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Friday, January 21, 2011

Snow begins 'The Great Cambridge Adventure"

I'm sitting in my apartment on #15 St. John's Road, intermittently watching the heavy flakes of snow falling outside my window and the slow scroll on the bottom of my television screen of school/college/universities that are closed in Massachusetts.

The prediction is for 3-6 inches more of snow before this all ends at around 3 PM - but I think we've already gotten close to 6 inches. One forecaster predicted as much as 8 inches. I would tend to agree with that last amount.

This would be in addition to the two feet of snow that just got dumped here. I don't know where or how it will be piled once they plow it.

Really. There are some BIG piles of snow around here!

I'm just a little off my game this morning. The heat in my apartment had been turned off in December and no one remembered to have it turned back on. I was so busy getting settled that I really didn't notice how cold it was in here until it was time to join my housemates in the two apartments below for dinner.

It was 58 degrees.

We did get security to come - a lovely man named "Eddie" - who got the Buildings and Grounds guy on call - a real character named "Mo". Well, with a name like "Mo" of course you're going to be a character.

He got the radiators to work around 9:30 but it didn't get above 60 degrees in here until 2:30 AM. It finally got comfortable around 5:30 this morning.

So, I begin my first morning just a little blurry-eyed and not so bushy-tailed, but the snow has brought everything to a halt anyway, so there's no need to rush off anywhere, anyway.

My new coffee pot works brilliantly, making a great pot of coffee, and I had some left over dessert for breakfast.

My housemates are warm and caring and perfectly lovely people. I'm so very blessed.

The television and cable work just fine, keeping me informed of the snow predictions and school closing and traffic patterns.

I don't yet have Wifi (the router will come sometime on Monday or Tuesday) so I'm tethered to the modum for now. Which is fine. At least I can get email and blog.

Ever notice how these things have a way of balancing and working themselves out?

This is the view from one of my windows.

You can see the snow is coming down in a windy flurry of white fluffy stuff. It seems to be clinging to the branches but since it's not a heavy wet snow, there won't be as much damage to the trees as the last storm brought with it.

The forecast is calling for FRIGID temps this weekend which will not be pleasant, but thankfully, I did pack lots of warm sweaters and my new boots keep my feet nice and toasty warm.

I will be attempting to head out to Harvard Square later this morning, after my appointment with my adviser. I do need to get a few "provisions" - beyond coffee and diet coke, bread and butter.

A little protein would be good, methinks. Maybe a piece of fruit.

I hope I'm able to get some of the books for some of my courses. It would be grand to spend this frigid weekend snuggled up under some comforters and reading, in anticipation of some wonderful class discussion.

If not, I'm sure I'll find a way to keep myself busy.

This is Cambridge, MA, after all. And, I have just begun a whole new adventure.

It's just off to a fairly slow start. Which, actually, fills me with a sense of gratitude.

Having just begun the journey, I already don't want it to end.

14 comments:

siouxsieq65 said...

Just remember, the Mount Auburn Star Market still has a full wine and liquor section...thank goodness some things don't change!

Göran Koch-Swahne said...

Reminds me of last winter here... I started with 11 Centigrades. Inside.

David said...

all sounds wonder-full
and unpredictably interesting enough to have you cherishing the newness and nowness of your 'first morning'
as to all that snow; it got you're attention, didn't it

bless you for sharing all of this with us, dear Elizabeth

suzanne said...

Elizabeth,

Slow starts indicate a good beginning. Stay snuggled under your comforter reading/napping with tea/coffee/wine. Don't forget the wine. Be glad you're not along the marsh this weekend. It will 12 here in Wilmington with lots of wind, so I can only imagine what it would be like along the water.
Blessings to you and your new adventure.

ST

Brother David said...

This Arctic air is effecting the whole continent, me thinks. It was 29°C (84°F) about 1pm yesterday and with a mighty rushing wind it was 19°C (66°F) by 4pm and 7°C (44°F) when i went to bed around midnight.

For those of us not in the know about such things, could you tell us a bit about why you are at EDS, what your position is, how that came about, is it all expenses like a scholarship and what are the seminaries expectations of you in return?

Thanks. Stay warm.

Kirkepiscatoid said...

Stay warm!

None the less, I am VERY excited for your journey!

susankay said...

Back in the day, the rule at your adjoining campus was that women were only allowed to wear slacks to classes in The Yard when snow was over one foot deep.

Looks as if it would have been allowed this year.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Let's see - would that be Radcliffe, Harvard, Lesley or Weston?

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

@siouxsieq65 - Ah, yes. I've also rediscovered "When Pigs Fly" Bread company. OMG! The six grain pumpkin seed bread is to absolutely die for.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Goran - I keep saying repeatedly, "This is the SPRING semester." Makes me feel a bit warmer.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

David - At least it was fluffy snow so we didn't have to worry about tree branches breaking off onto cars, etc. Fairly easy to brush (vs. scrape) off the car.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Suzanne - I know. I'm hearing from my friends in DE that the wind is brutal.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Dahveed - Yes, my darling. It is a scholarship. You don't need to be clergy or an alum to apply. http://www.eds.edu/sec.asp?cat=34&page=32

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Kirke - Not nearly as excited as I am. ;~)