transition to New Year's

Between Christmas and New Year's is a full week where you have to get your head back around from one type of holiday to another. (Does anyone out there also experience the weird let-down after Christmas where you feel at loose ends and deeply melancholy?)

I haven't decided on any resolutions for the new year. I haven't done any serious ones in a few years because if I need to do something big, I just commit to it. I may need a specific date, but it can be any specific date, not Jan 1. But I've been thinking about decluttering as a goal for the coming year. I've been doing a lot of it the past year, but continuing would be most useful. And write more. I always want to write more. That isn't a new resolution, it is a forever resolution. What's everyone else doing?

Merry Christmas

For those celebrating, I hope you're having a wonderful -- whether you are with family, or friends, or even by yourself and taking some space to finally breathe. May your day be peaceful.

Are you ready for Christmas?

This seems to be the thought on everyone mind lately -- I've been running various errands around town and mostly this is the opening question from everyone I'm interacting with. Sometimes they ask it with a touch of humor, but there's also a hint of tightness around their eyes -- this is a very stressful holiday!

Going into the last weekend before the holiday, I hope everyone out there who is celebrating can get all their tasks done, on time and on budget! Good luck!

Christmas story

A Piece of Ourselves, a Christmas story I wrote, and published last year, is on sale at Mischief Corner Books, here's the link:
https://www.mischiefcornerbooks.com/store/p138/A_Piece_of_Ourselves.html

I always loved this story because of the element in it about family dynamics. There's subtle drama in how people get along, because that's how a lot of it happens in real life. There are no hysterics, just people dealing with tough family relationships. You love people but they drive you around the bend!

Here's the blurb:

Balancing holidays between two families can make cheerful celebrations into chores. Carson Benedetti's mom has overscheduled the Christmas holidays and she's more than insistent that boyfriend Tynan Harris come into the family fold. There's so much to do Tynan can't find time to bring Carson over to his own family and he feels like they are being left in the dust.

​After dating for nine months, and with their relationship becoming more serious, Tynan's patience is sorely tested by the multitude of Benedetti family traditions keeping them busy. Tynan needs to figure out how to find some breathing room, split their time more fairly, and make Christmas more than just tradition by rote.

steam from a cup of tea

The light is just right for me to see the steam coming off a fresh cup of tea that I've just made. I had the ceiling fan going to disperse the heat in the room, but I've turned it off because the steam was twirling away so fast, and now it isn't blowing away at an angle, but twisting straight up, as if it were a flame, but ethereal and misty white. I shouldn't be this captivated by it, but I am. I know it won't steam for too long. Right now it is too hot to drink, but soon the steam will cease because the tea will have cooled, and I'll be able to drink the tea and enjoy it, but the pleasure of watching the steam will be lost.

brrr: super cold

I could do without the crazy cold! I remember the last time it was so cold out that memes were flying about how how your face shouldn't hurt just to be outside and the air shouldn't be so cold that your chest hurt. In total agreement on that.

Sunday evenings are always a little tough

Knowing there is work again tomorrow always makes Sunday evenings a little difficult. I take stock of what I got done (never enough) and what still needs to be done (always too much) and know that I won't have the energy to get to those things until next weekend.

I did get a little editing done this weekend, so that was a good thing. Next weekend, maybe I'll aim for writing more than massaging. Good to have goals!

giving, and eating

It was tough to choose because there are so many worthwhile organizations, but I made my choices for #GivingTuesday. I like that PayPal does a thing where you can use their service and you get receipts and there aren't fees, etc. I have also made tomato soup and a nice veggie lentil curry today, which means I will have healthy lunches the rest of the week. Day off for the win! I successfully procrastinated on writing by finding a lot of things to occupy my time. Not as awesome, but I did some pre-plotting in my head, so that was still a step in the right direction.

home today, and Giving Tuesday

I'm home today for various reasons, and I'm trying to catch up on a few writerly things since I don't usually have a whole work day to do these things (it feels like SO MUCH time, but I know at the end of the day it'll have gone by fast), and figure out where/how much to make donations for Giving Tuesday. Like most people, I have limited amounts to give, so I want to donate to charities that strike a chord with me. I donated earlier in the year, through other programs, but I always save a little for Giving Tuesday so I can be in on the fun.

tea wisdom

On the very tail end of my headcold (the cough always takes the longest to vanish...) I got this nugget of wisdom on the teabag tag. I'm always a little leery of these sorts of condensed phrases and encouragements because they can feel so temporary, so much like a quick fix rather than a deep dive, but I liked this one. It's more of a reminder that as we age, we become more ourselves.

still a headcold

For such a minor headcold, this one is hanging on like a champ!

