despite the silence, i knew there was a snowy landscape waiting for me outside. it'd already started to snow yesterday beginning at midnight. i got dressed as soon as i woke up and went out to shovel. there was only 2" of snow on the sidewalk, but it was the wet and heavy kind and took longer than usual to clean up. the only good thing was the snow was like cement and i could stack it up high. i went out again an hour later to clear half an inch of new sleet that'd fallen. by noontime the storm was over but the sky remained grey for the rest of the day.

for lunch i had some leftover baked drumsticks, then some hot dogs for dinner. my evening was interrupted twice by door-to-door solicitors. the first time was a young man for amnesty international, trying to get "end violence against women" donations. he grabbed my hand to shake it even though i didn't offer. i cut him off just when he was about to give me his prepared speech. "whatever it is you want, i'm not interested," i told him. "why? are you for violence against women?" he replied in an accusatory tone. that caught me off guard for a second and i almost slammed the door in his face. "i'm busy, okay?" i told him. i closed the door. later two young women were knocking. i'd already learned my lesson and pretended not to be home (i think they were canvasing for martha coakley).

mid-season replacement shows are starting to show up on the various networks. the CW had life unexpected, which has been compared to a hybrid between juno and the gilmore girls. it's about a teenage orphan living unhappily in foster care trying to claim emancipated minor status by getting the signature of her birth parents who end up reconnecting with their long-lost daughter. the premise is sentimental as heck, but i'm a sucker for this kind of unconventional family drama (is it any surprise that i used to watch a lot of gilmore girls?) and the show looks very promising.