What are you doing today?

[Thomas Veil]

I enjoyed the beautiful weather we're having today. It's so rare this time of year!

And we took delivery of a new range. The old one was a hand-me-down. When I say old, I mean old. Plato and Aristotle used to stand in front of it and debate the wisdom of broiling vs. baking.

 

[Joe]

I got my 2nd Covid vaccine shot this morning. My arm is a little sore, but other than that I feel fine so far.

 

[Huntn]

I got my 2nd Covid vaccine shot this morning. My arm is a little sore, but other than that I feel fine so far.

Please report tomorrow. That is the day, if there is a day for reactions.

 

[DT]

Spent some time this afternoon doing my annual income tax returns....federal and state. All done and now just sitting back waiting for the refund from the feds!

Both our business and personal are mostly handled by our accountant, thought the wife still spends quite a few cycles dealing with getting things together.

Ugh, we owe a decent amount ...

 

[lizkat]

Both our business and personal are mostly handled by our accountant, thought the wife still spends quite a few cycles dealing with getting things together.

Ugh, we owe a decent amount ...

So by a certain person's reckoning that would be not more than $750 total for the year...

Of course there may be some other folks looking into that person's arithmetic right about now.

 

[DT]

Oh yeah, drump-math, they owe US money!

 

[Clix Pix]

I'm thinking that next year I'm just going to do the simple form and not fuss with deductions, as both last year and now this year TurboTax informed me that I'd be better off taking the standard deduction, anyway..... That would certainly save me some time if I don't have to put in all the deductions stuff and round up all the paperwork associated with that.....

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Online meetings, reading.

Had an excellent chat with a very good friend last night, a retired doctor who has just received her first Covid jab.

 

[fooferdoggie]

on our ride we passed a bunch of areas that area bit swampy. and it is winter and we just got done with our ice freeze. days have been around 45 and night from 33 to 40. But that has not stoppd the frog orgies we heard it was crazy it was 37 degrees and the frogs were croaking like crazy

 

[Clix Pix]

Already the geese and ducks on our lake have been getting frisky and it's clear that they're enjoying the warmer, nicer weather and the approach of Spring..... And when Spring arrives in March, can goslings and ducklings be too far behind?

 

[fooferdoggie]

Already the geese and ducks on our lake have been getting frisky and it's clear that they're enjoying the warmer, nicer weather and the approach of Spring..... And when Spring arrives in March, can goslings and ducklings be too far behind?

but they are warm blooded. cold water has to slow the croakers but you cant tell by the sound.

 

[Clix Pix]

I don't usually hear our bullfrogs until mid-to-late May, early June, and then each night we are treated to what I call "frogsong" -- We used to have a lot of bullfrogs in the lake but the population has dwindled over the past two or three years, not sure if that is due to something in the water that may be toxic to them or to the herons, who of course will snatch up a frog and consume it for a hearty meal when they're hungry.

 

[Pumbaa]

Celebrating 100 posts by diving into season four of “Turn: Washington's Spies” as soon as the popcorn are ready.

 

[Joe]

I'm at work. It's been over 24 hours since my 2nd Covid shot and I feel fine. My arm is a little sore on the injection site but not bad at all. I think my arm was more sore for the 1st shot. Some of my co workers have had mild symptoms like fatigue, chills, and/or low grade fever. So far no one has any major side effects.

 

[Alli]

I sat out on the deck this morning. It’s so nice to have the weather normal again. Of course that means tomorrow the rains are starting again. Ugh.

 

[Thomas Veil]

I took my mom for her second Covid shot this afternoon. So far she says she feels fine. We'll see if that's the case tomorrow. People are starting to tell me it makes you quite lethargic for a few weeks.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Headed out for a few errands, a couple of items in the pharmacy (which they didn't have), organic milk, beer.....

And I caught sight of daffodils.

Bliss. Joy. Happiness.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Was in the warehouse for a couple of meetings then the office today. Didn't get much work done. But I have just set my out of office, logged out of teams and outlook on my iPhone and I should be uncontactable until Wednesday when I'm back at work. Just running some updates on my MacBook Pro before it goes away until Wednesday. Then I can actually use my own Mac for a change!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Am now sipping beer, reading books, and (occasionally) listening to some music.

 

[Clix Pix]

Had a pleasant day, during which I checked the federal "Where's My Refund?" site and saw that to my surprise, my income tax return had already been approved and that I should be seeing the refund plopped into my bank account around March 2nd..... That's a surprise because the usual expectation of the time period between submission and acceptance of the return (within a day or two after they receive it) before then approval and issuing of the refund is usually around 21 days or so. Not even a week this time! WOW!

After having completed my tax return the other day and knowing that I would be receiving a refund I had already gone ahead and placed an order at B&H (major photographic equipment store in NYC and online) for a new lens, and it arrived today. It's another macro lens (just can't get enough of macro!) which is somewhat longer and faster than my beloved Sony 90mm, and like the Sony, is a a very, very sharp lens and has a very pleasing bokeh. I had known about this lens for a while but had always hesitated because it is manual focus only, rather than autofocus, and although I do from time to time switch my Sony 90mm into manual focus for the most part I tend to shoot in autofocus, so was a bit concerned as to how well this all-manual Voigtlander and my eyesight would get along -- thankfully, very well! Focus peaking helps a lot, plus I was able to precisely focus the new lens settings just where I needed them to be and all worked out well. It's a keeper! My beloved Sony 90mm is now a little nervous, wondering if she's being replaced in my affection by this new girl, but it'll take a whole lot more than one shooting session to decide how much I love the new lens and where she'll rank in my hierarchy of lenses! So I guess it'll be a while longer yet before I get around to buying a wide-angle lens of some sort, as I keep pushing that off, since my primary shooting preference seems to be in getting close to my subject via a macro/closeup lens or a long lens with the ability to reach out and touch a subject which is far away....