Storm Update

After the power came back for me yesterday, bk and I put on our WinterTrax (I repeat, I cannot recommend this product enough) and went for a walk around the golf course. Saw a lot of animal tracks in the snow, including rabbits, ravens, and deer.


It's better here, the storm itself has passed; it hasn't actually warmed up any since we got the ice, and then snow on top of that, so trees and power lines that have done well up to now are starting to fail. I just got word that the power went out in the building where I usually work (I'm working from home today). And then, one by one, services I was accessing remotely started to fail. I guess I'm pretty much done with working today except for some reading I have to do.


It will all be fine, I will personally be fine, it's just aggravating and a bit scary. There are over half a million people in Kentucky who are currently without power, and -- based on what I just heard from the office -- that number is going up, not down.




Tomorrow we expect temperatures above freezing for the first time in days so that will give some relief to the trees and power lines. And it should stay warm (if you can call high 30's warm) through Monday, when we get a new storm (but probably not so bad).



Before it started snowing again this afternoon, we had a nice patch of sunshine. It made the ice shine so I grabbed this shot of my favorite stand of trees just across the 13th fairway. You'll probably have to click on it to see the sparkles.

Winter

Today felt a lot like a jigsaw-puzzle-doing, hot-chocolate-sipping, can't-see-out-the-ice-covered-windows kind of day. Unfortunately, I didn't do any of that except the not see out of the windows part.

I wish I could express how awful is this season. I know that it makes us appreciate the other three seasons all the more, and it pains me to say it, but I count every single day.

Basiljaz asked me where I've been hiding and I wanted to tell her I've been hiding under all this snow and ice. Look for me in the spring.

Bluegrass Kentucky doesn't get a lot of snow, but it gets enough, and it's cold enough that we see a lot of ice. This morning bk's car got a lovely frosting from what the weather folks call a "wintry mix."

As you might imagine, I stayed home today because we had an advisory and (as I tell anyone who will listen), "I'm from Arizona and -- pffft! -- I don't drive in this."

bk and I both worked from here this morning (on my new wireless network!!!). He had to go get his tribe this afternoon so he warmed up the car and we started chipping away. Secretly, that part was entirely awesome because a lot of it came off in great unwieldy chunks that we were able to hurl around the yard under the guise of laboring against the elements.

I didn't actually get a lot of work done today, mostly because I was pretty distracted by the world outside, but also because I received more or less constant updates on who was working from home and how I can reach them, as well as the seriousness of the condition of the parking lot at the office and that everyone really needs to understand that it's a solid sheet of ice, people! We are closing the switchboard!!!

So then I thought I might take some pictures. I tried on my new WinterTrax (instant traction when you need it and they slip into your glovebox when you don't. One size fits most. Awesome product. $15 at Meijer.) and went out for a bit.

I didn't see much. My neighbors' patio set looks almost Victorian with all the icicles (you really have to click on the picture above to appreciate it). My gas meter looks otherwordly with an inch of ice across the top. My grass is amazing and crunchy and clean looking. Now that the sun is down the streets are shiny and treacherous.

The power blinked twice today.

Everything is quiet.

Like a Deer in the Headlights

Bill took this picture over the New Year's weekend, but he took it with my camera so here it is.

I like to think of it as the less popularly known "Headlights in the Deer."

Looking Forward to 2009

I have been on vacation since Christmas, so it is probably not surprising that I have done very little of any use or consequence since I got home on Christmas Eve.

One of the things I have done is give a lot of consideration to my resolutions for 2009. I read a blog called The Happiness Project (oooooh, more about that later) because she had an interesting discussion about making personal commandments for yourself. Things like thou shalt or thou shalt not, followed, as you can imagine, by typically unattainable behavior.

I think I'm going to set some goals - rather than commandments - and that adjustment is based on the fact that violating a commandment must obviously incur an actual penalty of sorts. I saw one sample (heh, a sample commandment, God should have tried that) that struck such a chord with me that it is where my list of goals for the year starts. Some of it might not make sense or you might think, duh, of course, that goes without saying. Lucky you, not having to think about it.

Goals For 2009

• Don't rehearse unhappiness
• Fit into all three pairs of jeans that I love, or give them up
• Do something nice
  
• Say something nice
• Set a good example
• Do something useful and important every day
• Enjoy drinking responsibly
  

Wish me luck.

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Here's a great video of an interesting musician who is new to me (although she did vocals for Zero 7, which I've always loved). The sound quality here isn't great, but it's a cool performance. If you want to see some inventive music videos, go to YouTube and search for Sia. Buttons is especially cool.

* * *

All that said, let us step back to The Happiness Project. Go ahead, click on the link, take a look, jump on back, I'll wait here.

Now that you're back, what the hell is up with her picture? I mean, this is a professional person, she's a Yale Law graduate, she's working on a book, she does podcasts, she has written two books -- and that's the best photograph they can find? I don't mean to be shallow, but lord, I can't help myself. It's an awful photograph and I just don't get why she chose it. She looks ill and peevish.

p.s. And if my goal to "Say something nice," had been a commandment? I'd have to lose an eye right now.

That's just one more advantage to my approach to 2009.