I Am SnOw Over This Already (and it's just begun)

Oh jeez! It's our first  major snow. And what an opportune time it chose to drop 10 inches of wet white stuff in my driveway and up the street....the night before the new stove is supposed to be delivered. Just great!

 You wouldn't know that there's a step down from the doorway. Heck, I was lucky to get the door opened.

That is not a bush, it's a birch tree...one that is was 2-stories tall. We went out after dinner with brooms and soaked ourselves beating and brushing the wet, heavy snow off the trees before they all broke. We weren't so lucky with the Redbud in the back yard, a large branch of that is cracked and will need to be removed. While we were cleaning off the trees and bushes, we could hear the trees snapping up and down the street. So sad.

It took the hubs an hour and a half to get home from work...usually a 15-20 minute commute, and then it took him another 20 minutes to get up the driveway. I got the dreaded call to come down to the car and steer while he pushed. My blood pressure skyrocketed to about 176, and I lasted about 2 minutes, hyperventilating and getting the car nowhere until we finally changed places and were able to get the car into the garage with him driving and me pushing (a little).

Once inside, regardless of the fact that it's a weeknight, I flew into action with the juicer and a bag of blood oranges (aren't they pretty?)

Yep, it became Blood Orange Martini night. They were delish! Wanna make your own?
1 cup citrus flavored vodka (I use Skyy)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice
4 tbsp simple syrup
Fill a large shaker with ice and shake it like a Polaroid
I saved one of the oranges and sliced it to use the slices as garnish on the glasses. I would have dipped the rims in sugar, but the drink was sweet enough without needing any extra.
Yum!! (And potent)
The measures above will make about 4 drinks (depending on the size of your martini glasses)

Since I wasn't sure the new stove truck would actually make it into the neighborhood tomorrow, earlier today I picked up what I needed for two more stoveless meals....Foreman fajitas and a tolerable chicken casserole made in the Crockpot. The Foreman worked well for grilling peppers/onions/mushrooms and then the thin steaks. We had a bag of microwave Steamfresh rice and veggies. I was feeling really good about my creativity, had just wet the paper towels to put the burritos in between and was opening the microwave door when the power went off. Can you say 'Oh Shit!'.

After a minute it clicked back on and we made a mad dash tossing the burritos in and setting the table and finding the condiments in the fridge while we still had electric. Fortunately, it stayed on and has only flickered on and off about 3 times (I'm glad the new electronic stove didn't come today)

Our electric company, Pepco (Pirate Electric Power Co.) is one of the worst in the country. It's like living in a Third World country in the D.C. suburbs. Any little storm can knock your power out for days. We pay an exorbitant amount of money for service, yet no one (including the Public Service Commission) has been able to figure out what the heck they're doing with the money they're getting. They sure aren't using it to bury lines or update equipment, which is why it's likely we'll lose power sometime tonight for God knows how long. All that heavy snow brings the trees down on those above ground lines. (And you ask why I hate snow so much.)

Okay, I'll concede...there is one redeeming factor about this much snow, and that is that we'll likely have a snow day tomorrow. I telecommute anyway, so I wasn't going out in it, but it would be nice to have a free day to play in the studio. Must remember to turn  these jammies inside out before I go to bed.

Lastly, I am logging my first 2011 OPAM finish. I have completed prepping the 52 applique pieces for the next block in Aunt Millie's Garden...the hand applique project I take with me when I travel.  It takes a lot of time to trace, cut, starch, and iron for each block, so I think it can count as a project.

Tomorrow I hope to add another finish to the January list, and that would be the machine applique on the Fiesta block.

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Check back tomorrow (assuming we have electricity) to see the prize for the January Follower Appreciation Giveaway. Stay warm, stay safe, stay sane...oh, and say a little prayer for an early Spring :)