BEGINNIN' TO THINK THAT I'M WASTIN' TIME

Maybe no photos today, which is a bit saddening as this page looks a little blank without those personal illustrative items. It is later than I should be awake. Truth be told, there has been some alcohol involved although I don't think so much that writing is a dangerous undertaking nor tomorrow to be rued.

Funny mood on this end, though. Sort of  "stock taking" few hours, fueled by the Amantillado and other red wine which I rarely drink these days.  The Honda repair cost $200 which is both the good news and the bad. Given that a headlamp was apparently out, and there were glitches in the electrical system, I am thankful it was not more. On the other hand, that is $200 I would have rather spent on Cooder or even towards new eyeglasses or an iPad Mini. Okay, so be it. Had the headlamp itself needed to be replaced the total would have been significantly higher.

I am dealing with snow and what it does to a car and driver. Again, no catastrophes, but challenges to learn from. Our Allview house is down a hill (see the summer posts if you must) and the driveway is gravel. Parking in a snow storm takes considerations heretofore unknown to me. I tried backing into a dry space at the top of the driveway, but slightly missed the dry-ish portion and therein the problem began.

Let me back up and remind y'all that before I went to the Olympics in 1992 in Albertville, France, and before I moved to New York at the end of 1993, I was fairly naive about snow and how to live with it. I fell every day, every day, I was in the Alps. My compatriots grew used to hanging on to me when we walked because I slipped and fell constantly. I had no idea of the physics of moving on that kind of slippery surface. My first year in NYC, remember Wendy?, I was in the gutter quite often.

Now, at this point, I am pretty good at walking and general navigation, but manuvering a car is a whole other issue. And when you add the hill aspect the factors get ever more confusing. My attitude is positive as I expect that experience will lower my frustration about such matters. But I did find myself stuck on the hill in the driveway and it did not seem as if I could get out of the situation without some outside help. And the snow is set to begin again around 5:00 a.m.

I am heading to Woodstock tomorrow with Marc for a kind of sweet dinner reunion with a bunch of folks who have not seen one another for many years. And all of us have been through some significant life issues (death, illness, etc.)  in that meantime again. Poignancy and reflection are high. One of our number is celebrating his 59th birthday. Much fodder for reflection and connection.

The depth of some of these connections and the prospects of re-uniting with these characters (and I mean that in the best way) is challenging. One hopes to approach such reunions with positivity and joy and, indeed, that was my impetus in initiating the impending events. Yet, there is some apprehension and concern about the emotional, personal exposure that is likely to be, that should be, part of the ensuing events.

And so, I called AAA to tow the car (and it was not a straightforward moment) and drive to a better spot, although I may well be shovelling myself out of the space in a few days. And I have sat  here for an hour or so, just sipping Amantidallo, listening to a Leonard Cohen Tribute cd, and drifting in my thoughts.