i set up my gopro to take a time lapse selfie video, but the vibrations caused the camera to move again, even though i thought i'd tightened everything down. pointing up from the handlebar, it wasn't the most flattering angle. a few times the camera was pointing almost completely up.
i had more leftover squash rice porridge for lunch, along with a salted duck egg and a fried egg.
i inspected the backyard. i thought the covered daikons were buried in the snow, but a lot of that had melted since yesterday, and i could look inside. the covered daikons are all still alive. will that survive the extremely cold snap over the next 2 days? i guess we'll find out.
i also inspected the grow room. i found a few aphids on the lemon verbana, i sprayed the plants in the sink with insecticidal soap. there were a few baby mealybugs on the gardenia which i treated with neem oil. for the most part though, most of our grow room plants seem to be pest free, at least no infestations. new leaf buds are forming on the gardenia, maybe they'll develop into flower buds. the fudingzhu osmanthus seem to be okay after we repotted it, but leaves continue to fall; it hasn't stopped flowering though since we got it.
a little after 2pm we took a trip to waltham, first to OSJL, then to the nearby stop & shop. my mother said she wanted to get a calendar, i wanted to get some more suet cakes for the feeder. the price of suet cakes have increased, they used to be just a $1, now they're $1.20. i ended up getting an 8-pack because it was the best value. just yesterday i ordered the squirrel-x double caged suet feeder. i got it through amazon, and i bought it used ($20), but after i used up my amazon points, it cost just $2.40.
the waltham stop & shop is actually very well stocked and a nice place to shop. now that russo's gone, they probably have increased business. once again i saw their in-store robot. i thought it was a cleaning robot, but it actually monitors the store looking for spills and other hazards, doesn't actually clean anything itself. i got some badia brand linden leaves tea.
we returned to the house by 4pm. earlier i called fireman's fuel to order some more heating oil for my parents. their current price is $3.12/gallon. they won't get here until wednesday. i also helped my mother buy a zojirushi stainless steel mug ($30) for my 2nd aunt, in rose gold. i went into the backyard and filled the suet feeder; i hope squirrels won't eat it all before my new suet feeder arrives this weekend.
my mother got some cherries from stop & shop. my father and i nearly finished all of them in one sitting. they weren't that good - sweet but no flavor - but it's a miracle that we can still get cherries in the middle of january. my parents made a beer marinated chicken for dinner. my mother whipped up a dipping sauce from the gravy mixed with some sweet chili oil that was very tasty.
my father kept suggesting that he gave me a ride back to cambridge because it was so cold outside, but i insisted on riding back. temperature was at 24°F - cold, but i've ridden in worst. i was all bundled up - from my double-insulated wool hat, to my wool mittens. i shot a selfie time lapse, but it was so dark, the footage was a blurry mess.
i watched the georgia vs. alabama game, didn't even realize it was on. georgia ended up beating alabama, a pick-six with a minute left in the game sealed their victory.