The First Snow Day I’ve Had in Years…

You see, it all started this morning with me gliding through a 4-way intersection on a sheet of ice (my light was red, of course)…and now, instead of being at work, I’m relaxing at home and the sun is out!

Maybe it was all a dream…?

Saturday

It’s gorgeous outside–the sun is out shiny and bright, it’s a balmy 60 degrees and there isn’t a cloud (that I can see) in the sky. I woke up early and feeling tired this morning, but the thought of all the astronomy homework I have to get done this weekend snapped me out of bed pretty quickly To alleviate some of the foreboding gloom of doing school work on such a beautiful day, I decided I would treat myself to breakfast at the local tea house. Yummy.

After eating, I walked over to the library and reserved one of their study rooms–they’re gorgeous, have floor to ceiling windows that fill two walls, and are on the second floor (which means you can see most of downtown). The rooms are also sound-proof! The one I got this time also happens to face the train tracks, and it’s fun to watch the cars when they go by–lots of people gather around to see them. Unfortunately, despite the great view, the library’s wireless internet connection wasn’t working (grrrr) and I needed it to do some research. After muddling through limited or no connectivity for about an hour, I walked over to the librarian and told her about the problem. “Oh, yeah,” she said, “a few others have come to me about it in the last couple of days. I should probably report that to someone.” Huh?!?! I walked back to the room, gathered my things and went home.

Although we’ve got internet at home, the last thing I wanted to do was be in the house all day, so I considered other options. As it just so happens, days like this make me want to either open all of the windows and doors in the house and get to scrubbin’, or get under the hood and work on the car. Since I felt lazy this morning, I opted out of the cleaning bit and drove over to the nearest Auto Zone to check my fluid levels and buy a few things. I’m glad I did because the power steering fluid level was nearly bone dry (something I thought I could feel while out driving yesterday, so I checked it first). After topping that up and checking for leaks (there were none), I added a bit of washer fluid to the reservoir, checked the tire pressures and topped up on coolant. Everything else was in good shape. With a smile of mechanical satisfaction, I pulled off and headed to campus to get busy on astronomy.

Right now I’m working through a tutorial and a short essay on Io, one of Jupiter’s moons. I’ve been pretty surprised at how much I’m feelin’ this class. I always thought star-gazing was cool, but learning the deeper aspects of what we see when we look up at the sky has been very satisfying. Tonight I’ve work to begin on a constellation project, so I’m probably gonna head out after dark and find a mountain top somewhere. With the moon nearly new, it’ll be a perfect night for viewing.

Catching Up

Hi folks, sorry for the extended absence. I’ve been feeling more introspective than usual lately, which means a lot of fast and furious scribbling in my written journal but not much on the blog. I also managed to catch a yucky cold last week, and that has slowed down the mental progress a wee bit While I go sip on some homemade chicken soup, here’s a quick recap of what’s been going on:

• During a visit to my advisor’s office a few weeks ago, we concluded that I can graduate in December!!! Woo hoo! I’m really excited and much of my attention has been absorbed with what comes next. My future prospects seem limitless, as deciding on what to do is both liberating and daunting. Being about the business of a having a career that has meaning and purpose is important to me. This begs the question, what exactly do I want? And how do I fit that into a reasonable goal? All circumstances point towards being absolutely clear on the answer and not being afraid of going after it. I predict more entries on this subject will follow.
• In my last entry I wrote about big plans for volunteering at the local hospital, but so far nothing has happened on that front. I had an interview last week Friday with the volunteer coordinator, but wrote it into my calendar as happening THIS Friday (doh!). I didn’t realize the discrepency until last Friday when I was in an airplane cruising at about 35,000+ feet above and a couple thousand miles east of Denver. Oops. Fortunately for me, the coordinator was very understanding and has re-scheduled my interview for two weeks hence. Whew.
• I’ve broken down and decided to purchase a car. I’ve been in Colorado for a little over 4 years without one, but the time has come. My schedule is so tight nowadays that the additional 4 or 5 hours I’ll save by driving to work/school a few days a week instead of riding the bus will be wonderful. This means more time at the gym, playing the cello or doing whatever else makes me happy and sane Ahhhh, sigh of soothing relief.
• A little over a week ago I had the pleasure of visiting the Stiles African-American Heritage Center in the Four Points area of Denver. It was an amazing visit, and I am eager to return and foster a closer relationship with its founder, Ms. Grace Stiles, and her community. I also made a quick tour of the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library just 2 blocks away and was blown away by the rich history of the Four Points area. I regret that I’ve lived in the area for so long and have not connected with the community–and now, I’m preparing to leave it! I have the wild idea of interviewing several members of the Four Points business community and making a documentary as a testament to their acheivements and as a record of my experience there.
• Another tip of the hat goes to Denver for a wonderful spot in town called the Mercury Cafe (thanks Micah!). The decor, wine and food were awesome! I highly recommend the place to anyone who is looking for an eclectic, subdued dining atmosphere.
• Due to popular demand…well, okay, just one person’s comments (smile)…I’m working on adding a book review page to this blog. I’ve had the pleasure of reading several really good books lately, many as selections from a couple of book clubs I belong to. Stay tuned for that.

That’s it for now. I’m so happy to see the sun shining bright in Colorado again, so I’m gonna go out to get some fresh air. Have a wonderful day, everyone!