Nobody, darnit

The train came in to Portland only a couple hours late. It turns out the drive to my aunt's place was the most harrowing. The roads were a lumpy mass of six inch deep slush. My dad had chains, but sheesh.

Puzzles are a family tradition, and this year, we had a big, difficult one of santa sleeping. We've almost got it done!

I slept on my aunt's couch, while everyone else is in a retreat center just through the woods. So this morning I got to get up early and bear a package through snowy* woods full of deer tracks.

My dad's been going on about setting up Skype Christmas morning to watch the kids down in California (my cousin's kids) open their presents. We (everyone but dad) were skeptical, but it worked! Likely because we signed on after the kids opened their presents. So we got to see the girls do somersaults on their new tumbling mat and sing carols. On our end, we had a handheld camera, so we got to give the cousins the most motion-sickness-filled Christmas ever!

*crunchy slushy

Just got back from tbclone47's birthday party. Normally, this would entail a routine 2.5 hour drive, but tonight it meant going head to head with Nature for over four hours each way.
We had considered calling off the trip, due to a predicted blizzard. But word that it wouldn't be that bad, plus our own foolhardy sense of adventure (and faith in Keffy's driving skills) meant we went anyway. Going down and coming back came with their own different sets of problems. Going down meant black ice and fast-driving idiots. Going back meant several inches of snow on the interstate, getting lost in Everett, and for a few very brief moments, only being able to see the snow blowing over the hood of the car.

It was awesome. During the ground blizzard, I kept expecting some monster to dart across our path, only to vanish in the dense cloud of snow.

But seriously, Keffy rocks, and is the safest driver I've ever ridden with. Otherwise, I'm sure we all would have wet ourselves.