Unblocked, at last

With more than one blogger identity (both old and new versions), I was confused about how to log-in and post here. But tonight I'm unblocked. Hooray!

The dusting of wet snow was a surprise this morning. We knew about the inches of rain, the flooding and rising water in the area around us... but not the snow. Power outages... my train wasn't running, and I had to figure out another way to get to work. Only a little bit late A very minor inconvenience, all things considered. And this Nor'easter is still not over. So many people have had to evacuate their homes, and so many of their homes are now ruined.

I've been reading Joan Didion's book, "The Year of Magical Thinking," and thinking about people I've known who have died recently. In particular, a 44-yr-old woman-- physician, wife, and mother of three-- the wife of a former boss of mine. What an incredible woman she was.

And then today that inexplicable shooting-- a massacre, really-- in Virginia. The coverage has pre-empted some unimportant and ridiculous sitcoms. Too bad it was just the typical network-style coverage.

It's staggering to think of all of that grief and mourning to come... and that's just a fraction of what we are wreaking every week in Iraq.