Passing the torch...what have I done!?!?

Many of you might know that growing up in my house Friday night was pizza night. Homemade pizza night. My dad would make the dough and sauce himself. At first it was full pizzas and then by the time I was in high school it was individual pizzas with my mom receiving her pizza first.

When I went to Mary Washington College I truly missed having my dad's pizza and would always look forward to breaks and summers when I was there for pizza on Friday nights. I wanted to be able to make that pizza myself. I asked my parents that if I was accepted to the University of Delaware for graduate school all I wanted for graduation from MWC was a Kitchen Aid Mixer, just like my mom's, so I could make pizza in DE. Well, I was accepted to UD and graduated from MWC but I didn't receive the mixer...yet....

The summer of 2000 before I moved to Newark, DE, (pronouced New-Ark and not to be confused by that other Newark in New Jersey) I "apprenticed" with my father to learn how to make the dough, the sauce, and then assemble and bake the pizza. It was quite a learning experience when I then realized how lonely it is in the kitchen on Friday nights. All the action is going on in the TV room our outside on the porch if it is summer. And my dad had been doing this for over 20 years. But I loved it when I took the reins for the first time on a Friday night. I forced my dad outside to enjoy the experience of receiving the first pizza out of the oven. He wasn’t happy that I hadn’t made it for my mom, but my mom just smiled at me. That night was one of the best experiences of my life.

Christmas 2000, after my first semester at UD, I came downstairs on Christmas morning to find a giant box waiting for me. And I knew what it was before I even opened it....it was my Kitchen Aid mixer from Santa!!! I started immediately upon my return to Newark making pizza. I pride myself on my pizza. And I love to make it for friends and family. And the boys absolutely love my pizza and I make it almost every time they are with us.

Yesterday I did something I might regret. I was going to be busy all day with Mary Kate’s baby shower (I’ll fill you guys in on that event soon), but wanted to have pizza that night for the boys. So when I was getting the last minute baby shower items taken care of upstairs, and the boys were eating breakfast, I gave James instructions on how to make the dough. He asked me to come downstairs and take a look at the dough to give him a sense of when it was ready to be taken out. When I took a in the bowl I was shocked. It was his first time making dough and it was perfect after about 10 minutes. Perfect! I told him he sucked as I went upstairs to get dressed for my day.

The baby shower clean up kept me longer from the house than anticipated; I had to give James instructions via text message on how to make the sauce. He did a really good job. He exclaimed that now he wouldn’t need me for anything as he could make pizza on his own. I know he doesn’t know what he is talking about. But having passed the torch on to someone else what will I do with myself?!?

Fire pit, ho!

We have finally found our fire pit. After three weeks of being buried in snow. And just in time for another storm system to pass through the area. We have gone from a winter storm watch to an advisory but they are still hinting at snow. We shall see tomorrow.

I can't wait for spring!!!

Dogs drool....

In an attempt to get Lulu accostumed to traveling in a car, we have been taking her with us in the morning when James drops me off at Metro. Short trips. He bought a crate that we will use for travel (about the same size as her current wire crate but is lighter to carry) but without a divider so it is a huge space for her. Once we get in her in the Escape (sometimes on her own, sometimes James picking her up always with treats) and into the crate the whinning begins. She slumps herself against the front of the crate nearest us. And then the drool starts. The other day I thought she had peed but it turned out to be drool. And lots of it.

This morning I saw it first hand when I had to get a package out of the back of the Escape. The drool was dripping like shoestrings from her mouth and was all of the crate's mesh door. Oh, and she did pee this time in the crate. James had to have had a fabulous time cleaning that up this morning.

So our dog drools in the car. Any suggestions on how to stop it? Or ways to make the car more fun and not a threat?

Day of firsts.....

Today was a first for both Lulu and I. James and I took Lulu to the dog park for the first time this afternoon during our brief snow shower. She did really well with the other dogs once she warmed up to the area. The only dog she really took to was the only other small dog.

