Awesome or Not

I miss the word "awesome". Miss is not the right word since you can hear the word awesome spoken within 60 seconds of most any American opening his or her mouth these days. I remember when it meant something and wasn't just an empty place holder.

Seeing the Rocky Mountains was awesome as was the sight of Mount Rushmore and the seemingly endless views of the ocean. Finding a penny in the street or finishing up the laundry is nice but not really inspiring me to be full of awe...though my neighbors declare those things are "awesome".

Speaking of full of awe...apparently the word awful was originally a good thing.  Awe is good.  Being full of awe is good. Awful has become a bad thing...probably in the same way that awesome has become a mediocre word.

But the next time I'm introduced to someone and that person's response is "awesome" I am just going to believe that meeting me truly was an event inspiring awe.

*****

 



The snowfall is over for now. It seems that Central Park had 11.5 inches of snow. There is a lot of snow on the rooftop outside my window but at street level it doesn't seem so bad. NYC has over 6000 miles of streets. That's a lot of plowing and there are always complaints but to me it looked like a job done well. Sidewalks are always hit or miss also. Apartment dwellers don't have to deal with shoveling snow but someone does. Building owners can be fined for not clearing sidewalks.

My question of the day: How can it be 7 degrees and there are still puddles of slushy water at many streetcorners???

Morning temperatures: 7 degrees (felt like -16 degrees)
Morning steps: 3666