Ah Winter

8:00

Long Point's Open Waters on Wednesday

I am becoming what my mom called a 'sleepy head,' getting up at 7:15, after Evie.  It's about 15 degrees outside, close to a foot of snow I would guess, as it snowed on and off most of yesterday afternoon and evening.  It's lovely outside, the kind you see in Currier and Ives photos, a lush snow, tree branches covered with white frosting.  I cannot wait to  get outside and ski or snow shoe, depending on the depth of the snow.  Perhaps we will head out on the lake for the first time, see how it goes.  Sometimes, if it snows before the lake freezes, the layer beneath the snow is set, making it unpleasant to ski, even snow shoe.

Labyrinth Press Company Coffee House

Yesterday was a wasted day, as we both went to downtown Jamestown, to get our teeth cleaned, one after another and, for some reason, we  left at 11:15 and did not get home till 3:00.  That's a lot of time waiting, a lot of time sitting in the dentist chair.  Evie did work out at the downtown Y while I was sitting in the dentist chair; I hit a coffee shop/Music Venue called The Labyrinth Press Company while waiting.  By the time we headed home, the roads were fairly treacherous downtown, as I slid a couple of times, as I navigated my way home to Woodlawn.  It's the first dangerous snow driving of the year, one where I had to be out when the roads were dangerous.

For dinner, we had baked eggs, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, on garlic spinach and mushrooms, what has become one of our favorite meals.  And for entertainment, we watched the Republican debates, what Republican pundits like Peggy Noonan call a 'a clown show.'  For once, I agree with her.  I find the scrubbed, lily white faces of the audience, especially their applause for anything that smacks of a put  down of the poor or minorities(blacks), insufferable.  The candidates, especially Gingrich, feed this, the worst in us, and works it like a pro.

Labyrinth Press, 4th Street, Jamestown

Tonight, we meet Ron and Linda at the Southern Tier Brew Pub for beers.  Evie's making foccacia and Linda's brings the goodies to go with it, and we will enjoy a couple of their brews and our food, which they encourage you to bring.  Then at 7:00, we are going off to the St. Susan Center, responsible for the Meals on Wheels Program and other food banks in the area.  They are having local musicians comes and play and for 10 bucks a person, we will get a couple of bowls of soups and crackers, and be able to watch the musicians.  A good way to help a great cause and enjoy ourselves.

For those who don't watch the Steven Colbert show like us, he's running a faux campaign for President in South Carolina and is appearing at the moment on Morning Joe.  He supposed was getting more votes than Jon Huntsman last week, just before Huntsman backed out.  His shows this week have been amazing, pointing out the absurdity of the PACS, which I supposedly not related to the candidates they support.  The ridiculousness of this made abundantly clear as the head of his pact is Jon Stewart.  It points out how poisonous and corrupt the system has become, a result of the Supreme Court's decision to allow PACS to exist.  It's going to take Congress to out law this sort of thing but they ain't going to do it unless the people make enough of a rumble that they fear for their seats.  It's a despicable practice, as we see in the Republican campaign as these pacts say 'terrible things' about each candidate with impunity and the candidates disavow them, saying I cannot control them.  Lies.

One year ago today, I was at University Hospitals, under going a six hour procedure called Pulmonary Vein Ablation.  It was a snowy day, Evie had to drive home from the hospital that evening in a terrible snow storm.  All's well that end's well. The procedure seems to have worked, Evie got back my sister's home safely, so it was worth it.  It's nice to look back though, knowing this is a thing of the past.  It makes me enjoy today all the more, look forward to my cross country skiing on the lake with new eyes.