Snow Shoveling

 My wife has a work related “Retreat” she is attending today (after her regular work day) from 5 - 9pm this evening.  As most of these things are…. they are filled with just a bunch of b*llsh*t that could easily be handled via e-mail.  So now that I am home from the U I find I am a bachelor for the evening.  

Unfortunately, we also received roughly 5 inches of snow during the day.  5 inches is not a huge amount, but it is faster and easier to use the snowblower for this amount, so I will be getting out that rumbly-grumbly, infernal machine to assist me with the job (first time this season….. hopefully the machine will start).  Our driveway is quite long, and there is a considerable amount of sidewalk too.  I have hand-shoveled smaller amounts so far since November, but it was a LONG day of 5 hours of BIG VOICE lecture, having to meet with the Grants Officer to explain my frustration about the Research Review Board (not the whole board, just the typographically sensitive ogre who has not yet gotten around to giving her approval now for EIGHT WEEKS!!!!!!!).  The Grants Officer is the Head of the Board, and he too is frustrated at the ogre.  There is SUPPOSED to be a TWO week turn around time.  So, I am tired, and the snowblower will be gratefully used.  I also ran 11.7 miles this morning.  

I had briefly allowed myself a “flight-of-fancy” pipe dream moment yesterday when I remembered my wife’s impending retreat today…. where I envisioned “cutting loose” and buying some strong, hearty IPAs…. a particular dark, “hoppy” beer variety….. perhaps drinking 3-4 bottles, and then feeling gently comfortable thereby…. then having 2 or 3 beautifully heavy, chalky bowls of robust pipe tobacco….. as a marker of my bachelor status for the evening.  But, the snow brought me back to reality, unfortunately.  Not only did I not stop at a store on the way home…. I did not get a chance to eat at all today, as it was so busy.

It is just the way it is, I guess.  I will dig up some frozen left overs for dinner to eat with a salad when I am done with the snow.  

PipeTobacco