It is Winter Time

While still technically a couple weeks away, it is winter here in Klamath Falls. It has been highs of 40s and lows of 20s for a while now and we even had freezing fog Thanksgiving weekend that covered everything in our neighborhood with a thin blanket of white that lasted most of the day. Starting today, for the next 5 days, there is a chance of snow. We even got a brief glimpse of the flaky white stuff on the end of our afternoon walk today, zero accumulation, but still…

Last year when we first got here, both in the AirBnB and our house, we treated the winter as an exciting, fun event. We would go for a walk or drive in it only if we had to. This year we have come to the realization that we really do have to prepare for living in the here and now of the season called winter.

Last year when driving around in the Mini we did OK on it’s all-season tires, but we were locked into staying pretty close to home because going in any direction, within 30 miles, we were greeted with elevation gains and the requirement of chains or some Severe Snow and Winter Traction tires. Yesterday we ordered a winter tire/wheel package from Tire Rack. Any day now the Mini will be rockin’ some 195/60 Bridgestone Blizzak WS90s on 15X6 MSW Type 22T wheels in Silver.

Last year when walking about we just made do with our hiking boots, mine were water resistant and Donna’s had no protection from wet. This year we have decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and buy some dedicated winter boots. So, yesterday we ordered some and any day now our feet will be rockin’ in waterproof style. For him, the Men’s Firecamp Boot in Madder Brown/Red Jasper, and for her, Women’s Ice Maiden II Boot in Cordovan/Siberia.

41,000 Less Brain Cells

Where is my mind?

Thursday morning when I got into the Mini to do our weekly grocery trip, no correct that, on the way home from Ed Meyers, I noticed that the odometer read 41,065. Huh? When did that happen?

Mostly the poor Ladybug only just gets taken out of the garage for those weekly trips to the grocery store, so it takes a while to get the odometer really moving up at 3 miles a week. This past two weeks it has got a bit more exercise as we have had it out a couple times at night hunting Christmas lights in the local neighborhoods.

Although on Monday the Mini went in for some maintenance and they did take it for post service shakedown drive, but I can’t imagine they went for 65 miles. This means the change to over 41k miles must have happened on my watch. Where is my mind?

Sheets

We are in smack in the middle of a bed linen crisis.

One reason is because of this whole covid mess. We can’t shouldn’t really go to a Bed Bath & Beyond because it is over the mountain in a large city in a different county. BB&B is our usual go to place for this sort of thing,j0where we get to touch and feel before selecting a set or two.

We tried getting a whole comforter/sheet set from Wayfair, but that turned out awful. The sheets were so flimsy they would have been better suited to be sewn into ladies undergarments. The comforter itself was shiny, slippery and kind of on the small side. We only kept the decorative pillows, everything else got donated.

Our latest attempt was from Fred Meyer. We had success here previously, this is where the set we used on the air mattress before our household goods arrived from South Carolina. Those from last December were 100% cotton of some undetermined thread count, that started out sort of stiff, but softened nicely after several washes.

This more current set felt the same as the others in the store, but after washing and putting them on the bed it turned there wasn’t a thread of cotton in them. They now feel slippery and don’t breathe, yeeck. The only good thing about them is the crackling lightning that happens when pulling them off to wash.

Another thing contributing to the problem is that we really need two sheet sets, so we kind of have to spend double to outfit our bed. We use 2 flat sheets, one that I sleep under and Donna sleeps on, with the second one over her. And we use three pillow cases, I use one pillow, but Donna likes two.

Right now we are using a cobbled together set consisting of a pale green fitted bottom sheet which I don’t ever remember sleeping on, it may have been on Donna’s Mom’s from when she lived with us from 2000 to 2005. The first flat sheet is a maroon and yellow striped with olive accents that has a small 90° tear two thirds of way down towards the bottom, and is probably about as old as the above fitted sheet. The second flat sheet is the last hold out of a nice BB&B set in gold that is put on the bed upside down because the normal top hem is so frayed that it has almost become two pieces. The pillow cases are two in yellow from yet another different set of linens and a maroon one that may match the first flat sheet, but probably doesn’t.

Next step? Try Fred Meyer again? Bite the bullet and go into Wally World? Or spend twice as much by buying something sight unseen from Lands End?

The Garage Is Mine!

Yesterday the Mini was shuffled off to the shop to get the tires rotated and oil & coolant changed. To get the Mini to Emmetts on the south side of town Donna drove it and followed me in the Miata to drop it off. When we came back home Donna kiddingly said, “Park in the middle.” So I aimed to do just that. About three quarters of the way in, I realized that the Miata is a lot longer than the Mini and I better turn the wheel quick or I’d hit the wall of the bath/laundry room on the left side of the garage. So now it just looks the Miata has taken over just because it could.