It was pretty amazing how much snow came down yesterday. It was unrelenting, and my first impulse was to be a wimp and stay in for the long haul. But we had CB over, and together with the kids, they were itching to get outside and go skating. So I had to be a man and motivate, and let me tell you, it was quite the undertaking. Having to haul all those skates and all those hockey sticks, not to mention several shovels to clear the snow on the ice, made for a serious logistical nightmare. It's great having the truck in this regard because you just toss everything in the back.
I was actually surprised that nobody was out on the ice. Sure, it was almost a white out, but it's a snow day, a day off from the rigors of academic life, and it was beautiful outside. Still, no kids. Which worked in our favor because we had the ice all to ourselves. In fact, when we got there and were greeted with an absence of other bodies, there was a resounding cheer inside the car.
And, of course ,the rink was buried in snow. It seemed like a foot of the white stuff, and while it was light and fluffy, when it gets that thick it's a bear to clear the ice because it accumulates and gets heavy. But you wanna know what was really cool? A, N, and C all grabbed a shovel and set about helping me clear the ice. In fact, nobody put their skates on for the first twenty minutes, and they all worked so hard at getting the ice in shape to skate. It was heartwarming, I loved that they (unprompted, mind you) were so willing to work so hard.
Best of all, because there was nobody out there, we got to play our favorite game, Polar Bears and Penguins, which happens to require a fair amount of setup in terms of shoveling snow, but well worth the time and effort. We ended up skating on the ice for hours, and by the end, not only were we soaked, but my hair was frozen solid with snow. At some point I said we had to get home because I had to make dinner, but the kids wanted to play some more.
So while I dug out the truck and warmed it up, they played on the massive snow mound in the rec center parking lot. What a great day. We came home, had hot chocolate with marshmallows (they always ask for marshmallows, which for the record I loathe, and then they don't eat them) and hung out by the stove. The end of a great day.
BTW, we fell off the vegan bandwagon and had kielbasa for dinner. It was strange eating so much meat, but I found myself devouring it. A nice little treat, actually.
In the end, the kids forced me to get out and deal with it. I did have some concerns about getting stuck in the snow, it was that bad, and our drive hadn't been plowed yet, but the truck can handle pretty much anything. And because of it, we had a great day.
Besides, if it's just A&N, it's not a problem, but when they have a friend over, I feel obligated to entertain (the hovering, helicopter parent in me), and worry if they get bored. I know, stupid of me. I figure the last resort is to pop in video, but try to avoid it at all costs. The kids are good about playing games or just clowning around, and for the most part, we avoid DVDs altogether, but getting outside is indeed the best scenario. Meals are also a good way to pass an hour, especially if you get them involved.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Anger Managment and Catching a Break
I've been thinking a lot about anger and how I really want to have better control of my temper. I'm also a firm believer that if you put a lot of thought into something and set your mind to it, you can change your behavior and how you respond to things. I know this because I've done it, even with things that are like triggers that you wouldn't think I could ever address, and I've always accomplished it the same way-by taking a step back and thinking about it.
Keep in mind, it doesn't happen overnight, and in certain instances, it may never change. But it's always worth a try if you don't like the way things are. In fact, it's your duty.
Yesterday was a rough day. It really put me to the test, and in many ways, I failed. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but sometimes you've got to be in order to exact change. It went something like this.
We've been getting amazing amounts of snow, which would normally please me to no end except for two extenuating circumstances: we were having car problems and our roof was getting dangerously compromised (my opinion only) by the amount of snow. These were both situations that had to be deal with, and of course I didn't want to deal with them. Sometimes you have to be forced into being a real man.
To top it all off, I'd managed to break two pairs of glasses in less than a week, complicating things a bit, and we'd run into car problems, which always make me depressed. In the face of it all, there was daily life to deal with, and even though life throws you a series of curveballs, you can't avoid coming up to bat. That's life, and in the end, how it should be.
Two nights ago when we were in the thick of this massive blizzard, I tried to move our car so that there would be more space to plow and proceeded to get stuck. I wasn't so worried about that, but what got me bummed was that the windshield wipers didn't work. It's not a huge thing, but big enough to make the car undriveable in weather like this. Besides, electrical problems are always a bear to deal with. A little research revealed that our car actually has a circuit breaker on the wipers to prevent motor burnout in times of ice and snow. Fair enough, but it was only supposed to last five minutes and then go back on, and it wasn't going back on. I made an appointment at Bob's.
I tried to resolve the problem by checking the fuses and doing all that fun stuff, but nothing worked. Kurt stopped by to plow and I asked him about the roof. Should I or should I not clear all that snow? He said it could probably hold, roofs are designed to handle a lot of weight, but rain was forecast for Wednesday, and that meant all that snow, all 3 feet of it, was going to turn to ice, and then it might be a problem. I could either take a chance and not deal with it, or deal with it.
