gratitude-a-thon day 550: the forecast

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Cheryl Roegner of the North End neighborhood of Boston, sits in the sun and the snow on a bench in Paul Revere Mall next to a snow sculpture she says she did not have a hand in making, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013 in the North End neighborhood of Boston. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

Perhaps I have underplayed the winter weather that’s been happening here (you know how subtle I can be). Maybe, for those of you who are lucky enough not to live here, I’ve not given you an appropriate lay of the land.

We are buried in fucking snow.

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There’s nowhere to park. That is, if you can even get your car out.

We are surrounded by walls of white. Our yards are filled, our streets are narrowed, our souls are weary. We wield not only shovels, but axes and hoes to cut through ice. We have 95.7 inches of snow. We are tired of our boots. We are down on our coats. We no longer have any gloves that match. We have icicles (the size of NASA’s finest) on our houses that threaten to kill our savings, or anybody who might be walking by when one decides to fall. We can no longer rely on public transportation. We are cranky, and short-tempered, and mean to even the nicest people. We are giving our dogs too many treats because we are too cold to take them on  longer walks (ok, maybe this is just me).

We are dreaming of vacations, where someone will serve us fruity drinks by a pool overlooking the ocean. We are googling real estate in sunny climates. We are wondering how we got here, to the Tundra, without consent.

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Chris Laudani, a bartender at Back Bay Social and an avid runner, has been revealed as the mystery man who was photographed as he shoveled snow off the iconic Boston Marathon finish line during Tuesday’s raging blizzard.

But, we are Boston. A little snow won’t keep us down for long. We will rise up, (well, I might not, but most of us will). We will count the days until the magnolia trees line Marlborough Street, and Marathon Monday announces spring. We will crowd the Charles on bikes and feet, and skateboards. We will throw on our sunglasses and saunter down Newbury Street. We will applaud the Sox as they open up Fenway. We will hit the waterfront, eat outside, glory at the swan boats. We will savor every moment of warmth and sun, remembering the mornings of zero degree temperatures and  perpetual forecasts of snow. We will survive. We will get through. That’s what we do, in this town. Don’t forget we are Boston Strong (not be be confused with Boston Warm), this is nothing.

 

gratitude-a-thon day 545: another day, another storm

 

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Riley is totally like, “Make it stop. Would you make it stop.”

 

Seriously, UNCLE.

This snow situation has gone from “you’re kidding” to “How did we move to Alaska without knowing it.” I can barely see out of my windows. And people, it is still coming down HEAVILY.

I have a really horrible cold, that is making me cough, which when I do, makes my entire head feel like the worst hangover you’ve ever had. Then there is the post nasal drip, and swollen eyes. My sinuses are as clogged as the T tracks right now. The governor is telling us to stay inside, um, yeah, no problem here.

Four storms, three weeks. Nineteen degrees, wind chills below zero, EIGHTY NINE POINT SEVEN INCHES, TOTAL. I keep hearing people say, “Well, It’s winter, what do you want?” But, this is like no winter in Boston I’ve ever experienced in my whole life as a New Englander. What do I want? I WANT IT TO STOP.

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VD dinner.

 

Last night we had friends over for a VD dinner and a movie–the last in the Academy Awards line-up–The Theory of Everything. (I coughed through the entire thing.) But having seen all the nominees now, I continue to say, the big race is the “best actor” category. Eddie Redmayne playing Stephen Hawking losing his physical abilities, but not his mind, is truly a marvel. He beautifully brings out the humanity and humor of the man, without the benefit of being able to use his body, and for some parts of the film, his voice. Peter continues to think Bradley Cooper will get it, but I tend to think it might go to Redmayne.

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My friend brought this Riley-ish dog cake, because she thought it would make me laugh. It did.

 

Gratitude, well that’s simple. I am focused on my husband’s spectacular Valentine’s Day gift, four days in South Beach. I CANNOT WAIT. Just to get out of this for a minute will give me some energy to make it until Spring, that is, if Spring comes this year. (See what this winter has done to my optimism).