Semi-Live Blogging - "Blizzard" 2009, Round 2

OK, it's not quite a blizzard yet...

6:56 p.m.: It has stopped snowing, but, baby, it's cold outside!

5:55 p.m.: The winds have died down but it is still snowing. According to the reports on the news, about 3 inches have already fallen in Boulder. Because it was still relatively warm today, 45 degrees, the sidewalks, parking lots, and streets are still warm enough to keep things from getting icy. Yet. When the temperature drops tonight, it might get a bit icy. But, I'm thinking (and hoping!) that the morning drive to work will not be that bad.

4:57 p.m.: Watching the news last night and this morning, the weather people were saying that we were expecting another snowstorm to hit at around noon today. The weather was hit or miss. It was definitely cloudy, but then it would clear up and there would be patches of blue sky. Then at about 3:30 today, the clouds really started to roll over the mountains. They were dark and gray and ominous. Then the cloud level dropped to the point that they were completely hiding the mountains, but it was still dry. Then, within about five minutes, sleet started to fall. And then the wind started to pick up. Then after about ten minutes it was snowing and snowing hard. The wind started to pick up, so the snow was blowing sideways. I decided to leave the office early, and when I was dusting the snow off my car, the snow was really wet and heavy. Fortunately the roads were still OK; they were just wet but not too slick. It's still snowing pretty hard right now, so we'll see what the rest of the evening will look like.

Self-imposed Snow Day

The blizzard has blown through Colorado and things are finally starting to calm down. It has stopped snowing and the winds have quieted down. As I mentioned in my previous Live Blogging post, our office isn't closed today, but instead it is on a delayed start. It officially opens at 10:00, but there was the option to continue working from home. In theory, I should be able to get to work just fine. I'm only a few miles away. But I made the decision to stay home and continue working from home. In my mind, I think that this is only fair. I work about 9 hours every day, and I often bring work home with me and sometimes I even work over the weekend. I justify staying home by saying that this pseudo day off is payment for the salary freeze and all of the unpaid overtime hours I have been putting it. It is a small reward, but I will take what I can get!

Live Blogging - Blizzard 2009!

OK, so maybe it is only kind of live. It's is a little after 1:40 as I start typing this post. When I first woke up this morning, the snow was falling lightly. I made the decision to stay home, then the office officially closed—I don't think that there is any correlation between the two, although I like to think that they can't function without me. Then it started snowing harder. Then the wind started to pick up. The wind was pretty bad and the snow was swirling around. It even started to blow into my balcony. Naturally I've been watching the news all morning, and the reports have been pretty bad. The freeways and roads are a mess and more like parking lots because the cars aren't going anywhere. But, right now it has stopped snowing and the winds have died down. Occasionally a gust of wind will blow the snow of the roof, but for the most part things have calmed down in Boulder. I haven't been outside yet but have only looked at things from my balcony. It looks like we got about a foot of snow.

Even though the storm has quieted down, I bet the drive to work tomorrow morning will still be horrible. Once the temperature drops and things freeze over, that's when things get really bad.

Update, 2:26 p.m. MST: looks like it is snowing again and the winds are picking up...

Update, 4:47 p.m. MST: It is still snowing, and it looks like we might be up to 15 inches by now. But, on brighter news, I just made the best grilled cheese sandwich ever!

Update, 6:23 p.m. MST: It is still snowing, and I'm trying to decide if I want to drink wine or cognac tonight.

Update, 7:16 p.m. MST: It is still snowing, it is really cold, and I chose the wine.

Update, 8:54 p.m. MST: It is dark. I can't quite tell if it is snowing or not, but if it is snowing, it is pretty light. I'm on my second glass of wine, so I don't care too much.

Update, 3/27, 7:37 a.m. MST: The snow has finally stopped falling in Boulder. But I'm watching the news this morning and there seems to be some light snow still falling in Denver. I think that we might have received a total of 15 to 18 inches of snow yesterday. Our office is not closed today but it is on a delayed start and it will officially open at 10:00 this morning. It was stated, however, that you can continue to work from home if you like and if you don't feel safe driving in to work. Right now I'm torn. I live only 3 miles from work, so in theory it should be easiest for me to drive to work. But, because I live on a road that is neither primary nor secondary, my roads probably will not be plowed as well. And, second, I honestly just want to stay home and have a pseudo day off. I have a few hours to think about this, so we'll see what I decide...

Current mood: relaxed (not working! - shh...)
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Melissa Etheridge "I've Loved You Before"
Current drink: Barq's root beer; Update: Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz; Update: coffee

Poor Birdie!

This little birdie landed on my balcony, and I think he looks a little uncertain about flying in our latest blizzard!

Responses to Snow

Whenever it snows, you are bound to get absurd reactions from certain people in response to the snow. Some of my favorites include:

1. It's snowing...so much for global warming. If it's cold and snowing, that means that global warming and climate change do not exist! It's called weather people! There is a difference between weather patterns and climate change.