I decided to deal with, and it would require that I get up on the roof. Total bummer. But, on the bright note, this was forcing me to confront my fears and be a real man, and that's what life is all about, isn't it? I got out my 28 foot extension ladder, which I might add is a total bear to deal with, and climbed up. I was actually spared from having to stand up on the roof and just stayed put on the ladder, though getting on the roof is in my future, I'm sure of it. I managed to clear the snow by raking it off the side, but it was slow going. I could only do a little bit at a time, and in stages. I would start on one swatch, rake with the short rake to clear a path, then climb down the ladder, get extend the rake, and rake the far reaches, all the while fearing the heights. It was a little brutal, and took me upwards of 6-7 hours. I got nothing else done.
On top of it all, it was cold, and my gloves and hat were frozen solid, but I persevered and cleared about 95% of the stuff. I'm hoping to finish it off today.
As the sun started to set, I also had to fill the wood box because cold temps were coming. Getting wood meant that I was also going to have to shovel a path to the wood, since I'd spent all day on the roof. I was tired, irritable, and cold, so I was not in a good frame of mind. I cleared a path, loaded the wheel barrow, and about halfway to the door, managed to spill all the wood. Once it starts leaning, it's all over, and man was I mad. Furious, and I cussed and threw wood at the ground. Fortunately, the kids were inside playing so they missed my tirade, but I was ashamed of myself, nonetheless. I mean, really, what's the big deal.
I finished what I was doing, resolved to work harder on my anger, and decided that pizza was in our future. They have a great deal at Ramunto's on Mondays, so drove the truck over, got the pie, and were pleasantly surprised to find mom home early.
AND, she said the wipers were now working. How cool is that? Now we don't have to drive it to Bob's in the rain, which was making me anxious and bumming me out. We had pizza, hung out, and now it's today.
Just wanted to mention that the kids were absolutely fabulous yesterday, playing by themselves and entertaining themselves. It makes parenting all that much easier.
I've been trying to write but not finding the time, but overall I feel good. Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Keep in mind, it doesn't happen overnight, and in certain instances, it may never change. But it's always worth a try if you don't like the way things are. In fact, it's your duty.
Yesterday was a rough day. It really put me to the test, and in many ways, I failed. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but sometimes you've got to be in order to exact change. It went something like this.
We've been getting amazing amounts of snow, which would normally please me to no end except for two extenuating circumstances: we were having car problems and our roof was getting dangerously compromised (my opinion only) by the amount of snow. These were both situations that had to be deal with, and of course I didn't want to deal with them. Sometimes you have to be forced into being a real man.
To top it all off, I'd managed to break two pairs of glasses in less than a week, complicating things a bit, and we'd run into car problems, which always make me depressed. In the face of it all, there was daily life to deal with, and even though life throws you a series of curveballs, you can't avoid coming up to bat. That's life, and in the end, how it should be.
Two nights ago when we were in the thick of this massive blizzard, I tried to move our car so that there would be more space to plow and proceeded to get stuck. I wasn't so worried about that, but what got me bummed was that the windshield wipers didn't work. It's not a huge thing, but big enough to make the car undriveable in weather like this. Besides, electrical problems are always a bear to deal with. A little research revealed that our car actually has a circuit breaker on the wipers to prevent motor burnout in times of ice and snow. Fair enough, but it was only supposed to last five minutes and then go back on, and it wasn't going back on. I made an appointment at Bob's.
I tried to resolve the problem by checking the fuses and doing all that fun stuff, but nothing worked. Kurt stopped by to plow and I asked him about the roof. Should I or should I not clear all that snow? He said it could probably hold, roofs are designed to handle a lot of weight, but rain was forecast for Wednesday, and that meant all that snow, all 3 feet of it, was going to turn to ice, and then it might be a problem. I could either take a chance and not deal with it, or deal with it.
I decided to deal with, and it would require that I get up on the roof. Total bummer. But, on the bright note, this was forcing me to confront my fears and be a real man, and that's what life is all about, isn't it? I got out my 28 foot extension ladder, which I might add is a total bear to deal with, and climbed up. I was actually spared from having to stand up on the roof and just stayed put on the ladder, though getting on the roof is in my future, I'm sure of it. I managed to clear the snow by raking it off the side, but it was slow going. I could only do a little bit at a time, and in stages. I would start on one swatch, rake with the short rake to clear a path, then climb down the ladder, get extend the rake, and rake the far reaches, all the while fearing the heights. It was a little brutal, and took me upwards of 6-7 hours. I got nothing else done.
On top of it all, it was cold, and my gloves and hat were frozen solid, but I persevered and cleared about 95% of the stuff. I'm hoping to finish it off today.
