November is death so how can April be the cruelest month.

I am back. This may be the most depressing of posts that I can do, but then again, maybe not. This is my ode to November. Not to be confused with the Guns 'n Roses song "November Rain", though it is always appropriate this time of year. Then again, given this November, there has been no "cold November rain" but warm November rain, which is both freakish (in these parts) but I could get used to it. There are upsides to "global warming" and they are not too hard to find. They do, of course, take some adaptation to change and that is something (change) that we as humans can control (my eyebrow is raised and I hope that sentence just drips with the sarcasm it is meant to convey).

Anyway, over twenty years ago, a friend of mine was in his first year of dental school. They had exams coming up and he was not coming up or out for air. He was burdened with all this work (it is all relative, I have found), it was constantly cold, damp and dark (standard time can be a bitch along with the coming Winter Solstice--stop the Earth from spinning and revolving around the sun and leave it fixed so that it is perpetually summer up here in the northern hemisphere, fuck those in the southern hemisphere, I say) so he tells me that "November is death".

I chuckled at that. I was not in exam mode at that point yet and besides I knew the "game" of winter and spring exams. It was no big deal. Then, I went to law school, the land of 100% finals. In first year, a friend in second year took me under her wing (or large breasts) and got me started on my summaries and studying by about November 20th. That meant weekends studying from about 7 to midnight at the university (it was quiet and we had privacy). We worked by day and then by night. It was okay given the weather. It was cold and damp and dark. Being locked inside did not seem to really make a difference and besides, it was not cold and damp inside. I did have to deal with the flourescent lighting but that is another story.

November was now indeed "death". It was the death month. It was the beginning of bleak as the darkness lasted longer. It was gray and dark in the morning and the sun seemed to set at one in the afternoon, especially on cloudy, rainy days. I finally understood that "November is death".

Given the events of this year, that line is as true as ever, though it is literal now. The funniest thing is that I got married in November. My buddy got married (second time) in November. His sister got married in November. There was a baby naming this November (at least something that is life affirming). Yet, November is death really does stand out this year.

Now, I am left with a single question.....if November is death which month is life? It all goes together as one big whole.

On another note, "Heroes" was its excellent self last night. I liked the six months ago flashback to get some understanding as to how the characters got to where they are in the "present". Sylar was indeed interesting. I am still unsure about Claire Bennett's father though (the cheerleader). I am not sure if he is good, bad or just morally ambiguous in his work. What does he do? How did he start and who does he work for? All questions that should get answered as the story unfolds. The thing that intrigues me most is that there are so many connections and character interconnections. I see it as a metaphor for life or the enlightened life, and how we are all somehow connected in some oddly tangental way. "Prison Break" was good, too, and I like getting the time off to digest what occurred in the fall season.

Done for today. Time to go fishing (or is that phishing?). Ciao!