NOW we're gonna pay for it...

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 Parent Winter took pity on us the end of last week, providing a warm respite from the many long months that are winter in Wyoming.

No need for winter gear Friday and Saturday as the air, under the warm and blazing sun, reached what felt like 50+ degrees.

Ice and snow melted, leaving dried dead grass peeking through where once only “that white crusted stuff” had been visible lo these past months.  

 Colder weather began to move in last evening. 

This morning, thousands of tiny icy flakes are falling from the sky (although the sun is trying to peek through).

And there is this, from the underground weather:

Much colder. Lows 25 below to 30 below zero. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow is 70 percent. Wind chill readings 40 below to 50 below zero.

For Pete’s Sake—did I REALLY sign up for this?

My Chicago peeps: I hear you are in for a really BIG one.  Stay safe and warm.

My D.C. peeps: I hope whatever hits the Northeast stays far enough North.

Be warm, be safe and be thankful though if you don’t have wind chill readings of 40 to 50 below—or colder!!

That Imp of Perversity….

While the EC was getting pummeled yesterday afternoon, we had a rather balmy afternoon up here on the high altitude plain.

 

The sun appeared mid-morning and with 30+ degrees it felt "spring-like" by mid-afternoon.

Alas, spring-like weather isn’t due for another four to six months.

D.C. Friend JAK called while sitting in bumper to bumper traffic somewhere along Wisconsin Avenue. 

He saw a plow truck pushing cars up an icy patch along the avenue.

Said he had been sitting in traffic for nearly two hours—a ride that can normally take 25 to 40 minutes in regular rush hour traffic. 

He had to get off the phone because his wipers were sleeting up.

I love the irony of living at 7,200…

·       no traffic to contend with during the crazy wind blowing snowstorms

·       no run on the food stores whenever there’s mere mention of snow, which seems to be nearly everyday

·       no school—or town—closings due to inclement weather

·       no crazy drivers spinning out of control, or at least not in town—oh wait!  “I’m” out there…but I’m learning!)

The interstate and “all roads leading out-of-town” are, however,  another story.

 

Too often drivers don’t heed recommended speed reduction from 75 MPH to 40 MPH—or less.

Big Macs, without cargo to weigh them down, literally get caught up in wind gusts and jack knife, or worse.

Temporary road closings occur regularly.

This morning I had 10 WYDOT messages alerting me that sections of I-80 were closed late last evening and again this morning between Laramie and Cheyenne.

When the roads close food—and other—trucks ostensibly can’t get to town. 

To my knowledge this has happened just once since we’ve moved here—a meat truck didn’t make it to the Safeway.

But this can happen anywhere. 

I remember a storm in the D.C. metro area that kept supply trucks from reaching food stores and store shelves were bare for a day or two.

Besides, the roads here don’t say closed for days, only hours, which, admittedly, can wreak havoc with travel plans to DIA.   

Road closings here can make one feel kind of claustrophobic, at least newbies to this part of the universe.

Have you seen, on a map, where we live?

For now though, I’m content to keep any trekking between home, the food shops and downtown. 

That is, until the Legal Dude needs his Whole Foods or “big box” fix in Ft. Collins, CO.

Then I’ll look at the sky—sniff the air—hold a wet my finger up to the sky—watch the TWC—read those WYDOT messages more intently—and make certain the car is packed with  “just in case we get stuck” gear.

Be safe out there…

Living Life in the Negative…

It was in the negatives again (-3 with the wind chill) when the teenager walked to school this morning.

I’ll be honest…

There have been days when I drove the teenager the long block to school.

Taken sometime last April, or even May, when the snowy icy crystals around town were absolutely fantabulous! 

I worried that he might get frost bite during the four-minute walk in the gusting wind and with wind chill temps registering -6, -12 or -21.

This was taken on a good day--sometimes it's impossible to see the school buildings just across the field.

We are, after all, used to more temperate climes of the Mid-Atlantic.

Besides, the teenager continues to insist on wearing just his hoodie.

Then I began to notice his classmates, both guys and gals, dressed just as idiotically as the teenager trudging across the icy tundra wearing…shorts!

The trudge across the tundra...

Okay.  So these kids were born and raised here and their dermis layers more likely resemble those of a whale, arctic seal or polar bear.

The older UDub kids aren’t any better…last January I wrote about university kids who attend class in shorts and flip flops during the middle of January and February, or whenever the temps hover upwards of freezing.

Even I have to admit, however, I wear less outerwear here than on the EC on most days, unless the ubiquitous Wyoming wind is really blowing. 

Then outcomes my EC outerwear. 

Ironic, no?

Stay toasty out there…

Dear Blog-o...

I’ve missed you. 

I’ve missed writing all manner of drivel about life here on the high-altitude plain.

I’ve missed posting goofy photos, that only “my quirky sight” finds amusing.  

When I look back, years from now, will I remember what caused this hiatus?

Will I remember that I spent practically every waking hour, into the weeist hours of the morning and every weekend—much to the chagrin of the Legal Dude—studying?

Will I remember that during these past two months, the Legal Dude—after working a full day, and then some—has come home to cook dinner, practically every night?

Will I remember that the teenager has queried, more than once, “Um, Mom? Do I have clean socks?”

Will I remember that I sat in the Legal Dude’s office and cried, when I got an 82% on my first art project?  

Or how proud I felt when I told him I got a 92% on the second?

