Gray on Chautauqua Gray--- Again

This Morning at 8:02

One Year Ago: 1.25.2011

Pitch black as I get up at 6:10, mild outside, about 30 degrees, slight wind, snow melted, another gray mild sort of winter day ahead.  No snow forecast for the next few days, highs in the 30's, perhaps it will change this weekend.  I keep waiting for the wall to fall, a huge snow storm to make up for the past month but not yet, perhaps never (am I tempting the snow gods?).

Without snow, it seems like we have nothing to do.  When we have snow, we have to decide whether to cross country ski, snow shoe, or hike and where we want to go.  It's always something to look forward to but without snow, there's a sameness, a walk either at Bemus or the CI.  That's normal for much of the year, of course, but we look forward to winter just because it's not the usual walk.

Yesterday was typical, a quick visit to the dentist, then off to Wegman's for our weekly shopping, then home, to read and take it easy.  We missed our morning walk so we made ourselves go over to Bemus, take the lake walk despite a bitter wind; we felt righteous enough after that to hit the Seezuhr for a beer before heading home, to leftover spaghetti and my favorite, pan fried Brussels sprouts.  I think I could eat them every night.

We watched the State of the Union, enjoyed seeing the faces on both sides, as they either applauded or looked stone faced, depending on what Obama said, whether they thought a camera might be looking at them.  Why does Boehner always look like he needs a Tums?  I cannot say I was inspired...too many we are going to do this and not enough 'it's been done.'  So true for all Presidents I suppose but for some reason I was naive enough to think that Obama might actually be able to get some of the things he promised done.  I have to admit I cannot remember anything from Bush's eight State of the Union, nor any of Clinton, Bush I, or Reagan.  I guess that says something about the speeches.  They are like wish lists at Christmas but there's no Santa.  It's a sad state of affairs when I find myself, like many Americans, almost despising Congress, Democrat and Republican, their well fed faces, their phony laughs, their posturing as they sit back complacently and watch our country implode, a result of their polarity.