It’s my first winter in the PNW, and we’re frantically figuring out travel plans to the airport for an early morning flight to CA Bay Area - during an ice storm. Seattle has hills - lots of steep, icy hills. It’s going to be an adventure. Especially since we’re traveling with our nervous 4-year old dachshund named Herman.
After a childhood in Southern California and a 5-year grad student stint in Albuquerque, I then spent 15 years in eastern Kansas. Yeahhhh I get that cold wind and frigid temps. Stay inside. Write like there’s no tomorrow, Matt. The weather will change again someday and you’ll want to get back outside and burn your eyes with real sunlight. For now - lift those weights and write. We’re with you. Happy holidays.
Happy New Year, Lee. Thank you for the much needed perspective. It's truly appreciated, as always. I'm going to keep on keeping on, and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Great piece, Matt. I especially love this beautiful sentence: “I find myself in that deliciously rare place between expectation and reality, somewhere that can only be reached by venturing further than you’ve gone before.” And yeah, nothing helps your writing (and overall mental health) more than getting out of your head and into your body.
I think so, Cheryl. Thank you for your kind words. Loved your piece recently about your minor vexations. The stage! Not what I'd expect from a historical Italian village. But alas. Happy New Year. I'm very glad to have made your acquaintance this year. To a great 2023!
Dear gazelle in a spaceship, I love how you tied together the similar effect that writing and physical movement have on our ego. Going “somewhere that can only be reached by venturing further than you’ve gone before…” -the end of ourselves as we were, so we can rest in who we are. I also believe and trust the link between mind, body, heart/soul. Mentions of a bit of weed and later the dark side of the moon sound like a fun afternoon detour only Pink Floyd could provide. Thanks for the mention Matt.
Ha! Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jeannie. I'm so glad to have met you this year, and I'm looking forward to growing alongside in the years to come. Happy New Year :) Thanks, as always, for your kindness and support.
Writing and exercise have to go together; otherwise your brain curdles. I live in a condo, so no basement for equipment but I zoom a yoga class three mornings and week and swim laps the other three (30 min/30 lap minimum). Sundays off. As for bad weather = more writing? Hasn't worked for me. That warm fire is just too compelling. Happy holidays!
Hey hey! Shout out me. Also, I developed my love of running when I first moved to the Northeast from Texas and lived in a house with 7 other guys and 5 of us (the toughest!) all ran in the snow together. Also, check out the short story Wickedness by Ron Hansen. It’s in his story collection, Nebraska and anthologized a lot. Chuck Palahniuk highly recommends it. An example of vignettes adding up, more vibe than plot, and also, unsettling in the vividness of the details of people freezing.
Wow. I'll check it out, Will. Funny you mention that, because one of my more morbid recurring thoughts is the horridness of getting stuck outside in that weather and freezing. As a California dude, that thought never really enters your head, at least not with any gravity. When you feel the cold? It does.
What I’ve learned from my years In the Midwest: bad weather is just a state of mind 🤓.
Oh, I find “the writing hurts our ego, and hence creates a fundamental roadblock” theory interesting. Luckily for me, I get my ego trampled continuously from a variety of sources on a near-daily basis... so writing’s got nothing on me.
Yes, I am superhuman.
And with the right amount of idiocy and career choices, you can be too.
Haha! Thanks for the comment. D. Agreed that bad weather is a state of mind. This is something I had to learn coming from the land of good weather (CA). I heard someone say once that Californians are like trust-fund babies in terms of weather, and as far as I can tell it's true. From what it sounds like, you really are superhuman. Hope you're relaxing now, on new year's eve. Happy New Year. Thank you so much for your support and always-thought-provoking comments.
I forgot to mention, the artwork is most excellent, quite nice. What little I know about Kandinsky, the things I've seen of his are very different, as in I didn't really care for them. This I like, yes.
