Wingman Windstruck

New England weather inserted itself into my planned lunch with Wingman yesterday. I was tracking his progress as his band approached Boston. I had a narrow window which I planned on sneaking away from work, driving into Boston, lunching and then back to Worcester for an afternoon meeting. Freezing rain showed up followed by some snow which asserted itself into the monkey wrench role. I was monitoring traffic and the narrow window became less and less plausible. I was genuinely bummed out when I finally decided it was not to be. It was so frustrating to be so close and yet not being able to see him.

Wingman With My Son and ABFA Last Night in Boston

Luckily the ABFA and my son rescued the family honor by attending the band’s show last night which according to reports was a huge success. I woke up this morning to this photo and felt a whole lot better. Wingman is an elusive target – he wakes up today in New Jersey.

My Two Mentors Last Night

First Friday was special yesterday because my first boss after I retired from the military journeyed up from Hartford to join the celebrations. She and the excellent boss are my civilian mentors and it was truly special catching up with her. I had probably one more beer than I should which made the snow blowing of the 2” of snow in the driveway interesting. While I was in Zorba’s the winds really picked up and when I pulled back into my driveway there were some serious drifts building.

Zorba's!

I didn’t think much of it and decided to address it this morning. My hilltop house experiences almost constant winds over the winter and they were certainly howling all night. Most of the front porch furniture was frozen to the floor so it was mostly where it was supposed to be this morning. Then I went to check out the driveway.

My jaw literally dropped. The temperatures dove overnight and all the snow so laboriously removed from the bottom of the driveway had blown back in.  There was a drift 2 – 3’ deep covering the entire bottom of the driveway. It’s been so cold that the snow from the big storm has stayed powdery enough to let the wind still play with it.

Driveway This Morning

The wind chills were -25 degrees as I tackled the drifts this morning. I felt this was in some ways almost unfair because this snow had already been moved. It took me a good hour to get the driveway open again and as I look out I’ll probably be out there again when I leave to run some errands.  At least it won’t be 3 feet deep again, hopefully.

Not Fun

I’m knocking out all of my weekend chores this morning because Buddy and I are journeying north to New Hampshire this afternoon to link up with the Keene Friend. I believe there’s a sports bar in my immediate future. We’ll stay up there for the Super Bowl tomorrow. I planned on staying over Sunday night as well but yet another major snow storm is set to descend in the early morning hours of Monday so I’ll be beerless for the game since I’ll be driving home.

Winter has certainly decided to return and remind us to never count on New England weather to remain constant. I probably won’t be blogging tomorrow so the next time I write here I will be celebrating the Patriots thrilling Super Bowl Win! GO PATS!!!!!!!

De-Stitched and Loving It

Stitches Removed - I Think I Can Get Away With Calling it a Knife Wound!

Another bit of discovery learning this past week; having stitches in your nose is in no way entertaining and not the least bit of fun. I was therefore grateful that yesterday saw the removal of same. The hardest part was getting into the hospital with a fifteen minute wait to get to the front door as traffic was backed up due to the huge snow mounds Worcester boasts. The storm also telescoped the snow day’s appointments into yesterday which cased further delay. The dermatology staff were their usual superb although getting the stitches out turned out to be the most painful part of the entire procedure – including the cutting. I think it was the part where they dug into the wound to find the stitches in order to cut them.

With My Steri Strips

I received high marks for wound care which was my wife’s biggest concern since she wasn’t around to supervise. Once the stitches were out I thought I would be on my merry way but the nurse was breaking a small bottle to combine liquids like super glue which I assumed was some kind of anti-biotic until she disabused me of this by telling me it was in fact – glue. They put the glue on my nose and then some steri-strips which protects the incision until fully healed, so the pirate stories will have to wait another week. Beer, however, is back on the table for First Friday so the universe is once again in balance.

Wingman (far right) in Philly Last Night

Speaking of beer, the Wingman and his redoubtable band hit Boston for a show tonight just down the street from where my daughter went to college at B.U. My son and the ABFA will attend the show tonight, snow permitting, but I’m going to try and sneak out of work for a quick lunch with him, as long as the freezing rain we’re getting right now stops.

