Two Polar Vortexes in Pictures

2014 has been cold. Like really cold. Like we've created a new weather term to describe the cold. Introducing you to Polar Vortex 1 & 2.

This was the night that the first Polar Vortex reared its chilly head.

 

We were keeping Mosley while Cap and J were home for the holidays. Poor pup shivered his way through our snowy walks like a trooper. I think it was 5 degrees on this particular morning.

The beauty of it all almost makes up for the debilitating cold. Almost.

When Polar Vortex Numero Dos showed up last week, it was kind of like old news... 

....until it dropped about six inches of snow in a 24 hour span.

These pictures are not an accurate representation of all of the snow. Due to the bitterest of winds, a good bit of snow was displaced. The white cat begs like a banshee to be let out on the balcony. She doesn't really know what snow is, but thankfully, she doesn't like it. This outing lasted about two minutes.

 I had to work late on Friday and nearly missed one of the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen. If there is one thing that I will miss about the bitter winter months, it is the jaw-dropping beauty of the sunsets. I think it must be the sun's way of showing us a little lovin' through a colorful display. I wish that I had been close to my big girl camera and in a better location to catch the perfect pinkness of the sun's rays glowing over the mountains. The intensity of the pink in the reflection on the river was nothing to the depth of color burning in the sky. IPhones just can't capture it all.

W and I basked in the 30 degree weather Saturday night and walked to the river to get some pictures of what I hoped would be another epic sunset. Alas, it was not the gloriously pink performance of the previous evening.

 There were dark and ominous clouds rushing towards us from the West.

W indulged in a few more snowballs accidentally thrown at ducks floating down the river and rolling chunks of snow down the bank before we retreated inside to the warmth and some homemade risotto.

 

About 30 minutes after getting inside, we had a whiteout and mini blizzard move through. It lasted for about 30 minutes and also included a phenomenon known as "snowthunder." In the middle of the blizzard, there were two lightning strikes and a loud clap of thunder. The wind was insane and we could barely see across the street.

I thought the world was surely ending.

This morning, W left for his FINAL residency interview EVER. He has an 8 hour drive to Birmingham ahead of him. Unfortunately, I have to stay behind in cold and snowy WV. We have less than a month before his rank list is due, and less than 60 days until we find out where we will spend the next 5-9 years of our life.

Exciting times! Stay warm!

-b

Watch out for that tree!

This blog was supposed to be about the awesome little (40 minute) road trip that W and I took on a whim this Saturday, but that will have to wait.

You see, I'm a little distracted by the giant hackberry tree that fell on my office and partially on my car earlier today.

You see, the day already wasn't going that well. I recently took over doing the finances for the museum on top of everything else. I was excited for the opportunity to learn a new aspect of running a business, but I think I was a little too confident. There are some days when I just key in a few numbers and hope for the best.

Well, its not that bad, but it seems like it to me through the number haze.

When the tree fell, I was on the phone with my treasurer attempting to explain the financial reports that I barely understood myself. And then I heard scratching over my head. At first, it sounded like a very large animal was doing calisthenics in the attic and then it was pretty obvious that a tree was falling on the roof. My coworker ran out the door and started yelling about "a tree!" and "our cars!" as the tree slid off the roof and came to rest on my car. By this point, I was crouched under my desk attempting to put on my boots and coat while hanging up with my treasurer and chanting Hail Marys.

I thought my coworker and I were going to be crushed by a tree--she by the trunk because she was standing outside and me by the collapsing roof. Luckily, none of the above happened. Thank goodness.

My car is okay, too--just a few scratches and some pretty gnarly dents. But it runs and is safe, so I'm okay with that.

It did take the tree company an hour to cut my car out and there is still half of a tree laying on the office roof, but all is well that end's well. The roof is not badly damaged and that makes one less tree to worry about come derecho season. Positivity!

But after it all happened, I started to feel really sorry for myself. It is so hard for me these days to have something like this happen and to not take it personally. I can't help but feel like the universe is moving against me. Its like its trying to show me (and, boy, has it) that I am not where I should be. (And, I totally agree.) I know that I can take these circumstances (did I mention the other two trees that have fallen on the property; or the hardwood floor that had to be replaced; or the two--not one but TWO--cars that hit my previous museum during my tenure; I could keep going) any number of ways. Maybe, its my attitude. Maybe, its my location. My job. Who knows?

I know its not W. He is my everything.

Then, W and I decided we needed Mexican for dinner to help me properly wallow in my self-pity, and it was just awful. The extra large bowl of pico de gallo that I like to shove my face in tasted like soap. Soap! Can you develop that aversion to cilantro overnight?! I hope not! And then, my hard shell beef taco was cold. I had to send it back. I've never even heard of sending food back at a Mexican restaurant.

I took it personally.

And then, there's the cold. Not that I want to talk about it, but it's really freaking cold. Like the Jesus statue on my favorite trail is wearing red gloves it's so cold.

told you...

Our radiators can't keep up, so it is perpetually 60 degrees in our apartment. Luckily, we have an oil heater that I can practically sit on and a heater in the bathroom wall.

So, I'm getting over it all. Right now. Eating chocolate and watching The Biggest Loser. Because, is there any other way to watch The Biggest Loser?

I realize that things could be much, much worse and that is why I am now sitting cozily on top of my heater in doubled-up pajamas and gloves and a hat talking to you all. The pity party is over.

Want to really know what got me out of my funk? Firstly, we are toilet training our cats. Yes, we are teaching them to use the toilet instead of a litter box. Secondly, it is going quite well and we are not at all embarrassed. I mean, we are banking on being litter free in a month. Two cats and litter free?! Miracles!! Tonight was a first for this whole process though. It was the first time that both of the cats and one of us had to use the bathroom at the exact same time. (Oh yeah, there's only one toilet!) I won't say which one of us it was.................... but I got a major kick out of the frantically meowing and pacing cats and the unfortunate human bathroom occupant, the object of the meowing and pacing and door scratching.

I also have something exciting to look forward to this weekend! I am hosting a little Golden Globes party on Sunday. There will be these cheese puffs and this artichoke and feta tart and this raspberry tart. I can't wait to get baking and cooking!

-b

March Madness

Seriously, I'm pissed.

Its 20°.

The first day of spring was yesterday.

I reiterate my thoughts hundredfold on yesterday, which was also miserably cold--although not 20°.

 

And, cue the flurries!

On another note. Did you all watch Rachel Zoe last night? I love her.

source

I think she is an amazing and talented business woman as well as a wonderful mother. Haters gon' hate, but I think she is a wonderful role model.

Except for her emaciated arms. I do think she could eat more.

But other than that: perfection.

Did you know that Cap and I are running a 10k next month? Um, yeah. That is going to be interesting. The race is part of the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival. Sooooo, the chocolate kind of makes up for the whole I-have-to-run-6.2-miles-thing, but only kind of.

Want to run along with us? I, after, ahem, a 3 week hiatus (I am bad about taking these...obviously) from running, I ran 3.14 last night. I am not telling you my time. That is between me, God, and the treadmill. I plan to run 3.5 tomorrow. 

What about you? Do you have any fitness plans? Are you running in a race soon?

-b