Big excruciating thaw

Last night we were all set to go to the gym and the car would not start. The battery still had some power but not enough. Side streets were still completely full of slush. We'd been walking everywhere for a week. So we took our stuff back out of the car and walked to a local Mexican restaurant we had not been to since shortly after moving here 11 years ago. Crossing the small intersections of side streets sometimes was like wading in for a swim. I realized I was really getting used to walking everywhere. Everywhere within two miles, that is. It's seven miles to the gym. Walking in slush and snow was kind of a workout anyway.

Today Tom got the car started; it's over 40 degrees out. My rain barrels are draining, thank goodness; they don't seem to be clogged with ice. The overflow hoses are attached to what in summer is the spigot I use for buckets, the idea being the water does not fill the barrel in winter but runs out through a long hose, away from the house. I guess the hoses aren't full of ice, down under the snow on the grass, and I'm a little surprised.

My only damaged plant may be the ceanothus at the front corner. I shook the snow off the bamboo and the strawberry tree, and some little hebes, when they had leaned over, and they look okay now.

Protracted snow vacation

We didn't get any more snow today, but it was freezing cold until noon and again after 4 PM so not too much was melted. I had a client scheduled in the gym for kettlebell training this morning, but neither of us could get there. I borrowed a sled, and Tom and I towed my kettlebells a mile to my client's studio where he has his massage practice and we did his session there. We towed the kettlebells home (uphill), stopping a few times to help people push their cars out of parking spaces. By the time we got home, I had about 20 minutes to have a snack and walk right back down there for my massage appointment.

I'm getting massages to try to help my elbow tendonitis, which has gotten a lot better but is still pretty easy to aggravate. The massage therapist was doing "fascial work" today. This involved putting me on the floor and standing on my various arm and chest muscles with the ball or heel of his foot, then making me extend my wrists and fingers or arms. It was intensely uncomfortable. I think some types of intense massage help it relax, but I'm not sure this did. I trust this therapist, though.

On the other hand, I had a lot to do today because I was supposed to host the book club's Christmas party and ornament exchange tonight. I did a little cleaning, and Tom walked to Safeway to get some wine. I made Filipino garlic fried rice with bacon and egg in it, and broiled a flank steak. We also had two kinds of ice cream. Only one person (who has all-wheel drive and had had to drive to work nearby anyway) made it here, which was a letdown, though not unreasonable. I wouldn't have ventured out in the car tonight to someone's house either, since I had not had to take the car out earlier for any compelling reason like getting to work. We had a good dinner and dessert and exchanged Christmas ornaments even though there was only me, one book club friend, and Tom.