Frodo, I miss you! :)

[HCMarkus]

True dat! Nevertheless, awfully pleasant days recently, eh?

So good to hear from you Frodo. Happy New Year to you and your Shire-mates!

[Frodo]

True dat! Nevertheless, awfully pleasant days recently, eh?

So good to hear from you Frodo. Happy New Year to you and your Shire-mates!

Indeed!

And our fellow friends on the east coast are bracing for a major winter storm. 85 here a couple of days ago. Not bragging, but I must say that I grew up in the Midwest and have had MORE than my share of harsh winters.

Once again--- how 'bout those double fives last month? Congrats, friend. We made it another year!! I don't feel a day over 6!

[BKK-OZ]

Harsh winters, baah...!
Easy to deal with.

Ex-Wisconsin boy here, just lived through 5 days in a row above 40 degrees (Celsius) down here in the land of Oz - about 110F in American speak.

I would take the cold any day over the heat. You can't keep taking clothes off to stay cool, but you can keep putting them on to stay warm.

Good to see you back Mr Frodo, stay warm.

[Shooshie]

Harsh winters, baah...!
Easy to deal with.

Ex-Wisconsin boy here, just lived through 5 days in a row above 40 degrees (Celsius) down here in the land of Oz - about 110F in American speak.

I would take the cold any day over the heat. You can't keep taking clothes off to stay cool, but you can keep putting them on to stay warm.

Good to see you back Mr Frodo, stay warm.

The world's weather is in turmoil. Here in Texas, we've had one of the coldest winters ever. Indeed, the past few years have given us some of our biggest snowfalls and ice storms ever, and yet the average HIGH temperatures of the year continue to break records. Our summers are unbearable. Our winters are unpredictable. The Jet Stream is out of control. Someone summed it up well as "an unattended firehose at full blast." That's the stream of arctic air that blows down and brings this odd winter weather with it. Then in summer we have endless days over 100°, and often over 110°.

Scientists are saying that after a period of wild and unpredictable weather, the cold part will go away, leaving us just hot. Because I was planning to retire at the ranch, which is in a more arid climate, this greatly concerns me. It may not be possible, due to lack of water.

Well, one hopes for solutions.

Shooshie

[Frodo]

Ah-- BKK. I lived in Madison, WI for three years-- born and raised in Chicago (big Packers/Bears conflict of interest there!!) Went to college about 30 miles SW of Cleveland. Hot-cold-wet-dry to the extremes in the Midwest.

But you're in Oz now? It's the height of summer there!! 40c? Are you kidding me? I think you are not!!!

I'm not a fan of high humidity. I can take the heat if the humidity is low. As for cold, I'm good down to 0 or -10 F (-23c). I just remember too many days from my youth trying to get to school when it was -60F (-51c). Those kinds of extremes have no appeal.

But if Shooshie's perspective is to be respected, there is much concern over what the jetstream is doing. There's a drought over here, a blizzard over there, a hurricane, a typhoon, a flood.

Suddenly, Mt. Doom doesn't look so bad!

[HCMarkus]

Can't remember if the Chicagoland roots thing has come up before Frodo, but I, too, was born in the greater Chicago area, in a suburb known as Berwyn. Spent the first 10 years of my existence in Riverside, IL before the family packed it up for L.A. We could have been neighbors!

Although my siblings and I cried real tears when leaving Riverside in the late '60s, I am ever grateful to reside in So Cal, particularly this winter. Like Shooshie, we may have not water come summer, but the weather is awfully enjoyable these days. Its kind of like the Aesop's "The Ant and the Grasshopper, with a weird twist... "Mr. Grasshopper spent all winter playing his violin as the ants worked tirelessly to store water for the hot summer months..."

PS: Speaking of which, I just had an ant crawl across my laptop screen. The succulants are blooming and the flowing pear trees are living up to their name. In mid-January. Mother Nature just doesn't know what to make of this weather!

PPS: Just recorded a wonderful group of young musicians last night. Original jazz, not of the smooth variety. Great dynamics and listening, no punching in, no Antares. So much fun!

[BKK-OZ]

Yah, it has been hot here. Though I didn't hallucinate about Snoopy like this guy playing in the Oz tennis open, I was delirious at times, almost passed out twice just walking in the city. Yuck.

Yes, I lived in Madison too for awhile.

People here in Oz simply don't believe me when I tell them I used to regularly walk to my friend's house - over a lake (during winter of course!).

It absolutely cracks me up when they say here '...it's freezing...!' when it is 15c (~60f). They actually wear parkas on days like that. I always say, '... you think this is cold? well, when I was a boy...'. Then I tell them about walking 15 miles through 20 feet of snow, uphill both ways, just to check the mailbox.