Seeping through your meanderings I get a sense of less than welcomed isolation. I feel winter pressing at your door, maybe taunting a bit while you steadfastly refuse to bow to its magnificence. wink wink. But aside from all that, Matt, how are you managing? Just before we broke for the Christmas holiday we were hammered by news reports of the horrible system about to pounce. A system so huge it was going to blanket the entire Midwest as well as the eastern part of the country. Airports would be (are) in chaos and people have died. A significant number in New York. Welcome to a brutal Midwest show of wintery malice, complete with fangs. Personally, I've never had to manage a daily life in those circumstances and at this point I'm less inclined to seek it out. You have my undying esteem for bravely seeking out such a challenge. Like my childhood hero, Daniel Boone (played by Fess Parker in some long ago TV series) I see you managing the challenges with an inner glee, relishing every curve ball the imposing Yeti hurl your way. I'm eager to hear about the relentlessly new experiences you'll likely encounter in the weeks ahead. Keep us posted.
Aside from all that I hope your Christmas was lovely and the new year brings promise without end. Cheers!
You read me too well, Fred. Yes, there was some of that hidden between the lines. I think, when it's happening, you just learn to adapt and survive. My outlets were exercise, building the gym, eating well -- cooking all my meals and hardly leaving the house. In all honesty, it's not terrible -- but that's probably because there's no changing things and its a very awkward position to be upset or mad at the weather (kind of like being mad at the passage of time). There's some cabin fever there. But it's manageable. The biggest surprise is just the brutality of the cold. I thought I was prepared, clothing-wise, but that was only the case to about 10 degrees. For everything below, I think I need more gear -- which I intend to get. As you say, the inner glee with all of this is present -- again, you read me too well. I like rising to the challenge, to the newness. Often, I'll stand outside or look out the window and just marvel. In CA, we aren't usually faced with nature's immense power so frequently or wholly. All in all, I'm glad for the experience. With preparation, food, and a stationary bike and workout space, it's really not so bad. I've been thinking how, on paper, Chicago is far worse than CA. But living there? It's really been great, and I'm coming to love it just as much as I love CA -- and that after only living there for a little over a year now.
I like that. "Kind of like being mad at the passage of time." Definitely not a good place to be. It's good to hear about your growing appreciation for the "land of Lincoln." Mary and I had a 5 day visit there a few years ago. It was around Thanksgiving, starting to get cold but not yet "brutal." I loved Chicago as I had anticipated I would. I'd been wanting to go for years but never fit it in which is odd because Mary's family is from there. I had my own reasons for wanting to go however. The city, the art, the blues and most of all FLW. I fell in love with Frank Lloyd Wright's work and visionary life in my early 20's. In those early years I saw his Taliesin west in Arizona so when we went to Chicago I scheduled in a visit to his original home and fellowship in Spring Green Wisconsin, the original home and fellowship, Taliesen. Chicago, of course has some of his work, all of it worth visiting. Seeing his work the first time was akin to a religious experience, except turned inside out because its not about heaven in the sky its about the painfully beautiful possibility of an exalted life here on earth. Its as though the harmonious beauty and sensibility of his structures suggest insist that life is so much more than we imagine. Sorry, I haven't wrangled with my thoughts and feelings about this giant of American culture for a while. Anyway, nice you got back here to be with family but this endless rain puts a damper on outdoor fun. Of course, we need the rain, yea, yea but why does it all has to come on my measly 2 weeks off!?! Regardless enjoy your time here.
Haha, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I spent my whole life in the Midwest and am only experiencing my first winter elsewhere now. They are harsh. And brutal. But they can be beautiful too. Plus, beer and fireplaces help. Cheers to your first Midwest winter.
Thanks so much, Trevor! Where are you now? Very brutal, very beautiful. Somehow, those don't strike me as contradictory. Have a great one. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m in Utah now, in the Salt Lake area. Beautiful here too. Most of the brutal aspects of winter keep to the mountains, while the valleys are warmer and easier.
It’s my first winter in the PNW, and we’re frantically figuring out travel plans to the airport for an early morning flight to CA Bay Area - during an ice storm. Seattle has hills - lots of steep, icy hills. It’s going to be an adventure. Especially since we’re traveling with our nervous 4-year old dachshund named Herman.
