Sunday Random

Since Mike's away, I spent Valentine's Day quietly, doing some shopping around town, taking his bike into the shop for a service (we try to do this when we're going to be away since we need our bikes the rest of the time to get around), getting some paperwork organized and, for the coup de grace, watching several episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What could be more romantic? Buffy came to mind in the afternoon, after I'd spent some time buying some music I'd been thinking about on iTunes. One of the songs was performed in Season 6, Episode 7, the famous 'musical episode' of the series. Once that was in my head, I needed to watch the show to satisfy my memory about it. Of course, that lead to watching some others...

It was a beautiful day here yesterday, I could feel an almost expectant atmosphere among people as I walked around town and visiting the shops. Even though it's still cold, and forecast to remain that way only with rain over the next several days, I think this is the last prolonged burst of cold before winter's grip loosens for real. It's subtle, but it's there, and so the locals were reacting to it. The shop keepers were upbeat, people smiled at one another on the streets, and there was more spring in my step, if nowhere else.

The Dutch call the period of winter when people get 'down' or depressed, the Winter Dip. I think there are a number of locations that are guilty of bringing on this feeling, Seattle being another. It's where the winters are a heaviness that weighs down your spirits and this, combined with excessive darkness (whether due to clouds or your latitude) causes a mild depression in moods. I think the biking and running I do helps to offset this with the endorphins gained from exercising, but I can feel it lurking around the edges sometimes. I especially feel the need for hot sunshine on my skin and being able to walk barefoot without my toes curling away from the floorboards in shock.

Mike texted me yesterday saying that he wished me a Happy V-day and that he was "sweating like a pig, but enjoying the day" down in Tanzania. The temps there appear to be in the high 20s C (80s F) and yesterday was the first day of working on the foundations of a new classroom for a local school. Here is what is written on his itinerary:

"Community Service. This includes building foundations for 4 mornings and spending afternoons teaching at that school and / or interacting with kids at the local orphanage or helping out in other ways (reparis, helping staff, etc...). Also a visit to the school's village to talk with residents about how things are run can be arranged (this is interesting for those unfamiliar with the African way)."

I have no doubts they are having a wonderful, enriching time and can't wait to hear the stories on their return! For now, I need to get tidied up since our friend Bill is coming to keep me company for the afternoon - we're planning a prowl along the beach - and I'm still in my jams since I had a nice sleep-in this morning!