Watcha' Doing - 2023

[Kristie, Moderator]

Roz, I made my first visit to Texas a week ago. Spent a couple of days in Houston & San Antonio, plus a quick trip to Galveston just to say I'd been to the coast. It was so cold there. lol My husband stayed for work after I went home. He was in Austin with all the ice and such this week. We have not had good traveling weather our past few trips.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Freezing rain it's being more and more common here. I remember seeing it only once in the first 6 o 7 years we lived here, and now we are having it once or twice each winter. It looks beautiful, everything looks like it has been varnished. Every single little branch and leave. But it is dangerous and a pain if your life has to go on, what is usually the case.

[Roz]

Branches, leaves and spent flowers and buds have a certain fascinating beauty. Unfortunately, the weight of almost an inch of ice encasing branches, was just too much for a lot of the trees and before long you could hear the cracking and crash as branches fell. I walked around my neighborhood yesterday (before we lost power), looking at the damage. Fortunately, it doesn't look like any homes sustained damage. Now on Monday it looks like the temperatures will get up to 77 degrees F. Crazy. Sorry you had to be here when it was so cold, Kristie. You could always come back in the summer for the 100 degree weather.

[Esther]

I had a thing tonight and i chickened out. It is -30C (-43 with windchills). I must be getting old. I just do not to deal with it cold if i do not have to. Or maybe i am just getting wiser.

[Janice, Moderator]

I saw a video of a woman trying to get to her car today. The caption said it was in Texas.

Esther, older and wiser. Temps like that and we should just stay home and read.

[Christine]

I’m ready for warm weather Kristie and I’m not a huge fan of Groundhog Day either Kristie

[Pragya]

Fiona wrote: "I love the summer! I visited India last September where it was 38 degrees. I really liked that haha
When I came back home from that trip, it was 8 degrees and I got a cold lol"

Haha oops Fiona. I think my body is just build for the cold lol. I walked 5kms in -10degrees Helsinki and it was great!

[Pragya]

Roz wrote: "When I lived in the Northeast (NY) I liked looking at the snow....from inside the house with a fire going in the fireplace and reading a good book. Didn't like driving to and from work in it, or sh..."

Now, ice is something I dread. I love snow, ice, not so much. Look at you, letting nothing dissuade you from reading, Roz.

[Esther]

Pragya wrote: "I think my body is just build for the cold loll".."
You need to come back to Quebec City today. Wanna switch places? :)

[Fiona]

@Pragya: I think it’s the opposite for me and I’m built for the heat. I hate hate hate snow and I hate the cold. Always getting winter depression. I’m a flower, I’m thriving in warm sunshine and some water

[Kristie, Moderator]

I literally moved south to get away from so much cold and snow. lol I used to love it when I was younger, but not so much now. I have gotten very weather sensitive.

[Pragya]

Esther wrote: "Pragya wrote: "I think my body is just build for the cold loll".."
You need to come back to Quebec City today. Wanna switch places? :)"

Hehe, Esther. I was there at the worst time ever when it was 40 degrees and the city ran out of ACs. I think you would love it here right now. The temperature is between 10 and 25 degree Celsius, sunny during the day, pleasant in morning and evenings.

[Pragya]

Fiona wrote: "@Pragya: I think it’s the opposite for me and I’m built for the heat. I hate hate hate snow and I hate the cold. Always getting winter depression. I’m a flower, I’m thriving in warm sunshine and so..."

Haha You sure are a flower. I identify as a polar bear, I am good with eating, sleeping and hibernating, lol.

[Pragya]

Kristie wrote: "I literally moved south to get away from so much cold and snow. lol I used to love it when I was younger, but not so much now. I have gotten very weather sensitive."

Kristie, I am actually feeling it. I am thinking my resistance to cold IS going down with age. You might be onto something.

[Christine]

I’m going to be busy this spring and this summer

[Kristie, Moderator]

Christine wrote: "I’m going to be busy this spring and this summer"

That's good, Christine. What will you be doing? Anything fun?

[Sandra, Moderator]

I hope it is busy in a good way, Christine.

[Margo]

We have an extra bank holiday here in Ireland today. It is to celebrate St. Brigids day (1st February) and will be on the closet monday to that day.

This brings us up to 10 bank holidays per year - still 3 days less than the European average but 2 more than the UK. I've always thought it would be better to do away with these days and add the extra days onto peoples vacation days.

[Saar The Book owl]

I hope that there are plans that you will enjoy, Christine.
I don't know how many holidays we've got in Belgium, Margo, I've never counted them.

[Christine]

Yep Kristie and partying and vacation Kristie and thanks Sandra and Saar The Book Owl

[Kristie, Moderator]

Sounds wonderful, Christine! Enjoy!