I got my flu shot in October, but this is definitely not the flu. It is a small-time virus/bacteria that has set up residence. I'm to the point where my nose hurts from all the tissues. Not sick enough to stay home from my many duties this week, but it won't make it pleasant.

I did enjoy several really lovely soups this weekend, though: chicken and vegetable with orzo, creamy tomato, and Manhattan clam chowder (that's the red version). I tried making some sourdough rolls to go with the soups, but I am not very good at making bread and they came out a bit dense. They smelled divine while baking, though, so that's something, and that's with my nose only being at half efficiency.

headcold

I've caught a headcold from someone, somewhere. I'm all stuffed up! I'd hoped to get back to doing some writing this weekend, since it is a nice long one, but it looks like I'm going to be sipping tea, slurping soup, and napping. On the plus side, guilt-free curling up on the couch with a book until my eyes droop closed, since getting up to do things just takes way more effort than I want to exert.

stripes!

Chopping some veggies - very pretty colors -- the turnip has stripes!

Tales to Terrify: Devouring Delios

Goodness, I've been gone for awhile now. I had some non-author type stuff to get organized off-line, and didn't think it would take me this long to get back, but it did. Life sneaks up on us that way sometimes.

Which is why I didn't get to announce when one of my short stories, "Devouring Delios", became available in audio as a podcast through Tales to Terrify -- but, it is a horror story, so it's almost better to announce it now, near Halloween. We're all looking for creepy stories to entertain us at this time of year.

In "Devouring Delios", I take on a tale of summer camp, and what might be going on behind the scenes. There are monsters that lurk among us.

The artist, Alex Ford, who does the voicework for my story is absolutely incredible, too, so well worth the listen just to see how fantastically she does with the various voices. I was absolutely blown away by how excellent it turned out.

And Tales to Terrify also did a fantastic job putting together two stories with similar themes and metaphors into a single podcast. Listening to the two stories side-by-side really gives you food for thought.

Here's the link, and mine is the second story in the podcast, so it begins later -- the introduction to "Devouring Delios" is at 19:15:

http://talestoterrify.com/tales-to-terrify-338-elias-perry-tray-ellis/

goldenrod is high

The goldenrod is blooming all over the place and has been for at least two weeks. Summer is finally sliding into fall and goldenrod is a sign of that. I'm already dreaming of crisp apples, plump pumpkins, and days without mosquitoes!

a little less summer

I could do with a little less summer heat right now. It seems like the entire summer has been one of waiting for safe temperatures to do things. I tend to be really sensitive to higher temps so heat makes me feel really miserable, so I've been hiding in the basement a lot. When I do stick it out and try to do things, I run out of energy sooner in the heat, and then end up needing more recovery time. I know so many people adore summer and despise winter, and I definitely don't like how dark it is in the winter, but I am waiting for some more reasonable temperatures so I can be more productive.

Judge's choice Honor

My flash fiction story for Queer Sci Fi was chosen as one of the Judge's Picks. I am completely stunned -- and so grateful and happy -- I am eager for the anthology to come out so everyone can read the stories! And many congratulations to my fellow winning authors.

Link to the big news and the Judges' comments:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/qsfdiscussions/permalink/945126588967619/

overabundance starting early

The proliferation of zucchini has started! These squash produce so much, it is really incredible! So far, I've fried them, cut them up for burritos, and eaten some of the most tender ones raw. I still have a giant pile of them to eat.



Next, maybe I really will start leaving them on the doorsteps of unsuspecting neighbors....

rainbow snippets on my current work in progress

I can't believe I haven't done a Rainbow Snippets in over a year, but I checked, and I haven't! Shame on me for not being more active. But I have had a lot on my plate this year, so I am forgiving myself.

Here are six sentences from a currently untitled work in progress:

Romance is dead, Kyle thought. He didn't know if this romance was dead, but it certainly seemed that way at the present time.

