“Remoted – Hybrid” – Day 690 (Tuesday) - legal in Lowell

Tracks in fresh snow.

It snowed overnight on Monday and Tuesday morning started out clean and bright with a light fresh coating of prettiness. Winston’s little paws left fresh tracks in the snow in the back yard, parallel to those of another critter. Bunny? Kitty? I used to be better at identifying tracks, but now I don’t know. 

The roads had been salted and were cleared pavement. Outside the parking garage downtown, the red brick sidewalk was coated with a smattering of purple rock salt that looked like decorative sanding sugar and made me want sugar cookies.

The temperature was in the high 30s and felt refreshing during a quick noontime walk to City Hall. Today’s mission was to get Winston’s dog license. Starting February 1, a $5 per month late fee kicks in, and that is just wasted money.

It took longer at the City Clerk's office than it seemed like it should. While waiting to enter the Clerk's office, the woman ahead of me and the woman behind me commented on the broken parking pay stations outside City Hall and said they hoped they didn’t get tickets while inside City Hall on business. 

On Monday, as I was walking in to work, a visibly frustrated man on the street told me he had tried three different pay machines that all said “Out of Service” and he was just going to risk getting a ticket. People try to follow the rules, but it isn’t always easy when the technology gets in the way. And it seems like my newest role in life is the Parking Pay Machine complaint department.

Legal in Lowell.

 There were two clerks working the counter in the office, and sharing one computer. The guy on the computer helping the lady in front of me in line was having a hard time with something. The person helping me was pacing the floor, answering the phone, wrote my receipt, and started writing the receipt for the guy on the computer. Finally it was her turn, and thank goodness she didn't have the problems her colleague ran into. 

It's lucky I work close to City Hall and can walk there in minutes. And now Winston is legal in Lowell for another year.