Bursting Out of the Cocoon

We've made it. The sun is shining, the icicles are melting, and it's a glorious day. *B* got a phone call from his manager saying he didn't have to come in until 7 am, then 9 am, then finally noon. He was so sweet - he let me drive him to work and take his car! When we shoveled, we had no room to put snow, so it went on top of my car. We figured that I don't work until Tuesday, so it was okay. I just hope that some of this melts before our next snowfall on Monday. There is some amazing angel who has been snow blowing our driveway. I don't know who it is, but I am so very thankful for it.

The first place I went after getting out of the house was Southern States. I got rock salt (which we couldn't find before now) and something I'm very happy about - SEEDS! I'm debating on starting them early inside or waiting until after the frosts have died down. I got:

• zucchini
• tomatoes
• snap peas
• cantaloupe
• carrots
• parsnips
• parsley
• cilantro
• lavender

I'm looking forward to a tasty crop this summer. There are still a few seed packets I need to pick up (lettuce, spinach) but for now, I've got enough to keep me occupied. Should I start my seeds now? Or wait a while?

I finished my latest book, My Antonia by Willa Cather. While it's considered a classic, I had never read it. It was one of the few fiction books *B* has that I'm into. Most of his books are either non-fiction nature books or cheesy cookie cutter series novels. My baby cats (I still call them both this though only one is a kitten) laid on the bed with me while I finished the book. It was heavenly.

I had also read a Good Housekeeping magazine yesterday that I received in the mail after I accidentally signed up for (and canceled) a subscription. This has inspired me to find a vintage cookbook and start working through it. I've a very picky person, so it's got to be just the right book. After I find it, I think I'll start a series on the recipes in it.

Feeling So Good

I read that Baltimore has had 72.3" of snow this winter. I'm about 64" tall. That's ridiculous.

I've gotten SO much done today! I'm really proud of myself. This morning I shoveled the walk twice before *B* got home. They let him off early because the roads were so bad. When he got home, I made a delicious and nutritious lunch for us both: barbecue pork chops with sugar snap peas, applesauce, and homemade biscuits. I did all of the dishes while making lunch. I did my FAFSA and got *B* to do his FAFSA because they're due in a few days.

I started getting back into my current book but felt a nasty draft in the bedroom. When I looked at the windows, I was horrified. Apparently, they're not sealed tightly at all, because moisture was getting in and we had mold growing! I scrubbed it off and *B* and I sealed the window with a home weatherproofing kit.

I then realized that the bed needed to be cleaned as I hadn't changed the sheets after my recent illness. So I took off all of the covers and added them to the laundry pile. Then I did the entire laundry pile! There's one load in the washer and one load in the dryer left. All of the clothes that have been sitting in baskets for MONTHS are put away! ALL CLOTHES HAVE A PLACE! Oh, you have no idea how happy that makes me.

While I was downstairs, I decided to make chili with cornbread and mixed veggies while *B* went back out to shovel (he has to be at work at 5 am). I got what I needed from the pantry, then on my next trip down, I took everything that I've been piling upstairs and put it in its proper place on my pantry shelves. That's one more thing off my list!

I really don't know what to do now. Once the last of the laundry is put away and the bed is made, I'll have nothing left to do but to paint the bathroom and grade lab reports. That won't get done tonight, but maybe I'll paint tomorrow if I'm bored enough. I'll never be bored enough to grade lab reports :o)

One of my work friends reminded me, and I have to tell the world. I didn't realize Monday is President's Day. I don't go back to work until Tuesday! Let me chronicle my work experience as of late. I called in sick last Monday, went to work Tuesday, snow day Wednesday, went to work for half a day Thursday, called in sick Friday, have this week off for snow, then Monday off for a holiday! This year will be MUCH better than last. I think that I won't have any time making it until Easter this go around.

I have definitely fulfilled my Lovin' that Man of Mine challenge today. I have given *B* a clean house and two good meals. Not to mention that I've been very careful not to ask him for anything I could possibly do myself.

Amazed

I am absolutely amazed. It is snowing. We are to get up to another 10-20 inches. This is on top of the 2+ feet we still have from the weekend. Unlike last time, *B* and I are taking turns shoveling before the snow gets too deep. Schools have been closed for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, because my laptop is dead, I can't upload any pictures! I will get them up as soon as my laptop is back in working order.

I've learned that we are very spoiled where we live. We drove to IKEA today with a friend. When we picked him up, the major highways were only half cleared, and his road wasn't really cleared at all. My car kept bottoming out on the 8 or so inches of ice left on the road. Here at home, all of our roads were cleared within the first day of the blizzard. Even the smallest of side roads are clear. Or at least, they were before it started snowing again.

I've decided to do something productive with my time off. It seems like a waste to sit at home idle all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love the Stargate marathon that *B* and I have going right now. But I kind of feel like I've been given this time to be productive. So tomorrow, I'm reorganizing my pantry. I always get it up to date and cleared out, but I never update my inventory. I might be keeping too many details. I have all items listed, number of items, first date of expiration, and last date of expiration. I think I'd be okay just listing what I have and how many I have of it.

I think that I'm keeping up with my lovin' that man of mine challenge, but I often forget to post about it. At last count, I made *B* lunch for tomorrow and I cleaned off his car. Just one more and I'll fulfill my deeds for the day.

Surviving the Blizzard

Well, we've survived the blizzard. I got a text yesterday that my school is closed for at least the next two days. And on Tuesday/Wednesday, we're supposed to get another round of snow. *B* and I shoveled so very much, but we weren't able to dig ourselves out. Someone with a snow blower came to our little row of homes and helped us out. I believe it's the same person who helped just before Christmas, but I don't know who he is. I need to find out so that I can give him some kind of thank you card/token. The snow in our front yard is taller than I am by a good two feet. We got about three feet of snow total.

