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I like the new program where the REI Mastercard rewards are available immediately while the REI Co-Op Rewards come out in March When I make a purchase from REI, I have the ability to used 'banked' Mastercard rewards as part or all of the payment method. The default is to use the banked reward. So I have received items for free through the past year - some by accident. The good part is that purchases that use the Mastercard rewards still qualify for the Member rewards. $275 in rewards this year, …

My son has the difficulty of rooting for his undergrad team Pitt and his grad school team Duke. His heart leans towards Pitt as he used to volunteer to rebound for the players during practices. Pitt has put together an impressive season. I'd like to see them get deep into the tournament just to have a different name in the mix. And maybe a little satisfaction for all those checks I wrote.

Tornado touched ground about 10 miles north of me yesterday afternoon. I was in my home office with music playing when my wife came in and commented on the sirens she was hearing from the front of the house. Turned the TV on to confirm that they were tornado warning sirens. Short, intense rain squall followed by sunshine. We have to get used to living in the Midwest. Back in Pennsylvania, the sirens were for evacuation from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant fallout zone.

Pushed hard to get to Mountain Crossings on the second day of my Georgia section hike. Winton closed early - no Coke for me. I forget what I paid in 2008 but it wasn't offensive. The shower felt good.

Mid 70's last Sunday in Austin. Mid 70's today and tomorrow in Cincy. Then a drop below freezing for Friday morning. Freakin' roller coaster!

I visited Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye Texas for a tasting this past weekend. It was an interesting comparison to Kentucky bourbon since the summer heat causes much more water evaporation from the oak barrels. Their Cowboy bourbon goes into the barrel around 115 proof but is bottled around 135 proof. Surprisingly smooth. I picked up a bottle of their single barrel for eventual delivery back home during my daughter's next visit. appalachiantrailcafe.net/index…a756af42f2710dd9c223b9b9f We a…

Well, if team other than my home team had to win the Super Bowl, I guess it stings a little less that it's the team that beat the Bengals to get there. Congrats to the Chiefs. And the reaction in Philly (one of my old home towns)? Vulgar chants in the streets. Classy.

High teens this morning, close to 30F now and high 40's are forecast for tomorrow. Might even see 50F. Hope all you Northeast folks fare well.

Forecast for Mount Washington this weekend is for -100 degrees F. Authorities are already warning hikers that rescue will not be possible in those conditions. So...how many people will give it a shot anyway?

RE: Texas I can't figure out why burst pipes are even a concern in newly constructed buildings. My daughter's apartment complex in Austin was still being finished when she moved in mid-January 2022. And she received yet another warning to keep faucets trickling to prevent burst pipes during this latest cold snap. What are they doing construction-wise that's different than other parts of the country? Running pipes in uninsulated exterior walls? Didn't they learn anything from the deep freeze a fe…

The Bengals and their fans are having one helluva January. First the January 2nd Damar Hamlin cardiac arrest and eventual recovery. The fans and the city showed an amazing level of support for Damar and the Bills organization. Then the potential for a coin-flip to determine the location of the 1st round playoff game. Nope - Bengals won in Week 18 and eliminated the need. Fans got a home field playoff game. Then the trip to Buffalo for the second round. Would the cancellation of the January 2nd g…

Quote from IMScotty: “Some additional information on the second fatality on Franconia Ridge this winter, Guopeng 'Tony' Li. This is from the Coos County Democrat. The article was titled "Inexperience Claims Hiker's Life.' He was climbing Mt. Lafayette solo on n 8.5 mile loop, Christmas Eve, and left at 11 AM. Just a few quotes... "At the time it was zero degrees, with high winds." "Li's late start was against him from the word go. With only five hours of daylight, for a trail that usually takes …

Forecast was for possibly 1 - 3" of snow. Woke up to 4". At least 6" on the ground now. And the best part? My son was visiting and he shoveled out the driveway so he could head home later today.

Did a few more tours on the Bourbon Trail yesterday (including Maker's Mark). The bartender at the first tour lives in Lebanon KY where my third tour was located. She recommended one specific liquor store in town for bourbon hunting so i made an effort to stop in before heading home. Glad I did! They had Eagle Rare in the glass display case and the $80 price tag was the same as the bottle of Yellowstone Bourbon I just purchased at the last tour. You know what they say... "A bottle in the hand is…

Garmin has really wiggled their way into my fitness tracking. First, the Garmin Connect app on my phone pairs with my golf watch, my smart watch and my bike computer. Both watches record steps and automatically upload the count to the app. Then the app is linked to a corporate tracker where I get 10 points for >10,000 steps, 7 points for 700-999 steps, and 5 points for 500-699 steps. When I hit 1000 points, I get a $500 discount on next years health care payroll deductions. That's enough incenti…

12/30/2022 I snuck in two more tours on the Friday before New Year's Eve. The first was at Kentucky Artisan Distilling (KAD) just outside of Louisville. appalachiantrailcafe.net/index…a756af42f2710dd9c223b9b9f Kentucky Artisan is the home base for Jefferson's Bourbon as well as a few house brands. Jefferson's is an interesting story. Their founder started off by purchasing various finished barrels of bourbons from large distilleries then blending them together to meet his intended flavor profile…

This morning I was staring at my naked body in the mirror and thought "I'm gonna get kicked out of this Ikea pretty soon."

A nurse finds a rectal thermometer in her pocket and thinks, "Some asshole has my pen."

I can't figure it out either. Even in the snow, I had no problems following the AT Between Allen Gap and Devils Fork Gap. Maybe they were just generic hiker trash and not 'real' AT hiker trash. ?!?!?!?

Quote from IMScotty: “My plan right now for the 2024 eclipse is to drive to either Jay Peak in VT or the shore of Lake Champlain north of Burlington, VT. I am very concerned that in April the weather may suck. The eclipse falls on a Monday. I'm not willing to take more than one day off, so that makes the circle I can get to pretty small ” I get to sit on my deck and watch the 2024 eclipse. I put a reminder in my calendar for April 8th this year to note the location of the sun around 15:00 so I c…