Getting back to real life

While I spent much of the day on New Year's watching football and a movie (!), the rest of the week has been spent doing housework. Who would have thought in 2020, we wouldn't have a robot maid like the Jetsons that would keep the house clean and tidy?  I guess I'm my own Rosie.  

Yes, I watched a movie and it was a waste of time.  Inglorious Basterds was about an elite group of fighters in WWII, a young Jewish woman who escapes the Nazis, and a German actress who operates as an underground agent for the Allies.  Spoiler alert - I don't believe any of it is factual or if it is, Tarantino took licence with the characters and the plot.  For example, in the late stages of the movie, four senior Nazi officials supposedly die in a fire, but of course that didn't happen.  Would that they had, as it would may have ended the war much sooner.  

I did manage to get out for a walk though.  With the temperature hovering at the freezing mark and little wind it was a lovely day to be out in the fresh air.  While it's not clear in the photo, some residents of the condo unit have cleared a skating rink on the pond.  Someone had to have played hockey as there were goals on either end.  I'd be too afraid to go out on the ice but I'm sure someone had fun!  I believe my fear is the result of my Dad losing control of our station wagon when I was about 7 or 8.  We ended up on the ice on the neighbour's slough.  Dad left us (three children) in the backseat while he walked to the house several hundred meters away.  I don't recall much but I do know I was afraid the car would break through the ice before he got back.  It didn't and Victor pulled us out with his tractor, but I've never entirely gotten over my fear. 

While it's been just a few days since New Year's Day but I feel like it's been much longer.  Not that I haven't been busy because I certainly have been.  More so, because I'm back to a more regular routine.  The cats ensure I'm awake no later than 7 a.m. and most days earlier.  Their internal alarm clocks are amazing, especially since, once they've eaten, they spend the rest of the day napping.  I'd be happy if they'd give me an extra half hour in the morning, but that's not happening.

Back to the housework.  In addition to the regular chores, I've started my de-cluttering; thus far the kitchen, the linen closet, and my bedroom dresser have been gone through, sorted, with some things ending up in the trash, others in the donation pile, and the rest tidied up and put away.  I just went through this exercise last February and March, and yet I'm still finding things to get rid of, though not nearly as much as last years round.  There are two small bags of clothing to be donated, as well as a few kitchen items.  Some ratty towels have been relegated to the rag pile.  My goal is to finish the entire house by the end of January.  

C wasn't feeling well Friday evening, so our dinner was postponed.  We got together instead on Saturday evening. It's always a pleasant visit as we never run out of things to talk about.

Today I'm watching junior hockey.  Our Canadian team has made it into the gold medal game, hooray!  They'll be playing Russia, a team that  beat us earlier in the tournament 6-0.  Yikes!  But since a change in goaltender Canada has won every game.  So perhaps they've found the winning formula.  Currently, the Sweden and Finland are playing in the bronze medal game. Both are very good teams and a interesting game to watch.  I have to say, watching the juniors is more exciting than the NHL.  These kids play hard!
Finally, before I forget, I thought I'd share my experience using the Instant Pot as a slow cooker.  Jackie mentioned in the comments that it doesn't work well, and she was definitely right.  While the chili did cook, after 6 hours it wasn't very hot so I switched to a pressure cooker and gave it 4 minutes.  Much better!  What I did like was how quickly it cleaned up.  With the slow cooker I almost always end up with the chili cooked onto the sides of the pot, it just poured right out of the inner pot of the Instant Pot.  

Have a great week everyone!