Bitter Cold

I guess winter is officially here.  I really didn’t expect Texas to be this cold and windy, and from what Chuck has told me, it usually isn’t.  It seems like cold weather likes to follow me around.  When I first moved to Tennessee, I remember being concerned out a steep hill leading up to my first apartment.  The apartment manager was thoroughly amused when I asked her if they were quick to plow it when it snowed.  "Oh, honey, we don’t ever get snow here!"  Cue the worst winter in ten years.  I still remember being sent home from Lonnie’s two hours early when it was clear the weather wouldn’t be subsiding any time soon.  By the time I got home that night at 2:30 in the morning, that damn driveway was so slick and packed with snow, my poor little rear wheel drive Pontiac had no chance of making it to the top.  I, along with several other unfortunate residents, had to park at the bottom and walk the rest of the way home in the bitter cold.  Of course, my first winter in Colorado turned out much the same.  Snow in October, blizzards by December, and many days those months spent working from home via my trusty laptop curled up in front of a roaring fire.  If that’s any indication, this will probably be a nasty few months in Texas.  Hell, it’s already begun!  Last week, the girls called us from their home in Beaumont, on the southern coast.  They were out of school for the majority of the morning, due to the several inches of snow on the ground.  You other Texas residents understand how rare that is!

I haven’t really had anything exciting going on lately, but I’m actually pretty thankful for that.  I’m enjoying working from home, the lack of travel, and being able to focus on my own hobbies in my spare time.  It’s hard to do that when you’re constantly on the road.  Fortunately, my boss doesn’t seem to have any interest in sending me back out, either.  He recently confided in my brother that I’m much too important to the development team, and that he needs me to stay local and focused on my development tasks rather than acting as a field engineer.  That’s music to my ears, because it means I get to stay right here in the warmth and comfort of my home and do what I really love.  Not to mention, I’ve been ridiculously productive lately, and that just makes me feel good.  I am going to be swamped the rest of today and tomorrow, though.  I just realized last week that I have several hours of vacation time left.  You can either use it up by the end of the year or get a pay out for it, but because it’s taxed so heavily (like a bonus), it’s more beneficial to actually take the time off.  I’m taking leave from Wednesday through the 26th, so I have to get the rest of my tasks finished by tomorrow evening.  Time to crank out some code!

Chuck and I have pretty much finished up our Christmas shopping.  The girls have tons of presents under the tree, but I think the ones they’ll be most excited about are the new bicycles hidden up in the attic.  When Jess moved to Beaumont, she took their bikes along, too, but those kids love to spend time outside.  They’ve been riding around on two old ones that are too small for either of them with flat tires that won’t hold air.  I can’t wait to see their faces when they hop on the new ones for the first time.  Chuck got me one huge, heavy package.  Since I manage the finances, I know that he spent about $350 on it.  I thought it was a KitchenAid mixer because he knows that I’ve been eyeing them for years, but he was adamant that I had guessed incorrectly.  I’m excited about what I got him, too.  We have a ton of plans for the back yard, and every time we’re in Home Depot, he stops to look at chimineas.  I got him a really nice, metal one for the back patio to kind of kick off our plans.  I wanted to get some outdoor furniture to go along with it, but it was too hard to find anything I like this time of year.  His birthday is in March, though, and that may be a better time to shop.  Instead, I also got him a Calphalon removeable plate grill.  We both love to cook, and he’s had his eye on a similar indoor grill for some time, too.  He guessed that I got him a wine refrigerator, so I can’t wait to see the surprise on his face when he actually opens up the boxes!

In other news, I’d really appreciate it if you all keep Tammy in your thoughts.  I got an early morning text message from her a couple of days ago.  She often drives up to Ohio to visit her family, and apparently she and Jeremy and both their sons were there last week.  They were hit by a drunk driver doing 120.  Fortunately, neither of her boys had a scratch on them (Landon, four, and Tristan, three months), but she and Jeremy were hurt pretty bad.  I haven’t been able to talk to her yet, so I don’t really have many details.  She said in the message that they were in the hospital, but that they were going to be okay.  I’m guessing they haven’t been discharged yet, because her phone is still turned off.  Hopefully, she’ll be able to call me soon, and let me know what’s going on.  I can’t imagine how terrifying that must have been, especially having her babies in the car with them.

Well, back to work I go.  Must get finished up so I can enjoy my long, relaxing vacation!

Cheers,
Felina