Slippery Slopes

[rolanni]

Rain overnight and temps just at freezing produced a dipped-in-crystal landscape for the morning. We had a couple of oh-oh moments at breakfast, when the power flickered, visions of the Great Ice Storm of '98 dancing in fond memory. Fortunately, the temps are climbing slowly, and the ice is starting to melt. Here's hoping that the melt is quick enough to prevent a cable snapping, or a tree limb going down on the wires. It's relatively calm, so maybe we'll be lucky.

Scrabble is prowling the house, tracking the sounds of the ice slipping off the roof. She's convinced it's Things in the walls. I keep trying to tell her that the Things are in the mirror and in the circle and in the steamer trunk, but I don't think she believes me.

Got a bad case of the no-sun blues, which combined with the standard issue Winter Writer's Funk is not a Happy Place to be at all, at all. If this keeps up, by ghod, I'm getting me a full-spectrum light box. Right after I figure out where I left the trust fund.

Got some of the chores on the day list done. Two more to go, then lunch, then writing.

Comments

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

We had a couple of oh-oh moments at breakfast, when the power flickered, visions of the Great Ice Storm of '98 dancing in fond memory.

That was a bad one, that storm . . . around here, they were still hauling the dead timber out of the woods a couple of years later. What I remember most vividly about it is how in the aftermath, when the wind stirred the ice-coated tree branches, they made a sound like fingerbones rattling together.

sunlight deprivation

[(Anonymous)]

"Got a bad case of the no-sun blues..."

When I lived in England in 1972-1974, 1973 turned out to be a record year of depleted sunshine hours. The News up there includes a running yearly tally for sunshine hours as part of the nightly weather reports. 1973 saw just barely over 1,000 hours of sun (c. 1,006)--- I don't remember the exact number, but I DO remember a dullness to everything that year. Misty gray at daylight to misty fog at night. Is not being able to see the stars just as debilitating over time?
Perhaps Scrabble was doing her part to inspire your imagination by trying to get you to play "Lets Pretend!" with her.
Joythree

Full-spectrum light

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I know it's not a classy light box, but I will attest to how one full-spectrum light bulb really improved my overall feeling about the living room in my most recent apartment. The paint color the landlord liked was one of those darker, off-tinted greens so popular right now?

At night, by standard light bulbs, it was puke green.

I lived with this nightmare for several years, avoiding the main room at night to the point of hibernating in the dining room with the computer (the office) until I felt well enough to wonder, would one full-spectrum bulb improve things?

My boyfriend graciously gave me one of the bulbs as an experiment. The living room became very friendly; I suddenly would sit in it. Now, we are agreed that if he takes a job in Seattle, we outfit the entire house in FS bulbs. It is a Requirement.

I suggest you experiment, like near your favorite reading chair, or another spot you spend a lot of time?

Re: Full-spectrum light

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

After lunch yesterday, I dragged mine spouse, the former librarian, to the computer and in short order he had located local sources for several sorts of full-spectrum lighting/lamps *and* had turned up the fact that the flip-fluorescent desk lamps we'd bought at Staples last year to illuminate a couple of hard-to-light corners are -- full-spectrum lights. They have been pulled out of the corners and put where they will hopefully do some good. Meanwhile, a trip to Home Despot gained us some full-spectrum lightbulbs, which have been deployed about the house.

And today -- it's gray and foggy. Argh, I say. Argh.

Re: Full-spectrum light

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I wish it worked overnight, but hope you find a "lightening" of atmosphere soon!

Those guys with library training sure come in handy, don't they? %^)