Some odds, some ends
I've gone skiing on both of the last 2 Thursdays. This is my 3rd winter living and working in a ski resort, and marks the first (2) times I've been skiing since I moved here. I came out just after the shoulder surgery- my arm had been out of the sling perhaps a week before I'd moved, so I wasn't going to risk falling and screwing things up that first year. The second year, I just got way too busy. This year... I bought a good jacket and snowpants on an awesome combination of employee discount and last season's product line closeout. I had a free lift pass through work. My shoulder is much much better, so I finally went out on my day off. I spent about 3 hours on the slopes the first day (sitting on the lift times included) and about the same a week later. I've not done it in long enough that I figured that's probably good enough, and don't want to overdo it, and indeed, I did start to feel a little bit of tiredness from the leg muscles by the end of it. I may go out again a couple more times before the season is over. I wouldn't even need to wait for a day off if it's one of the days where I start at noon, but I don't like to leave the dog that long if I don't have to, so I generally don't do anything on those days.
The dog walks lately have consisted of snowshoeing, with the dog following behind me. She wants to run about a bit, but doesn't really like the deep snow. Today after work, I went out for about 45 minutes. At one point, we went alongside some snowmobile tracks, which she enjoyed running along. She kept looking back at me with that big smiling-dog face. Saw a fox out there a few days ago, and she tried running off after it, but it was quite far off already when she spotted it and there's no way she's going to catch one in the snow.
I've seen a few more photos of the remains of the parents' house. It is a bit of an odd feeling. No further news of what started it, but considering there's nothing left, there isn't much evidence to start framing a guess from. And ultimately, I guess it makes little difference from a certain standpoint. Gone is gone, regardless of how it started.
Somewhat related to the house fire, a certain change in the meaning of an acronym. Or maybe just a misinterpretation. Apparently, many among my parents' generation and older think LOL means "lots of love". And perhaps it did mean such, back in the days when people used pens and paper to communicate. But apparently those darn kids and that dog these days use it to mean "laughing out loud", which caused some of my friends to look askance at my aunt's comments on the house fire post. I had to (hopefully, it came across as gently) explain to my aunt today's internet-speak meaning. Not an exact quote, but "Sorry about the house fire, LOL" just doesn't look right.
Another friend asked me how I could joke about it, when I said in my last post that there was nothing the fire department could do but "keep it from spreading and break out the marshmallows". But really, what else can you do? A lot of people's reaction was "I don't know what to say" and really, there's nothing to say. What's happened has happened, so you carry on as best you can. Me? I make dumb jokes. All the time, as an everyday sort of thing. It's the way I am and the way my brain is wired. It's what I do. And so that's me, carrying on, once more into the breach because there just isn't anything else to be done.
Someone else said "It must be tough being so far away at a time like this". But if I were there, what difference would it make? Perhaps a bit of moral support for my parents, but aside from that? I'd just be another voice to the Greek chorus saying "That really sucks". It might even be easier, having that distance.
But I wasn't planning to type about the fire and its aftermath and nothing else. There's some potential good news that comes from a completely different quarter, but I really shouldn't say anything about it yet. As I said, it's potential good news. About all I can really say at this point, because I don't want other people getting their hopes up for me and building up my own in an ascending spiral, is that an opportunity has opened up, and if it works out I'll be letting everyone know in March or April, or as soon as I find out one way or the other. I suspect I'll know in April. I will hint that it means I've got more than just some cherry blossoms to see in Tokyo when I go (dates not yet set, might split into two trips) and it may involve moving to Tokyo. I'll reveal all when I'm able to, until then, I'll be redoubling my efforts at learning the Japanese language, concentration on the written.
I do have some mixed thoughts about potentially moving to Tokyo. I've really liked where I'm living now. I like the quiet, I like being in the middle of nowhere, I like the nature. I like being able to take the dog for a walk without a leash. The quiet and isolation was very good for my writing and artwork, and also exactly what I needed after I burned out on teaching, where I was forced to be social all day long, every day. Living like Grizzly Adams (only with electricity and plumbing) was much needed. But lately, I have been feeling the need to get back into society a little more. Yet being in a small, rural community doesn't bode well for a geek and being social. And in winter, when this area becomes overtaken with the skiers and snowboarders, well, I don't entirely fit in with the winter equivalent of surfer dudes or the cutthroat business guys that seem to make up much of the rest of what's here. In Tokyo, I would be in more direct contact with some of the Star Wars cosplayers I've met, would be around other people of an artistic bent, and would have access to so much more, culturally speaking. Not that I don't have any friends around here, just... there would be more opportunities in Tokyo. And no six foot deep snowbanks to shovel through. I think where I am now is better for the dog, but really? I think she'd be happy just about anywhere as long as I was around and she got to go for her daily walks. Sure, they're more fun off-leash when I don't have to pick up her poop in a little bag, but I think we'd be able to adjust.
