blizzard Q Blizzard Dear A, Thanks for the news about your being caught up in the mountains since yesterday because of the blizzard. I want to tell this story for you and B, in case the aftermath of the blizzard persists and you can perhaps get some ideas that still might be useful. Or maybe there will be another blizzard soon, and you can be prepared for that one. :-) I remember well the blizzard of Feb., 1979 in Washington. At least 18" downtown, and it didn't melt very fast. I worked there then as a Congressional staffer. There had been a blizzard early in January. Then my friend, who was living with me at the time, had been stranded in New York City. The time alone for two days had not been particularly exciting for me. Getting caught up with correspondence and some reading and writing some poetry were all okay, but two days with no work and no company was a bit much. It did remind me though to stock up on wine and cheese in case it would happen again. About six weeks later, it did! In comparison the January blizzard had been small potatoes. This time we got three whole days, Monday through Wednesday, off work! My friend and I were "forced" to enjoy one another's company for t h r e e ... l o n g ... day s ... a n d ... five ... n i g hts, although the distinction between day and night was quite blurred. Although our relationship did not last for the long term, its demise definitely was not because of that meteorologically imposed "house arrest." Actually we did take one break, on Monday night about midnight, and trudged through the snow about a mile over to the Lincoln Memorial. As usual the lights were ablaze on the man sitting up in that chair. The long stairs up to the monument hall were piled with snow that had not been touched by human steps. There was utter silence in the cold, except for an occasional breeze whispering through the pillars, around the hall and out again. For the longest time, with arms around each other, we stood there next to him, watching our slow and quiet breaths, thinking how nice it was to be alone together, yet staring across to the Washington Monument and on to the Capitol, both brightly lighted too. You can never forget moments like that, you know? Back at the apartment, before and after visiting the Great Emancipator, we decided to keep the stereo, radio and TV off. Instead we alternated reading each other Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portugese" and Neruda's "100 Love Sonnets." My friend, fluent in Spanish, read Neruda's that way! Just let me say that an interested listener does not need to know Spanish to understand what Neruda meant with that language. For breathing time, we mixed in some from e.e. cummings. We partook amply of that wine I'd bought in January, merlot and some Chilean red. I will leave to your imaginations what else we partook amply of. It could not be described adequately anyway. We are still good friends and still occasionally reminisce fondly about those days and nights. We keep threatening to collaborate on a story of them; but the road to Hell is paved so finely with good intentions. Copr. 2000 000128 ... camille it's not near blizzard conditions here, yet the snow lighting on my window has the shape of a starfish in search of an ocean. i walk out my backdoor only to be met with snowflake on my lip and tangled in my hair,it balances there. Cool wet liquid, has found it's ocean's shore. i savour the moment as breeze whips around my hair and strand in my mouth. Eyes closed, i stand in the darkness alone. I walk back in to have hot chocolate with Pablo Neruda. (one of my all time favorites) 000128 ... lokkust In the land of Dairy Queen, something just wasn't quite right... 000216 ... blur i'm on the comeback road, yeah, i'm a blizzard. 000216 ... girl_jane They always kill the power. Then I sit and write the old fashion way-on paper by candle light... 020401 ... god i wanna be dead in bed please kill me cuz that would thrill me 030716 ... dosquatch Snow's_coming - brace_myself for snowball_Earth. 150216 what's it to you? who go blather from