This year, I must fly somewhere.
I don't really care where.
I haven't flown in years now and it's beginning to eat at me.
And I don't just want to fly in any aircraft, either, though I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world whatever type of commercial jet I might end up in, but my favorite plane is the Boeing 747.  It's been a long, long time since I've flown in one of those.
I have never flown over the ocean - though I think the cost of a round trip flight to anywhere overseas probably a bit more than perhaps what I can come up with this year - that would be awesome.  I wouldn't even care about the destination, the trip there would be my fun with it.

Okay, I had to look: a round trip flight to Rome, Italy around a grand.  That undoubtedly not including all the fees they dump on everyone nowadays.  I haven't flown in so long, I really would have no idea what to expect at the airport with all the security, fees and and junk.  England about the same.

I dunno why I am talking about this, just something that is in me that won't go away.  The desire grows as time passes.

And to finish this, I am now at 106 hours of vacation time saved up : )

About 3-1/2 hours the church-wide fast begins.  I am fully prepared at this point with all kinds of vegetarian dishes available both frozen and canned plus I will be making some home made dishes as well. But, I figured to get into it first and get rolling along with it and then find my motivation to actually cook something different than what I have already purchased, lol.

I have been inspecting what damage may have occurred to my plants from the last 2 nights of below freezing temps.  The damage is only to those susceptible plants. Those plants that have some damage are the parts of the plants I simply could not cover.  I would have to have a lot more sheets/blankets to do that.  I need to remind myself for next year that I need probably twice as much sheets as what I currently have to be able to cover everything completely that needs to be covered.

One of my Ficus trees - well the sheet come off in the breeze I guess - and it has sustained extensive damage.  The Sissoos still look good, actually, but tonight? It's supposed to get down to 27 degrees and tomorrow it's expected to hit 31.  The 27 degree deal is what I am looking at.  That's cold.  If it lasts too long in terms of being that far below freezing, well, I can only hold out hope : )

The flowers are gone on any plants at this point.  That means that both of my hummingbird feeders are seeing a LOT of activity.  I have 2 of them, one at the south end of the house and one on the east side.  I can see both from inside the house.  I can also see the levels of both of them going down quite rapidly, far quicker than anything I would see in the summertime.  In reality, those birds are not supposed to stick around here during the winter, they are supposed to head to whatever point south.

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Long interlude.  Attempting to try and get myself back to liking hot tea, I have been drinking far too much coffee.  Earl Grey is good - with a bit of milk and sweetener.  I know there is some other type of tea out there that I like without adding anything.  I think it's the kind of tea they serve at Chinese restaurants, just have to find out what kind of tea that is.

Regardless, it has begun.  The fast, that is.  I'm offa here.

ben