Diary of a Nomad: Let It Snow!

Well, it looks like I brought a little bit of Minnesota with me. This photo was taken last Sunday. It snowed Saturday night and it's been cold and snowing off and on all week. The roads have been a bit icy which has caused lots of problems, especially with all the steep hills. Myself, I don't understand what the big deal is - just use a little sand and salt and you're good to go, but I guess it's not that simple here? The good news is, many are afraid of driving in the snow and stay home. My commute to work this morning was so fast and smooth, I practically had a lane all to myself :)

The other good news is the snow makes it feel like home and inspired me to put up lights in the bedroom.. err.. ahem.. Kitty's bedroom. She likes the lights though, and she makes a nice window ornament, dontcha think?

Since I've had my dose of snow now, I decided to cancel my reservations for the lodge at Mt. Rainier. I might still drive up there but there's no need to stay the night. I'm going to take the $150 I would have spent at the lodge and give some to my neighbor in an anonymous Christmas card. She's a nice old Ukranian lady named Lydia - her health is poor and she can barely afford to pay for rent/utilities/food. Every year I do a random, anonymous act of kindness like that for someone in need. It's fun because I just know it brightens their day, and I think it brightens mine to an even greater extent. The rest of the money I will save for hot cocoa steamers. Yes, I've come to realize that the thousands of little drive-thru coffee places around here are not completely useless to me - they make a great cup of cocoa. Add a little french vanilla or peppermint flavor and some whipped cream on top and I'm hooked!