Day #318...Supposed to snow, it appears to want to

[shadowkat]

It's hard to care about the snowstorm. I can't go anywhere anyhow. However, I do feel for the poor folks who had their vaccine appointments cancelled because of it. NYC always freaks out over snowstorms - mainly because they got blind-sighted once or twice, and decided NEVER again. New Yorkers seem to hold sternly to the view - "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!" Or "you caught me with my pants done that one time, but it ain't happening again, Dude."

Superstorm Sandy took us out? New York now goes nuts whenever a hurricane is even considered a possibility. They take the subways out of commission. Clear out the stores. And put emergency crews on standby. Also bring out the Sandbags in mass. Plus? They went out of their way to build up parkland and marshland around the barriers of the city, and moved crucial things out of harms way.

COVID blind sighted us? Now they have manufacturers creating handsanitizers, masks, face shields, etc for New York. They also have their own ventilators.
And a plan in place for both hospitals and nursing homes. I wouldn't put it past them to put a plan in place to create vaccines just for the New State Department of Health. Plus, they created their own tests.

Snowstorm? We got blind-sighted big time by a blizzard that shut down the entire city sometime in 2017? Or it was 2018? I can't remember. It was a while back. Anyhow it shut down the city so bad - I was stuck in Hilton Head, and nothing was moving. Now, they have de-icing crews around the clock, they put sand and rock salt on all the streets, have the snow plows commissioned, cancel everything under the sun, put the subways on limited schedules, etc. If it even thinks about snowing in NY - they go nuts with preparations.

Also I went to the grocery store to pick up lime and lemon juice, along with a few other items (because I was there, and I hate going) - and it was crowded. More than I wanted it to be at any rate. I had a KN95 mask on - I've been wearing them for well over three months now - and I'd not seen any others until now. Now, it seems everyone is either wearing the KN95, or the double masks. Except for the maskless wonders - who we will not speak of. (Spits). But you can't enter a grocery store now without a mask - they'll boot your ass out. (Thank god.) Those days are long gone.

Felt like a human obstacle course. I was darting around with my basket (which is easier to maneuver with than a cart - also I buy less stuff - which is good, because I have to cart it home in three to four cloth sacks by foot, I've learned not to buy more than I can carry.) People would stand in front of things and just stare at them for fifteen minutes. I wanted leeks, but the produce section had been raided within an inch of its life, plus it was impossible to get around two women staring bleakly at it as if hoping the veggies that were gone would magically reappear. (I can get that stuff at Carnival - most of the fresh produce I already got at Carnival. I live in a city - there's about twenty grocery, fruit and vegetable, and food sources around me. Not to mention delivery services. I just happen to have my favorites that stock the things I like and trust. When you live in a huge city - getting stuff is rarely a problem. I don't know why people act like it is. But every snow-storm they raid the market as if it is the end of days.)

Anyhow, I chose not to buy chocolate - I don't really want the chocolate bars anyhow. I got brownies. And I can make banana muffins. Also, I'm trying to stay away from too much sugar. Do have dark chocolate almonds though.

I really just wanted the lemon and lime juices - I get the little plastic squeeze bottles that are 100% lime or lemon juice. Then I squeeze it over salads, cooking, in drinks, etc. It's a necessity. Considering I had to wait in a long line to get out of the place - the line went down the pet food aisle and halfway past the milk and eggs aisle - I got out of there pretty quickly.



Two people in front of me - clearly going home after doing laundry. Kind of a luxury to have a building that has laundry available in the basement. Otherwise I'd be sending it out at this point. Or lugging it to the huge wash and dry place about ten blocks west of me, just before you get to the cemetery and on the way to the grocery store. I'm grateful I found a place with laundry in the basement. (That was actually a requirement - laundry in the building, deliveries in the building, buzzer, working elevators, and light.)

Oh that's not snow on the pavement - that's rock salt. Like I said, they go crazy.

Haven't done much else today. Skipped the Zoom service at Church - they were talking about "death" and I just didn't want to discuss death. Or think about it. I want to think about flowers, and chocolate, and whiskers on kittens...not hear a story about a kind old turtle that died. There's been enough talk about death lately.

Slept a lot today - I kept snoozing in my chair. I was watching "The Event" on HBO Max (it's about Wolfgang Puck Catering) and kept nodding off during it. I think I was up too late last night. Also I didn't want to do anything. I'm weirdly good at doing absolutely nothing - but daydreaming. Being busy is not something I require. Or necessarily understand.

Did invent a new soup yesterday. Let's see if I can remember what I did.
Ah..



Bulb onions, scallions, green onions in a big pot with olive oil (I use extra virgin - mainly because its cheap), sea salt, garlic salt, garlic/parsley, and garlic. Then after they get soft and a little brown, add broth (I ran out of vegetable broth so put in chicken bone broth instead). Then add chopped up turnips, parsnip, and a granny smith apple.
Add more chicken broth. Add water. Next the following spices: two teaspoons of curry powder, some Turkish cumin powder, sea salt, dill, Pumpkin spike (cinnamin, nutmeg, cloves), sage, and thyme. (You don't have to, but I do.)
Bring briefly to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer - very low heat. And simmer for about ten to twenty minutes, until vegetables are soft.

Turn off heat. Tranfer to blender. Blend with the pulse button. Transfer back to soup pot. Blend with hand held if need be, not necessary.

Then put in containers. Voila soup.



Well, soup and salad at any rate.

I'm thinking of having some tonight. I had almond flour pancakes this morning and made enough to have some tomorrow. Being single has its advantages. You often have plenty of left-overs - whether you want them or not.

I ignoring the political situation in the US at the moment, I suggest you do the same.

Good night and good luck. I'm off to fix myself something to eat. Not that I'm hungry - but it's almost 7:30, so I really should.

Comments

[mtbc]

Ah, that snow looks pretty. And now I know what's in pumpkin spice!

[shadowkat]

Pumpkin spice is basically the combined spices you'd put in a pumpkin pie or pumpkin soup. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I love it - because it gives things that extra kick.

[conuly]

On the flip side of the NYC approach you have Galveston, Texas. One man tried and tried and tried to get them to build a seawall before their devastating hurricane in the early part of the 20th century. After the hurricane they eventually did build a seawall... at exactly the height of the swells that had destroyed the town. When another bad hurricane eventually came their way, it was a good six feet over the wall.

[shadowkat]

Texas is kind of well...stupid? I'm thinking it's all that sun, and not enough seasonal changes...possibly warps the brain? Also far too much focus on football in high school...

Whenever I had a complaint about a friend who hailed from Houston, TX or anyone who did..
My grandmother would state: Are they from Texas?
Me: Yes.
Grandmother: Well, there you are. Texas.

[tellshannon815]

They were giving weather warnings here for the weekend just gone. In the end all it did was rain and sleet. Here they tend to err on the side of caution a bit following the Great Storm of 1987 when there was a lot of criticism over the Met Office not having prepared for it - one weather forecaster has never lived down the forecast on the day when he made a joke about someone calling to ask about a hurricane and not to worry because one wasn't coming. (He later tried to claim it was in response to a conversation about one in Florida, but the way it was worded did sound like he was talking about the UK).