Wife (3rd from Left) with her Tai Chi Group

My wife listened to the litany of weather related challenges we were facing in the New England and then blithely reported she discovered a new workout in Panama. She’s joined a group that does Tai Chi – the slow motion martial art posing that is so popular in China. She says she really enjoys it and I could hear the wheels turning in her head on how she was going to convince me to join her in this new addiction. It didn’t hurt that she was doing this each morning at a nearby Pacific beach. Cruel.

They Look Entirely Too Tropical

Thorn Bird Down and Depp Depths

I was sad to hear of the passing of one of my favorite authors - Colleen McCullough. Much to the consternation of my daughter I usually avoid female authors as too wordy (she continues in her efforts to re-educate me). McCullough was one of the clear exceptions. I loved everything she ever wrote starting with The Thorn Birds, the epic novel about the Australian outback, that’s been favorably compared to Gone with the Wind. My favorite McCullough though was her series of historical novels covering late Republican Rome and the iconic characters of that era, starting with Marius, Sulla, and continuing through the death of the republic with Caesar, Antony, and Octavian. While I’ve always been a big history nut, that era of Rome always held a special fascination for me and she brought the people and times to vivid life in her books. Well done Ms. McCullough and thank you for the words.

R.I.P.

The entire area around Worcester is digging out from the monumental storm. It remained so cold that virtually no melting has occurred and all but the main thoroughfares are still snow covered which makes for an interesting and much slower commute. My Army buddies, the infamous Roothuggers, checked in to poke fun at all the snow. Most of them are of a southern persuasion and took pains to complain about having to wear a sweater in sixty degree weather or how hot the sun was at the Kaneohe Golf Course. In true Roothugger fashion I informed them they could collectively kiss my fourth point of contact. This morning I received the following reply from one: “Sorry to take so long getting back to you, was out grilling by the pool after golf.” It’s why I love ‘em so much.

Roothuggers in Hawaii - And Rubbing It In

My wife checked in periodically to secretly rejoice at her tropical location during the storm. Her dad went through a series of medical tests which brought back some troubling results so while her weather is tropical she’s not in the best frame of mind. We were talking on the phone after I returned from the movies last night and I suggested she try face timing our daughter since it’s allegedly three hours earlier in California. She tried while we were still talking and soon had both of us on different phones. She thought nothing of continuing both conversations simultaneously – it’s how she rolls.

My Daughter's Cat Inspecting Some New Furniture in California

I leave shortly to get the stitches out of my nose. Hopefully there won’t be a requirement for a bandage after that and I can go into full “pirate” mode. I’ve got some awesome stories imagined for explaining away the scar to strangers. We’ve got another snow storm inbound overnight which hopefully will not prevent a planned lunch date with the Wingman who’s band is playing in Boston tomorrow night.

Wingman (R) in NYC Last Night

Being a self-admitted movie addict I’ve rarely, if ever, left a movie in the middle –even when it is abominably terrible. Last night may have been the acid test with the incredibly bad – Mortdecai. It is so bad on so many levels that it presents a real challenge to capture the level of putridity. Johnny Depp is on a real losing streak and may have reached rock bottom here playing an effected English fop. Ever since he played Jack Sparrow he seems drawn to outrageous characters.

English actors routinely and expertly hide their accents while playing American characters. It’s seems to be much more difficult trying the vice versa. Both Depp and Paltrow fail miserably as English nobility and only achieve in making themselves thoroughly unlikable for the length and breadth of this embarrassment. The only redeeming features in the movie are the real Brits, Paul Bettany and Ewan McGregor, who at least had the courage to look properly chagrined at their effort. Do not spend any money on this complete waste of time.

Snow Wars

Back Deck at Noon - It Eventually Reached Over the Handle and then Collapsed on Itself

On a hilltop far, far away I watched what turned out to be an all-time record snow storm for the area. We ended up with 35 inches of snow which was a record although hard to tell because the winds were the defining aspect to this storm and moved the light stuff around liberally. The yard ended up with some impressive snow mounds which even had Buddy the Wonder Pooch stymied in his efforts to swim across the yard.

