Big snowstorm coming overnight, just in time for the a.m. commute. I hate snow, but only when i have to drive in it, which is most of the time. Otherwise, it's lovely.

Now at my old job, just 1/2 mile away, my boss was so good to me HE would call me and say don't bother coming in. It was always a relief when he did that. That way, i didn't feel guilty.

I don't think that will happen now. I was really plannng on calling my new boss and asking if i could work from home tomorrow (can't think of a job that lends itself better to work at home more than a writer, but anyway) or, if not, if he could pick me up on his way in. I don't know if he has 4 wheel drive, but it'd be preferable than having to negotiate the roads myself. However, i realized i don't have his number and couldn't find it online.

There are 3 different 'local' TV stations here. One says 8 to 14" of snow and the other says 4 to 8". I can drive in the latter, not sure about the former. I had some terrible times trying to get home during blizzards in years of past with a similarly long commute. That probably explains my fear of winter driving.

So, umm, just as soon as i got feeling comfortable that my wake up routine was reasonable, looks like i'm getting up earlier than 6:20 a.m. tomorrow. Guess i'll shoot for 5:30 a.m., which won't be enough time to clear my driveway AND get to work on time, but it'll be a yeoman's effort.

The weekend was nice, but uneventful. Did some walking today with friend H., who told me she has just $8 left of her SS money to last the rest of the month. After the walk, we stopped at local diner for hot cocoa and split a piece of pie, my treat.

Other than that, i did my own 20-minute walk before meeting her becus she walks real slow and it doesn't seem like real exercise to me. It was so warm today i also swept the driveway, as leaves seem to have deposited themselves all over the place when i didn't remember them being there before.

One of the bluestone pieces on the step on my front stoop busted apart (the concrete, which i had done myself over the summer). I guess there's some trick to getting this to last, but i don't know. Now it'll remain broken and a hazard until spring, at the earliest.

Spent the a.m. preparing two salads that should last me most of the week for lunch at work and dinner at home. The at work salad consists of pasta, imitation crabmeat, or pollock, peas, green onion and red pepper, with a little Paul Newman's balsamic vinegarette.

The dinner salad, which i had tonight, was a mixture of chick peas, wheat berries, goat cheese, green onion and pistachio nuts tossed with balsamic vinegar and honey over spinach and arugula. I had a huge bowlful.

I was going to get the NYT, but never got around to it. Instead, i put away all the Xmas decorations, watched a movie (Monsuer Ibrahim, very good, with Omar Shariff, 2003) and vacuumed both floors.

Yesterday, i was definitely fighting the spending bug. Mea culpa, i bought 2 garnet pieces on TV last night, a pendant on a necklace and a ring. The prices they offer on TV are so much better than what you get elsewhere, i guess becus they can buy in bulk. I remember 20 years ago a friend of mine took me to St. Thomas and went on and on about how we had to buy jewelry there cus their prices were great, etc. I remember somewhat reluctantly spending $150 hard-earned money on am emerald ring, which i still have today, but the size of that emerald is miniscule compared to what the same $$ could get me on QVC.

I also did yet more grocery shopping to get some fresh produce items needed for my salad recipes. Seems like i'm constantly spending money on groceries, so much for just 1 person. I try very hard not to waste anything, but still, it can be hard not to.

Right now, i'm eating 3 clementines at a time to make sure they don't start going bad on me. I bought a box for $2.99, which was a great price, so now i'm making sure they're eaten!

Also went to the dump yesterday. Alas, i hope all my weekends aren't used up on chores and errands.