I’m running a little late this morning, so this will be short. The rain is still lingering, and so is the migraine that came with it. After I fed Isabella, I crawled back into bed for a little while longer, hoping a bit more sleep might help. It did, at least enough to get moving, though now I’m paying for it by running behind.
At the moment, I’m trying to finish breakfast and savor my morning coffee before I start getting ready for work. Some mornings feel rushed before they even begin, and today is one of those days. Still, I’m hoping for another quiet day at work—nothing too chaotic, just enough calm to get through the lingering headache and the gray skies outside.
Rainy mornings have a way of slowing everything down, including me. Maybe that’s not always a bad thing, even if the clock disagrees.
Some mornings begin with sunshine and energy. Other mornings begin with a pounding head, gray skies, and the realization that the weather forecast was probably trying to warn you all along.
Last night, I went to bed early because of a migraine that had been steadily getting worse since yesterday afternoon. Thankfully, it’s not quite as bad this morning, though it’s still lingering enough to make me feel slow and foggy. It’s one of those headaches where you can function, but you definitely don’t want to do much more than absolutely necessary.
Honestly, I probably should have expected it. We’re supposed to have rain for the next three days, and my body usually seems to know the weather is changing before I even look at the forecast. I’ve often joked that migraines can be more accurate than meteorologists. The pressure changes, the gray skies, the damp heaviness in the air—it all seems to settle right behind my eyes.
Still, the day has to begin whether I feel great or not. Coffee helps a little. Quiet helps more. Hopefully, the rain will do what rain is supposed to do: slow things down, wash the world clean for a bit, and maybe give all of us an excuse to rest when we need it.
For now, I think I’ll take things one step at a time and hope the migraine continues easing instead of digging in for the long haul.
Vermont might be known as the Green Mountain State, but it often feels like the Gray Sky State. Most people I know take Vitamin D because the sun can be such a rare guest. The past few days, though, have been a welcome exception—bright, clear, and almost generous with their light. Of course, today’s sunshine is apparently our last for a while. Rain is moving in tonight and tomorrow, which we do need. It’s been so dry that wildfires have already started to pop up, something that always feels a bit out of place here.
Still, I’m glad to wake up feeling better this morning and able to appreciate the sunlight, even if I’ll spend most of it inside the museum. It figures that the day I’m free to be out and about, the clouds will roll back in and bring the rain with them. That seems to be the way of things—sun when you’re busy, rain when you’re not.
I suppose that just makes days like today feel a little more precious.
Normally, I’d be saying TGIF because I’m working from home, but this week is a little different. I worked from home on Monday, which means I’m heading into the office today—and a bit earlier than usual at that. Honestly, I’d much rather still be in bed.
I didn’t sleep all that well last night. We had thunderstorms rolling through, which isn’t something I hear very often in Vermont. It’s one of those things I had to get used to after moving up here. The rain is usually light and steady, and thunder is pretty rare. Growing up in the South, though, I was used to heavy rains—what we called “gully washers”—and thunder so loud you could feel it in your chest. I’ll admit, I sometimes miss that… but I definitely don’t miss the tornadoes and hurricanes that came with it.
Last night wasn’t a full Southern-style storm. There wasn’t much heavy rain or lightning, but there was plenty of thunder. I actually fell asleep to the sound of it, which was nice—until it wasn’t. I woke up around 11:00 and couldn’t get back to sleep for a while. Eventually, I drifted off again sometime around midnight.
Isabella must have sensed I needed the extra rest because she let me sleep until about 4:30 this morning. That alone tells me I didn’t sleep well.
Now it’s time to get moving. I’ll be hopping in the shower in a few minutes and heading into the office. Hopefully, a little coffee will make up the difference.
I’m still in the middle of using up my vacation days, and today is one of those rare, wonderful days when I have absolutely nothing I have to do. There are certainly things I should do—and I probably will get around to a few of them—but nothing is pressing, nothing is urgent, and that makes all the difference.
Much to Isabella’s chagrin, I slept later than usual this morning. She does not approve of any deviation from her carefully curated schedule—especially when it involves her breakfast being delayed—but she has, for the moment, resigned herself to my laziness.
At this point, there’s not even a compelling reason to get dressed. The coffee is hot, the house is quiet, and the day is mine to ease into at whatever pace I choose. Honestly, those are the best kinds of mornings.
We’ve had two beautiful days of weather—nothing but sunshine. Wednesday was pleasantly mild, while yesterday turned a bit colder and windier. Today, though, looks like it’s shaping up to be just right: sunny with mild temperatures. It might be the perfect excuse to take a walk later and enjoy a bit of fresh air.
But for now? I think I’ll stay right here, sip my coffee, and enjoy the simple luxury of doing absolutely nothing for a little while longer.
Today is the vernal equinox—the official first day of spring. Day and night are in perfect balance, and from here on out, the days will keep getting longer. After a long Vermont winter, that alone feels worth celebrating.
And honestly, March has been unusually kind to us this year. It’s been warmer than usual, and much of the snow has already melted away. For a moment, it almost feels like spring has actually arrived on time.
But if you’ve lived in Vermont long enough, you know better than to trust that feeling.
So the question becomes: is this the first “fake spring”? It probably is.
Because while it may feel like spring, nature doesn’t seem entirely convinced. The trees are still bare—no green buds yet, no real signs of new growth. It’s like everything is waiting… just a little longer… before committing.
And then there’s the forecast. Snow on Friday. Snow again on Sunday. Vermont reminding us not to get too comfortable just yet.
Still, for the foreseeable future, our highs are supposed to stay above freezing, and that’s no small thing. The air feels different. The light lingers a little longer in the evening. There’s a subtle shift happening, even if it hasn’t fully revealed itself yet.
