Brrrr...

Man! It's COLD out there!~

I finished tightening the whole bike. The saddle was missing TWO nuts, so I took it off and put on a saddle from one of my bikes.

I'll take the saddle with me to a hardware store, to make sure I get the right thread.

I practiced driving it with Porkchop AND the trailer. Woulda been ok if these spoiled yuppies would keep THEIR dogs on leashes or behind fences, but there was a St. Bernard out there that Porkchop hates, so I brought him home.

I took a seatbelt strap off the stroller, threaded it through the front wheel and strapped it under the saddle. Has plenty of clearance. Works great.

Went to Smith's for milk. They had eye of round steaks marked down to less than two bucks a friggin pound!!! And their own, bakery hot dog buns & sunflower seed bagels, a buck a bag!

Stopped at Dollar Store for fix-a-flat and a tire guage. They haven't gotten their xmas overtime authorization yet, but she'll let me know as soon as the district office authorizes temp. employees for xmas.

This wind is merciless: cuts like a friggin knife.

I came home and ran to shut windows.

Usually, a trip to the store exhausts me. But I was back in less than an hour, still full of energy.

I baked, not broiled, all the meat (except one piece, about the size of my palm, which I fried in my cast iron skillet). I only cooked the meat part way through, with cajun seasoning and black pepper.

Put 4 in each of 2 zippy bags, well seperated, so I could fold the bag in 1/4ths, to freeze immediately. That way, I can take out an individual steak and do whatever the hell I want to with it.

I'm thinking steak sandwiches, with grilled onions...I'm thinking stir fry. I'm thinking steak carbonara with jalapenos. I'm thinking steak and spaghetti.. So, I got sixteen meals in the freezer.

Cut french fries on my mandolin and fried em in the Fry Daddy, buttered a hot dog bun, cut half the fried steak into strips. NICE! Very nice!

Means I've spent my after-Halloween cheap chocolate food stamps, but steak's much more important than chocolate! They both retail for 4-6 bucks a pound or so, but gimme protein! Winter's comin!

I hauled a log 18 inches long in and put it in my fire place. Made a "starter fire" to one side with a 3" log, kindling and newspaper. It's been burning for four hours now.

I brought my feather bed in off the clothesline, wrestled it onto the bed, zipped it into its cover, pulled the dog blanket and comforter back. I laid the feather bed on the top sheet and thin blanket and covered it with the other 2 blankets. My bed is so TALL!!! Looks like a friggin marshmallow!

I knew it was cold when no cats greeted me from te empty lot OR the yard when I got back. They were ALL curled up in the house!

Porkchop's a little scared of how tall and fluffy the bed is. When he walks on it, his feet sink in.

I'm under the covers. It's soooo comfortable. The feathers are heavy enough to conform to the contours of my body. My legs warmed up immediately under it. THis is a big deal: when my leg joints get stiff from the cold, I can't walk.

So, my house is warm. I baked taters, cooked frozen vegies in chicken broth, and baked another pork tenderloin yesterday. There's PLENTY of food cooked up to eat and frozen.

Tonight, I'll bake a chocolate cake, to warm the house. I'll ice it with cream cheese, butter and orange marmalade.

And I'll mix up a gallon of chocolate milk, to microwave with marshmallows or drink cold. I mix 8 teaspoons of instant coffee, cocoa to taste, sugar to taste and just a pinch of salt. Best damn hot chocolate on the planet! I have 3 gallons of milk; I can spare one.

It's so easy, after being in the cold, to just shake it up and microwave it. ..I think I'd better do that right now; talked my self into it....

l8terz...