Journal of a Sabbatical

March 5, 2001

taking its time

Today's Reading: Spring from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau edited by H.G.O. Blake

Today's Starting Pitcher: Frank Castillo (looked good too, unlike Tornado Boy and the guy from the Old Pitchers Home)

The storm is taking its sweet time getting here. Oh, it's snowing all right but it's been snowing for the last three days. This is just the regular snow, not the "big storm". Once it changed over to drizzle, I went out and shoveled out the car and my back walk then took off for the grocery store, the drugstore, Starbucks, and anywhere else that wasn't closed. The stores were pretty much empty of both customers and food. I did score a loaf of Iggy's 7 Grain Bread, which is hard to get under the best of circumstances. It generally sells out by noon. When I was in the market on Friday, the person in front of me got the last loaf. Today I got the last loaf.

I ran into Ned at the bakery counter. He was looking for the perfect bread to go with beef stew he's making for the height of the coming storm. He wants to go to the beach tomorrow at high tide for the big waves. I pointed out that we probably won't be able to get out of our driveways let alone get to Salisbury.

The guy in front of me in the checkout line is telling the cashier how he's going to barbecue ribs outside on his porch tonight in the snow. He's planning a big barbecue feast. Geez. Ned is making beef stew. This guy is barbecuing ribs. I'm buying yogurt and fruit! I tell this to the cashier, who laughs and says she's preparing yogurt and fruit too.

Laptop man was in Starbucks, with his laptop. He still has not moved to Greenwich Village despite the cultural vacuum in Andover. He tells me he's depending on me, Tom, and Ned to ease the pain of his living here by creating a cultural scene. I point out to him that we only do poetry (well Ned does pop songs too) and what he needs is two or three world class opera companies. The poetry scene is pretty good here, but I don't think the Merrimack Valley can compete with New York in the opera department. How a guy who loves opera this much ended up teaching in Lawrence is beyond me. Anyway, I promise to keep him abreast of cultural happenings in town.

Philosophy Larry shows up to get an extra coffee to go for Barbie, whom he's picking up at the train station as her office has sent her home early. We don't get much chance to talk but he's got 2 high-tech job interviews set up. Too bad he can't make a living teaching... especially when he's got a good crop of students in his ethics class this semester.

Everything seems to be closing at 2:00 PM in anticipation that the storm will arrive during the rush hour. I look at the satellite pictures on TV and on the web and notice it's moving really really really s l o w l y.