It's 2017 and we have Snow

*from January 13th : This was in my draft file. I could edit it or delete it. Thought I'd go ahead and send it out there though for what reason, I'm not sure. [1/24/17]*


Short and quick update. No, not a belated New Year's Resolution post or a looking back post. Or a future casting post.

This is me saying, hey! It's 2017.

And we are in snow event #4 : two in December 2016 (early for us here in Portland, OR, if we get any at all), and two in 2017. Already, two significant snow events. The last one was barely done and here we are with lots of snow. Again, lots of snow for us, I realize.

I haven't been home since Tuesday morning and it's now Friday night. I was working when this snow hit and the roads and traffic were bad even when I got off work late. I was hopin


*update: 1/24/17 .... end of the draft. What was I hoping? I don't know. Maybe I was hoping to get home the next day. I didn't. I wasn't able to return home until after work until Wed 1/18 (off work at 1 AM; got home at 4:30 AM because I sat at Shari's, writing, waiting for things to thaw a little more and temperatures near home to rise enough to make it safe(er)).*

Razor's Edge for December 31, 2010

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How fitting that the final Razor's Edge of 2010 is the final day of 2010. There are so many resolutions and look-back-at-your-year and what-was-what-will-be resources that I don't really want to go there. But I can't also deny that this is a transition from 2010 to 2011. And that Mercury has just started its return to its normal projectory speed (albeit, still in its shadow period for a couple weeks).

A time of change and a time to review and a time to renew or recharge.

Yes, this cannot be denied.

And my own life of late is an example for me that it is a period or transition - which is not a negative thing; it just is.

So I won't provide another list to complete. A wants or needs or desires inventory. There are plenty of those all across the 'net, in our email inboxes, in the postal mailboxes and magazines. You can easily find something to fit your tastes.

For this week's Razor's Edge, I want to return to my original intention for this weekly posting. Which is to bring together pieces from the edge of experience, maybe something new, something challenging, something surprising, and maybe delightful. Something to bring some part of you alive, which hopefully brings out a response in some creative form. Where you see the word "write" - think "create," or dance, or build, or draw ... whatever is your creative passion. Because my intent is, as always, to inspire creativity. Creativity as expression of the inner vision, desire, hope, or whatever it is you have to say. And my primary outlet is currently writing - my area of expression. So I often find myself saying "write" and what I mean is "create."

Yes. Create.

Below are some prompts to touch different senses. Pick one or two or all. And create.

The music prompt can stand on its own. It's about seven minutes long - and, for me, is inspiring while listening. You may choose to start writing while you listen - or listen, let it sink in, then write.

The visual/video prompt can also stand on its own. It's a snow meditation video. As with the music - you might feel inspired to start creating during the video or wait until it's done, then write. Or watch the video while listening to the music prompt. The two of them go together really well; but the visual prompt is only about five minutes long.

Then there is a word prompt. Combine it with either of the other two prompts or use it on its own.

Blessings for the transition into a new year and best wishes for everything good in the coming year.

MUSIC PROMPT:







VISUAL PROMPT:






WORD PROMPT:

 As the essence of her drifted 
into the room, 
I could see ...

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NaNoWriMo day 19

. . .  35,678  . . .

Yes, that is my current word count! I broke the 35k barrier and the story is coming back together. Realizing that the characters were hijacking the story through time and were not giving it to me in linear pieces was helpful. I sometimes get pulled in different directions as far as which part of the story to tell, so I have to keep good notes or parts may be dropped. But the underlying thread has been revealed, I think. And I have to admit the the main idea is still a little murky, but becoming clearer. I feel we are getting closer to the real point.

This weekend is about writing.

And getting the snow tires on my car. Sigh. Every year I have my personal debate: do I or don't I? It's such a waste of wear on the tires and wear on the roads if they're not needed. But the places I'm primarily working are in area that generally have more inclement weather issues than, say, downtown Portland. And the "coldest weather of the year" (I mock that phrase; I would expect the "coldest" weather of the year to be now...) is here - or predicted to be here tomorrow and Sunday and then predicted snow by Monday. "La Nina" is starting off as they said it would, so, if predictions are even partially correct, I will need the tires later.

I will also need an alternate route to get to my regular part-time job. There are a couple miles of the route that are a little curvy and uphill, which become a car skating rink with the tiniest bit of freezing conditions with moisture. Last year I failed to find the alternate route and the one I was told was blocked and didn't look to be much better.

