other stuff

Today has not been a day for words. First off, it stopped snowing late yesterday evening, switching to rain, and then freezing. The highway was slippier than all get out this morning, and the streets in town no better. It's one of those days I'm very thankful that Jim and I share a vehicle and that I can be a passenger if I feel wimpy. When my husband drives the highway at speeds half of in town speedlimits, I know the roads are big trouble! It's still raining now, and the temperature is hovering around freezing. There is a travel advisory for our area tonight: Freezing Rain--Stay Home. I intend to. First I have to get back there, though.

When we got home last night I shoveled the walk (so that made five episodes of shoveling for the day yesterday) while Jim got the tractor going and the first load of bales for the cows. They looked miserable, huddled against the wind with snow caking their backs. After we fed them, Jim carried on plowing out the driveway with the tractor while I went in to make supper. I think we ate about 7:45. And this morning he was sure glad he'd plowed, what with the additional slop that came down overnight.

Anyway, this morning (smack in the middle, of course) I had a doctor's appointment and then bloodwork done. The good news is that he doesn't think I'm dying of cancer, but we don't have the bad news yet! (I've had menstrual bleeding every day so far this year, and it's getting tedious). And then today, just for the hang of it, I have plugged ears. Both of them. It is driving me stark raving mad.

Around the appointments I worked on language issues for *Shann*. I think I'm scrapping the Scandinavian group. It just doesn't sound right. I'm working with some traditional African languages/Arabic at the moment.

The bosses were in and out all day today, trying to get caught up on measures, quotes, phone calls, orders, bills. Those days are relatively rare (because we're not usually quite this busy), and they turn into writing non-starters. The guys find too many things for me to look up and people for me to call. So I didn't earn my words in *False Perceptions* today.

Nor am I absolutely confident that all our mice have gone through the ultimate mouse-hole. I've seen only two tiny mousey turds today, but they were in places I KNOW I cleaned. I'll set up Gary's fancy trap again before I leave for the day, and see if that produces any excitement. (He did leave it set last night, but caught nothing).