Basement Project

The main goal yesterday was to sort and consolidate all the stuff we had in the basement. We emptied everything into our gazebo in preparation for our repairs that were completed on Thursday. That is, the repairs to the one leaking hydraulic line. There are still outstanding problems that we need to coordinate with the repair technician.

We did a great job in eliminating some goods that we have been carrying around for the last year and haven't used. They will go to our regular storage unit in Surprise. Other things, like liquids for cleaning, lubricating, etc., were consolidated into single containers. Anyway, the finished job looks like this:

The main objective was to prioritize the remaining goods so that the items we use the most - laundry detergents, tools - are in the front for easy access. I think we are ready for another year.

As we kick off the month of February, I wanted to review the weather stats for January. As you already know, we have set a record for consecutive dry days this winter. Our last measurable rain was on December 20, 2013. We had lots of windy days in January - 24 days where the high gust exceeded 10 mph. The good news is that the temperatures exceeded 70 degrees on 19 days during January. The normal  average high is 67 for January. As much as we enjoy the dry and sunny days, we really do need some rain. Maybe February will allow us to catch up a little bit.

It was 15 years ago today that I had my last cigarette. That's a milestone that I am thankful for and wished it were longer. At the time I quit, I thought that 15 days would be next to impossible, so it can be done. The only time I ever think about them is when we are in casinos at slot machines where the person next to me is smoking - UGH!

Among the activities for today is a trip to the store to stock up on some veggies. Other than that, I expect to watch more of the Phoenix Open on TV and watch some of the hype for the big game tomorrow...