bitter sweet
snow is magical
I pity the poor folks without a window to stare out at the snowflakes
I could stare at falling snowflakes all day long
and I have
as a kid I stared at snowflakes in the day watching and waiting for the flakes to stack up
then in the night I would stare out the window towards a street lamp where I could see the falling flakes
calculating the potential accumulation while plotting the course of my next day
SNOWDAY?
SNOW DAY!
will there be enough snow for school to be canceled
will school just be a few hours late
should I wax my toboggan
should I dig out the shovel
(usually I did both)
shoveling walks was a pleasure of John Henry proportions
there were regular customers and there was plenty of work to do
it was a work out that gave me extreme pleasure as well as a pile of cash
I recall sledding in that pre-snowboard age
there was the "skurfer" and some other semi-skateboard-esque apparatus
but Burton and Sims had not yet come forward with the metal edgeless snowboards
so we stood upright on our Flexible Flyers and even our toboggans
the local hills got smaller
as I got older eventually we were old enough and we had the luxury of options options created by the freedom that the car could offer
a car and some secret knowledge would broaden the perspective of where the best place to sled would be
some claimed it was Congressional Country Club
others had a secret spot out near Potomac
in my mind there were only two choices; Battery Kimble Park and Howard Law at UDC
lucky for me my BLOG is not well read or I would protect this information like a map to a secret fishing spot
on some days we would go to both as well as back to the other sometimes
one spot was crowded
maybe we wanted to try and get the fresh snow
one could be better packed
while the other may be revealing grass
it was not science it was good clean fun that often offered a pit stop at Booey Mongers or Popeyes
those were the days that made high school great
man.... working on a snow day sucks
I wanted to be at home with Dean, Grant, Lisa, and the dogs.....
I managed to get something almost as good
worked the main office this morning but had to be at a remote site for the rest of the day into the evening
rather than catching a cab I crossed town on my bike
the bike choice that day was the Rocky Mountain Blizzard with knobby tires
a little air let out.... a little squishy in case I needed extra traction
sure enough... I needed extra traction
it was a blast
all the right gear to stay warm and dry to get to ride around in the middle of the day in the middle of a snow storm is a pleasure I did not want to be denied
this is not Colorado... I must grab the pleasures of winter while they are here
as tame as they may be
it was an interesting day to be on the roads
the street closures for the Inaguration were starting to come into effect
red and blue lights flashed on top of police cars blocking off roads as utility trucks with yellow flashing lights worked to assemble viewing stands, fences, and bleachers
it was confusing...
Metro buses were parked as if broken down to create barricades
people from all over the country have come to support and protest
not sure which group appeared in greater numbers
(tonight I watched a fireworks display over Lafayette park from the snow covered roof top on a building at the base of Capitol Hill........ a beautiful perspective but it did not feel like a celebration)
I managed the cross town ride on the snow covered streets dodging potholes, patches of ice, and frantic drivers excited to have a reason to speed around in the snow in their SUVS
it was chaos
it was anarchy
it was pleasure
and happily there was no pain...
not a slip or a crash
maybe a slip and some squirrelling about
but no slam
the rant is rambling and I think I need some downtime note to self: if you drink.... don't blog!
remind me to
oh shit
I will just link to it
last two nights I had the timing and the opportunity to sit down for the full two part two night presentation of a PBS Jack Johnson documentary
what a great story
what a great documentary
those burns brothers and their story telling ability
UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS
got home late to be greeted by the foot prints of Dean and family's back yard
it made me happy to see the tracks of Dean and whomever all over the deck and clubhouse
then glanced at my watch and picked up the pace
shined my helmet mounted headlamp into the dining room scanning for Dean or Grant
stepped down one level of the deck down to the next
all the while scanning the upstairs bathroom window wondering if the boys were in the bath
then down into the basement
out of my snow covered winter cycling apparel feet still warm and dry in those LAKE shoes
threw on some underwear and a t-shirt
up the stairs through the kitchen smile as I spot pizza delivery boxes hungry as I was there was not time for snacks.....
dinner would come soon enough
then into Dean's room there was Lisa with Dean and Grant discussing Dean's next step before sleep
I picked up Grant and gave Lisa a kiss
volunteered to read a book to Dean
Dean and I talked about the "SNOW DAY"
day Dean gave me an update while Lisa shared in the explanation with specific facts and a tad more accuracy
then Grant was off to bed
I read several Maurice Sendak Little Bear Stories
it was just what I needed
not sure who enjoyed the book reading session more..... Dean or myself now
I need to put my feet
up no time to proof read
no time for spell check
hmmmmm..... reminds me of college
except there was more alcohol
I will try to dig up a copy of the Washington Post
well more specifically the front page of the Washington Post that displayed me with a few friends crashing a landing with the four of us and a toboggan
what was the date.... February 1984?
let me think that one out where would I have a copy.... would be worth scanning and posting or even better if I had the full front page in tact...
