random thoughts – Day 1,772 – (Wednesday) –chilly day

I’m not sure, but we might be on the cusp of the famed “hell freezing over” situation. I remember hearing of this as a kid, and in the vein of “Sure, when hell freezes over!” or “when pigs fly” or maybe “over my dead body” and a few other gems I can't think of this second.

Frosted morning.

The temperature was lingering below zero degrees this morning in beautiful Middlesex County. Wispy tendrils of fog or mist rose from the Merrimack River as I crossed the bridge. More dramatically, the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida was yesterday hit with what was called “a rare winter storm” and as much as nine inches of snow. What, what? The snowbirds who fled the northern winter probably feel cheated. I know that’s how I would feel. On the west coast, let’s not forget the fires raging in California since January 7. Meanwhile, across the pond, the entirety of Ireland is under a storm event with snow and 90 mile per hour wind.

The panes in the office’s arched window facing towards City Hall were etched with frost that looked like tiny fern patterns and lasted all morning. It was pretty, but also a reminder of the cold outside.

Inside the office, we celebrated the first quarter birthdays with a cake at our monthly Sales and Marketing team meeting. We really put a dent in it, and late in the day, there were just a few pieces left with forks protruding from them like spikes.

Dusk, Merrimack Street.

There was a quick afternoon walk in the warmer 20-degree temperature, partly to burn off some of the too much cake I ate and partly for an errand that could have waited until Friday. It was a mix of exhilarating and “crap, it’s cold,” but it still felt good to be outside. Walking really fast helped combat the chill.

At 5:00, it wasn’t full daylight, but it also wasn’t dark-dark and that was good. The sky was deep blue and the white lights shone in the trees on Merrimack Street. It was cold, but not brutally so. According to the forecast, there will be a few more days of cold nights in the low teens and days in the 20s and 30s. It’s still winter, and it could be worse.