7:30am
First snow of the year and it’s January 21st. Makes one nervous, like maybe next year we won’t get any at all. My perception of what we should get in NYC is skewed, though, because the last few winters have included major but rare snowstorms, and I’ve only been here for a few years, so my expectations are calibrated high. The rest of the state is full-on humid-continental, with big snows and long winters, but the city is different. It averages slightly above freezing during its “winter”, which lasts just a couple months usually. This is because it’s mostly surrounded by the Atlantic, and the whole metro area is shielded from the colder, northern, lake-effect climate by a few mountain ranges. If it snowed a whole lot more here, I would love it. Coffee and spicy foods come alive in real winters and I guess the last couple years I’ve been spoiled.

I just came in from shoveling the sidewalk in front of our building and putting salt down. This is my first winter doing it– our super quit last month and the rest of the board are elderly women. The building supers at the adjacent buildings were out shoveling too and we exchanged knowing looks. That’s right boys, new kid on the block.

I’m back inside now and it’s 8:00am, and as I look out the balcony window I can see my work is already mostly covered up. Forecast says 3-5 inches and I’m pretty sure I did at least 3, so the next round will be light. It’s pretty good PT for the back.

I’m resuming light training and pretty late last night I did my 10×10 pull-ups and 6×50 push-ups in a nearly empty gym. It’s nice to see my body breathing and circulating again. I still can’t (or shouldn’t) work out on the heavy bag or with sparring partners because any sort of twisting motion isn’t worth the risk yet, but I’m getting closer.

For no clear reason I enrolled in a philosophy course on Aesthetics, and that starts on Monday.  So, with a big coffee in one hand, Plato on my lap, and the sound of plows every ten minutes or so, the morning is set. I’ll try to get a chapter done before going for round-2 in the snow.

My body is sore and growing again and I’m thankful.