a couple of days off

Yesterday, I took a half-day off work. Since there was a holiday luncheon, I didn't leave until 1:30. I came home and putzed around like I usually do, until 3:30, when I left for a haircut. I had to wait over half an hour. Almost every customer was a male of my age or older. By the time I was done, it was almost time to leave for dinner.

The place was at a mall, so traffic was rough. I should have turned into the first parking garage, but I didn't, and it took me about ten minutes to get back around to it. It was a gathering of the Engineering department. We do this twice a year, to say goodbye to our co-op students. The restaurant was a Mexican place. Stylish and pleasant, but the food wasn't great. We sat at the bar for a while, and I had a couple of margaritas and a lot of chips. Then the eight of us (missing one) went to the table. I had enchiladas and a glass of wine. The little side dish of beans was good and the service was fine, but that's about all the good I have to say about the place. I felt stuffed when I was done, and I felt that way until after midnight. I had a good time with the guys.

I'm off work today and tomorrow. I've gotten very little done... unsurprisingly. I never do get anything important done, even when I have a whole day. I was supposed to go to my moms and take care of some things for her, but I called about 2:00 and she was gone. I'll try again tomorrow, I guess. I'd rather have gone today, since there will probably be snow on the ground tomorrow. Oh well. Maybe I'll get off my ass sooner tomorrow.

I have a whole list of things I need to do. I've been slowly whittling it down - or would be, if I wasn't adding stuff to it. It's all small stuff, though. I need to work on a project or two.

We're supposed to be getting a huge snowstorm. They said it would start late last night, with rain near the lake and snow inland. I guess we got some slushy snow overnight, but by the time I got up it was rain. It rained all morning, then turned to snow after lunch. It's just now starting to turn things white. We're not getting the wind they predicted. They're still saying we should get nearly six inches of snow.

I found a map on the county website, that shows all the property divisions and who owns them. So I've found out the names of a few neighbors. Interesting how many of the parcels are owned by trusts. And how many are owned by holding companies. And which businesses own their land. I now know who owns the farmland, but I don't know who farms most of it. I can see who the rich people are, and who is really rich. I can see whose parents were farmers. It's fascinating!

blizzard

The wind has been pretty steady in the low twenties (mph), with gusting around 35 mph. Fortunately, the temperature isn't very low, it being right around freezing. But it's still snowing a bit, and it's still nasty. There was probably an inch and a half of wet stuff on the driveway. I had to shovel the entire driveway with my back to the wind.

I know, for you people on the plains, or in Alaska, 25 mph wind is nothing, but it's all about what you're used to. We Milwaukeeans laugh about Chicagoans and their complaints about "cold" weather, just like Minneapolitans laugh about our complaints.

Anyway, I was noticing my cold weather gear. I go through a pair of gloves every couple of years. I was going through the closet and found two pairs of ruined gloves that I never got around to throwing out - the covering on the index fingers got melted during campfire mishaps. I occasionally lose gloves. It's hard to find a good pair of gloves. They're expensive, too. The last pair I had was pretty warm, but the coating on the thumbs wore off. I just got a new pair, but they don't seem as warm as earlier ones. They don't seal well around the wrist, either.

My tuque, seen in the icon, dates to... the mid nineties? I'm not sure. I remember the occasion I bought it for (a ski excursion), but I don't remember when it was. I still love it. It's heavy duty. Dark blue.

I've got some good wool scarves, too. I think they were German surplus. Grey with dark blue ends.

Sorel boots. Usually worn while clearing the driveway and occasionally on wilderness excursions. They're starting to show their age. Which is... 20? Similar to this, but mine were made in Canada, not China. And cost half that much.

My coat is nearly twelve years old, and still going strong. It's big and warm and grey. It sheds snow, keeps the wind out, but is not waterproof. The shell is not worn at all, but there's one small place where the seam pulled out. It has lots of pockets, which is good for photography. I have a little trouble with the zipper now and then, and the elastic on the cuffs may be losing its elasticity. But that's about all that's wrong with it. The lining is the warm part, and it zips out, so I wear the coat in spring and fall too. I kinda feel like I should get a new coat. Move on, you know? But it's still good.