He watched his partner, Brodie, across the table as he played with his cell phone. Kyle couldn't see the screen but the flicks of his fingers indicating scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. Whatever Brodie was looking for wasn't being found. So, both the dinner company and the cell phone were not engaging his attention.

I'm currently about 2k in and at a point in the story where I have to make some decisions about what is going to happen, so of course I am procrastinating as much as possible!

The link back to Rainbow Snippets to check out the posts from other artists and writers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets

thoughts on hiking, and photos

I went hiking this weekend -- just a short hike, nothing too demanding, although I'm always tired by the end -- and I have a couple pictures to share of some interesting views on the trail.

While I do like hiking, recently I've met some people who are *seriously* into hiking. Like, week-long or two week-long trips along trails are regular occurrences in their lives, because they *love* it. It made me think about Pyresnakes ( https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/pyresnakes-by-tray-ellis-8608-b ) and my hiking-enthusiastic characters in it. While I definitely enjoy a day hike, all that business about sleeping overnight in the woods, even if there are shelters built along the way for stopping at, makes me both confused and impressed. The tug and pull between those two styles of hiking was part of how I'd started to think about Aran -- if you loved hiking, what could possibly keep you from going on these overnight trips?

I don't think I'm ever going to be an over-night kind of hiker. I participated in camping when I was younger and I'm so done with sleeping on the ground. I really like beds and mattresses and having working plumbing nearby. But, that's what writing is for -- to enjoy all the hiking without ever leaving home. :)

Ah, and here and the photos:

Fifty beetles

I collected over fifty beetles this evening (I did brave the wasps, which appear to be goners, although I didn't go close enough to really know for sure) -- included two of the spotted beetle variety. With an infestation this severe, I am now considering just taking down the fronds. It would mean that the bed probably wouldn't survive, but with this many beetles for such a little patch (seriously, it's about 3' x 2' total, it's rather small, I was only eating a handful of spears a year) I'm wondering if I'll get any asparagus next year anyway, and I'll have spent quite a lot of time policing the spot. I can always re-establish in a few years.

now, wasps!

So...during the extended battle against the asparagus beetles, another enemy was spotted. A wasps' nest, right behind my asparagus patch! It's been sprayed, but now I'm cautious about returning to the field of battle against the beetles. I don't want to get near any errant returning wasps.

again with the beetles

I am aware of three main super annoying beetle types in my area (I know there are more, I discover more types every time i try to grow something different).

First: lily leaf beetles, which attack Asiatic lilies. I have fought those buggers before and made them rue the day that they met me. Then I moved away, and I no longer had to care for the lilies in the flower bed.

Second: cucumber beetles. I hide my cucumber seedlings inside until the middle of July to wait for them to pass. Or I don't grow cucumbers. I grow squash instead. This year I'm trying squash, although my seedlings are not doing well after transplant this year. They usually grow like gangbusters and I have more zucchini and summer squash than I can eat, even when I'm only growing a few vines. My experiences with the proliferation of squash spurred the creation of my story Operation Wild Thumb in the Dreamspinner anthology Simmer, which you can find here: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/simmer-5594-b
Last year I grew three plants and was getting squash off them well into late October -- multiple squash. I had them piled up on the counter.

Third: this new beast, the asparagus beetle, of which there are two kinds -- the spotted and the common. I found this guide very useful: https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/ORC00000268/PDF I've got both beetles in my garden. At the moment, I'm barely holding my own. I picked FORTY beetles yesterday. I got 8 this morning. I will head out again a little later. They are apparently more active in the later afternoon, so I will show up again with my jar of soapy water.

beetle update

Beetle update: For four days, I went out and was catching between a dozen and two dozen beetles. Today the number dropped down to six. The heat wave is here so I'm not sure if that is because the temperature change affected the insects, or if I finally got to the point where I've gotten most of them, and I'll only find the newly hatched ones from here on out. Or, maybe it was just an off day and tomorrow might spike up again.

I also saw the first Japanese beetle today. Those always go to devour my yellow roses. So, I'll be out policing both my asparagus patch and my yellow rose plant now.

vocabulary quiz

An interesting vocabulary quiz is here:

http://my.vocabularysize.com/

I know my fellow writers are always thinking about words and using words, and exploring language, so it might be something of interest, and it only takes a few minutes.

