It has been a week of snow.
While places in the country that are accustomed to little or no snow have seen their fair share this winter, Western Massachusetts had been blissfully spared up until this week. It started snowing on Tuesday and has on and off since then. In the hills I'd say we've had 18-20 inches and more north and west of here. The thing is tomorrow is March 1st and I'm ready to be done with winter, not just getting started. Before this our last major snow fall was in December and I would have been happy to keep it that way. I know, I know some places have been hit far worse this week and I feel for them.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sublime
There was one pair today. Sublimation.
Before I explain my memoir of the day, I would like to take a moment to ponder the vast difference in the definitions of sublime.
Before I explain my memoir of the day, I would like to take a moment to ponder the vast difference in the definitions of sublime.
–adjective
1. elevated or lofty in thought, language, etc.: Paradise Lost is sublime poetry.
2. impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur or power; inspiring awe, veneration, etc.: Switzerland has sublime scenery.
3. supreme or outstanding: a sublime dinner.
4. complete; absolute; utter: sublime stupidity.
2. impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur or power; inspiring awe, veneration, etc.: Switzerland has sublime scenery.
3. supreme or outstanding: a sublime dinner.
4. complete; absolute; utter: sublime stupidity.
–noun
7. the sublime,
a. the realm of things that are sublime: the sublime in art.
b. the quality of sublimity.
c. the greatest or supreme degree.
–verb (used with object)
8. to make higher, nobler, or purer.
9. Chemistry.
a. to convert (a solid substance) by heat into a vapor, which on cooling condenses again to solid form, without apparent liquefaction.
b. to cause to be given off by this or some analogous process.
–verb (used without object)
10. Chemistry.
to volatilize from the solid state to a gas, and then condense again as a solid without passing through the liquid state.
How can one word go from meaning outstanding to chemistry. Wow, you got me.
Anyway, my six words for the day have to do with the old gent that hangs his underwear out to dry even on a cold New England day. We have come to the conclusion that his clothes dry because of sublimation (the chemistry part of the sublime definition). We have come to no conclusion as to why there is rarely more than one pair of underwear on the line at one time. What can I say, when you live in the country you have to find something to notice on your drive into work.
to volatilize from the solid state to a gas, and then condense again as a solid without passing through the liquid state.
How can one word go from meaning outstanding to chemistry. Wow, you got me.
Anyway, my six words for the day have to do with the old gent that hangs his underwear out to dry even on a cold New England day. We have come to the conclusion that his clothes dry because of sublimation (the chemistry part of the sublime definition). We have come to no conclusion as to why there is rarely more than one pair of underwear on the line at one time. What can I say, when you live in the country you have to find something to notice on your drive into work.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Clean Energy and Fallen Firefighters
Visiting Worcester on a windy day.
These turbine pictures were taken at Holy Name Catholic High School in Worcester. The turbine was a project done by the school and is expected to pay for itself over time. For now it provides more than enough electricity to run the school, which was a cost of approximately $20,000 per year. The 262 foot turbine provides excess electricity to the power grid which is enough for about 135 homes. It is located on the school's property so you can get close enough to appreciate the magnitude.
On a different note, in a different part of Worcester we spent a little time at the Worcester 6 Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The monument is in front of the firehouse which was built on the site where the warehouse fire took their lives ten years ago. I remember the fire and the funerals that followed. That Christmas we hung 6 wreaths with dark colored bows on the front of our house. The monument is a moving tribute to this sad, senseless loss.
These turbine pictures were taken at Holy Name Catholic High School in Worcester. The turbine was a project done by the school and is expected to pay for itself over time. For now it provides more than enough electricity to run the school, which was a cost of approximately $20,000 per year. The 262 foot turbine provides excess electricity to the power grid which is enough for about 135 homes. It is located on the school's property so you can get close enough to appreciate the magnitude.
On a different note, in a different part of Worcester we spent a little time at the Worcester 6 Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The monument is in front of the firehouse which was built on the site where the warehouse fire took their lives ten years ago. I remember the fire and the funerals that followed. That Christmas we hung 6 wreaths with dark colored bows on the front of our house. The monument is a moving tribute to this sad, senseless loss.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sigh
It's Monday again. Back to work.
Another weekend has come and gone. And now here I sit once again trying to get my head back in the game (also known as work). Sigh. I've just done a massive search through my purse for the powerball tickets that I purchased on Saturday. I wasn't able to find them but the internet has informed me that there was only one winner and the ticket was sold in North Carolina. Another sigh. I've also realized that my purse is in need of purging. BIG SIGH.
The weather was bitterly cold here this weekend with a wind that wouldn't stop. I attended the service for my previously mentioned colleague on Saturday. I have been to my fair share of memorial services and funerals over the years but this was the first where the deceased was of Jehovah's Witness faith. My best estimation is that there were over 500 people at the service. It was held at the local school instead of the Kingdom Hall, as originally planned, due to the number of people they expected to attend. It was a different service than what I'm used but was nice and well organized.
