The Clean Up

The snow finally ended by 2200 Saturday night. Over 24 hours of snow! I would say that we ended up with at least 18" of snow here in our neighborhood. National Airport had a record breaking 16" of snow.

Here was the last measurement before the sun went down.....17"

The car was taller than me with all that snow!

James and I awoke early on Sunday and spent the morning shoveling the sidewalks, clearing the vehicles, and clearing our parking spaces and our neighbors extra space. It was crazy! We even made a trek out to Home Depot yesterday after the snow shovel broke. The roads were a mess. And last night the Office of Personal Management closed the federal govenrment in the metro DC area for today. And I am glad fort that after our short jaunt yesterday.

For those of you who do live where it snows alot and are shaking your head at us because 18" of snow is nothing, let me give you some reasons why it is a big deal:
1) The amount of snow we received in 24 hours is more than we receive in a winter's time;
2) Our department of transportations (in VA, DC, and MD) say they are ready for anything that comes our way but they are more concerned with I-95 than the secondary roads;
3) Many neighorhoods relay on the county to clear and as of this morning many are not;
4) Our public transportation outfits are running on limited service. Metro (our subway) closed all their above ground stations at 1300 on Saturday and only this morning reopened them (without Metro the federal government can't operate);
5) People around here do not have vehicles that are made for snow. So when it does snow they still think they can drive in the foul weather. Then they end up on the side of the road and the vehicle is buried under snow;
6) People around here cannot drive in snow or rain. Period.

Snow-torious update

As of 1200 we are under a Blizzard Warning until 1800. Yes that is right....a Blizzard Warning....

And 13" of snow. We've hit over a foot!

James took the measuring stick out to the yard and hit 14". But the back table is our measuring point.

The snow is just under James' knees!

Benning made an escape last night while I was getting a beer. He was pretty confused so I was able to pick him up and put him back in the house. But this afternoon we allowed him to take a look for himself. He made it about ten feet and then turned around and went right back to the house and wanted back in :)

I filled the bird feeders last night but the only one accessible right now is the variety seed right in the middle. The sunflower feeder has snow in the resevoir that is blocking the seed. You can see our Red-Bellied Woodpecker.

We will make another update in a couple of hours. James and I will take a walk to see what the neighborhood looks like.

Update on the "Winter" Wallop

Well, the snow started just before 2100. James was musing that the weather maps were showing snow, but that he didn't see it outside. I swear, less than a minute he says, "I stand corrected." And he was. It was snowing. We were heading out to Molly and Chris' to help them move the 1/2 cord of firewood that was being delivered. By 2200 the firewood hadn't been delivered so we headed back to the house. The streets were already covered. We threw the truck into 4-wheel drive and spent the next 50 minutes slowly making our way home. This drive usually takes about 15 minutes. Lots of accidents. Lots of idiots. When we turned in for the night we already had at least 3" on the back table.

We woke up at about 0800 this morning. And this is what we saw:

You are reading that right....8" in 11 hours. And the worst has yet to hit....stay tuned.....

Preparing for the storm....

As of 1157 this morning the National Weather Service is forcasting the following for our area:

Tonight: Snow, mainly after midnight. Low around 29. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph increasing to between 15 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Saturday: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 30. Blustery, with a north wind between 17 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 8 to 12 inches possible.
Saturday Night: Snow, mainly before 4am. Low around 28. North wind between 14 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday: A chance of snow showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Northwest wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Wow! And some other forecasters are predicting closer to 20" for parts of the region.

I am torn about this impending storm. I can't believe that this will be our second snowfall of the month. Second! Two weeks after our first fall. Did I mention our second snow fall!!?? And I would love to watch it fall snuggled up in my house. How often do I get to see snow!? But James and I were planning on traveling to Chesapeake to visit my mom, dad, and sister for Christmas and to celebrate my dad's birthday early (since we will be in New York for Christmas and have a really special package arriving on the 28th...stay tuned for that). And now with this storm coming I've had to rethink our travel plans.

We could make it out of Northern Virginia no problems tonight. But then on Sunday we would most likely spend an hour shoveling out our parking space and a path to the house. And that is not something I am interested in doing. Without winter boots on my feet (which by the way I just purchased a pair for our forecasted white Christmas in New York so they better arrive before we leave).

So I just spoke with my mom and she agreed that with this amount of snow coming to the area and the I-95 corridor that it would be best if we stayed put. I am sad that I won't see my parents before Christmas and for my father's birthday....but I'll make it up to them by making snowcream.....

