Understatement

The street is bustling with people, cars, trams...very colorful. A man with a microphone approaches me and asks if I have a minute. Usually I say no but not this time. The man behind him points his news camera toward me. Have you ever won any money, microphone man asks. No, I reply.  Well, he says, if you can properly pronounce the name of the Icelandic volcano that erupted in April of 2010, you will win one million dollars.

I feel like passing out. It can't be coincidence that less than a week ago I listened to this over and over and can now flawlessly pronounce it. I breathe deeply and say it, slowly: Eyjafjallajokull, with a perfect Icelandic accent. All hell breaks loose:  bells, whistles and a strange grinding noise. I am basking in my glorious moment , spinning round and round. The grinding noise has stopped, replaced by a gurgling noise. My eyes open and I smell the coffee brewing.

The most lovely thing about today is that when I awoke early and was mentally gearing up to move some large snow drifts from the driveway, I surveyed the yard and discovered with a great deal of relief that the snow removal service took care of it while we slept. Furthermore, they did a splendid job, thorough and more importantly, they didn't throw it in the wrong places. On this small city lot, there are right places and wrong places to pile the snow; some having to do with not angering the neighbors and some with drainage and freeze /melt cycles.

I hope they were dressed properly.

Errand day, nothing exciting, except for winning a million dollars.