Demon Snow

I hate the humidity, heat and bugs in the South. I hate the ice, snow and bugs of the Northeast. Six of one, half-dozen of the other...

We saw three continuous days of snow that could have been considered beautiful, if I could have stayed inside and watched it without responsibility. Unfortunately, dogs must be walked, sidewalks shoveled, walkways and steps salted/sanded, cars dug out from under snow piles...There's just no time to sit back and meditate on the falling flakes.

Whatever happened to the enterprising youngsters that used to populate neighborhoods? The kids that would mow lawns, paint fences, rake leaves, etc. for a few extra dollars to buy comic books or go to the movies? I think they've all been abducted by aliens. The only kid I know that actually gets out and does chores for people is the young man who lives across the street from me, and he only does it for the elderly woman that lives a few houses down. I absolutely applaud him for this, but I also feel that I am sufficiently old and pathetic that I deserve consideration as well. I don't even see kids outside helping their parents do the shoveling or raking. No, I tell a lie. Children under the age of 6 are more than happy to be out there "helping." There are a few tots in the neighborhood who valiantly wield tiny shovels and rakes while their parents sweat and toil with typical New England seasonal tasks. Of course, they spend as much time eating the snow and leaves as they do removing it from the property, but at least they are willing to muck in...

A good thing about the town in which I live is that even a blizzard does not necessarily confine you to your house. People just put on their snow boots and parkas and walk where they want to go. This generally means the convenience store, liquor store or bar/coffee shop. So, during the snow this weekend (which, admitedly, was nowhere near blizzard level), I found myself walking to the liquor store for a fresh bottle of rum. It is only about 4 blocks from the house and I was not the only one with that idea. The place was packed with people stocking up on their rewards for tackling snow for a couple of days. I cannot deny that more than a few began rewarding themselves while they were walking home from the liquor store, but that is just part of a winter storm's charm. And we might get another this coming weekend - Yeah! But that does mean that I can go and buy more rum - Double yeah!

A New Year

I blow so hot and cold on writing that I should hire an HVAC guy to come in and give me a good reaming. Oh yes, I mean that seriously...

I have to write every day for the blog for my classes and I can't deny that I always feel the pull to write more that I couldn't really include in a blog read by impressionable high-school students. But, I am also the laziest person on the face of this planet and the next, so I sublimate my urges and watch tv instead. Or read. Or knit. Or walk the beasts. Or make soap. Or.or..or...

What can I say about 2009? What a friggin' lackluster year. I would love to report that wild and exciting things followed me wherever I went, but that would be a bald-faced lie. Nothing happened. No interesting dates (actually, no dates at all), no major career moves, no exotic vacations, no winning of the lottery. An entire year of pure drudgery designed to keep me surviving until 2010. Finances suck, social life sucks, work doesn't suck so bad, but it wouldn't take much to tip it in that direction...

But I can't lay out any true wrenching disasters, either. A roof still stands over my head, both dogs are still among the living, new books have been read and new skills have been learned. So, life has been lived in the middle-ground...the grey zone between tragedy and exultation. The way it is for most folks, I guess, so I'll take that as a win...

Today finds me combating the snow and mourning the passing of another Christmas vacation. If I can survive the cold, the snow and the painfully short days for six weeks, I can look forward to another week of relaxation. As long as you don't need money, teaching is a great gig. Since I need money, teaching is a tenuous gig...but one can't argue with the vacation. Benefits are pretty good, too. And, it is one of the last remaining jobs on the planet that lands you a pension. Since I'll be 68 when my house is paid off, I won't see that pension for a long, long time; but it is nice to know that it is out there, at least in theory.

2009 - nothing to brag about, but nothing to week over either...2010 - who the bleep knows. But, I guess I'll find out...