Merry Christmas

Hi Everybody.

Merry Christmas!

As it turned out, we were intrepid enough to get to the mall.

Christmas is coming

What a time for snow to come. A week before Christmas. Normally, we would have driven away from the city, walked out among the trees and cut down our Christmas tree. But we were snow bound, with no way to get a tree.

But that couldn't stop intrepid people. Too bad we aren't intrepid people. Happily, it didn't stop us either. We put the sled into the truck and took off with the kids. Once we reached the unpassable hill, we unpacked the sled and hiked to the tree lot, pulling the kids behind us. We bought a tree (thankfully small) and tied it to the sled. Then pulled it through the snow back up the hill.

We made a lot of people's day. Strangers hurried over to comment how old fashioned that seemed. Like a real Christmas. See, we gave people things to talk about when they got home. "Hey honey, you should have seen what I saw."

As the days went on, and the snow became even deeper, we had other adventures ahead. We built snowmen, and a huge snowfort, from which to launch attacks. (Mostly from the kids against dad). I took the dog on a 3 mile walk (hey, I usually don't have the time to do that. I'm usually running, eating breakfast while I walk the dog, and then hurrying away). We even sat and watched a movie as a family. (The Wizard of Oz. The first time the kids or I had seen it, though my wife used to watch it when she was a kid).

We still haven't taken the kids to have thier pictures taken with Santa. This could be the first year without a Santa picture. (We even have one of our oldest at 2 months old, in Santa's arms). But, you know, it doesn't look too awful tonight. It's suppose to snow again tomorrow afternoon. Mayby, if we can beat the storm and find sanded streets, there may still be hope.

Guess we'll just have to be intrepid.

Secret of Happiness

Okay, I admit, this isn't THE Secret of Happiness (with all those capitals). But I think this is a secret to help happiness along. Ready?

Ready?

Okay.

Make everything you can into an adventure.

Let's use my last Tuesday as an example. Here was my day...

On Monday, it snowed heavily in my area. That night, the temperature dropped drastically, freezing all that snow into ice. By morning, there was a sheet of ice an inch thick. My car wouldn't even back out of the driveway (I have a sloping driveway). So, there was only one way to get to work...

• 5:00 am. Woke up. Dang it was cold.
• 6:30 am. Got dressed. Let me explain. To walk, in the snow, ice and below freezing temperatures, requires a lot of layers. Layers that can open while walking, and close up tight while waiting for late buses.
• 6:50 am. Left the house, on foot. See here is where I could have grumbled about having to travel 14`miles (both ways) in the freezing cold, up hill (both ways), or I could choose for it to be an adventure.
• 7:10 am. The bus I was suppose to take left the bus stop. I, however, was still walking, slowly. Apparently, a sheet of ice requires a different gait than a clear street.
• 7:20 am. I stood at the top of the hill, looking at the two bus stops within site, deciding which looked less treacherous. While there, the sun started to lift over the yonder hill. See, here was another place where I could decide to complain, or make this an adventure, and admire the view of a frozen city.
• 7:30 am. At the bottom of the hill (only slipped a few times), I stopped and sat at the bus stop, to wait for the next bus. There were two buses to take, and I had planned in two misses, so even if I missed each bus once, I would still be to work on time. Dang, it was cold. I considered heading back.
• 7:40 am, the bus arrives. I climb aboard. The point of no return.
• 7:50 am. The first truly odd person arrives on the bus. Very quickly, all of us normal people (yes, I do get to count myself on that side) are out numbered by some, um, eccentric people.
• 8:00 am. We pull into the depots at the airport. If I miss the transfer bus here, there's a half hour wait, in the cold, for the next one. But there's only a 2 minute window between when my bus is "scheduled" to arrive and the other is scheduled to leave. I leapt off the bus, rushed from Depot 1 to Depot 2 and make it. Swinging aboard.
• 8:02 am. The bus pulls out, on my way to work. I look at my fellow passengers. Hmmm, and I thought the last crowd was... notable.
• 8:40 am. The bus drops me off in front of my work. Arrived, with little trouble, early.

The way back should have been the same, only in reverse. Well, of course, nothing works as it should.

