really just the backsplash left....

 this was counter day.  i think he's been on a mission since to get it all done. the counter top day was interesting and a bit of a high from all the glue and stuff. it looks pretty amazing...i feel i have to pinch myself...is this really my kitchen!!?? what a huge difference. 

 i have been moving things in, more now that the counters are in....and i have RUNNING WATER!!  i haven't had that since Oct 7 i figured out. I'd been tearing out cabinets for a few weeks at least before that...probably the month before along with boxing up stuff. 

 it's been frosty and cold out there.  beautiful but cold.  we still walk...that is what you do when you have dogs.  we all got frosty. lots of great puppy snuggle time as well.  reheating post walk along with a nap is always great.

 here the under mount sink is getting sealed in place.

 today he put in the last cabinet, which really just fits this awesome real mixer that my brother and his Partner selected for me for Christmas!!  will be testing it out making cookies soon...and want to buy a pasta maker for it so i can make home made turkey soup with homemade noodles soon

 today he also put in the pendant lights.  he's set to do the back splash starting on Sunday, I'll be headed out for an overnight with some friends in a yurt so it will be nice to return home to that!  then he just has to hook up the range and I'm back in business.

 yesterday and the day before he worked on plumbing for the sink and getting the dishwasher all hooked up and working. i haven't run a load yet but will probably get to that when i get back from the yurt. haven't used many dishes yet.

 there is the outlet for inside the appliance garage. 

 went to Bed Bath and Beyond today to get some drawer organizing stuff.

 i will have a few small tasks to do on the beam project, just touch up stuff to make it look pretty. otherwise...it is going to be cleaning and organizing the garage, kitchen and the spare room. hoping to be parking in the garage by February!!

 my under cabinet lights are stuck on until he returns i guess.  he left them on and had disconnected the switches in prep for tile. 

 a lovely photo of me with friends all frosted up.  it was probably close to -10F this Monday walk.

 these are a bit out of order so this is with the new counters and sink but before the stuff got put in.

 pretty chill work week.  my first night was kind of busy...in that i clocked into three different units through the night.  first i was sent to the ICU...but in the end they had no assignment for me. the poor charge looked pretty frazzled from the crazy day and it just was all messed up...when the dust settled they did have enough nurses so i was then moved to CICU.  i only had two patients there and once i got them all settled in, they decided to move me to ER since they were crazy.  that was about 1 am i think.

 the next two nights i was put on call and miraculously not called in either night.  of course, since i figured that i would be called in i was up until about 3 am both nights.  read a book, watched dvd's and played games on the computer in between shifting things around in the kitchen and garage.

 these were from the walk the day before the Monday walk...same place.  beautiful blue skies with the frosted tree tops...so pretty

 fog off and on all week.  today LS joined me for a walk around Rovers Run, which i also walked yesterday. the day before the pups and i walked the University Lake

 i can't get enough of the frost...

 the Trumper Tantrum continues in the form of the government partial shut down for going on 3 weeks i guess now...people are going without pay. attempts to shift blame from the iitoo are not working with the enlightened members of society.  the iitoo stated prior to sending us down this path that he was happy to take full responsibility...then blamed others.  so shocking. 

 he's threatening to declare a national emergency...there is no emergency by the way...this would pull funds from actual disasters...you know earthquakes, fires, hurricanes.  he won't do anything without getting his way and getting the wall he promised his cult members.  they don't seem to comprehend that he really has little actual interest in the end goal and more interest in being seen as their wall hero....

 that is how it is when you cater to those who have a racist agenda.  who is that one representative...openly racist i think, King?  the GOP has allowed the racists in and want to pretend that they haven't taken some power....you just can't allow that element to take hold, they fester and cause a blemish on the entire party...they can't have it both ways.  they can't pander to the racists and pretend to be clueless about them being there.

 the things the GOP i remember from years ago seem to have gone off the rail.  at first they were moral/ethical and constitutionalists...now they seem to be bastardizing the constitution for their agenda.  when you refuse to compromise all you have left is finding alternative truths and means to reach your end goal.

 we are watching the self destruction of a party for greed....they have manipulated the base with fear and hate, sadly, it works fairly well. 

