measi's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- that dreaded Sometimes I have to laugh at how non-climatised I am for New England. Even though I've spent nearly a third of my life here, my brain functions on Rocky Mountain Seasonal Time. Roughly translated, that means there are approximately 10 days of autumn each year, which follow the first hint of winter weather with a late September snowfall. By Halloween each year, it was anyone's game to figure out what the weather was going to be like. There *were* many plusses for choosing to go as a ghost, complete with eyehole cut bedsheets, for my final year of trick-or-treating. It meant that I could wear my winter coat and snowboots to tread through the foot on the ground, rather than ruin that spiffy store-bought costume. I'll substitute style for comfort when I go be greedy and get candy from neighbors, thanks. When I heard the forecast on the Weather Channel this morning, I almost did a double take-- not just because I'd heard the word snow, but because people were making such a hype about it. Like it's a horrible thing to have a first snowfall in October. I need to remember where I'm living, I think. People here panic about snow in a way that I just can't figure out. Schools get closed for (what I consider) nothing. People panic about snowstorms. And I have to wonder why, considering that I've seen more snow in Boston since I moved here than I ever saw in the 18 years in Montana combined. Snow is *normal* here. I don't see what the big deal is. It's supposed to hit the low to mid-30's overnight tonight and tomorrow night. And the highs tomorrow are only in the 40's. Definitely late fall weather. It's smelling wonderful outside in the mornings. Autumn air has a crisp, clean smell edged with a slight mustiness of fallen leaves. I love it. It's invigorating. I wish that autumn could last forever. But this announcement of snow shows that things are moving on. And perhaps it's going to be a bit of a tough year winterwise. [bar] Late yesterday afternoon, my mom called me to check and see if I was still planning on coming down for Thanksgiving. I told her yes, that I'd be driving down on Wednesday, but needed to figure out how I was getting home if I was going to be dropping off the car at that point. (red-eye train out of New York on Saturday?!?) Well, apparently she's debating giving me the Jeep again. She went and did some price shopping on used Jeeps and realized how expensive cars are these days, and how even if she and my grandparents and my dad give me money for a car, I'd still have car payments (which I was expecting-- *shrug* It's just part of getting a car from all I can understand). She knows that with her Jeep having (currently) 123,000 miles on it, she's not going to get a lot on a trade-in on it, regardless of the wonderful condition she's kept it in. So she's thinking that maybe she should just give it to me. Part of the reason is that she wonders if she really needs two cars. Being diplomatic, I told her that it was entirely up to her-- it's her car, and I know she loves driving the Jeep. I'd be happy with anything, so long as I can get to work. Mentally I was doing a happy child at Christmas bounce. Despite the so-so gas mileage, it's a fun car to drive, and I like being up high when I'm driving. And since all of my routes to work require highway travel, it's definitely a good thing to have the four wheel drive. And really, would I ever be able to afford a Jeep Grand Cherokee on my own?? *crosses fingers* The other thing she asked me about was whether I'd like to go with my grandmother, aunts, and cousins to New York on the Saturday following Thanksgiving to see the Radio City Christmas show. Mom couldn't go because she has to work, but she thought maybe I'd like to spend some time with the relatives. I jumped on it. I saw it the first year I moved to Boston, and was just blown away. The end scene with the live nativity scene is worth it all in itself. Even as a non-Christian, it was a sight that was so beautiful that I had tears in my eyes-- they bring camels, elephants, and other animals on stage-- and just do an entire nativity scene. Nevermind the fact that for part of the show, they're ice-skating on the stage of Radio City Music Hall. Only in New York can these things happen. I'm convinced of that. So I'm excited to go see it again, and to see my cousins' astonishment when they see the end. Marya will have just turned six-- the age where she'll just start to remember these things. I don't know if my grandma or aunts have ever seen it, either. Thanksgiving weekend is turning out to be a really busy one! ~ Mel. 3:49 p.m. - 22 October 2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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