Honorable Mention!

The story I submitted for the Impact Anthology-- "Low Tech Impact" -- made Honorable Mention! This makes me feel pretty incredible. :)

Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/qsfdiscussions/permalink/919242298222715/

beetle battles continues

I was out again finding beetles on my asparagus. I've made a good bit of progress, but this is going to be something that won't end for a long, long time. Of course, while I was fighting the good fight, a mosquito found my ankle and now I have a very itchy bite. The bug world, man, they always get the upper hand, don't they?

beetles!

Yesterday I discovered to my great dismay that two different kinds of asparagus beetles have invaded my small asparagus patch. There were really disgusting larvae all over the ferns. I've been out dealing with them most of today and a good bit of yesterday. Here's a quick page on what they look like:
https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/asparagus-beetles/

I've got both beetles in my garden this year. Last year, no beetles whatsoever! (That I noticed.)

So gross.

It takes 3 years at least to get an asparagus bed established. I really hope this doesn't mean that I won't get anything from my bed next spring. There's really nothing quite like super fresh asparagus.

Damn you, Beetles!

fic: Better Business Culture

Wow, tonight I actually get a breather from all the To-Dos that I have on a list. I thought since I had a few minutes, that it was time I shared the other ficlet I wrote for the Queer Sci-Fi flash fic contest, but ultimately decided wasn't quite strong enough to be the one submitted. (Since the one I did submit got accepted, I feel I chose well!)

Here's the original info for the contest: https://queerscifi.com/flash-contest-rules/

This is still just roughed out. There's a core idea, but I didn't do the heavy editing where I agonize over each word. Enjoy!

Better Business Culture

"Remember what it was like before?" Maxine nodded toward the buzzing area of activity.

Her employees bowed their heads in front of computer screens, some creating code, while others brainstormed ideas in pod-areas, their ideas taking shape in the air, formed by their words and a text-to-laser graphic app. She couldn't hear the main office since her windows were thick sound-proof glass, but she could watch while she had the glass-tint lowered. It let everyone know she was available, if needed.

"Before we got rid of Gwen?" Carla thumbed through a file. "Positively dispirited."

"Odd how it wasn't the main bosses, but one high level analyst that set the tone." Maxine thought back on their take-over. They'd charged up through the ranks, biding time until they could implement their ideas and change the stagnant, antediluvian culture.

"With her gone, people came out of their shells. Not afraid to make suggestions, offer opinions, be creative."

"Jamal and Eric started dating a week after she left. Amber put up photos of her wife and kids."

"Pat stopped hiding zir nature and dressed the way ze wanted."

"And we made 150% profit two years out, from the energy and drive they put in."

"Don't forget the overtime. Suddenly they all didn't hate being here."

"Just goes to show, sometimes a rotten apple does spoil the bunch."

"First get rid of all the haters."

Maxine rubbed her hands together and activated the widow-tint completely. "Now it's time for the next item on our impact list."

Queer Sci Fi: Impact (I made the list!)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/qsfdiscussions/permalink/903386176474994/

Check out the link to see the official post, with all the many stories that made it into the new flash fiction anthology that Queer SciFi is doing this year.

My flash fiction made the list this year!

The title is "Low Tech Impact" -- and I'm really happy about this. I've had a busy year with things that have taken me away from writing (as evidenced by my drift away from social media for a little bit) and finding the time to write the flash fiction was a small struggle at the time, and now I'm so glad that I made the extra effort. It feels really, really good to be included with so many other spectacular writers. It keeps me *feeling* like a writer. And I know that soon I will be getting back to writing more often, just as soon as the pesky stuff in life is dealt with.

Smeg stuff -- retro cute

Someone just told me about Smeg today -- I hadn't been aware of the brand before. Really cute styling, very retro. Pricier than I like to go, and also I have very good working stuff I don't want to replace for no other reason than style, but it's a fun few minutes to daydream about having a kitchen all color matching and sleek.

See here if you haven't seen it before: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/electrics/electrics-smeg/

And I've been watching some Iron Chef lately, which always puts in mind of having the Ultimate Kitchen.

