This is the third Monday in a row with a major storm hitting the Boston area - as well as much of the East Coast. It's a challenge to start a thread with the threat of shoveling as my day's exercise.

Good news: I have a book that's due, can't be renewed because it's been requested by others, but can't be returned because the storm has closed the library. So, I get one more day to try to finish it without a ten cent fine. See, there is a silver lining to snow, LOL.

Good morning!

Good shovelling to all who participate! Here, it's very grey and miserable but above zero and with only a very light wind. I am thankful for small mercies.

We got most of our snow and freezing rain on the weekend. I only had one dog to walk other than my own. Driving and parking are the two big ones for me. That and extra walks with Trixie. She is sick (kennel cough), contagious, and can't go with the other dogs.

I think I will mostly be lurking the next few weeks. Too drained at the end of the day to do anything and too busy the next morning trying to cram all the stuff in that I can't do at night.

This time of year is the most challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally for me.

Dagmar

And we're dealing with unseasonably hot temperatures here. We went to the polo grounds yesterday to have lunch and watch a couple matches. We were in a covered tent to protect us from the sun but it wasn't enough to keep us cool. Four hours in the low 80's with no breeze meant I was icky-sticky and I should have come home and taken a quick shower, but I didn't . That led up to a horrible night's sleep last night.

I've got a lot of work to do today. I have to get my tax stuff ready for my CPA and get paperwork together for a possible re-fi on our building. It's got a balloon payment in either one or three years and I'd rather not deal with that. The bank said they could probably get us in a 20 year fixed at about our same monthly payment. That'd be much better.

It's my first day back at work, though I'm working at the laptop from home till I'm further recovered and cleared to drive.

Getting up before 7 AM was hard, as was persuading my mother that I was capable of getting my breakfast for myself while leaning on the walker. I made the mistake of showering before doing my homework assignment of physical therapy exercises, which left me sweaty afterward.

We'll see how I get on with working while my mother putters in the background and lets the TV blare at the level her hearing requires.

We're getting brushed by the wing of the storm that's going to hit Bill's area in full force. That means we've already got snow coming down, with about one to three inches expected, and a glaze of ice likely to cover it. I don't know if I will make it to my physical therapy appointment at 1:30 PM. As Bill mentions, this is the third crummy Monday in a row, which will mean three missed Monday appointments in a row.

I have to wonder if I'd be coming along better if I lived in a milder climate that let me "walk" out of doors and easily get to all of my appointments.

Bill, you're gonna be going into the spring with a very strong back and legs! I could say that I'm envious, but I would be lying. We had enough snow last year to make me grateful for the very normal amount we have.

silverbirch, a little gratitude can go a long way. I've made a point to try to remember that; I think it's time for a post-it on the mirror in the bathroom.

Dagmar, best wishes for managing the crunch time - staying sane, staying healthy ... and keeping an eye out for that light at the end of the tunnel, called spring. Gotta remember it does get better from here!

Allison, a day of hot sunshine would be the most glorious thing in the world to me right now! My girlfriends and I are going to Dallas for a long weekend in early March - I literally am praying (I don't do much of that!) that we get at least one day of hot sun. I feel like a drained battery waiting for the plug to go in the socket.

ETA: Saef, best of luck with the weather and the first day back. The latter should be a chaotic departure from the boredom, if nothing else! Be safe, saef - hopefully by spring you can be moving about with much greater ease. Do you have any forecast at all about how much longer the walker will be part of your everyday?

Supposedly our reorganization will be announced to the masses tomorrow. It's been postponed several times. Last week it was postponed only six hours before the meeting, due to our director getting reassigned to a different hemisphere, effective immediately (couldn't have happened to a nicer, more competent guy - and yes, I'm kidding). It's been a long haul of mystery and suspense, political junk and empire-building. I am ready for it to take a break. It never ends, but I sure wouldn't mind a quiet zone.

saef Any chance of you changing your physio appointment to later in the week? Up here City crews snow clearing generally get going at full tilt after the weekend. Don't know if that's true where you live.

Dagmar

Hello all! Had a good weekend with my friend in town. We took the kids to the children's museum and out to a park and such since the weather was so nice (high around 50F). Sunday he and I went to the art museum while the kiddos were napping before I dropped him at the airport.

The only bad thing is that somehow I think I must have pulled a muscle in my back or something. I've got this pain on only the left side of my lower back that started yesterday morning and hasn't gone away. I was a little worried it was something weird because TOM also started yesterday and it feels a little like a menstrual cramp, except usually I get that spread across both sides. But everything else it could theoretically be would hurt a lot worse than this does I think so I'm just going to keep an eye on it for now. I switched up my workout today for one that doesn't stress any muscles in that area.

