I had a LOVELY day! Woke up late and went to the gym and cycled on the spinner machine for about 2 hours, while watching CNN and MTV. It's still too icy outside (roadwise) to bike, I can handle the temperatures, not the unsafe roads with patches of ice. I may try again tomorrow.

I went to a colleague/friend's house for a really lovely holiday party - it was an intimate evening of sorts, she is a dear friend - and her home, such a beauty. Puts any level of my minimalistic domestic life to shame, the place was immaculate, not to mention uber-decorated. I was beyond impressed. We were all completely pampered by all the food and drinks, and the treat to watch Polar Express in her customized home theater. The movie was an amazing animation, but the pleasure of watching it in such a geared environment of theater seats (leather reclining with cup holders, with comfy throws), complete surround sound. I felt I WAS in a theater. What am I saying...it WAS a theater...it's a dedicated room in the house with steps and rows, and movie posters. I need to take her up on that experience more often. Spoiled me. Once you've had that, you can never go back. Ha!

I wished I stayed longer but I had to jet - to finish the last of my silly cookbook ordeal (trimming and binding). I worked into the wee hours finishing this, and another sigh of relief as I finished, another milestone behind me. I will make a more concerted next year to make this a full publication - hardback. It's in the works.

Tomorrow will be more of the same, except I'm heading over to my parents house for a birthday dinner they are preparing for me...what I understand...Paella. Licks my chops. I love visiting my parents - they are a cute warm couple, lots of smiles and stories.

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photo by d. scott gregory Snow coming down, from livingroom click on photo to enlarge

Thank fucking goodness that it's Friday - it's been a painful and relatively useless week (at work, and cycling). Between the weather, snow and the idiocy of everything at work this week, I'm glad to see this day.

Last night before I headed off to bed, it finally started snowing/sleeting. It looked really pretty (pictured) - but I knew it was going to be a mess to commute to work in the morning. I went to bed and just curled up in my flannel sheets under my feather comforter - twas a nice slumber.

I awoke to a sunny albeit crisp morning, with lots of sleet matted down snow, and it looked like a mess to drive in, but I had to get going. The worst part was getting out of my community, because they were just starting to plow (fuckers plowed a 2' high wall right in front of my parking space - I had to shovel out). I managed to get to work only a little late - I wasn't the only one.

photo by d. scott gregory Pointsettia & holiday lights click on photo to enlarge

Work itself was just a continuation of the idiocy of the week, but people were in good spirits, because it was Friday and almost the weekend. I decided mid afternoon that I'd forgo my training ride AND the gym - I needed to finish my last Xmess shopping to JUST BE DONE WITH IT, and other errands in preparation for the weekend. I managed to escape all the shopping and errands without much drama, nor glee. I came home and unpacked all the coffers, and put them in various staging areas...fridge, pantry, studio to wrap, et al. Booring. I'm in for a night of trying to finish printing my cookbook and trim/bind and just BE DONE WITH THAT TOO.

The weekend will be a fun and productive one, I have a little cycling to catch up on, more errands, a party to attend on Sat eve, and then a birthday dinner with my parents on Sunday (grrr! I hate birthdays).

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Brrrrr! It's cold cold cold! - and soon to snow again, somewhere between 3-6 inches, with sleet. Oh JOY! (graphic of current snowfront from NW coming in fast).

Work was just work - but a frustrating one as that. All tasks and real work at hand was completed, all fires put out - then I get an email from the prez of my company with an ultimatum as to why I have not succummed to signing the new employee manual. I've been playing this game for almost 4 weeks now - they are all a bunch of cowards as to not ask me verbally in person why I have not signed, because I am a very verbal person with a few insights that would derail the oppressive train they are driving.

But I knew it was going to be futile, so I decided to face the music and confront the music - shitty music. I did, in full force, and it went in one ear and out the other to the other. Typical blonde barbi doll empty headness.

Oppression wins. Fuck that. Will deligate the lack of demoralization, afterall, misery loves company.

Happy farkin holidays.

Least tomorrow is Friday - I have a few fun things to do over the weekend.

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A very tired day, after an unexpected late night last night.

