If You Use Your Air Conditioner And Furnace In The Same Day…

You might be in Missouri.

Yesterday felt like summer. Although Hubby Tony and I knew a cold front was coming through overnight to knock the temperatures back down to normal we ultimately broke down, closed the windows, and turned the air conditioner on.

Said cold front did indeed come through overnight. When I woke up my weather app said it was 39 degrees. I switched the thermostat from air conditioning to heating.

Dreamstime

Five years ago today: Reaction Response

A Hot Day For A Good Game

St. Louis is a baseball loving town, and Opening Day for the Cardinals is an unofficial a holiday. That unofficial holiday was today.

The game against the Tampa Bay Rays didn't start until mid-afternoon, but when Hubby Tony and I left the house to walk after breakfast we were both wearing team logo t-shirts. Many of the people we saw were doing the same, and later when I ran errands there were a lot more.

Some Opening Days are cold. Some are rainy. Some are balmy. This year it felt more like July than March. The temperature when the game began was 93 degrees, which set a record for both the day (87 degrees, set in 1991) and the entire month of March (92 degrees, set on March 24, 1929).

Before the game starts there are a whole slew of events that take place. First a wagon pulled by a team of Budweiser Clydesdales circles the warning track. Then the the team owners and management are introduced. Next are motorcades of the Cardinals Hall of Famers (riding in Mustang convertibles) and current players (in a Ford pickup truck). Then comes the National Anthem, and finally a ceremonial first pitch.

The Cardinals scored in the third inning, and Tampa in the fifth. I stepped out of the room to put some laundry away. When I came back Tampa was ahead 5-1, and by the time the their half of the sixth inning ended the score was 6-1. I am a pretty fair weather fan, and that was enough for me. Tony left for an evening event, and although I left the TV on for background noise I didn't pay much attention to it.

However, when I heard the fans in the stadium cheering I decided to take a look. Much to my surprise the Cardinals had scored three more runs. Before their half of the sixth inning ended they had scored eight runs, which made the score 9-7. That was the final score.

The Power Of Positivity

Current events are so negative. Today I am choosing to focus on the positive. Do you want to join me?

Five years ago today: It Will Be Here Before We Know It

Under Pressure

The average early Spring high temperature here is 54°F. However, for the past week those temperatures have been all over the place. Two weeks ago there was a hard freeze. Last Friday (88°F), Saturday (88°F), and Sunday (89°F) all set high temperature records. Those days the air in the condo was still and sticky. The only reason Hubby Tony and I didn't turn on the air conditioning was that it cooled off overnight and we knew that a cold front was forecast to come through late Sunday afternoon.

The front arrived on time and quickly cooled things off. At bedtime it was in the low 50s, which should have been great sleeping weather, but because my joints hurt I couldn't find a comfortable position. I tossed and turned for more than 90 minutes before finally drifting off. Even after I fell asleep I woke up several times to use the bathroom. It was a far from restful night.

Needpix

This morning I was tired and irritable, and had trouble putting together a coherent thought. I wondered if the barometric pressure fluctuation due to the weather shift could have had anything to do with my issues. The internet told me that in fact it could!

According to Bernoulli's principle, liquids and gases flow from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure to equalize pressure differences. Barometric pressure exerts force against the body. When the pressure drops, there is a difference between the pressure outside and inside the body and the body tissues expand and press against the bone and joints, causing pain and discomfort.

It made me feel better to know that there was a scientific reason for my nighttime woes, but it doesn't make me feel great to know I get to test out the theory again soon. According to the forecast Thursday is supposed to be in the 90s°F, and Friday the high 50s°F.

Five years ago today: Confusion Leads To Custard

Caffeine Me

I can't remember how many times Hubby Tony and I have participated in the Maplewood Coffee Crawl, but today was our day to caffeinate.

There were two tours. Back when we bought the tickets we chose the "Early Riser" one. That turned out to be a good thing, because the local St. Louis University Billikens men's basketball team's game in the NCAA March Madness tournament tipped off at 11:10, and we both wanted to be home by then. (Unfortunately, their opponent was the tournament's number one seed Michigan. The score was close at half time, but ultimately they lost by 23 points.)

