Rough week. The weather got super cold and the rain makes everything just so dreary and dark. Remember the coffee I quit, sorta? Well, I’m all over it again. Anyway, I’m going to have to think of a plan b with this walking home from the bus stop business. It takes me about 10 minutes to walk home and call me a pansy, but that’s just 10 minutes too long in 40 degree weather, forget 30 degrees. Will I survive this Winter??? Dun-dun-duuunnn! I know one thing though. This Winter, I am not skimping on the heat. It’s sheer misery to me and I’ve decided to indulge myself this year. Ha, listen to me… turning on the heat is an “indulgence.” Someone please knock some sense into me.

This morning, I woke up because it was so chilly! Plus I had this horrible dream about trying to escape someone. He was holding a plate of salad to entice me and look like a kind person to the passersby. I had to recruit strangers to escape but they thought I was the nutty one since the salad-holder looked nice. Probably me internalizing the news about the girl kidnapped from Tahoe maybe. Crazy.

Last week, highs were in the upper 90s. This week, we’re looking at something closer to the upper 70s. It’s definitely turned Fall on us almost overnight. I wouldn’t be surprised if temperatures went back up but I’m enjoying this Fall weather teaser. That’s one of the good things about this area, the Autumn season.

Yesterday, we got close to 6 inches of snow. I stayed home, curled up under a blanket and watched A Bug’s Life and then The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Plus, school was canceled. =)

Yesterday we got a few inches of snow, but then it changed to ice in the evening. This morning I woke up and not realizing the roads and cars were covered with about a quarter to half inch layer of ice, got ready to go to work. I stepped out, and nearly ate it on the sidewalk. I went back inside after trying to get the ice off the car and making no progress. Slept for another two hours before trying again. The major roads were fine but the neighborhood roads were covered in ice. I heard a lot of people spinning their wheels. This weather makes me want to eat, eat, eat. And stay under the covers, warm in bed. I couldn’t do the latter, but I did eat, eat, eat.

The 1 to 2-inch snow accumulation stuck around long enough to leave evidence that deer are eating my shrubbery! They’re walking right up to my front doorstep and chowing down on the miserable bushes. I don’t know where I got this idea in my head that they don’t like walking on concrete and pavement. Clearly that is a wrong assumption.

Bedtime suddenly gets earlier and earlier when the house is cold. Ah, I appreciate my warm toasty room that much more when the house is 45 degrees. In looking back at the last time that cymbidium bloomed (Feb 2006) I realize it’s not going to happen this year. The flower spike started growing the previous year and it took months. If it happens, it won’t be until 2010. Hopefully, these 40-something temps will encourage it to happen next year.

Monday, I wore two tops and wound up keeping my coat and scarf on all day.
Tuesday, I wore three tops and wound up keeping my coat and scarf on all day.
Today, I have four tops and two pants on. And I finally shed the coat. The scarf stays on though! Remember that story of the girl who always wore a ribbon around her neck and she promised she’d tell her lover why she never took it off after they got married? Then on their wedding night, she finally let him take off the ribbon…and, you know what happened yeah?

Brrr… It snowed yesterday and should again today. Beautiful stuff but only a couple of inches of accumulation. What a cold day it’s going to be for many people downtown. At least the portable latrines won’t be smelly if everyone’s stuff is all frozen.

I’ve been watching some of the news videos online and the energy is palpable even not being downtown. On my way into work, I noticed a lot of cars exiting to the two metro stations with parking lots. Plus, I read a report saying most of the metro parking lots are already full if not 3/4 full as of 5:45 AM!! I think if I didn’t have to work, I’d try to go just because this is such an historically important & exciting event. 1-2 Million people! Already he’s pulling people together. I can’t wait to hear his speech.

It was 45 degrees in my house last time I looked. The heater came on this morning or it would’ve been colder. Maybe we’ll get cymbidium flowers this year again.

10:58 AM – I’ve been watching this since 7:30 or 8 AM. This morning, they (Obama & Michelle) went from the Blair house to St. John’s for church services. Then they went to the White House for coffee with Bush & Laura. They just arrived at the U.S. Capitol. Haven’t seen any sign of Sasha or Malia.

11:03 AM – Chief Justice Roberts looks so young. He’ll be swearing in the new president. There’s a lot of chanting “Obama!” and I just saw the Jamaican flag among a sea of American flags. How international.

