Mon 22 Dec 2008
During the longest White Elephant gift exchange I’ve ever experienced (I swear, those exchanges are like playing the board game Monopoly: it always seems like a good idea until everyone grows tired and grouchy of the whole thing), I scored three records. Well, the gift was defaulted to me since I was the only one around who has a record player. The records are old, probably found in the dollar bin: The Best of Leonard Bernstein, The Best of Lily Tomlin, and The Greatest TV Soundtracks (as played by the philharmonic). I’ve been playing the first 2 at top volume whenever I need a shift in my sensory overload.
Because what else do you do during a snowstorm? You can only read so many books until the neighbor’s bass starts up again. It’s times like this that I wish lived closer to my friends. I realized that all those dear to me are spread across the city in a far away map of obstacles: freeways, hills, and bridges. The price I suppose of living in the big city, I suppose. Granted, one is probably suppose to make additional friends in their own neighborhood. But that would upset the gentle balance of gentrification…my block is very specific in its color coordination. Oh sure, I caught my Ethiopian neighbor peeking out her window while Josh and I shoveled our walk. I waved. It was 8pm at night, dark, cold, and we were trying to burn off some energy. She waved back and then ducked her head back inside. I understand, I spy on their family all the time. If we had a real snow shovel (instead of the garden ho we were hacking at our snow with) I might have offered to shovel their walk too. Maybe.
The ball of nerves over having to drive down south on Tuesday has been unwinding a little bit. No major snow storm is predicted and I feel confident in my husband’s driving. Before the second big storm hit, Josh and I actually went all the way to the U-District in the Suburu. We squeezed in last minute Christmas shopping, got Josh’s haircut, and split the infamous Washington burrito (steak, potatoes and salsa; an unlikely choice for me but perfect when I need to get my fill of iron). We also visited Gina at the bookstore where she works:
