esprit de l'escalier

Winter blues

I mean the color in the photos below. I don't actually have the winter blues. It's just the beginning of February, though, so give me a week to really settle into it. My mother and I are housebound today due to ice. The cars are stuck. The roads are still coated with ice. I feel a bit better with the news that OSU-Newark (the branch closest to us) is closed today.

I keep reading about the mega blizzard that's hitting Chicago (and other states). I hope my friends stay safe and warm and don't venture out. Here are some photos from calmer snowy days.

Let's pretend it's summer

This week has sort of slipped through my fingers and I suddenly find it's Friday. For some reason snow storms often make me forget the world. My parents are visiting my sister, so I've been in my head all week.

Today I am officially over the snow. While we did not get the dumping the eastern seaboard got (my apologies to my friends in DC), but we got a good amount. I've spent part of today trying to start one car and failing, getting another car started and dug out, only to get it repeatedly stuck. I'm over it. I have friends coming over for dinner and need to figure out how to get to the store and back so I have something to serve. So let's pretend it's summer again. I got some medium format photos back from this summer. They were taken with my plastic Holga camera in Wisconsin. It's nice to pretend sometimes.

Biggest snowman EVER

My young neighbors were very ambitious. Check out their giant snowman! He's like 6 ft. tall! If you can't tell, those are oranges for the eyes and slices of cucumber make up the mouth. Giant! I'm glad they are enjoying our piles of snow.

Snowy aftermath

Snow, about a foot, but at least the sun came out and the plow made it to the house.

Burns Night is coming up

A Winter Night

by Robert Burns

When biting Boreas, fell and doure,

Sharp shivers thro' the leafless bow'r;

When Phoebus gies a short-liv'd glow'r,

         Far south the lift,

Dim-dark'ning thro' the flaky show'r,

         Or whirling drift:

Ae night the storm the steeples rocked,

Poor Labour sweet in sleep was locked,

While burns, wi' snawy wreeths upchoked,

         Wild-eddying swirl,

Or thro' the mining outlet bocked,

         Down headlong hurl.

List'ning, the doors an' winnocks rattle,

I thought me on the ourie cattle,

Or silly sheep, wha bide this brattle

         O' winter war,

And thro' the drift, deep-lairing, sprattle,

         Beneath a scar.

Ilk happing bird, wee, helpless thing!

That, in the merry months o' spring,

Delighted me to hear thee sing,

         What comes o' thee?

Whare wilt thou cow'r thy chittering wing

         An' close thy e'e?

Ev'n you on murd'ring errands toil'd,

Lone from your savage homes exil'd,

The blood-stain'd roost, and sheep-cote spoil'd

         My heart forgets,

While pityless the tempest wild

         Sore on you beats.

Full moon fever

So, a friend mentioned in an email something about watching the moon tonight. I didn't know what she was on about. I've spent the week dealing with finals, projects, and a mailing for work that just won't die. I've been a little out of it. Then I read this and found out what Jennifer was going on about.

Tonight the moon is at its biggest and brightest in 15 years.  It's been nothing but low lying clouds here for days - gray dreariness.  I thought the moon would be a no show for us, but it peeked out.  I wish I had a tripod tonight.  Pull on a coat and check it out for yourself!

Still snowbound

The plowing company just called. They tried this morning to dig me out, but got stuck and had to dig their plow out. So I'm still stuck. A kind neighbor had offered a car, in case this should happen, and it looks like I'll have to take him up on it tomorrow. SIGH. It's 40 degrees today. Let's hope it stays warm and melts this snow.

Snowed in update

The sun has been out all day, causing some melting to occur, which is making me feel less trapped. I called my parents (who are in Montana for the week, visiting my sister; they left Friday morning just before the snow hit), and they pointed me towards the number for someone to plow the drive. (We have a long drive with a curve in it, and we're on the top of a hill, so I've been concerned how my little Civic was going to make it out.) It should be plowed by tomorrow. Which means I should be able to get to school to finish my dreaded AutoCAD project by Wednesday.

Natasha rightfully thought that I would piss away my time instead of finishing the four papers I have to write. She's been a little right. I spent most of the morning trying to get something to work on my computer, which didn't. And I dug out my car in anticipation of the plow. And made lunch. I'm working now... or rather was before I decided it was necessary to write this fairly pointless blog. Curses! Okay, back to work. Or, rather, I will, I swear! Once I throw my load of darks in the dryer. Really.

Under a blizzard warning

We are also under a Level Two Snow warning - meaning no one is allowed out on the roads. There is so much snow on the ground, and it's supposed to continue like this until 4 pm. There's no way I'm going to be able to get out for a couple of days. Luckily I have plenty of food and booze. I may have to see if I can download the dreaded AutoCAD so I can finish my final project for that class. But I guess I have no excuse to not finish my projects! No one is going to bother me here.

I will go out and take some photos later. It's so peaceful out.

**Updated with some photos.

It's possible my beliefs are meaningless

I believe spring is coming. I've seen buds on trees, crocuses pushing through the earth, robins flying about. The squirrels in my yard are acting like it's spring - chasing each other around, scrambling up and down trees. Frank is ready to be outside chasing, too. But I'm beginning to believe that this belief is more akin to believing in the tooth fairy.

While the ground at the moment is dry, we've got a winter storm warning in effect until tomorrow afternoon. They are saying we could get about 10 inches after it's all said and done. It's not supposed to get really bad until later in the morning. I kind of don't want to go to work, but can't really see an excuse yet, which I find a little frustrating.

This weekend is going to be full of final projects that are due Tuesday and Wednesday. There are about four, with only one started. I'd like to stay in my sweat pants and down vest today, possibly in my bed sleeping. I can't wait for Wednesday to get this exhausting quarter behind me.