Right now, though, I only have the Ultimate Kitchen Mess. I cleaned up some of it this evening, but this is going to be a two part cleaning attempt to get things organized again. I really need to go through and get rid of stuff. I have an entire shelf of plastic containers, cleaned and at the ready, for food, but I've switched to trying to use glass a lot more.

fic: Wisdom at a Price

I wrote a couple roughed-out flash stories for https://queerscifi.com/flash-contest-rules/ and then chose the one I thought was the strongest for submission, but that left me with stories without a home. This is one of them. Only roughed out, meaning it hasn't been heavily edited, but still has a core idea in it. Plus, it is a free ficlet, and that's a good thing. Enjoy!

Wisdom at a Price

"I have some bad news."

Kayden flicked her eyes to the white smock of Dr. Sheed. A smudge of yellow-green marred the otherwise immaculate fabric, testament that Dr. Sheed had been poking and prodding around Kayden's mouth earlier.

"They're impacted."

Kayden stifled the impulse to let her hand fly to her face. Touching would hurt too much. Her jaw had ached and throbbed for weeks before she'd finally gotten enough together to afford this visit. She'd have to put her surgery on her credit card and get a bank loan to pay it off.

"Only two of them," Dr. Sheed continued. "But you already have an infection setting in."

"It's early, though, right?" Kayden's voice trembled. She'd feared this the most. Most antibiotics had stopped working five years ago. Of the few that still worked, they were reserved for important people like politicians. The other technologies, like phage therapy and targeted liposome strategy, were expensive. Even with a bank loan, Kayden couldn't afford them.

"I can get you in as early as tomorrow afternoon. The earlier the better. We have amazing advances now in terms of completely sterile surgery since we use a robotic extraction method. I can try debriding the area, but the infection is a concern. With the teeth removed, your chances will be better."

Kayden thought of Penelope. Would she go bankrupt if Kayden died before she'd repaid the loan? Could Kayden really allow that?

"Thanks, Doctor. I need to consider it. I'll let you know."

finally decided

For the "Impact" contest, I actually wrote 3 different stories. After letting them sit for a few nights, when I came back to do the editing, I knew which one I wanted to fix up and send in. But that leaves me with two others! They need a little spit and polish to make them presentable, but I'll get them up sometime soon for sharing.

actual pen to paper

Winter is always one of my lag times, where I work a lot and don't write a lot.

I thought this year that I wouldn't have something to submit to the Queer SciFi contest as seen here https://queerscifi.com/flash-contest-rules/ but I did scribble out something today. Maybe after an edit it will be in good enough shape to submit.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A day of many joys -- corned beef cabbage, green beer, everyone dressing in green, and the birthdays of a few of my favorite people. For whatever reason, St. Pat's Day seems to be a popular day to be born into the world. It is as if the babies knew they were setting themselves up for a lifetime of fantastic parties. It is also nice to think that even if you're not the least bit Irish, on St. Patrick's Day, you get to be just the littlest bit Irish, and celebrate.

the infinite balance

So, the last day of the weekend...what's on my To Do list for today

--magazine shovel out (I save too many, thinking I'll read them later)
--make soup
--laundry
--bills
--stretch/exercise
--delete old e-mails

I already spent some time going through older e-mails, always a rabbit-hole of a task. I realize I need to catch up on stuff!!

I'm about to go stretch -- the older I get, the more my IT band has decided it wants to go to war with me.

I'm trying to decide what soup I want, because soup leftovers will also be my lunches for the next few days.

Magazine shovel out -- as part of my general thought of trying to declutter things. I don't want to get rid of everything and I am way to sentimental to ever really pare down to that state of zen that some people aspire to, but I also know that I could be a really massive pack rat if I don't watch it. Part of the problem is that I tend to be really careful with my things. They last a really long time. And I don't want to just chuck things into a landfill. So I end up keeping things. I do recycle a lot, and also donate things to thrift stores/recycling stores/give things away/etc. but I try to be mindful about things, and that takes time.

Taking that time means taking away from writing time, so I'm always balancing between doing things I enjoy (writing, going out and enjoying activities) and dealing with my clutter and accumulation. Today is another day of that infinite balance.

rice cake journey

I am on a rice cake journey of discovery and invention.

I started with this recipe:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249653/brown-rice-goat-cheese-cakes/

But I didn't have goat cheese in the house, so I substituted a mix of mozzarella and Parmesan. I'm also trying to reduce the amount of frying in oil that I do, so I steamed the veggies.

