snow day

i inadvertently taunted mother nature the other day--it had snowed for maybe five minutes before giving up. "what a tease!" i thought. "i know what you're capable of, new york. i remember the blizzard on valentine's day in 2003." i woke up to a soft white world this morning, with a few inches on the ground and more coming down. it was beautiful, albeit a little cold. i had planned to meet up with s for christmas shopping and a movie in the city before heading to dinner with some friends, and so i hopped on the train. despite bloomberg's dire predictions on the news this morning, the snow didn't deter us, although the later sleet and then freezing rain and hail made the wandering a little less pleasant.

manhattan sidewalks tend to clear themselves; the heat of the subways melts anything that might want to hang out for too long. the strangest thing about snow in new york is how quiet it makes everything. the sounds of the city are muffled by the snow on the ground, so that the whole place becomes preternaturally silent. brooklyn is especially eerie this evening; i can't hear the usual neighbors and street sounds. it's like having my own private city, which is a strange feeling. i'm just hoping that there's enough on the ground tomorrow for some frolicking in prospect park. here's looking at you, white christmas.