple of other things which needed my attention fairly soon.

During my usual online routine, I hopped into the Apple website to once again check out the Apple store -- and this time, to my surprise I actually hit pay dirt. The model of the 13" MBP that I wanted was actually available in the store's inventory. NOW!!! At last!!! I immediately ordered one with the desired configuration and happily used Apple Pay and my somewhat neglected Apple Card, and took advantage of the local courier service offered by Apple in some major metropolitan areas -- invaluable at a busy time of year like this, and especially during the pandemic!! An hour and a half later I was holding the Apple bag with its precious content, a box in which was nestled the new 13" Space Grey M1 MBP with 1 TB SSD and 16 GB RAM!!!!

I did the usual unboxing but, mindful of the fact that I did have to get to the library and also do a couple of other things this afternoon and evening, I did not take off the protective plastic on the machine itself, and will do that tomorrow when I am actually ready to begin setting her up for action. Getting her here pronto was key. but since it all happened so quickly and I really wasn't prepared, rather than rushing through setting her up I'll do that when I've got lots of time to do the setup and then play with her..... In the meantime I walk past her where on the nearby table she rests comfortably in her box and I smile at her....
 
Woke up early (for me). Did the first 7 of 17 modules for CITI certification for doing research. I’ll try to knock out the rest tomorrow. It’s so tedious...dull...boring.... Then we went to the drug store to pick up a Rx refill and then stopped by the grocery store for eggs and a few other things we probably didn’t need.

I realized the problem with football on a Friday afternoon is that all day today I’ve been sure it was Monday!
 
Woke up early (for me). Did the first 7 of 17 modules for CITI certification for doing research. I’ll try to knock out the rest tomorrow. It’s so tedious...dull...boring.... Then we went to the drug store to pick up a Rx refill and then stopped by the grocery store for eggs and a few other things we probably didn’t need.

I realized the problem with football on a Friday afternoon is that all day today I’ve been sure it was Monday!
CITI training.... It's like someone made it their mission to make the otherwise kinda interesting material as dull and boring as possible.
Thus far I've done it at 5 institutions...

It's actually a pretty good read if one wants to learn the history why African-Americans are so suspicious of the system (because the mistrust is justified).
 
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