• 5:00 pm. Rush out of work, walking fast. (The sidewalk was much clearer down at work). Two blocks up, reach the light. Cross the highway. Rush two blocks back to reach the bus stop, to catch the bus at 5:06. Half way there, in all my cold-weather gear, I started wondering if running across the lanes of the highway like a maniac wouldn't have been better.
• 5:04 pm. Reach the bus stop. It's filled with grumpy men wondering out loud when the bus will ever come.
• 5:06 pm. The bus home arrives. I'm tired. Heavy sigh. Climb aboard the bus. Wait, okay, here is another part where I need to make it an adventure. I look at my seat-partner. Okay, adventure over. Grumble.
• 5:30 pm. I look up to see if my stop is coming. Don't want to forget to pull the cord to stop the bus. Unfortunately, it's a bit harder to see out of the bus in the dark. Panic. Did I miss it.
• 5:40 pm. Of course not. What would be the odds that there wouldn't be at least one person who had to stop at the airport. We pull in, I jump out and...
• 5:41 pm. Just in time to see the connecting bus pull away. Dang. Half hour wait. Yeah, yeah. I know. Make it an adventure. A cold, stinking adventure.
• 5:45 pm. Actually, it's kinda fun, watching the travelers rush for the airport, or seeing the incoming travelers from all over the world trying to figure out the local buses. Ha! Good luck with that.
• 5:55 pm. It's cold and dark. Exhaust fills there air. But you know what? This part feels like an adventure. Amidst the hussel and bussel of world travelers, watching them run along side my own adventurous travel.
• 6:00 pm. The weird guy standing near me starts muttering and dancing spasmodically. Okay, it's taking a little more effort to be an adventure.
• 6:10 pm. The bus arrives. Well, no, it didn't. Each person starts to check the schedule, nonchalantly of course. Wouldn't want the others to think we're inexperienced at taking the bus.
• 6:20 pm. Okay, now all of us are checking the schedule. Is this the adventure part?
• 6:21 pm. The bus arrives. Yeah, well, we knew it would. No problem.
• 6:40 pm. Hey, couldn't have a bus ride without a weird person. By this point, they are no longer odd, eccentric or unique. They're weird. Pure and simple. This one got on arguing with herself and ended up blowing up at the driver, for unknown reasons.
• 6:55 pm. The last weird individual leaves the bus.
• 7:00 pm. My bus stop arrives. Woosh. The adventure part was wearing thin.
• 7:01 pm. Now there's only the 40 minute walk, on the ice, in sub-freezing temps, uphill this time. Sigh.
• 7:05 pm. But first, stop at Safeway to pick up essentials. Okay, can't take too long, right? Right?
• 7:06 pm. Oh, right. I forgot. The news threatened snow. The crowds are there to strip the shelves. I battle the crowds. The unwashed masses. Some of them live up to that name.
• 7:26 pm. Great. Done. Get in line.
• 7:27 pm. The lines are longer than a line at the only ladies' room at a stadium.
• 7:46 pm. On my way home. Whoosh. What a line.
• 7:47 pm. Oh. Yeah. Forgot. 40 minute walk. Ice. Freezing. Uphill. Adventure.
• 7:57 pm. That hill just gets more steep with every step.
• 8:00 pm. Still walking, very slowly. Freezing winds. Dark. Can't see the smooth ice until I fall. Each time.
• 8:30 pm. Arrive home. Took a little longer to get back. It seems, when I'm tired, I tend to walk slower than when I first got up. And I walk slower up hill than I do down hill. Imagine that.
• 8:31 pm. Home. Adventure over. Woohoo.

Now I only need to cook dinner, feed the kids. Get them ready for bed and get them to sleep.

Only the TV warns of worse storms coming. We need food. The driveway has partially cleared from the rocksalt I spread that morning. We need food. I climb into my truck. Turn on the four-wheel drive. Back out onto the ice sheet. Slide slightly.

10:00 pm. Drive away, slowly. Back to the store. To drive on ice.

To adventure.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Okay, what else would you call a blog about the snow? Just be happy I didn't post me singing it. Don't worry, your sound card would have stopped working before you had to hear it. So, on to my thoughts, however brief, about snow as an adult...

The Adult in me says, "I have to drive. I hate snow." "It's cold and dangerous, I hate snow." "Best prepare for the worst, buy fuel for cooking (outside) and fill the truck with warm clothes and food. I hate snow."

The kid in me smiles and yells, "SNOW!!" "Woohoo!"

Okay, I just got back from walking the dog across the wild, windy tundra. Yak were migrating past the little church down the street. Neighbors were hunting caribou. I was toasty warm, in five layers of clothes and a ski-balaclava on my head. BUT, my eyes are frozen open. I've changed my mind. I'm adding "ski goggles" to my Christmas list.

Wait, I can almost blink.

The Costco Effect

What is this great scientific truth I've discovered? And why did I call it "The Costco Effect"? Answers to these questions and more, tonight. Stay tuned.

Most likely you've all noticed it. You walk into Costco. You see a microwave oven. It looks just like your old one at home. You buy it and take it home. Then comes the shock. The small microwave oven you bought has grown into a monster of a machine. It doesn't even fit on a regular size counter, much less where your old microwave sat. Miracle? Strange, growing phenomenon? Dr. Shrinker's device working in reverse?

No. You have experienced "the Costco Effect".

When in Costco, the items you pick up appear smaller than they really are. I've experienced it often. The microwave incident was mine. TVs have the same problem. Even frozen food, once you get them home, appear to have grown larger than any shelf in your freezer.

A few words of advice, before you go to Costco...

• Move away from the TV. A 60" TV will not fit at the foot of your bed, no matter how small it looks on the pallet.
• That pool table only looks like it will fit in the spare bedroom. Once you get it home, it won't even fit in your living room.
• That neat looking freestanding pool is not a wading pool. Once you get it home, this Olympic Pool won't even fit in your backyard.

Orion

Nothing is as incredible as looking up on a crystal clear night and seeing Orion. It's huge and majestic. It doesn't hang in the sky, it occupies the sky. It dominates.

Don't believe me? Look for yourself. On the next clear night (dress warm. It will be absolutely freezing), look toward the south. Find three stars in a row. This is Orion's belt. His hands are held over his head holding up his spear and shield. And, if it is really clear out, you can see his sword handing from his belt.

The bright star on the left side of the belt and down (it is to far away to be in the picture) is Sirius, his faithful dog that follows him across the sky. I can stand and just marvel, utterly content.

Okay, I'll talk about something more important next time. Or something funny. Or maybe just interesting. Mmm, don't count on it, though.