Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2019

Weather | 1/27, 3°, 35° | 1/28, 13°, 33° | 1/29, 3°, 13° | 1/30, -17°, -3° | 1/31, -9°, 13° | 2/1, 3°, 29° | 2/2, 30°, 49° |

• With subzero temperatures predicted, on Monday (1/27) we cut firewood just west of the house and used the sled to move it to the woodshed. I also removed ACs from the west living room and upstairs north bedroom windows. Much warmer, now.
• On Wednesday (1/30), a UPS driver drove up our lane, busting through the hard snowdrifts on the driveway while delivering a package of leather work gloves that we ordered online. That evening, I drove the Cadillac up the lane. I bottomed out a couple times, so after I got home, I took a spade shovel and whacked the tops off of some of the frozen snow drifts.
• We had a frozen cold water pipe at the kitchen sink Thursday (1/31) morning. I vacuumed the spider webs out of the basement to get to that pipe and put a heat lamp below and above the floor facing that plastic water pipe. While in the basement, I noticed cold air pouring in a crack between the foundation and house sill. I stuffed it with old underpants rags. We normally have a north wind on cold snaps, but it was out of the east this time, thereby putting cold air directly on that pipe. Within 45 minutes after putting on the heat lamps, the water started running.
• On Friday (2/1), I called the Hannibal MO Social Security office and learned that I need to show up at one of their offices and give them a copy of my driver's license. The woman said I'm onboard to start getting social security payments, beginning on March 2019. The payment for March will be on the third Wednesday in April. I also learned how much money I can earn, calculated Petco pay and decided to switch from full-time to part-time at Petco on April 6th. I also determined that I can work about 20 hours a week for the rest of 2019 and still be OK without losing my social security dollars. The extra work will help on income for paying off car loan debt.
• We cut more firewood on Friday (2/1).
• On Saturday (2/2), I told Shane, my boss, about my retirement details. We decided once I go part-time, I'll work my dog training days, which are Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, working about 8 hours on Sunday and Monday, and 5 hours on Thursday. I'll give my keys back, which means I won't be opening or closing the store...yahoo! I will get a drop in pay level, since I won't be a manager, but Shane said he will fight to keep my pay at the current level. He says everyone in the Quincy Petco store is underpaid.