Driveway at Noon

At the suggestion of my kids I was watching the complete series of Star Wars since I was trappedat home by the driving ban. I completed 5 &1/3 of the six movies. I didn’t finish because at a certain point I had to address the snow in the driveway. Shortly after Annakin succumbed to the dark side of the force I donned layers of apparel (10 degrees outside along with the wind) – including one of my wife’s scarfs and opened the garage doors. This started two hours of unmitigated hard work even though I was blessed with a working snow blower.

Front Yard at Noon

Front Porch - Heavy Metal Bench Next to Turned Over Rocking Chair
Started the Storm at the Far End of the Porch

I underestimated how much labor goes into maneuvering my best friend around the driveway. I had to tilt the snow blower up to take a top layer and then pull it back to get the lower level. The chute is 36” high but for well over half the driveway the snow was drifted higher. At the bottom of the driveway near the street the drift came up to my shoulders, probably five feet tall. It would have really helped to have an assistant at this point because I couldn’t tilt the snow blower high enough, so I had to retreat knock down the drift with a snow shovel, clear three feet and then repeat.

Just Before Snow Blowing

Behind the Drift After it Was Removed - My Best Friend Embedded in Snow

The Moment After I broke Through onto the Street and Finished Dancing

When you do something like this small things take on added importance. When I broke through the snow bank onto the street for the first time I danced a little jig out in the street – much to amusement of my neighbor. I think he understood. Buddy only lasted about thirty minutes before he begged to go back inside – snow swimming is a tough sport.

Buddy Snow Swimming

It was well after dark when I finally finished and the winds were still screaming and the snow began falling again. I’d already figured out I would need a redo in the morning. I was truly exhausted when I returned to Couch Potato duties and only lasted until Luke was arriving on Dagoba before I headed upstairs. I woke up this morning with only two foot drifts covering most of the driveway which seemed like child’s play after yesterday’s adventures.

Looking out the Kitchen Window

The funniest thing yesterday was watching the reactions to the storm on Facebook. A number of friends, my age, who grew up in New Hampshire with me were wondering why the Boston TV channels supplanted their regular schedule to provided non-stop (and somewhat breathless) coverage of the blizzard. We take kind of a perverse pride in dealing with snow storms that mere mortals (I’m talking about you Virginia) would cringe from.

Driveway This Morning

This morning was an object lesson in what I’m talking about. I drove to work on streets that were completely plowed and 95% of the driveways I passed were completely cleared. People were going about their business and shrugging off what was a snow storm of historic significance. I clearly remember Virginia closing down for three days with less than a third of the snow we got yesterday. So we may get a lot more snow than most people, but at least we know what to do with it and not whine. I’m proud of my fellow New Englanders today although that upcoming Panama vacation looks a whole lot sweeter now; and not for what it is going to do for my social life.

My Fashion Statement for Snow Blowing Attire
The Bandage Helped Keep the Nose Warm

Hunkered Ruin

I’m not sure I’ll be able to post this as the internet is coming and going this morning. At least I’ve got power and the cable as well is in and out but mostly in. As I wrote yesterday this was going to be an impressive storm and it’s certainly lived up to its pre-billing. This is one of the rare occasions where the meteorologists may have underestimated the impact.

Front Yard Last Night When I got Home

The governor made a great decision yesterday by banning travel in Massachusetts after midnight last night. As a native New Hampsherite this stuck in my craw a little but there are so many flatlanders living around here it was a good decision. There is no way I could have gotten out of the house today anyways. He also made the decision early enough to be effective.

I came home last evening just as the snow started to fall. By midnight we had a couple inches but nothing impressive. The winds absolutely howled all night which will be what I remember most about this storm. I forgot to bring in those damned rocking chairs off the front porch and they entertained (woke me up) me all night long. At least until around 4a.m. when they blew over and shut up.

Front Yard This Morning at First Light

When I woke up this morning I was genuinely shocked at the impact achieved overnight.

