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Post by Kapitan on Sept 26, 2023 12:05:24 GMT
It's officially fall (though I've been reading ads for "pumpkin spice season" for months).
In Minnesota, you never know when fall will arrive or how long it will last. Sometimes we more or less skip it altogether. (The same goes for spring.) And this has been an odd lead-in already. Our leaves have been turning colors and even falling for a couple weeks already: my backyard is probably 25% covered in my neighbor's giant tree's fallen leaves.
But temps have been warm and dry, mostly in the 80s--at least until this past weekend and yesterday, in which we suddenly had more rain than we've had all summer put together. (Don't get excited: that's just a few inches. It's just that we'd had so little previously.)
If I had my way (which reliable sources tell me I most certainly should not expect), we'd have a solid three months of moderate-to-cool temps, but no snow. Maybe 60s and 50s through the rest of September and October, a bit chillier in November and early December, before we get the inevitable winter ahead. But history says we'll probably have warm-to-hot days for a while yet (and we are in the 80s the rest of this week) and then our first snow by mid-October. Such is life in this part of the country.
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Post by kds on Sept 26, 2023 17:20:34 GMT
Fall didn't just arrive this year. It kicked down the door.
We went from highs near 80, so highs in the 60s instantly. I should also add that we're in Day 4 of Fall, and the sun has yet to come out. But, this is not unusual for Maryland. I always say all the Fall lovers around here love the "idea" of Fall more than the version of the season we get.
Although, we will have a warming trend just in time for the start of October.
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Post by kds on Oct 1, 2023 14:23:35 GMT
Ah, Maryland weather. After a mostly gray, cloudy, and somewhat cool first week of Fall, the first of October will see highs in the low 80s. It'll be this way until Wednesday before we head back to typical Fall temps next weekend.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 1, 2023 14:26:13 GMT
It's been abnormally hot here, in the mid-to-high 80s the past few days. Today the Twin Cities Marathon was canceled because it might hit 90 in Minneapolis. While I had scheduled my little getaway for late September and early October in the hopes of chilly fall weather, it has been rather summerish. It's bizarre seeing the fall foliage, mostly already different shades of yellows, reds, oranges, and browns, in conjunction with such hot weather, though.
Meanwhile, the forecast shows we might approach freezing temps overnight in the coming week. That's typical Minnesota for you, going from 90 to 35 in the span of a couple of days.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 6, 2023 12:36:56 GMT
After a week in the mid-80s (and even record-high temps of 95 on both Oct. 1 and 2, it's in the 40s now, and we may have a frost overnight. Fall has been officially here for a couple weeks, the reality of it is sinking in. I think short-and-tshirt weather is just about over, even for me. (I tolerate and even enjoy cooler weather than most, although not cold.)
The leaves are probably only about 40% on the ground, but it's enough to make it look like I ought to rake. I'm holding off until more fall, though. I hate doing it, and don't want to do it multiple times if I can avoid it.
On the positive side, it finally feels like football weather to me!
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Post by kds on Oct 19, 2023 3:15:28 GMT
Well, so far this Fall, we've had rain just about every weekend. My son's been to the pediatrician three times (he's prone to colds becoming Strep). And, I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow to see about this cough I've had for nearly three weeks.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 19, 2023 11:23:29 GMT
I actually canceled dinner with a friend earlier this week because of a cold, and I was thinking it might be the first (certainly one of the first) real colds I've had since covid hit three and a half years ago. It hasn't been bad, and honestly pre-covid it would not have stopped me from going out. Just the sort of miserable, mucus-filled, coughing-and-sneezing cold that a person gets sometimes. But like a lot of people, I have become more conscious of spreading those sorts of things.
The weather has been nice, mostly, though. Yes, we've had more rain, but we desperately needed it (and could still use more). While a few days and especially overnights have been cold, we've had plenty of 60s and high 50s for highs, which for us at this time of year is all you could reasonable ask for.
I'm just trying to soak it all in and enjoy it before the winter comes.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Oct 19, 2023 12:17:59 GMT
I bought a bunch of green giant arborvitae trees on clearance last Saturday to eventually block the new luxury homes going up behind my property. I was hoping to put them in the ground the next day, but we had some surprise rain. Ever since we've either had rain or once I get home from the office, there's not enough daylight to do any work. I'm working from home today and tomorrow, but of course it's going to rain both days. I really need to get them planted so they can establish themselves before the freezing temps arrive. The weekend looks clear, so fingers crossed...