Kickin' off the holidays in style!

The Washington, DC, area typically doesn't get snow until January or February (if we get any at all!) so the area ws all atweeter (and not the blogging kind) when the forecasters started predicting snow for Saturday, December 5, 2009, last week. We all waited to hear if the forecast was going to suddenly change as it usually does. But much to our delight at around 1000 on Saturday morning the rain turned to snow! REAL SNOW! And lot's of it! Okay, it only go to about two inches and iced over in the night. But it snowed!!!! Before Christmas!


It was the perfect weather to attend James command holiday party at Fort Belvoir's Officer's Club. Which was in an area of Fort Belvoir I'd never been to. We were given the wrong time and arrived just after the first food rush. But our friend Marlene saved us a seat and there was food still left (unlike last year). The food was okay, but friendship nice, and the skits put on by the various parts of the command hit or miss. But the view was great!

If it wasn't snowing so hard you would be able to see the river from the horrible additional they slapped on the back of the historic Officer's Club. Good thing I was inside the horrible addiitonal, but I did see it from the rear of the building as we entered. And I commented on it, out loud.

You can see the rest of the photos from the holiday party here.

After the holiday party James and I went to the store and bought supplies to make homemade bread. We like to give homemade bread as Christmas presents to our friends and family. And I think after three years we are finally getting it!

We kneaded the dough for 30 minutes, each taking 10 minutes a piece. Might have been overkill but the results were really nice :) Almost to perfection.

All in all, Saturday was the perfect day to kick off the holiday season! Coming up this weekend? Christmas tree decorating with the boys!!!

Birthday Celebrations!!!

For James' birthday, we went to Brasserie Beck in Washington, DC, for food, drinks, and good times. And we got more than we thought possible. Everyone was running late to dinner and they wouldn't seat us until the majority of our party arrived. When our numbers reached six we asked if we could be seated, and away we went. And ended up at the best table in the joint.

Brasserie Beck has an exhibition kitchen, meaning you can see your food being made. Watch the Executive Chef analyze each and every dish before the servers whisk them away. And simply have a live show while you eat. If you are in the right spot. And we were. Directly across from the kitchen's opening is the Chef’s Table. Normally it is reserved for the Chef's Menu experience. I suppose they had no takers for the Chef's Menu as we were seated there and were in awe. I am sure that large parties get sat there all the time, but for us it was a true delight!

The food was absolutely amazing. Hands down one of the best meals James ever had. One of our friend's cleaned his plate. Literally, took a piece of bread and cleaned the remaining sauce off his plate. Our server was outstanding. Simply describe the type of beer or wine you liked or were interested in and he had the perfect selection. One of the beers the men were drinking even had a presentation that was really cool and made our minds wander into the gutter a little bit. And for dessert they decorated James plate (see above)! Check out the album for all the photos.

It was a fabulous time. Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated with us. It was truly what James' wanted for his birthday.

License Plate Game

My favorite thing to do on a long car trip is to play the License Plate Game. If you live under a rock and don't know what I am talking about it is when you look at license plates and try to see if you can find all 50 states. To make the game more interesting we don’t count trailers but only the big rig itself. Canadian plates are bonus as are any territories. During our recent trip to NC for Thanksgiving we saw 37 states, Washington, DC, and three provinces: 

AL    ID     MA    NC    TN  
AK    IL     MI     OH    UT    
AZ    IN     MN    OK    VA  
CA    IA     MT    OR     VT
CT    KS     NV    PA     WV
DE    KY     NH    RI     WI
FL     LA     NJ     SC    Washington, DC
GA    MD    NY     TX

Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Quebec

I can't wait for our trip to NY this month! Eight hours of hunting license plates!

Sunrise at "Sunrise"

James and I awoke early this morning to make our trip back to Virginia. We missed the actual sunrise at "Sunrise" but caught it just afterwards. It was amazing. We started out our trip to the beach under rainy, cloudy, and rough seas. And ended it with a blue sky, whispy clouds, and one of the calmest seas I've ever seen. You can check out our other photos here.

It was a shame to leave NC and head back to our normal lives. But we had to. We left later than I wanted but it was still okay with traffic. It we had left 30 minutes later we would have hit more traffic than James' patience could handle.

We hope that you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and safe travels!

Gobble, gobble

James and I are currently nestled at the beach! My family has been spending Thanksgiving at the Outer Banks for the past 25 plus years. It is truly my home away from home. As the usual house my parent's rent for the holiday is off the rental market this year, they "upgraded" to a house right on the beach! The first time we've spent Thanksgiving right on the beach.

