Well, it’s the closest thing we’ve seen for a while, anyway.
According to the OFA (Old Farmer’s Almanac), Saturday, the 25th was the date of the traditional start of the “January Thaw”. None too soon, I say, but not much evidence of any major warming. Coming up this week we are likely to breach the 32-degree barrier and even head off toward some 40-degree days, but these temps bring with them the possibility of the dreaded rain/snow mix and/or sleet & freezing rain…ugly stuff. Driving, or walking in that stuff is a threat to life & limb, and I’ve already missed more steps than I usually drop in ages. A shout-out to the village maintenance dudes for doing their level best to clear the sidewalk (the roads were pretty good too) but it’s always an uphill trek (And there are plenty of actual uphill stretches here in town)since whenever anybody (or several somebodies) walks through the snow, things get packed and rutted in dangerous ways…not to mention the leetle bit of melting that takes place to harden the ruts…things get kinda tricky out there. And don’t I know it.
Next up on the festivity chart–snow or no snow–is the Chinese New Year (Lunar) Get your chow mein –an American concoction, by the way–and your dim sum and your egg rolls ready. Check all of the recipe gurus who always come up with what they’re thinking will lure us meat-and-potatoes types into making. BH&G, Good Housekeeping are known to feature whole issues done mostly in red–good luck in ethnic terms–in honor of the occasion. Be that as it may, should anyone come up to you saying, “Gong hay fat choy !”, do not be insulted at their reference to your adiposity ( There’s a reason you’re known as “Big Chuck.”); they are merely wishing you a Happy New Year, either in Mandarin or Cantonese or any of the several dialects in the Chinese language. It’s a good thing.
Also a good thing : days are getting longer, nights are getting shorter–not by much, but it’s the thought that counts. Right?