After a childhood in Southern California and a 5-year grad student stint in Albuquerque, I then spent 15 years in eastern Kansas. Yeahhhh I get that cold wind and frigid temps. Stay inside. Write like there’s no tomorrow, Matt. The weather will change again someday and you’ll want to get back outside and burn your eyes with real sunlight. For now - lift those weights and write. We’re with you. Happy holidays.
Happy New Year, Lee. Thank you for the much needed perspective. It's truly appreciated, as always. I'm going to keep on keeping on, and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Great piece, Matt. I especially love this beautiful sentence: “I find myself in that deliciously rare place between expectation and reality, somewhere that can only be reached by venturing further than you’ve gone before.” And yeah, nothing helps your writing (and overall mental health) more than getting out of your head and into your body.
I think so, Cheryl. Thank you for your kind words. Loved your piece recently about your minor vexations. The stage! Not what I'd expect from a historical Italian village. But alas. Happy New Year. I'm very glad to have made your acquaintance this year. To a great 2023!
Glad to have “met” you too, Matt! So sorry to hear about the layoff--hope 2023 brings lots of opportunities!
Dear gazelle in a spaceship, I love how you tied together the similar effect that writing and physical movement have on our ego. Going “somewhere that can only be reached by venturing further than you’ve gone before…” -the end of ourselves as we were, so we can rest in who we are. I also believe and trust the link between mind, body, heart/soul. Mentions of a bit of weed and later the dark side of the moon sound like a fun afternoon detour only Pink Floyd could provide. Thanks for the mention Matt.
Ha! Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jeannie. I'm so glad to have met you this year, and I'm looking forward to growing alongside in the years to come. Happy New Year :) Thanks, as always, for your kindness and support.
I feel the same way all around, Matt! Happy New Year :)
Writing and exercise have to go together; otherwise your brain curdles. I live in a condo, so no basement for equipment but I zoom a yoga class three mornings and week and swim laps the other three (30 min/30 lap minimum). Sundays off. As for bad weather = more writing? Hasn't worked for me. That warm fire is just too compelling. Happy holidays!
Agreed, Karen! Happy New Year :) Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Your routine sounds great.
Hey hey! Shout out me. Also, I developed my love of running when I first moved to the Northeast from Texas and lived in a house with 7 other guys and 5 of us (the toughest!) all ran in the snow together. Also, check out the short story Wickedness by Ron Hansen. It’s in his story collection, Nebraska and anthologized a lot. Chuck Palahniuk highly recommends it. An example of vignettes adding up, more vibe than plot, and also, unsettling in the vividness of the details of people freezing.
Wow. I'll check it out, Will. Funny you mention that, because one of my more morbid recurring thoughts is the horridness of getting stuck outside in that weather and freezing. As a California dude, that thought never really enters your head, at least not with any gravity. When you feel the cold? It does.
What I’ve learned from my years In the Midwest: bad weather is just a state of mind 🤓.
Oh, I find “the writing hurts our ego, and hence creates a fundamental roadblock” theory interesting. Luckily for me, I get my ego trampled continuously from a variety of sources on a near-daily basis... so writing’s got nothing on me.
Yes, I am superhuman.
And with the right amount of idiocy and career choices, you can be too.
Haha! Thanks for the comment. D. Agreed that bad weather is a state of mind. This is something I had to learn coming from the land of good weather (CA). I heard someone say once that Californians are like trust-fund babies in terms of weather, and as far as I can tell it's true. From what it sounds like, you really are superhuman. Hope you're relaxing now, on new year's eve. Happy New Year. Thank you so much for your support and always-thought-provoking comments.
Welcome to a classic wicked midwestern winter storm. Glad it is working out well for you. Stay warm and happy holidays to you!
Thank you so much! Happy New Year. Glad to have met you this year.
🎄😘🙏
Thanks for the inspiration to get on my treadmill this winter...Great post!
I forgot to mention, the artwork is most excellent, quite nice. What little I know about Kandinsky, the things I've seen of his are very different, as in I didn't really care for them. This I like, yes.
