Brr.

Will you look at that. Blue sky and sun! It's a beautiful thing. Funny coming from me- I usually find cold more comfortable than hot and darkness more interesting than bright day- but it's something of a relief. The unseasonable cold is here to stay though; mornings and nights are often in the Fahrenheit negatives. 

It's felt like a long winter, but we are... only about a third of the way through (Ranzenblog has a nice pick-me-up regarding this very thought). School has been keeping me busy and I've been starting to look forward to seeing the end of end of the tunnel, so to speak. And so we march resolutely on.

Food for Thought

...or maybe more for the eye.

Pomegranate. A classic winter fruit. The hassle involved in preparation pays off- it's not only filled with all manners of vitamins, antioxidants, and other good stuff, but it also tastes fabulous.

Fresh beans, anyone? Sounds unappealing, perhaps, but terminology and connotations can be misleading.

Skywatch No. 6

Here's another one of those photos I snap from the window of a car as it barrels down the freeway. This one dates back a few months, but I still love this cloudscape.

Inauguration Day

It's been a momentous day. It has ushered in a new president, a new future. History was written on this day. What was needed to be said has already been said; I will not trouble hacking out my own (mimicked) copy of flowery words. 

Today I spent my lunch break huddled around a television set with about thirty other people, and watched the news. The inaugural ceremony, with the air of a holiday? This should happen every day.

Later I again attempted to watch the inaugural proceedings in the company of two different groups of people. Let me say to the first- thank you. All attention was on what was happening. I have never seen so many people my age so engaged with affairs of state, all at the same time. It was rather amazing.

The second room was a different story. I don't have a problem with people acting like imbeciles. We all do sometimes. But it would be awfully kind of them to carry on somewhere else, so we can hear the news. It's a little shocking to see how little some know and care about one of the most significant events in the recent history of our country.

Grey Mornings

As routines are established, the beginning of every day starts feeling the same. From the moment I drag myself from bed (after several rounds of hitting snooze) to the time I am actually awake (which may not happen until the afternoon or evening), everything just feels... well, rather bland. This is a shot of the street sometime in the early morning, I believe. Each weekday, I head to class. Not too interesting. It is bitterly cold, the roads are covered with all manner of snow, slush, and ice (though not in this picture- must have been a good day), the sun has not yet risen, and the town looks deserted, except the traffic is still ridiculous. A change of season wouldn't be bad at all. 

Late Wishes and a Newcomer

It's more than a little late, but I have not yet bid you all a happy new year. So here it is, and there you go. Frequent updates I cannot guarantee until my schedule eases up.

Meanwhile, allow me to introduce my new comrade, my good friend. This is Phil.

He's been here nearly a month and has been of good service. Unfortunately however, poor Bob, the desktop, is not running like he used to. What this means is that I am doing a crapload of backing up, though admittedly mostly onto flash drives. When everything is sorted out, I promise you, there WILL be updates. 

Thanks for listening, everyone.