Naturally Optimistic

Well, a lot of hype up in these parts for a storm that (once again) didn't hit us. If I sound dissappointed by this, I am...a little bit. Sure it's nice to not have to deal with yucky snow & ice...but I was longing for so much snow & blizzardy conditions (with everyone safe, naturally) that the whole city would shut down for a day or two and we'd have to stay home with our families, watch movies & make pizzas & play games. Instead the winds were so strong off the big lake, they kept the snow to our south & west. But since there was no storm there was still pre-school today; Steve didn't have to burn a vacation day; I got to get some things down around the house & take a nap (yay!) & there is absolutely no shoveling or ice melting to do. All in all, I'm so ready for spring!

We have a tornado watch going on right now. These are HIGHLY unusual in Duluth. In Austin we had them ALL. THE. TIME. In Duluth I remember one back in 1995. I was working at a hotel, there were 3 touch downs over the hill. That was fun. Blech. Right now it's sunny (finally!) & beautiful. Hard to believe that there is severe weather on the way.

After a morning of kitchen deliciousness, gifts, and way too much rain for this time of year...oh and Steve shoveling the heaviest, wettest snow he's ever encountered - we finally made it to my in-laws. The main roads had been plowed (ours had not) and without the Highlander's 4WD we never would have made it up there. We enjoyed good company, lots of good food, the kids LOVED seeing the big bob-cat type thingy clearing the driveway, more food, delicious cake and presents! The kids loved playing with each other...and Miss Dahlia was asleep before we could back out of the driveway! When we got home, we discovered the plows had come through and with all the rain & ice, we had to get out and shovel in order to make it up the driveway. That part wasn't too fun, but we didn't have to shovel completely, just enough to make it through. Today's agenda - eating more Monkey Bread, seeing AVATAR in 3D and another holiday party at Steve's Aunt's tonight!

Dahlia & I just came in from being outside "playing" in the snow (while Steve still shovels & snowblows). We're having a respite right now from the flakes & winds, but a full blown blizzard is supposed to be in effect by midnight! We're stocked up & ready to hunker down if necessary (if we can get out - we'll go to church & my FIL's for Christmas Eve dinner...we shall see). My only MAJOR disappointment is the fact that we are STILL MISSING a piece for Dahlia's kitchen so I wanted to run to Target today. Steve may go in a little bit to see if he can get one (and he has a couple other errands to run) but we might have to wait a day or two to get Dahlia's full Christmas morning reaction. I'm super bummed about that as I know she's going to LOVE this kitchen, but what can you do? I'm trying not to let it ruin my day. For all you in the northern climes, enjoy the white Christmas! While all you in the warm sunny states can ...

Austin was hit by a tornado last night. The north side of town - Mapleview, Todd Park, Nature Center areas. Sounds like most of the damage was at Todd Park, UBC, Morem Tree Service & the Nature Center. Haven't gotten *too* many details but it sounds like it could've been much much worse. My folks were without phone & electricity til about 5am this morning. I know some power was still out (where my Grandma lives, for example) as of this morning. Hopefully everything's okay. My gosh they get the severe weather down there - tornadoes, floods, ice storms, blizzards...it's starting to make Duluth seem REALLY boring! Sheesh. We can't even get an inch of rain!

This was the sight on Monday morning - rain & ice and more rain & ice and yet MORE rain & ice. We have a small (large?) pond by our backdoor. The sump pump (portable, borrowed) was running like crazy trying to keep water from spilling in through our backdoor! Not much we can do about the leakage into the basement for now but at least we're not floating yet!! More....to come...

Yesterday was WAY too nice to be inside blogging about - so we were outside most of the day. Today is the return of crap weather (38 and rainy) so a good day for blogging! Dahlia & I walked to work yesterday - about 2.5 miles each way. We had to try out her new jogger. It rocks! The ride is very smooth & sweet. I think we both dug it. She slept most of the way to work and was SUPER smiley and LAUGHING once we got there -awesome! It was hard to concentrate at work so after a few hours we walked back home. Again she mostly slept, I ate ice cream and she was super happy when we got home. We didn't even make it inside! I brought the bouncy seat out and we hung out on the back steps. I even enticed Anna over for a margarita! :) Steve got home and we did more hanging out outside - Dahlia even dined al fresco. We had margaritas and cheese and it was fabulous. 75 degrees & not a cloud in the sky. That's Duluth SUMMER. What a treat to have it in April. When it's that nic...

So the storm came. It's WINDY and snowy but not as snowy as I thought it would be. Most things are closed today - schools, clinic, banks, some businesses, etc. The plow has come by the front of the house (twice) but not the alley or the avenue so it's a bit tricky to maneuver anyway. We're pretty much staying put today. In fact Dahlia's going to have a Pajama Day and I'm not going to bother dressing her at all! The snow is wet & heavy but it's warm out so things are melting pretty quickly. We're supposed to continue to get snow and have strong winds through tomorrow morning and then it should really warm up and melt! Jason has no electricity at his apt and is bored out of his skull. Steve's dad also doesn't have power (or heat) so they're a bit miserable. We're snug as bugs in a rug though so I can't complain.