This is the view from the back deck.

It was misty and cloudy Tuesday and Wednesday, and then we awoke this Thankgiving morning to partly cloudy, blue sky, and sun!!! James and I took a long walk on the beach this morning and talked of grand plans of spending our retirement in a place like this.

The Outer Banks are still recovering from the Nor'easter that hit at Veteran's Day. Hurricane Ida intensified the effects, which are usually more damaging than a hurricane, and the debris along the beach is incredible. We are going up to Beach Road tomorrow where we will be looking for the dune that apparently was washed away.

Anyone need a need an old fridge?

Well, a card game is calling my name. Or another walk. Or reading. Or anything!

Have a happy, happy Thanksgiving!!!

Quote for the day

Sometimes I can't figure designers out. It's as if they flunked human anatomy.
--Erma Bombeck

Amen sister!

Rocking in the Free World

There has been a lot happening over the past two weeks. James and I took a staycation which was fantasitc! We didn't have to pack, drive, fly, or unpack anything. Just slept in and took the day as it came. One of the highlights was a trip the American Art Museum and seeing the following light installation:

Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii (1995), Nam June Paik

Went to the spa, driving range, and just relaxed!!! I highly recommend them.....

We picked up the boys last night. And it is amazing how you can connect through music. We rocked out to Cake, the Beastie Boys, Queens of the Stone Age, and some spanish language band that Joe had on his iPod that was about beer...crazy...but none the less our trip back to VA was fun and exciting!

Okay...off to the library!!!

OH! And about three weeks ago at the Great Meadow Highland Games I was got to meet the members of one of my favorite celtic bands, Rathkeltair, in the rain! I got a free CD and autographs, and the following picture:

Neil Anderson (assorted pipes, whistles & vocals), me, and Trevor Tanner (guitar & voice)

Happpy Halloween!!!

After our trip to the ER on Tuesday, and a second on on Thursday (James still had a fever and so did I), we almost didn't know if we were going to be able to take the boys this weekend. But by Friday we were well enough for me to work from home and James to go and buy Lysol to spray down the entire house.

The boys spent Saturday counting down the hours to wearing customs and trick-or-treating. Especially Joe.

Jaime was Iron Man!!!

Joe was Edward Elric. It's okay if you don't know you Edward Elric is, neither did we until a couple of months ago. He is the lead character from the anime magna Fullmetal Alchemist. The back story on this costume is a blog all onto itself. All I will say is that for $5 shipping and three days after ordering, this costume arrived from China. Joe's proudest moment was when two older girls freaked out over his costume because they recognized the character. He'll even get additional use of the costume as he is planning on wearing it at an anime convention in DC.

James was Wolfman. And he did a pretty good job, even scared kids away from the house!

I didn't dress up. I was to busy preparing for the day and night! And carving my pumpkin. I love carving pumpkins. It is a true joy for me.

We hope that everyone had a fabulous Halloween!!!! Check out the rest of the photos from our day at Picasa Web Albums (our new online location for photos). Happy Daylight Savings Time!!!

Early morning trip to the ER

When I got home from work last night, James wasn't looking so hot. Well, not his Army-tough/teddy bear type of hot he usually emits. He was short of breath, run-down, and had a wicked cough. As the night progressed his cough started giving him shooting pains behind his eyes and pulling his lower back muscles. I took his temperature (99.1) and put him in bed at 9:00 PM with plans on getting up at 6:30 AM to make an appointment through sick-call.

However, his coughing didn't stop and he was only able to have short periods of sleep. At 5:00 AM after a rather nasty coughing fit, he said he was sweaty and hot. I took his temperature (101.7) and I had him get dressed and we went to the ER. I wasn't chancing this, especially since this guy NEVER gets sick.

Well, we have dodged a bullet. It isn't the regular flu or the piggy flu but an upper respiratory infection/virus. Even the doctor said he sounded like "ass." I kid you not! We were out of the ER by 9:15 AM after a bag of fluids, a chest X-ray, and three breathing treatments. We were out of the Pharmacy by 9:45 AM (thank god active duty gets first priority) and he was in bed by 10:15 AM on 48-hours quarters. He has a ton of meds and a great desire to sleep. Hopefully the two days of rest and meds will help him recover more quickly. We've got the boys this weekend and trick-or-treating to be had!!!

