Random Updates

So, yeah, we DID get a blizzard on Saturday...it snowed like CRAZY later in the afternoon and into the night.

Fortunately, we were finished with our running around, and home for the evening, when it really started to get nasty.
We went out earlier than usual to get our errands done, and it wasn't too bad out while we were out. The roads and parking lots were mostly just slushy.

We stopped at the bike shop (which had NOT been open because of the blizzard, until just before we got there around 2).

Because we were bold enough to go bike shopping during a blizzard, and because we wanted to buy (tax refunds are trickling in), the guy was thrilled to see us, and gave us a pretty good multi-bike, shopping-during-a-blizzard, discount.

We pick the bikes up this weekend.

Dave's is taxi cab yellow, and more "retro" styled than mine.
Both of them are "one speed" old fashioned bikes. Mine has a hand brake, and an all aluminum frame, and it's purple and black. Dave's has coaster brakes only, I think...I don't remember his as well as I remember mine. His is all aluminum, too.

I forgot to check to see if they have quick release axels on the front wheels. It's a security consideration.

We also got a super duper lock and covers, since we'll have to park the bikes on our ground floor apartment's porch all season--another reason to find out about quick release axels....if you take the front wheel off, the bike is a LOT less attractive to potential thieves.

Fortunately, Dave's parents will let us store the bikes in their garage in the winter.

It's a little odd that I went from a super fancy multi speed mountain/street cross bike to something like this...but my style of biking will be different around here, since there's no place to bike except a paved riverside path.

It will be very good exercise, and I figure my days of being a somewhat serious cyclist are probably over anyway.

Where was I? Oh yeah, blizzard.

All in all, we got about 6 inches, just like they predicted, with serious drifting from the high winds.
On Sunday, Dave went outside and used the shovel we bought last month. He VERY CAREFULLY cleared a path out to the cars, which were already clear because it was warming up outside.

Then the temperatures started to rise...and by the afternoon on Sunday, all of the snow was GONE. Dave could have saved the work!

But, it was his work out for the day, since we couldn't get to the gym (this apartment complex doesn't own plows, shovels, or snow blowers) until well after he'd already had his exercise.

On Monday, it was in the 60's again.

I hear that kind of weather roller coaster is normal for around here. Though getting that much snow at once is NOT normal, and that has happened more this winter than any other winter in recent memory, from what I've been told.

Anyway...remember when I told you I was in orientation last week? Behind closed doors for 2 days with strangers?

Well, one of them had an upper respiratory infection. She sat near me, and she also drove us to lunch both days.

I caught her bug, and have been sick since Sunday (which was why Dave was shoveling snow, and not ME!).

I have not missed work, but I have been miserable. I just took my temperature again a half hour or so ago, and the fever is back. It's been coming and going.

So Dave is at the gym tonight without me this evening. I had hoped to be well enough to go work out by today, but I am not.

It's in the upper 70's and sunny out, but the wind, which is MUCH more a factor than it EVER was back in Chicagoland, is WAY too strong to go take even a leisurely walk about the pond.

I have my 30 day review in the HR office tomorrow. Hope it goes well.

That's about it for now. Hope everyone's having a good week!