shades of gray

When winter settles on this city, snow seems to hesitate. I never thought I'd miss Michigan winters, but day after cold, gray, windy, stunted day, I keep expecting results that seldomly deliver.

another february

Holidays here and gone. Hopped on and off 5 planes to and from Michigan, where I spent seven full days mostly huddled in my parents' suburban nest, eating, laughing, playing board games and card games and arguing, as always. I met two new nephews, reconnected with old friends in crowded bars and basements and living rooms, drove Brian from the bus station to the house I grew up in and watched eagerly, nervously as the new world collided (or meshed, I hope) with the old. Made me wonder where I stand in all this, hovering in some "home"-shaped purgatory, New York vs. Michigan. I think I might always linger somewhere in between where I live and where I came from, and I think I'm okay with that.

Came back to an empty apartment and a new record player, appropriately christened in a ceremony involving Thriller, the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Brooklyn Lager. Rang in the new year with cajun food, a crowded party with poor dj stylings, and then Les Savy Fav, the perfect ending. Got a promotion and an unexpected raise (sweet, sweet justice), finished remaining applications, and caught a cold just in time for an orchestra audition I had to cancel. February will bring long-overdue visitors, desperately needed tax returns, housewarming and farewell and birthday parties. As for this weekend? A bowling excursion to Sunset Park and a Superbowl feast lacking any trace of Superbowl coverage. In March, I'll be on a train through the Adirondacks to Montreal, a trip I've been fantasizing about for years.

In the midst of everything, I'm anxious for spring and to fill empty, misused spaces with something meaningful--whatever that may be. I look forward to finding out.