burning like matchsticks in the face of the darkness

It sounds like it's hailing outside. The parked cars have thin layers of white on them. Earlier today we had the tiniest snow that melted on impact, and much of the day was misty rain that wanted to be snow. This is one weather i don't like.

So it snowed a little bit last night, and a little bit the night before,

Odd ducks is this New England weather.

This is what happens when our lady gets a mental health day. :)

Has it been so long that we have forgotten how to deal with snow here people?

When i went to bed at 12:30 it was not snowing, so i assumed classes would be still on. When i got up at 6:30 the view from my window looked well plowed -- roads, sidewalks, everything. The INFO line was down, though. Apparently administration wasn't opening until 10am, so Public Safety inferred that 9am classes would be cancelled. They weren't sure, though, and given that classes start at 8 and when i checked my e-mail at 10 of 8 there was no mass e-mail saying classes were cancelled, i assumed it was a normal day (unless your individual professor cancelled class). So at quarter to 9 i set off to my class in Seelye 304. Along the way i learned there were some amusing spots that hadn't been fully cleared -- like my side of the JMG crossing. And then there was a guy still shovelling the steps of Seelye. This is why you call a delayed opening, people: so you can adequately clear off all surfaces on which people travel. But obviously it's much for fun to let us freak out with contradictory information and inferences on the Jolt. Le sigh.

The entire campus shut down at 11:30. So no afternon classes and no work at the Museum for me.

trijinx if no one else is with me that really, we did this all the time in elementary school, this is what winter in New England is all about. Okay, so the snow blowing so one can't see is bad, and it's understandable that they want people who live out of town to be able to get home safely, but still. It's each individual professor's perogative to cancel class, but to shut down the entire campus? Sheesh, what kind of New Englanders are they?

And i love when it's literally blanketing everything.


Now, homework. Yes, really.

This always makes me happy. And seeing the trees with snow all on them is so beautiful. Because i was in a good mood to begin with, the snow didn't cause quite the ecstasy it usually does, but that's okay. I'm a big fan of this lingering good mood for no particular reason thing. I got mail from my dad -- lots of financial stuff, including my last paycheck from break, and MY PASSPORT (and we did indeed get my birth certificate back, no worries). I sent out my Oxford app this morning (and am now convinced i won't get in; but that is neither here nor there) and sent in my voter registration earlier this week. I am a valued employee and there are actually some intelligent and thoughtful people in my Women's Studies class (Amy and i should hang out sometime). Life is good.

Okay, i'm finally going to bed now.

But i walked out of Wright Hall and it was snowing, is snowing, is very pretty in fact, but really bloody cold. Weather.com says 7 degrees, feels like negative ten, in Chicopee Falls as of 5:55pm.

And again with the not being on AIM. Didn’t so much get work done, though i had grand intentions. I went to work this afternoon (4 hours, most of which time i was actually doing stuff) and got a $10 Cinemark gift card in a holiday card from my boss. (This is where i gloat about the fact that with that gift card i and a friend can go see a movie for free.) I did laundry this evening. Eventually (mostly during hours which were no longer Monday, which i had kept thinking was Tuesday anyway, but now i’m really digressing) i reviewed for my Modern British Poetry exam (which i am taking today -- Tuesday -- at 2pm), which i knew wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but i was tired and unmotivated. And after i post this i am going to bed, to sleep late for the third day in a row, this time on purpose.

I continued my tradition of not participating in primal scream (3 for 3 so far) because i just don’t feel stressed enough to wanna scream. My window overlooks the parking lot, so even more than last year i couldn’t help hearing everyone screaming. Lots of people sounded like they were trying to imitate tea kettles. I laughed a lot. And i did traipse over to Davis for free hot beverages. However, they were out of both chai and hot chocolate, so then i traipsed right back to my room.

Marnie gave me a wonderful holiday card. On the front it says:

“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.”
-Camille Pisarro

She left it outside my door, so of course after i got it and i had to run up to her room and hug her and tell her how sweet and wonderful she is. And then we chatted until midnight. Would have chatted longer i’m sure, but she and her roommate are both taking a 9am exam.

An e-mail exchange with my brother:

him: y r u never on aim nemore
me: I've been purposely staying off AIM the past couple days so i can really concentrate on writing papers and studying for exams and all. (Though obviously as we can see, i'm not dedicated enough to avoid procrastinating by obsessively checking my e-mail.)
him: the idea is what counts
im too sic to care about doing work



You may feel as if someone is poking you in the side today, ELIZABETH, urging you to get up and get moving.
-from my astrocenter.com horoscope for December 15, 2002

Many of your own personal goals have either been met or are in the process of manifesting, ELIZABETH, and this has you feeling exhilarated.
-from my astrocenter.com horoscope for December 16, 2002



“Test everything, Hold on to the good.”
-1 Thessalonians 5:21



Later on, we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid, the plans that we made
Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland