Go Away

Today was just one of those days.

No reason in particular, just one of those days.

My stomach was upset and spent the day busily and loudly complaining to the world --ok, not the world, but at least my office.

And that all-too-familiar demon was back at it.

You know, those demons that whisper in your ear telling you "you can't"?

Mine has a very specific name and face, and time and place. And he won't go away. And on days like today, I feel like I am a perpetual can't.

But in a couple of minutes I'll get a text message that says "On my way home. Love you." And I'll remember that in the things that truly matter, I'll never be a failure. Because I've already won.

Governmental Gift

Inventory of the week:

Two snow storms.

One and a half days without power.

Two leaky windows due to ice dams.

4.5 days without work.

Church cancelled.

Blake's perilous climb up the ladder to chip ice away from the roof in a blizzard (Blake likened it to climbing Everest...but without Sherpas).

Movies watched:
He's Just Not that Into you (two thumbs WAY down)
Coraline (Good, not great. Nightmares for me)
Surrogates (Bruce Willis is so type-cast...but decent)
Arlington Road (Hey, we used to live there...)
The Italian Job (and old favorite, and got us through some of the cold power-outaged hours in bed)
An Education (how depressing)
Up in the Air (ditto on depressing)
Invictus (Great story. Boring movie. Horrid fake South African accents)
Where the Wild Things Are ( AWFUL. We only made it through the first 15 minutes before turning it off. Way to ruin a childhood favorite...)

House Projects Accomplished:
Basement stairwell painted.
Basement stair grip-tape removed.
Walls and baseboards washed.
Track lighting installed in the den.
Den ceiling painted.
Pictures hung in the den and dining room.
New dimmer installed in the dining room.
Two leaks stopped and further prevented.
Walkways shoveled three times.
Mountainous laundry pile laundered.

SNOWPOCALYPSE

Spread the mayhem!http://www.snowmageddondc.com/

Day 1: Friday, February 5, 2010.

Day 2: Saturday Morning, February 6, 2010.

In the mean time, we're busy staying warm, making good food, knocking snow off the magnolia tree and installing track lights in the den.

You may or may not see us cross country skiing down Wisconsin Ave. later today.

Stay tuned for more updates....

Day 3: The New Frontier

After losing power at 1:30 p.m. yesterday, we spent a cold afternoon, a frigid night, and a cold morning cursing the heavens (and Pepco) with seeming futility.

It was a terrible feeling to know that we couldn't get out of our neighborhood (the streets are not plowed and even 4-wheel drive cars were slip-slidin' all over the place) and to know that it may be up to five days without heat.

Finally, just when we were beginning to lose hope, we got power back around 2:30 p.m. today. 26 hours of no heat in 19 degree weather (closer to 0 with wind-chill)...not the best weekend we've ever had. In fact, I may as well describe it for what it was: the weekend from Hell.

Thank you, Nature...

...for another weather slap in the face.

Thank you for keeping us house-bound two weekends in a row.

Thank you for starting, conveniently, on Friday so that we will be sufficiently plowed-out in time for work on Monday.

Just thank you.


WEATHER.COM Says:
... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW WITH NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* PRECIPITATION TYPE... HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 16 TO 24 INCHES.

* TIMING... SNOW WILL BEGIN MID-MORNING FRIDAY... AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON... WITH HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURRING BETWEEN SUNSET FRIDAY TO SUNRISE SATURDAY. THE MOST HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY NIGHT... WHEN THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE... PRODUCING NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* TEMPERATURES... HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY... TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID 20S.
* WINDS... BECOMING NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH FRIDAY WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE SIMILAR TO THE 19 DECEMBER STORM. PLAN FOR SUBSTANTIAL DISRUPTIONS TO TRAVEL FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT.