Subject: Weekend Update: January 1-5, 2003
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 16:28:34 -0500

Happy New Year!  Our New Year's Eve was one of the
quietest we have observed in a long time.  We decided
to stay put, open the house to anyone without plans
but made no formal invitations.  Miranda's friends,
Melissa and Tom, joined us later in the evening.  They
started a Toonerville Rook game for the eight of us, to
bring the life of the party up above the level of a
mortuary.  I would have otherwise retired for the evening
before the midnight hour, but I didn't want to be a
party pooper even though was clearly pooped out already.
2003 would come whether I was awake or asleep.

New Year's Day was the last of my vacation from work.
Joy and I went on a driving circuit, stopping at this
and that merchantile establishment, and seeing what
bargains were to be had from the post-Christmas sell-off.
Plenty of stores were open on January 1.  We bought an
unfinished components cabinet to unstack our TV and house
the lights and wires of the entertainment "system."  The
next warmish day, Joy will stain it and we'll do some minor
rearranging to settle things out in the barn.

New Year's Day Eve brought a pelletized icy snow to
Pepperell and other northerly points.  School was
cancelled on Thursday, prolonging winter vacation
another day. Joy was to babysit Brandon and Kayla on
Thursday but Paula had her workday cancelled as well.
Paula brought the kids over anyway, and they all went
sledding at a nearby park.  They had a blast.  I think
Joy was terribly amused by the happy voices that cascaded
down the hill with the children. 

I, on the other hand, returned to work and hit the ground
running. I had completed my email backlog some days before
and was met with several "things to manage" on my first day
back. However, on Friday, there wasn't much time to settle
back into a routine because the weather forecasters were
calling for another foot of snow in our area.  Friday was
a shortened day for me because it started to come down hard
in the early afternoon.

Joy had taken Jessica out to see some more wedding dresses
and get this or that idea for the June wedding.  She also
took Andrew on his paper route by which time the roads were
getting like cake frosting.  Emily invited a friend to stay
over night.  By dinner time, we were all safe and sound at
home, with a fire in the wood stove, hunkered down for the
evening.  I went out once in the evening to clear the walk
and driveway and retired thinking that the forecaster might
have it wrong this time.  Only five of six inches had fallen
by night time.  As we slept through the night, however, the
remaining half a foot was deposited at our doorsteps.

Digging out on Saturday morning was once again a family
affair, although Jessica helped me to clear off the cars,
and the rest later came out to open up the driveway to
the street.  Mandy was exempt until her doctor clears her
for activity.  She is healing well from her surgery but
caught a nasty cold which made her miserable over the past
week.  We have enough snow that the snow banks on the side
of the road are still white, and most of the trees have
white linings on all of their branches.  The timing of the
snow has worked out well for us so far.

David Young flew back into Manchester, NH Saturday afternoon
after some flight delays.  He and Jessica were glad to see
each other after a near-three week separation.  They spoke
on the phone every night, however, along about the time
Joy and I went to bed so I don't think they missed much
of what the other had been doing during their break.  They
are changed people when they are together and when they are
apart.  I take that as a good sign.

Mom and Dad flew out of Providence, RI to Florida on Saturday
for a week in the Florida sunshine. Their flight was cancelled
but were rebooked on another flight.  After some moments of
tension and anxiety, they were bumped to first class, and got
to their destination pretty much on time anyway.

Liz Rand spent the night with us on Saturday.  She and Emily
made our Sunday lunch for us.  Of special added note for Sunday
was Emily's very first solo drive, to be at the church for
a teen council meeting.  Joy instructed her to call as soon
as she arrived, reliving the anxiety of Miranda's and Jessica's
first solo trips.  One more solo trip to worry about and then
we're done!  (Emily's picture license arrived just a day or
two before.)  Once we are comfortable with her solo drives,
Joy and I may get back to a little more freedom from Mom's Taxi.

Donna Allen stopped by with friend and child Sunday afternoon.
Brice was supposed to come with them but he decided he'd rather
be sick than visit.  These guys seem to be busier than the
Metcalfes, even when their quiz weekend gets cancelled because
of snow.

I made no resolutions this year.  I want to take as much of 2003
one day at a time.  If that sounds like a resolution, so be it.

Mark