The crawl ticket included eight stops. Six of them were giving out coffee or tea samples. Two of them offered coffee-infused treats. The Passport also listed ten businesses that would stamp the document. A completed passport could be turned in for a gift card drawing.

Five years ago: 90 Percent Is Almost There

Discovering The World At Three And A Half Miles Per Hour

After two days of way below average temperatures, things are returning to normal. This morning before my class at the Y I decided to take advantage of the nicer weather by walking outside in the area around the gym.

It was 40 degrees Fahrenheit when I left the house, warm enough for my lightweight winter coat. I drove the normal route towards the gym, but instead of parking in the normal lot I turned early and parked several blocks away. After locking my purse in the car I set out.

I moseyed up and down familiar blocks which I know like the back of my hand from the drivers seat. However, on foot I saw many things differently.

• The first was the wide variety of houses large and small. Some probably dated back to the city's founding in the late 1800s. Others were built in the 1920's and 30's. There was an entire block of mid-century modern ranches. The newest houses were modern tear down/rebuilds.

• As you might expect of an area that had been around for a long time there were a lot of mature yard trees. I never realized just how many were sweet gums until I had to work hard not to trip on the thousands of sweet gum balls on the sidewalks.

• I found a Free Little Art Gallery, which I didn't even know was a thing. The display box had a sign which indicated people could "View Art, Take Art, Leave Art". I filed the site for future reference.

• I passed a house that had a fresh eggs for sale box next to their front porch. I didn't have any money with me, but once again filed the information for future reference. 

• A house close to the Catholic church had a sign in their yard indicating it was one of the 14 stops on a walking Stations of the Cross (a devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth). The sign had a QR code for more information. The code led to a page on the church's website, which I bookmarked to come back to.

Shortly before it was time for my class to start I headed back towards the gym so I could use the bathroom before staking out my spot in the studio. 

Five years ago: Special Simmered Supper

Click To Relax

Have you had a stressful day? Try this website. 

https://relax.rikard.io/

Clicking the Relax button in the middle of the screen leads to rippling water and soothing music. Subsequent mouse motions provide additional water movement. The whole experience is serene and restful. 

In my opinion, the site is best viewed sitting in a comfortable chair with a beverage of your choice next to you. (And a cat or dog to cuddle up with makes it even better.)

Five years ago: At Long Last

No Pi or Pie For Us Today

Every metropolitan area has its unique personality. Today was 314 Day, St. Louis's time to celebrate it. The name comes from the city's original area code, and this year was its 20th anniversary. Many businesses and organizations across the St. Louis area offered deals and events. Hubby Tony and I picked several food-related ones to participate in.

Our first stop was Grace Chicken and Fish, in the suburb of Crestwood. We ordered the day's special, called The Crown Candy. The sandwich started with a thick piece of perfectly-fried chicken, topped with a huge mound of Crown Candy-style bacon topped with tomato bourbon chutney and drizzled with herb aioli, all stacked on slices of Texas toast. 

As it came to the table. (See the chocolate crown in the corner?)

 I tried to pick up the sandwich, but that was impossible until I cut it half.

Quite a handful!

I finished both the sandwich and the chocolate. After we left the restaurant we headed east towards the St. Louis Hills neighborhood of the city for dessert. There were three stops that were within walking distance of each other. The first one was Blueprint Coffee, where we filled our cups with good drip coffee.

The next two were located across a residential street from each other. The first stop was Gooey Louie, where Tony and I each got an individual gooey butter cake and a reusable bag to carry them in. (The dessert was invented in the city in the1930s when a baker accidentally reversed the proportions of butter and flour in a coffee cake recipe.) 

The second stop was Ted Drewes for frozen custard. My plan was to put the custard on top of the cake and eat both together, so I passed on one of their signature concrete sundaes (so thick they can be turned upside down without falling out of the container). However, my stomach said two rich items wouldn't be good for it I ate the excellent plain vanilla custard and saved the cake for tomorrow.