I will conclude this entry with a happier thought...Congratulations to the New Orlean Saints on their fantastic Super Bowl win last night. Kudos to the coach (or whoever made the call) on starting the 2nd half with a risky onside kick. Sometimes it pays to take the gamble.
Now, where are those Mega Millions tickets I bought for Tuesdays drawings?!?
Another weekend has come and gone. And now here I sit once again trying to get my head back in the game (also known as work). Sigh. I've just done a massive search through my purse for the powerball tickets that I purchased on Saturday. I wasn't able to find them but the internet has informed me that there was only one winner and the ticket was sold in North Carolina. Another sigh. I've also realized that my purse is in need of purging. BIG SIGH.
The weather was bitterly cold here this weekend with a wind that wouldn't stop. I attended the service for my previously mentioned colleague on Saturday. I have been to my fair share of memorial services and funerals over the years but this was the first where the deceased was of Jehovah's Witness faith. My best estimation is that there were over 500 people at the service. It was held at the local school instead of the Kingdom Hall, as originally planned, due to the number of people they expected to attend. It was a different service than what I'm used but was nice and well organized.
I will conclude this entry with a happier thought...Congratulations to the New Orlean Saints on their fantastic Super Bowl win last night. Kudos to the coach (or whoever made the call) on starting the 2nd half with a risky onside kick. Sometimes it pays to take the gamble.
Now, where are those Mega Millions tickets I bought for Tuesdays drawings?!?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday Evening
We lost a friend and colleague.
There has been a sad undertone at work with this week with the passing of one of our colleagues. Back in September Patricia underwent minor surgery to remove several lumps from her breast. Approximately a week after surgery she went to the emergency room because she was feeling so poorly and her surgeon felt that it was not related to the procedure she'd had. More tests were run and the result was cancer in the liver which usually shows up secondary to cancer elsewhere in the body. The prognosis was terminal in 5-11 months with chemotherapy only to ease the symptoms of the cancer.
In 2005 Patricia received her Master's Degree at the age of 63. It had been a longtime goal of hers to come work at the agency where I work and when she inquired about work with only a Bachelor's Degree and was told she'd need a Master's, she went back to school. She was hired by the crisis intervention program on a per diem basis in January 2006 and moved up to full time in January 2007. Since crisis work is 24/7, crisis clinicians are expected to work their share of evenings, overnights, weekends and holidays. Patricia did all this without ever a complaint.
She was a kind and caring lady with a pleasant demeanor. Her work week started with a 3pm-11pm shift on Monday and every week when she arrived for her shift she always took time to stop and say hello to me and inquire how things were going. She was an adventurer and often told stories of her hikes on and around her property in G'ville. Her sense of humor was appreciated by all and she had a way of delivering a well time story to make her colleagues laugh.
Patricia is already greatly missed. Her strength, courage and kind ways will be carried on by all she touched. Farewell Patricia. Thanks for making our world a better place.
There has been a sad undertone at work with this week with the passing of one of our colleagues. Back in September Patricia underwent minor surgery to remove several lumps from her breast. Approximately a week after surgery she went to the emergency room because she was feeling so poorly and her surgeon felt that it was not related to the procedure she'd had. More tests were run and the result was cancer in the liver which usually shows up secondary to cancer elsewhere in the body. The prognosis was terminal in 5-11 months with chemotherapy only to ease the symptoms of the cancer.
In 2005 Patricia received her Master's Degree at the age of 63. It had been a longtime goal of hers to come work at the agency where I work and when she inquired about work with only a Bachelor's Degree and was told she'd need a Master's, she went back to school. She was hired by the crisis intervention program on a per diem basis in January 2006 and moved up to full time in January 2007. Since crisis work is 24/7, crisis clinicians are expected to work their share of evenings, overnights, weekends and holidays. Patricia did all this without ever a complaint.
She was a kind and caring lady with a pleasant demeanor. Her work week started with a 3pm-11pm shift on Monday and every week when she arrived for her shift she always took time to stop and say hello to me and inquire how things were going. She was an adventurer and often told stories of her hikes on and around her property in G'ville. Her sense of humor was appreciated by all and she had a way of delivering a well time story to make her colleagues laugh.
Patricia is already greatly missed. Her strength, courage and kind ways will be carried on by all she touched. Farewell Patricia. Thanks for making our world a better place.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Kindness
Ark: one Act of Random Kindness.
We just finished watching the movie "Evan Almighty" and I was inspired to tell about our random act of kindness today.
Around five o'clock, Dan and I headed out to the grocery store. It had started to rain and the weather predictions were for the near freezing temperatures to rise as the day went on. There were some slippery spots in the yard but the sand truck had been by and the road seemed fine so we decided to go. We were heading to Granby so went straight down the hill. Although there were a few slick spots the road was well sanded so it still seemed okay to make our voyage. When we got down on the flat, untreated, road we soon found out there were more than a few slick spots.
