Snow or Something

The Snowpacalypse didn't really hit Binghamton. It looks like we maybe got an inch, if that. It's been a real pleasure to get onto the Internet this morning and look at pictures of other people's snow. Oh Look! It's the northeast! It snowed in winter!

If I were a person who made lists of things to be grateful about rather than lists of things to do, I would put on the list that January hasn't been That Bad. A dusting of snow every week, and lots of cold, but not as bad as it could have been. And because the summer was so cold, basicslly like the winter for keeping heavy coats in the back of the car for baseball games, the children are not interested in bothering. All their snow stuff is junked in a pile in the basement from neglect instead of strewn all over the school room from constant use. It's like heaven.

So, one month of winter down, two to go. Unfortunately, January is never that bad. It's Feburary in the middle of which you want to die. The cold goes on, and on and on and on and on. You just have to wait it out. It's like being on the Mayflower. You know there's a potential end, but you might not live to see it. Your daily gallon of beer only just barely takes the edge off.

So, I guess I'll get up and go chip at the ice on the back walk. Every day I chip another three inches off as a way of living in to the whole winter thing. And then by the morning the three inches have frozen back on. It's the circle of life, or something, as Baby Elspeth would say. At the end of everything she says, she adds, “or something”. Nobody really wants to know what that something might be. So we just nod. Hmmm mmmm. And try not to make eye contact. When summer comes back round, that will be the time for raising up the head to look around and look at other people when they're talking to you. Until then, eyes down. Don't stand around and ask questions. It's cold, in winter, in the northeast, or something.