As the sun started to set, I also had to fill the wood box because cold temps were coming. Getting wood meant that I was also going to have to shovel a path to the wood, since I'd spent all day on the roof. I was tired, irritable, and cold, so I was not in a good frame of mind. I cleared a path, loaded the wheel barrow, and about halfway to the door, managed to spill all the wood. Once it starts leaning, it's all over, and man was I mad. Furious, and I cussed and threw wood at the ground. Fortunately, the kids were inside playing so they missed my tirade, but I was ashamed of myself, nonetheless. I mean, really, what's the big deal.
I finished what I was doing, resolved to work harder on my anger, and decided that pizza was in our future. They have a great deal at Ramunto's on Mondays, so drove the truck over, got the pie, and were pleasantly surprised to find mom home early.
AND, she said the wipers were now working. How cool is that? Now we don't have to drive it to Bob's in the rain, which was making me anxious and bumming me out. We had pizza, hung out, and now it's today.
Just wanted to mention that the kids were absolutely fabulous yesterday, playing by themselves and entertaining themselves. It makes parenting all that much easier.
I've been trying to write but not finding the time, but overall I feel good. Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Three Days til Christmas
I can't believe it's here. Christmas is always exciting to anticipate but a letdown once it passes. The kids are thrilled to pieces, so that's all that matters, in the end. We sort of had out act together this year, we got our tree early and decorated it, sent our cards out early as usual, heard from old friends, got gift boxes out on time. Even still, it seems like no matter how much you're on the ball, there are always a few choice items that stress you out at the last minute. Those are the things that make the holidays a drag, unfortunately.
We are dealing with some life issues on this end, as well. Mainly, our car. We love our Mazda, but for some crazy reason, the windshield wiper stopped working, and we need those wipers. It happened last night when I tried to move the car and it got stuck. I tried wiping and the thing didn't work. Now we need to resolve the situation. The weather is supposed to be okay for most of the day, but once it snows we're in trouble. Also, there's tons of dirt and mud that gets sprayed up off the road. The whole thing made me depressed last night, and actually made me wish the snow would stop. But, you can't sit around feeling sorry for yourself, you've got to deal. That's the New England way, and why we live up here.
We've discovered some new fun activities for the kids, mainly rock climbing and bowling, but we may have already talked about this.
I've also decided to take a new tact on writing and try to submit something every day to AC. Even though the whole peer commenting process strikes me as a bit disingenuous, the system seems to work, and I'm worthy of thinking I'm above it all.
Thinking we'll work on Christmas cards today. Have lots of planning to do for Christmas, like unpacking gifts and choosing a meal plan.
Most importantly, have to figure out what's wrong with the car. Yesterday was the solstice but the weather sort of made it hard to celebrate. And our car issues.
I tried to go skiing yesterday and the snow and wind were so fierce that I had to call it a day. Total bummer. Now I've got loads of shoveling to do and I'm guessing C will come over, or should I say hoping since the kids are pining for her. I wonder sometimes if it's constructive, but that's childhood, best friends and all.
Not feeling particularly inspired today, even though there's so much to tell. I've got to be more efficient with my writing, however, and get more done in less time. Is it possible? I hope so.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
We are dealing with some life issues on this end, as well. Mainly, our car. We love our Mazda, but for some crazy reason, the windshield wiper stopped working, and we need those wipers. It happened last night when I tried to move the car and it got stuck. I tried wiping and the thing didn't work. Now we need to resolve the situation. The weather is supposed to be okay for most of the day, but once it snows we're in trouble. Also, there's tons of dirt and mud that gets sprayed up off the road. The whole thing made me depressed last night, and actually made me wish the snow would stop. But, you can't sit around feeling sorry for yourself, you've got to deal. That's the New England way, and why we live up here.
We've discovered some new fun activities for the kids, mainly rock climbing and bowling, but we may have already talked about this.
I've also decided to take a new tact on writing and try to submit something every day to AC. Even though the whole peer commenting process strikes me as a bit disingenuous, the system seems to work, and I'm worthy of thinking I'm above it all.
Thinking we'll work on Christmas cards today. Have lots of planning to do for Christmas, like unpacking gifts and choosing a meal plan.
Most importantly, have to figure out what's wrong with the car. Yesterday was the solstice but the weather sort of made it hard to celebrate. And our car issues.
I tried to go skiing yesterday and the snow and wind were so fierce that I had to call it a day. Total bummer. Now I've got loads of shoveling to do and I'm guessing C will come over, or should I say hoping since the kids are pining for her. I wonder sometimes if it's constructive, but that's childhood, best friends and all.
Not feeling particularly inspired today, even though there's so much to tell. I've got to be more efficient with my writing, however, and get more done in less time. Is it possible? I hope so.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
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