The ground hog heard me curse him, and he was not amused. So miffed was this brown furry rodent in need of an orthodontist, that he got on his cell phone as I searched for his hole, and called Mother Nature. Yesterday, she sent a blizzard to my backyard that was big enough to name White Out 2010.
Some people climb Mount Everest for kicks. I walk to the local gym in weather conditions that CNN decides are "life threatening." As far as I'm concerned, these feats are one in the same. Besides, if I watched the news all day long I would never leave my house. It would be stockpiled with canned foods, bottled water, candles, flashlights, batteries, "borrowed" H1N1 vaccine just in case, and an invisible shield flashing the letters A D T all over the siding and roof. The news makes me crazy worried; it attempts to make me live in fear for the sake of drama, for the sake of ratings. I try to watch as little of it as possible.
So I put on my coat and walked a quarter of a mile to Ultimate Fitness. My husband was home for the day. The trek there was not so bad, since I was walking in the direction of the wind. Moving through snow is similar to walking on the sand, when there is enough of it to make your step unsure. As I trotted down the block nothing really threatened me, except maybe the idea that I almost didn't go.
I love the way snow changes the landscape of my town, and seems to throw it back in time a bit. On my way to Ultimate Fitness I passed an abandoned warehouse and peeped inside through a broken window pane. I tried to imagine the massive room restored and bustling with activity. Pretending makes me feel joyful.
The gym was open, but a ghost town nevertheless, and after an accident occurred in the parking lot, it closed early. I was able to use it for an hour, so I was happy. My journey back to the house was a bit more challenging, since I was tired from spending six miles on the treadmill and the icy snow was pelting me in the face.
It was so good to step back into a warm house after exercising in the cold. I felt renewed. The feeling reminded me of what it was like coming in from the snow as child after having played for hours. Winter isn't so bad after all. My trek to Mount Ultimate Fitness reminded me.
Today, I'm loving this ground hog. He gave my husband another snow day off from work, (he's an educator). I am so completely excited about today's little jou
rney. I'm not going to the gym this time.
rney. I'm not going to the gym this time. Last weekend postman Jim brought me a package, and I was so excited I could have kissed him. Before my husband gets all upset, let me explain. My enthusiasm had nothing to do with Postman Jim and everything to do with the package. I was as thrilled as the time I tried to kiss the driving test facilitator who passed me and granted me a licence. I wanted to show my appreciation because it was my third try at passing, and she looked just like Maya Angelou, (I'm a big fan). I didn't actually kiss her, nor did I kiss the postman. I just jumped around a lot in the doorway because the package contained Elizabeth Oakes Smith's letters, poems, scrapbook, and diary excerpts on microfilm. I had it copied from the New York Public Library so I could read it in full. I waited months for this package.
Today I'm going to walk to the public library, get on a microfilm machine and read. In the reading I will forget time and space and who I am will fall away for an hour. I get to step inside the life of someone else. This is the joy of reading, writing or researching.
Thank you ground hog. If I see you today on my way to library, I promise to give you a big kiss.
Pictured Above: My block in the blizzard. The old abandoned store. My house in the blizzard.
5 comments:
angelou is my idol also, as is elizabeth oaks smith, i have been in coresspondance with an m..... hibbert in manchester and has put me in touch with browns snowdons barlows daltons and stones, you are so courageous, my daughter in ashboro north carlolina will not walk a half a block for her gym because of the ice storms....her husband is also home not dentistering because his nursing staff will not go in and he cannot operate without them>>>so they are have FUN, that is what they say anyway.....here in ephraim, we all trudge along as usual, nose hairs freezing in -30{teasing} walking 10 miles to school without any boots
Mr. Putz, New York storms are not half as bad as Utah winter weather. I don't think it took courage to walk to the gym, just boredom and an opportunity to escape, with Milk Man home for the day.
Wonderful! I did spend the last 2 days at home with my kids and got my workout by walking around in the deep snow making snow animals with them. Kevin was off at work because if he can, he does!
THAT CRAZY LADY, THAT RHYMES founsd on my blog is a good friend of reva wha has been with me for most of my four years of blogging and her article about not having any siblings going in to see the new mother and their brand new brother and sister is definely anti kid, your senator fiend, friend would be right at home with these hospital administrators, letting say a sick old visitor with more propensity for flu and keeping normally more flu resitant children>>>>>> supposedly in children in is ludicrus...do they think children are sub par humans, maybe we should terminate them when they get too sick, love ya the putz, and have a happy valentines, i made homemade valentinses for all my 7 grands, and the one unborn grand, my wiffee, daughters, and my one 31 year old son living at home...see my post 463 {labeled} for my one disappointing aspect of valentines 2010{middle of blog, hidden beacuse of my embarassment
Loren, too funny--I love how you blame the blizzard on the groundhog's ire. Good for you going to the gym--I'm still working on convincing myself after a few months' hiatus.
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