I was preparing for bed, walking thru my place and turning off lights, making sure locks were set, and closing blinds - when I was closing the vertical blinds of my livingroom open glass doorway to my deck, I noticed a black/navy shortbed truck, like a Toyota speeding thru the parking lot in my community...it was travelling fast and seemed to either overcompensate a corner...or the driver hesitated as it was looking back...and slammed sideways into 4 parked cars, making them look like dominos, expensive dominos (2 mercedees, 1 BMW, and 1 VW Jetta - not mine). The car stopped for a moment and then just gunned it, skidded away - a hit and run.

I was like, wtf? I slid open the glass door to my deck and stepped out to see if anyone else witnessed this, sure enough...there was a tow truck out there (these assholes who prowl around and tow away cars who don't have authorized tags - they are ruthless) - I yelled out to them if they saw that...they were like, yea. I asked them to call the police.

I went downstairs to talk with the tow truck drivers as we awaited for the cops to arrive, it was freezing out - and took 20 minutes for a squad car to come and investigate (suprised at such a slow response). After giving my eyewitness details, I headed off to bed.

Was a chilly morning - headed into the office for a rather uneventful day, suprized as the lack of drama - and well needed break from it. Sailed thru the day and suited up for a really chilly evening of frozen hot dog leg and frozen fishstick finger action - biked out to Leesburg again, was able to get past a few icy bridges, loving my hand warmers in my gloves (you break them open, they last about 4-6 hours). Came back and drove home to a night of family phone calls and little tv. I put the hand warmers in my PJ pockets when I get home, kept me warm for a few more hours.

More snow coming on Friday, ho hum.

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photo by d. scott gregory Snow on deck click on photo to enlarge

I'm thankful for the snow - I think. I LOVE snow - it makes things look very pretty for the time it covers the ugliness, and reminds us that it's Winter. I find solace in it, when it covers the silly domestic landscape that I tread on, things sound quieter - muffled by the dampening agents of snowflakes, a perfect natural sound insulator. A way to hear other things that ordinarilly don't get attention.

It goes both ways, I love snow - because of the beautiful aesthetic aural effect and audio acuteness, but annoyed by it when it impedes another thing that I love, my cycling. But this did not disuade me.

Work was just work, more complete idiocy, for the sace of idiocy - it's almost a comedy. And I get thru the day treating it as just that, pure comedy. The snow was not bad overnight, we got maybe 3 inches, of wet snow, which was enough for most businesses, schools, government to cause for a delay in the day, which made my commute extra fast (wussies). It looked pretty, albeit still very cold.

Mid-afternoon, I decided, what the hell, after work - I need to get out there and make snotcicles.

Which is precicely what I did. I gussied up in all my hard core winter cycling garb and headed out into the 25-31 degree winter weather and decided to try to do a 20-25 miler. Cracked open a few hand warmer packages, stuffed them into my pockets and off I was.

I was the ONLY person out there - in almost complete silence out only hearing deer crunch in snow, a few winter rabbits. It was crisp, and perfect for snotcicles. I went out to past Leesburg and back, in record time (except the walking over snow covered bridges), with a nice set of walrus snotcicles.

Life is good.

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Let it snow, let it snow...let it snow.....

Sorta a semi-dry heave, but sorta pretty. Warnings all day for the huge storm coming - was almost a total bust, until mid morning when it decided to show a few flurries. And then by afternoon, it "dumped" about an inch...yee haww...nothing to wince over. Just was a pretty wet flurry, just nice ground coverage - just nothing to feel worried about. It will snow more thru the night. No biggie.

Went back to work today after the whole Xtreme Shower debacle from last week - was great to get back to work - not much drama, and had a leisurely day to catch up on things. Will enjoy the pretty snow, and will be cycling on my trainer until Wed.

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Ah, Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2)... on the verge before another Manic Monday (Bangles)...

Managed to finish my cookbook very late into the night last night - now just need to find the best (and most economical) means to print out 20 copies and bind it. Slept in very late, still sufferring with a few reminant symptoms and complications of having concussion - the damn headaches, dizziness, irritibility...and the recent, a scratch that needs to be scratched inside my skull - ohh so annoying.

Spent the early afternoon setting up my trainer in my studio - it's gonna snow the next few days, need to prepare. Took another nap in the afternoon and woke up in time to watch a little tv and prepare for the work week. Will go to the gym tomorrow night, or be on my trainer - I'm not confident enough to bike yet, the dizziness throws me off balance. On a stationary bike/spinner/trainer is more my speed until maybe Wednesday.

Time to break out the ice scraper and hand brush - we supposed to get between 3-10" of snow in the next few days.

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