Have I mentioned yet that I'M REAL TIRED OF WINTER?!?

Got up and out of the Motel 6 around 9-ish this cold but sunshiny morning. Made the very necessary stop across the street at McDonald's for Tom's coffee -- he's been seriously caffein-deprived since Saturday. Despite the fact that his doctors say there's no proven connection between caffeine and heart afflictions, the cardio floor at Portsmouth Regional is caffeine-free.

Fortified with coffee (Tom), orange juice (Linn) and sausage McMuffins we managed to get home having only once to stop and clean the road crap off the windshield (and get gas in the ol' Suburu, too).

Home is good. The cats are happy (and Rufus is chasing Sabine to prove it). The house is getting warmer. More real coffee has been made and consumed.

When Tom brings my shovel back down from the head of the driveway, I'll finish clearing off the deck (I've already used his shovel -- less than optimal for me -- to clean off the steps and uncover the firewood I'd left on the deck yesterday morning) and shovelling a path to the woodpile.

It'll be good to sleep in our own bed tonight. I'm feeling beleaguered by winter and exhausted physically and mentally, but a good dinner, hair wash, and sleep will probably hae me feeling better before I go to work tomorrow noon-8:00. The other good news is my coworker who originally wanted to take about a month off really wants to work more hours again (I think she's gotten her medical issues ironed out) and is working for me today and it looks as if I'll be back to my previous schedule in the next week or so.

Yesterday was really strange, not only staring out the fourth floor window at the raging storm outside (most of the time we couldn't see the shopping mall across the street -- just McDonald's and Longhorn Steak House), but watching television which we NEVER do. Eight hours of the Food Network wasn't bad, but I still have no desire to try to schedule any TV watching until the next time I'm stuck with it.

Linn