Spark of Insanity

Last night James and I traveld to Baltimore to see Jeff Dunham in his Spark of Insanity comedy show. If you have never heard of Jeff Dunham he is a ventriloquist and stand-up comedian. But his puppets are no Muppets. I wasn't really all that excited about seeing Jeff Dunham to be honest. But James is a big fan, as are our friends Becky and Leo who we went to the show with, so I was just along for the ride and to drive.

After struggling to find find parking and weaving through the crowds to find Becky and Leo, I was first shocked to see the number of people attending this show. I had no idea where we were going, but the venue was no Warner Theater. There were at least 3,000+ people in attendence and you know me and crowds. When we squeezed into our seats (not for those with 19" bottoms) I wasn't looking forward to being stuck in that position for three hours. But as it turned out I was pleasantly surprised.

Brian "The Guitar Guy" Haner is Jeff's opening act and musical accompanist. He was a riot and an amazing guitarist. And I will be purchasing any CD of his on iTunes. Then after a 15 minute intermission (who would have thought you needed a 15 minute intermission at a comdedy show but these people knew their audience since you could purchase overly expensive bad beer and most had been waiting for over two hours drinking this overly expensive bad beer waiting for the show to start you want those bladders empty before the main act starts) Jeff made his appearance. As did Walter, Achmed the Dead Terriort, Peanut, Jose Jalapeno on a Stick, and Bubba J. James was laughing so hard he started coughing and good thing he bought me a bottle of water to offset his overly expensive bad beer and I just handed him the bottle. I was laughing .

And at one point I was crying I was laughing so hard. Crying. Tears running down my face. All over one word from Peanut because it reminded me of something Jaime once said. One word and I was reduced to tears and the folks surrounding us were looking at me curiously as to my reaction. I was little shocked at my reaction too.

I would highly recommend seeing Jeff Dunham live. It was a truely memorable event.

Focus.....

30 under 30

So it turns out that my office's summer intern is a business owner?! Little did I know that the vegan, first-year law student had launched a childrens organic clothing line called barley & birch last year. She is even No. 26 in Inc.'s 30 under 30: America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs.

I am shocked and inspired by this woman. And also, a little jealous at her stamina and forward thinking. Could I start my own business?

Boo-rrifc Weekend

Joe and Jaime were with us over the weekend, and it being so close to Halloween we had craft time! We made bat-o-laterns, vampire bats, and glow-in-the-dark skulls. It was hard work and the boys' interest waxed and waned, but overall I think they had a good time and really like the vampire bats the best. We also worked on pulling together Joe's Halloween costume. He was introduced to the wonderful world of dying clothing.

Jaime cutting bat wings

Joe and James placing wings on the vampire bat

Jaime and James working on a vampire bat

The boys with the finished vampire bats

The bat-o-laterns

Joe working on his Halloween costume

Slideshows down

So my hope that I could link you all to our Kodak Slideshows was working for about a week and now it seems the links are dead. I will over the next week try to figure out how else to include slideshows using another webservice. Keep checking back to see since I have new photos from Nashville and various social events that I want to share.

DCA to CHA to BNA to DCA

I am back from my trip to Nashville, TN, where I was teaching a course offered by my agency. It was quite a traveling experience. Once I am caught up on work and my email in-box has been put right, I'll fill you in the details of the trip. Here is a treat to whet your appetite!

Pun intended.....

Basket Full of Kitties!

Last Friday as I was stumbling around in the dark getting ready for an appointment I noticed a large black shape at the foot of our bed. I keep a white oak double pie basket that I bought in AR with a pillow in it for the cats to sleep in. What I discovered was not one...but two kitties in the basket! It was so adorable.

Ben and Roosie will sometimes, and I mean sometimes, sleep near each other. Especially if they are fighting for my stomach and chest at night. But I have never seen them in the basket together. It was quite a sight!

Must Read: The Eight

Just this morning, for perhaps the fifth time, I finished one of my most favorite books, The Eight by Katherine Neville. I was so engrossed that I was standing out in the hallyway outside of my office reading the last few pages. It is amazing how much you can read on the Metro. I believe the first time I read this book was in 1995 or 1996 on a recommendation from my mother. My Aunt Nancy had recommended it to her. It has since been passed around my family and some friends for consumption.

Here is a review from Amazon.com and sums up the story in a the shortest way possible:

Katherine Neville's debut novel is a postmodern thriller set in 1972 ... and 1790. In the 20th century, Catherine Velis is a computer expert with a flair for music, painting, and chess who, on her way to Algeria at the behest of the accounting firm where she is employed, is invited to take a mysterious moonlighting assignment: recover the pieces of an old chess set missing for centuries.