As we came around a slight corner before a sharper blind corner we both saw something in the road. Although the road was icy, Dan was able to stop the truck a safe distance away. What was in the road was a truck pulling a small trailer with a jet ski on it. The truck was in the oncoming lane and when he hit the ice he jack knifed the jet ski trailer across the road. So now this guy's truck and trailer are across the road and any oncoming traffic would have to come around a blind corner before they could see what was in the road. And not just in the road, in an icy road. As we sat there for a few seconds trying to decided what to do, a truck did come around the blind corner on the other side of incident.
Now mind you not only are the truck and trailer across the road but the two occupants of the truck are out of the vehicle standing on either side of the trailer. I knew the second truck was not going to be able to stop but thankfully the driver did the best thing he could. He managed to steer his truck into the guardrail and completely avoided the truck and trailer in the middle of the road. A third truck came around the blind corner too and that truck went into the embankment on the other side of the road.
At this point, Dan manged to turn his truck around and we went back up the road to a straight stretch where he could pull off the road and signal people to slow down. As we got off the road a truck rather hurriedly pulled out to pass us. It was the truck with the jet ski on the trailer. He blew past us and went on down the road. A few minutes later a truck pulled off the road behind us. It was the guy that hit the guardrail. The truck that had caused the whole problem, although the roads were icy, just took off from the scene. Since Dan and I had seen the whole thing, we offered to stay with the guy and his damaged truck until the police could arrive.
It took the police 30-45 minutes to arrive because there were multiple other accidents that had happened in both directions from where we were. We gave our names and offered to give statements but the police said it wouldn't be necessary. Unfortunately, although I could give many details about the truck and trailer, the one thing I didn't notice was the license plate. With the road conditions it technically wasn't the truck/trailer guy's fault, but if you caused an accident no matter the circumstances wouldn't you stay? Unless of course you had reason to avoid the police.
Anyway, to make a long story longer, it may or may not make any difference for the guy with the damage to his truck that we stayed but at least we could offer support. He was upset about his truck but was more shaken by what the three of us knew was the truth. If he hadn't steered into the guardrail he would have most likely seriously injured, if not killed, the guys in the road.
So that was our one random act of kindness for the day. I have another story for another day about an act of kindness this week that wasn't so random. Stayed tuned!
We just finished watching the movie "Evan Almighty" and I was inspired to tell about our random act of kindness today.
Around five o'clock, Dan and I headed out to the grocery store. It had started to rain and the weather predictions were for the near freezing temperatures to rise as the day went on. There were some slippery spots in the yard but the sand truck had been by and the road seemed fine so we decided to go. We were heading to Granby so went straight down the hill. Although there were a few slick spots the road was well sanded so it still seemed okay to make our voyage. When we got down on the flat, untreated, road we soon found out there were more than a few slick spots.
As we came around a slight corner before a sharper blind corner we both saw something in the road. Although the road was icy, Dan was able to stop the truck a safe distance away. What was in the road was a truck pulling a small trailer with a jet ski on it. The truck was in the oncoming lane and when he hit the ice he jack knifed the jet ski trailer across the road. So now this guy's truck and trailer are across the road and any oncoming traffic would have to come around a blind corner before they could see what was in the road. And not just in the road, in an icy road. As we sat there for a few seconds trying to decided what to do, a truck did come around the blind corner on the other side of incident.
Now mind you not only are the truck and trailer across the road but the two occupants of the truck are out of the vehicle standing on either side of the trailer. I knew the second truck was not going to be able to stop but thankfully the driver did the best thing he could. He managed to steer his truck into the guardrail and completely avoided the truck and trailer in the middle of the road. A third truck came around the blind corner too and that truck went into the embankment on the other side of the road.
At this point, Dan manged to turn his truck around and we went back up the road to a straight stretch where he could pull off the road and signal people to slow down. As we got off the road a truck rather hurriedly pulled out to pass us. It was the truck with the jet ski on the trailer. He blew past us and went on down the road. A few minutes later a truck pulled off the road behind us. It was the guy that hit the guardrail. The truck that had caused the whole problem, although the roads were icy, just took off from the scene. Since Dan and I had seen the whole thing, we offered to stay with the guy and his damaged truck until the police could arrive.
It took the police 30-45 minutes to arrive because there were multiple other accidents that had happened in both directions from where we were. We gave our names and offered to give statements but the police said it wouldn't be necessary. Unfortunately, although I could give many details about the truck and trailer, the one thing I didn't notice was the license plate. With the road conditions it technically wasn't the truck/trailer guy's fault, but if you caused an accident no matter the circumstances wouldn't you stay? Unless of course you had reason to avoid the police.
Anyway, to make a long story longer, it may or may not make any difference for the guy with the damage to his truck that we stayed but at least we could offer support. He was upset about his truck but was more shaken by what the three of us knew was the truth. If he hadn't steered into the guardrail he would have most likely seriously injured, if not killed, the guys in the road.
So that was our one random act of kindness for the day. I have another story for another day about an act of kindness this week that wasn't so random. Stayed tuned!
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