When one is acclimated to the weather.

Shoveling paths for the whippets in the backyard. About noon today. A nearly tropical 36F. Hat, sunglasses, hoodie, bare hands, snow boots, and most importantly shorts.



I had considered wearing my sandals for a minute, but sometimes the snow comes back over the shovel onto my toesies.

Had the sun been out, like it was a coupla days ago at 23F, while doing poop patrol, I wouldn't have even needed the hoodie.

I thought SANTA had elves for that job.

Getting acclimated is key. Physical activity like shoveling heavy snow generates a lot more body heat than usual, also.

Glorious beard Geno, glorious.



My SIL from central Cali was commenting yesterday that it was 'freezing' cold outside. It was in the 20's, calm, pretty nice for mid-December.

I said just wait a couple weeks my girl and you WILL be freezing your ass off on those outdoor cig breaks!


3F this morning, I tried out a new Carhartt coat...

Weren't no heavy snow.. I sorta wish it was. 2" max and I was pushing it along quite well for an old geezer.

We NEED heavy snow though, as much as I hate shoveling it. We're way behind on water this year. Couple of more snowfalls like yesterday's and today's are certainly welcome though. Might actually get a bit more this week.

You're right though, acclimation is the key. Just like when I lived in the HOT desert. Mowing lawns when it was "only" 104 after dropping from around 116F earlier in the day was pleasurable.

Used to be able to walk to the car and back barefoot in the snow.
Still don't mind the cold.

But now, it hurts. Bad.

Little fuggers, it's 2020 and we can no longer work them like we used to. Pain in the ass getting all those presents done by Dec 1 so they can have their mandated month vacation. I made it easier, I just added more people to the "Naughty" side of the ledger. Less presents to make that way. Fuggin' kids nowadays are little bastids anyways.

The whippets need paths?............

As long as I can keep my feet off the cold ground I do alright.

A couple of weeks back , Nov 19 the camera says, when I left in the AM to get the studded tires swapped onto the truck. I think it was 23F or so that morning, but going up to near 50 later, No need for real shoes then, right?

Well, not really. But I'm nice to them. Our 12 year old girl kinda likes them especially. The boys could GAS most days, even Dandee when he was only a few months old:



He's a year old now and just goes out and plays in it alone....................because it's snow.............and he's a puppy

Dude, like the shirt I almost bought the other day (if it had a pocket it would be mine!)

Take Vitamin D supplements.....lots of ‘em

We get a LOT of sun here. And at elevation there's even more rays than at sea level. I usually don't take them as I'm outside in the sun almost every day.

Still wearing shorts to work, but if I'm out long the knees complain.

Are they Crocks. I have leather strapped ones.

They suck in snow. Slippery as heck.

My old pair are worn smooth, walking in snow with them is like
standing in sour owl schitz.

No Crocs here. I can't stand plastic on my feet, they sweat bad enough in unlined leather boots. The sandals are a style of Tevas the fuggers have discontinued. Their improved V.2 doesn't fit the same and has a different footbed. Their website has many comments like "I wish they'd bring back the originals" or "The new style sucks, give me the old ones again"

Corporate decision makers no doubt. Newest greatest style BS, we know what's better for you.

I think these are water/hiking use rated so their not as bad as some in the snow. I've mostly worn down the siping and stuff on them though. Trying to make it until next spring when the stores around here will have the new selections from all makers. Dang stores up here don't think like I do, they think sandals are a seasonal item or some crap.

My trouble is after the work is done and I'm still outside. When I'm tired, I get cold. That's when the heated vest is NICE. That and some nice wool socks inside my Crocs.

Wool socks inside Crocs. Now your just being humorous!

I understand the being tired and getting cold though, and I'm very happy there's a woodstove going inside at this time of year!

Understand the Corporate gripe.

I have real wide toes, they are flat across, not tapered.

Red wing makes a wide King Toe boot, the first hard toe I
ever found that to fit my whole foot.

