"Brand new!"

I will get better at blogging. I WILL get better at blogging...

Yeah, we'll see.

This past weekend I went on a trip. On my way there, I connected at LaGuardia airport, and was able to take some sweet airplane window photos of New York City. I was able to get one with Freedom Tower in it, too. Kind of surreal.

Right before the turbulence of death began.

It's almost the same.

One thing you may not know about me: I get motion sick easily. It always annoys me when people on the bus to work or in moving cars get to read without needing to barf. You know what they say about misery. The first few times I flew places, it seemed that my body did ok with flying. No barf! Wee! And then just as I let my defenses down, I've had to use the airplane barf bag twice in the past year.

I now take two Dramamine pills before each flight. Overkill? Probably.

It's safe to say my ideal vacation will never be a cruise. Or, you know, a flight around the world.

Airplane sickness and cancelled flights aside, on my way home...from my connection...in Chicago...seven hours later than originally planned, I got to fly in a "brand new!" plane. The fact that they made such a big deal about the newness of this plane actually frightened me more than excited me. I've been watching way too many documentaries about airplane crashes for that to put me at ease. (Thanks for nothing, Netflix!) But then I took my Dramamine. By the way, they make "less drowsy" Dramamine now. What's the point?

So, anyway, about this "brand new!" plane.

The back of every seat had a screen where you could buy movies (unless you're in first class. Rich people get to watch movies for free). Also, the "safety instructions" were shown on the screen instead of the flight attendants going over them, and throughout the flight you could watch your altitude.

Kind of cool, I guess.

Other than that it was an airplane, and I got off it wanting to kiss the ground, as usual.

I couldn't wait to get home and see this one.

My super amazing brother and SIL picked her up from the "doggy daycare" and brought her home for me so that I didn't have to pay for another night and also so she'd be home when I got there...around midnight. Not having to spend a night alone: Priceless.

Never again…please.

This has nothing to do with anything except that I just saw it advertised (not in a joking way) as I was beginning this post and I'm slightly horrified/mystified.

This is a thing. Discuss.

And now onto the good stuff.

I think I can finally write this post without having nightmares. It's no secret that it snowed here a couple weeks ago. It was a snow that everyone knew was coming, yet no one (in central North Carolina) was prepared for, as usual.

If you went to college or work at a college anywhere south of, probably, Pennsylvania, you know how universities like to cancel classes for snow, but employees still are expected to show up to work. Because, only the safety of those paying to be there really matters. Wouldn't it be fun if the whole world worked this way?

So, the snow was expected to start around lunchtime and hit us hard and fast. Classes were cancelled starting at noon, but employees were still expected to work a full day. I went into a meeting at 12:30 and it hadn't started coming down. When I got out of the meeting at 2, we already had a lot on the ground and it was coming down thick.

Ten minutes later, we all got a panicked e-mail from the university that all offices were CLOSED IMMEDIATELY! My coworker offered to drive me to the park-and-ride lot since it appeared the buses were all stuck and/or had stopped running. The 2-ish mile drive to the lot took an hour. Way to go, UNC! I was NOT your biggest fan that day.

So very annoyed.

The drive from there to my house (about three miles)? Another two hours. That's five miles in three hours. People were getting stuck trying to get up even the smallest hills. One street I finally got down after waiting behind a pickup spewing awful exhaust for a good long while.

Hating everything.

I definitely jumped a few curbs but really, it didn't get me anywhere any faster. My boss had to leave her car in a parking lot and walk home, which I was contemplating only because I was about to start ramming people. But I persevered. Once I got past the hilly street, past all the cars that were getting stuck, this was the rest of the ride.

Four-wheel-drive, I love you!

This is one adventure I never want to relive. I wasn't made to endure all this fluffy whiteness. This was enough snow for me for years, thank you!

The only fluffy whiteness I care for.

My run outside a week later was…interesting.

What did we laugh at before the internet was born?

Yesterday? Yesterday, the internet won.

Everything.

Seriously. The laughing woke up the dog...

I've seen it at least 30 times now and still with the laughing.

Sprinkles: the cure for everything

I'm about to make you feel better about almost everything. (Yes, even the frigid weather).

It's safe to say I'm a couple days late with this one.

Ever since Friday, (five days ago) I've had the constant feeling of being carsick. Five. Days. No, I still don't know what causes the dizziness but five days straight every couple months of not being able to do anything but sit or lie still without feeling sick, is unacceptable. I considered drugging myself up with Dramamine, which would have been wonderful except for the fact that, you know, I work for a living and being awake is a necessity.

This morning I was dreading getting out of bed and going through it again but then, when I stood up out of bed...NOT DIZZY! It's like the clouds parted and I wanted to kiss everyone! And everything! PIPPI, GET OVER HERE!

Suddenly, after taking five days off from working out, due to the obvious, I currently want to RUN ALL THE MILES!

I'm officially giving credit to the last thing I ate last night for this miracle.

AKA - ending a bad day in the best way possible.

The sprinkles poured out too fast and I was about to complain that I got too many and then I realized...that's not even possible! 

Not only was it cold outside yesterday (there I go again)

...but my commute to work ended in this:

Stop signs. They aren't optional.

I probably haven't said this enough, but MAN do I love people. So, in trying to look for the humorous in crap situations, I found it kind of funny that, when I called the insurance company one of the questions they asked me was whether I was wearing my seatbelt. Now, I instinctively always put mine on, so when I told "insurance lady" that I was wearing mine I wasn't lying. My question is...who would say no to this? Not only would that be really stupid but it's actually against the law to drive without your seatbelt on in North Carolina. So, if someone actually admitted to not wearing one, would insurance not cover the accident?

That's your homework. Hope to it! I'll be over here...basking in the glow of being able to look from side-to-side without feeling the need to hurl. Wee!

"Does this mean longer walks again, Momma?"