 the iitoo was just a symptom of the final implosion. 

 this continued shut down puts our nation more at risk than not having the wall.  facts are facts and the facts seem to be that most folks who get into our nation illegally do it through over stays of visa's...they fly in...so the GOP who claim to want zero immigration/migration and/or refugees because they fear they are all terrorists/criminals...are now responsible for putting us at that increased risk via the shut down...but still they blame.  seems that at this point all they know how to do is blame

 it's clear they have minimal ability to run our nation...i think this is the third shut down since the iitoo came into the office. if he wanted the wall so badly why didn't he get it while he had total control of both the house and senate.  i suspect its because they know how ridiculous it is.  actual even then the house and senate had an agreed upon bill that he just refused to sign because it didn't have his beloved wall. trumper tantrum.

 Cohen will testify on Feb 7 i think i saw in Congress...that should be interesting. 

 Manafort's lawyers forgot to redact some interesting stuff on a court filing... he gave polling data to RUs associate connected to put....? interesting...nothing to see here, just a nothing burger.  haha...

 today, it's been reported that the FBI had enough concern about Trumps bizarre behavior around the firing of Comey and a meeting alone with Russian officials, where he gave out secret intel that they had opened an investigation on his connections to Rus and possible assistance to them.

 in normal times with a rational citizenry that would make everyone pause, but those who believe conspiracy theories over facts do not believe facts...they believe conspiracy theories and that yarn just keep spinning.  deep state, FBI conspiracies.

 the iitoo said we had beat I-S-I-S but Bolton says we will stay until they are beaten....the iitoo clearly has no clue what is going on, lies constantly, just makes up history...like Rus was right to invade Afghanistan for some outlandish and untrue reasons.  what happened in that long meeting between him and PUt when no US staff were there? that should terrify all Americans but his followers just shrug, no big deal.  things that would outrage them and make them blow a cork if a Dem did it...or any previous Republican potus...but this guy.  he can do anything.  he doesn't need to have any morals or ethics or facts or knowledge of anything, he just has to give them some rally cries and they seem to go mute and fall in line.

 hung up some art, brave post quake. we had another 4.7 aftershock yesterday. they are slowing down though.  we were around 6000 by the new year and now that has only increased another several hundred i think.  i really didn't notice yesterdays 4.7, but the handyman was standing in the kitchen and he did. 

 look at that sweet face.  when they get stir crazy in the house, despite walks, i do some training stuff around the house.  still practice with the puppy push ups, stays, comes and settles.  they are smart so it's best to keep challenging them

 the great negotiator walked out of talks the other day, pounding on the desk and having one of his meltdowns...it seems to be a well known secret that he melts down with great regularity...nobody admits it on the record but they all seem to admit it off the record.

 so a skull was found near the North Bivouac trail head on Sunday evening...a few hours after I'd walked out there.  we walked there the next day as well.  of course, it was a dog that located it and brought it to the attention of the walker.  always my fear...what is that you found in the woods...?  oh no!!

 not sure how old the skull is or how long it's been out there, I'm guessing a bit of time has passed.  sounds like it was just a skull and not covered in any flesh. sounds also like no other remains were found with it.  kind of creepy still though.

 Mnuchin wants to ease sanctions for Rus oligarch Deripaska...oh the Rus ties rear their heads again.  this is the same Deripaska with connections all over the place with other buddies of the iitoo.

 drove out to Point Woronzof after our walk to enjoy the sunset

 fog over the inlet

 still quite beautiful

 China landed on the far side of the moon...exciting but also makes me sad that we, as a nation, having been falling behind on space exploration.  forget the space army that the iitoo proposes..I'm talking exploration.  i learned long ago though that the history is that any exploration/inventions are often seen through the lens of their ability to do harm to enemies over their purely scientific glory. 

 not sure woronzof is totally a stable place at this time, but i am braving being closer to the mud flats.

 these are at the airport.

 the fence is coated with frost

 thought it looked pretty cool

 guess i better head to bed soon.  try to be asleep before 3 am. 

thankful for:  a. running water  b.  near completion of the kitchen project.  c. that i have been blessed to have had a competent and easy to work with handyman.