It's hard to tell if it's still snowing, or just blowing around. It looks like we did get the projected 1-2', but with all the drifting, it's really hard to measure. It was knee-deep at the bottom of my stairs, and I'm pretty tall.

I finally got up the ambition to go out and shovel off the deck (actually, just a pathway through it) and stairs. I'm saving the car for after lunch, but my downstairs neighbor's friend plowed out the end of our driveway, so that's not quite as daunting as it would've been.

And of course, I took pictures.

( Read more... )

We haven't lost power, thank goodness. Hopefully it'll stay that way. Unfortunately, though, my laptop seems to have bitten the dust. Even though it was a Windows machine, it still makes me sad. It's gotten me through the past year, especially as my Mac was in storage for most of that time. Thank goodness for my iPad. I don't know what I'd do without my Lulabelle. The Mac is so old, I can't use the latest versions of anything. I hate how quickly things become obsolete; it's really not all that old, but in computer years it's a dinosaur.

Anyhoo, I don't have the funds for a MacBook, which is what I really want. I may have to break down and buy an inexpensive laptop at BJ's, because I really do need something. I'll keep looking on Craigslist for a used MacBook, but so far they've all been out of my reach, and I've heard that buying a used laptop is a crapshoot anyway.

Sigh.

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I took the bus down to NYC on Friday, and it's been a whirlwind weekend. I have done a ton of walking, which hasn't left me nearly as stiff this morning as I was afraid it would.

My iPad has decided not to recognize the doohickey that allows me to upload photos, most annoyingly after it has already uploaded some of them, so pix will have to wait until I get home. There are quite a few.

Yesterday, I wanted to see the Brooklyn Bridge, so we walked over it to Manhattan (it was very windy!). Great views, and it was a relatively warm day, for January. I took a bunch of pix, as did just about everyone else there. I'm sure I ended up in as many pictures as I took! That was fun.

Then we went to the 9/11 Memorial, which I did not take pictures of (it seemed disrespectful somehow). It was more moving than I expected it to be. The water falling felt healing; it's just right, I think.

Of course, the main reason I came here was to get a tattoo. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, but it never came together until now. So my cousin grrlfriday and I headed over to the studio, where my friend Scarlet did the honors. She is an amazing artist (and an amazing person), and the results are just perfect.

( Here it is... )

I had a fun time last night, getting home around 2:30 because it takes FOREVER for a cab to come in our little town. By then I was probably fine to drive, but I was still glad not to have to. I don't live far enough away for the car to warm up!

Went back over this morning for the traditional Hoppin' John, and mimosas. I planned to take a nap at some point, but the dusty bathroom beckoned and I scrubbed it end to end. Starting off the year with a sparkling bathroom is a good thing, I think. Of course, once I get started it's hard to stop, so I swept and vacuumed the rest of the apartment, and organized my makeup bags & box, consolidating and tossing stuff. Old mascara begone! Now all the stuff I use daily is in one bag, and the rest is organized so I can find it if I want it.

In between, and during, I've been watching a LOST marathon and remembering why I loved that show - it's all about the characters. The island, the weird stuff were all just a delivery system for great characters and interesting storytelling.

Now I've switched over to a Castle marathon, which I love for similar reasons. And Nathan Fillion.

LJ has not allowed me to respond to comments, so please don't think I'm ignoring you if you've left me one!

Here's to a good 2013 for us all. Happy New Year!

ETA: obviously, I wrote this yesterday. LJ has been down since then. Grr argh!

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...and tomorrow, I get Internet at home, so I don't have to steal moments at work, or go to the library, to check my email. I've been listening to audiobooks (I scored the first five Harry Potter books on tape at a yard sale, for free) and watching DVDs (Firefly from my collection, and Buffy from the library). I will be glad to have TV and Internet again. I miss my shows, the few I've managed to keep up with. Especially Castle and Once Upon a Time.

