TUESDAY MORNING

[Colliemom]

Good Morning,

Not much exciting to start this morning off with. Breakfast is in tummy. Eggs and Bacon, soon to be topped off with a bowl of strawberries. Coffes on though, stop by and have some to kick start your morning.

After looking at all the pictures and reading about all the adventures for the GTG, that park is definitely on my list of "must go to" parks. Lots to see and explore. And Kathleen's new "hme" sounds pretty nice too. Makes me get antsy to head south for a bit. Might dependng on how things work out later on down the road here a bit. First we get through the worst of winter, get the taxes done, which should be shortly after I get a couple of morre documents I am waiting for, see how the gas prices are doing etc., what mom nature is doing as far as weather etc. and go from there. For the first time I am finally admitting that I don't know if I want to stay another whole winter up here next year either. I love winter up till about now, but now it's getting to be a drag. Biggest factor is lack of sun. We haven't had much this winter. But I am also keeping an eye on those gas prices at the pump too as they seem to be slowly inching up. Fortunately we have been staying steady at $3.19 here. Still too much. Goes up too much more, I will be staying close to home this summer for sure or selling the truck and trailer and reoutfitting that van. Better gas mileage than the truck/trailer combo gets.

And of course that big storm is heading this way too. Everybody in it's path, stay safe and hunker down till it's over. I hope none of your lose power etc. As for me here, I am at the very northern edge of it as it passes over Michigan. However, we all know that storms do not stop at county lines. As is, my forecast calls for 3-5 inches of snow. But the entire lower half of the state is already under a Blizzard Warning for up to as much as 14 inches of snow, so needless to say, they are going to have their handsful down there. Won't be a school open tomorrow. I"m on the edge of a Winter Storm Watch area and a Winter Storm Warning area to my southwest. A shift one way or other will make a big difference. I don't trust those storms that head Northeast from the TX/NM area. We've been clobbered more than once by them. Nice thing though, is that behind it, a bit of warm weather is coming. If you call mid 20's to mid 30's warm. But it's better than the mid teens. And with a warm sun, it makes a big difference. Surprisingly even yesterday with it being cloudy and mid teens, I noticed areas of my drive that are actually showing a little bl

So I guess it's time to get moving around here. House cleaning on the agenda. No energy this morning. Haven't been sleeping as good as I want to lately although the nights seem to be gone in no time. Brain is doing a lot of thinking while I am sleeping, about different things I guess. Been reading "The Shack" in bed before I turn off my light and maybe it's processing that, who knows. Friend sent it up to me. Plus I am finishing up the steroids from my little gout episode and I know they can cause some sleepiness too. Last one today. I also know that not being outside as much as I should doesn't help any either. Oh well, spring will be here eventually. Tomorrow is Groundhog Day and with this big storm heading that way, they will be lucky to find Phil's hole Then he won't see his shadow and we will have an early spring

Ah, time to quit blathering and get with it. Have a wonderful day everyone.

[dpf]

Well brace yourself Sue, because the storm is coming and it's coming with a vengeance. It started snowing here yesterday. It wasn't bad when we left for work but the visibility and roads were horrible on the way home and still are. Most of the schools had closed by noon and I don't think there is a school in the area open today. I would have come home early except that I was riding shot gun and by the time we left I was darn glad that we were in Ed's monster truck and not my little Tracer four-banger. Today I am not leaving the house...it's -3 and the wind chill is around -30. I have to decide what I am going to accomplish..if anything! But if anyone wants to come to visit the coffee pot is on!

[Forestgal]

Wow you two. What a way to start the day!

I lived in MN for 3 years while a teenager and I have to say that I don't miss a bit of it. We never had a snow day called because there would have been too many of them. But I remember having to wait for the city bus to pick me up once when the windchill was below zero and swore to my mom that if she wanted me to go to school in that God-forsaken place she was going to have to get herself up in the morning and take me until the snow melted. And she did, because she knew that I was dead-serious. We learned about engine heaters -- who knew you had to plug your car in to get it started in the morning?! And we learned about starting the car 30 min. before leaving to keep the windshield from freezing on the inside. Yup, don't miss that a bit!