I could have it framed and hang it in my home office
that was a great memory documented for the world to see
snow is magical
I pity the poor folks without a window to stare out at the snowflakes
I could stare at falling snowflakes all day long
and I have
as a kid I stared at snowflakes in the day watching and waiting for the flakes to stack up
then in the night I would stare out the window towards a street lamp where I could see the falling flakes
calculating the potential accumulation while plotting the course of my next day
SNOWDAY?
SNOW DAY!
will there be enough snow for school to be canceled
will school just be a few hours late
should I wax my toboggan
should I dig out the shovel
(usually I did both)
shoveling walks was a pleasure of John Henry proportions
there were regular customers and there was plenty of work to do
it was a work out that gave me extreme pleasure as well as a pile of cash
I recall sledding in that pre-snowboard age
there was the "skurfer" and some other semi-skateboard-esque apparatus
but Burton and Sims had not yet come forward with the metal edgeless snowboards
so we stood upright on our Flexible Flyers and even our toboggans
the local hills got smaller
as I got older eventually we were old enough and we had the luxury of options options created by the freedom that the car could offer
a car and some secret knowledge would broaden the perspective of where the best place to sled would be
some claimed it was Congressional Country Club
others had a secret spot out near Potomac
in my mind there were only two choices; Battery Kimble Park and Howard Law at UDC
lucky for me my BLOG is not well read or I would protect this information like a map to a secret fishing spot
on some days we would go to both as well as back to the other sometimes
one spot was crowded
maybe we wanted to try and get the fresh snow
one could be better packed
while the other may be revealing grass
it was not science it was good clean fun that often offered a pit stop at Booey Mongers or Popeyes
those were the days that made high school great
man.... working on a snow day sucks
I wanted to be at home with Dean, Grant, Lisa, and the dogs.....
I managed to get something almost as good
worked the main office this morning but had to be at a remote site for the rest of the day into the evening
rather than catching a cab I crossed town on my bike
the bike choice that day was the Rocky Mountain Blizzard with knobby tires
a little air let out.... a little squishy in case I needed extra traction
sure enough... I needed extra traction
it was a blast
all the right gear to stay warm and dry to get to ride around in the middle of the day in the middle of a snow storm is a pleasure I did not want to be denied
this is not Colorado... I must grab the pleasures of winter while they are here
as tame as they may be
it was an interesting day to be on the roads
the street closures for the Inaguration were starting to come into effect
red and blue lights flashed on top of police cars blocking off roads as utility trucks with yellow flashing lights worked to assemble viewing stands, fences, and bleachers
it was confusing...
Metro buses were parked as if broken down to create barricades
people from all over the country have come to support and protest
not sure which group appeared in greater numbers
(tonight I watched a fireworks display over Lafayette park from the snow covered roof top on a building at the base of Capitol Hill........ a beautiful perspective but it did not feel like a celebration)
I managed the cross town ride on the snow covered streets dodging potholes, patches of ice, and frantic drivers excited to have a reason to speed around in the snow in their SUVS
it was chaos
it was anarchy
it was pleasure
and happily there was no pain...
not a slip or a crash
maybe a slip and some squirrelling about
but no slam
the rant is rambling and I think I need some downtime note to self: if you drink.... don't blog!
remind me to
oh shit
I will just link to it
last two nights I had the timing and the opportunity to sit down for the full two part two night presentation of a PBS Jack Johnson documentary
what a great story
what a great documentary
those burns brothers and their story telling ability
UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS
got home late to be greeted by the foot prints of Dean and family's back yard
it made me happy to see the tracks of Dean and whomever all over the deck and clubhouse
then glanced at my watch and picked up the pace
shined my helmet mounted headlamp into the dining room scanning for Dean or Grant
stepped down one level of the deck down to the next
all the while scanning the upstairs bathroom window wondering if the boys were in the bath
then down into the basement
out of my snow covered winter cycling apparel feet still warm and dry in those LAKE shoes
threw on some underwear and a t-shirt
up the stairs through the kitchen smile as I spot pizza delivery boxes hungry as I was there was not time for snacks.....
dinner would come soon enough
then into Dean's room there was Lisa with Dean and Grant discussing Dean's next step before sleep
I picked up Grant and gave Lisa a kiss
volunteered to read a book to Dean
Dean and I talked about the "SNOW DAY"
day Dean gave me an update while Lisa shared in the explanation with specific facts and a tad more accuracy
then Grant was off to bed
I read several Maurice Sendak Little Bear Stories
it was just what I needed
not sure who enjoyed the book reading session more..... Dean or myself now
I need to put my feet
up no time to proof read
no time for spell check
hmmmmm..... reminds me of college
except there was more alcohol
I will try to dig up a copy of the Washington Post
well more specifically the front page of the Washington Post that displayed me with a few friends crashing a landing with the four of us and a toboggan
what was the date.... February 1984?
let me think that one out where would I have a copy.... would be worth scanning and posting or even better if I had the full front page in tact...
I could have it framed and hang it in my home office
that was a great memory documented for the world to see