...this blizzard becomes as big of a deal as they're advertising (I'm skeptical because they're usually WRONG about weather 'round these parts).... So - I picked up a gallon of milk & OJ (we're almost out), some lunchmeat and a bag of Doritos....in case we're snowed in. Two new flicks from NetFlix await our viewing pleasure and the babe is stocked up on formula & diapers. Bring it on. That being said - I would rather we have a blizzard that consisted of 60 degrees and not 60 mile an hour winds.

BLIZZARD Watch for this weekend. /O.NEW.KDLH.BZ.A.0001.080411T0300Z- 080412T0000Z/ CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-DOUGLAS- 429 AM CDT WED APR 9 2008 ...BLIZZARD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DULUTH HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 40 TO 50 MPH...COMBINED WITH HEAVY SNOW OF A FOOT OR MORE...WILL RESULT IN A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HAZARDOUS WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FOR LOCATIONS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERAL HOURS OF NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY... SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING OF THE HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED. A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW...WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS OR LIFE THREATENING. PREPARE FOR THIS STORM NOW. MAKE TRAVEL PLANS ACCORDINGLY AND PREPARE A SURVIVAL KIT FOR YOUR HOME AND VEHICLE. For GODSAKE this is the winter that will. not. e...

But it's all sticky & wet and supposed to be around 40 here today by this afternoon so....I guess I'll have to live with it. I'm just SO OVER winter already. Sheesh.

It's sunny & warm* today! (*45? I'll TAKE IT!) The yucky crusty dirty snow is MELTING and I am so happy. It feels springish....not quite springy but close. We need the lovely scent of spring for it to be springy... But I am happy that we have had the return of daylight savings time and a SUNNY day! Wahhooo! I get over-anxious and want to sit out in the backyard but...it's really not quite weather for that yet. Besides our patio table is still covered in snow....doh! Tomorrow? High of 34 and light snow.....I'm hoping for a higher high and no snow. I'm ready for SPRING!

We had a temperature drop of 60 degrees the other day. From midnight to 6am. 60 DEGREES! It went from 40 to -20 in 6 hours. YUCK. No wonder we have ice on the INSIDE of our windows. Ah old houses with crappy windows & no insulation. I'm going to be spending Dahlia's college fund just to heat the place! Ugh. I'm going slightly nuts as we haven't really been able to get out the past couple of days. I need some adult conversation, change of scenery & stimulation. I'm hoping tomorrow the weather will be better but it doesn't sound like it will be *MUCH* better. I long for the days when I can take her for a stroller ride around the block. Something - anything! Different! I'm going nuts here! We did pop out briefly tonight to visit Steve's Great Aunt at a hospice house here in Duluth. It thrilled her that we stopped to visit and that makes me feel warm & fuzzy inside - even if it was only -10 outside. Tomorrow I have a work meeting (at a bar! nice!...

It's hard to believe that it's December 1st already. November was here and gone in a flash of time. I am still trying to wrap my head around a whole 30 days being gone as if in a second. Of course that means, we're having a baby THIS MONTH and while great progress has been made on Baby B's room (finally!) I'm still feeling unprepared - mentally, physically, you get the idea. I don't think one is ever REALLY prepared, are they? Am I just behind? It's snowing to beat all today - it's lovely and beautiful and I would be appreciating it more if I wasn't supposed to drive to Minneapolis tomorrow morning to go to a baby shower thrown (sort of last minute) by my cousins on my Dad's side. *sigh* If it keeps up like this, no way am I driving. Yuck. I don't want to end up in a ditch, with no cell phone service, going into pre-term labor or something by myself. I like to think of worst-case scenarios....(okay, that's not *THE WORST* but it would be ...

Keep in mind we had NO snow as of last night.

On another note, it's POURING rain right now. And thundering.....spring is springing. :)

well, yesterday went a different way than I had originally thought it would. Jason & his girlfriend picked me up around 9;45 or so to head to Minneapolis for our auditions. I had to walk a ways to meet them because neither my street or my avenue had been plowed yet. (or my alley for that matter)...after a quick ATM and gas stop we were on the road by 10 - our targeted leaving time. About 20 miles or so down the road, we came to some slush in the passing lane. The slush was covering, unbeknownst to us, black ice. Jason said 'slow down, slow down' and before we knew it we were spinning on the freeway and landing in the ditch with a big thump and an explosion of white. I think we spun around twice on the freeway but I can't be certain as I shut my eyes until we hit the snowbank. I am thankful that we didn't hit the cement median or another car. The scariest part of this was waiting. We were there for probably an hour and a half waiting for AAA and the state patrol. In ...

We're closing our office at NOON! hee haw. I love snow days! And this may then be my last day of work. eeeeeeeeeek. :)

Blizzard warning starting at 6pm CDT. 16-20" of new snow by Friday. 20"+ in isolated areas near the lake (me!) Whohooooo! My snowshoes are ready. My x-country skis are ready. We have gas for the snowblower and a full bottle of Baileys and 2 movies from Netflix and 2 1/2 baby blankets to knit. I am ready. BRING IT ON.