Still here.

This was supposed to have gone at the end of this post, but it did not. So...I guess we will lead with it. After gym, Tim likes to go to Burger King. It seems counter to my own goals, so I walk across the street to the Goodwill. Today I thought to look for a couple extra pair of sweatpants to give myself the luxury of doing laundry once a week instead of twice a week. I found what I needed in fairly short order. As I waited to check out, I saw this. It was ridiculous and unnecessary.

But I just loved it. 

As our Miss Merry would say, "I accidently brought it home."

 It is snowing again. 25°, which isn't awful but it is still below freezing. It has not risen above freezing for over 3 weeks now. This weekend  is supposed to be especially brutal. One night is supposed to be -8°. Once we get through that, though, we will finally get a break. Temperatures in the 30s and even the 40s. 

Hallelujah.

It has been quiet here. Locally, anyway. The shit show rages on in the highest echelons, of course. 

I feel like I am holding my breath. Liam and his father released. DHS wants to take them back in custody and quickly deport them.

Intake of breath.

There were enough votes to force the Republicans to remove the long term funding of DHS. Once this was off the table, the budget was agreed to, which allowed the end of the government shutdown.

Good news.

DHS only has funding until Feb 13th.

To get a yes vote, there are 10 safeguards being requested to rein in ICE.

Democrats outline demands to Republicans to rein in ICE 

 https://share.google/ICIDHNQps972VEs42

Will it hold? Will they cave to pressure? Once again, I am holding my breath.

While there is plenty to cheer: 

Minnesota does not disappoint. Bonnie from Minneapolis sent me a beautiful accounting on events. It needs to be copied an pasted here, but I can't seem to be able to do it. I need to get myself to the library. I have not managed this. Hopefully tomorrow when I go to town to protest.

It is a busy weekend: after the protest, I have to get home to make cinnamon rolls. We have a fundraiser Saturday night. Sunday after gym, we are headed out with those cinnamon rolls to have dinner with friends followed by the Superbowl. 

(As usual, I cannot possibly be less interested in the game.)

This afternoon was spent chopping 3 quarts of bell peppers. Unbelievably they were $1.99 each which made me quite sure we would be doing without. When I saw a basket of past-their-prime peppers at 2 for a dollar. I snapped of 8 of those for the freezer. I slice some for fajitas and stir fries and chop some for regular cooking. 

Milk generally costs $5 a gallon or thereabouts, but since we were in New York state, we stopped and  bought milk.  Their state subsidizes it, to make it affordable for the poor. It is half the price we pay here. I brought 3 gallons and for the first time in a long time, made homemade yogurt.