Spring is in the air—or at least teasing us.
Of course, in Vermont, spring also means mud season, which is not exactly the most glamorous time of year. But it’s part of the process. The in-between stage where winter gives way to something new.
If autumn is the most beautiful season here, I think spring might be the second—if you’re willing to overlook the mud.
So for now, we wait. We enjoy the warmer days, even if they’re temporary. We keep an eye on the forecast. And we remind ourselves that sooner or later, the green will come.
It’s Friday. Some Fridays are better than others, and today is one of the better ones because I’m working from home. Next Friday, I’ll be at the museum, and next week is going to be very busy, so I’ll spend today getting ready for all of that. At least I can do it from home, which makes it a little easier.
I don’t have any real plans for the weekend, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I’m not really up to much. I have a book I’m reading right now—and you’ll probably hear all about it next week—but for the most part, I plan to relax and read. Once I finish this one, I’m not quite sure what I’ll pick up next.
It’s supposed to be a cold and snowy weekend, so there really isn’t much better than bundling up under a blanket, curling up next to Isabella, and reading in quiet peace. When I lived in the South, I loved settling into a chair with a good book while a thunderstorm rolled outside. There’s something about that kind of weather that makes reading feel even more cozy and comforting.
I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful, and relaxing weekend!
I’m so glad it’s Friday — and even more glad that I’m working from home today.
It’s not that this week has been terrible. The early part of it was a bit rough, but once I settled into a project and stayed busy, things evened out. Sometimes the best remedy for stress is simply having something meaningful to focus on.
That said, I have zero desire to go anywhere today. I woke up with a headache, which almost certainly means a storm is rolling in this evening. My migraines are usually more accurate than the local meteorologist when it comes to predicting the weather. If my head starts throbbing, you can safely assume precipitation is on the way.
Isabella has already been fed and is currently enjoying her very important post-breakfast nap. She takes that ritual very seriously. Since the house is quiet and I have the luxury of being home, I think I might follow her example and go back to sleep for a little while before officially starting my day.
Sometimes listening to your body is the most productive thing you can do.
I hope you all have a restful, peaceful weekend — whether you’re braving the storm or staying cozy inside.
Another work week begins—unless you’re in the U.S. and lucky enough to have Presidents’ Day off. I am not among the fortunate, so it’s business as usual for me. Wednesday will be the busy day this week, but unless something unexpected pops up, the rest should be fairly easygoing. I’ll take that.
The bigger story, though, is the weather. We’re supposed to climb above freezing nearly every day this week. Not enough to melt all the snow, but enough to make things sloppy. And since it’s February, this would officially mark the arrival of Vermont’s first Fake Spring.
For those unfamiliar, Vermont doesn’t really have four seasons. We have eleven:
Winter → Fake Spring → Second Winter (usually worse than the first) → Spring of Deception → Third Winter → Mud Season → Actual Spring (which lasts approximately 4–8 days) → Summer (gorgeous) → False Fall → Second Summer (also gorgeous) → Actual Fall.
Right now, we’re squarely in that hopeful, misleading stretch where the sun feels warmer, the air softens just a bit, and you start to believe we’ve turned a corner. We haven’t. Second Winter is lurking. It always is.
Still, I’ll enjoy the small mercies—slightly warmer afternoons, a bit more daylight, the sense that we’re inching toward something brighter, even if it’s two or three fake-outs away. Fake Spring may live up to its name, but I’m willing to be fooled for a few days.
I hope your week is steady and kind, wherever you are in your own seasonal cycle.
I’m so glad today is a work-from-home day. Tomorrow I’ll be in early for a special event, so having this quieter morning feels like a small gift.
Since I’m working on Saturday, I had yesterday off—and because I’m working from home today, I’ll still need to head in early to get everything set up for the program I’ll be doing. It’s one of those in-between days: not exactly a day off, not quite a full workday either.
I only wish today’s weather was what we’re expecting tomorrow. Today will warm up to about 23 degrees—the mildest it’s been in weeks. Tomorrow, though, is a very different story. We’re under a severe weather advisory, with wind chills expected to drop 20 to 30 below zero. At least the museum should be warm.
I have a few things to take care of while working from home today. Tomorrow’s program should wrap up by around 10 a.m., and after that, the rest of the day will be paperwork and taking things easy until it’s time to head home.
Some days are about bracing against the cold. Others are about finding the small comforts where you can—and today feels a bit like that.
* 🚨 * 🚨 * Red Alert * 🚨 * 🚨 *
🖖 Possible spoiler ahead…
Starfleet Academy Update
Y’all know I’m a Star Trek fan, so you’ll just have to get used to at least five more weeks of me sharing my thoughts on Starfleet Academy. My favorite Star Trek series has always been Deep Space Nine. It’s one of the most complex and intriguing of all the Treks, and I’ve watched the entire series dozens of times.
I think we all have a movie or TV show we return to when we need something familiar—mindless comfort, a pick-me-up, or just a way to quiet whatever’s rattling around in our heads. For me, that show is Deep Space Nine.
So when I read that this week’s Starfleet Academy episode was being described as a “love letter to Deep Space Nine,” I was—needless to say—very excited.
There were definitely things I loved about the episode. The little bit of gay drama between Jay-Den and Kyle was fun, and Darem’s jealousy was about as subtle as a photon torpedo. Drag queen Jackie Cox appears, Tawny Newsome guest stars, and we get to see Cirroc Lofton again—who has grown into quite a handsome man.
That said… there is one thing about the episode that genuinely pissed me off.
If anyone’s curious what that was, let me know in the comments. I’m happy to answer there, or I may save it and talk more about it on Monday—once everyone who wants to watch the episode has had time to do so.
Joe
The Closet Professor 