The first batch (looking somewhat roundish and in a circle) is carrot and onion with brown rice and was shaped in cupcake tins, and the second batch (cut up pieces) is sweet potato and onion with brown rice in a cast iron pan (and then cut up). Both were equally delicious, just different. They can be eaten plain, but I've been eating them with curry spooned over them.

I really like playing with this recipe. It's forgiving and allows for a lot of variation, and it still works. I'm planning on making it again, with some more variations. I want to try it on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and also to try different veggies in it.

I'm looking for something not too complicated to make, with healthy ingredients, reducing the oil but finding the right way to make it crispier by baking it in the oven, and that tastes quite good and is filling.

I'll keep everyone updated when I try again!

frozen hiking

These photos are from several weeks ago, but I still wanted to share them.

A wintery hike, and some beautiful and very frozen) puddles and streams. It was cold that day, but the hiking felt good.

It makes me think I should do something with my characters from Pyresnakes set in the winter. Fire and snow, red and white, it could be visually dazzling.

a rainforest of socks

I've been doing laundry today and I have a pile of winter wool socks that needed washing -- and with wool socks, you don't put them in the dryer. They need to be hung dry (to make them last longer, these aren't the sort that'll end up felted, thank goodness) and so I've got them laid out on every possible hook and bar that I've got. Over doors, over the shower, along the bar in my closet, etc. It's like fighting through a dense jungle of woolen socks. I expect to hear the caw-caw-caw of birds and monkeys at any moment. Perhaps the low warning growl of a felted wool lion....

The good news is, these socks dry pretty quickly. The jungle will be rolled up and packed away by morning.

Then i can start on the weird sheet city that happens when I get to washing the bedding. Draping of sheets over all the surfaces, like a maze, leading me from room to room.

Once Upon a Rianbow, Volume II

The Ninestar Press anthology, Once Upon a Rainbow Volume II was released last week and is now available!

It's a lovely mix-up of reworked fairy tales -- the themes and the story-lines are there, but they are all re-envisioned and gorgeous in the re-telling.

The link: https://ninestarpress.com/product/once-upon-a-rainbow-volume-two/

I've always been enchanted by fairy tales since they occupy a different sort of space in our heads -- they contain morals and meaning, warning and lessons learned, but all done through a spinning yarn story. (Sometimes that underbelly is unpleasant to behold.) You have to take some things at face value for the stories to work -- magic is real, animals can talk, true love exists, people trade cows for beans, and all of that -- as a way to get past the curtain to more glamorous, glittery, enchanted, dark and bitter, this-is-how-we-view-things-as-a-society sort of thing. When you start to deconstruct fairy tales, you see their seams on the inside -- as you look at how fairy tales are told across the years, you see them morph to reflect changes. (If we don't like that the mermaid turns into sea-foam when she can't kill the prince, then we'll rewrite it to make it more palatable. And everyone knows that step-mothers are evil, even if the majority of step-moms out there in the real world are putting their honest effort and resources forth to raise children, without expectation of getting anything in return, and doing a hero's job.)

One of the best things about this anthology is that the morphing is done in favor of romance across the beautiful varieties that love comes in. Well worth a cup of tea, a few cookies on a plate, and some time spent curled up in your favorite reading nook.

Once Upon a Rainbow, Vol II, on pre-order

Once Upon a Rainbow, Volume II is on pre-order now!

My story "The True Love Curse" is in it!

Here's the link to the anthology at NineStar Press: https://ninestarpress.com/product/once-upon-a-rainbow-volume-two/

pink in the store

Went to the pharmacy today to get some soap and saw the shelves lined with pink things. More than a month until Valentine's Day and already the shelves are overloaded with romance. Or what looks like romance. Pink is a nice symbol of all that, and the color chosen by a lot of manufacturer's, but it is only skimming the surface of true romance.

turning water into steam

Having been reminded of the super cool science experiment where boiling water is tossed into super cold air, and having super cold air courtesy of Mother Nature who was giving up double digits in the negative category, I went ahead and performed this super awesome bit of science showmanship. It was pretty fantastic. The hot water, when thrown up into the air, became instantly crystallized and vaporized, and I watched the puff of whiteness blow away on the wind.

This long, bitter cold spell has been terrible, but it does present a tiny moment or two of amazement.