Seems like the snow/ice is providing good workouts for some of us... I got in my arm workout chipping & scraping ice off my car both this morning AND this evening. As much as I don't love snow, I'll take it any day over this freezing rain!

Hello everyone. I had a fine three days in Death Valley. It was a little chilly the first night and very windy the second night (but warm). I slept in my big truck with a camper shell those two nights. The third night was perfect, spent in my tent, camped in a beautiful narrow desert canyon with high walls. We got water from a tiny pool fed by a spring. At dusk, some little desert bats flew around and skimmed the surface of the pool to drink. Quite a magical place!

The scale was up 3 pounds this morning, but I'm confident it will quickly settle down again. Long hikes typically put extra water into my leg muscles for a couple of days. Also, I indulged in some fresh made guacamole last night

Sorry for the lousy snowy icy weather so many are having to put up with. Better days ahead!

Saef, hope your first day working was good. I'm sure there is so much to catch up on.

Becky, hope you get good news on the new assignment. I'm sure no one has been productive since they made that announcement!


Weather-wise, this is the good time of year for us Floridians, but I reserve the right to complain June-September. I know my DD is questioning living in NYC after graduation with this weather but that's where she accepted a job, so she will stay at least a couple years.
I booked an airbnb place close to her dorm for when she graduates in May. I know a lot of people think it's creepy to stay in an airbnb but I've done it for five years and haven't had any bad experiences. The best was in Monterey last summer. Her graduation is on a Wednesday so we go up Tuesday and staying thru the weekend. Got an email from the school that graduation is in 100 days which will fly by of course! I texted that fact to DD and she freaked out a little. Remember that feeling the last year of school of "omg, am I ready to be an adult" ... Me either... But both my kids have had it so I've been reminded of it.

As I'd predicted, we had to cancel my physical therapy session due to the coating of ice over the sidewalks, the roads and my mother's minivan. She didn't want to drive in it, and I didn't want to try walking over it.

We have a very long basement hallway in my apartment complex, and yesterday I practiced "walking" down that with the walker. The maintenance guys are very encouraging and say it's good to see me up & around again.

Dagmar, we've just faced an unfortunate coincidence of Sunday snow storms, and my having a MWF schedule. I could switch to a TTS schedule, but my guess is that we'd start having Thursday storms instead.

As for work, today was the real test, as I've had four meetings using WebEx, having to speak into a camera. Two down, the two hardest yet to go. I've got workout pants on underneath my Oxford shirt, so I can get away promptly to do my mandated leg lifts once the day is done. They can only see me from the waist up, thank goodness.

Just got my second perfect score on the quiz for weeks 3-4 of my MOOC "The History of the Rolling Stones". My brain is still functioning apparently.

My body, on the other hand, is so tired that I got stuck in the snow at the park while taking Trixie for her afternoon outing. Just stood in the snow after scooping her poop, unable to lift my legs to get out. Next week is going to be even tougher. SIGH.

And there's the never ending drama of DH's work. Kinda sad that he's so cowed that he can't make any decisions about anything any more. I can't make the decisions for him and he knows that.

But he keeps sending me huge emails offering all sorts of alternatives to everything. Listen to those wheels spin! ARRRGH!

Going to go and do laundry now and howl my head off to "Beggar's Banquet". Such an AMAZING album. I'm embarrassed that I haven't listened to it in over 25 years. Why the heck not?

Dagmar

That's awful Dagmar. You must be so exhausted.

Saef... Hooray for working!

I've had a rough 2 days at work so I haven't posted yet. When I got to school yesterday the internet was out, plus no phones, clocks, etc. we all thought it would come back on but it never did. I had 10 classes come and I couldn't check books in or out. I had books all over the desk, floor, etc. I was drowning in books! I got to work at 6:30 this morning to catch up but it was still out! I cancelled my 11 classes for today and some of the teachers weren't all that understanding. I went to peets to try to access wifi but it was so slow I went back to school. So frustrating. Internet came back at 12:20 and it was sloooooow.... Teachers were asking if they could come now and I was like....NO! I spent until 3:30 just trying to check books in and out. I left a ton of books and other stuff to do tomorrow. I will have to go again early to catch up before all the 8 kindergarten classes come. I hope I kept everything straight!

I was so exhausted yesterday I didn't even work out. Today I was tempted to skip today again but I dragged myself to yoga. So glad I did as I feel much better now.

Tomorrow has to be better, right?

Yes! today will be better. I can relate - classes must go on, but if we lose our Internet connection we can't take attendance, enter grades, etc. And we are a 1 to 1 school (every student has a device, mostly iPad). So then they can't get online to get their work, submit assignments, etc. So we go back to old fashioned talking, lol, which is discouraged. After all "kids don't have the attention span anymore so you can't just talk, you have to mix it up and entertain". Not my opinion, just what teachers are told.