Snow!

It's Wednesday, before Christmas Eve and it's snowing like hell outside. It is the sort of storm where, at night, street lights fade into a fuzzy blur; where everyone drives at a crawl.

They are forecasting over a foot of snow. It started tonight and should continue through Thursday and into Friday; maybe even Saturday.

Nothing is better than a cool winter storm.

Wait for it...Wait...NOW

Men have turned waiting for their wives while they shop, into an art. We pull up, letting them out at the front of the store and then drive away.

We do so with the knowledge that we must return to pick them up.

Unless the pickup time is exact, it becomes an art of finding a parking spot where we can spy upon the front entrance. Like predator or villain in a movie, we choose our parking place, backing into it.

Waiting...

When our spouse emerges we pounce. Lights flick on as the car starts and we zoom out. If we wait to long, then the spouse begins scanning for us.

"Where were you?" Will be the question as she buckles herself in.

For the times when that perfect waiting spot cannot be found, we drive about in a general loop, passing by the entrance.

Dinner at Frans

Tonight we went to Frans for a get together with some friends. It ended up being more of a "Beavers" get together than anything.

For those uninitiated, the Beavers are the wives and friends who have become a close knit cluster. They get together and spend a weekend up North at a cabin, drinking, eating, talking and sharing.

We husbands have never followed suit to becoming a closer group of male friends. We all tend to drift like magnets, drawn in to various get togethers by the Beaver group, floating along their periphery, but never getting close enough to each other. In fact, when we do get close, something pushes us away into a solitary Beaver orbit.

I was the sole guy there, the "token" as they put it.

I just sat and listened, enjoying their camaraderie, adding a bit here or there; but never really engaging too fully.

this and that

It is almost Christmas. Annika is very excited at the prospect of getting gifts. Isabella is her normal cheery seven-month old self; burbling to no one and everyone. Kris is applying for a job as a manager in her office.

I begin my new technical writing job January 4th. My last day is New Years Eve.

I will miss not being a full time employee, but I also believe a bit of excitement never hurt; and might even lead to more interesting things.

I know I am excited at beginning the new job. Consequently, I am also anxious at doing a good job and catching on quickly. While I know I will do just fine, I am suffering flashes of insecurity; which really sucks.

This last week, I had Kris' car, which I took in to have looked at. Before she left earlier that morning, she advised me to run her car for a bit during lunch. We were in a period of arctic weather and the temp was below zero; with a windchill around ten below.

Of course I forgot to run the car.

When I left work, later that night, to bring her car into the dealership, it wouldn't start; turning over barely - the battery losing charge due to the bitter cold.

Swearing to myself, I got out, went back to my office and called for a jump from AAA.

The tow truck arrived and the guy gave my car a jump.

As I signed for the services by the passenger door of his truck, warm air teasing us; he looked over at me.

"What do you do for a job?"

I looked at him, caught off guard. Thinking for a moment I replied "I'm a Technical Writer"

"Gotta pay more than this job" he replied pointing to his truck as he climbed in and drove away.

this and that

Things in my world are in flux; Some good, some a bit scary.

First, Isabella and Annika came down with head and chest colds; coughing and hacking. Isabella's cold has been un-nerving to me. Nothing feels more helpless than watching your six month old gag on her own phlegm and not be able to fix her. While Annika is much more able to help herself, given her age; it's also difficult watching her try to seem sicker than she is, when her younger sister gets more attention.

I kept Both home last Friday at the beginning of their colds. Hovering in the background was a worry I had, that they had the swine flu. The next Tuesday, I brought Isabella to Partners in Pediatrics to ease my concern. She just had a cold.

I have applied for a new job and have been accepted! I'll talk about this later, though; as it's getting late and I am tired.