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It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!
We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life.
The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man I'm glad he's our neighbor.
Snow lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.
20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.
Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.
Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.
Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Goddamn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.
Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white shit fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's too busy. I think the asshole is lying.
Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0o. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she nuts!!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.
6". Snow packed so hard by snowplow, l broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas Carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for the goddamn snowplow.
Merry Christmas. 20 more inches of the !=3D@x@!x!x1 slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to kill her.
Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.
Temperature dropped to -30o and the pipes froze.
Warmed up to above -50. Still snowed in. THE BITCH is driving me crazy!!!!!
10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?
Roof caved in. The snow plow driver is suing me for a million dollars. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted.
Set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.
I feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?
It's not unusual to see people talking on their cell phones while driving these days. And it's hard to remember when there wasn't a time when we could simply go through the day without those annoying rings. Cell phone usuage has gotten so huge that many businesses and doctor offices have requested that they be turned off. However, some can't seem to be without the thing jammed up to their ear. I wonder how they ever made it through the day before the cell.The Senate has passed a bill banning talking on a cell phone unless you have a hands free device.
Unlike the texting ban, this ban is very enforceable.
State Senator Tommy Norment, who represents the Peninsula, wants to make it a primary offense to drive and talk - unless you're using a bluetooth or hands free device.
If this bill becomes a law, anyone caught talking on their cell phone while driving would be fined and given points on their driving record. If passed, it would go into effect starting July 1.
The bill has passed its first hurdle with a 25-15 victory in the State Senate and now it heads to the House before its final stop on Governor Bob McDonnell's desk.
If the bill clears by this summer police won't need any other reason to pull you over.
And if passed, fines would go up to $50 and $200 starting July 1, 2011.
The ban would not apply to those driving emergency response vehicles, drivers who are stopped or parked, or anyone using a phone to report an emergency.
This could be such a waste of time. Other states have tried to enforce a law like this and people still talk without using a hands free device. I almost t-boned a woman the other day as she was making an illegal u-turn, running her mouth on her cell and carrying an elderly passenger with her. She never lost the conversation and looked at me as if it were my fault and I know the elderly gentleman messed his pants. The government shouldn't need to enforce laws upon us because WE ALL need to be MORE responsible and stop thinking we are the only ones on the road. I value my life too much.
What is it about our lives today that some can't wait until they get to their destination to make a call?
Founded on February 8, 1910, The Boy Scouts of America was founded by William Boyce along with a group of his business friends.
Lost on a street in London England, Boyce was aided by the help of a young man that would not take payment for his help. The young boy told Boyce that he was a Scout and would not take anything for helping. Impressed with the Scout's attitude, Mr. Boyce arranged a meeting with the founder of Boy Scouts in Great Britain. After learning the basics of the scouting program Mr. Boyce and his group of business friends brought scouting to America.
The Boy Scouts Of America's membership today exceeds 4.5 million youth and adults. Since the founding of the organization in 1910 more that 110 million young people have been involved in Scouting.
The Scout Motto: Be Prepared
The Scout Slogan: Do a Good Turn Daily
The Scout Oath: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times: to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
Note: The Boy Scout Oath and Law have remained unchanged since they were first developed in 1910.
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.....CELEBRATING 100 YEARS TODAY!!!
They just seem to drip and freeze, drip and freeze. Most don't ever seem to get in anyone's way and they're quiet and go about their business on a sunny winter day.
I'll bet anyone right now that by July 4th some of you will be wishing for a few seconds of this artic day.
But not me. I'll be sooooo glad when summer arrives and we get those hot, muggy days!
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At first sight it seems the ultimate in child cruelty - a two-year-old boy chained to a lamp post to stop him getting away.
Yet his parents say this is the only way they can guarantee not to lose him.
His father Chen Chuanliu works as an unlicensed rickshaw cyclist in Beijing, taking fares all over the city, while the boy's disabled mother collects rubbish at the roadside.
They say they secured their son, Lao Lu, with a padlock around his ankle because his four-year-old sister Ling was 'stolen' from them last month. 
Child snatching is rife in China, where strict laws govern the size of families.
Concerned passers-by spotted the shackled toddler outside Huaguan Shopping Mall in Liangxiang.
They reported his father to the authorities, who yesterday ordered him to remove the chain although it was not clear what arrangements he would make in future.
There is no nursery place for Lao Lu because his 42-year-old father is a migrant worker from another province, Szechuan, and therefore does not qualify for state help. The family live in one room, 9ft by 8ft.
Chen said he could not afford to pay for childcare on his earnings of £4.50 a day and had refused offers of 'a lot of money' to give his son up for adoption.
'My wife cannot take care of him and I have to work to support my family. So I chain him to a pole when I have a fare.
'I don't even have a picture of my daughter to use for a missing-person poster. I cannot lose my son as well.' 
VIA
And sometimes it's difficult being a pet goose in the country and being lost from home. We think this guy was taking a gentle swim in the ditch and suddenly realised that he had floated from his own yard. I hope he found his way home in all that blowing snow.
And for many of you that can read this today (whether you like the post or not) thank your electric company! For alot of you this storm has been a nightmare.
Care to share your experiences? Leave a comment........
Hope you are warm and well fed. Please check on your neighbors and pets. Don't forget to feed the birds nice things.
Taxpayers might want to pay close attention to this Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast or they'll miss Uncle Sam's 30-second, $2.5-million reminder to stand up and be counted.
Taxpayers might want to pay close attention to this Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast or they'll miss Uncle Sam's 30-second, $2.5-million reminder to stand up and be counted.
That's what the Census Bureau paid CBS to get their message notched somewhere between a National Lampoon reprisal, a weird dude with big glasses, a beer-can house and men without pants.
And, that's just a fraction of what the bureau plans to spend this year to get Americans to answer a simple, 10-question survey.
The bureau is spending $133 million between January and May -- or, more than $13 million for each of 10 questions, one of which reads: What is your telephone number? -- to publicize the national head-count. Part of that effort is the Super Bowl ad, which Kendall Johnson, a spokeswoman for the bureau, confirmed Wednesday to FoxNews.com cost $2.5 million to air. The ad, produced by actor and director Christopher Guest, also will appear in other media, Johnson said.
"We have rotations across all kinds of cable properties on network and cable TV," she said, adding that the bureau plans to advertise in 28 languages, including some as obscure as Hmong, a southeast Asian dialect.
SLIDESHOW: $132M Census Ad Campaign in 28 Languages
"What an absolute colossal waste of money," said David Williams, vice president for policy at Citizens Against Government Waste, a government watchdog group based in Washington.
"That's a lot of money to spend on a glorified public service announcement," Williams said. "While they're counting people, we're going to be counting the dollars that they're spending."
Shannon Jacobs, a spokeswoman for CBS, which airs the Super Bowl, told FoxNews.com Wednesday that advertisements for this year's game have topped $3 million.
CBS sold some ads "north of $3 million," she said, adding that there's a range in price depending on the advertisement's placement during the game.
The census, conducted every 10 years, is an official count of the nation's population mandated by the Constitution. The results are used to determine distribution of taxpayer money and the apportionment of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Every U.S. household, including those occupied by non-citizens and illegal immigrants, must be counted.
The census questionnaire -- touted by the bureau as one of the shortest forms in history -- consists of 10 questions and is intended to take no longer than 10 minutes to complete, according to the bureau's Web site.
YOU DECIDE: Do You Buy Into Census Bureau's Super Bowl Ad?
And the general area an hour later today. 
Hope all of you are warm and well fed.