11:23 AM – All the former presidents are filing in starting with Jimmy Carter, then Bush and Clinton. 14 degrees out there right now, looks windy too. Now they’re showing the moving vans at the White House. And there’s Malia and Sasha with their grandma. Two regular looking kids. They look excited. Oh I think I saw Elaine Chao.

11:30 AM – Malia is a regular shutterbug! She’s got her camera with her everywhere; at the Inauguration Concert on Sunday and even here. Smart girl, she’s got one of the best seats in the house.

11:35 AM – Finally, here come the president & vp. Cheney is in a wheelchair. Something about hurting his back while moving to his new permanent home in McLean, VA. Everytime they pan the crowd, it just looks unbelievably large. A huge sea of people from the Capital all the way past the Washington Monument mostly watching from Jumbotrons placed around the city.

11:41 AM – Here he comes down the hallway!! The new guy! He looks somber.

11:43 AM – They just announced him! What a cheer! Yay! Go Obama!

11:45 AM – Things are moving along nicely. Senator Dianne Feinstein is giving her speech. Excellent speech, it was about 3 minutes! And now the prayer. Malia looks a lot like Obama with the long lanky face. Both very cute girls. They’re wearing matching coats. Blue (purple?) for Malia & pink for Sasha.

11:57 AM – Joe Biden is swearing in now. OMG!! What happened?! It’s not playing… well no matter I got 2 webcasts going.

12:01 PM – It’s just Itzhak Perlman & Yo-Yo Ma doing their thing. Very lovely. Barack is now president! He hasn’t taken the oath yet but it’s past 12 Noon!

12:05 PM – So eager to start, he’s tripping over the words. He’s sworn in! Wonderful! They’re doing this canon thing.

12:08 PM – Here’s his speech written by the 27 yr old John Favreau. Malia is filming her dad. How cute!

12:27 PM – A good speech. Inspiring. Be a doer. Meet the challenges!

It’s not yet winter but, temps in the 30s and 40s? It’s winter according to me! I taped up some windows on Monday with that plastic insulation sheeting. They’re the notorious breezy windows in our kitchen eating area, which is like the Siberia of our house it’s such a cold corner. Those thin plastic sheets may look like nothing, but they make such a huge difference. I should’ve done it in October. I guess new windows would work too. I’ll have to look into that (meaning, not anytime soon).

I’m morphing into a bear. My body is in full force hibernation mode. I am so super sleepy all the time, I’m not even hiding about sleeping in meetings with my boss anymore. Yesterday I was on a conference call in my boss’ office. He was driving back from another meeting and was showing up any minute but I just sat back, took my shoes off, put my feet up and just semi-zonked and listened in on the meeting. He walks in and goes, “make yourself comfortable!” Heh, woops. Anyway, we had another meeting in the auditorium and it was so warm and dark that I kept drifting off while my boss was sitting right behind me. I am such an awful employee. If he gives me a bad rating this annual review process, I wouldn’t even argue it. Besides all that sleeping, I can’t seem to fill up enough on food. I literally non-stop eat all the time. I mean, I eat like I haven’t had a meal in 5 days when really, it was more like 5 minutes. And even though we’re allowed to wear jeans on casual Fridays, I’ve been wearing my usual work clothes to work anyway because, my jeans don’t fit OMG I’m having issues. My work pants are snug, but I’ve been managing to squeeze into them in the mornings. Plus, I don’t feel like going to the gym anymore. Remember the sleepy thing? I need this winter to be over. I’m so tired of the darkness and cold. All I have to do now is stop dehairing and my bear transition will be complete.

You know the food is going to be authentic when the waitstaff have heavy accents, if they speak any English at all.
The beef salad was excellent.  Tender pieces of beef, flavorful, I could’ve just had this for dinner.

The basil seafood (kra prao) was good too. Although it would’ve been better had they cooked the onions more thoroughly to take the bite out of them.  I’m still tasting it in my mouth after brushing my teeth, using mouthwash, and chewing gum.  Hhhaaaaa!! Get a whiff of THAT!  

The yellow curry onions were fine though, well-done.  I loved the sauce over rice and the crunch of the peanuts.   

Thai food in general is a tad spicy but you can ask them to turn down the heat. They’re very accomodating. I thought these dishes came with the perfect amount of hotness.

A group of junior high/high school kids came in and sat around noisily while their teacher/chaperone tried to keep them in one place.  No dice.  Thai was too out there for them.  They wound up next door at, of all places, McDonald’s. They missed out on a good dinner!

This is what’s left of hurricane Hanna. Just a day of soothing rain and wind. I didn’t even bother trying to tame my frizz.