Reason #547 that my job rocks: I have the next five days off. Three of them paid. Also, I am a rockstar there this week; I had two sales yesterday, and a two-fer today (two sales from one call - they had two shops, which did slightly different things, so they applied for both separately. And yes, they knew they would be paying for both, and it was even her idea). They had a contest for the week, which I won, and it was a ridiculously large box of chocolates, which I shared with the whole office, and there's still a bunch left. It's getting divvied out to friends and family over the weekend, because I do NOT want it in my house! You'd have to roll me down the stairs if I ate all that chocolate.

I have unpacked nearly all the boxes; the only ones left are ephemera that I haven't decided what to do with. Go me. It looks like an apartment and not a warehouse now. I do like it there, and I'm loving the five-minute commute. My co-workers are all jealous. I tell them I used to have a 23-mile commute, so this is my reward. I will be especially thankful when it snows.

I hope all of you who are celebrating have a lovely Thanksgiving. I'll be celebrating with friends, a small gathering this year. I'll go to mom's on Friday for leftovers. Gobble gobble!

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Early this evening, the house started rumbling like something really heavy was falling over. Then it felt like a train was going right by, or perhaps through, the house. We all looked at each other, and said OMG, WTF was that? Was that an earthquake? Welp, it was! That was equal parts scary and exciting. I'm glad it was just a smallish one.

Also, it was just really weird.

Nature sure is amazing and powerful. She keeps reminding us who's in charge, and it's not us!

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Things are going well at the new job. Today was Dessert Cart Thursday, as it is every week. They really do come around with a dessert cart full of pastries, cookies, and fruit! Talk about a sweet perk. ;)

This weekend is the family reunion down in Binghamton. Should be fun. I would like to have had a few more days between events, especially with starting the new job, but there you go. It'll be good to see everyone, and there's a new cousin-in-law to meet. You may remember me posting about my cousin Jen, who lost her husband when she was eight months pregnant; she just got married, and we're all very happy for her.

My wonderful friends bettyw and crustyduck sent me a new (refurbished) camera to replace the one that went kablooey at camp. I am so blessed to have such awesome friends! The new one is also a Nikon Coolpix, a slightly newer model with a few more features, but very similar to the old one. It's even the same color!

Someday, hopefully soon, I will get caught up and make a proper post. I'm trying to at least read everyone's posts, even if I don't get around to commenting!

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I've had to step back and take a break from Facebook for a bit. The political posts (from all sides) were getting too much for me. It makes me sad (and a bit angry) when I see things posted that are based on ignorance and hatred. A bunch of my relatives are very conservative, the kind you just can't argue with because their brains just work differently from mine. It makes me despair that there can ever be anything but discord in this country, when people who love each other can so vehemently disagree. When provable facts don't matter. When "truth" is anything but objective.

And to be fair, some of my liberal friends are just as bad, posting things that are deliberately provocative.

All it's doing is adding to my anxiety level, which is already far too high. So they can duke it out without me for a while.

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Still no phones or email at work, which makes my job pretty difficult. There's not a whole lot I can do. Just be here. Which is pretty boring. Trading stories, showing the iPad to folks who haven't seen it yet, waiting. I should probably feel guilty that I have power and most of my coworkers do not, but mostly what I feel is grateful.

I should have brought Daphne with me; it would be easier to check the online ads on her rather than Lulabelle. Tomorrow, if I remember. I really hope we have phones, etc. by then, though!

What I'm having trouble understanding is why there are still trees in the road after what, five days now? And power lines, too. What the heck are they doing out there?

I also keep forgetting what day it is. Our usual schedule is all messed up.

It's just so quiet in the office with no phones!

( yesterday's sunset )

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Well, I'm at work. We have power, but no phone or Internet. Apparently I've been using a neighbor's wifi all along, and theirs works. The boss was very excited by this. Customers can send ads to someone's gmail account if necessary. Thank goodness for gmail and thumb drives. The paper actually got out this week. Readers are amazed.

There's not a lot for me to do here, but customers are coming in, so that's good. I have iTunes and my iPad; thank you, Steve Jobs! Keeping LizzieBelle entertained since 1995. ;)

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The weather gal used the 's' word in the forecast this morning: snow. Not much, and mixed with rain, but still. I'm so not ready! It should be illegal to have snow before Halloween. :P

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