We'll see if the company party is affected

FRI...A NOREASTER DEVELOPS AS LOW PRES PASSES S OF NEW ENGLAND. HEAVY
SNOW DUE TO ISENTROPIC LIFT... GALE COLD CONVEYOR BELT MOISTURE INFLOW
BEING OVERRIDDEN BY 3SD SW FLOW WARM SECTOR FROM A 2SD PWAT AIRMASS.

QPF OF .7 TO 1.2 INCHES EXPECTED SNE...NORTH TO SOUTH WITH 7 TO 14
INCH SNOW POTENTIAL...DETAILS ON HEAVIEST TBD. THIS ALSO AGREES WITH
THE 06Z WWD. 03Z/17Z SREF HAS 10 PCT PROB A FOOT N OF RTE 2 AND 30
PCT PROB 8 INCHES IN 12 HOURS ENDING 03Z SATURDAY N OF RTE 2.

THE 00Z/17 GFS ENS PROBABILITY FOR 1 INCH OF QPF IN 24 HOURS IS 70
PCT IN CT RI SE MASS AND 30 PCT NORTHERN MASS.

BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW EXPECTED FRI AFTN/EVE...AT LEAST IN ERN
MASS.

POTENTIAL SERIOUS IMPACT MIDDAY AND FRI AFTN DRIVE TIME.

a very odd, merry, season

The news is full of tales of stores not having enough customers, making incredible markdowns, and in many cases failing. But it's all kind of abstract, as though it's happening hundreds or thousands of miles away.

Til I went to the Natick Mall (excuse me, The Natick Collection) tonight. I parked three cars away from the door to Penney's, having passed other open spaces on the way. There were many stores where I was the only customer, or one of few. (And a shout-out to Penney's, where I couldn't find one single open register.) Yet, it was still a frustrating and mostly fruitless trip. I did not get *anything* I went for. I made a couple of small purchases of a routine nature, like shower gel and binder labels, but that's it, and no Christmas presents. There I was, credit card in hand, unable to spend the money I'd planned on!

Enough of that! The goodness was, despite the thin crowds, or because of them, the people around me were really fairly cheery, allowing merges in the streets, waving baby carriages ahead of them, etc.; even the teens weren't hogging the aisles. Merry Christmas Shopping Season!