Happy New Year

|Happy New Year, everybody! Becky and I were just out for a walk in the balmy 66 degree weather. One of the things I noticed was all the green grass. As I recall, grass is supposed to turn brown or something in winter. Hasn’t happened yet. I even spotted a couple of robins a couple days ago. Becky says some of them don’t leave in the winter. Other than walking, we’ve been watching a little football. Kansas City won their game but missed the playoffs. ||

Day After Christmas

|Day after Christmas, a sunny 60 degrees here on the prairie. Becky had the day off so I took off, too. Went to Kohl’s for a little post-Christmas shopping (got me a couple pairs o’ pants) and ran into old friends and heard about divorces of couples that seemed unimaginable and other news. Washed the Saturn and changed the oil. Changed the flat tire on the Voyager. Amazing how stiff things get after years of non-use. And that was just my muscles! The jack was even worse. Admired the sunset outside and the Christmas tree inside with a few unwrapped boxes under it reminding of the early Christmas with Stephen and Kathie, who were treated to the other side of Kansas weather while here. Soon it’ll be tomorrow (technically, it is already) and same-ol’ same-ol’. Time marches on. ||

About Eight Inches

It’s done snowing. It snowed. Past tense. What’s on the ground is present tense, all eight inches of it. Shovelled off the driveway yesterday evening on theory it would make today’s shovelling easier. After shovelling it again today, I’m doubtful removing yesterday’s two inches made much difference. At least, if you gotta have this much snow, this is the “right” kind – powder. The really bad part is the COLD COLD COLD. Zero degrees and just a little wind drives it into your bones. Had to do the driveway in three sessions; the signal to end a session being numb fingers.

Becky dutifully drove to work this morning, called me when she got there to report safe arrival and, in fact, not much trouble. I chickened out. The Miata is just not made for anything other than dry pavement. So I worked at home. Forty-five years ago I would be outside sledding and snowboating and rolling around in it.

It’s still weird in the house without Cinnamon. At night, when I’m ready to go to bed and turn off the lights I still automatically hesitate when starting down the hall so as not to step on her in the dark. She used to sprawl out in the hall when Becky went to bed.