We received twenty additional inches of snow and the wind was having a very entertaining time moving it around. There were sections of the driveway that were scoured clean by the wind and other sections with drifts five feet high. When I opened the garage door to take a picture I had to shovel some snow out of the way to close the door. As soon as I threw it the wind took the shovel full of snow which never landed. The door out to the back deck is half covered by a drift. Buddy loves the snow and was in full gambol mode last night. I got a snow shovel so I could carve out a path for him this morning however when I turned to get the shovel he hurtled past me out onto the porch and promptly disappeared completely. I couldn’t help but laugh when his surprised head poked up out of the drift he landed in.

Back Deck at Midnight Last Night

Back Deck This Morning
As I Write This the Snow Has Reached the Handle

I briefly considered getting a head start on clearing the driveway but whatever I moved would just blow back. Since I didn’t want to have Mother Nature laughing so uproariously at such a feeble effort I’m going to wait until this afternoon when the winds are supposed to die down some. At least the snow is of the very light and easily moved variety. The family room is a veritable snow globe with the sideways snow.

Buddy's Passage

My Snow Swimming Dog

I took some pictures last night and some more this morning so you can gauge the changes. Since we still have at least ten more hours of this storm it’s only going to get worse. I asked both my fellow movie nuts (son and daughter) what movie marathon I should pursue today and the consensus was Star Wars since the new one is due late this year.

Driveway This Morning

My daughter also strongly recommended I see the movie Blue Ruin which was available on Netflix. I watched it last night. This was a real treat, a simple movie that builds tension subtly and then slaps you. It’s a simple movie about a homeless man who finds out the murderer of his parents is being released from prison and sets out for revenge. It’s an object lesson that a great movie doesn’t require millions of dollars in special effects to be remarkable. A movie nut would also note the bit parts played by Eve Plumb (Jan Brady herself) and Devin Ratray (Buzz McCallister from Home Alone). It really helped pass the stormy night.

Pre-Storm Imitating Interview

New England is girding its loins for a huge blizzard that descends tonight. I scoff at the reaction most of the time when a snow storm is inbound because New Englanders know what to do with snow when it arrives. Every now and then  though a beast like this arrives - definitely a cause for concern. The mere 6-10” were pretty much sloughed off this past Saturday but this new one unquestionably has our attention.

The Forecast - I'm Right Between the 7 and . in 27.1
This is Going to Suck

The grocery store was mobbed yesterday as supplies were laid in. I hadn’t been paying too much attention until I saw that crowd. Checking in with the weather forecasters was sobering. The snow will start this evening and continue through Wednesday A.M. with the storm’s peak lasting from 2a.m. to 2p.m. Tuesday. That’s a serious storm and it will be accompanied by some brutal winds which means I’m looking at the usual mountainuous snow drifts across the hilltop driveway. The tropical wife is sending condolencesing warm thoughts from Panama while simultaneously celebrating her tropical escape (I’m sure a happy dance was involved). We’re all blaming my excellent boss at work because in a budget meeting a couple weeks ago he was reveling in how much snow removal money we were saving in the theretofore snowless winter. Children of the 1970s will recall it’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature.

In an act that will surprise absolutely no one I took in another movie yesterday with The Imitation Game which was startlingly good. A movie that can take the story of a thoroughly unlikeable mathematician breaking codes and make him and the story memorable is a true achievement. The movie also included a healthy dose of the subtle British humor which I love. Benedict Cumberbatch is riveting in the lead role as the tortured genius who designed a rudimentary computer to break an unbreakable Nazi code. This is one of those rare moments in cinema where an actor transcends the material and is worth watching just to see a master at his craft. He’s ably supported by the cast, most especially Matthew Goode, Keira Knightly, and Mark Strong. This movie should be dull but it soars – exceptional acting can do that.

On the other end of the spectrum is The Interview which inexplicably popped up on Netflix’ instant view availability over the weekend. I wanted to see it ever since the huge controversy surrounding the North Korean cyber-attack but it never came to a local theater. I can see why the North Koreans were pissed off since they revere their supreme leader as godlike and he’s treated with cartoonlike savagery here. James Franco plays a self-absorbed entertainment TV host supported by friend and producer Seth Rogen. They score the interview with Kim Jong-un and are promptly recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. There are some laugh out loud moments but Franco lacks Rogen’s comic timing and the film suffers when the two are separated. There’s a half-hearted attempt at satire but this was more of their usual frat boy humor than anything else. The actor playing Kim Jong-un is almost too good because he nearly makes the dictator likeable. If you like lowbrow humor, with Rogen that’s guaranteed, then you’ll like this, which I guilty admit that I did. Of course my brow is definitely of a southern orientation.

