It's Been Cold Here

The big news in my area is this insanely cold wet weather. In parts of the country where they are accustomed to it, they don't shut down the way we do. In Austin Texas, we just sit and wait it out. It only took one day for the nine trucks Austin had to use up all the supplies Austin possessed to de-ice the roads. So... all the flyovers closed last night -- Monday was a holiday for most and Tuesday we had school and business closures so I suppose two days of freezing rain is all the city plans for, as we are on day three. Rightly so, as that's the most we ever expect every ten years. The airport was packed and all the surrounding hotels. The people here from northern cities were practically appalled that we couldn't get them home. We're just not equipped for it -- not on the ground nor in the air.

Perhaps the funnest thing (aside from The Sexy Beast grilling today) was seeing the dorks who refused to move the Governor's Inauguaral Ceremony inside until the morning of the event. It really was a stitch to watch these guys, via KVUE news, blowtorch the steps of the Capitol Building, and later, pick up the thousands of COLD, METAL FOLDING CHAIRS they'd set out the day before and pound the inch thick ice off of them. I'll give Governor Big Hair this: If he hadn't gone on with the BBQ, the caterer wouldn't have had that extra 1000 meals to give away to the cold and hungry homeless. Yay!

Today the weather improved some -- a good thing... we've lost two and a half days of school and business here -- THREE and a half if you weren't off for MLK day on Monday. Nonetheless, as God would have it, we apparently required mandatory rest. I'm not complaining -- but my lips are chapped. I am quite excited to blog later about the story of the Sexy Beast choosing to whip the cover off the Weber Grill and make steaks on it. Too bad she doesn't own ice skates. And she keeps coming in and out of the house! Brrrrr. In the meantime, I'm going to trek up the tallest hill in the neighborhood to get the mail -- which actually came today! Stay tuned, because see,

Here's what it looks like around my house:

This is NOT a dead fish

This fish cracks me up!

He sleeps this way. I SCHWEAR! You thought I posted a photo of a dead fish. I did not.

He lives in a pitcher shaped like Kool Aid on my mantle, and I have two more that live individually in each bathroom in my home. They do not sleep this way and do not creep out our guests who think they might be dead for sleeping on their sides. Different strokes I guess... Ha! Especially if you swim. Oh, man. Bad pun.

I hope he is not creeped out by the huge shadow in his image the flash made on the wall behind him. Serves him right for sleeping sideways and freaking out my guests.

Today is a "winter weather day." I am enjoying the lack of outside intrusion into our little abode and we haven't left all day. Zeta enjoyed her first snow -- which happens in Austin more often than it used to -- global warming methinks. Zeta likes it. She thinks it's -- well, one big ice cube for her to eat. Here are her little paw tracks (have I yet posted such a boring blog?) and a snap of her eating the snow -- yum.



Ok, now I have a further opportunity to stay in and watch another movie. The Devil Wears Prada is on the agenda.

In the meantime, congratulations go to Ronni of Ronni's Rants , who's a new grandma again -- and Vanessa, for her new baby boy Ethan. He'll probably like winter weather!


Ta!

Amazing New Year

Because I just can't post such a terrible yet fascinating photo as you are about to see in my first blog of the new year, I won't do it immediately.

In the meantime, if how I brought in the new year is any indication of how the year will be, then I am so excited! I had a fanTAStic time participating in our usual party/cavort in a circle in the direction of the northern hemisphere. We enjoyed old friends and new. What once was a gathering of friends who just wanted to do nothing together has now grown into a certain kind of tradition.

In the meantime, here are Dubya's sentiments on my liberal, gay and lesbian, cavorting new year:

This photo was lifted from the brilliant Milo Johnson's Jones Alley blog (see link at right!) I think he and Marsha of The Marshalogues should connect.

Happy New Year!