News from the front

Winter storm update: despite what yesterday's post may have reported, this morning's news advises we can expect between three and six additional inches of snow from Tuesday night into Wednesday. This may push me completely over the edge.

Over the weekend I read e-mails from my friends bemoaning the power outages they were experiencing. I kept silent, not wanting to tempt fate (much like I don't discuss traffic on my way home for fear the traffic gods will take revenge). Late Sunday afternoon I had conversation with Lynne about this very subject, making sure to be respectful to the power gods. Clearly, the power gods had an evil sense of humor -- at 9:30 PM we discovered our propane tank was empty. The only air blowing through our registers was cold. With any luck we will have a delivery today if the truck can make it down the road, not our road (which is clear) but any other road it must travel en route to my house.

I don't mind a cold house, and I have always loved sleeping in the cold, but there's cold and then there's COLD. Yesterday was COLD. A second blanket was deemed necessary. While the blanket was delightfully warm, soft, and inviting, it was also heavy. It was not heavy to John or to Cecilia, but they have an abundance of functioning muscles. I was unable to pull the blankets up, requiring Cecilia's assistance. The weight of the blankets was too much for my feet -- in particular my toes -- so there was much shifting around under the covers.

Getting ready for work this morning was also a bit of a challenge because it was so cold and, as I have mentioned before, I don't do so well in cold anymore. It is as though all my muscles contract at once and I look something like the zombies from "Thriller" -- without the dance moves. There is also the yawning, another reaction to the cold. So imagine, if you will, a yawning, lurching zombie applying makeup with frozen claws. Judging from the screams of the passersby on my way to work, I'm guessing my description is fairly accurate.

So, my way to work... I had no difficulty getting out of my driveway or my street or my road, and Interstate 95 north was clear and wide open. Once I hit the HOV, however, it became Death Race 2000. There was one inconsistent lane -- often comprised of some of the shoulder -- most of the way but, occasionally, no lane was visible at all. Not being one to speed through sketchy conditions, I maintained a very moderate 40 mph (plus or minus, often minus). Several of my fellow commuters, being either more confident or more foolhardy, would zip past me on the snow-covered side of the highway. The exit ramp and Route 110 were in good shape, Route 50 wasn't bad, and Fairfax Drive was passable. Since the federal government is closed today there is very little traffic, but my commute was still more than an hour.

Cecilia will be out of school today and tomorrow. She had cabin fever to such a degree yesterday that she and her dad walked the mile to our local Target. The physical activity as well as the retail therapy (she bought some gel pens) did her a world of good.

You know what would do me good? The disappearance of all these tons of snow.