- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:17 am:
Reasons to be cheerful: Still not completely dark at 5:30 yesterday. Moderate temps for several days to come. You can see March just down the road. We will have more snow but unlikely to see any temps near zero.
I was in Florida during the cold spell. I said hi to Squeezey while I was hiking in a swamp. I’m glad he’s happily retired. I kept it light, and we didn’t discuss Illinois taxes.
Mr. Jay Em,
I always enjoy your insightful and thoughtful posts. Thank you very much for the podcast recommendation; I will check it out tonight {banned punctuation}
Watched flock after flock of geese around sunset last night moving southwest to northeast. Bonus… a small flock of male redwing blackbirds flew in to roost for the night. They have always been the harbingers of Spring for me (banned punctuation).
My daffodils are about an inch above ground. Spring is indeed near.
In other news, too bad Mary Miller performance boycotted last night’s SOTU address, she could have whooped and hollered and called the president names just like the rest.
I like the quotes from Darin LaHood. He suggests American has died in the past two years under Biden, and then says he hopes Biden will reach across the aisle.
I found myself wondering if that line means LaHood is ready to actually do something, now that he is entering his sixth terms. I mean, for eight years, his list of accomplishments. Wait. Has he actually accomplished anything? /s
I accidentally let my FOID card expire. I went on to the ISP web portal to renew/apply and I got my new card in less than 2 weeks. I guess the backlog is completely gone.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 9:55 am:
Spotted a flock of geese flying in formation at pretty high altitude this morning, Headed North. Yay
Also have been seeing large flocks of what appear to be Snow Geese flying towards the north east on our morning walks. I’m beginning to wonder if they know more about when spring will arrive than we do?
Snow geese by the thousands flocked in the fields of Central Illinois. That’s been my indicator of spring for several years now. They sound like a cocktail party in the other room.
Discovered last night that Springfield Memorial and Aetna are in contract talks. If they don’t come to an agreement by April 1st 2023 they will be out of network for all of us that use Aetna as our insurance through the state. This will be a big blow for retirees as the Aetna Medicare plan was their only option and those folks would have to change doctors. Let’s hope they work things out ( banned punctuation)
- Give Us Barabbas - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 10:52 am:
This company is ripping off people in Illinois and the state needs to tell funeral parlors and crematory operators not to accept business from them.
You need a permit from the county to do the actual burning of a body, so one way to stop the scammers might be an EO or some kind of instruction to the county morgues to deny the permits. Florida did this: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/funeralcemetery/alerts
Darrin mostly runs around promoting whatever the ”
confessed congressman” is promoting this month. Now that Griffie is in FL with his mobile home they are hawking his papers to Bradley. Wonder if the transcripts of the FBI interviews are included?
On the west side of Springfield, each subdivision was required to have a small pond. In the last few days, they have been full of geese and one little pond, where I normally only see a few ducks, had so many geese, you could not see water. The next day, none in that pond. Geese migration awes me.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 12:01 pm:
Sorry, but every time I see the above ad for Uber drivers pursuing their passion I keep thinking of the guy who walked in the court during the Loyola-Duquesne game.
- MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:08 am:
I’d highly recommend this episode of the 99% Invisible podcast to anyone with an interest in 1) musicians, 2) the music business, 3) technology, 4) Chicago labor history, 5) WWII or 6) good story-telling: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/one-year-the-day-the-music-stopped/
– MrJM
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:17 am:
Reasons to be cheerful: Still not completely dark at 5:30 yesterday. Moderate temps for several days to come. You can see March just down the road. We will have more snow but unlikely to see any temps near zero.
- Baloneymous - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:22 am:
Thanks for your weather and daylight positivity Friendly Bob. I’ll take it.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:24 am:
I was in Florida during the cold spell. I said hi to Squeezey while I was hiking in a swamp. I’m glad he’s happily retired. I kept it light, and we didn’t discuss Illinois taxes.
