Sleet Day #1

Today has a good day to sit inside and knit.  I'd started to cast on another Calorimetry, but changed my mind, and cast on a hat instead.  

I wish I could get a decent photo of this yarn.  I've tried with both my phone and my regular camera, but it just isn't showing up right.  It's much more hot pink than this photo shows, with little sparkles running through it. 

Anyway, I'm thinking I'm going to make this hat for my sister in law Paula for next Christmas.  I might go back and get another skein and knit a matching cowl and maybe even some fingerless mitts.  They won't be Fetching, though.  Just simple ones.  I think she'll like that. 

While I was doing all that knitting, I've been re-watching the old HBO series John Adams on Brennan's Max account.  I'd forgotten how good it was -- up to a point.  After his term as President, his life -- and thus the show -- got a lot more dull.  I'm also picking up where I left off watching Heartland and The X-Files.  

So, the sleet started around 3:30 yesterday, and it sleeted all day long until about 4:30 this afternoon.  There was already a pretty good coating on my back porch by the time I got up, 

and it only got worse as the day went on. 

There's a pretty good layer of ice on the roads, too, and the county EMA is urging people not to get out if they don't have to.  

Now the temp is dropping like a hot rock, so it's not likely to get any better any time soon.  The good news is, ADP has cancelled work tomorrow, so I have another snow day to look forward to.  Except that it's a sleet day, because we rarely get actual snow here.  Just that sleety mess and freezing rain.   I wouldn't be at all surprised if they cancelled Wednesday, too, since it's not supposed to get above freezing again until sometime Wednesday afternoon. 

The more good news is that there doesn't seem to be any ice accumulation on the power lines, so there's very little risk of losing electricity.  Even so, I trudged out a couple of times today and brought more firewood up close to the house.  That little wood heater has done well keeping my house warm.  So much so, my central heat hasn't come on all day.  

While I was all bundled up, I scattered some birdseed on the ground, and this goofball wanted to sit outside and watch the birds. 

Don't worry, her evil will keep her warm.  It's so cold, she won't even stay out more than 10-15 minutes, then she's coming back in...only to want to go back out the minute she gets inside.  Silly cat.  

Times like this I miss having a DSLR with a really good zoom lens, because I had a tree full of cardinals.  

I took this one with my phone, but it doesn't quite do it justice.  

And finally, I finished the book I was reading, Chosen.  It was OK, but not great.  As I said before, it was like reading the store brand version of The Hunger Games.  I might read more in the series, but only if they put them on sale really cheap.  

Now, I'm finishing another book I'd started a couple of years ago, Conflicted, by M.J. Kaestli.  It's the second book in a seven book series, and I doubt I'll read them all -- unless they put them on sale really cheap.  It's not a bad book, but it's not a great book.  

That I put it down 75% of the way through because I just couldn't make myself read any more ought to tell you something.  If it were a trilogy instead of a seven book series, maybe I'd finish, but I can't imagine reading five more of these.  I think that's why I quit reading it in the first place.  

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think some hot chocolate will hit the spot right nicely along about now.