2. It snows in Colorado, why isn't the state prepared, why don't they plow the roads? Well, they do plow the roads, but there is a pattern/system for how they do this. They plow the interstates, freeways, and major roads first. Then they go through the secondary roads and so on. Calm down and be patient, people!

3. People don't know how to drive in the snow, it must be those Californians who are causing all the accidents. I was born in Colorado but I moved around and came here from California. Californians—sometimes justly but mostly unjustly—are not liked in Colorado. Californians are blamed for every bad thing in Colorado, and they are especially blamed for bad driving and not being able to drive in the snow. A few people have jokingly made the stereotypical assumption that I don't know how to drive in the snow because I'm from California. So I take advantage of stereotypes and, jokingly, say, "no, because I'm from California I don't know how to drive in the snow, but, because I'm from California, I do know how to shoot someone while driving 75 mph on the freeway!" I just want to remind people that that is a joke. I'm not violent or crazy, and I would never shoot anyone on the freeway...I would only think about it...

Snow Day!

As I mentioned in my previous post, the weather in Colorado has been changing. For the past few weeks it has felt like spring. Now winter has returned, and it looks like March will go out like a lion not a lamb. When I woke up this morning at 6:00 there was a steady, fairly heavy, snowfall in Boulder. But when I turned on the news, there was no snow falling around the newscasters who were reporting throughout Denver. I called our office "snow line" and checked my work e-mail a few times, and there was no report of the office being closed. At most there were one or two people who made their own decision to stay home. I took my shower, had my breakfast, got dressed and ready like I do every morning. At about 7:30, the snow seemed to be falling harder and the winds seemed to pick up. I sat around my apartment for about 20 minutes and debated whether I should go into the office. I live only 3 miles away from work, and people generally assume that I'll be the only one able to make it into the office. But with the weather already pretty bad this morning and knowing that things will just get worse throughout the day, I made my own decision to stay home. Just as I finished writing an e-mail to the other people in my department to let them know that I wouldn't be coming in (so there!), an e-mail came through from the corporate office that let everyone know that the Boulder office was officially closed. Yay!

I've been wanting (and needing!) to take a day off, so I suppose this is one way that forces me to do that!

This and That, Weekend Edition

Winter clothing: About this time last weekend, I was talking about the change of seasons, and how winter was just around the corner. On the advice of a very lovely friend, I went on a shopping spree to reward myself for all of my hard work these past few months and to buy some more winter clothes. In spite of living in Colorado for about six years, I didn't own that many sweaters. I'm also really picky when it comes to sweaters. For one, my body tends to run on the cold side so I get cold easily. And, yes, because of this I sometimes ask myself why I moved to Colorado from Southern California! But, nevertheless, I'm here and I get cold. So because of my tendency to get cold, I need sweaters that actually keep you warm, sweaters with some weight. Sweaters that are really thin and light usually don't cut it for me. They might be soft and pretty and more suited for the fall or early spring, but in the dead of winter I need something warmer. Then there is the issue of lambs wool. I once bought a sweater, one that was heavy and warm, and it was made of lamb's wool. Well, it kept me warm, but it made me all itchy. Then there is also the issue of the "plunging" neckline sweaters. Maybe it's a personal preference, but I'd rather not expose my boobs and cleavage to the elements. I prefer v-neck sweaters, but not ones that practically reach my navel.

So this is why I don't own many sweaters, but I was determined and went on a mission to find the "perfect" sweater. And I have to say that I was really successful. I found three v-neck sweaters with the proper amount of "plunge" in the V. One was heavier and really warm; the other two were a bit lighter, but still warm. And I found two other sweaters that are a little sportier. So all in all, it was a successful shopping trip.

Weather: I was able to wear my sweaters earlier this week, because it was still chilly. Now it's the weekend, and it's 78 degrees. Should expect this from Colorado.

Vacations: With the holidays quickly approaching, I decided to buy my plane tickets home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wanted to buy things early to get a good price...well, as good as you can get these days. I also wanted to lock my vacation days in at work. Last year, my Christmas vacation was shorter than usual because I came back early to send some books to press. The to press dates ended up moving, and I was a little upset, but that's what happens sometimes. Anyway, this year I've put my foot down and vowed (to myself and anyone who would listen) that I wasn't going to let work dictate or control my vacation. I'm going away, damn it, and nothing and no one is going to stop me! So there!

Current mood: warm
Current music: iTunes on shuffle–Tori Amos "Bouncing off Clouds"
Current drink: Barq's Root Beer

Start of Winter

The seasons are certainly starting to change here in Colorado. The leaves on the trees outside my apartment are all yellow. And when I've been waking up in the morning, I notice that it feels colder and colder, and the sun seems to be rising later and later. A few nights ago I was in bed and noticed that the heater clicked on. There was that familiar dusty smell for a few minutes and finally some warmth.

