Candles

Dear Nephew,

Someone has a birthday today! Happy Birthday, Birthday Boy/Tigger/ Pooh's Offspring/HP!

It seems like yesterday that I flew up to Pooh and the Prof's soon after you were born. Now you're so grown up and soooo fun to be around. With interests of your own, enthusiasm for life, and talents that amaze us all.

(Note to adults: Just goes to show that you have to enjoy kids while they are around because they grow from babies into toddlers into children into interesting nephews while you file your fingernails. How does that happen?)

Have a great ZooTycoon-playing, Lego-building, gift-opening day. Or as the inside of your birthday card (which is still sitting in my house instead of being in the mail or at your house) says: Catch all the fun you can!

Love from Nevada

p.s. Just wanted you to know that Kharma personally chewed the envelope, just for you!

p.p.s. Thanks for teaching me to appreciate Transformers and the differences between Autobots and Decepticons.

Young, Blonde, and Famous

Erkie-pie had to work and I didn't. Wonderful mom that I am, I offered to puppysit. Such a sacrifice! I not only took photos, but figured out how to use the movie feature on my camera.

Here she is....



Yes, that is a squat at the very end. Her bladder is the size of a pea. And no, I got absolutely nothing done today and don't regret it a bit.

The Legend of Zelda

Here she is! She's playful. She waddles when she walks. She has a cute little growl. Her master dotes on her.

Five Weeks and Counting

Erkie sent a photo of the pup to my cell phone. Since then I've been showing it to everyone. She's so cute!

Not Much of A Storm

Despite what you might have read, it wasn't much of a storm. Yeah, we got snow--about a foot maybe. But no huge accumulations.

It was (and still is) pretty. Like this photo I took at 9 p.m. Friday while walking Kharma.

But best of all, I have an extra half day of vacation! Why? Because the highly paid wusses concerned managers of our school district have called a two-hour delayed start for tomorrow. Since the morning class only lasts for two and a half hours on a regular day, there is no point in anyone (including ME) going in for thirty minutes. So I get to accomplish just a little bit more--hmmm, now what can I do with an extra four hours...

(Just kidding school-district decision makers--I think you totally have the safety of our children at heart--good call on that delayed start. And yes, I am just aching to get back and see our adorable kidlets.)

I Woke Up in Portland

Rain. Lots of it.

Apparently there is a storm after all, with enough power to make it over the Crest and bring us rain here in the Rainshadow. It's been noisily raining since 5 a.m. and since the ground is frozen, the runoff is beginning to be exciting. Storm drains here and there are getting a little clogged and allowing large puddles to extend onto the roadway. It's cool to drive by and watch the dedicated maintenance men hermetically sealed into their storm gear trying to use their shovels to coax the runoff into the drains. The Truckee is commencing to roar. The Ditch is already half full just from local rain. It had better stop raining and start snowing or I have the feeling that another flood might be on the horizon. We just don't do rain well here.

There's no need for the intermittent setting on the windshield wipers. Just turn them on "fast" and drive. We have the choice of driving the safe yet scenic route in the left lane which avoids the little mini-lakes or using the right lane and spraying glorious rooster tails of water sideways. The wind is blowing so hard that sometimes the splash ends up right on your windshield and you feel like you're driving (or should that be piloting?) a submarine. It's less fun on the freeway because hydroplaning just sort of sneaks up on you even when everyone is driving about 15 mph slower than usual. Just think how much fun we'll have when the temps drop, our wet roads become solid ice and we have one big skating rink in town.

I've discovered that the Forester rear hatch makes a great roof when loading and unloading groceries. Well thought out, Suburu designers. (We now pause while I stop and think about how much I lovelovelove my little red Forester.)

I totally believe in Global Warming. It basically does not rain here. Well, maybe a welcome thundershower in August, but winter rain...no. It snows. That's why I love it here. Snow is beautiful and dry and makes you want to go outside and play. Those were the good old days BGW. Rain is wet and messy and makes mud and makes me want to stay inside and eat fattening foods. If there is any holiday weight gain, I am blaming it ALL on the rain.


p.s. Kharma doesn't like the rain either.

Storm Skeptic

Hunker down and get ready for the biggest storm in five years. That's what they are telling us.
(Long Pause)

I don't want to rain (or snow) on their parade. We'd be thrilled with a good storm--heaven knows we could use the water. I'm just a little skeptical. Weathermen like weather. It's been my experience that they get excited and hopeful about storms, kinda like kids about the cool stuff Santa may bring them.

Judging by the winds that have been blasting around since noon, something might be in the works for the near future. We're hoping the back fence, that is scheduled for replacement this Spring, rides it out and withstands the gusts that are currently making it ripple like a flag in a breeze. But the biggest storm in five years? Please.

They are predicting up to twelve inches of snow down on the valley floor. It was 54 degrees today so it's gonna hafta drop precipitiously (no pun intended) to come close to that.

In our book, a big storm is defined by a minimum of two feet of snow in a 24 hour period. A big storm requires us to shovel the driveway continuously just to keep up with the accumulation. When we get to the bottom of the drive, it's time to start over at the top. This photo shows what happened the last time we had a big storm way back in 2004. That sleek looking mound is, in fact, a car. I didn't see my morning kindergartners for three weeks due to snow days. At the time, I thought the school district was being wimpy about the whole thing since we've driven our kids to school over worse roads. It was kinda nice getting up late and having an extended vacation. Making up the snow days in June when I was dying for school to end was less fun.

Now that I've poo-poohed the whole forecast, I think I'll go out and wash my car and have my sweetie clean the windows. If THAT doesn't bring on a major storm, nothing will.