Walking in a winter wonderland!

By now, you've probably heard of the crazy blizzard that hit the mid-Atlantic this last weekend. Well, it wasn't just any snowstorm, it was the Snowpocalypse! Fortunately, I knew it was coming, so I made a quick midnight grocery run after my babysitting gig and picked up a few things to last me the weekend. (All of the following pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Here's what I woke up to Saturday morning

Much of my weekend revolved around food. And pajamas.

This is Saturday evening (the darker pictures) and Sunday morning, when I spent 3 hours shoveling, instead of 3 hours of church (which was canceled), most of the driveway and all of my car. You can also see what my footprint looked like 5 hours after I made it.

This weekend was also the perfect time to break out the 1000 piece puzzle I've been carrying around for a few years. And, after three days, the upper right picture shows as far as I've gotten to this point. I've packed it up and I'm taking it home so my family can help over Christmas. Other activities that kept me sane were season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, finishing my F book, a nap here and there, and the internet. If I didn't have friends present, at least I had electricity and wi-fi!

As much as I loved wearing jammies for three days, my favorite part was Monday afternoon. Despite a long delay, Captain Deviance finally made it to DC (his mom moved here this summer) and we got to hang out for the first time since 1998! After lunch with his mom (also, the first time I wore something other than pjs and snowpants all weekend), I took him to the monuments, which looked especially pretty in the snow. The reflecting pool was frozen over, so we glided around on it for a few minutes.

It was so good to see him. Since we're both geeks, we've been communicating over the internet all these years, long before it was cool. Still, getting together in person at least once a decade is helpful for hugs, snowball fights, and having someone to help you up when you fall on the ice (which we each did, more than once). I'm grateful for long-time friends, especially this one. I'm also grateful for other friends and family who checked on me throughout the weekend, just to make sure I was okay.

It was a fantastic little vacation. The snow outside isn't going anywhere soon, but at least most of the roads are passable now, even if mine is reduced to one lane in places. The snow is gorgeous, and the air clear. We Virginians definitely got our white Christmas!