And  today is my first official day as the newest Program Analyst for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation! I got a promotion!!!! I am very excited about this promotion and the new assignments to tackle. Once I finally get back to the office. Which will be tomorrow.

You mean I have to go back to work?

It is official. Our snow week is over. James is currently upstairs taking a nap since we found out after 1830 that the mid-shift was on and he would have to report to work at 2145. And the federal government is operating on a two hour delay on Friday or unscheduled leave. I have asked if I can work at home since James is working tonight and the sixth floor of our Metro station is snowed over (which will mean parking will be a nightmare) and I don't know if the county bus will be running until tomorrow. If I can't work from home I'll be going in at the regular time to save James having to stay up any longer than he has too.

Oh why, oh why......

After 126 years the record is broken

Winter Wallop 3 ended last night. It was really strange. The snow started on Tuesday early evening shortly after 1700. James and I suited up to take Lulu for a walk after 1900 and we had at least 3" of snow on the ground. We also earned $20 that evening when we ended up helping a neighbor move her Mustang GT by pushing her with the Ranger up the hill and to the front of the neighborhood to her actually parking space. The roads and conditions deteriorated quickly. And then between 2200 and 0430 there was nothing except rain, freezing rain, and slush. By the time I woke up at 0800 it was snowing, windy, and I couldn't really see what was happening across the street. And that was our weather for the remainder of the day. I didn't take any photos because there was nothing to compare the increased snow fall against given the 2 feet of snow already on the ground. And we didn't really go out. To much wind!

The snowfall of Winter Wallop 3 has pushed the 2009-2010 winter as the snowiest winter in DC recorded history. The original record was 54.4" during the 1898-1899 winter. We now have had 54.9".

And we have five more weeks of winter......

Saying goodbye to one of our heros....

This morning we took our friend Jes to the airport to catch her flight back to the sandbox. It took us over an hour to get to the airport (normal drive is 30 minutes tops) even with federal agencies being closed today. We got her packed and checked in to her flight last night (it is the Girl Scout in me) and the security lane was short when we got there.

It was sad to see her leave knowing where she was going too. But she is a great solider and we know she will be returning this summer back to Fort Lewis. Hopefully we will be able to make her redeployment ceremony.

Remember to always thank a solider!

Another snow day....

It is official....the federal government in DC is closed tomorrow. And with the current National Weather Service forcast we will most likely be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.....another 10" to 20" of snow is coming our way....

Jes and I went sleding this afternoon on the hill behind the house. It took a bit to get the run smooth. But once my 19" ass went down a couple of times it was pretty fast!

We will be taking Jes to the airport in the morning....we will be sad to see her leave, but at this point if she doesn't fly out tomorrow she won't fly out until the weekend!

Jes and I hitting the Springfield slopes!

El Nino...the child....wreaking havoc on our Nation's capital

Most people associate the weather phenomenon known as "El Nino" with the West Coast. But this year it is also messing with the East Coast. All of our major snow storms originiated from the South coming from the Pacific Ocean and can be tied to El Nino. And man, this "child" has it in for us! Here is the latest Winter Storm Warning for us from the National Weather Service:

... Winter Storm Watch now in effect from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening...

The Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening.
* Precipitation type... snow.
* Accumulations... potential for 8 or more inches of snow. There is a good likelihood of snow in excess of 10 inches.
* Timing... mid to late afternoon Tuesday through Wednesday.
* Temperatures... temperatures near freezing at the onset Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures will drop into the upper 20s Tuesday night and Wednesday.
* Winds... light southeasterly winds Tuesday becoming north- northwesterly 15 to 25 mph Wednesday.

Precautionary/preparedness actions... A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant snow accumulations that may impact travel. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

I'm at a loss....

James and Jes have taken a trip out of the house to run errands while I am on a teleconference. Yes, I know I have a snow day, but I am a dedicated Historic Preservation Specialist and honestly I need to be on the call to offer the security of the process and to be the critical eye.

