It is 28*F in Bethel today, and has been around that temperature for a few days now. 28*F is now my definition of positively balmy weather. I carried the garbage down the road to the dumpster last night in a t-shirt and was completely comfortable. I would also like to point out that 28*F is exactly the temperature in Rockaway, NJ today. Solidarity! (Doubtful that you wimps are wearing t-shirts, though.)
Also, because of the warm weather, Bethel has become a slushy mess. Walking to work is much more difficult this week, due to slush, than it has been in previous weeks with windchills of negative 20*F. I am looking forward to when temperatures drop again and everything freezes. Then, I will be able to walk to work without taking my life in my hands.
Lastly, this Sunday is the winter solstice! That means that here in Bethel we will have approximately 4-5 hours of sunlight. Lately, the sun has been rising between 10:15a and 10:45a and setting by 5p, with twilight beginning around 3:30p. Yes, this means most days, I go to work in the pitch dark and walk home in the dark. While it makes getting out of bed that much more difficult, I have noticed something really cool that I would never be able to see anywhere else: often, while I am walking down the block to the courthouse for a morning hearing, I will be able to see the moon on one side of the sky and the sunrise on another. Amazing. Anyway, as for the solstice, my community and I have decided that we want to spend as much of the sunlight hours outside on Sunday, and will probably be building a snowman to rival all snowmen. (Or, a snowperson to rival all snowpeople, for the politically correct.)
And, a few things to check out:
www.goeok.blogspot.com - this is my roommate Erin's blog, and I highly suggest you all check out her most recent post (12/16/08). It is about Marvin, a Bethel dog who has become very near and dear to our hearts. I was going to write a post almost identical, and then she beat me to it. So, I direct you all there to share in my life.
www.servicenation.org - stories of service from volunteers of all kinds, all over the world. Servicenation is a campaign to inspire volunteer citizen service across the country, in many different capacities. JVC has asked me to post a reflection about my job under the "stories of service" tab, because my job is very unique - both because I'm here in Bethel, and because I work for a state agency. Keep an eye out.
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So you put up your first post in weeks and it's not about Christmas or the fact that you can practically see Santa feeding Rudolph from your house. No, it's about the weather.
Two words: WEAK SAUCE.
Not only do you, oh former campus minister of great renown, sidestep one of the most important religious holidays of the year, you instead mention the winter solstice and the construction of a giant snow effigy, no doubt some pagan ritual you've picked up while your brain was on sabbatical. (Note I deliberately used the word 'sabbatical,' a reference to the day God stopped working and decided to dick around instead. People think he clocked in again that next Monday, but when you look around, don't you notice that basically everything here was done in those first six days? Strange coincidence.) The moral of the story? Give us a Christmas post or you'll be a bum for the rest of eternity.
And if you DO decide to devote an entire post to the weather again, it BETTER include an in-depth description of the Aurora F&#%ING Borealis or something cool like a truck falling into a melted river highway!
(I post this knowing full well that I recently asked you in an email about the weather up there, and, ergo, ERGO!, Kevin is a schmuck.)
Miss ya, Toomb! Merry Christmas!
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