Time to go batten down some hatches.

Griswoldian Storm Sloth

Yesterday was spent in my snow globe of a family room as the first real snow storm of the season ambled through. As with any snow storm at this location my first priority was monitoring the driveway and figuring out how to best address avoiding a toboggan run into my cross street neighbor’s yard. It’s really amazing at the progress of meteorological science. I know I’m tough on New England’s meteorologists but they have a very tough job forecasting a few days out. On the day of the event they can give hour by hour predictions which are very accurate.

Back Yard This Morning

I used those yesterday. They predicted the snow would change over to freezing rain and then rain and then back to snow. I went out at the hour they predicted the change and used the snow blower to clear the driveway of an accumulated 5-6 inches of light snow.  By the time I was finished the freezing rain was just starting. I then waited for the actual rain to start and went out with a snow shovel to quickly and easily remove the ice. In a final act around 8pm I used the snow blower to clear the final two inches of snow that fell after the rain stopped. It all seemed too easy. One of my neighbors waited too long and when he tried to use his snow blower it wouldn’t work because the rain soaked snow was too heavy. This is probably a lot of noise about a very small victory but anyone who’s tried to come up my driveway with even a little bit of snow cover will understand. Life is defined by the small victories more than the big ones. I’ll be able to put the revitalized driveway skills to almost immediate use as we’re supposed to get nearly two feet of snow on Tuesday. Mother Nature seems to be making up for lost time in New England.

Forecast for Tues-Wed - I'm Right in Middle of the 24-36" Zone
Wife and Daughter are Laughing

I used the day to eradicate my DVR backlog and check out a couple movies on Netflix my daughter recommended. The afternoon and evening though was spent with old friend Clark Griswold as I received a complete set of the Vacation movies for Christmas. It was interesting to see the evolution as both Clark and Ellen Griswold aged but a new set of kids were brought in for each movie. The best of the series remains Christmas Vacation although the first one was a lot funnier than I remembered. The original was also a lot raunchier than I recalled and it was easy to see that they tried to sanitize after the series became successful and therefore removed the edge that made it so popular. Beverly D’Angelo was smoking hot and it’s sad to see what plastic surgery has done to her in recent years. Cousin Eddie remains the most inappropriate character of all time.

The Griswolds

The other escapes yesterday were daughter recommended. She called yesterday to report 80 degree heat in Los Angeles and I could hear her smirking when I talked about the snow. Black Mirror was a British series that was vaguely reminiscent of the Twilight Zone. It was very entertaining and had some interesting things to say about modern life and technology. 

The other was Los Angeles Plays Itself which should be required viewing for any movie nut. The movie maker, a Los Angeles native, bemoans how his beloved hometown has been used and portrayed in the movies and spends nearly three hours showing clips from nearly sixty years of cinema L.A. (an abbreviation he hates). It was a fascinating look at the different places used and reused over the years. The only downside was the narration which ranged from overly political to pretentious, which was the lasting impression L.A. made on me when I visited.

So you can see that except for the time spent out on the driveway my activities yesterday probably went a long way towards earning my sloth merit badge. It did turn out to be a day of almost complete rest which my wife has been haranguing me to pursue and I do feel better today – maybe she’s on to something. Buddy was a great companion as usual although he campaigned relentlessly to go out and play in the snow.

Buddy in the Snow

Some great news came across the wires this weekend. The Keene Friend has accepted a new job and extended two week notice to the job from hell. The new job is a shorter distance commute, regular hours, and will actually allow him some free time to pursue a social life. He’ll no longer be working third shift for 13 days out of 14. He seemed extremely pleased with the decision, as am I.

