Category: Uncategorized

Long Week

You know, between vacation time, sick time, and holidays, this week is the first full five day week I’ve worked in a long time. It seems like the longest week ever. Good thing there’s a three day weekend coming up, eh? Two full five day weeks in a row? Whew, dodged that bullet. That was a close one!

New Tallest Building?

While we were in New York my beloved, beautiful, angel, brilliant wife read a news article about new skyscrapers. It said that there were going to be two new buildings in Manhattan that would be taller than the Empire State Building. I thought it was referring to the future. Apparently, that future is now.

Earlier today I read this New York Times article about an ugly new slim jim of a skyscraper that is already not only taller than the Empire State Building, but it’s taller than the Freedom Tower sans antenna.

That’s when I realized, that I’d already noticed this new building.

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It’s that ugly eyesore towering over everything else in the picture. While on top of the Empire State Building I thought it looked taller, but couldn’t say for sure. Maybe my eyes were being tricked, or maybe they were just frozen. I’m also pretty sure I had not noticed it the last few times we were up high in New York.

So there you have it. That skinny, ugly, wisp of an anorexic looking building is the new 2nd tallest skyscraper in New York.

A New World Record

Remember last week when I posted a picture of the timer on my car’s dashboard and said I set a new record for longest Methuen to Westwood morning commute? I think it was two hours and 12 minutes, but it might have been 2:15. Something like that at least.

I smashed that record today. I didn’t have the timer running so I don’t have a picture, but I left the house at 7:30 and got to work at 9:49.

Two hours and 19 minutes.

2:19.

Oh happy world record setting day.

Winter sucks. Mightily.

Blame the Snow

What? That’s twice in a week that I went a whole day without posting anything. What the hell is wrong with me?

Blame it on the snow. I have been in a snow induced cloud of aches and exhaustion for the last week or so. I have never wanted Spring more than I do at this moment.

Who is Watching Me?

I was outside shoveling tonight. I had been digging and digging for about two hours. It was never ending. My arms could barely lift the shovel, but I was soldiering on. I scooped up some snow, turned around, and threw it as hard and as far as I could…

And noticed that there were two deer at the tree line of the neighbor’s yard that were standing stone still watching me. I kept shoveling and they kept standing there. It seemed like it lasted for maybe 10 minutes. Every time I turned around they were there. They stayed perfectly still, always watching me. It was so cool. I started talking to them. They didn’t run away. Not that I was close to them or anything, and there was a mount everest sized snow bank between us. They had no reason to be spooked, and neither did I. It was just really cool. Eventually one of them calmly walked off into the woods, and a few minutes later the other followed. It was so cool.

Shortly after that I got called into the house for dinner. My beautiful, charming, beloved wife made an awesome chicken dinner and it gave me a nice break from the snow and the freezing cold. I had maybe 30 more minutes of work to do. Most of the heavy snow bank at the end of the driveway was gone, but there was still enough to worry about. I also had to do the fire hydrant. At about 8:00 I stood up to go back outside and finish and what did I see? Our next door neighbor and his snow blower. He had just dug out the fire hydrant and he was starting on the little patch of snow left on the driveway. Woah! Thanks, neighbor! Clearing the hydrant is a big help, but I look at that as him helping out the entire neighborhood. I feel good about myself when I do it, because I know it’s a potential life saver. If one of my neighbors wants a piece of that good karma then have at it. Our driveway though, that was above and beyond the call of duty. Our neighbor is once again a hero of our household! Thank you!

Yet Again: A New England Winter Lament

It’s happening again. For the third consecutive week, we kick things off with a huge snow storm. The snow banks at the end of my driveway are taller than I am, and I am wicked tall. Each shovel full has to be tossed about 10 feet into the air to get it over the top of the mountain. If I try to drop the snow on top of the mountain it slides back onto the pavement. I have to go over the top so it slides into the yard. We have an icicle on one side of the house that hangs so low it is only a couple of inches above the ground. The squirrels no longer need to jump to get onto the bird feeders. That is, if the squirrels weren’t buried under four feet of snow.

I am a hearty New Englander. A little snow doesn’t bother me. I stand proudly with my shovel, daring mother nature to do her worst.

Well, that’s how I usually feel. Right now? Our third multi-foot snow fall in just under two weeks has me feeling beaten and broken. My whole body is sore. I’m exhausted. Each time I head out into the storm I feel like I can’t take it any more. Somehow, magically, I get back inside with a clear driveway. I sit down hard on a chair in the living room and hope that it’s over. Then I look out the window again and the clean driveway is covered again. Or, as happened earlier today, I catch a weather forecast that says the next multi-foot storm is four days away.

It leaves me (figuratively) standing defiantly before mother nature with both middle fingers raised in the time honored double freedom rocket salute yelling at the top of my worn out lungs, “YOU SUCK!”

Then I pick up the shovel and start digging. Mother nature remaining steadfastly uninterested.

Hang in there, New England. Just remember that pitchers and catchers report in 11 days. We can make it. It might be a close call, but we can make it.

Originally published at robj2112.wordpress.com on February 9, 2015.