snowed in

We've been snowed in here in Portland for about the last ten days. It was bad enough that nearly everything was closed for several days, the mail didn't come, and so forth.

My plans for winter break really didn't including staying home and watching movies and spending hours on the internet, but that's exactly what I've been doing to pass the time. Since I'm sick anyway, it's just as well. It's a darn good thing I had the foresight to stock up on food and such, so being trapped here at home hasn't been all that bad.

It's been a week of beefing up my teaching files, going through all of my stuff from grad school, and just generally being absolutely lazy. I think I needed that.

It finally started to warm up around Christmas, and the streets still have some slush patches, but are almost clear.

What a week it's been. I'll have to admit that it was amusing to watch people try to move their cars, drive, and otherwise cope with the unexpected rigors of about a foot of snow. (I know that doesn't sound like much for nortenos, but it is if you live in a place like Portland where it's NOT flat, and where there aren't a lot of snow plows, sand trucks, etc. Most of us don't already own snow shovels, sleds, or any of the things you need to cope with snow).