Seeping through your meanderings I get a sense of less than welcomed isolation. I feel winter pressing at your door, maybe taunting a bit while you steadfastly refuse to bow to its magnificence. wink wink. But aside from all that, Matt, how are you managing? Just before we broke for the Christmas holiday we were hammered by news reports of the horrible system about to pounce. A system so huge it was going to blanket the entire Midwest as well as the eastern part of the country. Airports would be (are) in chaos and people have died. A significant number in New York. Welcome to a brutal Midwest show of wintery malice, complete with fangs. Personally, I've never had to manage a daily life in those circumstances and at this point I'm less inclined to seek it out. You have my undying esteem for bravely seeking out such a challenge. Like my childhood hero, Daniel Boone (played by Fess Parker in some long ago TV series) I see you managing the challenges with an inner glee, relishing every curve ball the imposing Yeti hurl your way. I'm eager to hear about the relentlessly new experiences you'll likely encounter in the weeks ahead. Keep us posted.
Aside from all that I hope your Christmas was lovely and the new year brings promise without end. Cheers!
You read me too well, Fred. Yes, there was some of that hidden between the lines. I think, when it's happening, you just learn to adapt and survive. My outlets were exercise, building the gym, eating well -- cooking all my meals and hardly leaving the house. In all honesty, it's not terrible -- but that's probably because there's no changing things and its a very awkward position to be upset or mad at the weather (kind of like being mad at the passage of time). There's some cabin fever there. But it's manageable. The biggest surprise is just the brutality of the cold. I thought I was prepared, clothing-wise, but that was only the case to about 10 degrees. For everything below, I think I need more gear -- which I intend to get. As you say, the inner glee with all of this is present -- again, you read me too well. I like rising to the challenge, to the newness. Often, I'll stand outside or look out the window and just marvel. In CA, we aren't usually faced with nature's immense power so frequently or wholly. All in all, I'm glad for the experience. With preparation, food, and a stationary bike and workout space, it's really not so bad. I've been thinking how, on paper, Chicago is far worse than CA. But living there? It's really been great, and I'm coming to love it just as much as I love CA -- and that after only living there for a little over a year now.
There's something to be said about that.
I like that. "Kind of like being mad at the passage of time." Definitely not a good place to be. It's good to hear about your growing appreciation for the "land of Lincoln." Mary and I had a 5 day visit there a few years ago. It was around Thanksgiving, starting to get cold but not yet "brutal." I loved Chicago as I had anticipated I would. I'd been wanting to go for years but never fit it in which is odd because Mary's family is from there. I had my own reasons for wanting to go however. The city, the art, the blues and most of all FLW. I fell in love with Frank Lloyd Wright's work and visionary life in my early 20's. In those early years I saw his Taliesin west in Arizona so when we went to Chicago I scheduled in a visit to his original home and fellowship in Spring Green Wisconsin, the original home and fellowship, Taliesen. Chicago, of course has some of his work, all of it worth visiting. Seeing his work the first time was akin to a religious experience, except turned inside out because its not about heaven in the sky its about the painfully beautiful possibility of an exalted life here on earth. Its as though the harmonious beauty and sensibility of his structures suggest insist that life is so much more than we imagine. Sorry, I haven't wrangled with my thoughts and feelings about this giant of American culture for a while. Anyway, nice you got back here to be with family but this endless rain puts a damper on outdoor fun. Of course, we need the rain, yea, yea but why does it all has to come on my measly 2 weeks off!?! Regardless enjoy your time here.
Haha, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I spent my whole life in the Midwest and am only experiencing my first winter elsewhere now. They are harsh. And brutal. But they can be beautiful too. Plus, beer and fireplaces help. Cheers to your first Midwest winter.
Thanks so much, Trevor! Where are you now? Very brutal, very beautiful. Somehow, those don't strike me as contradictory. Have a great one. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m in Utah now, in the Salt Lake area. Beautiful here too. Most of the brutal aspects of winter keep to the mountains, while the valleys are warmer and easier.