Another Day Closer

My Formerly Pristine Driveway This Morning
Mystery Tracks on the Right Heading Down the Driveway

Yesterday’s late winter snow storm was so much fun!  It turns out getting the snow pushed out of the way in the morning was the right thing to do because I came home to a fairly pristine driveway.  Everywhere I had shoveled was completely clear as the day’s rain had melted any of the three additional inches of snow we received during the day.  I did go out and clear the rest of the driveway which took me longer than the entire job in the morning because the snow was so heavy from the rain.

I guess I’m at an age when people start worrying about my heart because my son read yesterday’s blog and called, concerned that I was trying to do too much and cautioned me to be careful (I’m sure his mother was in some way responsible for his cautionary thinking).  I thwarted both of them because I had just walked in from doing exactly what they were worried about.  I did weasel a lunch date out of him for today, so a big win in all departments.   

We received some really good news at work yesterday.  The decisions on the two arbitration cases I wrote about earlier were released yesterday.  We prevailed in both cases (maybe there is hope for the Obama Labor Department).  I felt good because apparently my testimony was important in both cases.  It’s always a little bittersweet because in one case an employee lost his job.  That’s never a good thing but he did place himself, through his actions, in the situation that got him fired.

I finished up the first season of Star Trek last night and enjoyed it immensely.  The Horta still thrives (if you have to ask – you’ll never understand), Shatner overacts yet still dominates, and Spock remains inscrutable.  I do now have a huge crush on Nichelle Nichols (Lt Uhura) who was a lot hotter than I remember.  I just checked – she’s 80 years old now; kinda missed that window.

My New Crush

I’m also getting closer to completion on my basement project; only two areas remain for painting.  My wife is growing steadily more nervous as I have only described it in very cryptic terms and told her not to worry (knowing it will have the exact opposite effect – but she did have the temerity to complain about the heat in Panama yesterday while I was shoveling snow). I did uncover yet another cache of my books that I’ll have to donate tonight.    

I woke up this morning to the sun shining on the first day of spring!  Last year the temperatures were in the 70’s on this day.  Today it was 22 degrees and I was greeted by yet another two inches of snow on my formerly pristine driveway (sonofabitch!).  I found an interesting set on animal footprints on the driveway.  They were cat footprints but they were dog sized, if that makes any sense.  They were way too big for a housecat.  I tracked them back into the woods behind the house and I’m pretty sure they were from a bobcat!  I hope he was just passing through because I’ve got a black lab that probably wouldn’t realize this is a cat he shouldn’t chase. 

Less than a week now until my wife returns and inserts some overdue supervision into my life. 

New Neighbor?  Buddy Beware!