Oh! It looks so pretty out! A light dusting of snow, I thought. Must go for a nice walk, I thought! So I bundled up and down in the elevator I went…

…to the ground floor.

1:30 p.m. As I approach the front door to my building, I notice a big pile of Senior Times newspapers, which I like to thumb through, just for the heckuvit, mind you, not ’cause I’m old. For the ads. Yeah, that’s it! I make a mental note to pick one up on my way back.

1:31 p.m. I exit the building, pausing to see before me how pretty everything looks; there seems to be about an inch of snow, maybe three-quarters of an inch… and then as I…

1:32 p.m. …let the door close behind me, and am now outside, I suddenly notice the wind, which is rather bracing, I must say. Seems to be coming from the, um, southwest. Which means if I go this way it’ll really get me on my way back. Any way you slice it, it’ll get me, I realize. So I turn on the sidewalk to walk east.

1:33 p.m. Geez, the wind is slashing into my face from this direction too! How the heck can that be?! I don’t see how it can come from both west and east… maybe my internal compass is askew and I don’t know where the hell I am. Mind you, that can be said for most times, so…

1:34 p.m. I decide to cross the street to head right back, since I’m not crazy about this vicious wind, but now I see that it’s much better on this side, which is really weird! But hey, I won’t question it. I’ll just walk down this side street then, and whoops! –

1:35 p.m. Whew! Almost slipped on that ice back there! What the heck?! I couldn’t see ice, but there it was, under the dusting of snow. Damn, gotta be more careful. Will walk with eyes peering down in front of me. I don’t wanna fall and break an arm or leg! In fact, now I think I won’t continue down here, I’ll cross and double back on the other side. I’m trudging, and I’m trudging…

1:36 p.m. …and I see quite a few kiddies out today, some with their parents. Oh, this little boy and his dad are getting into a nice warm car. Dang, I’m jealous. On a day like today I sure miss my ol’ Tercel!

1:37 p.m. I turn onto my street and the slashing wind is back in my face. This isn’t fun! This isn’t healthy! This is awful! Okay, I’ll stop complaining. There’s my building up ahead. Just… puff, puff… have to… brave the last few… steps…

1:38 p.m. …as I turn into the front entrance area of my building, I can already feel the wind subsiding and the warmth from the concrete and bricks beckoning me inside…

1:39 p.m. I gratefully enter the building and pick up a copy of the Senior Times. For the ads.