We're done with our couple of days of rain & it's now going to be windy for a day or so. Temps will be in the 60s and will head back to the 70s by the weekend. Can't complain here.

Well, gotta get myself organized for the day here at school. Stuff's ready, but I always like to look to see what I've planned. It's to the point that I can almost do this blindfolded, which has its good and bad points. I'll think about the good for now.

Take care everyone, and those of you in this storm's path -- be safe.

Laura -- and Jed

[Liz]

Foggy morning at Blue Cypress Lake. A few more pics on my blog. Time to kayak. More later. Beth, Tina, Sarah and I are here. Soos is coming tomorrow.

http://wheresliz-2011.blogspot.com/2011/02/blue-cypress-lake.html

[mtngal]

Good Tuesday morning! Hope everyone is ready for this big storm. We are getting just the tail end here in Austin. But Dallas is hit hard, airport closed. I changed my flight (originally for early tomorrow morning) about noon yesterday, very glad I did, Dallas airport is the last place I want to be in a snow storm (or even the day after)!

So today, my pantry is bare. Must go to store and get just enough supplies for the next few days of cold weather. Maybe a stew in my crock pot, and I'm thinking about stuffed grape leaves.

Lovely sunrise Liz!

Oh, I got my van home late yesterday....with a new starter. Should be good to go when I get back to Texas.

Stay warm travel pals!

[mtngal]

deleted duplicate post, sorry about that....

[dayspring39]

Good Morning from warm Florida glad I can say that this year finally... All of you in the storms eye please stay inside and keep warm...
Oh Sue I read The Shack a couple of years ago... it is very good... another book that is also very good is The Wednesday Letters...
I need to get out today stayed inside and watched TV have not had a hook up for a couple of weeks now so the news is new to me on Egypt... I am afraid we will get messed up there also... how thin can our troops be spread...
Take care those on the road...
Kathleen
Wow while I was posting many came in good morning to you all!!!

[Acadianmom]

We have some bad weather headed this way. My sister just called and a tornado went through and peeled the roof off her son's trailer and the wall collapsed inward. He and his wife were in it but weren't hurt and thank god the 2 girls were at school. The trailer was a piece of crap anyway. They have a new trailer that they bought around Thanksgiving and have never gotten everything done so they can move in. My nephew will have to get of his a$$ and get the sewer system put in so the electric company will hook it up. He has been "gonna" get them a better place to live since the first baby and she just turned 9. I have always said his middle name should be gonna. The tornado went between my sister's house and her in-laws and didn't touch them.

The front and line of bad weather is about 2 hours west of here. Hopefully we will just get the tail end of it. The weather people said our temperature will drop 20 degrees in 30 minutes when it passes. Better go see what's loose in the yard.

Martha

[Rufflesgurl]

Liz - Thanks for sharing your beautiful pix. Enjoy them

Linda

[Echo]

GOOD MORNING SISTAHS!!!

Brrrrrr! It's cold here today. Temp outside on thermometer said 15f this morning at 7am. Temps here are raising the goose bumps!!! Wind is blowing like it's never gonna stop too!Which of course makes it even colder.

Had to take Shade out to P and see what my son called about at 6:50am.

Dang kid!! He let me know last night that he would be headed to NY this morning to go see my oldest brothers partner as he sounded really bad on the phone Saturday when they talked on the phone. Son is driving rental car and heading right smack dab into a major winter storm. Weather website I use is calling for 4-6" of snow tonight and 6-10" more tomorrow!!! He's a good driver and has no fear of driving in the snow. And THAT scares the billy-bejeebers out of me!!! Of course bullheaded stubbornness does not run in the family! Have made him "promise" to pull over if the roads get crappy. But in all honesty I can just imagine him trying to bull thru the mess! grrrrrr He's gonna call me back this afternoon to get some directions for above Harrisburg on into NY where we are from. It's been a while since he's been up there and wants to make sure he takes the right routes!Was gonna call my BFF in NY to ask for her daughters phone number as she lives in Williamsport but as it is with the storm he's headed for, he might not even make it to Williamsport PA I'm of two minds?????? Get the number for him as a place to park and stay? Or not, and therefore "not" give him any reason to try and get any further than safe? The winter advisory says it's gonna get really icy and bad south of Williamsport. Just maybe?? He might use a couple of extra brain cells to pull over south of Harrisburg PA and stay the night in a motel? I am about shaking here thinking of him trying to make it to far in really crappy weather. This boy of mine like to ride the edge and push it as far as possible!! He skateboards, mountain bikes, motocrosses, was a paratrooper, base jumper, rock climber, off roader, mud bogger, was gonna be a smoke jumper until a snowboard/tree accident walloped him a good one and knocked him out of the test, etc. You name it? He'll try it!!!Just maybe if I remind him how much Connor needs his Daddy it "just" might make him stop and think. That has been my mantra to that boy since he could walk and talk. "Stop and think for a minute, will this get me into trouble"????

