Inside The Perimeter

I knew the bitter cold would drive up my natural gas bill, and I was unfortunately correct. Even with all of my miserly tendencies — dropping the setting on the thermostat, and wearing sweaters indoors — my upcoming bill is high. I’d hate to see what it would be had I not done these things.

Scana Energy, or more specifically their billing processor BillMatrix, says that I can pay using ApplePay, but I really can’t. Every time I attempt to make my natural gas payment using ApplePay it fails saying that they are unable to process my payment at this time.

Many more expenses ahead!

For dinner last night I made “Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya” from “Louisiana Real & Rustic” by Emeril Lagasse. It is a recipe I’ve made many times before, and it was predictably delicious.

Wordle: three, my starter was SPADE

Brr…

No recipe made last night. Even though it ended last Tuesday, I’m still in a Fat Tuesday mood, so I’m making jambalaya tonight.

Wordle: three, my starter was CURVE

Back in Atlanta. Back to being cold.
The weather app I use tells me how today’s weather compares to yesterday’s. Today it says “Today’s weather will be 35° colder than yesterday’s”. Oy! Of course I started yesterday in Orlando, Florida…

Wordle: five, my starter was PRIME

I think that I got the date correct today…

I’ve ordered another new pair of cycling shoes, this time mountain biking shoes. I don’t ride mountain bikes anymore, but these will be used for Spring Tune Up and BRAG. I am currently breaking in another new pair of mountain biking shoes that I bought at a thrift store, but these don’t seem rugged enough to be worn outside. Perhaps they were meant to be worn for Spinning classes?

Wordle: ???, my starter was SWARM. Playing Wordle later again today.

Coffee at Publix was $15.49 for a 12-ounce bag; the only reason I bought it was because it was BOGO, which in Florida means I had to get two bags. That my friends, fucking ridiculous. When I run out of the back stock of coffee I currently possess, I am going to see how I feel when I don’t drink it. I will switch to tea, because I refuse to pay these ridiculous prices.

Traffic in Orlando is horrible.

Wordle: ???, my starter was HABIT. Like yesterday, I will be playing later.

Hello from the armpit, or perhaps the taint, of the country. Regardless, it’s Florida. The traffic in the Orlando area is almost as shitty as it is in the Atlanta area. Combine that with the construction I witnessed along the way, and all I want to do is move to the middle of nowhere and die in peace.

Wordle: ???, my starter will be COUPE. I haven’t had the opportunity to Wordle yet. I will comment later with my result.

For those keeping track at home, SQUAD was the second Wordle repeated solution. Don’t fret, I won’t mention these occurrences each time.

You won’t be surprised that I am knee-deep in planning for Wee Little Farm 2026. The time has come for deciding what will be in each section of the farm, as well as sowing the seeds which will provide the plants which will be put in them.

I know that the following will be highlighted:
– tomato (slicing and paste)
– pepper (sweet and spicy)
– potato
– okra
– zucchini
– cucumber
– bean (pole and bush)
– carrot [wasn’t going to, but then bought seeds yesterday]
– basil
– mushroom (in logs and in a newly-dedicated bed which is too shaded to grow much else)

Currently there are leek, garlic, onion, collard, Swiss chard (which was all but killed by the freeze), and lettuce plants in the ground, all of these will be harvested or composted at some point this Spring.

Crops which I’m considering but am not convinced of growing this year:
– corn
– sweet potato
– beet (I want beets, but have had little luck growing them)

Wordle: five, my starter was OPIUM; very frustrating five.

Double Letters are the new S: as of yesterday, there have been double letters in the past four solutions…

I have found something that I can consistently lose — concert earplugs. I know that I own two pair now, and can find neither. I even looked in the place in which I found my first pair a month after purchasing my second pair, with no luck.

I used yesterday’s day of rain as an excuse to stay indoors and do some much needed cleaning, and organizing. I’ve also started making a pile of things which will be evicted from the ITP Estate soon.

I’m taking a break from cooking a meal from a cookbook today. Here are the recipes I’ve cooked so far this year:

“Beefy Noodle Skillet” from “Ramen Noodle Recipes”
“Hoisin-Glazed Baby Back Ribs” from “Milk Street Instant Pot” by Christopher Kimball
“Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo” from “Louisiana Real & Rustic” by Emeril Lagasse
“Drunken Noodles with Chicken” from “The Complete Cooking for Two” by America’s Test Kitchen
“Ham and Bean Soup” from “‘I Love My Instant Pot’ Affordable Meals” by Aileen Clark
“Crisp-Crusted, Feather Light-Raised Waffles” from “CookWise” by Shirley O. Corriher
“Cheesy Italian Noodle Bake” from “Ramen Noodle Recipes”
“Basic Yeast Bread” from “Irish Food & Cooking” by Bidet White Lennon & Georgina Campbell
“Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya” from “The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook” by Coco Morante
“Red Beans and Rice” from “Louisiana Real & Rustic” by Emeril Lagasse

Wordle: three, my starter was FAIRY. The angriest three I might ever score.

S is the new C: as of yesterday, five of this month’s fifteen Wordle solution have started with an S. Whoever selects the solutions has no fucking imagination.

My streak of Georgia Beer Day celebration and glass collection will be broken in 2026. I’ve discovered that Georgia Beer Day this year will take place on a day that I am out of state. Dangen!

Wordle: four, my starter was TRIBE

My favorite Little Free Library has been blown over by wind. In the past handful of years I’ve lost at least two other Little Free Libraries along my walking routes, so I hope that this one doesn’t go away as well.

On my wayward trek home from Marietta on Tuesday I found a Goodwill that doesn’t skim all Blu-Ray discs donated; I bought nine. Mind you, none of the movies I bought will show up on the AFI List of 100 Best Movies, but with my old person 25% Tuesday discount, I was willing to acquire them.

Wordle: three, my starter was LOTUS

The irony of starting with DAIRY when yesterday’s Wordle solution was VEGAN was not lost on me. And though it saved me a wrong guess, I was a little taken aback when Wordle balked at TEXAN.