Mid-winter...

Mid-winter...

One would think that winter has finally arrived since after weeks of hovering around freezing, the official high today was only 19, and snow fell in spurts and sputters driven by high west winds. But really, the back of winter is broken: at 6pm it was still light outside. The days are getting longer! Just a few weeks or months of snow and road salt and we'll be able to smell the mud of spring. I can remember some years when the first hint of that came as early as mid-February, so this can't last.

Sometime this week I will sign some papers because at the end of this week the 60 day 'cooling off period' expires. Sometime after that a judge somewhere will review the agreement, make a ruling, and the legal part of this deal will be done.

One useful website pointed out that the legal divorce is only 1/3rd of the deal. The other 2/3rds are the social divorce and the emotional divorce. The legal side is a problem that can be solved (and we actually have been pretty successful at navigating this, knock on wood). The other 2/3rds are more like mysteries that can be observed and pondered, but they don't really lend themselves to left-brained solutions. They also take a kind patience that is sometimes a little hard to muster. I have found that time and friends, and especially friends, help. Thanks. You know who you are.

Except for Joe's wedding I have no travel planned until March 1. I don't know when I last had four weeks in a row in the office. I'm glad - I think I can put a little of that energy into prepping for the February 25th concert!