Just had two days off in a row. Don't know what happened to them. I have so much on my to-do list that still didn't get done. Why is it that time off flies by and work time drags so? But it's back to work today for another six day run before I get one day off.

Did get some necessary shopping done though. Most exciting buy was my new flannel lined, black felt slippers. Exact replica of last year's model. Paid $1 more. Worth it for warm feet. I was lucky. Once again, they were the last pair in the store. And I really needed them. I was holding the old ones together with duct tape after the bottoms all cracked up.

Went to Aldi for the first time. Wasn't anything like I expected. Thought it was going to be big and dark and warehouse grim with giant purchases required, like a Costco deal. As it turned out, it was smaller, cleaner and less depressing than the little Food Lion that's closest to my house. AND I got some great deals on food I needed.

Went to to look for cans of unflavored seltzer water, which the Food Lion seems to have stopped carrying and I take to work every day for my break. Sadly, they don't carry it either, but I scored one of those little bears of Canadian honey, a great big can of Mexican coffee, and some dairy items for at least seven bucks less than it would have cost me at the regular grocery. And you can buy in small amounts. Some of the packaged stuff looks suspiciously like it could come from China, but the dairy and produce looked great and was really cheap. I'll go back again.

Meanwhile, I haven't had a little city story in while. It seems my local high school is winning their sports competitions. Last couple of games they've been cheering so loud I could hear it from my porch. And much banging of drums and tooting of tubas. Pretty sure I also heard a vuvuzuela in the mix. Keep thinking I should go over to check out a game, but they seem to start and run really late. Too dark and cold for me.

Oh and if you missed this, it was the best video I saw on the news all week. They were taking down this tower in Ohio and it was supposed to implode and collapse onto itself. But something went wrong and the tower tipped over sideways. Took out a bunch of power lines but miraculously didn't smash any of the houses or any people far as I've heard. You have to watch it to see how close it came to being a major disaster.