Journal of a Sabbatical

October 30, 2000

flannel

Today's Reading: Circling the Sacred Mountain by Robert Thurman and Tad Wise

When I got home last night the heat was not on in my condo. Apparently I had forgotten that in order to make it come on I have to set the thermostat to 72 degrees. Once it's on, I can turn it down to 68 or whatever I want but in order to engage it when it's been off it's gotta be at 72. I think I forget this every year. It was cold enough that I was definitely envying Pajama Woman's wardrobe of flannel pajamas.

The snow accumulated a little during the night. Not much. Just enough to make it necessary to sweep it off the car windshield. Random snowflakes continued through the morning even though it warmed up so they melted on impact. It's not exactly longjohn weather but I confess to wearing flannel boxer shorts under my jeans today.

Once again I spent the day taking a disproportionately long time to do errands. Massachusetts state vehicle inspection is now much more complicated, time consuming, and expensive than it used to be (this started last year) and this is the next to the last day on my current sticker. Amazing how these deadlines just creep up one. I made an appointment for 3:00 PM and spent the morning working on the newsletter, paying bills, and doing chores. I managed to be on time for the inspection while still grabbing a sandwich at Brueggers (where it took them nearly twenty minutes to smear some hummus on a bagel) and coffee with M&M.

The inspection was accomplished pretty quickly while I sat in the Honda Barn's waiting room reading Circling the Sacred Mountain. By the time I headed back to Andover it was raining. People forget how to drive when it rains. And I hate picking up the clean laundry in the rain if I've got stuff on hangers with no plastic bags over them. Laundry pickup and stamp purchasing (in the nick of time as the PO on Main St. closes at 4:00) were accomplished. Next on the list was buy kitty litter at Stop & Shop.

Well, it took me forever to get to Stop & Shop. Traffic was at a standstill. I couldn't see any obvious reason for a long time. I heard police sirens behind me but didn't see anything in the mirror. The sirens got closer. I started to feel like I should do something to get out of the way but there was nowhere for me to go unless I was going to drive over the center strip. Finally I saw flashing blue lights zigzag around the traffic and head for the traffic light at 125 and 114. There are always lots of accidents here. The traffic moves a little and I see red flashing lights. Must be a fire truck. Another police car comes from the opposite direction. It's so rainy and dark I can't see anything but shiny reflections of the blue and red lights.

After several light changes, I get to the intersection and the light turns green. There's a banged up car with the driver's door open in the intersection so I steer around it. Just as I start through the intersection a guy in a sweater walks across the road toward the banged up car. I barely see him and swerve to avoid him. Nobody walks across 125. Nobody. Unless they have a death wish. Must be from out of town.

When I come out of Stop&Shop with the kitty litter, the traffic is backed up in the other direction. Two solid lines of traffic going north (or is it west - these east/west roads that actually go north/south drive me crazy) prevent any traffic from turning left out of Stop & Shop. They ignore the traffic light and totally block the intersection. I wait my turn for about 4 light cycles and finally force my way into the line of traffic.

Many light cycles later I arrive at Supercuts for the next item on my list. Miraculously, though they've told me there's a 20 minute wait, I only wait about 7 minutes if that long. The long awaited haircut is accomplished. The half mile or so from Supercuts to my home is of course totally clogged with traffic and it takes longer to get home than it did to get the haircut.

It's still raining.