now what?

The snow finally stopped last night... and then the electricity went out again... I haven't seen my husband since last night... he is still out there plowing... I did my best to shovel out my car and keep the walkway clean.. but I can't do a darn thing with the driveway... and since the plow is now without 4wd (seems it broke yesterday...something about a driveshaft???) Mike can't make it up the driveway if he did ever come home.... ahhh the trials and tribulations!!! Before
After....

This is the driveway-- As you can see its got tracks from when Christopher drove out with the plow truck but it snowed alot since then!! There is no way I can shovel all that...

This is my world.... did I mention its kinda lonely here??

We have officially hit 20 inches and at 6:00pm its still snowing.. a few more hours and we will have had snow for 24 hours straight.

Maizy is not sure exactly what to do with all this snow... She can't walk in it because shes not tall enough...

This afternoon I realized my holiday decorations would be lost to the snow if it didn't stop.... and it hasn't...

Maizy doesn't understand where her yard went.. she doesn't have great night vision to begin with and she knew there were stairs here somewhere..

Anyone know how I am ever going to get my car out????
I guess we are not having BBQ tonight either---Thank goodness for the big ol pot of chili on the stove....hmmm homemade with our garden tomatoes!! toasty warm!!!

Blizzard conditions now...

This was 10:30 this morning....

You can barely tell I have shoveled a walk way.... and where are my chairs??? They say we are in a blizzard with snow coming 2-3 inches per HOUR!!!

Good Morning!

This was 1:30AM--Unfortunatley I did not take a picture at Maizys 5:00 constitution... but lets just say it was still snowing and she was scared to move off of the Welcome Mat at the backdoor that is under the overhang...

And now here is 8AM!! and its still snowing like nobodies business!!

This isn't the most attractive picture but it really shows how much snow is out there!!

More to come!! And the weather report has it snowing like this until 10pm tonight! OH MY GOODNESS

SNOW

This is it! The big snow! 2 inches at 11 o'clock-- We will have to see what happens by morning--night ya'all!

Someones 50!

Michael celebrated his birthday in style this past weekend-- I even managed to make his favorite Watergate cake... too bad he had to remind me to serve it!

Both Kids came home to toast Dad-- Amanda got in on Thursday night so she had the pleasure of helping me cook and clean before everyone got there.. Thank goodness seeing as Mike and I are still on Slave duty at work!

And you know its just not fair.. aside from a few gray hairs he looks just the same year after year!!

Hometown tourist, snow and so much more

Its been another crazy week around here. Mike was in Boston one night and then another night he stayed in DC. In between hes been working some very long days. And unfortunately hes not the only one--tis the season for poor Maizy to wonder if her family is ever coming home.

I had wanted to go up to Jersey to visit the kids--Amanda and I had decided it would be great fun to go into the City and see the holiday lights. I mentioned it to Mike and got that look... we tried we really tried... but without leaving early there was no way we would be able to do the trip--we kicked around staying til Monday but again our work schedules were getting in the way..... So last night he came home picked me up and we went and stayed in DC for the night. He has a hotel room there for the month (thats how crazy his schedule has been) and Maizy and I were going to along for the ride!! No time to think about packing--I still had my skirt and dress coat on from work-- a pair of jeans, a sweater, gloves and dogfood in bag-- and we were off!

The Hotel George is right around the corner from the Capitol and Union Station--perfect for alittle sightseeing! Nothing like being a tourist in your own backyard-- Lets just say that taking Maizy into the city was alittle ackward.. shes not a big fan of concrete -- but she made the best of it for her evening walk. Being in a hotel room was A-ok for her.. she didn't miss a beat.

We woke up anticipating alittle snow...the weather forecast had lead us to believe we might see an inch on grassy areas but nothing much for the roads... but ofcourse in the city it all started out as rain.... I choose to climb back into bed after running Maizy out to find alittle grass in front of the Capitol. After eventually getting motivated-- the snow began to fall and we started planning what kind of adventure we would undertake for the day... most tourist attractions in town are anit-Maizy so our list was kinda short. But we decided to venture out the Whitehouse to see the National Christmas tree.... With Maizy in her sweater and me in my cap we strolled the streets... The sky was gray-- the snow was falling and the wind was blowing.... not exactly tourist weather... Needless to say the streets were pretty empty... no pushing or shoving to see the trees!!

Maizy reminded us over and over that she was not a fan of winter... She wasn't interested in any grassy areas... she shivered and shook the whole way...but then so did we!!
Of course on the way back to the car the wind was in our faces... but that didn't deter me from sheepishly suggesting we go to the monument-- I figured we would go half way up the hill--take a picture and get back to the heat of the car... but when your half way there you might as well go all the way...

A few photos and we turned around (as did the umbrella Mike was carrying). I have to say that the guy running the elevator poked his head outside to let the few people milling around know that today you didn't need a ticket to get up-- seems no one was touring the city today!! Again no puppies were allowed so we missed out!

No one was happier than Maizy to get back to the car-- heat blasting wasn't enough to get her warm-- she burrowed into my coat and fell asleep.

Back at the hotel all I could think of was getting out of my wet clothes-- eating some lunch and taking a nap---Hurray for us they were serving hot chocolate in the lobby!! but adventures always have strange twists and turns don't they?? We chose to eat first-- a lovely three course lunch-- fancy stuff that you see on TV-- no burgers on the menu-- it was good and made me realize how much better that nap would be on a full stomach! I got to the room-- changed into the only dry pants I had-- Jammie pants and asked Maizy if she wanted to go for a walk... no response... so I snatched her up-- threw the leash on her and took her out... lets just say we didn't have to go the patch of grass-- she quickly did her business on the decorative bush next door-- I guess she had enough of the snow for one day!

