It's snowing. Big time snow. I have decided not to turn on the TV to watch the snow reporting, which consists of reporters in very ridiculous cold weather clothing standing in the middle of the street watching a) empty streets, b) streets with cars stuck on them or c) roadways where people are traveling slowly. These same reporters then measure the snow with a ruler and are gleeful when the ruler gets buried. Also, if they are stuck for an interview topic, they go to Home Depot where questions are asked about how many of the following are left: shovels(none), snowblowers (none) and rock salt (none). Then they interview customers who are very distressed that there is no snowblower/shovel/rock salt.
Now, call me crazy, but we have had the same shovel since we bought this house 15 years ago. WHAT do these people do with the shovel at the end of the winter that they always need a new one? Why not buy a snowblower at the start of winter? Why not lay in rock salt when you do holiday shopping? The list could look something like: buy tree, menorah candles, wreath, lights, rock salt.
Now another question --- where did they conduct snowblower/shovel/rock salt interviews before Home Depot? Note to future reporters stuck on what to report on ---go to Home Depot when there is ANY natural disaster. Remember the plywood status conversations conducted at Home Depots in Florida during the hurricanes? Missing from the tsnunami coverage was any mention of Home Depot. Did anyone else notice that?
I have decided I like the new governor in NJ. He declared a curfew tonight from 8PM to 8AM tomorrow. He said people should use this as family time and read and watch movies together. Gee, a public declaration that people should read. I like those politics.
After a whirlwind morning where the boys' haircut appointments were moved up an hour because "snow was coming" and three hours at my younger son's school Fun Fair (I was shocked the room did not empty when the first flake fell; maybe these people are realizing SUVs were meant to be driven in snow) following him around as he played games and basically ignored me once I bought him tickets, I engaged in my favorite snowtime activity: I hit the couch...and read.
I finished SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR by Pam Lewis, which is a very well done debut psychological suspense novel. I look forward to sharing more about this one with you. Now I am halfway through ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AN ORDINARY LIFE by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Twenty pages in I decided that I have to meet this author. Reading her memoir has me reliving so many anecdotes from my own very ordinary life --- and laughing about them. These are the writings of a woman who had a life like many of the rest of us --- and makes us laugh thinking about it.
Here's one of the kind of thoughts she puts forth. When people ask how we are, what do we usually say? "Busy." We are busy busy busy. Now, ask a ten-year-old child what he did today and what do you usually hear? "Nothing." Think about it, and then try it out. Ask your child what he did at school. "Nothing." Ask your wife or husband or significant other what their day was like. "Busy." The book is filled with thoughts like this. The prose is arranged in encyclopedia style and the comments are short and very tightly written. Trust me that reading this book you will laugh --- and think. You will think about things like at what age "nothing" turns to "busy." I think it's somewhere between middle school and high school.
You can buy this one to give as a gift to many people. It's a great Valentine's Day present --- seriously. You will celebrate everyday life with the one you love with it.
Okay...back to reading and ignoring television. I have William Lashner's new one FALLS THE SHADOW (April release) next up. Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow.
