Monthly Archives: February 2013

Always Have a Backup

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This morning I went out for a walk and when I returned, I sensed immediately that something was wrong: my keys were gone.  Obviously, I had dropped the key ring with the three keys somewhere along my route.  There was nothing for it but to retrace my steps.

Either there is a God, or it could be that Lady Luck smiled on me today, because I found the keys lying in the snow about a half mile from my house.  My car key was intact, but my house key and office key were completely mangled.

Auto Transformation

Imagine how much worse it would have been if I hadn’t had duplicates!  Maybe it’s because I work in Information Technology, but I was reminded again of the importance of keeping backups.  Even Lifehacker says, “You never think losing your files will happen to you until it actually does, and you’re caught without a backup.” (Whitson Gordon, 29 Jun 2011).  One doesn’t have to think only in terms of data; it’s important to have backup plans, and obviously to have backup keys as well.

So take my advice: if you’re as scatterbrained and careless as I am, take steps to mitigate the damage you can do to yourself.

New England Winter Scenes

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So we survived the Blizzard of 2013.  UMass closed at noon on Friday, which I think was a good call, and the Governor banned non-essential travel starting at 4 pm.  After the storm’s fury abated yesterday, I ventured outside to dig out my car.  This afternoon, I went on my usual walk which took me past Brookfield Orchards.  Here are some photos of the apple trees blanketed with snow:

Winter Storm Nemo was one for the record books.   Here in Central Mass, the town of West Boylston received 34.5 inches of now, and Worcester received 28.5 inches, making it the third most snowfall recorded.  I didn’t even know we had one, but UMass has a Climate System Research Center, whose manager Michael Rawlins said, “Last week’s Nor’easter will go down in the record books as a once-in-a-lifetime event for residents across much of central New England, with record snowfall at locations from southern Connecticut to eastern Maine.”

I’m sure the snowstorm was good news for the snow-sports industries in New England.  Most ski areas make their own snow, but still, there has to be something to start with.  Last weekend, I drove to Middlebury, Vermont to visit my niece, and at noon on Saturday, we were standing near the Lodge at the Snow Bowl, waiting for the February 2013 graduates to ski down the hill.

The February Ski Procession is a long-standing tradition at Middlebury.  It’s quite the show, don’t you think?  We saw people walking down the hill, so you don’t have to be a skier to enjoy the event.

It was quite cold that day, so after the ceremony, we warmed ourselves by the fire in the Lodge, then drove back to the town.  The next day, we visited the Greenhouse in Bicentennial Hall.

Supposedly, the roof moves at certain times of the day, but we didn’t experience that.   It was enough to be surrounded by greenery and enveloped in warmth.