Weekly Recap.

On the blog:

Monday: Weekend Recap.

Tuesday: We always have our deep conversations in the car.

I'm a little sad that I haven't posted in three days.

I left my house on Wednesday morning with an overnight bag, for two nights.

My plan was to stay at my parent's house since Boston was being hit with a "mammoth" storm.

And we all know I can't drive in such weather.

Since I was packing at 5:30 in the morning, for the next three days, I only thought to bring necessities.

Which, apparently, didn't include my computer.

It's way too heavy to carry among all my other bags.

Side note: I had an overnight bag, a shoe bag, a work bag, a lunch bag, and purse bag.

Ahhh!

So... Wednesday it started to snow.

And continued to snow into Thursday morning.

Throughout the day.

Into Thursday night.

And I was crossing my fingers for a snow day on Friday.

But when I didn't get the call before having to leave at 5AM I was super sad.

Luckily, I got the call that it was a snow day before getting onto the highway.

So my dad, who was driving me :), turned around and I spent the next 12 hours,

watching TV in my childhood bedroom, playing with dachshunds, and hanging out with my parents.

Sean, didn't have to work either, and around dinner time he braved the snow (it will still snowing 48 hours later),

and picked me up.

I have to say that I think the weather people sort of got this storm wrong.

On Wednesday they only said 3-6 inches.

By Friday afternoon the numbers were more along the lines of 15-20 inches...

and that was obvious since IT WAS STILL SNOWING.

So anyway, we got home last night and rather than blog,

we ate popcorn and watched DVR.

Big Friday night, I tell ya. :)

Weekly recap & blizzard Nemo.

On the blog:

Sunday: Happy Superbowl Sunday.

Monday: Money, money, money.

Wednesday: TV just isn't the same anymore.

Thursday: Finding Nemo.

Friday: There's a blizzard going on outside.

Blizzard 2013 is still going on outside. 

The news stations are loving the 24 hours coverage.

And they are full of words and phrases like "clobbered", "pelted", and my favorite "the storm of the century".

We've gotten about 28 inches, and throughout today we're supposed to get 6 inches more.

Most places are closed, there's a driving ban so even if you wanted to go out - you'd be breaking the law to do it.

The fine: $500 and up to a year in prison. 

I guess our movie date night needs to be postponed.

So, we're just here, still with power, watching TV and taking naps off and on.

It's actually, exactly what I like to do.

The other thing I like to do: look at all the memes people have been creating regarding this storm.

Whoever named the blizzard Nemo obviously wasn't in their right mind.

Honestly?

via.

via.

via.

via.

I could look for them all day.

Here's to staying warm, the power staying on, and to watching The Cosby show for the remainder of the morning.

There's a blizzard going on outside.

I got to leave work today at noon, thanks to mother nature.

I guess I can stop being so mad at her.

I'm not all that concerned about the storm, even though now the measurements for our area are over 40 inches.

We didn't necessarily prepare.

Had we... we would have full tanks of gas, cash in our wallets, food for a week, water for even longer, etc., etc., etc.

So are we okay?

Well, we have food in the crock pot, so assuming we don't lose power... we'll be able to eat tonight.

Our phones, tablets and laptops are fully charged.

All the flashlights and candles we own are dispersed around our home.

And we did stock up on shovels, chips & salsa and soda.

So I'd say the necessities are taken care of.

We just keep asking each other... is it a blizzard yet?

And our answer is no.

Supposedly, we're going to get more snow today/tonight/tomorrow than we've ever seen fall (at one time) in our lifetime.

I'm not that impressed thus far.

While I'd love to look at warm weather clothes throughout this storm, that's pretty much a tease.

So I've been occupying my time by looking up Valentine's Day-ish clothes.

So cute!

1. red dress

2. & sweater

3. elbow sweater

4. pink jeans

5. heart sweater

6. ruffle tank

Okay, maybe they are full of wishful thinking and not seasonally appropriate.

But I love it.

Stay warm.

Finding Nemo.

So, typically when I think of Nemo, I think of the movie. You know? The clever one that's hysterical and full of laughs and Ellen DeGeneres.

