Tuesday, December 21, 2010 — Weather still rules

It's still raining cats and dogs and I'm cozy in the little family room, watching channel 9 which is describing the unbelievable construction of the Brooklyn bridge. What a story. Washington Roebling's father first envisioned it and designed it. A tragic accident took the life of the father before the bridge was hardly under way and Washinton Roebling was left to calculate the final plans and and lead the way in the construction. Mishaps abounded. The history of this project is well worth reading about or following. The caissons were incredibly costly to life and limb. Finally Roebling was the only one who would stay underwater as the chief engineer causing him terrible loss of health through experiencing the bends. Fraud by suppliers of the critical wire forming the cables caused no end of furor. Finally, a beautiful finished bridge and all ended happily with parties and celebrations. Im listening to now time commentators describing their exhiliarating walks taken on the center walkway of this monumental structure. I'd like to take that walk.

Back to the weather. Every step taken makes shoes more soggy and mudstained. The temperature is stunningly cold even though we hear that rain makes things warm up. There's always an exception. Announcements from Europe reveal totally unusual weather conditions. Our Steve's family, currently living in Turin, plans to meet Mike and Jenny and Leah in England for Christmas. Their flight has just been cancelled and we are told that England's airports are completely shut down. I have a friend hoping to fly to New York today. I hope he was able to get there. Mike called me from the San Francisco airport saying he had gone through security and was being told that his flight to London would take off in two hours. Lots of conflicting information. I'll feel better when all the answers are there and things have calmed down. No groundwater problems for this year.

I should have turned the TV off. How often do we feel that? I don't watch it for a week and then when I turn it on, I allow myself to be lured from one program to another. It's easy when the quality is high. A truly thought provoking program about responding to one's calling featured a group of earnest young men and women about to embark on a life in the ministry. The hurdles, questions of clarity and integrity are examined with touching honesty.

I was ready to finally turn off the box when up comes Charlie Rose which means it's midnight. He's hosting a member of the cast and the director, of The Merchant of Venice, now showing on Broadway. Lily rabe and Al Paccino evidently offer an enthralling work of art each night. I can't quite turn this program off even though I'm more than ready for bed. He has now said goodbye to this duo and is finishing up with a penetrating conversation with Matt Damon and the Coen brothers about their new version of True Grit. I enjoy a Charlie Rose conversation most when art forms are involved as opposed to his nights when it's all politics. I have become overly irritated by what I perceive as his persistant leaning to the right, often supported by obvious friendships with powerful "members of the inner circle." No doubt about it. This is a good way to end the evening. It's a great night for Charlie.