The Kid Will Be Away For a Week

Daughter is chaperoning Kennedy High School's Marine Corps JROTC class on a field trip to Twentynine Palms next week. Although she's almost never here anyway, that means Husband and I will temporarily be empty-nesters from Sunday through Friday with no one to worry about except ourselves. I anticipate peace and quiet and a lot fewer dishes in the sink!

I'll also be using this week to tidy up financial loose ends, now that the tax returns have been sent in. I might actually read those annuity statements and file those mutual fund annual reports.

And since the weather is finally warming up, I plan to spend tomorrow and Monday working outside, raking up the pine needles that have fallen in the ornamental strawberries in our back "yard" and setting out slug bait for the ti-leaf munchers.


At work, we're just winding up National Library Week, and the Library Director and her top managers "flash-mobbed" every one of our 28 branches on National Library Workers Day! The unannounced visits generated quite a buzz among staff and public, needless to say.

Spring Heating Benchmark Missed

I missed my Fall heating benchmark last November: it got cold early, and we had to turn the heat on before Thanksgiving. I missed my Spring benchmark this month: it is remaining cold, and I wasn't able to turn the heat off on Valentine's Day. Anything blooming outside will get creamed this weekend!

How cold is it? It's so cold, the National Weather Service has issued a Severe Weather - Hard Freeze watch through Sunday morning, and we are expecting lows in the mid-20s for the next couple of days, and highs in the 40s. There's even talk about snow in the Central Valley! Normals for this time of year are 40s and 60s. I'm going to have to bring in the Plumeria and cover the Meyer lemon.

We've already had an unrelated 5-hour power outage, which could affect the temperature in the apartment if it happens again. We've got lots of food and blankets, and the water pipe outside is insulated. I have a knitting project underway. I guess we're good for the weekend.