Finally I decided to include a photo of what the Mohs Surgery site looks like on my nose. My wife wanted me to text one so she could consider whether she needed to look for greener pastures (I’m going to pay for that one). If you’re overly squeamish don’t look but I don’t think it’s too bad. My hopes for a career as a nose model, while never a serious option anyway, have certainly been dashed. Once again – very impressed with UMASS dermatology.

Dried Out First Friday and Deflated

I went back to work yesterday after waiting out the twenty four hours to remove the huge pressure bandage on my nose. I don’t think my attempt at nose bandaging will win any esthetic awards but it’s a lot easier to see around and I can’t be spotted from dangerous distance anymore. My biggest fear was turning over in my sleep onto the wound but that wasn’t a problem and there’s been no pain whatsoever – those UMASS docs are good. It was cold yesterday morning and bringing out the rubbish I noted the pressure bandage was a good thing.

I’m on my doctor directed 48 hour alcohol ban so First Friday was different. My excellent boss had to prewarn the beautiful Brew City bartender not to pour my beer as soon as I walked I the door. She looked appropriately sympathetic. First Friday was still a lot of fun because it’s always more about spending time with friends than it is drinking beer although I’m sure my contributions to the conversation were entirely more appropriate than usual. I had to explain my nose adornment to the fabulous girls at Zorba’s as well – this was dutifully reported to the tropical wife.

Zorba's Last Night With Reduced Bandage

I’ve been uncharacteristically quiet this week about the controversy surrounding the Patriots and whole deflated football issue. I can’t be hypocritical after I spouted so much this past summer about New York Yankees’ pitcher Michael Pena’s addiction to foreign substances. Obviously something was wrong with the footballs in the first half of the Patriots game against the Colts which probably explains their mediocre first half on offense. At the same time I was astounded by the rush to judgment by the national news. It’s obvious the Patriots have become a target due to their success and a less than media friendly coach.

I find it a damning indictment of the national news that stories do not have to be corroborated anymore in the rush to get a story out. Once out, the story quickly transitions to opinions versus facts. Many of the opinions are from “has beens” and “never wases” that leaped at the chance to denigrate a guy like Brady who will go down in history as one of the best to ever play the game.  I spent the last few years in the military as an investigator; from what I’ve seen and heard there are very few facts out there but a lot of “opinions”. Its also telling that so many of the stories are leaked from the New York based NFL offices. If the New York Jets fans that staff that office saw a chance to go after the team that has been pummeling them for the past decade I’m sure they wouldn’t hesitate. Half facts and innuendo are all I’ve seen reported so far.

As to facts, the whole story started out because an Indianapolis reporter stating that an Indianapolis player complained about the ball. Turns out that did not happen. What we do know is that some of the balls were below the league standard during the first half. Both Brady and Belichick denied any attempt to deflate the balls and they seemed credible. It is of note that once the balls were properly inflated at half time the Patriots outscored the Colts 28-0. The only logical explanation is that the officials did not properly inspect the balls using a working gauge before the game. That makes a lot more sense than the arcane conspiracy so many Patriots haters are claiming. Of course, that’s just an opinion, just like 95% of the news coverage about this has been. I think the whole affair is great because this is going to motivate the hell out of the Patriots and give them an edge they’ll need against Seattle. It also rescues us from listening to the moronic ramblings of that team’s leaders.

View Out Front Door This Morning

Winter finally decided to show up in force this morning. While the temperatures have been appropriately cold – that seems like false advertising without any snow around. Mother Nature took care of that this morning as I awoke to a blanket of the white stuff, much to Buddy’s delight. It’s supposed to snow for the rest of the day. I have the same complaint about the national news concerning this storm as with the coverage of the Patriots the past week. Listening to Good Morning America this week this storm was touted as a massive, “dangerous” storm. C’mon, give me a break, New England is supposed to already had a few of these things and they come each year. It needs to be dramatic to make the news. Unfortunately the timid politicians of Rhode Island must have watched GMA because they proclaimed a parking ban for tonight which effectively cancels my planned thunder run down there for an evening at McShawn’s Pub with my sister and her in laws. Looks like the alcohol ban will be extended throughout the weekend which will probably make certain UMASS dermatologists happy.

It's a Little Warmer in Panama
My Wife and Father in Law in the Center of David