willow_red

I've really enjoyed having this past week off from work. And between sickness and snow, I've been home for almost two weeks. This was a break I really needed, despite the inability to get out and do things. It would have been nice, but realistically, I probably would have just pushed myself too hard. Instead, I've been exercising as much as I feel up to, playing Slime Forest Adventure, and reading an odd variety of books, from Lone Wolf and Cub to Huma Spaceflight Mission Analysis and Design. I've also been cross-stitching like a fiend, and watching things from Kodocha to Scrubs to my uber-boxed set of The Matrix, all while procrastinating on a number of sewing projects that should have been finished long ago. In all, it's been relaxing, if anti-social.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get my car out to go to work by Tuesday. My lovely HOA (the community manager brags non-stop about how much money he's saved us on snow removal) more or less shovels the sidewalks, at least enough to get by, and makes a vague show of pushing some of the snow around in the parking lots. I can't call it plowing, as plowing typically accomplishes something. After the first snowstorm (the term Chanukah blizzard just makes me smile), there was a pretty thick layer of ice in the parking lot, complete with tracks and craters and such, but it was passable, if interesting, to drive on. Now, with the second snowstorm, the ice and ruts and cratering are much worse. I doubt my little Civic can get through all that without scraping bottom and doing more nasty things to the already-jacked-up alignment and steering (going to get that taken care of...you know, once I can extract the car). And for reasons I can't adequately explain, I don't have a shovel. I know, bad Colorado semi-native, no cookie! I knocked on a couple of doors today to try to borrow one from a neighbor, but they either weren't home or weren't answering the door. I'll probably try again tomorrow.

In the meantime, I was hoping to attend some sort of New Year's gathering this evening (not that I've heard about many), but between my car being stuck and this nice little cold I contracted a few days ago, it's probably for the best that I have a quiet night at home with Akito. If anyone wants to do a virtual countdown over the phone or via chat, give me a buzz.

Also on my mind today is that my birthday is coming up in two weeks, and I'd like to do something to commemorate it. The current thought is a party at my house that weekend. While my actual birthday is on a Monday holiday, most people don't have it off, so I will probably go with the Saturday before. Any thoughts? I'm hoping people aren't already booked for that weekend with other plans. *attempts not to glance at