Currently, when I hear Nemo all I can think about is this apparent blizzard coming our way. More than 3 feet of snow... great.

Unfortunately, because tomorrow is the day of parent/teacher conferences... I still have to go into work. A decision that the husband is not thrilled about. Since my brush with death a few weeks ago, I've given into winter completely and now find myself in my old bedroom, at my parent's house waiting for the alarm to sound letting me know it's time to leave for work with my dad. He's graciously offered to drive me at 5AM. 

I'm not too excited about having to brave the storm. I'd rather be hunkered down in sweats, with Sean and Apollo watching TV. However, if we truly get as much snows as they say... it looks like I'll have a number of days to do that. Assuming the roads don't close down and I'm not trapped at work. Yuck.

The great fall.

Sometimes really embarrassing things happen to me.

Sometimes really painful, embarrassing things happen to me.

So, I figure... why not blog about them?

Take last week, Thursday to be exact.

It was 6AM. Totally dark, totally frigid.

I was walking to my car, completed bundled, 

carrying 3 bags full of things that I probably didn't need to bring to work.

The ground was apparently covered with black ice.

And I was walking so carefully, so cautiously, so slowly.

I got downstairs, down the hallway, through the "courtyard", down the steps, across the parking lot...

And to the car that was parked RIGHT NEXT TO MY CAR,

and suddenly it happened.

My feet did that sort of "running thing" where they are trying to find balance and safety but the ground seems to be moving on them?

That sort of "two-stepping" that doesn't look fancy, and just makes it harder to stand?

And, then... the worst part.

I completely fell.

And not just a slip or a trip.

I mean a full blown, up in the air, slamming down on my backside so that every inch of my body hit the ground at the same time.

From my head to the heels of my feet.

Nothing caught my fall. 

Not my elbows, not my arms... no part of my body risked itself for another.

via.

So, I just laid there.

Beside the back tires of a Ford Ranger.

On the ground. In the middle of a dark parking lot.

When I realized what happened, I tried to get up...

Shamed and saddened.

Annoyed that no one was there to help, but relieved no one witnessed my fall.

I was no longer carrying my car keys that I originally had in my hands.

I sat up looked around and realized they, too, had landed on the black ice and slid down the hill of the parking lot.

Not being able to stand... 

I did what anyone in my situation would do.

I crawled on my hands and knees... on the black ice... 

in the middle of the dark parking lot.. and retrieved my keys.

Only to drag myself back up the hill, to my car, and drive in traffic to work.

Perfect morning, huh?

Luckily my iPhone survived the fall. 

My can of coke did not.

Yup,

And my back still hurts.

So, I think it's safe to say I'm losing the game between myself and Winter 2013.

Mother Nature tried to kill me.

This morning I was watching the children in my classroom play outside at recess. I normally do this and I don't really give it much thought. Today was slightly different because... it was snowing.

They were running and jumping, leaping and falling, making snow angels and sliding down the slide. The looks on their faces were looks of pure joy. And in lots of ways it makes sense. These kids are little. Some only 3 years old. It's a new experience. It's a fun experience. They may not remember snow from last season. And they certainly have not played in the snow with their friends from this year, yet.

Their screams were full of positive energy and I envied them.

Because on my end... this morning, I thought I was going to die.

Now, I'm not being dramatic. I really, whole-heartily, 100% thought I was done. 

First off, let me say, I hate driving. Hate it. Hate. It. It's not for me.

Add in a snowstorm? Oh.my.god.

I woke up feeling good about myself. Feeling a lot better than yesterday since my antibiotics must have kicked in. I cleaned off my car which isn't fun but the snow was light and fluffy and full of life.

I started driving and that's where it all went wrong.

I realized that the snow wasn't full of life and instead was trying to kill me.

We live in a town that seems to be at the bottom of hills. 

Which means, any direction I go to get out of this town... I need to go uphill. 

I work about 40 minutes from where we live. Which means, I was in for an even longer ride this morning.

I was trying to get uphill and the car had a little trouble. But I just kept on singing Ed Sheeran and hoping for the best. What else could I do?

