A snow day

On Thursday, January 27th the mid-Atlantic got hit with another snow storm. It brought rush hour traffic to a stand still, brought down trees, crippled the power grids, shut down schools and businesses, and left between 8 and 10 inches of snow on the ground in its wake.

Here is what I saw that morning:

Snow, schmow! I was still in Florida and taking full advantage of my remaining hours of sunshine and sand! So while my friends and family were shoveling driveways and sidewalks and hoping for the power to come back on, I was walking along the beach in Naples. Sand between the toes and everything.

You can see it was a gorgeous day. With a plane to catch in just a few hours though, I had to soak up as much of that gorgeousness and quickly. A quick walk on the beach (10 minutes judging from the parking meter), a quick stroll through Old Naples, a drive back to the hotel to grab my bags, lunch by the pond, and then off to the airport. It was speedy.

This was the view from my last hotel room. Yes, that picture above. This is here so you don't think that every room had a super duper fantastic view. (Although Barnes & Noble there in the distance is really not a bad thing to look at!) 

Better than the hotel view, this was the lunch view. Shrimp at Hemingway's, yummy. Dning al fresco with a water view, super sweet! Being in Florida during a snow day at home, priceless!  

As a stark contrast, here is what greeted me this morning as I walked in to work: 

The picture looks cloudy because it was snowing. Again.

The toes are now in boots instead of sand. And it's still snowing.

The view

Since I have been sharing the view from previous hotel rooms I figured it was only fair to step on to the balcony and snap a photo of today's vista. This is the courtyard and pool (duh!) in West Palm Beach. Notice the absence of blue sky? Yep, it rained all day. Rain, wind, tornado warnings, thunderstorms, and now a full blown tornado watch. Oh, and the TV announcer just said hail too. Thankfully I'm snug in the hotel and the current cacaphony outside is but a soundtrack for some good sleep.


I hope.

A matter of degrees

18 - the high temperature yesterday. Fahrenheit. (Just in case you were wondering)

10 - the temperature last night at 11pm. Brrrrrr!

6 - what PMG faced this morning. Hello, Mr. Popsicle! 

38 - the temperature when the alarm clock went off at 7am.

59 - the purported high for today.

Huh? Wait. Say that again. 10 to 59 in roughly 12 hours??? How is that possible??? A 49 degree jump in a mere 12 hours??? Is Mother Nature just having bad PMS??? Again??? 

Momma Nature's cycles aside, 10 to 59 degrees is indeed possible with a little help from a commercial airline and some ingenuity to make a business trip to Florida a necessity in late January.

Welcome to the sunny Gulf Coast! This is the sunrise that greeted me this morning. It was chilly at 38 degrees (although, by the standards at home, that's a veritable heat wave!) so I stayed on the balcony and snapped a few pictures as the sun gradually illuminated the beach.

 

My current vantage point is in Pensacola Beach. I landed about 10:30 last night, picked up a rental car, and checked in to the hotel. In another couple hours I will be mobile again, the beach views being replaced by miles of asphalt and interstate road signs.

This is a unique trip in that I am ping-ponging across the state of Florida for the next few days. Pensacola, Destin, through Tallahassee, with a final destination of Jacksonville is just today's journey. This trip is all about visiting with people and making connections.

And a little scenery here and there. ;-)

It doesn't hurt that it's warmer here than at home, either.

*thud!*
*wack!*
*thud!*
*thud!*

That was the computer being hit with snowballs.  Guess those peeps back home are a little jealous. Sigh. I hear it's a balmy 12 degrees on campus this morning. Wish I were there.  (Liar, liar, pants on fire!)

Best wishes for a warm day, where ever you are! 

On the ninth day of Christmas...

Dear Santa:  

Since I am still a really really really really good girl, and you're on vacation right now and very relaxed, I have one more little teensy tiny request.

You, dear Santa, are full of magic and can do anything, so steer those reindeer to my house in March with the 2011 HGTV Dream Home in the sleigh. For me. Please. Pretty please? With whipped cream on top. Chocolate sauce, nuts and a cherry too, if you're into that kind of stuff. I will even throw in a week for you and Mrs. Claus at the lodge. Every year. Just not Christmas week because I know you're super busy then. Any other week. Take your pick. Heck, pick TWO weeks! All it takes is a Dream House. THIS dream house. In March. I know this is a big request and I really hope that three months is long enough to make it happen. 

Please? Did I say I've been a good girl? Because I have been good. REALLY good. Three whole people can attest to that. (Maybe four if you bribe him.)

During your two weeks at the lodge I am certain Mrs. Claus will enjoy the hot tub, the stunning master suite, the relative privacy of the house, and the amenities in the surrounding area. There is even sleigh parking at the lodge, and room for eight in the ski dorm. Don't you have eight reindeer? Uh huh. That's what I thought.

Thanks, Santa. Say hi to Mrs. Claus and the kiddos for me. Hope to welcome you to the lodge later this year.

Love you bunches and bunches, 

J