20141228.0856

The snow has stopped falling and largely sublimated away, but the temperatures are lower now than when it was coming down--by fifteen to twenty degrees Fahrenheit. (I know I should be doing better than that, but I am yet a product of my upbringing, habituated to systems that make little sense to those outside them.) They are not projected to rise much, so far as I know, so today suggests itself as another well worth spending inside. Even the somewhat drafty, almost wholly uninsulated place where I live is better than being out in the cold and wind, sunlight or no.

I am, admittedly, prone to saying so at most times.

Having more freelance work to do would be good. I had a piece last week; the book I had to read for it was a good one, and the write-up went reasonably well. It has already been accepted, also, and so I have money waiting for me--which I need if I am to be able to continue to support my Mrs. and Ms. 8. More of it would be welcome, particularly on a day like today when the outdoors is not attractive not only to me, but also to many who would normally like to be other than wall-bounded. None presents itself at the moment, though, so I will turn to the many other things that are for me to do. Spending time idly is not to my benefit or others'.

I am fortunate in that I have many other things to do that will keep me occupied and inside with cups of coffee and tea ready to hand and the heater on. This is not the only piece of writing to which I will attend, of course. I have the materials ready to put together comments for the Tales after Tolkien Society blog, Travels in Genre and Medievalism, and there are always scholarly projects that demand consideration (but generally do not receive it in favor of those projects which contribute to household finances). Too, I cannot in good conscience abandon the Mrs. to the housework; I contribute to the mess, so I should contribute to the cleanup, and I eat, so I should help with the gathering and preparation of food. And Ms. 8 needs care and attention, always.

There are also other things, later things, for which to prepare. My travel to the MLA Convention in Vancouver, BC, is upcoming (and I could still use some help with the expense of it), and the next term of teaching is looming. The prep-work for it looks to be eased, as I am currently scheduled to teach three sections of the same course--and a course I have taught more than once before--but it will still need to be done. Thoughts of it have begun to nag at me; I suppose I shall have to address them soon.

It is good, therefore, that there is much reason to remain indoors today. The relative lack of distraction will help.