Hmph, and then they don't believe me! But they should, Wisconsin is damn cold, even if I may be exaggerating ever so slightly.

I know we are way off-topic (what the hell was the topic?) but Shooshie and the rest might get even more worried after reading this.
Seems the sun is going quiet.
Uh-oh.

[BKK-OZ]

...Aesop's "The Ant and the Grasshopper...

My take-away from that parable is that every grasshopper needs to find and marry an ant, that way, you can play all summer long and know you will be alright come the winter.

[twistedtom]

Harsh winters, baah...!
Easy to deal with.

Ex-Wisconsin boy here, just lived through 5 days in a row above 40 degrees (Celsius) down here in the land of Oz - about 110F in American speak.

I would take the cold any day over the heat. You can't keep taking clothes off to stay cool, but you can keep putting them on to stay warm.

Good to see you back Mr Frodo, stay warm.

The world's weather is in turmoil. Here in Texas, we've had one of the coldest winters ever. Indeed, the past few years have given us some of our biggest snowfalls and ice storms ever, and yet the average HIGH temperatures of the year continue to break records. Our summers are unbearable. Our winters are unpredictable. The Jet Stream is out of control. Someone summed it up well as "an unattended firehose at full blast." That's the stream of arctic air that blows down and brings this odd winter weather with it. Then in summer we have endless days over 100°, and often over 110°.

Scientists are saying that after a period of wild and unpredictable weather, the cold part will go away, leaving us just hot. Because I was planning to retire at the ranch, which is in a more arid climate, this greatly concerns me. It may not be possible, due to lack of water.

Well, one hopes for solutions.

Shooshie

I just read this in the news;
This winter there was an arctic vortex, from 1900 until recently the cycle of arctic vortexes was every four years, the last arctic vortex was seventeen years ago.

[Tritonemusic]

Can't remember if the Chicagoland roots thing has come up before Frodo, but I, too, was born in the greater Chicago area, in a suburb known as Berwyn. Spent the first 10 years of my existence in Riverside, IL before the family packed it up for L.A. We could have been neighbors!

I knew about Frodo's Chicagoland roots, but I actually went to high school in Berwyn! I wish it weren't so, but it's true. I still live in the burbs around here...gonna be 10 below zero tonight.

[Frodo]

Can't remember if the Chicagoland roots thing has come up before Frodo, but I, too, was born in the greater Chicago area, in a suburb known as Berwyn. Spent the first 10 years of my existence in Riverside, IL before the family packed it up for L.A. We could have been neighbors!

Add to that the fact that we were BORN just a matter of hours apart a few short miles away! My brain just exploded.

Yes, I lived in Madison too for awhile.

What's going on here? I'm starting to think that we Midwesterners may have met without knowing it!!

I knew about Frodo's Chicagoland roots, but I actually went to high school in Berwyn! I wish it weren't so, but it's true. I still live in the burbs around here...gonna be 10 below zero tonight.

Okay. Now I'm blown away. Another Chicago area Motu-ite?

My tribute to Chicago:

From left to right:

Beauregard Burnside III, Chris Goose, Romberg Rabbit, Garfield Goose, Macintosh Mouse, and Frazier Thomas.

Not included in this photo: Momma Goose, Andy Frain (guest host)

[Tritonemusic]

My eyes are tearing up. I'm verklempt.

[Frodo]

Remember these favorites:

Fahey Flynn
PJ Hoff
Harry Volkman
Ned Locke
Harry Porterfield
Lloyd Pettit
Ray Rayner
Bob Bell
Chelveston

Some not from Chicago may or may not know that some heavyweights started there and moved on the higher heights:

Oprah
Phil Donahue
Bill Curtis
Bob Costas
Siskel and Ebert

Hmm-- trying not to get homesick.

Da Bears.

[HCMarkus]

OMG. Clutch Cargo, anyone?

Et tu Tritone? Et tu? Stay warm my friend!

[Frodo]

OMG. Clutch Cargo, anyone?

With Spinner and Paddlefoot!!



Was that the chin of the century, or what? LOL!!

Alto flute and bongos. You know what I'm talking about!!

THIS is a total riot. The Making Of Clutch Cargo.

Et tu Tritone? Et tu? Stay warm my friend!

Warm. Ha!! This is southern California, dude! By Tuesday/Wednesday, it will be 80+ degrees. It's already in the 70s. I'm doing the tank top and cargo shorts routine, and my family in the Midwest is quite displeased with me. LOL!!

Chicago weather:

Sunday-- 30 degrees with a chance 1-3" of snow
Monday-- 0 with wind chills down to -16

LA weather? CLICK ME!!

I am so *here*!