![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Garage-122212.jpg\" "\\"Garage")
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Why is it that the very last thing that needs to be done on any project takes forever to get done?\u00a0 We are waiting on the post covers to come in and get installed.\u00a0 That\u2019s the very last thing that needs to be done and the garage will be done.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a couple of weeks now.\u00a0 Still no covers.\u00a0 A call to Pete D. and he said they would be done last week.\u00a0 Guess not.\u00a0 Only good thing is, Rich doesn\u2019t have to write the big check to Pete and company until it\u2019s done.\u00a0 At least Sally has moved into her new home.<\/p>\n
This spring, Rich will get the place wired for electricity and probably get the heating system installed at the same time.\u00a0 Then it will be dry wall all around.\u00a0 Rick will be learning a new skill while helping us out.\u00a0 I figure he will own a house some day.\u00a0 Everyone should know how to drywall.\u00a0 I\u2019m the good critic of drywalling though.\u00a0 I know when it is done correctly, but I can\u2019t do it myself.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I have a boy for.<\/p>\n
Christmas is fast approaching.\u00a0 Three more days until the wrappings coming off.\u00a0 I\u2019ve completed everything, but buying the last minute food.\u00a0 Rich and I will go tomorrow and buy the Polish sausage and rib roast.\u00a0 There are odds and ends to get as well.\u00a0 We still need rye bread, Kolackies, and other Polish items for dinner.\u00a0 We try to stay traditional with the foods.\u00a0 Christmas is one of the big Polish eating holidays, after all.\u00a0 Sascha might even get to share in some of the goodies.\u00a0 I love Polish eating holidays.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m trying to convince Rich to have Zurek soup for Christmas instead of barley soup.\u00a0 Neither Rick nor I like the barley soup.\u00a0 Wait, don\u2019t tell Busia I said that!\u00a0 Sorry, Busia.\u00a0 I absolutely love Zurek soup and Czarnina.\u00a0 Does that make up for it?\u00a0 For those who don\u2019t know, Czarnina is duck blood soup.\u00a0 I have a great dating story with Rich on how I came to eat that the first time.\u00a0 I never pass it when offered.<\/p>\n
Thursday night, it snowed for the first time this winter.\u00a0 This is the latest date in Chicago history for snow.\u00a0 That\u2019s not a good thing.\u00a0 We really need the moisture and the cold.\u00a0 Last summer had some horrible consequences from the mild winter last year.\u00a0 I\u2019m hoping for a return to normal.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mind the bugs and I want them for the garden, but not by the hoards that we had last year.<\/p>\n
Still, the snow was a lot less than they had been predicting.\u00a0 Originally, we were in the 3 to 7 inch range.\u00a0 They were calling for whiteout conditions.\u00a0 We had the really high winds, but missed the snow.\u00a0 We might have gotten an inch.\u00a0 Most of what was out there was ice from the rain that came through with the storm.\u00a0 There were downed power lines.\u00a0 One even fell on one of the pizza places here and burned it down.<\/p>\n
Sascha seems happy with the colder temps.\u00a0 Still, she doesn\u2019t spend a lot of time outside these days.\u00a0 She seems to prefer the company of her humans inside.\u00a0 Rich took for her a run today.\u00a0 She was so tired when she got back to the house, she was barely walking.\u00a0 Even though she was panting and clearly overly warm, she still wanted in the house.\u00a0 Luckily, I was in the basement wrapping the Michigan presents.\u00a0 She could lay out on the cold concrete and cool down.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s funny to watch Sascha out in the yard.\u00a0 Her entire configuration on the chain has changed because of the garage construction.\u00a0 She can roam further back on the property, but she can no longer get under the deck.\u00a0 I\u2019m thinking she would trade the back of the property for underneath the deck any day.\u00a0 I think she\u2019s been keeping the critter under the deck company.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s still the groundhog or something else that\u2019s moved in.\u00a0 By the time I got out to look at the prints coming from under the deck, Sascha had walked all over them.\u00a0 They could have been anything.<\/p>\n
Rick had a Beltaine night to celebrate that ancient Celtic tradition to welcome the return of longer days and the coming of the sun.\u00a0 They would have had a fire, but the temp prohibited being outside.\u00a0 And they certainly weren\u2019t having it in the house.\u00a0 The temp was 14 and it was extremely windy.\u00a0 Some of the guests came dressed for the weather.\u00a0 I think they were secretly glad not to have to brave the elements.\u00a0 Instead, they put all the food on the bar and played video games.\u00a0 I suggested showing a camp fire on the big screen, but this was shot down as a stupid idea.\u00a0 I thought it was pretty clever.<\/p>\n
It was a quiet week.\u00a0 I realized that I haven\u2019t made my plans for vacation next year.\u00a0 I have ideas, but haven\u2019t finalized anything.\u00a0 Usually, our vacations include camping and I need to reserve cabins wherever we are headed.\u00a0 Jan 2 is the first day to reserve in most locations.\u00a0 Once I decide, I hope they still have openings.\u00a0 Should it be the Smokies and the Outerbanks?\u00a0 Maybe we do a driving tour of a closer state, like Michigan or Indiana?\u00a0 New Orleans for a few days?\u00a0 We\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>