What Time Is It?

Winter Time.

In the past serious winter did arrive in Manhattan generally on New Year's or the next day.  In Manhattan of 2012 it arrived last night.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

It's also the month when so many friends from elsewhere come to Manhattan for business, for a break, for fun, for whatever.  It's also the month we're always pinched due to unemployment, which doesn't return until the end of the month.  It's become a regular part of the yearly cycle.

The first out of town friend arrived December 24th.  He comes then and goes up state to teach a klezmer music camp.  This year it got cut short because the primary benefactor died.  The funeral and memorial were over New Year's.  We're seeing him tonight. Yesterday we received 4 phone calls and 3 e-mails from people coming in, scheduling the meet-ups.

So we may be broke but we are wealthy in friends.

With friends you are always, in the end, bottom line, A-OK!

In the meantime I have duvets, comforters and blankets and throws galore.  And a space heater.  Because when the temps fall below freezing here, the buildling's furnace doesn't provide any more heat than its long-ago programmed times to provide heat.  So it's daymed cold in here most of the time then, unless I'm cooking.  Which I did for hours yesterday.  I finally made that long-postoned moussaka.  It took hours!  Which is why there is nothing more cozy than making food in the good old wintertime.