January 06, 2007
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Groundhog Day
It's Christmas today.
Armenian Christmas, that is. The Armenians do things a little differently. So their Christmas is on January 6.
It's Christmas tomorrow, too! Russian Orthodox Christmas, that is. So, Christmas all weekend long.
I won't even mention the three New Years.
In other news: snow, snow, snow. It gets cold and snowy in the Caucasus, who knew? The pipes in the house burst while we were gone. You can find details over at Claudia's blog. We got about half the radiators replaced before the long Christmas break, so the house is currently cool -- the kitchen is around 15 centigrade -- but habitable. We wear sweaters and woolly socks, and wait patiently for the long holiday to end so we can get the rest of our heat back.
Otherwise, no great news here. How are you guys doing?
Posted by douglas at January 6, 2007 06:40 PMEid has ended. The music was strange. Imagine Shakira, but in reverse. Completely in reverse. On every metric, auditory and visual.
In other news, you've really got to listen to Radio Sawa sometime. It's a hoot.
Sorry about the snow. They tell me that the northeast is in the deathgrip of a civilization-ending mild.
Posted by: Noel Maurer at January 6, 2007 11:14 PMIt's miniskirt weather in NYC.
Perhaps global warming has an upside.
Posted by: Carlos at January 7, 2007 03:13 AMI wouldn't say it's miniskirt weather in Portland, Maine, but it is grizzled middle aged men with back hair and potbellies take off their shirt weather. Actual example:
GMAMWBHAP: Hey sweatheart! How about this warm weather?
Woman: Ummm, yeah.
GMAMWBHAP: (Stretches out) Mmmyeaaa! Got up to 63!
Woman: (walks away fast)
Three degrees Celsius, positive. No snow. The December was the warmest in the written history of this country, and this January seems to turn out similarly.
The warm weather isn't much of a thrill, because it's still pitch dark. The rain makes it all the more depressive. I'd exchange the current weather for a solid thirty minus degrees in a heartbeat, if it came with the customary starlight over snowdrifts.
But anyway. This morning, woke up at four o'clock, ran the usual ten kilometres, did the usual chin-ups and sit-ups in the park, returned to home, took a shower, had a breakfast. After an hour, I'll hop on a train to the capital.
Oh yeah, and someone sent me a CD as a holiday present, full of (West) Ukrainian Christmas carols.
Cheers,
Jalonen
Oy. Sorry to hear about your pipes! Hope they get fixed soon.
Very warm here in Virginia. Got well into the sixties a couple days ago, and the whole winter has been warm so far. Not that it ever snows much, but I have doubts for this year at all. I blame El Nino. ;)
In other news, I'll be moving to Montenegro soon (February). Finally got a job, and I'm really looking forward to it.
Happy New Year, Merry Orthodox Christmas, all that. :)
Posted by: frank s at January 8, 2007 05:46 PM