In the midst of the French Revolution, a young novice discovers that her abbey is the hiding place of a chess set, once owned by the great Charlemagne, which allows those who play it to tap into incredible powers beyond the imagination. She eventually comes into contact with the major historical figures of the day, from Robespierre to Napoleon, each of whom has an agenda.

The Eight is a non-stop ride that recalls the swashbuckling adventures of Indiana Jones as well as the historical puzzles of Umberto Eco which, since its first publication in 1988, has gone on to acquire a substantial cult following.

I picked it up again to read because just last year a sequel was published, The Fire. I am a little hesitant to read The Fire because a) I've read Ms. Neville's other two books and I wasn't impressed; and b) I love The Eight so much I don't want to have it runied by a sloppy sequel. I will most likely end up reading the sequel anyway, so I'll keep you all up to date.

If you have read The Fire please don't tell me anything about it!

History Lesson: Coach Tim Kerr

My father, Tim Kerr, has been involved with rowing since the early 1960s from pulling the shells for Marietta College, coaching scholatisc (Marietta High School) to collegiate (University of Virginia and Jacksonville University) teams, and for the past several years as a National Rowing Association referree. Even my sister Nancy has now gotten the rowing bug and referree's alongside our father.

My mother just alerted me to the fact that the following photos of my dad are now part of UVA Men's Rowing website. And I wanted to share.

This photo was taken in 1968 when my father coached at UVA

This is one of my favorite photos of my father, I have stared at it in the hallway of my parent's house since I could walk. My sisters and I will be fighting over this photo. The funny thing is that I believe this was taken at  Marietta High School and not at UVA. Regardless, it is the classic image of Tim Kerr as a coach: vocal, impassioned, and animated.

Elevator etiquette is dead

When I was a child my mother instilled in me the rules of the elevator:

1. It is not a toy but in fact a mechanical system to move you between the floors of a tall building;
2. Only hit the button for the floor you need;
3. When waiting for an elevator stand to one side of the door in order to allow individuals already on the elevator room to exit before you enter.

The last rule is the most important in my opinion. And I now proclaim it is the most dead of all elevator rules. I work in an eight story building with five elevators and the two times I have taken the elevator to the first floor today I have had to stop mid stride to exit the elevator because some individual waiting for the elevator on the first floor had it in his or her mind that the elevator would be empty and there was no need to stand to one side of the elevator to allow exiting riders the room to exit. Instead I have to jolt myself to a stop and allow the other person to move out of the elevator door opening so I can continue on my way. Or they stand completely still and I have to move around them.

Elevator etiquette is dead. Start taking the stairs.

A little slice of heaven...and then some

To end our day at the WSF, the whole family had dinner at the Hog Wild Smokehouse in Toano, VA. Chris chose the location for the proximity to the Rockahock Campgrounds and I-64. He ended up choosing one of the best restaurants we had eaten at in a long time!!!


With a motto of "Never trust a skinny Chef!" everyone had a fabulous meal! And dessert!

If you are ever near Toano, VA, you must stop there for some fantastic BBQ!!! And get the Hog Heaven for dessert....

Williamsburg Scottish Festival 2009

James, the boys, and I traveled to New Kent County, VA, on Saturday to join my family for the Williamsburg Scottish Festival and Celtic Celebration. After the mass confusion upon entering the Rockahock Campgrounds (it took 30 minutes to park....line Nazi anyone?) and getting ripped off with tickets (active duty military members AND their spouses were to receive a discount), Joe said we should leave our troubles at the car and enjoy the day. Wise words from a 10 year old.


The day was filled with wonderful sights, sounds, and smells as we saw the different scottish families, organizations, reenactors, and muscians. It was a lot of fun visiting with family and continuing the boys' introduction to the world of Scottish festivals.

One of our favorite bands, Albannach, was playing that day. How the WSF secured Albannach to play was beyond my comprehension. Their energetic playing and showmanship has made them the most popular Scottish/Celtic band on the East Coast. Joe and Jaime were bouncing to the beat and enjoying the show!

Check out the link under Kodak Gallery Slideshows for all the photos I took.

A new adventure on the web

The idea of an internet blog has always intrigued me. Especially given the geographical location of our family and friends. Alaska, Michigan, New York, Georgia, Iraq....you get the idea. Well, I have decided to try my hand at such a masterful communication tool. James and I will use this blog to keep everyone up to date on our adventures, trials, celebrations, defeats, and the growth of our marriage and family.

Who knows what the future will bring to us or where it will take us. But fear not. You will always be able to stay connected to us with one click of the mouse :)