Snow--Bah!

I am absolutely certain there is something very pressing I should be doing right now rather than posting to this blog. For example, I could be cleaning my apartment, otherwise known (of late) as The Sty. Or perhaps I could be practicing the piano, as in t-minus-4 days I need to somehow be proficient enough to play the piano for six musical numbers for our church Christmas program (I'm thinking maybe it's seven, but I'm drawing a blank). Or I could actually finish grading the rest of my students' papers and submitting my final grades (I only have two more to read, and yet here I sit).

But what's the fun in that? Why do today what you could put off until tomorrow?

Really, though, I'm just beat-down tired this evening and realized I haven't posted for awhile, so I thought I'd give what I am sure is an eagerly-anticipated snow update. So far this month, we have had 45 and a half inches of snow, which brings our season total to about 53 inches. (Don't get out your calculators--that's 3.75 feet in December and just under 4.5 feet for the season; we're really looking forward to winter starting on Saturday.) We did quite well not going outside for most of the big storm this past weekend, but when Clara and I went out to the car yesterday the poor Golf was completely covered. This happened last year as well, but it was much more complicated with Clara in tow. I strapped her into her carseat then proceeded to push, brush, and blow (just kidding) the snow off the car, then (because we are not prepared and have no shovel in the car) I went ahead and tramped, kicked, and shoved snow away from the sides of the car so I could pull out of my parking spot. The whole ordeal took like 20 minutes, and I was soaking wet by the time we finally pulled out. It was totally worth it, though, because we got to go pick up Jeremy for a little Christmas shopping outing. Good times.

The walkway to our parking lot. I actually think we had a more impressive shot of this earlier this year (last winter) after a big storm, but you get the drift (punny!).

Just for fun: CB waiting for me to manage the snow situation.

Now for a couple of bonus pics: Clara's wispy baldness is borderline long enough in the back for pigtails, so we decided just to go for it the other day. (Sorry about the unmade bed. Please refer to earlier information about The Sty.)

So, So Wet

For those of you who closely monitor the weather in Syracuse, you may have noticed that we've had above-average warm temperatures here, which I regard as nature's ultimate betrayal. Nature must have heard me badmouthing it, because it decided to take an untimely revenge this afternoon. Clara and I ran up to the university to see Daddy and stop in for a quick errand at the bookstore. As we drove up to the school, we found ourselves in the midst of a classic eastern torrent, but as tends to be the case, the storm was short-lived. By the time we found a nice parking place near the student center, the rain had lightened to a mere drizzle.

Moving quickly, I fed the meter, plopped Clara in her stroller, and headed towards the bookstore. Just as I realized I had chosen the wrong entrance and was facing a long flight of stairs with a stroller, Nature gave me what was coming to me, and the downpour began again in earnest. Summoning my momma-strength from deep within, I picked up Clara in her stroller and sprinted up the steps (and yes, Mom, my back does hurt), but I was not nearly fast enough. By the time we got into the building, I was literally dripping from my hair and hands, my shoes were making that squnchy noise that saturated shoes make, and my shirt and pants were plastered to my body. Clara made off a slight bit better, as she was partially covered by her stroller's canopy. But believe me, we were quite a rag-tag sight. I wheeled her to the bathroom and held her under the hand dryer for a while, but she quickly tired of that game. I spent some time under the dryer myself, thanking my good foresight in changing out of the white shirt I had worn to work that morning. And of course, within about 15 minutes the rain had more or less stopped for good. Which is how I know nature is out to get me.

(Incidentally, I think gravity might have it out for Clara, as she somehow pulled the piano bench onto her face this evening. My heart has finally recovered, but she has quite a bruise on her forehead, and therefore we may not be out much in company for a few days...)

Ithaca

We heeded the call of our inner rovers to get out of Syracuse and spent a fun day in Ithaca, land of the burned-out hippies. It was a great trip (if you know what I mean). This was actually our first day trip in quite a while, and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. The weather was ideal with temperatures in the high 60s (yes--in August!). Clara was quite taken with everything she saw, and the change of scenery and crowds of new faces ensured that she was pleasant and lovely the whole time we were gone.

Here are Clara and Jeremy in our attempt for a cute father-daughter portrait near the Ithaca Commons. Clara did not want to look at the camera!














Snacktime is always an adventure with CB. Here she is at Cornell University digging for Oaties, as we call them.



Clara and Jeremy in front of the Cornell bell tower.


On the bridge over one of Ithaca's famed gorges ("Ithaca is gorges," after all).



Climbing back up to the road with Daddy. Clara is so excited, as you can tell by the blurry smudges that are her rapidly moving hands.


The fam.


Overlooking an offshoot of Cayuga Lake. A perfect end to an ideal day.

