fitbit Tyranny + Table-Turning Temp Challenge + Lay Off our President!

fitbit Friday

fitbit Update

After slumping the previous two days, I achieved fitbit's tyrannically imposed goal of 10,000 steps/day yesterday (2/18), when I achieved 10,700 steps during my end-of-the-day walk w/Sammy. My ordeal did include having to add one additional block to my pre-planned journey, then back-tracking to 18th street in order to achieve what has been an elusive mark * lately. Yesterday's achievement was made relatively easier by the mild weather we are suddenly experiencing. [More on that below.] It was 44 degrees at 9:00p, when we took our stroll last night. 
      I had planned a longer walk this morning but was thwarted by my animal's obtuse behavior. [More on that below, too.] My daily walks have become more important, since I am scheduled to have a hip replacement on TUE 3/15. [Don't expect more on that . . . at least not yet.]
* No relation to my brother.

Table-Turning Temp Challenge

Based on Wunderground's web site at 8:09a (CST), here are today's official rankings:

• #1, BALMIEST LECKBAND'S, Lincoln, NE, 49.3/wind chill 49
• #2, Garrison, IA, 46.8/40
• #3, Beatrice, NE, 46/40
• #4, Norfolk, NE, 42.8/36
• #5, Eagan, MN, 38.5/38
• #6, Ventura, IA, 39.2/36

Notes

• First, notice that I've turned the tables this morning, ranking by warmest temperatures. I thought this would be a nice change, given my most recent results based on arctic temps. So, congratulations, Worley's. Sorry, Brott's. Must be disappointing.
• If you skip hurriedly straight to the rankings, you may not have noticed that I drew my results from the Wunderground web site instead of the NOAA's. That's because I got a different look when I booted up the government's web site this morning; I started w/searching for Eagan, MN [I almost always search from north to south.]; & it kept telling me that Eagan, MN, was nowhere to be found. I was skeptical. I may stick w/the new web site if for no other reason than it gives the current temperature with an added tenth-of-a-degree accuracy.
• Finally, kudos to Texas. Lois showed me a dashboard temp reading from David or Carmen's vehicle in Wichita Falls yesterday. If I remember correctly, it registered over 80 degrees. I checked this morning, & the results were 55/no wc. However, my crack team of temp consultants were adamant . . . no listing in the rankings today, because we know of no one in that clan who is celebrating any type of birthday or anniversary today. Sorry.

Dog Owner's Laments

• Previous to this morning's stroll, the last two times Sammy & I have encountered another beast of the canine species in close proximity, he has handled the situation quite admirably & benefited accordingly. * This morning, sad to say, we encountered a lady walking a small poodle on the opposite side of Skyline Drive [the street we live on]. Despite my best efforts--seeing them in advance, bending over & talking to him in a firm but gentle voice, waving a doggie treat in front of his face--he would not sit for me. Although he gladly accepted the doggie treat as the enemy approached our proximity, he never took his eyes off them. As soon as he had snarfed down the delicacy, he immediately started to snarl & strain at his harness. I felt betrayed, snarled back at him for most of the remainder of our walk, which I cut short, & did NOT give him another treat when we got back to the house, which I usually do.
• When we let Sammy outside into the backyard--especially lately when the backyard includes melting snow piles & residual mud--inevitably he chases squirrels, does his business [if you catch my drift **], then returns to the door, urgently jumping & leaping to get back in. Naturally, his paws & undersides are wet & muddy and need to be dried & wiped off. He already knows how to sit, so I've been (a) insisting that he sit by sharply voicing that command; then (b) saying, authoritatively, "lay down," followed by "roll over," so I can finish with his paws, then dry off his underside. As I dry him off, I give him a doggie treat & lavishly praise him before letting him get back on his feet ***. Does this sound like a plan? It can be a struggle to get him to stay in a sitting position, a huge struggle to get him to lay down, & a herculean struggle to get him to roll over. I encourage your replies.

* He follows my command to sit, does not bark, snap, growl, & receives a doggie treat for his good behavior.
** Hey, I think I made a joke w/o even trying . . . "drift" . . . "snow" . . . get it? Never mind.
*** OK, "paws." Sheesh.

Political TUE . . . on FRI

From Omaha World Herald (2/18/16):  "President to pay respects at court, won't attend funeral. President Barack Obama & first lady Michelle Obama will visit the Supreme Court on FRI to pay their respects as Justice Antonin Scalia lies in repose but won't attend Scalia's funeral."

• [I have read & seen many harsh comments in conservative commentaries & posted on Facebook & other social media sites. I say, "Knock it off!"
• You may be surprised at my remark, given that I'm usually not shy about my partisanship, but I say, "Cut our POTUS & our First Lady some slack."
• They are undoubtedly busy packing & planning for one of our two newest BFF''s, Cuba.] *

* Would you like to know who I think the other one of our two newest BFF's is? I'll give you a hint. **
** It rhymes with EAR DAWN.

There Is No Place Like . . . 

Iowa?

Also from OWH (2/19):  "Police chief disciplined for creating lewd images.  The police chief in the western Iowa city of Denison has been disciplined for creating lewd images that ended up on the department's shared computer drive, officials said. " [I can neither confirm nor deny that his planned presentation at the local high school re:  "Beware of Recklessless on the 'Net" has been postponed.]

Also from OWH (2/19):  "Search for design that depicts IA's effigy mounds confounds. Maybe it's time for Jack Lew to just flip a coin. After months of delay, the U.S. Treasury secretary now has two very different design recommendations on his desk for a new quarter honoring Iowa's effigy mounds. Figuring out what to engrave on a piece of nickel & copper less than 1" in diameter hardly seems like the biggest dilemma facing the nation. But picking an image for this particular currency has bedeviled two federal panels charged w/reviewing new coins."  [I tried in vain to find a link, so you could view the designs of the Effigy Mounds in questions. Suffice it to say that, in my opinion, both of the final choices look like animal crackers to me. I'm just saying'.]