2010

Another year is over and I'm feeling a little melancholy today. How did 2009, or the entire decade of the new millenium for that matter, go by so quickly? They say it's a function of getting older - that time seems to rocket past in the blink of an eye. I don't make resolutions. It's too much pressure and I'm really more into eliminating stress than causing more. Therefore, the clicking over of one number to another really doesn't matter much to me. I was asleep by 10:30 last night because I knew that the ball would drop and the calendar change-over would happen even if I didn't stay awake to see it. I woke briefly around midnight because my neighbors insisted on letting me know that it happened, despite my lack of enthusiasm, by setting off fireworks. I mumbled "Happy New Year" to the cat, rolled over, and continued with my good night's sleep.

One reason for my less-than-enthusiastic mood is that I'm getting cabin fever already. The foot and a half of snow that we got on December 18 is still on the ground and, in my road where it's been driven on, is a solid sheet of ice. There's a steep little hill over a culvert that needs to be negotiated to get to the paved road. Durng the three (count 'em, THREE) times I've ventured out since 12/18 I've had mini heart attacks each time I've driven it, zig-zagging my way across, and praying that the car stayed where it was supposed to. Apparently it doesn't bother any of my neighbors as much as it does me, because no one has done anything to try and eliminate the ice.

The Christmas ice storm and power outage was very depressing. Not only was I missing my family, but sitting here alone in the dark really put me over the edge. I'm now entertaining thoughts of moving somewhere else because I feel really isolated. I managed to get out (one of my three trips out) last Tuesday and went to Raleigh for an overnight and belated celebration with my Dad and my Sister. With a stop at the Super WalMart in Wilkesboro on the way home to re-stock, I made it back before the next snow storm left us another couple of inches.

Our local weather man says we're going into the deep freeze for at least the next week. We won't make it above freezing and hardly into the 20s with over night temperatures in the single digits. (He actually said "we'll be like the forgotten lima beans on the back shelf of the freezer by the time this is over".) So, since it will be a balmy 30 degrees today, I think I'm going to get some of my frustrations out by taking a shovel up to the glacier in the road and chip some ice. If I know I can get out of here, even if it's FYBO cold, that might help.