Snow Day!

I woke up early this morning and checked my work e-mail. At the very top of the list was an e-mail that announced that work is closed today due to the weather. I have a snow day!



I sent out an e-mail to tell the instrument service engineers not to show up to work, posted the 'snow day' status on Facebook, then got dressed and went outside.

The last time that I played in the snow was on my birthday of this year. My sister and I specifically drove to Palm Springs and took the aerial to the top of the mountain. We hiked a bit in the half-melted ice-snow amongst the hundreds of other Los Angelenos who were slipping and sliding on the snow. Growing up in Wisconsin, we took snow for granted. In Southern California, we treasured the snow.

Not only do I get to play in the snow today, but I get a SNOW DAY! I feel like a little kid again. I don't have forgotten homework due, and I don't have anywhere to be today. I feel like I won a day of absolute freedom!

First thing outside, I was an adult and headed out the door with a broom and an ice scraper. I swept the snow off the stairs and front stoop. There was a layer of ice underneath the snow, but I'm hoping that the sun will melt it and dry the sidewalk today.



Then I brushed and scraped the ice and snow off of my car, and ran the engine for a few minutes to make sure it was still okay.



Then I walked around the neighborhood. I saw people walking their dogs and salting the parking lot.





When I got home, I made some warm cereal. It was something my mom used to make for my sister, brother, and me after playing in the snow.

While uploading the photos that I took today, I found the following photos on the same memory card. I took them in Florida exactly two weeks ago from today:







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What a contrast, huh?

Nomadic Living

I'm currently in Florida at a conference and I've been here long enough that I am homesick and exhausted. The problem is that I'm not sure where I am homesick for.

I was initially homesick for Seattle because it is where my current life is centered. But as I sat there with the sun and the tropical beachy environment I realized that I'm also homesick for California, Wisconsin, and a lot of other places that I have lived. I'm homesick for the coziness of living in a place where I have a history AND a future. I'm not homesick for a where, I'm homesick for a what.

I have planted and uprooted myself too many times over the past 20 years and this move to Seattle was supposed to last me a while. I planned on digging in and establishing my life in Seattle, but now I'm not sure that I can (or should). So if you move from place to place like this, where is home?

There was a reality tv/documentary type show on television about people working with the Big Apple Circus a few nights ago. Circus people move from place to place all the time, but they move with all their things and their community. Leaving the circus and living in one place for a long period of time is their version of moving away. I imagine it's the same for the nomadic people in Mongolia. The trauma doesn't come from the moving, the trauma comes from leaving the tribe.

So I guess part of my feeling is the homesickness for MY tribe. My tribe is spread out throughout the world and I am in touch with most people through e-mail, facebook, twitter, and the phone. I can 'reach out and touch someone' with my multi-function internet accessible cell phone. But that small cell phone device is a poor substitute for a real human.

However it seems right now that having a tribe is not enough to fully comfort me. I think what I really miss is a feeling of certainty and stability in my future. The truth is this feeling is all an illusion because we never REALLY know our future, but I miss feeling like I do. There are certain things that I have control over in my life, and other things that I don't. I accept this, but it would be nice if the cosmos would cut me a break every now and then.

Settling on land

I've been so busy with moving and unpacking that I neglected to post the following photo of the neighbors' houseboat that was decorated for Halloween:

From Houseboat

I've now lived on land for a few days and though I miss the scenery and easy commute, I really like my full (grown-up sized) kitchen and worry-free toilet. I also love the feeling of warmth and solidity of living on land.

One thing that I did take from houseboat living is the need to live with fewer things. I have been purging stuff and it has been relatively easy so far. However, I haven't gotten to my books yet. Purging books is always really hard for me. Would anybody out there like a contribution to your library?