OK, enough stressing out on here! Whew! Hope everyone has a good day. If your in the storms path in the upper mid-west? Stay home, safe and warm. If your in the path of ANY storm please be careful and safe. And that goes for everyone no matter what your doing or where your at, be safe!!!

Love to all

on edit!

PS. Liz absolutely love that pic!!!

[AlmostThere]

Almost afternoon here in the cool, sunny PNW! No unfortunate weather systems passing us but am watching the middle third of the nation. I was in the 1967 blizzard in Illinois. I was a senior in high school and remember 9 ft drifts! Of course as farm kids we all thought it was great fun and made lots of tunnels in the snow at the farm.
I got an email from my BF just south of Chicago and she said the stores are all out of snow shovels. You'd think everyone and their brother would already own a shovel! People are sooo funny.

Echo, keep up updated on your DS's travel to NY. Yikes, is right!!

This AM I got my car gassed up and then went to the RV storage and ran Little Missy. She cranked right up. Good girl! Everything seemed good there. I can't wait for warmer weather to get her out.

After that Iwent to my dog's vet to get refills of his heartworm meds and flea application. I was really please to see that they are now offering a generic brand heartworm med for 1/3 the cost of the Heartguard. Chewable pills the size of an M&M. My dog ate it right down.

I was shocked this morning to go to my online banking and see that SS had deposited two payments (Dec/Jan)! Hence the car getting gassed up and my dog getting his meds refilled.

Everyone in the bad weather's path, please keep an eye out and stay safe.

[carold]

Got a call at 2:45 am. Hung up thinking it was my alarm waking me up to get ready to go to the airport-then LOOKED AT THE CLOCK. So checked my phone and saw the time and that the phone call was an 800 #. Called back and was told that my flight to Tucson via Dallas was canceled. First, couldn't get into Raleigh for 3 days and now this. Someone must be telling me to STAY IN FLORIDA Could have tried to reschedule but called my sister and we both agreed that canceling the visit was best. Did not want to get stuck in AZ or maybe the Dallas airport. The weather lately is very unpredictable. She sure had some fun plans, but we will instead head in that direction when we leave in April Diane, good thing you were looking ahead. carold

[BarbaraRose]

Wow Liz! That photo is awesome!!! Will check out your other ones soon!

Sure don't miss those snowstorms, altho it was fun to stay home all hunkered down watching it snow. It was afterward, getting out in it, that sucked! Gonna call my dad tonight and make sure he is doing OK. Am thinking it is going mostly south of him tho (he's just west of Minneapolis).

[Nasoosie]

Foggy morning at Blue Cypress Lake. A few more pics on my blog. Time to kayak. More later. Beth, Tina, Sarah and I are here. Soos is coming tomorrow.

http://wheresliz-2011.blogspot.com/2011/02/blue-cypress-lake.html

Sigh! What a beautiful looking place is that! I am finally feeling better tonight, and not coughing 24 hours a day as I have been for weeks. I am really sorry I couldn't be there yet, but my plans are to get help loading my generator tomorrow night when Goog gets home from work, and head my trailer outward so I can take off at the crack of dawn! It's only 60 miles right to the park, and we did most of it on New Year's Eve....went to Lake Marian that time. I have my pontoons packed to make my canoe stable enough to take any water, and all my things are still ready to haul back at the trailer......canoe and all still in the trailer!

I am so hoping I will get a chance to see you before you pull out of there......all of you. I have been resting and soaking in hot water for these three days, and it has helped.