No sooner did I get back to the room (again thinking about that nap under a warm down comforter) did Mike announce he was called in to plow snow.... hmmm did I want to stay in the city with Maizy??? well if I had known what I know now I probably should have said yes... but I was already feeling irresponsible for running away for the night knowing I had lots of chores and xmas duties waiting for me at home.. So we all headed home.

Mike hopped out of one car and into the Big Green Truck-- and Maizy and I unpacked from our little get away-- shoveled the walk and were just about to settle into our chores when the lights went out... yup 6:30 the lights went out-- its Dark-- really dark... we lite every candle we could find and stared at each other for awhile... after about a half hour I realized time is a ticking and we needed to get busy-- so moving from room to room with our brigade of candles we set about to put all the laundry away--go through the mail that had piled up-- put the clean dishes away-- and wrap the xmas gifts... at 9:30 I was running out of projects to complete in the dark... yes 3 hours later it was still dark-- and our candles were burning low-- Just as I was about to start replacing them with new the lights popped on at 9:50!!

I never did get that nap.... but it was an exciting 26 hours---

hmm

Its not Christmas yet-- but apparently my Christmas cactus doesn't know it.

Thanksgiving 2009

It may not have been the biggest Thanksgiving we have ever had but it sure was good!! Our decision to cook Tuesday and Wednesday paid off and it was a stressfree day...our only concern was whether the Turkey would be done on time... and it was! It left plenty of time for web cam visits to David, Ruth and the girls and time to just hang out and enjoy the day.

Amanda and Corey sent the most beautiful flowers that solved the problem of what to use as centerpiece. And the tablecloth fit the table (just barely) with the leaf in it. I so love having holiday meals where we can all sit down together.

Mike spent most of the day tending the turkey-- yes he basted it every half hour and it was worth it-- and then used the drippings to actually make home made gravy.. He has graduated in his holiday standing and we all agree he can officially take over Aunt Marions job of gravy making from here on out!! I could have drank it with a straw it was soo good!

Christopher, who was very concerned with the status of the mashed potatoes made the decision to peel them (after a quick conference with his grandmother)-- of course like any guy would do.... he took a trashcan and a pot down to the family room and peeled them WHILE he watched a football game.... I guess tomorrow someone needs to hose out that trashcan....

Maizy got lucky too-- she had friends to play with--luckily Rusty and Pheobie came to dinner . While the rest of us need couch time to digest all the food we ate.... she needs a nap due to too much fun.

While I wish the rest of the family had been there to share in our thanksgiving fun- I'm thankful for those that did come. It was as close to perfect as it can get-- did I mention we had homemade rolls and homemade mac and cheese??? what about homemade apple pie and Peanut butter cheese cake squares???? Good food and good company-- what more can a girl ask for???

Health insurance....

So a few weeks ago I battled with our health insurance company... and today as I read the mail I have figured out why they just couldn't seem to get Mikes medications here in a timely manner... They are no longer going to cover his meds... but instead BCBS has found some other company (which from what I read in the very small print is related to the last company) to handle "speciality medication"... so what does this mean??? who knows the letter was vague, written in small print and full of double speak... I guess I will have to make a few calls and figure out how to navigate a "new" provider.

Our glorious president has been pushing health care reform down our throats for months now. But the average person can't seem to get a straight answer on what this reform will do to the middle class... I suppose those who don't work or can't afford health care can't help but want reform. But those of us who have made the right choices, woke up every morning weather we wanted to or not and pushed our way to work what does this change me to us??? Seems to me that if this reform does not include a clause that those sitting in congress and the senate will have to be put on this "new" insurance program then how good can it possibly be??? Do I want my rates to increase to cover those who don't have insurance? Do I want my taxes to increase to cover those that choose not to work??? Do I really want to give people one more reason not to hold a job??? I think not. Less government is the answer. Survival of the fittest--Our country was not founded on handouts... wasn't the American Dream all about hard work???

Let crazy season begin!

Has it really been that long since I logged on?? hmmm I am not sure what I have been doing but I assure its not been anything exciting.

Theres been some of this:

Moving furniture around until I have come to realize that no matter what I do it won't make me happy...And there has been some of this:

Leaf raking and general fall clean up outside.... But today offically marks the beginning of the crazy season... Its the Friday before Thanksgiving and its when I start making lists and consulting calendars and becoming friends with the postman. With 4 family birthdays, 2 holidays that require multiple meals and a house that needs to be decorated for those 2 holidays its just all out craziness....

To make matters worse-- work has been totally crazy!! I am BUSY way too busy for this time of year...yes Something to be Thankful for. Mike has been busy-- not home until 9:30 any night this week... Christopher tells me he will hit 90 hours this week... and Amanda shes doing the job of many at work and trying to get ready for finals.... it must be something in the water...

Let there be light

Well there she is in all her glory!! After a few hours of pulling wires through the attic I now have light in the scraproom!! and isn't it beautiful light??? Alittle contempary and little classic... perfect for a room full of white laminate and teak don't you think???

And best part??? It makes me really happy-- which in the end is what its all about right???