A 6" boot, it's their #1 selling boot.

Frayed my Achilles, ignored the pain for over a year.
When I finally saw a doc, it had a big knot of scar tissue,
which was kept inflamed by my boot.

Well they make an oxford just like the boot, only shorter.
Wore them for several years, one year per pair.

Now they are discontinued. And mine are shot.

And I can not find a single hard toe anything to fit.
We use a shoe store that specializes in work shoes of all types and fitting them.
Thoroughgood,
Adidas
Red wing
Sketcher
Keene
New Balance
Wolverine

And more. Not a single dam thing to fit my f'd up hoof.

Tempting to skip the steel toe, but it's too much risk.
Just the other day a steel bar dropped and caught the rear edge of my
steel toe. Cut the leather between it and the toe, bruised my foot.

Without the steel...

Sam, she must be in the hills of central Cali, here at 50 ft elevation it's barely frosted the last 2 weeks, finally got some rain to set the Triticale groundcover.

Funny on the Santa reference, I had the same thought, especially with the shorts, lol

I need to find the old Sacramento dog races booklet I found from Grandpa, he used to raise Greyhounds, whippets and later GSP's when I was around. The booklet I believe was from 1932.

What size foot?

I have wide feet too. And prefer a wide toe box. Had to wear hard toes for work the last 8 or so years before I retired.

I had a pair of Justin pull ons, in wide that were pretty good. The other ones I found comfortable enough, and they might work with your tendon issue is a steel toed romeo by Georgia Boot. I wear a 9.5 or maybe a 10 but usually have to go to 10.5 or bigger for my feet to feel comfortable. The sandals are 11 or 12 I think as those things always run narrow.

I just looked, the romeos are 10.5W. They're yours if you can fit in them. Been resoled with Vibrams too. Tops are in great shape, the bottoms wore out fast on steel decks with non-skid on them.

Okay.....thats not what I imagined Geno looking like.


At all.

That would be a hoot to see if you can find that booklet.

I think Sam's sister in law is up visiting him. He's having a bit of a warm spell at 20F or so. Reached a whopping 36 or something here today. Clouds are keeping the heat in somewhat. Was 7F here the other morning at the airport, with that lovely ice fog too:

What the heck were you expecting?

Some skinny little old man?

No.........maybe?

You've seen my food posts, no way would I be skinny. I love to eat too much. Even vegetables and salad can make one fat if you eat enough of them!

For some reason...you sounded a little taller on radio.....

jActually, no. These Crocs are so darn comfortable that I wear them year round except in the snow. When it's cold but still above about 25, I do wear wool socks with them. They're plenty warm and very comfortable. Ah, it's nice being retired.

I wouldn't have expected the ZZ top beard, it suits you Geno rock on.

I could probably like them for their comfort, but they really do make my feet sweat.

you are a comic in your other life right?

I mean besides the band thing on occasion you do stand up too?

And when you stand up, everyone notices?

Salty, Salty, Salty.

That is not even close to a ZZ beard. I even trimmed and inch or so last week as it was getting longer on one side than the other.

This is more like a real beard. Jan '17, below 0F if I recall.

11 i think.
Not actually a wide foot, just need wide toe box.

I need to look at Justin's or Georgia.
Used to wear Georgia loggers, but something changed in my
feet and they don't work any more.

Thanks for the offer.
If I can't find some to try, I'll get back to you.

I won't even think of ordering boots, unless it is something thats a direct replacement.
We used to order boots at work.
Glad I didn't have to pay the shipping, never found a pair.

Order two pair, "Next size up?"
"We don't make it any bigger/wider...."

(&%#@!×××&*&===%!!!

How odd! No BS earlier this evening headed out from downtown for home I thought back and couldn't recall ever seeing an image of bre'r Geno. Conjured one up in my head while on autopilot on 93N. I had you in Ray Bans, Hawaiian shirt, camo boonie, flip flops. Your beard was shorter and darker and you had a ponytail. You had a bigger gut, too. Great to finally have a face to go with a guy who I've always liked and thought highly of. Grazie e semra buono, paisano!

