Winter Thoughts, Again

2010.12.13
Days Remaining: 169
Days of Marriage Remaining: 4 (inclusive)

01. The past several days, up until last night, have been filled with grading and reading essay drafts. This is due to a combination of procrastination on my part (some of it could have been done earlier) and the imminent end of the semester, wherein all is settled and final grades apportioned as dictated by the Dark Gods of December Judgment.

02. At least, that's how it feels as the days continue to dwindle. New Aldwych's version of the storms that hammered the midwest was yesterday's day-long torrential rain, which came down heavily enough to make a constant barely audible drumming noise on the roof of my building (I'm on the top floor) throughout the day. The winds howled off and on, whipping tree limbs around or sending what amounted to waves of rain against the windows and walls. That, and 50 degree F temperatures that lasted until this afternoon (though the thermometer is beginning to creep down to more seasonal levels as I type). I will admit that it did give me pause as I've been trying to jump start any sort of holiday cheer on my part. Rainstorms, although perhaps evocative of the of Emerson Lake & Palmer's "I Believe In Father Christmas," are not conducive to Yuletide imaginings, especially when accompanied by mild temperatures. So much rain...if only it had been colder and we'd had snow instead. Belisarius, also known on his own blog as Awesome Man, has had snow fall every day for the past two weeks (though, from what he says, no monster accumulation). Here, we had flurries last weekend, but no accumulation yet. It's warmer here, right now, than it is in Delaware. And I'm 4 hours north, roughly.

03. When I was a kid I hated being cold, and loved summer time. As I've aged I seem to be going through exactly the opposite process that many of my friends have experienced, and I've come to love and look forward to snow and winter. I think that this is due to a number of things, from the physiological to the biographical. I seem to be very poorly insulated, and I tend to overheat very easily. My various ex-girlfriends and soon-to-be-ex-wife all commented that sharing a bed with me is like sleeping with a radiator. I first noticed this in college during my Freshman year's spring semester. In March, when the days were warm but the nights were cold, I began to leave the window open and turn the fan on (so it blew on me) after my roommate fell asleep, because if I had blankets I'd quickly warm them up despite the influx of cold air. In fact, I really enjoyed the cold air, because it made the warm more distinct and comfortable. And from that point on, I've liked to be cold at night, if possible (the only caveat to that is that I'm not fond of air conditioning and what it does to my sinuses). That preference continues to this day, but my love of winter and snow came from living in Syracuse for two years. I was warned, regularly, about dealing with the lake-effect snow, but once there I loved it. I loved the shoveling (random fact: I like working outdoors in the cold), the way that it changed the darkness and light at night, the sight of snowfall every day (my second year there it snowed every day from January through April). So here I am, in New England, waiting for the snow to come. Only caveat: I need new snow boots. Other than that, I'm ready and pulling to go.

04. So, all of that said, I hope to always live someplace where snow is a distinct possibility, not a surprise. I'd prefer someplace where snow is expected on a regular basis. I love seasons, and the changes between them. The only place that I've ever been tempted to live where that isn't the case is New Mexico, and even there I'd like to be in the mountains where snow still might happen. I'm listening to a version of the "First Noel" by Bing Crosby, and he has various opening remarks (this was taken from a national radio broadcast) about not knowing if his listeners are in the "snows of New England" or the "warm, tropical beaches of the Florida coast." And that's the final piece: to me, this holiday is about winter. Yuletide that's warm and humid doesn't make sense to me, aesthetically. Give me the north, and winds and snow and cold, deep clear cold that makes the stars brighter and the morning all the more welcome. Give me the

05. Tomorrow is the last day of classes, and I'm very ready to be done. Not because the classes weren't enjoyable to teach, but because the semester has been exhausting. Come my divorce hearing on Friday, I'll be able to settle into grading and readying myself for Christmas, and the break will be very welcome. I cannot wait.