Its been largely a quiet time for me totally for the last several days since returning from Castle Rock on FRI 2 January. Much of the time has been at home surfing the 'net, halfheartedly watching some TV, reading, and listening to music via the radio or CDs. I am getting plenty of sleep and feel quite rested after weeks of limited activity at best. I did go over to Todd's twice, once last Friday the 2nd to watch a very entertaining and satisfying Sugar Bowl won rather convincingly by Utah over Alabama; and then again Thursday night the 8th to watch the National Championship game won by Florida over Oklahoma. Other than that I have not done much. I got out twice for a meal, first at McDonalds and then today at Subway. I went over to the post office twice but there has not been much to pick up from the box that is worthwhile to consider. I am using the DVR to record any movie that I think I may be interested in, and in the last week I have watched the newest King Kong, the newest Pirates of the Caribbean, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Flipper, Heavy Metal 2000, Overboard, and Beers for My Horses; I have Duets, The Doors, Hoosiers, and Ratatouille yet to watch.The weather has been barely tolerable for the most part. Its been bouncing up and down both figuratively and literally. January is when the wind is at worst in these parts and this week has been rough. We had three straight days of brutal winds as the sustained wind was over 35 mph and gusts surpassed 85 mph. It finally diminished on Thursday evening briefly but it was back for the most part again Friday. Temps started out the week cool, then improved with Thursday climbing into the upper 50s before another cooldown on Friday. Snowfall has not happened now in three weeks and its looking real dry with no precip forecasted in the next several days. This is not unusual in this region as the flow is largely from the west and northwest which is largely dry with any moisture getting fully spent over the mountains and territory to the west and north. We will likely get occasionaly small snow events for the coming six weeks into late February before a springlike pattern usually sets in which means larger more wet snow events are more likely. But it could be dry and warm again in March and April more often than not as it has been in recent years. The historic norm of wet snowy Marches and Aprils has been strongly missing this decade, and I would not be surprised to see some days into the upper 60s and even above 70 in the next 60 days. Lets hope so. The wind will largely be constant for another 75 - 90 days, but as we get closer to the Equinox, the possibility of calmer days becomes more likely. Its getting to be about the time of the winter when one's thoughts turn towards dreaming of about being in a warmer sunny climate like an island in the Pacific or Caribbean, or in the warm desert sunshine of southern Arizona. And I definitely wish I could transport myself to a place like those for about two weeks right now.
Enough meterology talk. I am in a period of strong idleness and thats unlikely to change. I even have time to remove earhairs and nosehairs - I am that inactive largely. I do not see much promise on the job front as my sources for information that I utilize on the 'net and in print show virtually no possibilities. I am not motivated to do any cold calls with the weather so unfavorable, and I also believe cold calls are a total waste of time, energy, and gasoline nowadays. After about four months or so of going pretty good and then about six weeks of parttime to fulltime activity, the last month has been a complete shutdown. I am not complaining, but time is dragging somewhat now as compared to what my sensations were last summer into the autumn. I have the resources to ride this out for awhile, but it is not the preferred alternative. What it means is that my hopes of getting out of here are becoming increasingly likely to be delayed until next autumn rather than in the mid to late spring as I desire. I have about two months to ponder things until I have to start planning a decision. Lets hope that I am not forced into that and things turn favorable sooner than later.
Saturday I watched an excellent hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins that was competitive and won by the Avs 5-3. Later it was the NFL Divisional Playoffs with a good close game between Baltimore and Tennessee as the Ravens won on a last second field goal 13-10. I had hoped the Arizona Cardinals could keep it close in rainy Charlotte against the Panthers, but in a big surprise Arizona pounded Carolina 33-13. I pulled away from the game to watch an old classic Hitchcock thriller "Lifeboat" that came out almost 65 years ago. I had seen snippets of it when I was younger and had forgotten about it. I stayed home all day as the wind back in all its fury.
As usual, Sunday was quiet and peaceful for me as I enjoyed being at home until very late afternoon watching the two NFL divisional playoff games before going out to get the newspapers and having a taco. I recorded all my Sunday shows -- 60 Minutes, 24, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers and Sisters -- to watch later in the evening after I returned home. The weather was seasonably cold and windy as usual and there is a chance there could be a few snowflakes overnight.
I see the Wyoming Legislature adjourns Tuesday so I will put a list of legislature measures I favor in the next few days on my other blog. With the state seeing a dive in revenues like everywhere else, it is likely now is not the time for many of my proposals; but I hope to see them enacted in many states including this one in the coming years. This state is almost entirely dependent on revenue from coal extraction which means the clock is ticking with an end of this source within a generation with the jolting impact of sudden global warming looming within the coming years. This state has about a non-diversified economy as any in the nation so the future down the road is grim from an economic viewpoint. Once coal is longer permitted as an energy source, this state will have to be positioned to make the step into the new 21st century renewable energy economy, and I sense that will happen here with so many locals with their heads in the sand. Colorado is much better positioned for all the change that will occur starting around 2020 and only rapidly escalating in the coming years.
The upcoming week looks largely uneventful. Overall the weather forecast looks to be a little warmer than seasonable but nothing to get excited about as the wind promises be a sizeable presence. So far this season Cheyenne has only gotten about 50 % of its normal amount of snowfar thus far, and this week shows no forecast of any accumulation beyond maybe a dusting or so. I may get out and check an employment possibility, but it seems to be a long stretch at best if at all. Other than that, I will check the post office to see if that box from my sister M has made it here; have a couple of light meals or snacks in a place where I can sit in the afternoon sunshine while reading the paper; and hit the bookstore to browse whats there and enjoy some reading for an hour or two. Beyond that the week will be marked with some puttering around the place, watching NHL and Avalanche hockey on three to five occasions, and just relaxing and surfing the 'net while watching movies and television series that catch my interest.
Such is the life of unemployed 50+ years old bachelor in the depth of winter...
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