December. Over.

I broke one of the major rules of blogging - I left my readers hanging. I could say I had good reason to do so but I didn't. Frankly, I was being lazy and didn't feel like sharing the "fun" that was my December. Some things are better left not in print.

Today I am looking ahead to 2011. My question for 2011 is should EmeAshe remain EmeAshe? I did, after all, leave the "Eme" part behind me. Sort of. Maybe it's time to be defined by something other than where I live. Maybe.

A snow globe with heated streets

That's where I am - in a snow globe. For the past three days there has been an almost constant flake in the air. Call it a flurry or a tapering snow shower, it doesn't matter. Flakes in the air = real life snow globe. Pretty.

So, I think my street is heated. Yesterday, as I watched the snow globe's snow swirl, I noticed none of it was sticking to my road or my driveway. I figured the temperature was high enough and the ground was too warm. As evening set in I had to go on a beer run - friends coming over to watch the Steelers game - it was a necessity! As I turned off my street I found some snow on the road. At the next turn there was a good inch of snow on the road! Whoa. My journey continued, complete with a fishtail and some anti-lock break action. I laughed to myself, "Ha, I'm risking my life for a beer run and they probably won't even come."

Guess what?

They didn't come!

Why not?

The roads were bad!

Oh. They are much smarter than me. Though, to be fair - I didn't know the roads were bad until I was out of my neighborhood. Plus, I was committed to getting beer for my friends and the game. Plus, I am extremely, extremely stubborn. Now I have a fridge full of beer and the world is frozen so I can't leave the house, except to go on my heated street of course. What to do, what to do...

Well, the Steelers won, the beer can keep me warm, and I will see my friends again. As long as the flakes stay pretty I won't post any snow-hate posts, though have a feeling they will show-up eventually. I'm not sure about my street, but I know the street to snow-hate posts is not heated.

While it was flurrying

I missed snow. This type of snow. The type of snow that flurries and falls all day but doesn't hinder travel. It's just pretty. This type of snow didn't fall in Seattle. It's one thing to curl up with a cup of coffee while it's raining. Don't get me wrong. I love that. But with the rain comes gray and the world just gets darker and darker. With snow comes gray too but the world gets brighter and brighter as the grass and rooftops are covered with white.

Here are some happenings that occurred the past few days while it was flurrying.

1. My friend had a baby! 2 months early! She is very small and while I don't think she is in a "fighting for her life" situation, she could have used a few more weeks of baking.
2. I chickened out of the holiday parade when it started sleeting and snowing at the same time. It was cold and wet and wet and cold. No regrets.
3. I went shopping instead, looking for some towels for the guest bathroom to break up the blinding white of the walls and floor. (Can I just say it has been my adult dream to have a guest bedroom and bathroom? I am so excited. Yes, I am lame.)
4. I found some super nice towels at TJ Maxx that were super cheap. I realized they were better than the towels I use everyday. Suddenly, my guest bathroom looks an awful lot like my bathroom used to and my bathroom looks different...newer...fluffier. Don't worry, the guest bathroom is still nice. Jeez.
5. I re-framed two pictures of my mother as a child. Not pictures - art. One is her silhouette from about age 8 (I think) on a piece of card stock. The other is a sketch from when she was about 4. I thought I would keep the pictures and get around to re-framing them in 10 years. Look at me! Only took about 10 weeks!

Vacation is a state of mind

This morning I awoke around 8:00 and lay in bed, staring at my ceiling, for a good hour. I was cozy, it is Saturday. Now, I am happily drinking my coffee, listening to the dishwasher and stereo fight out who will be heard. This morning feels quite similar to many of the mornings I had a week ago while on vacation. I have decided that vacation is a state of mind and today, I am on vacation. Well, why not? I feel more relaxed this way (even though I know I have at least a day's worth of work to get done over the weekend.)

I lit a few candles, put out my stuffed Santa and Reindeer, draped a few christmas lights over my mantle, and I am declaring my place set for the holidays. Oh, I want to get a tree and decorate like a mad woman but it doesn't feel right this year for some reason. My place feels a little incomplete and I don't think a few Christmas decorations are going to be the quick fix. Maybe I need a bookshelf. That's right, a bookshelf. Currently my books are housed on some boxes I stacked together and they are slowly buckling. That's right, buckling.

Winter is here. Whoa, after I typed that sentence I looked up to see a few flakes. I am not kidding. Look weather, I was just observing, not ordering. It's pretty, just cold. The forecast says we may get one inch of snow tonight and tomorrow. Better fill up my tank and hit the grocery store for milk and bread...right? No, today I have plans. BIG PLANS. I'm trying to convince myself to walk into town for the holiday parade. I love my little town because the parade starts at 1:00. None of this 9 or 10 business. No way. We need to wake up, have our coffee, watch a flake or two, and then go to a parade. Like I said, I'm tying to convince myself to go. The walk is about a mile, which is not the problem. See the first sentence for the problem.

This week went fast and was full of good and bad news for family and friends. I am glad it is Saturday. Only 14 more days of work until vacation. I mean my next vacation. Today is vacation. And maybe tomorrow too.