Florida or Bust? Bust

I should be in Florida right now. I'm not. It was a trip I really can't afford right now, but such an opportunity that I couldn't turn it down. So I looked for the cheapest way to get there and it turned out to be Greyhound. Tickets bought, arrangements all made. And a feeling of impending doom all week and the inability to envision myself there. I've always seemed to have an over abundance of empathy but I don't consider myself very clairvoyant; but this didn't really feel like the seasonal depression I usually suffer from in late Winter. Just this feeling of "not going to happen".

So what happened, you ask? The bus terminal is small, just a closet at a Pilot station with a McDonald's on the other end of the building. No personnel on the weekend. I got there early. And waited. And waited. And waited. And started making phone calls. It took me an hour to find out that my bus had been cancelled due to bad weather further up the line. You would think in this computer age, I would have gotten some kind of message earlier in the day. If I had known, I could have driven to St. Louis and caught my connection there, but by the time I knew what was up, it was too late. Plus, I don't actually know if my connecting bus made it out. So, back home and sitting on the floor, making phone calls and digging around in my luggage for the little bottles of booze I was taking to drink at Disney (their drinks are pricey), on the verge of tears. Rosco must have sensed something because he ran through the house, took a flying leap and parked himself on my shoulders.

I suppose I gave up too easily. Everyone kept saying "can't you find another way there?" but it would have taken another day to arrange things, probably be Tuesday before I could have gotten there and then turned around on Friday to head back. Again, maybe it really is just seasonal depression, but I couldn't even think by then. The thought of it just exhausted me.

So now I have the week off, although I'm going to go talk to my boss about working Wednesday through Friday. I think I'll see about getting my taxes done tomorrow and some other things I've been wanting to get taken care of. And today? Well, make some of those phone calls. Oh yeah, and watch the freezing rain that is supposedly moving through in the next few hours.

This winter really sucks.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Not doing anything special this year (which is the norm!) but I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow, so I'll probably be packing. Just hoping the weather holds so I have no trouble getting there. This is going to be the first vacation I've had since I've been married that didn't include my kids, my husband or my Mom. I'm taking the bus, it should be interesting! I'm actually looking forward to the ride, sitting back and relaxing with my book and my laptop. I'm hoping to get alot of work done. Plus, spending a few days with my BFF who I haven't seen in a couple of years plus a friend I haven't seen in almost 30 years is going to be the best!

Morning Coffee

Our neighbors put this chair out on the curb yesterday and my daughter fell in love with it. So we rescued it and put it in the garage until the day she has her own place. There are a few rips in it, but the frame is solid. I ran some errands this afternoon and left the garage door up and came home to this. I think Roscoe has adopted her chair for the time being!

Long Winter Days

The days have dragged this week. It was endless. And I'm in a funky mood, which I realized this morning feels like depression creeping in. I have a problem with it, especially in the Winter. I've detected enough of a pattern over the years to know it sets in about now and it's probably sun deprivation. As soon as we get a sunny early Spring day that I can go out and bask in I'll feel the shift. Knowing this doesn't make it easier, however. My mind scatters, I can't seem to move in a straight line, mentally, at all. Every hurtle seems bigger. But.... I have a chance to go to Florida next month. Definitely can't afford it, but it isn't an opportunity I care to miss. I'm going, even if I have to hitchhike! I'm just hoping that the Florida sun does the trick!

We're All Members of the Mob

A little bit of silliness on Facebook this morning. But it's true--if you say you're from Illinois, people always say, 'Oh Chicago?'. No. It's a big state. And we don't carry Tommy-guns. (I'll bet upstate New Yorkers have the the same problem!)

Morning Coffee

Jinx finally got to go outside and run around (the rain melted almost all of the foot deep snow) until he came in, exhausted. It's amazing the positions cats get in, all twisted around. He slept all afternoon!
(yes, that's a box with a piece of carpet on in-- so he can look out the window in comfort.)

The Sun Rises on a Brighter Day!

We have water! The plumbers got here yesterday afternoon and it was an easy fix. My husband said he got done in less than an hour. While one plumber was under the house fixing the problem the other one was in the drive way, getting his truck unstuck! We have a narrow drive way and he slid off of it. Anyway, got home from work and was able to take a hot shower. Best shower of my life! It's supposed to get warmer today, maybe into the low 40s (heat wave!) with rain. My concern is the fact that there is no where for it to go. Somehow, I don't think the City crew is going to drive around this morning digging out the sewer drains. I had almost hoped to wake up to freezing rain and use it as an excuse to not show up to work. I could use a day off--such a long week!

Just for a taste of the fun we've been having, I'm sharing this video. I think you have to go to YouTube to watch it. The last 30 seconds or so are our stretch of road. People have talked about the "Snow of '82" for years (18" that year) but I think this is worse, just because of the colder temps.