Now that I'm in a bigger apartment, I notice that it tends to be a colder apartment. Obviously there are more places for the air to go, and it's not like the small contained space like my old apartment. But, then again, my old apartment tended to be really cold, too. That had less to do with the size and more to do with the limited heater. In my current place, I have central heat and air, so the heat and air actually goes into all rooms. At my old place, the heater only vented out to the living room, so it essentially heated only the living room and every other room (all one and a half of them) was cold. It was also an old and odd heater, too. I think that it essentially worked by striking some miniature flint and steel together to create a small fire in the wall. As much as I loved my old place, one of the things I didn't like about it was the heating in the winter. But now I finally have central heating. I don't crank up the heat because I don't want an astronomical heating bill, but at least every room can be warm when I want it to be.

This is supposed to be a cold, rainy, and possibly snowy weekend. This reminds me that I need to get another ice scraper for my car. And maybe I need some new gloves, too. And maybe a few more sweaters...

A Tale of Two Commutes

Yesterday's miniblizzard left the roads in horrible condition this morning. First of all, it took me about ten or fifteen minutes just to chip the ice off my car. And I found out that the new pair of gloves that I just bought aren't warm enough. I'm not sure if the problem is with the gloves or if it is with my hands. All I know is that the tips of my fingers were hurting by the time I finished cleaning my windows. Then came the task of actually driving to work. The roads were nothing but ice, and I certainly felt my car sliding around in certain spots. Just in the short three-mile drive from my apartment to the office, I saw quite a few accidents. One SUV (yes, an SUV!) was slammed into the back of a Honda. Size means nothing on ice! What is normally a ten-minute commute turned into about 20-25 minutes. Fortunately that wasn't as bad as what some of my friends had to deal with. Their commute from Denver was over two hours. In weather like this I'm thinking one of two things: I wish I were back in California, or when the heck are they going to invent a Jetson's car that flies?

But, as is typical in Colorado, the sun came out and started to melt all of the snow and ice. When I left the office at 5:00, it was about 35 degrees, which actually felt somewhat warm. And, thankfully, the roads were clear and dry. And, in addition to a safe drive home, I was blessed with a beautiful sunset during the drive. There were clouds over the mountains, and they were all shades of orange and pink and purple. The mountains were covered with the fresh snow that seemed to glow. For all of the stress and anxiety of the morning drive, the day ended on a very beautiful note.

Current mood: relaxed
Current music: Lisa Gerrard. The Silver Tree

From Sun to Snow

I haven't posted anything new recently, because for the past five wonderful days I was at home in California. We had a quiet Christmas with the family and the puppies, and that is just how I like it. It is simply nice to take some time off work to relax at home. The weather was beautiful. It was sunny and warm. Many people might think that 65 degrees is cold, but I think that it is perfect, especially when the sun is shining. Unfortunately the trip was a short one, because I had to come back to work this week to send some books to press. Still, any time at home is better than no time.

Wednesday was my travel day and our plane was supposed to leave around 2:00 in the afternoon. But, because of bad weather throughout the Midwest, the plane that was supposed to take us back to Denver didn't arrive in California until 3:45. So we didn't take off until about 4:30. Most of the people, though, were good natured and very patient. The only two people who were visibly annoyed were two younger women who were dressed in tank tops and pajama bottoms. There are two fashion-related things that I do not understand: people who wear their sunglasses indoors and pajamas while out in public. But, whatever. Anyway, after that little delay we eventually made it to Denver. With the weather as bad as it was, there was obviously a lot of missing luggage (or people!), because luggage without owners was strewn along the walls near the baggage claim area. Everyone on our plane waited patiently for our luggage to come out of one baggage carousel that was showing our flight number. Meanwhile the carousel next to us was overflowing with luggage. It took a while before we all realized that that was our luggage that was spinning around. I got my bag and by the time I caught a shuttle and made it home safely, it was already 9:30 in the evening. And I had to go to work the next day!

The weather started to get bad again and it was snowing for most of the night and all morning. Most of the people in the office decided to stay at home because they didn't want to deal with the traffic and nasty roads. The people who actually live in Boulder made it into the office, although that doesn't necessarily mean that the roads in Boulder are clean and safe. Because it kept snowing, they decided to close the office early at 1:00. So I stuffed some work into my bag, and here I sit, warm and cozy in my apartment with a fresh pot of hot coffee. Right now I'm just taking a little break to have lunch and to write this post, but, alas, I must get back to work.

Winter Pictures

So after my wonderful lunch and after a quick post on my blog, I grabbed my camera and ran out to take a few pictures of the mountains. I headed west to Chautauqua Park, which is only a few miles from my apartment. The parking lot was pretty snowy and icy, and I nearly broke my neck while walking up a little hill from the parking lot to the trail. Although, I admit, I was stupid and didn't change into my snow boots before I left the house. I was still wearing my famous--albeit impractical in the snow--boots. Anyway, once I made it to the little trail, I was able to take some nice pictures. It was a little late in the day, so I missed out on the crystal blue sky that we had earlier, but the view was still spectacular. All these shots were taken from the same spot. I love my zoom lens. And I love this town and this state. How many places have views like this?!