The Current State of Affairs, Holiday Edition

We've had snow here since December 14th, and more actually fell today (wee, snow on christmas day!). To have snow on the ground for two weeks straight... that is crazy. I don't think that's ever happened to me in the Willamette Valley.

But, I continue to love it. I think it's freaking awesome. I am determined to view it positively, rather than focus on all the bad consequences. Our local grocery store is running out of certain types of food because delivery trucks can't get here. Our area has been without bus service for a week, which is an issue when the nearest MAX line is 3 miles away. We canceled our train tickets to visit the hometown when we heard that Amtrak had been canceling routes as well... nevermind how we'd get to the train station. Oh, and the presents Makal and I ordered for eachother, using "last day for 3-day shipping", have been sitting in UPS warehouses for about a week.

On a lighter note, Makal and I have continued to marathon Doctor Who, Stargate SG-1, and an anime called Gankatsuou (very good, very visually trippy). We managed to stock up a good amount of food supplies and, since we haven't once lost electricity (knock on wood), we've been able to continue cooking said supplies into delicious wintry meals (and keep the heaters running). There is the most wicked lasagna in the oven right now, swollen with olives, mushrooms, spinach, cheeses, and MEAT, and we had amazing crepes for breakfast.

December 2008 has definitely been a month of hibernation for me, and for much of Portland I'm sure. I was hearing people complaining about being "done with" the snow on the very day it started falling. But given that I am already prone to secluding myself away in the wintry throws of hedonism, I really don't care. I have been happy as a clam inside my little snowed-in den, watching big white flakes fall and purify the ground with a clean white coat.

Also, we've been working our way through a good supply of alcohols, whilst sequestered: port, gin, rose sake, red wine, rum, scotch. Worry not; some of these bottles do remain unopened, for now... I'm really digging gin & tonics right now. Green limes, so festive.

Have a mentioned that the winter holidays are my favourite time for rampant hedonism?

There's a RISK: Lord of the Rings board ready for pieces behind me, and I think that lasagna is ready to come out of the oven. And my drink is almost gone. Merry christmas, y'all; see you on the other side of New Year's.