Can't drive but managed to take the subway->bus to the other side of the city yesterday to meet my wife after work to see "Her" (which was amazing) and then get a late-night sushi dinner. Took forever to get home though since the busses and trains run so infrequently late in the evening and it was 15F degrees out.

I'm not allowed to drive until Tuesday since I'm still recovering from surgery but felt really great walking around. My leg is still a little sore but I feel so much better than before the operation.

I've felt a little house-bound during my recovery since the weather's been so bad and the sidewalks are really treacherous so it was nice to get out and see some other humans.

It's OK but I'm feeling dizzy and lightheaded for some reason. Thinking about lying down for awhile.

I am really sorry about the loss of your friend. That is tough, always.

After I cancelled my date I thought about what to do with the weekend - but the weather's been atrocious, really windy and squally with lots of rain. Not the kind of weather to wander round the city with my camera. Instead I did a bit of shopping, locally. A new cookshop has opened, so I bought some new scissors and a lovely stainless steel strainer. I probably could have bought them more cheaply at the giant Tesco 100 yards away, but I want to support local businesses. I can't see this little store surviving against the Tesco behemoth but I'll use it while I can.

I also bought some incredible spinach, peppers and tomatoes from the Turkish supermarket. The peppers are so sweet and crunchy, and tomatoes actually smell of, well, tomatoes and the spinach is the old-style large bunches of leaves rather than the bags of ready-washed baby spinach you buy in the supermarket. So I feel happy about using another local business and getting some superb ingredients.

I also bought a fabulous little fitted and flared jacket from a charity shop. It's a leopard print fleece, really hard to describe it, but I love it. I took it off the rack and put it back four times before I tried it on. I wasn't sure leopard print was 'me' but it's a grey/black print and the jacket fits like a glove now I've lost weight. It has some lovely little details on it that make it something so unusual. And it was really cheap, being in a thrift store. It'll be great in the spring.

And I called into the local art gallery/store, where the owner is a friend of mind. She has the most adorable Boston Terrier, Solomon, who let me scritch his head.

I am still coughing, after inhaling woodsmoke at Thanksgiving. Not as bad as it's been, but it's annoying, particularly at night.

I think the weather will keep me close to home tomorrow too - but I have laundry to do, and my team is playing live on TV. So probably a quiet day. All my favourite running trails are flooded, and my two running friends are either working or sick, so I have several excuses not to do anything other than slob around the house tomorrow.

We went out for dinner with friends, to a little Italian place with just 8 tables. It was really cozy and nice; we shared a bottle of wine and it was relaxed and easy. We hardly ever go out anymore, I'm not sure why but we are both so tired and depleted that it's easier sometimes to stay in and for once I'm glad we made the effort to see our friends and get out.

It's been such a dreary and tough winter. There is at least a foot of snow on the ground, with lots of bitterly cold days and nights and spring seems a long way off.

Our little boy, who is special needs, has been demanding a ride in an airplane. It's kind of funny; we can't seem to make him understand that an airplane ride is harder to arrange than a car ride. He sees an airplane up in the sky and thinks he should be in it. He got a plane ride last summer through an organization that puts on a wonderful day of fun for kids with chronic illnesses or conditions, and he loved it. And he's been asking to go again and he seems desperate for it. So I realized, I know someone with a plane. A doctor who has a single engine plane that he flies on the weekends. So I asked nicely, would you ever consider taking Jack with you for a short ride, if it's not too much trouble? And he said he'd be glad to. There are some really decent people in the world.

That's my favorite kind of weekend, Senyar...food shopping, thrift shopping, wandering around.

My weekend is me being stiff and very sore from a fall I took Thursday night. Scraped my knee up and there's bruising on both legs. Lower back is really touchy and I'm praying to heaven I didn't re-injure my middle back. To say I'm moving slooooowly would be an understatement. And, damned if it isn't snowing again. I should go shovel, but...

Take it easy, Thorzdad. Sounds like you should not go shovel.

We were supposed to have guests this weekend, but the weather kept them away (they were coming from rural central PA). So we are having a nice relaxing weekend. Yesterday I took the kiddo to ballet in the morning, then we went to paint ceramics. Then met my husband for lunch then came home and made valentines and played games until her bedtime. Today I slept in until 9, went to yoga and am about to go for a run. Husband has kiddo and another little friend at MoMA. Later, a different friend and his mom are coming around for a playdate.

Good, quiet times.

Saturday took my son to the school open day to start the process of getting him enrolled I to high school next year. He was very much not interested until we reached the science labs and he got to play with electromagnets and chemicals! Now to start bleeding money - with two kids already there, this will bump the school fees up to ~$25k per year :-(.

Sunday was the first 'official' training session for our Kokoda Challenge team - enjoyable but my feet are a bit sore today. Have to build up the required fitness all over again after 18 months of doing bugger-all exercise.

I am in So. California. By brother had foot surgery, and he has been living at my mom's taking care of her, so my wife and I are down here doing stuff for both of them, until Wednesday. A mixed bag. It's warm, and where I live had 7" of snow and THEN 2" of freezing rain. I am worried about my house, and the big trees behind it. I read that trees have been coming down all over Eugene, but mostly oaks and maples. I have big cedars, and as of yesterday my neighbor reported that all was OK and that she would let me know if it isn't.

My mom and brother are very sedentary, and watch a lot of TV. The house is filthy. But I feel good about helping them, cooking for them and waiting on them. Plus, it's a block from the beach and we can get down there a few times during the day. I have been resisting, for the most part, posting beach pics on FB, in that the weather at home is really shitty and I do not feel like gloating when people do not have electricity and cannot drive.

Senyar, one of the cable channels had a TOT-EVE match, and I was telling my mom about your MU fandom. Janetland, I have been unfriended in real life and it's no fun.

OK should I watch Women's hockey Japan-Sweden, or walk down to the ocean?

I just found out that someone monkeyed with my DSL line and switched it to another number. This is the second time this has happened.

My father has been diagnosed with emphysema ( he never smoked, but my grandmother did and he lived at home until he was 32; he also has asthma) and told me he wanted to see me.

I had planned to go to Seattle at the end of the month for AWP, but I'm going to LA Tue after next for a week, then on to the PNW. This means I'll have to pack for three seasons. I am also going to have to deal with my mother's denial that I want nothing more to do with her.

Something good? The Pink Tea Cup has moved near BAM. I hope they succeed here.

Spent the weekend with metafilter's exogenous at a welding class, and had dinner with a friend whom I've known since kindergarten but hadn't seen in 10 years. And it all was fantastic. Really great bonding and good feelings everywhere.

Kangaroo, I have a friend with a plane, if you live anywhere near DC. Really, do let me know--he'd totally be into it.

Same here, Kangaroo, though it'd be Madison, WI.