Castwell's got the holiday blues.

[J Castwell]

I shouldn't have, but I'm guilty of it. Last Wednesday, from 2pm to 4pm we braved the winter road conditions (snow/ice) and made it into town, about four miles south of home. We got the necessary items (Christmas tree) lunch for my wife (it was her birthday). The weather got nasty and I made it back home. When I backed up into my driveway, I put the breaks on, including the emergency break (driveway is on a slant). The car slid at least a foot back down with all four wheels locked. Scary! We live on a 'School bus route' figured it would get plowed; wrong, they canceled school.
We stayed weathered/snowed/iced in until an opening on Saturday. Mid-day we made another soiree into town, (get groceries, meds, mail). Just made it back in the face of another blizzard. Drove straight into the driveway this time. Made it and the car did not roll back/slide back down.
It still sits there. That day started a snow storm dumping over a foot on us and continuing,,, yet today. No mall delivery out here these days, no UPS or Fed X, even the big garbage/trash truck did not show up on Tuesday morning as usual.
I am thinking we may get out by this next weekend.
I have no gift for my lovely wife under the tree for the first time ever. I know, we have so much. Still, when I look under the tree,,, nothing.
Bummer.

ooops. Found something! An envelope. It's from a restaurant about thirty miles south. This a gift card, for dinner,sent to us from a couple out east. How thoughtful. Now there is something under our tree. Thanks again.

[Eric-WD]

JC. I understand your feelings, we got out yesterday but only because I don't mind plowing snow with my car. Looks like the snow is on its way out, Hang on for a Merry new years.

Eric

[Kerry Stratton]

Another 10 plus inches this morning and it is still coming down. I would estimate we have had 3 feet or more snow fall in the past week. Likely more snow than we would recieve in 3 years. Skagit County DOT has been very good about getting up and plowing the roads to our place. A neighbor came by with a small tractor and cleared our private road or we would not be able to get out.

I think I need to learn how to fish for bones and move to a warmer climate.

[harleybob87]

JC, Eric, Kerry Stratton, and all the other folks living in oregon and washington my heart goes out to all of you. You are getting winter weather that you are not accustom to getting. Don't travel unless you absolutely have to.
JC you have things under the tree you just can not see. I know you said you had a lot but nothing under the tree. It reminded me of a aniversery my wife and I had years ago. We were broke beyond broke. Our aniversery is on Jan 7th so Christmas had wiped us out. I was feeling bad and humiliated. I could get my wife nothing at all. She is the love of my life and here I was broke. She made us a lovely dinner and said Happy Aniversery. The kids wished us one as well. I was about to tell her I had nothing to give her for a gift and then it dawned on me. I ran to the bedroom where we kept the bows for Christmas, stuck one on myself and ran back out to the dinner table. I said honey all I have to give you is me and the promise that I will spend the rest of our life together and we will never be in this shape again. It remains to this day the best aniversery gift I have given her. I sincerely hope you and your lovely wife have a good day together on Christmas day. As long as you two have been together I bet she will like that more then anything you can buy her.
On a positive note according to the weather reports by this time next week those of you on the coast will not have snow and it is warming up. Lets keep these good thoughts. If I could do more for all of you I would.

[Steve Molcsan]

JC & LF


I just sent you a PM to put under your tree...


Keep warm and hug LF for me.


Steve

[hungNtree]

JC

I don't have anything for you to put under your tree, but maybe this will bring a smile to your face just the same. My little boy, AJ is 4 years old and anxiously awaiting Santa tonight. At the moment he is being a very good little boy, he is taking a nap (I suspect he takes after his Daddy, and that is the only time he is good.)

My wife put up the tree the other day, and AJ was "wound up" tighter than a banjo string with excitement. He absolutely could not sit still and he hummed little songs to himself the whole time. My wife took a break and we all sat down to supper, but AJ couldn't eat or sit still or anything. Finally he took to trying to poke his Mama in the ribs make her jump. After several tries with no results he asked her, "Mama are you ticklish?" She told him she was ticklish in some places. You could almost hear the wheels in his little head spinning as he thought over that. Then came the next question, "Mama, are you ticklish at home?"

I hope that brightens your snowy day, just a little.

Merry Christmas,
Jason

[Plunker]

A fun little message from a Balmy (Damp 62 degrees) Christmas Eve in Birmingham, AL:

Many of you may be familiar with the somewhat new tradition of the Christmas Elf that creates havock around the house leading up to Christmas. A recent episode follows:
A friend of mine set up the display of the nightly mischief for the kids to find the next morning. Unfortunately he neglected to let his wife in on the scene. Some time during the night the Naughty Christmas Elf decided to do some fishing in the toilet, he was sitting on the tank with his line down in the bowl.... Imagine the wife's surpise when she went into the dark bathroom sometime during the night, sat down, fell into the open bowl, and the Elf fell on to her from the tank top

I believe this is one of the cutest traditions to come along in a long time. I encourage each of you with children (big and small) to look into this. It is great fun for all.

If any of you have any stories about Elf mischief I would really love to hear them.

Merry Christmas to All...Tight lines and good loops in the New Year!
Ho Ho Ho

Thanks for all you guy's do with FAOL

[LadyFisher]

First time I've heard of Elf mischief, what's the background?
Made me smile *S*

[DShock]

This is the 11th straight day of snow. I have never seen it this cold and snowy, for this many days in a row. My van has been parked (buried with a foot of snow on top), since last weekend, when the freezing rain happened. I have walked many miles in the snow, but Tuesday, the roads were very slippery, so I dug out my Danner studded boots out of the closet and I walked a few miles to Fred Meyer and the noise my boot studs made in the store was a first (& last) for me. I think many of my neighbors have been in a state of suspension, mentally and home bound. I'm going to keep trying to be positive, even though the timing of this weather is not good. Right now, the snow seems to be melting, so we are getting close to the end. I know it sound ridiculous to the folks that live in the snow every Winter, but it isn't normal procedure around here. There have been 18 Wheelers parked at K-Mart for days, because they shut down I-84, in the Columbia Gorge (40-50 mph wind and driving snow). I feel bad for those guys and especially the Retailers that got their butts kicked, by the economy and this weather. Better days are ahead and I wish a Merry Christmas to everyone.
Doug

[J Castwell]

Today I shoveled my (parts of) driveway three different times. (got tired and cold and my nose was running) Came in after the last time to a hot bowl of wife's bean soup (pinto beans). Watched a solid snowstorm out the back living-room windows. Lovely. Here is a shot. Oh, by the way, there is a weather advisory from now until Christmas day afternoon. Not too specific. Wish I could get a job like that, not an exact science like fly fishing. Here is the advisory.

"Computer Models Suggest That A Heavier Band Of Snow Showers Could Set Up Over The Southwest Interior Or Possibly Central Puget Sound On Christmas Day. It Is Uncertain Where Or If This Band Will Develop... But If It Does... Localized Snow Accumulations Could Reach 6 Inches."