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Post by kds on Oct 19, 2023 15:16:34 GMT
I'm pretty much past the point where I'll let a cold alter my plans. With a kid bringing home all sorts of crud, I'm a little more prone to getting them. I feel like I still need to build up my immunity to what it was Pre COVID where I might get one or two colds a year. I think I'm on my third one since late August.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Oct 19, 2023 15:44:22 GMT
I'm pretty much past the point where I'll let a cold alter my plans. With a kid bringing home all sorts of crud, I'm a little more prone to getting them. I feel like I still need to build up my immunity to what it was Pre COVID where I might get one or two colds a year. I think I'm on my third one since late August. That's what I dread most about having kid someday (aside from the financial aspect). Getting sick too often, or at least someone in the house seemingly sick most of the year.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 19, 2023 15:52:59 GMT
I'm pretty much past the point where I'll let a cold alter my plans. With a kid bringing home all sorts of crud, I'm a little more prone to getting them. I feel like I still need to build up my immunity to what it was Pre COVID where I might get one or two colds a year. I think I'm on my third one since late August. That's what I dread most about having kid someday (aside from the financial aspect). Getting sick too often, or at least someone in the house seemingly sick most of the year. One of my direct reports has one kid--just one!--and he used to come into the office with what seemed like one big, long case of the flu or a cold every single year, lasting from roughly September to April. I'm not even a germophobe, but I used to despise having to listen to the hacking, snorting, sneezing, and such, and being in meeting-rooms or offices with him. That's a big plus of remote work, I can tell you that. Meanwhile my other direct report and I, both childless, were basically always healthy. It took me a little while to realize the reason. But yes, for all of their benefits, little kids (and schools) are definitely germ factories!
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Post by kds on Oct 19, 2023 17:55:14 GMT
I'm pretty much past the point where I'll let a cold alter my plans. With a kid bringing home all sorts of crud, I'm a little more prone to getting them. I feel like I still need to build up my immunity to what it was Pre COVID where I might get one or two colds a year. I think I'm on my third one since late August. That's what I dread most about having kid someday (aside from the financial aspect). Getting sick too often, or at least someone in the house seemingly sick most of the year. It can be rough. Although, I think those years of masks and social distancing really screwed with our immune systems. I was hoping last year's return to relative normalcy would reboot them, but we're not off to a great start.
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Post by carllove on Oct 19, 2023 20:36:52 GMT
Well, so far this Fall, we've had rain just about every weekend. My son's been to the pediatrician three times (he's prone to colds becoming Strep). And, I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow to see about this cough I've had for nearly three weeks. After a month of suffering with a sinus infection, I finally went to the doctor and now am taking Augmentin for the infection and some kind of steroid for the cough. Between the two meds. I've lost five pounds in a little over a week. The steroids make me feel what I imagine it must be like to be on crack, and I wonder if my intestines will ever be the same because of the antibiotics. I am sleeping well, because I can breathe again at night, but I can't take the steroid after noon or I'm running around in circles at 9 at night. Meanwhile, the weather has been beautiful. Finally cool enough at night to use the firepit. My husband made chicken and noodles this weekend. I bought the last two bags of Reames Egg noodles at Walmart last Friday after work. Everyone had the same idea evidently!
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Post by kds on Oct 20, 2023 3:15:38 GMT
Augmentin is rough on the stomach. I think I was on it when I got Strep four or five years ago.
We haven't lit the firepit yet this Fall. That's something we'll have to do soon.
My wife did use the old Crockpot for the first time. She made a huge batch of beef stew. We wound up having it for dinner every night this week. Sounds boring, but its nice to not have to worry about meal prep.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 20, 2023 10:49:35 GMT
My wife did use the old Crockpot for the first time. She made a huge batch of beef stew. We wound up having it for dinner every night this week. Sounds boring, but its nice to not have to worry about meal prep. That's one of the best parts of fall and winter, I think: big pots of soup or stew, roasts, casseroles, and other comfort foods.
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