On the upside, our office is now clean and fully functional. I was able to set my desktop computer up for the first time since we left the apartment. It really took no time at all to clean and organize everything - maybe an hour. But it was such an obstacle mentally. I'm very happy with the results. The only thing that drives me a little nuts is that the wireless internet has a mind of its own. If it wants to work, it will. If not, its your problem.

Our 72 hour kits now live in our office closet. In setting up my computer, I needed batteries, so I pulled them out of my kit and left the kit out so that I could put the batteries right back in when I went to the store. That was, apparently, a bad idea. This morning, when I came in, the bag of cat food stowed in my pack was in the middle of the floor, wide open - again. This is the second time this has happened! It's in two layers of freezer Ziploc bags. I'm a little afraid to find out how they got the cat food out of my pack, because I don't quite remember where it was. I'm hoping and praying they didn't chew through the pack to get to the food. I swear I do feed my cats well and on a regular basis! They don't need pack food!

Wicket has really changed since Evie has come into the family. She's definitely not the alpha cat. Evie dominates all. But Wicket is now lovey and purrs a lot. She will come ask for love and to be pet. Right now, she's sitting here on my desk next to me, watching the world go by. I've often secretly envied people whose cats sat all over their laps and desks while they worked and play.

Evie, however, is a little hell raiser. She chases Wicket, sinks her claws in Wicket's tail, and even as I type, she's trying to claw my curtains because Wicket's tail is making them move. Earlier today I was sitting at my desk and heard tinkling water. I was worried that my pipes had frozen or something. Nope, it was Evie, laying on the toilet seat, lazily batting at the water.

Snowpocalypse

Yes, snowpocalypse. That is what the media is calling our most recent weather event. I heard on the radio yesterday that we had 30" of snow this winter so far, whereas last winter we had 6." We're supposed to get up to 24 more inches this weekend. Can you believe that? A potential 54" of snow in one measly winter.

So what did I do to prepare? Not a whole lot. I'm just getting my energy back after what I now figure was the flu. I did laundry (almost all of it) because I remembered a blog post that for the life of me I can't find. In effect, this woman's family had no power because of a storm (hurricane or snow I don't recall) and hadn't done any laundry before hand. I just remember her talking about how much she regretted not having clean clothes for that amount of time. So I worked my butt off to make sure we were caught up. My parents took me out for breakfast this morning and out to the grocery store. So I picked up some milk, tea, cereal, and bagels. In almost all other respects, I was ready. Now we're just kind of waiting it out. It was exciting the first few times, now I'm just waiting for it to be over. I had stuff to do this weekend!

And worst of all, my laptop died. In a big way. I'm currently using *B*'s computer. He stopped using it because the mouse moves on its own and it takes forever to do anything on the internet. But, it works, and that counts for something.

On a good note, I'm just about over this stupid flu. My fever is almost gone and I'm only coughing a little bit. I'm so glad to be useful again! I so wanted to join Momzoo's challenge, but I couldn't get off the couch to do much for *B*. I was able to do four things for him since the beginning of February: do the laundry he usually does, fill up his water bottle for work and put it in the fridge, pick up the living room (he hates it when it's a mess), and I left him a love note on the front door to find when he went to work. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to try to pick back up on that challenge. I encourage you all to do the same!

What a Nightmare or Why the Things You DON'T Put in your Car Kit are Most Important

I've been really sick lately. Today, well or not, I went into school because it was parent-teacher conference night. I didn't touch anyone and I made sure that I stood away from them. At about 5:30 pm, it started to snow. Normally, I live about a 45 minute drive north of my high school. So I know if it's snowing at my high school, it's already started at home. I had four sets of parents not show up with not even an email. So of course, I had to stay the whole time until 8 pm.

When I left, I turned on my radio to calm my nerves and realized that the sermon show I listened to over the summer was on the radio. It was all about heaven and how one gets in. The whole way home, I was praying to God to make it home "happy, safe, and healthy." Wouldn't you know it, He got me here?

Well, he got me to my driveway at least. At the end of my driveway, I started swerving and heading toward *B*'s and our neighbors' cars. I put the car in park, engine still going, and shoveled two little tire tracks up the driveway. Pretty clever, I thought I was. That was until the numbness struck. I was wearing a knee length skirt and high heeled shoes, and the snow was 2-3" high. The tops of my feet froze especially. I have almost everything I can think of in my car kit but clothes and shoes. These are the things I need the most! Just like home, I'm prepared to shelter-in-place, but not get out in the open. Home isn't so bad as my car kit issues, but bad enough.

It makes me think of a time I was a little girl, probably about 10 years old. I had gotten cowboy boots for Christmas, and for whatever reason, I wore them to school. On the way to run errands, my mom's car ran out of gas and I had to walk for what seemed like forever (realistically? 1/4 mile) in the most uncomfortable, ill-fitting boots you've ever seen. Between these two instances, boots and clothes are the first thing to be added to my car kit tomorrow morning.

Overnight, we're supposed to get 3-6". This weekend, we're supposed to get another blizzard! Yay for snow days! I'm loving my job right now :o)

No Pot Pie for Me

So yesterday I was all gung ho about making turkey pot pie. My throat had hurt yesterday morning, which annoyed me, but I didn't worry about it. As of last night, I could hardly move. My head feels like it is going to explode. My temperature keeps wildly varying between chills and fever. I'm coughing, congested, and nauseous. While I called out of work today, I have parent-teacher meetings tomorrow! I absolutely cannot miss tomorrow. Because we hardly ever get sick, I have no cold medicine, no escape from the misery. Do any of the home remedies actually work?