[Re]calculating route.

Yeah, so I had very cleverly, in my mind, named this The Year of the Lung, because everyone in Northeast Ohio quit smoking this year, and then I got my ass kicked by pneumonia. However, this week's bout of family stomach flu has made me think of this year in general health terms, not just lung-terms, so I'll be all 1980's confessional-ish and call it The Year of the Body. Or not. Anyway, 2010, it had some good stuff, and it had some bad stuff. Exactly what the sages predicted!

One of the ways that 2011 will be different: I now have a real, legit GPS for my car. No more faulty Google maps, shitty Blackberry GPS telling me to drive into buildings in Pittsburgh, finding myself lost on country roads that look exactly like country roads in other states in other decades. And so on. The only other time I've been in the presence of such a fine GPS device was when driving to New York with Jeannine. So of course I was instantly terrified. What if I broke it by looking at it? What if it yelled at me in some Southie accent? Drove me down a ravine?

But it's my friend, and I think it's going to really keep me on track. The only thing that makes me uncomfortable is that it's all grassy on the GPS, and here we have snow. But it's melting, so that takes care of that. And what will terrify me now? What will be my new reason for white-knuckling all the way to ___?

I think my only real resolution is to try to be healthier. I found out this year that while I can survive on 5 hours of sleep and diet pepsi and granola bars, maybe I shouldn't. It's really hard to get everything done when not healthy.

Kids off to their dad's in an hour and fifteen minutes (not that I'm counting, of course), then a cozy dinner for two who have survived 2010 and look forward to not getting lost on the way to 2011.

Snowscaper.

I'm not sure how I feel about the winter. I mean, I know I don't like it. But sometimes I think that's because it's inconvenient, and it makes things difficult. I would really miss it if I didn't have it. I've been feeling (already) pretty revved up for the new year. I always like New Year's because it helps me organize a lot of abstractions. I'm kind of at this mini-crossroads right now deciding whether I will solidify the ms I've been working on and send it out, or if I will chill for a bit longer instead. Just looking at all of those deadlines has me a little riled. I need to give this some serious thought.

I am taking a real break from my university work. I thought it would be difficult. Ha ha. We had an awesome Christmas, and I am ashamed to admit that one of the (silly) highlights was having the house to myself for a few hours in the evening, wherein I cleaned the shit out of the place and put everything away. Almost everything. But now I have a clean house, and some good things to look forward to, including not waking up early to get my daughter to school for another week.

So I guess if you have to have a winter, you should be thankful for having one like this.

Even if the Browns did not win, and your cheeks are all red from the cold.

Historical society.

That's really all the calendar I need.

Disorientatrix.

So I'm not working right now, but somehow my time is totally eaten up anyway. And I had all of these grandiose plans, right? Every junk drawer in the house organized, etc. And none of it is happening. Getting some things done in tiny increments between pulling cats out of boxes and agonizing about assembling certain items that will need to be assembled before 7:00 am on Saturday. My kids are home for Christmas this year, so I am far less sulky than I would be otherwise. And there are really good things afoot, you know? I am realizing this was a very good year. I don't have any writing goals right now, but I'm not aware of it enough to be inspired or concerned. I do want to send more poems out. I need to write them first. Such a dilemma.

My biggest problem may be not knowing what day it is. What day is it? What year is it, for that matter? It's pretty cold out there, but I've got wool, so everything should be just fine.

Where you won't find me.

1. In this--or any other--Toys "R" Us store.

2. In my office. Either office. Any of the three offices.

3. On the answering-end of any email regarding: the letter of recommendation you meant to ask me for, but didn't until now, and it's due in 10 hours; cialis, viagra, etc; administrative questions about any of the entities I am involved with; special offers for gifts that keep on giving; the mysterious funds I have inherited; random rants and whinges; etc.

4. Baking cookies. You can buy them already baked!

5. Taking advantage of Super Saturday sales.

6. On a vacation getaway. This vacation is figurative, not literal. We are not taking a cruise to Mackinac Island, or similar.

I'm on winter break until January. I will be spending my time working on BOR 4, attending various CYO basketball games, scraping Play Doh out of hardwood floors, and loafing.

Although Snowtastrophe 2010 shut down school for two days, it was nothing at all like this. We have maybe four inches out there right now. It'll be a white Christmas. I am hoping for some big-ass flakes (and not terribly brutal temps) for when I prove my insanity and devotion at the Browns game on 12/26.

That's all from Akron as of now.

Babes, woods, etc.

There are some good things about living in a midwestern polar wasteland, I guess.

Rampant cheer.

I may not be able to take a decent picture of the moon, but this photo proves that I can indeed photograph snowflakes.

When not busy photographing snowflakes, Mary Biddinger is juggling two books to be sent off to the printer, final grades for undergraduate poetry workshop, various and sundry administrative matters, waving her fist at the weather, and making resolutions for 2011.

Sometimes I wonder why anyone ever settled in a place like Ohio. Even though I moved here by choice (twice), and didn't grow up here, Ohio is the land of many Biddingers. But why? Did the winters remind them of the old country? Were they just a lot hardier than their frail little great (x ?) granddaughter?

I am trying my best to make this winter break an actual break.

That's a pre-resolution.

Yeah.