[Margo]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I hope that there are plans that you will enjoy, Christine.
I don't know how many holidays we've got in Belgium, Margo, I've never counted them."

Saar, nor have I, I just saw an article in the sunday with parents from Ireland who work in Northern Ireland bemoaning the fact that uk and ireland don't match up their bank holidays.

[Anna KR]

I should be working but I am sneakily reading for the Toppler lol

[Christine]

I agree with you Kristie and thanks Kristie

[Christine]

IT’S SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

[Kristie, Moderator]

Christine wrote: "IT’S SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!"

It is! I'm looking forward to it, but my team isn't playing so I don't really have a favorite team out of the two. I'll mostly be cheering for good plays. lol

[Christine]

Yeah I know Kristie and I’m looking forward to it too Kristie and oh that stinks Kristie and oh ok Kristie and me too Kristie and lol your funny Kristie lol

[Christine]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

[Sandra, Moderator]

I'm kind of the Grinch of Valentine's Day. LOL. But I hope you all have a special day, one way or another.

[Fiona]

It’s my dad’s birthday today and we went to the zoo 😍

[Sandra, Moderator]

Happy birthday, Fiona!

[Christine]

Lol your funny Sandra lol and thanks Sandra and I hope your dad has a great birthday today Fiona and oh that’s cool Fiona

[Fiona]

Thank you, Sandra and Christine :)

[Christine]

I got picked to be an alumni for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey

[Janice, Moderator]

That's wonderful Christine! Congrats. :)

[Jayme, Moderator]

Congratulations, Christine!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Grats Christine!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Congrats, Christine!

[Saar The Book owl]

That's wonderful news, Christine!

[Fiona]

Awesome, Christine!

I just came back home from the emergency dental clinic, my retainer got off from my teeth on one side and it slashed my tongue open from the bottom. When the dentist said the insurance won’t cover the treatment, I almost had a heart attack but it ended up costing only 18€ lol

[Saar The Book owl]

Aw, painful and a huge cost would be even more! Luckily the costs were okay. Hopefully you'll heal soon.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Oh ouch! Heal up, Fiona. I always have wondered what would happen if mine pried off, sorry you had to be the guinea pig. At least it was only 18 Euros!

In other news, I flomphed on to the grass this afternoon to read my book in the backyard, and landed straight on to a bee. I got the full force of her sting, unlike the glancing blows or through my suit that I've had over the past couple of months. So not the most relaxing activity after all, and involved me sitting on an esky block for the rest of the arvo.

[Saar The Book owl]

Aw, poor bee and poor you, Rusalka :(

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lol thanks Saar. Your comment did make me remember that I did come out best in this situation, poor bee.

[Saar The Book owl]

Oops, sorry, Rusalka, I didn't meant to be minimilazing your discomfort. I've had my first sting of a wasp a couple of years ago and I found out that I was allergic. No fun at all! I love bees, but wasps, no thank you...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Not at all! I thought it was very relevant heh! The poor bee is dead all because I was too busy thinking about my book and not were I was sitting.

I hate wasps. And at least bees can only sting you once, where as wasps are bastards. European Wasps are massive invasive pests here, and so we are on double alert for them - just no one wants to get stung by them and you need to call the gov to kill the nest. Lexx and I watched one in our backyard yesterday with hyperintensity which was probably the first one we've seen in about 6 months. I am sorry to hear you found out being allergic to them like that, that would not be fun at all!!

[Saar The Book owl]

Here, in Belgium, we have the invasion of the Asian Hornet. An invasive species. These wasps are really a pest and dangerous. Very agressive and they kill bumble bees and other bees. We also need to call the fire department to kill them.
Everytime I see a wasp, I go running. Never want to experience that again. Years ago I went to have breakfast outside and one came on my plate slicing my ham with his little jaws and flying away with little pieces. I gave him my entire slice...

[Sandra, Moderator]

Ouch, Rusalka!

I got an encounter with yellow jackets a couple of summers ago. Not fun. My legs hurt for more than a week. I'm not allergic but I needed antihistamines to control the discomfort. I had 7 or 8 stings. Not fun.

Asian Hornet were found in the pacific coast here a few years ago, but I don't think they are a problem, yet. They are scary.

[Fiona]

@Rus actually it happened for the third time now but the last time it was over 5 years ago I think. It hurts like hell but it’ll all be fine after it’s fixed.

And poor bee and poor you!

My dad is allergic to wasps and I never knew if I was or not until I got stung while drinking in the woods 🤦🏻‍♀️ besides the pain it was all good though.

[Christine]

Thanks everyone