Winter Weather is Fun - NOT

I moved to Virginia (in the summer months) filled with dewey-eyed optimism about what winter would bring: happy little snow flurries and days filled with pretty white washed landscapes, sitting inside drinking hot chocolate (or in my case, probably coffee) and watching as the snow fluttered happily to the ground. You guys - you guys...that is not this reality.

Do I still love the snow? Sure - it's splendid when you get to do the things I mentioned. However, this is not like the Deep South where when it snows all life is halted and everyone makes a miniature snowman that is just big enough to occupy part of their deck railing (wait - am I the only one that did that last January when it was 10 degrees??) and we all get to sit inside in the warmth binge watching movies and TV on DVD for two or three days. Virginia has ways of dealing with snow - which means life continues as usual - unless there is a blizzard or something.

What have I learned? Snow is very pretty and white...for about an hour. Then the salt/sand trucks and snow plows and pets come along and it all turns yellow or brown or a horrible black and it isn't pretty anymore. The ideal of sitting by a warm fire is dashed by the fact that you still have to go to work (because; you know, one needs money to eat and live and pay bills) and so you must bundle in five layers of clothes and wear those rain boots you never wore that much in Mississippi and carry your real shoes in another bag...and while the roads are fine, you better check yourself in parking lots because you will step on ice and go down faster than you can holler POPSICLE! (Why Popsicle? I don't know - it seemed good at the time.)

The past week was weird - weather-wise. So, enjoy the pictures and the tales...(and tails, in Watson's case.)

Watson waiting for Winter Storm Juno to do her worst - we were all left underwhelmed.

This was as much snow as we'd gotten by about 4 PM on Monday - 4-6 inches had been predicted.

So - Winter Storm Juno blew into town - or really, she limped in on her bad leg and kind of lazily scattered some snow around before she just gave up completely. My whole work schedule (as well as other people's) was rearranged in preparation for the big bag winter storm and so on Monday I sat at home with my Mom waiting for the massive snowfall to begin. Let me tell you, by 4 in the afternoon we were stir crazy from sitting at the house watching it not snow. Thankfully with the help of Netflix (thanks Lindsey!) we managed to struggle through and survive the day. All of that to say that my first "real" winter storm was not much to sniff at.

It finally started snowing on Monday night...

Less than an inch....& it was gone by 3 in the afternoon. 

Watson - so tired he can't even just sit up without crashing. He sleeps more than any creature I've ever seen & somehow still always needs another nap.

Tuesday and Wednesday were just cold. I would randomly look out the window and see snow fluttering around, but nothing worth getting excited over - although I must admit that I do think it's kind of neat to just be able to randomly take a peek outside and see snow flakes falling instead of rain. It's a nice alternative - as long as it doesn't stick. We started a new Bible study on Wednesday night at church and in between paying attention (I swear, I was paying attention) I also continued to teach Amelia the art of taking a good selfie. I don't actually take selfies a lot because I just don't get it...but if someone else is in the picture with me, then I'm good with that. I don't know what one calls a selfie that isn't just of their self. A groupie? I like to take groupies...

Groupie pic - she's getting good at this! 

Just hanging around in Bible study - turns out you can learn about the names of God while turned upside down.

She is too much fun & makes some of the best faces!

Thursday morning started out nice enough.

The weather was odd again on Thursday (what a shock, right?) The day started out nice enough with sunshine...even if it was fairly frigid outside. I worked from 9:30-4 and so I spent a huge chunk of the day inside a store with no windows, my only glimpse at the outside world being the peephole looking out the back of the stock room....oh...and the five minutes with the back door open while I flirted with the FedEx guy and he delivered shipment. Hehehe. Around 2 in the afternoon, every time I would walk to the back to get something I would hear this odd little plinking sound. Guess what? It was sleet! And it was coming down so hard it was plinking off everything around it - I watched through the peephole as it bounced all over the pavement and all I could think was "oh goody...the roads will be lovely." 

My precious co-worker told me she'd follow me home to make sure I was safe (even though she still had over an hour left of her shift) but I braved the sleet on my own. I took about ten years crossing the parking lot because 1) it was icy, icy and I didn't want to die in the parking lot of a mall and 2) I'd already slipped in the death lot (oh sorry...parking lot) on Tuesday evening and not only looked like a fool but jammed my finger on the car that I slapped my hand onto to keep myself from doing a complete face plant. If winter weather teaches us anything, it is how to be graceful - if you aren't, you will end up in pain. Your phone will also fly out of your pocket and into a small pile of snow (it survived...I know you were concerned, but fear not). The roads were actually fine and I made it home with no issues, so...Natalie - 1, Winter - 1...because I did that spectacular almost face plant on Tuesday.

The only way Watson can really deal with winter weather...unless there is snow & then he'd really like to play in it all day long.

Icy much?

He has started sitting so strangely recently - I swear, he thinks he is human.

What's that? I can't hear you under the layers of clothes I have on to take the dog out to pee in the 9 degree temps....

The weekend seems kind of like it passed in a blur. I was off on Saturday and Sunday and spent both days doing a whole lot of nothing...if the truth be known. My parents went out of town for the weekend, so Watson and I ran wild in the house and threw a wild party - and if by threw a wild party you know what I really meant is we watched five episodes of House of Cards and drank Ginger Ale, then you are correct. I did do a wee bit of shopping on Saturday because things were 80% off at Hobby Lobby and then I found clearance at Target and that's always fun...but otherwise it was just a Netflix kind of night. Sunday was basically church and then Panera for lunch (I'm pretty sure half of Winchester eats at Panera for lunch on Sunday - holy crap) and then being a bum all afternoon until my parents returned - and they returned with pizza! We watched some of that sad sack Super Bowl game but we were relieved of watching the last quarter because Downton Abbey came on and who wouldn't choose DA over the Super Bowl? It's an obvious choice.

Getting lovies before his Nana leaves him...for a whole 24 hours...

All that earlier rambling to say this - I love living in Virginia and I love the goofy weather...most of the time. It's funny to just look outside and be like "oh yeah...it's snowing again..." I think the weather is weird anywhere you go; it's the nature of things. Having said all that, I'm about to go to Wal-Mart and the wind is gusting at 35 miles per hour...so maybe I don't love that and hopefully I won't blow away.

Sunday afternoon grass roll while the sun was out...in between the snow...& then the rain...& then the sun again. This weather though...