ICE

The glistening beautiful layer of ice coating all the branches was finally rained away this afternoon. The thick fog has lifted and the wind is picking up. We're above 32 degrees for the first time in a couple of icy cabin-bound days! In fact it's jumped from 31F at noon to 44F at 4 PM so I guess the warm front arrived. The next weather change of the day is supposed to be an evening cold front moving into the area and refreezing whatever moisture remains. We still haven't had a real snow but I'm hoping for that Monday night.

The Financial Peace University class is going well and our refinance on the house looks like it will close on Friday after three postponements due to the rust spots on the roof (where the cats POOP) and the appraiser's difficulty in deciding a value on the little cabin in the woods. The last appraiser just listed it as an additional outbuilding like a barn or shed. This appraiser felt it should be listed as a guest house and was determined to find something comparable in the area so he could price it. The new mortgage payment should be quite a bit lower and allow us to pay it off early.

We missed our Web 2.0 Class at Liberty High School again this week because of a problem with the school system's Internet filter and new password restrictions. I hope it gets straightened out because I'm really ready to get back on track and learn new tricks!

I finally gave in last week and called the doctor for antibiotics to wipe out my sinus/ear infection. I feel lots better now and even showed up at Tai Chi ready to rumble on Thursday afternoon. Due to final exam schedules no teachers showed up again (2nd week in a row). The two of us that did come agreed to postpone class so the others wouldn't miss the last class in our session. Ergo, tomorrow will be the end of my first Tai Chi course. But never fear, I will sign up for the next round because I think I'm really getting a lot out of Tai Chi.

I leave for Harrisburg, PA on Friday after our mortgage closing to attend a seminar with Shiner, his brother, and my friend Kathy (their breeder). We hope to learn the finer points of showing dogs so we can earn some titles with these boys and put 'em to work as stud dogs!

January 2009

I missed Web class at LHS on Monday and Tai Chi at SRHS last Thursday because I've been sick as a dog (seems like a fitting description for anyone in our furry household.) I feel less doggie today so I'm catching up on my assignments for both of those classes AND the new Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class that Wayne and I attended Sunday afternoon at our church, Trinity Ecumenical Parish. We have to create a quickie starter budget together before Sunday's class. That should be interesting.

Wayne, Shiner, and I had a great holiday at Massanutten, taking the new Wii along so we could play with friends and family. We celebrated New Year's Eve with a Swiss Raclette dinner shared with Kristina and Brian Taylor, Maggie Hagood, Collin, and Brian Marquis. We also spent time with Wes and Saidee. Watch out for us next year as Wii Sports Champs! I don't know about the rest, but I came home with sore muscles from bowling...or maybe that was flu?

The big chill is hitting our area now with temperatures colder than we've seen in a couple of winters. Single digits are expected on Friday night. We'll check on the cabin, plug in the heat tape, and bring the pussies indoors.

Just think, last year at this time Saidee hadn't even been rammed on the slopes at Massanutten and we were deep into wedding planning. Jeremy wasn't even house-hunting yet and now he's a home-owner in Ohio! Time flies.