Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026

I awoke at quarter to five this morning. No reason for it. I will be tired later. I walked around a little. The cold (-9°C) doesn’t bother me, but the trails are iced over, nearly impassable, and certainly not suited to a leisurely stroll. Instead, I stopped by the coffee shop to grab a drink and then wandered up and down Haddon Ave a bit.

The morning is going fast. The workday lies in wait around the next corner. There isn’t time left to do much. The recycling is out to the bins. The bird feeders are filled. As an experiment, I’ve loaded up a suet feeder with peanuts in the shell. I should start on some laundry. The kitchen and bathroom need cleaning. It’s not even 9 a.m., and already chores threaten to consume every spare moment.

The exterminator texts to say he’ll be by for a routine maintenance appointment. It would have been nice if they’d texted me a few days ago to let me know they were planning that. I texted back for them to reschedule.

No response. He has “Send Read Receipts” enabled. I know he’s seen it. I guess I’ll spend the morning arguing with some stranger about how he’s not coming onto the iced-over property to tromp around and break his ankles on my dime.