- sal-says - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:33 am:
Well of course she did.
https://abc7chicago.com/state-of-the-union-address-2023-president-biden-kamala-harris-republicans/12782889/
- Boyd's Ghost - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:35 am:
Mr. Jay Em,
I always enjoy your insightful and thoughtful posts. Thank you very much for the podcast recommendation; I will check it out tonight {banned punctuation}
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:41 am:
Watched flock after flock of geese around sunset last night moving southwest to northeast. Bonus… a small flock of male redwing blackbirds flew in to roost for the night. They have always been the harbingers of Spring for me (banned punctuation).
- Nick Name - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:48 am:
===Well of course she did.===
So pathetic. Way to reflect poorly on your state, Rep. Miller.
- Steve Rogers - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 8:55 am:
My daffodils are about an inch above ground. Spring is indeed near.
In other news, too bad Mary Miller performance boycotted last night’s SOTU address, she could have whooped and hollered and called the president names just like the rest.
- H-W - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 9:14 am:
@Sal Says, Nick Name, and Steve Rogers
I like the quotes from Darin LaHood. He suggests American has died in the past two years under Biden, and then says he hopes Biden will reach across the aisle.
I found myself wondering if that line means LaHood is ready to actually do something, now that he is entering his sixth terms. I mean, for eight years, his list of accomplishments. Wait. Has he actually accomplished anything? /s
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 9:42 am:
People, try to stick to Illinois.
- Steve Rogers - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 9:50 am:
I accidentally let my FOID card expire. I went on to the ISP web portal to renew/apply and I got my new card in less than 2 weeks. I guess the backlog is completely gone.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 9:55 am:
Spotted a flock of geese flying in formation at pretty high altitude this morning, Headed North. Yay
- JoanP - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 9:58 am:
Interesting article in the Trib today about Dickson Mounds Museum, its history and the efforts at repatriation of Native American remains: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-dickson-mounds-museum-20230208-gkyftavfxfbhlj3kqj6a55hyqi-htmlstory.html
And another good one about an upscale restaurant on the West Side: https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/reviews/ct-food-column-the-soulfood-lounge-20230206-bqbnedqd4zfzfnba5uzrgenkve-story.html
- Roadypig - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 10:02 am:
Also have been seeing large flocks of what appear to be Snow Geese flying towards the north east on our morning walks. I’m beginning to wonder if they know more about when spring will arrive than we do?
- Papa2008 - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 10:05 am:
Snow geese by the thousands flocked in the fields of Central Illinois. That’s been my indicator of spring for several years now. They sound like a cocktail party in the other room.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 10:14 am:
Miller wasnt boycotting the SOTU. She was the designated survivor. /s
- IllinoisGirl - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 10:34 am:
Discovered last night that Springfield Memorial and Aetna are in contract talks. If they don’t come to an agreement by April 1st 2023 they will be out of network for all of us that use Aetna as our insurance through the state. This will be a big blow for retirees as the Aetna Medicare plan was their only option and those folks would have to change doctors. Let’s hope they work things out ( banned punctuation)
- Give Us Barabbas - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 10:52 am:
This company is ripping off people in Illinois and the state needs to tell funeral parlors and crematory operators not to accept business from them.
You need a permit from the county to do the actual burning of a body, so one way to stop the scammers might be an EO or some kind of instruction to the county morgues to deny the permits. Florida did this: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/funeralcemetery/alerts
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 11:25 am:
Darrin mostly runs around promoting whatever the ”
confessed congressman” is promoting this month. Now that Griffie is in FL with his mobile home they are hawking his papers to Bradley. Wonder if the transcripts of the FBI interviews are included?
- oifredleg - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 11:26 am:
@Papa2008 Perfect description of a Spring indicator. Driving through Fulton County as the sun was coming up, the sky was filled was Snows and Blues.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 11:53 am:
Paul Vallas looks so much like Fire Marshall Bill except Paul’s head always tilts to the right. Appropriate.
- Lurker - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 11:56 am:
On the west side of Springfield, each subdivision was required to have a small pond. In the last few days, they have been full of geese and one little pond, where I normally only see a few ducks, had so many geese, you could not see water. The next day, none in that pond. Geese migration awes me.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Feb 8, 23 @ 12:01 pm:
Sorry, but every time I see the above ad for Uber drivers pursuing their passion I keep thinking of the guy who walked in the court during the Loyola-Duquesne game.