Thaw

I was very concerned about the ice/wintry mix blitz that was forecasted for yesterday. Thank God the temperature stayed above freezing, because while there were slick spots here and there, it was nothing like it could have been. The sleet ultimately turned to rain, which did a nice job of melting the thin veneer of frost.
This morning it is a balmy 44 degrees which means we are in the clear for the foreseeable future. All in all, a non-event.

My poetry group was supposed to meet last night, but the threat of bad weather and the busy-ness of the season led us to the conclusion that we should cancel it for this month. One of the members, Cheryl, and I still met up for dinner, though. The proximity of the One World Cafe, and the fact that C is a vegetarian made it the obvious choice.

I don't have a ton of money for presents this year, but I did make Cheryl a "Writing Poetry" mix as a gift. I bought and downloaded some stuff by the Flaming Lips, the Orange Peels,and Rachel Yamagata to include with a lot of Beth Orton (Cheryl has seen her live, so that was cool. I didn't know if she'd be familiar with her or not) thrown in. Bjork, the Be Good Tanyas, Alison Krauss and Union Station, and Karrin Allyson rounded things out. By and large, it's a very contemplative compilation--perfect for writing. Try as I might for another "vibe" my mixes tend to always be that way. Slow, a little melancholy.

Back home by about quarter till 9, I started and finished Adam Rapp's very short, but on point piece, Nocturne.
We are discussing it next week in the final (optional additional) Voice in Modern Fiction class. There promises to be a great variety of spirits and libations, which is why I'm psyched to attend an extra week of class. I can discuss literature a whole lot better after a few drinks.