Autumn in August

Those of you who know me well know how much I love the fall. I take after my mom in this way (Jeremy likes to tease us for our love of "The Harvest"). While August 16 is perhaps a bit early still to think about autumn, Clara and I nevertheless decided to hitch our hopes to the nearest wagon and drive out to apple country to see what we could see. We were not disappointed! Although the trees are as lush and green as ever, the apples are starting to ripen! We picked up our first peck of the season: five pounds of Paula Reds, fresh from the trees behind the farm stand. Oh, how I love the taste of a freshly picked apple. If I could wax poetic, I would. Speaking of wax, did you know there is NO WAX on a freshly picked apple? Just dirt and deliciousness--just how God intended.

I should stop before I get carried away.

As if the day wasn't magical enough with the apples, my second surprise of the day was when Jeremy came home with a pristine copy of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, which I have long wanted to read and which was waiting, full of kismet, next to the recycling bins near our apartment. This day was meant for me! Has there ever been a happier girl?

A Romp in the Park

Sometimes getting out of Syracuse can feel so, so right, so we decided to take a quick escape to Marcellus (12 glorious miles away!) for a picnic in the park with some friends. The temperature never hit 70, and the sun smiled on everything we did.

A Year in S-Y, N-Y

Today we mark the one-year anniversary of our arrival in scenic Syracuse, New York. How time flies! Of course, in so many ways it seems like yesterday we finally pulled up to Westcott Street after five days on the road to be greeted by the severe heat and humidity that seems to characterize May 31 in Central New York. But I will say that I never would have imagined then, staring at the gently sloping floors of our first, funky apartment here, that we would come to love Syracuse as much as we do today. Moving into our new apartment after four months certainly helped, but it's more than that. We've put down our roots here, much as we tried to do in Montana, and much as we hope to do wherever we live, regardless of duration. It's just our way: live your life in such a way that you're always sad to leave a place. I know we'll be sad to leave Syracuse when that day comes. But in the meantime, we'll melt on the hot days, freeze on the cold ones, and enjoy as much as we can of everything in between.

A brief taste of spring

We can't help but brag about our beautiful weather this weekend: mid-70s, not a cloud in the sky. We'll be back to more "seasonable" weather by Tuesday (in the 50s), but we're loving this while it's here! I just wish the landscape were a bit prettier; we still have very little evidence of seasonal change in Syracuse other than the temperature!

Why we're all a bit SAD in Central New York

We are suffering from a severe dearth of sunshine in Central New York, so I went to our local weather website to see if we'll have any reprieve in the next week or so. Short answer: no. Slightly longer answer: see for yourself in the following excerpt from the forecast...

In reference to an upcoming storm: "Unlike most winter nor’easters, there actually isn’t much cold air in place preceding the storm. Instead, this storm is going to become so strong it will ‘create’ its own cold air. Lots of rising air and heavy precipitation will help in the cooling process. The period of greatest strengthening will come later Sunday into Sunday night and this is when we expect mainly snow. Here in Central New York (including the Syracuse area) we stand to get a foot or more of snow from the storm by mid day Monday. Stay tuned, we will have more on this approaching storm throughout the weekend." (Yes, the emphasis is my own.)

Someone, please make it stop!

Oh, Mexico...

When I woke up last Monday morning, the first day of SU's ironically titled "spring" break, Jeremy surprised me by saying we were going to Mexico--with a stop in Phoenix on the way! I soon found out, of course, that he meant Phoenix and Mexico, New York--two Upstate villages within about 30 miles of Syracuse. Nevertheless, the sun was shining, and with spirits soaring we loaded up the car for a memorable trip to the northern versions of two classic spring break destinations. It was, if nothing else, Clara's first road trip--a type of travel we hope she learns to love as much as her parents.

The always scenic port of Phoenix.


Jeremy's first word when we drove into Phoenix was, "Dam!" Before I could get offended, he gestured to the low-slung dam on the river. Clever boy...


The sun was warm, and we didn't have a window shade for Clara. She managed to get a bit of sleep on the way to Mexico, although her patience did not hold all day...


Welcome to Mexico. (What happened to the water all those other years?)


Clara's first trip to a restaurant was memorable, to say the least. We feasted on the culinary stylings of the famed Mexican eatery, Daddy Ed's (in Mexico, not featuring Mexican food). Nothing could be finer than sitting in a diner eating bland chili cheese fries (ugh).


Our first attempt at a back seat diaper change must've been a bust, as shortly after this Clara really started to unravel. She wouldn't eat, and she cried until we took off her sweatshirt. Maybe she was just too hot, as she didn't seem quite so sad after that...


Clara shows the relief we all felt by the time we got back home. All said, a nice trip to Mexico and Phoenix, and it certainly fits in well with our untold other fake spring break vacations (tent camping in the living room, anyone?). I wonder where next year will take us...

Let It Snow!

Syracuse has been on the news quite a bit lately, mostly taking credit for the snow everyone around us has been getting. But finally we've gotten our just desserts! Over the past 24 hours we've received more than a foot and a half of snow, making even the most basic things--like getting into our car--quite difficult. Jeremy snapped the following pictures before trudging out to dig our poor car out of the snow. What a wintery world!

The view of our parking lot from our front porch.

Our own little snow canyon.





The real challenge: getting rid of the voluminous snow piled up behind our car--thanks, neighbor!