As of right now Jes' flight is to take her back to the sandbox is on-schedule. We will make sure she is checked in before leaving the house just to be sure. Might even check her in tonight. Got to love modern technology.....

Snow day!

Breaking news.....the federal government is closed on Monday, February 8, 2010!!! I get another snow day! But there is a teleconference that I need to call into tomorrow afternoon. James is also off tonight. And Fort Belvoir is closed tomorrow too (they operate outside of the DC Region of OPM). So Chris (my brother-in-law) has a snow day too!!!

The funny thing is that I had to find out about the snow day from WTOP since OPM's website and phone line were/are swamped.

James cleaned off the truck last night and the Escape this afternoon:

This was in the morning on Friday. By last night you could barely see the windsheild wipers on either vehicle.

And now we are once again under a winter storm watch starting Tuesday afternoon....Jes is hoping that she will be able to make her flight on Tuesday morning back to the sandbox.

Lulu is really liking the snow. Go figure. We dug out a path to the gate and to the shed (including an extra area for her to use as the loo) but she has created several paths of her own throughout the rest of the yard.

We have restocked the beer. The pizza dough is rising. And Queen Latifah just sung one of the greatest verisons of God Bless America we have heard in a long time. Enjoy the Super Bowl. Go Saints!!!!

Winter Wallop 2: Revenge of Jack Frost

It has now been snowing for over 24 hours. 24 HOURS!!! And we most likely have another couple of hours left in this storm. Current totals don't really matter at this point. And we have the photos to prove it...

0730

1130...you can see the last bit of the planter

1430...the planter is gone!!!

This is the our "walkway" to the gate...

James and Lulu on the snow bank in front of our house.

Me against the same snow bank.

This is our friend Jes. And we blame her for the snow. She is staying with us while on RandR from her year long deployment to Iraq. Before she came she made the statement that she hoped it would snow while she was here. Well, she has gotten her wish. It has snowed three times since her arrival :)

The snow is to taper off between 1800 and 2100. We have kept the walkways cleared but tomorrow we will have to start on digging out the vehicles. If the federal government is open on Monday I will be pleasantly surprised....

I have no words...

So through the morning the National Weather Service upped our totals to over 20" plus. It is for certain that this storm will make the top five highest accumulation storms in DC recorded history. And now it is looking as if this storm could make one of the top two slots. It is 11:45 PM as I type this...and the majority of the snow hasn't even hit yet.....

0800...this is the left over snow from our storm on Tuesday, February 2, 2010

1200...the snow started just after 0930...

1600

2000

2330

We will have more to share tomorrow when we wake up. Lulu is snoring. The cats are upstairs. And we have plenty of beer on the back stoop.....

Hold onto your snow pants!!!!

Well, Mother Nature sure has it in for the Washington, DC area this winter! As of today we have already had four snow falls totaling over 30". And we are currently awaiting a "monster" snow storm. The National Weather Service issued the following warning for our area:

Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 10 am Friday to 10 PM EST Saturday...

* Precipitation type... heavy snow.
* Accumulations... storm total accumulations of 18 to 24 inches.
* Timing... snow will begin mid-morning Friday... and will continue through Saturday evening. Conditions will deteriorate rapidly Friday afternoon... with heaviest snowfall occurring between sunset Friday to sunrise Saturday. The most hazardous winter weather conditions will occur Friday night.
* Visibilities... the combination of heavy snow and strong winds will reduce visibilities to below one-quarter mile... producing near-blizzard conditions at times Friday night and early Saturday morning.
* Temperatures... highs in the lower 30s Friday. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 20s Friday night and Saturday.
* Winds... becoming northeast 10 to 20 mph Friday with gusts to 30 mph Friday night and Saturday.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

Conditions in this storm are expected to be comparable to those in the storm of 19 December. Plan for substantial disruptions to travel Friday afternoon through the weekend. A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous or nearly impossible Friday night.

Stay tuned to the blog for updates and photos!!!