Out of Work, Fun Outdoors

Most of you know that I am no longer employed since December 31st. After 12 years of working for the same company I was given a severance package until June 2009 so I'm not suffering too much. In fact I'm feeling like I'm on vacation, and maybe I'll actually accomplish things I've put off a long time and do things I don't usually have time or energy to do. I'm feeling optimistic.

It snowed two or three inches from the storm that was supposed to drop six inches Saturday. I would have loved to ski nearby but there was an icy crust on the snow. Yellow was frisking around outside and you could see his feet stepping onto a supposedly firm top but then sinking down.

Yellow is an orange-tan cat we received end of June this year from a caring, sensitive young man, Carson Mueller who had seen the Day article about Bil rescuing cats. Yellow was getting into fights outside Carson's and mother's Griswold home and came to us tattered, thin and nervous. Today he is plump and healthy, and gets along well with most of the cats in our area. The difference is that our area cats are neutered and well fed. Those where he lived were wild and feral. This cat loves the outdoors and comes in only part of the day to curl up in a favorite spot and sleep. 

Everything in our life practically is about cats - a large part of who we are - why else would we share our home with so many? But it is very nice to get away from them for a while. Typing on a computer, even sitting in a chair is impossible without at least one on your lap. Eating a meal without a cat - don't even ask. We don't have a dining table in our home like most people. Dining area? Are you kidding? If you want to cook a meal, someone must pre-clean and then guard the preparation area or you're likely to get cat hair or worse in the meal. Cookies were fun - an exercise in both togetherness for Bil and me, and in "No!" between the cats and us.

We thought we'd go north, imagining that the snow beyond all snows would be found there. When we read on the net that the dog sled race was scheduled for that day, we were even more enthused. We even invited son Spencer from Massachusetts.

The air was so crisp and the scenery was beautiful: a dusting of snow on the tall evergreens, beneath them snow cold and smooth, but outside of the tree area a crust on top and beneath the snowy trails. Not good conditions but it was scenic, there was no wind, and the temperature of around 20-25 degrees made the experience pleasant if not perfect skiing. Aesthetics are enough when you reach the half-century mark. Energy level is not as great so a disappointment in snow quality doesn't disturb enjoyment as it would have a few decades past.  

The last time we skied here the conditions were ideal for cross-country skiing. The access roads closed to vehicles during the dog sled race were wide enough that several people could ski together side by side.  Back then, Spencer came with us - he was going out with Laurie then so it must have been at least five years ago.  I dated it by the fact that we were sad she missed the sled races, as she loved mushing. We had not known the races were held here so it came as a pleasant surprise.  Miles of roads were snow covered and packed down with many dog sled teams passage and later, skiers like us.  The sleds had already finished most of the races by the time we showed up. We skied from mid-afternoon to after sunset - the metal edges on Bil's ski's sparked orange fire off rocks down exciting hills. It was almost as exciting as Coronary Hill Trail in Bretton Woods, but without the worry over hitting a tree on the way down. For me, to have speed without stress over getting hurt is the higher enjoyment. The day stretched to night and moonrise. Magical.

Today the crust on the snow prevented easy steering and the hills were scary rather than exhilarating. It wasn't a waste for us as it was a relatively short drive, very picturesque and I needed the fresh air.  It was readily apparent that my asthma and allergies from our house's dust and cat dander are totally situational - I noticed a complete absence of symptoms. 

I wish we had gone to western Massachusetts where the conditions were better. Except for one thing. My ski boots had been sitting in the garage all year and were actually deteriorated with mold. Even the arch supports - I didn't know that about cork. Maybe they have seen too many decades' wear and it's time for a new pair. They no longer supported the ankles and the sensation of strain hindered enjoyment of the one-hour's worth of skiing we had. If conditions were better I may have skied longer, and the pain would have been overwhelming so we would have been irritated to cut short our trip.

The week looks like low 30's during the day, high teens at night. Our cove has ice on it except for the incursions of the Thames and a stream on the opposite end. Bil shooed some children off Saturday who didn't know any better. We skated on it last year or the year before after he drilled a hole in it to ensure it was thick enough.

He told me about when he and his family lived on a lake in Massachusetts for years - how he required at least two inches of black ice (no air bubbles) before he let his children skate on it.  When it was uncertain, he apparently forced them to skate with a rope behind them attached to a huge truck inner tube.  On the tube was a pole at least 12 feet long and an ice pick.  Scary to think you could fall in and not be able to grab the edges of the ice to get out.

We’ve been listening to BlueFM which is almost totally instrumental music in many modes – jazz, classical, new age and no commercials. Listening to it in iTunes, the name of the song and artist are displayed, and a playlist over time is available on the website. It looks like the station hails from the other side of the earth with interesting calligraphic subtitles that I don’t recognize, possibly Korean.

I am reading a book – it’s Using Your Brain For A Change by Richard Bandler that has some interesting exercises. For those of you familiar with NLP or the book I would be interested in your comments. You know my email address is stoye@earthlink.net or if you didn’t, you know now.

For the last week Bil has had some pains behind his sternum on the left side. We were worried about it except that it was not increased when he skied – surely an extremely heart pounding exercise the way he does it, if danger signs were going to show up they did not. I had suggested since he wasn’t feeling up to it we don’t go skiing but he wasn’t going to ruin a great day that way. Hey, he could have also skied slowly, but insisted on pushing the envelope. You know how he is. He is going to the VA tomorrow for scheduled blood work anyway.