Oh, I understand. Which is why I'm upset with Teva. If they still made that style I'd just order online as there are few stores within a 3 hr drive that carry any sandals whatsoever.

I've ordered a couple of sets of shoes and had to send them back. A real shoe store is much more to my liking.

I feel like one of the guys in Saving Private Ryan when he tells the boys that he was a teacher of literature or writing composition or whatever...;)

Yeah, I'd like one a them Red Ryder BB guns with the compass in the stock for Christmas.

Geno's goin' all Mackay Sagebrush on us. Secret agent man.

Oh, there's still a ponytail there bro. Goes down a few inches past my shoulders now. A couple years back though it went down to my belt. Cut it mostly off for "spiritual reasons". Years ago I was visiting San Xavier del Bac mission down by Tucson. There's a "saint" there that folks make offerings to, and while I'm not big on those type of things "just for fun" I made an offering of my ponytail if a relative would get some relief from a condition they had, never really expecting much to come of it. A few years later I found out they got that relief, so the next time I was near enough and had time I had to honor my promise. I was hunting in AZ a few years back and had a little extra time so I made the drive down. Whacked the ponytail off right there in the parking lot with my pocket knife if I recall. You can see my "tail" over on the left side of the "saint". I don't really believe in these things, but I also don't take chances like putting hats on beds or spilling salt without taking the proper measures. Wee mother would not like me pissing off the Saint by not honoring my promise.



No longer wear Ray Bans, I like my felony glasses now.

Mostly go around in t shirts and shorts, a wool shirt over that in winter. Usually a ball cap or fedora of some type, or a shade hat in the summer. Wear a couple of straw "cowboy" hats at times too.

Flip flops suck, can't stand anything between my toes.

Early version Geno with Ray Bans, gray hat and jacket on the right.

We stopped by that mission a few years back on a trip to Karchner Caverns, the wife had never seen it. I went to High School in Tempe our choir sang in the chapel, great acoustics.

It's a hell of a beautiful place.

It’s a lot different when your hold still in a tree stand waiting on a big buck to show up.

Love it. You remind me of one of the mercenary types a la The Wild Geese or The Dogs of War in that shot. Maybe even one of the Col. Kurtz converts in Apocalypse Now...

Yep,
there's a thread going on now about privacy. I do a bit to try to protect mine. Somewhat.

I'm not as good as Mackay though,

and don't have the same reasons as he does no doubt.

Ha ha. Milsurp hat, milsurp ( or "appropriated" by a friend's father") USN canvas firefighter jacket with a wool lining and the snap over metal clasps we used to have on jackets when I was kid. the easy to use with gloves kind that I never seen anymore.

we were an interesting Explorer post. Dude on the left with the beret drove a VW Thing. Guy next to him is my old man. Mrs Hall trying to keep her hair nice. Dude next to me I'm still in contact with. Just heard from him last month. Sent me a pic from in front of his folks house with my old '54 Chevy 2Dr coupe. I climbed Mt Rainier with him and another friend we're still in touch with back in'74.

Maybe that's why I can tolerate cold? The fuggers we went with, guys from the local Boy Scout council there in WA, made me get out of the igloo in a whiteout to smoke a cigarette. Can you imagine that?

LOL, when I was an Explorer we couldn't drink Hamms.
I was pretty shaggy back in the 70s as well.

You got your seeding done just in time!

Sexy BEAST, you are Geno.

Hide the wimminz!

You and I have a very different idea as to what "tropical" is, tomorrow is going to be a wee bit tropical at 38 Celsius...pretty sure my version is closer to the truth.

Valsdad,

That beard affords a man an extra sentence or two.

Merry Christmas.


Clark


PS-You wordy fugk.