Winter's on the Wing

Today I drove up to Boston, on business.  This is one of three trips I do each year.  I assist our marketing and publications efforts by talking to myriad scientists at our booth in the exhibit hall at the Hynes Convention Center.  Have I said how much I cherish these trips?  Sure, it's work, BUT all I need to do is get my own self out of bed and dressed each morning (and not at 5am, neither!).  No cooking, cleaning, chauffering, or overseeing of kids' activities.  I can read the newspaper (well, USA Today is technically a newspaper) each morning as I munch on some breakfast in a nice bathrobe without worrying about anyone walking in on me.  Alone time.  

I have to admit that I was psyched when I exited from the Orient Point Ferry this morning and saw that the rain was mixing with snow in Connecticut.  I love driving in the snow.  I suppose this is a throwback to my undergraduate days in upstate NY.  But I also think I'm ready for winter to arrive.  Yesterday I wrapped a bunch of Christmas presents before dinner.  Hanukkah is all set to go (and the kids know this -- because if the presents weren't wrapped already, they'd be snooping all week while I'm gone).  Holiday snapshots of the kids are in envelopes with stamps on, ready to be mailed after I arrive home.  Yes, part of this is the geek compulsiveness, but it's also that any extra projects at home require advance organization...there are only small chunks of time here and there, to work on them.  Whew, I feel pretty good now.

Time to iron my business clothes for the week and unpack.  Oh yes, and I just turned the heat in the hotel room up to 73.