Then... another hill. A little more slippery... more skids... more thoughts of "hmm... this isn't good".

I had to shut off the radio. You know it's serious when you can't listen to music.

But then... my favorite part. [enter sarcasm]. Going downhill.

I watched for a split second as the cars in front of me slid off the road.

Into ditches and mailboxes.

But I didn't have time to stop completely.
And I couldn't turn around. 

So, I started and immediately slid into someone's driveway. 

My brakes made that awful sound that told me they were working their hardest but couldn't do more. 

I put on my hazards and just stayed still while the cars behind me passed.

Going fast. 

Just because you're in an SUV doesn't mean you need to act big, bad and bold.

I tried again... I began to slide sideways down the hill.

And not that fast slide where you don't have time to think about it.

It was the slow-motion slide where you know exactly what's happening but can't do a thing about it.

I think that one's worse.

I got control of the car and slid into someone else's driveway narrowly missing their mailbox and a huge tree. 

I put on my hazards again and this time just kept them on as I gripped the steering wheel tightly and literally just screamed my head off the rest of the way down.

Not just a metaphorically-speaking scream, either.

I mean I was screaming as if Mother Nature was trying to kidnap me and put me into her white van.

Seriously.

When I finally got to the bottom of the hill, which is pretty freaking long apparently, I did what any married 26 year old would do: I called my mom.

Screaming and irrational.

She told me that I needed to stop crying so my tears wouldn't stop me from seeing,

I quickly told her that I had no tears and that I was just hyperventilating.

After an hour and forty minutes... I got to work. Safely.

Texted Sean to tell him that I was okay.

And decided to reflect on what had just happened.

Here are my thoughts:

1. Perhaps the state of Massachusetts should treat the roads when they know [which they did] a storm is coming. The funds are there, use'em.

2. Maybe, just maybe, the plows that are out on the roads could actually put down their plows rather than drive around with their plows off the ground. Get some snow off the roads?

3. It would probably be a better idea if the salt truck was behind the plow truck.. that way the plow truck didn't remove all the salt the salt truck just released. Right?

I mean, it is New England. So while I should be comfortable driving in the snow... the state should know how to prepare for it.

The end.

It's snowing.

Tonight we spent time at Sean's grandmother's house with family. Almost an extended Christmas celebration if you will. His brother Joe  and his wife Kim are visiting from Seattle so we all got together to exchange gifts and eat lots of food. What's better than that?

It started snowing while we were there. I don't like the snow. As we were driving home the roads looked like this:

Once home (very scary ride, let me tell you), we had to move cars. Our building has some crazy rules about parking when it snows and even though they're not holding up their end of the bargain and our lot looks like this (36 hours after the first snow stopped):

no salt, no sand, no snow plow in sight.

They've threatened to tow our cars if they're parked there between 7AM-9AM. Which means I would have to wake up tomorrow, probably at 6:30AM, to clean off my car and move it for the non-existent snow plows. No thanks.

So we moved them tonight thus avoiding the 6:30AM wake up call.

Here's a picture of our courtyard that is supposed to be shoveled and sanded for emergency purposes:

Looks great, huh?

You don't want to visit us. 

You'll probably fall.

Don't forget to find us on facebook.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

This has been the strangest Halloween in some time. The snow over the weekend has prevented lots of kids from trick-or-treating (so sad!) and because of the power outages lots of schools (including mine!) got the day off (our first official snow day of the season). Luckily, we didn't lose power this time around... I can't really imagine being without heat. 

Sean is at band practice so I spent the night giving out candy with these two: 

We don't have any pictures from today but here are some over the past few Halloweens! :)

2007... Zombie Prom dates.

2008... the joker & a witch.

2009... a mouse & a zombie.

 

2010... No costumes since we spent the weekend in D.C.

This year (and last year) we didn't dress up! No parties or anything. But that's okay! Maybe next year! Instead we spent the snowy weekend in bed eating candy & watching scary movies. It was perfect.

A hint of winter.

On Friday, things looked like this:

This morning... like this: