We are open. The Federal government, every school board, the Smithsonian (yes, the Smithsonian) - are all closed, but we are open. I've got to stop working in the arts. It's pretty much a ghost town too. Production is in because we have the Mariinsky Ballet loading in (more on them to follow) but most other departments have only a skeleton staff who made it here. The metro is still only running underground and only every 30 minutes. I actually took it yesterday out to a friend's place to watch the Superbowl (I know - the order of the universe it changing, I watched an entire football game) and it was slow, but not as bad as anticipated. With everywhere else being closed, I suppose rush hour wouldn't be too bad either in terms of volume of people.
In Arlington, on my way to the Superbowl, you should have seen the snow banks. I didn't get a picture that did it justice, but they were almost twice my height. They are plowing the major roads, but not doing anything with the snow - it's just being pushed up and up, no one has figured out that you actually need to truck it somewhere. I had to walk to blocks to my friend's place and fortunately since Arlington is basically Mississauga with all condos and office towers, the buildings had all plowed their sidewalks, but the snow bank corners were something else. We are supposed to get another 5 -10 inches tomorrow and it's just going to be a nightmare. I remember that I really hate snow. Could someone please send in the Canadian army to deal with this? Thank you.

As for the Superbowl, I enjoyed it! It certainly is more interesting when someone understands the rules. Apparently the Saints were doing all sorts of risking plays and it was paying off. I'm glad. I was rooting for them since I figure you have to pick someone to cheer for and I think they were the underdogs, or sentimental favourites or something! The much toted American commercials were a bit of a let down actually after all these years of hearing about them.

Now the Mariinsky ballet. The Mariinsky is the former Kirov Ballet - world renown - scheduled to fly in yesterday from Russia. Their flight was canceled so the programmers canceled the bus that was to pick them up and were just going to hope for the best about getting them here today. However, last night, they got a call, the Mariinsky had landed. We don't know how as all the airports were closed and all the flights canceled. Literally nothing landed. But as my Russian fellow said, "there is always a way" and somehow they are here, but no one is saying how...