Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Wasting the Snow

For some reason, I have just wasted so much time ever since we got back to NY. I've spent two whole days just sitting around, going on Facebook, reading this and that...I'm running out of Christmas break, and I need to take advantage of what little time I have left before the onslaught of students.

Today, I was going to walk out to the lake, play some music, maybe go to town and take my library books back, find the new yoga studio, see what the snow in Watertown looks like...But all I've done today is take Tula walking out to the lake. And read, get on Facebook, put some laundry in, put some dishes in the dishwasher, a little housecleaning of various sorts...the house looks like I haven't touched it, but I have. Nothing I do seems to make a difference.

The lake was interesting, though. There were two ice fishing huts on it, and some of the guys had ridden out to theirs on a four-wheeler. There were several guys on the lake -- about six that I could see, but there may have been more in the huts. They were talking, walking here and there like they weren't on Lake Ontario. It's so neat to me that the lake freezes that hard. I will walk out on it myself one of these days, when I'm sure that's a good idea and I don't have Tula with me. I'm waiting until a local person tells me I should do it.

I'm told they haul houses over the ice of the St. Lawrence River. I want to go watch that very much. I'm not sure how you find out when it's happening, though. Nor am I sure where I go to learn how to cross-country ski. I want to do that too.

They tell me this snow will last until April, but every morning, I look out to see if it's melted. I guess I'm used to Oklahoma snow, which messes with your heart by disappearing overnight. Cold is bearable when there is snow. Muddy, icy cold is not fun.

The Army has been keeping Joe at work until 7 p.m. since we got here, so I have the whole day in which to do things, but I don't have him to play with in the evening. He gets home just in time to eat dinner and go to bed. So I need to use the days wisely, and I haven't been. To be fair, I am sick and don't feel like running around much. (It's not a real sickness; I've been to the doctor. I have medicine. I'll be well in a few days.) But I could use them to clean house, to play guitar, write songs, write books...instead I wander from thing to thing, and none of it is satisfying. I want to be out in the snow and not feel guilty about my lonely little dog.

But I can't do that tomorrow. Tomorrow, I have adviser training at school. It's good, though, that I have something that reminds me I ought to be making lesson plans instead of sitting around. And Friday, I have no work.

Today is the day La Befana comes with presents for the children of northern Italy. It is the day me and Joe usually celebrate instead of Christmas, because there is no sacred moment during the actual Christmas break. But he's at work late, and we knew he would be. So, no plans. I'll make some soup, and we'll celebrate this weekend if he feels like it.

I sound like I'm complaining, but I don't mean to. You should SEE our snow. It's amazing. I hope it stays until summer!

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