I spent the winter on the verge of a mental breakdown while living in Norway

Woke from a dream this morning that perhaps was real in a parallel existence only a thin membrane away from this one. In it, I was in the kitchen making breakfast and talking to Evangeline about all the snow we're getting. Neither of us had to go in to work and were looking forward to a lazy day. I looked out the window and saw a couple of cars pull into the driveway. Out of one came my dad. Was he here to help shovel or just visit? I didn't know. Out of the other car came a young couple. I vaguely recognized the guy; I figured he was a friend of Fred's. In the dream, he was played by the actor who portrayed Bones in the new Star Trek films. The couple walked into the house without knocking pushing a grocery cart filled with food. I asked them what was going on and the guy snapped at me. "We're putting all this food in the freezer!", he said. I called him an asshole and told him to get the fuck out of my house. I thought things might come to blows but he was subdued by his girlfriend and I went  into the kitchen. I looked out the window wondering why my dad hadn't come into the house. His car was gone. And then I woke up feeling kind of sad.

No work today and probably not tomorrow. Glad I don't have to be driving, but not happy to be missing out on earning some badly needed money. Oh, well. Things will work out. Winter is such an inward thing; we traverse inward landscapes and if you're an outgoing person, it's probably not the most comfortable experience. If you lean to being more introspective like me, it's more manageable, perhaps even satisfying. Just a pet theory, I don't know if it holds water, especially considering the fact that I dream of moving to warmer climes. Oh, well, whatever the case, I'll get by. And so will you, child.

Spent New Year's Eve at Scott and Eszter's new place in Kittery, ME. I drove up with Janelle and Bill and we ate wonderful Greek food courtesy of Janelle, brownies courtesy of Eszter, and some very tasty mixed drinks courtesy of Scott. To ring in the New Year, we bundled up and walked onto the pond alongside their house, lit a fire on the ice, and drank champagne. It was the right thing to do.

I enjoyed myself quite a bit, particularly because I was with some of my favorite people. Still, there was a touch of melancholy that misted over my psyche. It was there for a few reasons and didn't begin that night, but it was there. It happens. Life, as you know, isn't all gravy.

So Happy New Year to you, whatever that means. I think I'll go out and do some shoveling so that it won't be so overwhelming later. Afterward, I'll come inside and take a cold shower (yes, even in this frigid, almost sub-zero weather) and perhaps will practice some yoga. And then maybe I'll do some reading. I've been bouncing between the New Testament and some Fritz Leiber short stories on my Kindle.

Fortify thy selves, dear readers, particularly during these bleak claustrophobic winter days.

Peace out, darlings.