Good morning!!!!

[kenmbz]

Rich, glad you're back with us.
Rick, glad the fryday went well, a little too far for a road trip right now
PJS , sorry about your wife's cousin, hope he's not too injured

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and I hope everyone has a great time.

 

[daugen]

wow, lot going on...
DFTodd, congrats on new grandson.
Rich, 3 weeks in hospital eating that awful food is challenging enough...what an experience you have been through.
Hope all the symptoms go totally away and lots of prayers sent your way on top of those already sent.
As another member of the 3 week club this year, sure know it feels good to get out of there.

light drizzle has started, heavier rains later, pretty warm and pleasant out right now.
The drill bit I ordered to drill into ground near graveled driveway for snow plowing markers came in, so
while ground was soft, I redrilled all the holes so the markers won't fall over. Cleaned out the garage and left the car
outside to get Mother Nature's car wash tonight.

Popgadget was out making bakery deliveries and stopped by for a few minutes. Unfortunately I had to be unsocial and leave promptly
for my MIL's home, where she made me a nice lunch and we got caught up for the holidays. Thank you Paul, I know what will welcome me with morning
coffee tomorrow.

Another old friend stopping over later today, in the rain likely, also making deliveries. Then it's all done.

Ho ho ho

 

[daugen]

it probably means I'll never have another tree fall on me for now on in, but
I gave myself a Christmas present of a new Makita cordless chain saw, the one with the 4 battery combo and
double battery charger, like several others have here. Which means bar and chain oil, nose sprocket grease gun and a spare
chain. I looked at a well rated Black & Decker alternative for half the price, but didn't want to get into another battery system and I can use
the extra batteries.

The alternative was an EGO so I could use the batteries in a cordless snow blower, but decided I'd get a corded Snow Joe or similar snow blower at some point.
Short straight driveway with power at the starting point in garage. Good quality heavy gauge 100 amp extension cord will get the job done, have used them
in the past and they are remarkably reliable. My back hurts now from shoveling the gravel out of the grass off the side of the driveway where the plow left it.
Somewhat unavoidable, unless one uses a snowblower you can adjust say a full inch off the ground/gravel. Last Christmas I bought a new electric snow blower and never had
to use it. It got sold, so need to replace it with something. Unlike NC, it really does snow here...

The nice thing about electric tools is they can sit in storage for a year or two without use and reliably be used.
Particularly corded tools, seems to define reliability.

 

[Rich B1]

Rich, thanks for the detailed write up. So sorry you had to go thru all that. Which hospital by the way? My BIL and sister were both in Cambridge with their COVID.
Wish all my FB friends who still joke about COVID and complain about masks could read what you went thru.
Prayers for your continued recovery.

Cleveland Clinic in Dover.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

The nice thing about electric tools is they can sit in storage for a year or two without use and reliably be used.
Particularly corded tools, seems to define reliability.

Welcome to the Makita chainsaw club, Drew! Another ChaChing for PopGadget!

If the Makita batteries don't get used regularly, and you let them self discharge all the way, they do degrade. At some point the charger will no longer work on them and they'll throw an error; one of the batteries the neighbor gave me was at that stage. I agree that if you want reliability, corded tools are the way to go. Same with power; the battery powered wonders just aren't there yet. But they sure are convenient; my M-saw is waiting out in the side-by-side to use while I'm splitting wood. I always seem to buck some pieces too long, and when they get to the stove I have to run 'em back outside into the garage to trim them down. This time around, I'll do it before they're split and save myself some work.

 

[Bird]

On hospitals. When you are sleeping peacefully at 3 A.M. they will come into your room, wake you up to give you a sleeping pill.

I think that's been told as a joke by many people, but I actually had it happen once in the hospital, so I'm sure it's happened to others. When that nurse woke me to take a pill, I asked her, "What is it?" and when she said, "A sleeping pill" I said, "You've got to be kidding" and when she said, "No" I told her "Get out of here" and I turned over and went back to sleep.

 

[Rich B1]

No hospital food for me Drew, I never ate anything solid other than jello. I was on strict 渡othing by mouth order for most of my stay. I was allowed ice chips and ice water as part of waking up my stomach late last week, then 田lear liquids? then full liquids, which at least had purreed vegetable and chicken noodle soup. Close to solids I got. First solids were when I got home.

 

[sodamo]

Dftodd, congrats on new Grandson. Merry Christmas

 

[check]

Wow, Rich, what a story! I had no idea all that stuff could happen from Covid. It seems like we have a lot more to be nervous about than we thought. Good for you for surviving!:thumbsup:

 

[daugen]

I think that's been told as a joke by many people, but I actually had it happen once in the hospital, so I'm sure it's happened to others. When that nurse woke me to take a pill, I asked her, "What is it?" and when she said, "A sleeping pill" I said, "You've got to be kidding" and when she said, "No" I told her "Get out of here" and I turned over and went back to sleep.

the prescription for the sleeping pill was undoubtedly written "as needed".
speaks for itself...