Quintessential St. Louis

Five years ago today: St. Louis Day

Can You Identify?

Earlier this week I learned about the term Generation Jones. According to Wikipedia:

"Generation Jones is the generation or social cohort sandwiched between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. The term was coined in 1999 by American cultural commentator Jonathan Pontell, who has argued that the term refers to a distinct generation born from 1954 to 1965."

I fall into the Generation Jones era, so I was very interested to find this great description of American generational differences on multiple internet and social media sites. However, there is never an author attribution. If you know where it came from please let me know and I will credit accordingly.

Formative Years and Identity

Older Boomers (’46–’54)

• Grew up in post-WWII optimism, economic expansion, and the height of the American Dream.
• Shaped by the civil rights movement, counterculture, Woodstock, and early Vietnam protests.
• Felt they could “change the world.”

Gen Jones (’55–’64)

• Came of age amid economic malaise of the 1970s (stagflation, oil crises).
• Culturally overshadowed by older Boomers but too old to be true Gen X.
• More pragmatic and skeptical — saw the ideals of the ’60s fade into disillusionment.

Politics

Older Boomers

• More likely associated with the liberal wave of the ’60s/early ’70s (anti-war, civil rights, environmentalism).
• They were old enough to vote in the first elections after the voting age dropped to 18 (1972).
• Many shifted conservative with age, but their youth was strongly activist.

Gen Jones

• First presidential election for the oldest of them was 1976 (Carter vs Ford).
• Grew up in a politically cynical era: Watergate, Nixon resignation, Iran hostage crisis.
• A major voting bloc in Reagan’s 1980 “Reagan Democrats” wave.

Military and Draft

Older Boomers

• Directly impacted by the Vietnam draft; draft lottery began in 1969.
• Many served or had peers drafted, and this loomed large over college and career choices.

Gen Jones

• Mostly missed the draft - by the time they came of age, U.S. troops were leaving Vietnam (1973).
• Never faced the same looming personal threat of conscription.

Economy and Jobs

Older Boomers

• Entered the workforce in the 1960s–early 1970s, when jobs were plentiful and wages kept up with cost of living.
• Benefited from the golden age of pensions, strong unions, affordable college.

Gen Jones

• Entered the job market during high unemployment and stagflation (mid-to-late ’70s, early ’80s).
• Fewer “good jobs” waiting; had to compete with a huge Boomer cohort ahead of them.
• More debt-burdened due to rising college costs and higher interest rates.

Housing and Interest Rates

Older Boomers

• Bought homes when housing was far cheaper relative to income.
• Mortgage rates in the ’60s were often 4–6%.

Gen Jones

• Tried to buy homes in the late ’70s/early ’80s during record-high interest rates (peaked near 18% in 1981).
• Priced out of the same advantages older Boomers had.

Culture

Older Boomers

• Beatles, Stones, Motown, Woodstock.
• Defined by the Summer of Love, protests, “make love not war.”

Gen Jones

• Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, disco, punk, MTV.
• Less about idealism, more about realism and personal survival.

Summary

Older Boomers

• Idealistic, draft-affected, politically activist in youth, economic beneficiaries of postwar boom.

Gen Jones

• Cynical/pragmatic, missed the draft, came of age in economic hardship, politically pivotal for Reagan-era conservatism, often felt “left behind” compared to older Boomers.

Five years ago: Love That Popcorn!

Blue Ribbon Bather

Three weeks ago Foster Cat Smokey Joe had his first bath (in the shower).

Since then Wednesday after lunch has been designated as Bath Time. I am happy to report that this very chill cat has taken the whole thing in stride.

This week Hubby Tony was luring him down the hall with treats, but all of a sudden Smokey Joe figured out what was going on. I was able to pick him up and snuggle him against my chest while I carried him into the shower. Tony closed the door behind us, and the process began. After he was released from the shower Smokey Joe walked around the house shaking his legs, then found a spot to sit down and clean himself with his tongue. Eventually the excess water was gone, and he was ready for time on Tony's lap.

 

Five years ago: A Snapshot Of A Day