Well, it all could be a moot point. First things first, I may have a lot more to say about this come April.
The dog walks lately have consisted of snowshoeing, with the dog following behind me. She wants to run about a bit, but doesn't really like the deep snow. Today after work, I went out for about 45 minutes. At one point, we went alongside some snowmobile tracks, which she enjoyed running along. She kept looking back at me with that big smiling-dog face. Saw a fox out there a few days ago, and she tried running off after it, but it was quite far off already when she spotted it and there's no way she's going to catch one in the snow.
I've seen a few more photos of the remains of the parents' house. It is a bit of an odd feeling. No further news of what started it, but considering there's nothing left, there isn't much evidence to start framing a guess from. And ultimately, I guess it makes little difference from a certain standpoint. Gone is gone, regardless of how it started.
Somewhat related to the house fire, a certain change in the meaning of an acronym. Or maybe just a misinterpretation. Apparently, many among my parents' generation and older think LOL means "lots of love". And perhaps it did mean such, back in the days when people used pens and paper to communicate. But apparently those darn kids and that dog these days use it to mean "laughing out loud", which caused some of my friends to look askance at my aunt's comments on the house fire post. I had to (hopefully, it came across as gently) explain to my aunt today's internet-speak meaning. Not an exact quote, but "Sorry about the house fire, LOL" just doesn't look right.
Another friend asked me how I could joke about it, when I said in my last post that there was nothing the fire department could do but "keep it from spreading and break out the marshmallows". But really, what else can you do? A lot of people's reaction was "I don't know what to say" and really, there's nothing to say. What's happened has happened, so you carry on as best you can. Me? I make dumb jokes. All the time, as an everyday sort of thing. It's the way I am and the way my brain is wired. It's what I do. And so that's me, carrying on, once more into the breach because there just isn't anything else to be done.
Someone else said "It must be tough being so far away at a time like this". But if I were there, what difference would it make? Perhaps a bit of moral support for my parents, but aside from that? I'd just be another voice to the Greek chorus saying "That really sucks". It might even be easier, having that distance.
But I wasn't planning to type about the fire and its aftermath and nothing else. There's some potential good news that comes from a completely different quarter, but I really shouldn't say anything about it yet. As I said, it's potential good news. About all I can really say at this point, because I don't want other people getting their hopes up for me and building up my own in an ascending spiral, is that an opportunity has opened up, and if it works out I'll be letting everyone know in March or April, or as soon as I find out one way or the other. I suspect I'll know in April. I will hint that it means I've got more than just some cherry blossoms to see in Tokyo when I go (dates not yet set, might split into two trips) and it may involve moving to Tokyo. I'll reveal all when I'm able to, until then, I'll be redoubling my efforts at learning the Japanese language, concentration on the written.
I do have some mixed thoughts about potentially moving to Tokyo. I've really liked where I'm living now. I like the quiet, I like being in the middle of nowhere, I like the nature. I like being able to take the dog for a walk without a leash. The quiet and isolation was very good for my writing and artwork, and also exactly what I needed after I burned out on teaching, where I was forced to be social all day long, every day. Living like Grizzly Adams (only with electricity and plumbing) was much needed. But lately, I have been feeling the need to get back into society a little more. Yet being in a small, rural community doesn't bode well for a geek and being social. And in winter, when this area becomes overtaken with the skiers and snowboarders, well, I don't entirely fit in with the winter equivalent of surfer dudes or the cutthroat business guys that seem to make up much of the rest of what's here. In Tokyo, I would be in more direct contact with some of the Star Wars cosplayers I've met, would be around other people of an artistic bent, and would have access to so much more, culturally speaking. Not that I don't have any friends around here, just... there would be more opportunities in Tokyo. And no six foot deep snowbanks to shovel through. I think where I am now is better for the dog, but really? I think she'd be happy just about anywhere as long as I was around and she got to go for her daily walks. Sure, they're more fun off-leash when I don't have to pick up her poop in a little bag, but I think we'd be able to adjust.
Well, it all could be a moot point. First things first, I may have a lot more to say about this come April.