The snow doesn’t give a soft white damn whom it touches.
– E.E. Cummings
It’s Tuesday morning. The world around me is covered with a blanket of white.
It’s pretty. Beautiful actually. But, I’d like it to go away. A friend just pointed out that with the projected temperatures, we’re stuck with this for about five days.
I don’t know how long that means we’re stuck inside. Yesterday was a holiday. Today my office is closed. I’ve missed at least one rehearsal. It looks like I’m missing physical therapy today. And it looks like I’ll miss the dress rehearsal for a friend’s show this evening.
My wife pointed out this morning that we should have returned the rental car yesterday. Our oldest is in Atlanta, perhaps on his way home today, with our car. It’s all good as he’s getting ready to start a new job and move into a new apartment. His Jeep, however, is in the transmission shop. So we rented a car for the week. Said car now sits in our driveway, but we’re paying the daily rental.
A snow day is also great for getting caught up on things at home. Fortunately, we have electricity, and heat, and food. We do have a good deal less wine than before the snow started.
I have plenty to keep me busy. Perhaps as Chris Brogan says, I’m not too busy, I’m over committed. Brogan wrote in his Sunday email.
Let’s all rise up and ban “too busy” from our language. Instead, when someone asks how you’ve been, answer “Great!” or “I’m really working on what’s important” or “I’m feeling a bit down, but I’m optimistic.” Or whatever. But not, “I’m too busy.”
I’m not sure I’d say I’m too busy. I’m very busy, that’s for certain.
My Sunday, after reading Brogan’s email was going from church, to a rehearsal, to another rehearsal and then to a production meeting. I left home before 8:00 a.m. and got home after 11:00 p.m. I pretty much loved every minute of it.
Yesterday I worked in my home office on taxes, and writing, and bills. I even got to do another pass at a canvas. The one I previously painted over. It’s more better this time. And, no, you’re not going to see it yet.
Today, I’ll do much of the same. I’m stalled on taxes because I need the son with the car to get home and find his W-2s. I’m not going in his room to look for them. If you have sons, you’ll understand.
Ironically, as much as I love having extra time off, I’m a little stressed about things that need to be done. I’m missing a work meeting that impacts a project that must be completed tomorrow because I’m out of the office conducting trainings on Thursday and Friday. Fortunately, I have my work laptop and my training materials with me so I can prepare for that. I can’t complete tomorrow’s project without the meeting.
We’ll adapt and make it work. It just won’t be fun.
I love living in Richmond. I love Virginia. I love the fact that winter storms like this are rare. As for the yankees who mock the south for how we deal with snow, we don’t mock you when you get the rare hurricane. Well, we might. But we’d bring a casserole.
We’ve often talked about how we’d like to retire to the beach. I still like that idea. But it would be hard to leave friends, and the church, and for me, the Richmond theatre community. Maybe by the time we’re actually in a position to consider that I’ll feel differently. Heaven knows my arthritic joints would move today. Don’t tell my boss, but I could handle leaving the day job.
I love the projects that keep me busy and the relationships that come with them. The snow has slowed us down a bit, but the pace will pick up soon and we’ll scramble to get caught up.
Right now I need to go check the crock pot. We’re making groundhog stew.
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