Will I remember how inept and inarticulate I feel, sitting in class thinking, “man, I just sounded so ignorant!”

Will I remember this day—this night—when my professor told me "so, you’ve been accepted into the graduate program” in early childhood education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction?

You bet I will!

I hope I remember it all.

Congratulations to me!

Study break...

Arthritis and age make it necessary to get up every so often—every 60 to 90 minutes—to  stretch, walk around and get the blood flowing again.

I’d do the same working in an office—check the water cooler, grab a cuppa joe, hit the loo or chat with a co-worker.

At home, I sometimes fix a snack.

Been enjoying the totally awesome peaches from the farmer’s market and I think they’re just too perfect not to share...

Fresh peaches with greek yogurt--Yum!
Of course the peaches don't come cheap!

Too bad the season’s nearly over.

Okay.

Now that I've totally wasted your time and mine, it’s back to the books…

Only in Wyoming

I met up this evening with some friends at the Front Street Tavern located on First Street, at the very edge of downtown and directly across the street from the railroad tracks.

There was a commotion outside.

A huge hay wagon, full of folk, stopped outside the tavern.

Then we heard bang—bang—bang, multiple times.

I stepped outside, but it was over.

I was ready the next time they came around, only I didn’t have my camera.

So my friend J let me use her phone to take a shot and then e-mailed me the photo of the reenactment.

Wish I had gotten photos of the guys lying “dead” in the street.

Only in Wyoming—

One last time...

Tomorrow, or later this morning (as I glance at the clock)...



I just finished another 3.5 hours of study.

Now, all I can do is keep my fingers crossed.

One more project to go and then, it's over...

WPR - Pledge Week

It’s no secret that I love WPR, especially Grady Kirkpatrick’s three-hour "Morning Music" program.

When the call went out a few weeks ago asking for volunteers to help during pledge week, I signed on.

I really should have been home studying for my final Psych exam, which is tomorrow morning, but I didn’t think about that when I signed on to help out.

Besides, I signed on during the hours of Morning Music, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Grady, or better yet, to shake his hand and tell him "how much I really enjoy his show."

Well—I did! I did!


Grady Kirkpatrick - WPR's Music Director and Morning Music host

This next shot is of Grady and WPR Reporter, Renny MacKay.


My photos don't do them justice

A few photos I took of the WPR offices…


A "Devil's Tower" t-shirt on the left

I met some nice WPR employees and other nice folk...



and of course, answered the phones.



They even fed us...



Just a bit of down time for one of the volunteers, Mr. Winston (Churchill)...



I love these voices...



It may not be the most exciting looking place, but they sure do put out some great public radio!

I signed up to go back on Friday.

For now, though, it's back to the books because "I really should be studying!"

A Day to like...

Despite my cheery disposition with my two men regarding our late spring storms, this past weekend's weather was starting to get to me.

It's all fun and even kind of exciting, but it is the end of April after all, and more snow is predicted for the end of the week.

We had an acquaintance fly in from Southern California over the weekend.

It was "iffy" if his flight was even going to be able to land in Laramie on Saturday afternoon.

Since the roads were closed, there was no way we would have been able to drive to Denver to get him if the plane had been forced to detour.

He left late yesterday afternoon, but unfortunately some cloud cover and a quick, short burst of wind and snow come in just as the plane was ready to taxi down the runway.

So it sat for about 45 minutes, which meant he missed his connection in Denver.

But today?



Oh my...sunny, warm and gorgeous!



While it may technically be spring around the rest of the country, it's still "winter" here in our little neck of the woods.



But who can complain, when "winter" is as gorgeous as it is today...

Getting ready for Pesach…

Passover begins next Monday, at sundown.

We’ll be going to the community Seder Monday night.

I decided to get an early start this year and so cooked up a couple of chickens for the matzo ball soup, which we’ll be eating pretty much every day during Pesach.



The Legal Dude will make a brisket next weekend.

I decided to make the Pesach rolls early, just in case they don’t turn out, with the whole altitude thing going on.



I misread the recipe when making the first batch and didn’t add all the water, which actually turned out okay since high altitude baking calls for a reduction in liquid.

The second batch I did add all the water and they were a tad lose before baking, but baked nice and soft inside.



I’ll be making more this week, that is, provided I can find more matzo meal.

Now back to watching the Health Care Vote...

The endless steps…

Now I know why people use snowshoes.

On my way back from the java shop, I decided to take a “shortcut” across the Junior High property.

Boy. Was that ever a mistake!

See the snow…


In some places, it’s at least a foot deep, and I plunged deep down to the very bottom.

I must have looked pretty funny to anyone driving by; me struggling in the deep snow holding my cuppa java.

The problem with drinking coffee on a walk is there may be an urgency to get back home!

I’d walk a mile for…

a good cuppa java.

Actually, I don’t know if it’s a mile but it took 55 minutes, roundtrip, including ordering and getting my java.

It may not be the best java I’ve ever had, not like the flat white from Cassatt’s in Arlington.

But the shop is close by and it’s where I usually go to meet friends after class, or to hang with the Legal Dude on a weekend morn.

Besides, how can you go wrong with a Barista who does this…

[Photo of the teenager’s hot cocoa taken February 2009, when we were here checking out the town to see if we could live here.]

I stopped along the way to take in the sights, two rabbits and some scat that had, what looked like, a raccoon’s tail embedded in it.

I know. I’m “unusual.”

But hey, that’s why the Legal Dude loves me.