But this year's xmas-new year's break has been anything but. Made it to the lodge once so far and spent the afternoon working on getting the LV-wiring up to snuff; felt good to get something done and fight my way out as the sun set and the cold came down. Christmas was good, but this is possibly the most remote I've felt compared to my personal barometer of yuletide engagement. On the upside, Alex visiting definitely improved things. A trip to the PL-turned Cypress for Schlitz, pool and debauchery. My first visit to the much-talked-about Spicoli's, topped off with an evening of bowling with Blake and his lady-friend H. A drop-in on Ben S. after a pitcher of draft-Busch light at everyone's favorite foundry-hangout, BJ's. Complete with 80's picks on the jukebox at Narey's 19th Hole. Cara and I even worked in a nice evening of martinis with Cam and Alex on his last night in town. A real good time, all around, and now we've got New Year's and weekend trip planned as well.
Of course, throw a few wrenches into the mix, like today's temperature of 10 degrees keeping me apartment-bound instead of walking open fields. Or Cara, cracking open her oil pan on an ice ridge and dumping 5 qts of black diesel oil down the drive. Some quick work and we had an overnight replacement part, german gasket sealant, and a little R&R in an 80 year old garage with an equally old electric heater I grabbed along with my tools to get her up and running. This was to be a short-lived victory, however, as her window clips failed the next morning, leaving her to place the (now free) passenger door glass pane in the seat next to her and enjoy Hwy 20 in full Iowa-winter goodness on her way home from work yesterday. The world is a strange place though. I waited an hour and a half for tires while she was at work and now, after a month's wait, still can't get use to taking corners without sliding across the powder pinball-style. Small improvements do a solid concept make.
So that's been a rough recap of the last few days. Today has been much like Monday; it wouldn't take Matlock to convince me I've pissed away the day. Something tells me, though, that these days will pay dividends down the line. It really has been a long time since I've had a moment where I thought "I'm bored", or "what can I muster to pass the time". Thought. And writing. Ideas may be pent up and waiting to be put to paper, but I haven't much inspiration for pencil lifting as of late. But thinking is something else. I mean, consider the day-ins and day-outs. I get up at the behest of the alarm, shower, dress, clean the percolator while making a cold lunch, drive half an hour to work in the dark, put in 10 hours and return to slump in my chair to check email, websites, and then dinner over TV. Maybe ironing, bill paying and then get ready to do it again.
Boo frickin' Hoo. That's the price of trading one's assets to make an earning. But it sure doesn't give much time to gear down to boredom stage and reconstruct one's mental surroundings. Move a dresser and discover a window. Beat the dust out of the old rugs. Then again, maybe that's just me. Takes a couple days to get there.
Course it's tough when there's arch websites to troll through and Family Ties on CBS.com to ignore in the background.
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