Spring is coming

Passed a threshold this week.  It was light out when I emerged from the subway (around 7am) on the way to work.  That's a good sign evenwhen the temperatures are dipping down to the 20s tonight.
 
And we're on our way north for the night, to see Grandma, Peter and Janet and David and Paula.  It's supposed to snow, but so far nothing.  David had a bout of H1N1 right after Christmas, so it'll be nice to see him back in form.
 
Last weekend, we had a short visit from Peter who was here for a banjo workshop and concert.  He stopped by for a quick visit, with his homemade banjo.  Unfortunately there was no room at the inn, as the Charlie Morrison family had made earlier reservations.  They came up with their tenth grade son and did some sightseeing.  We went out with them on Sunday to the Holocaust Museum.  It was pretty jarring reading the cruelty and open death threats from Hitler with today's sensibilities.  Because the Germans kept such good records of their exterminations, I don't know how there could be Holocaust deniers.
 
I continue to be busy working on Haiti.  Unfortunately, most of that work has to do with reading e-mails.  Not sure that reading e-mails helps anyone in Haiti.  But that's what we do, write strategy papers, send them around, clear press guidance and talking points, obsess over small issues when there are real monumental ones to figure out.  Still, what keeps me fromcomplaining is the fact that no matter what my hours are, people down there who work for us are living in their offices (one colleague said he had the best commute he's ever had - from the floor to the desk).  And they don't complain because htey know how much better they have it than the millions of people all aorund them.
 
There's a chance I may have the opportunity to try out that commute, as I may be heading to Haiti for a couple of weeks in February.
 
And it's nose to the winter grindstone for the rest of us.  Mary has her mechanical routine of exercise in the am, long hours, and home for chores before collapsing.  Margaret has started a couple of classes -- Bollywood dancing and yoga -- and juggles work with job applications and her funny dog.  Joe just got back this week from a week in Yemen, looking at how they are going to put together an aid project. 
 
The other highlight besides football playoffs (poor Brett Favre) was a Loudon Wainwright concert this week.  He's the "dead skunk in the middle of the road" guy, but has a new recording which is a tribute to a 1930s banjo player -- Charlie Poole.  The thrill of the night came when Mary shouted for a song - twice - and he stopped and played it, with a little introduction!
 
We live fo rthose little things.  Hope there's plenty in your lives!  Love from down here.