With reluctance and apologies to the environment and the roads, I have already loaded my studded tires into my car and will be getting up way earlier than I planned so that I will be standing at the Les Schwab Tires' doors when they open at 8AM. I imagine I won't be alone - but I hope I will be early enough that my wait will be less than 2 hours. Last year I waited over 6 hours to get my tires on. Boo. Which means I must get to bed now.
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NaNoWriMo day 17

Before I get into anything, here is today's word count: 31,138 . Nice number!

Okay. This has been a mixed day. And I'm trying to keep myself on the positive side of the situation. See, the weather here is rocky right now. It's always a little rocky in November - we're famous for the grey skies and the winds and the variability of our November wetness.

Except that this year they are already predicting snow. What?!? We don't get snow this time of year - if we get it at all. But this year there is apparently a chance of snow on the valley floor, in the Portland metro area. They were saying earlier today that there could be up to five inches of snow Sunday or Monday in Portland, or by Monday. That is crazy talk. But that's what they said.

The rumors of snow in the southern mountain pass started on the weekend. Deb and I were already discussing our strategy for that. We had two routes in mind and had backed up our stopover place for Friday night in our drive to San Francisco so that we had the two options easily. One has lower elevation and therefore the potential exists for less snow = better road conditions. But that option also would add about three hours to the drive. But that's better than not getting there at all.

Which is what's happening.

We're not going.

With all the talk of snow, following weather predictions and patterns for a few days and seeing the probability only worsen, we decided to not go. The chance of getting down there without going through snow/ice is practically none. But worse than that, if we could figure out how to make that work, was the chance of having to come back up here to snow. See, we don't get a ton of snow here and things come to a halt. It gets messy. Sometimes people laugh at us because we don't know how to deal with it. But it's because we don't get it that often - so people are inexperienced *and* when we do get it, it generally also involves freezing rain and layers of ice on the snow. Worse than just snow.

But, oh well.

There was a rental car involved and a hotel room, so we needed to make a decision in order to make the cancellations in order to not be charged. Planes and trains were also considered - but timing, cost, and still the possibility of being stuck due to weather and weather related closures existed.

So - cancellations are done (no fees or charges - yay). Regrets sent to the Night Of Writing Dangerously coordinator and liason (whaa).

And we will be meeting at our other regular nanowriting buddy this weekend for a long, most of a day writing session. That will be fun. We had a blast on Veteran's Day and we'll do it again this weekend. I was really looking forward to San Francisco and it was going to be awesome. But I'd rather not take the risks, be safe, stay near home, rather than pushing something that might not be a good idea. True, the weather may not materialize - but, again, it may.

I will make a different plan for next year. I will plan to fly. And I won't box in my travel so closely to work (I had it squeezed on either side of the drive). But this year I need to say, sorry.

And I raised a bunch of money for OLL and that is great. NaNoWriMo is awesome and the Young Writers Program is, too. Every dollar I raised is already in the hands of the non-profit organization. And maybe there is someone on the other side of the mountains who can go in my place.
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NaNoWriMo day 16

Today my message is simple: here is my updated word count :

29,139

Oh - and I'm hoping the snow holds off a little bit and

doesn't arrive until after the quick trip to

San Francisco

this coming weekend for

the

Night of Writing Dangerously!

No snow on the pass, please.

(And you can still donate to OLL by clicking the link on the left! Thanks.)

I could walk faster!

surprise snow snarls roadways
What a headline, right?

Although I didn't find it too amusing when I volunteered to go in to my part-time job early to cover for some people who couldn't make it through the snow. The volunteering part was fine; a little extra cash - no problem. I have studded tires and could do it. The "no fun" part was that I had no idea it would take me five hours. Yes, you read that correctly. Five hours to go a total of about 18 miles.

Truly, I could have walked there faster.

Oh, well. I did make it. And 1.5 hours before the shift I was already scheduled. Now I just hope that my car is okay, because it wouldn't shift out of first gear once I got to the part of the freeway where we were going over 7 mph. And my car wouldn't go very fast, the RPMs rose but it slugged along. Hopefully it will be cooled and working properly. Or else I'll be taking the side roads, less traveled, slower, on the way home. And hope they are plowed or sanded. Or maybe crawl along part of the freeway.

Here's hoping it will shift properly. I can't quite walk 20 mph - but it would be really annoying.

Especially after 5 hours to go 18 miles.

Ah, snow. Beautiful. And if people would just accept that it's not plain rain and it's not dry pavement, I think I could have done it in 2 hours.