In Which We Discuss Snow, and Volunteer Work, and Malaise

I love that word.  "Malaise".  Just a general out-of-sorts, not quite right, not-feeling myself kind of feeling.  It sounds so... indulgent, like a Victorian lady who is retiring to her salon suffering from malaise.  Seems like it should require a fainting couch and maybe a bon-bon or two, right?

I'm feeling a bit of malaise myself.  Nearing the end of the volunteer marathon this fall - yes, I know I could say "no", but that's hard, too.  I'm not Catholic, but I'm really really good at guilt.  Just one more event - anybody interested in a Craft Fair in Central New Jersey?  Wanna run it?

Combine "busy" with "time-change" and "lousy weather" and all I want to do is curl up in a warm place with a cat and a book.  Chocolate would be acceptable too.  Saturday is William's Birthday Party, so I do have to find some motivation eventually.  I find that deadlines are excellent motivators, but I'm one of those hypocrites that has to get right up under it before it takes effect.  We're not there yet, but I'm trying to do what I tell the kids and not leave it all until the last minute.

And just in case you thought those pictures of snow in October on the East Coast were exaggerated, here's how we looked here:

This was fairly early in the day, too, so there was more.  We ended up with about 6" total (although my neighbor said 10"), and tons of branches down in the area.  Rachel was out of school for 2 days, because they had no power; William had school on Monday, they realized the building had partial power from the solar panels but not enough to fire the boilers, and then HE was out for 2 days.  Poor JC had no days off, but he figures karma will resolve itself when the other 2 have to make up days and he doesn't.  We still have brush and debris partially blocking roads in the area, 2 weeks later.  And I saw a truly disgusting pile of dirty snow still in a parking lot yesterday.

Perhaps when I shake off this malaise, I'll manage to post more.  Or perhaps not - November around here is usually grey and cold and rainy.  Sounds like the cat and the bon-bons may win after all.