Speak Through the Snow

I’m from Virginia and I learned from an early age that snow was God’s sign you stay home.

No exceptions.

If there is snow, God gave you a bonus Sabbath or two—take the time off, read a book, sled, nap; it’s a gimmie day. Don’t drive, don’t move too quickly; don’t attempt anything that could be construed as chores.

In New York, snow isn’t a sign of anything but a season. God didn’t speak through snow. Life doesn’t slow down, schools don’t close; offices stay open and work keeps happening. My years up there taught me how to drive in snow but made me lose some of my love of the fluffy white stuff. The common things lose their wonder.

This winter has changed and brought a bit of that love back; this past weekend helped.

The snow started on Friday afternoon. There were threats of 8 to 12 inches and the whole area was buzzing with anticipation. Grocery stores were selling out of eggs, milk, bread and beer; liquor stores did business like it was the holidays. I left work at 3, jettisoned home to quickly pack and begin the trek to the Big Blue Barn, a converted barn that is now a beautiful apartment housing three brave friends.

It took me one hour to go 8 miles.

8.
Miles.
GAH.

I was joined at the barn by the usual suspects of Doug, Justin and Tara (who brought her 3-month old puppy, Rooney) and with barn residents Jenna, Betsy and Emily (and a few other characters who popped in and out) and we settled in for our own version of a winter wonderland in a landscape covered in 12” of snow.

We cooked huge meals of spaghetti, pizza and lasagna. We had bacon and eggs and cinnamon rolls and knockoff captain crunch; we ate way too many cookies and chips and dips and we drank leisurely.

We watched movies. Lots of movies. And TV.

We played games like Scattergories and Farkle. We made unreasonable consequences for losing.

We went sledding. A lot. We injured ourselves in the process. We laughed so hard we snorted. We chased the puppy through the house and through the snow and gushed over him when he’d pass out from exhaustion.

Saturday night was the full moon and when it would pop out from behind the clouds the sledding track would be lit as if a spotlight had been shone upon it.

As if God was enjoying the snow right along with us.

Best Diner

In Syracuse there is this 50 year old diner that never closes, the waitresses are surly and chain smoked as long as they legally could, one of my favorite places to study and recover from nights and blurry mornings. Doc is now applying for chapter 13 bankruptcy and I suspect Doc's will close for good. End of an era, a beloved spot on the west side of town, just off 690.

It is so beloved that Martin Sexton (a Cuse native) mentioned it in song... "grab yourself a cheeseburger at the Little Gem Diner off the old 6-9er..."

Weekly Ponderosa

Haven't done a weekly ponderosa in a while so sit back, relax and enjoy the buffet.



A redneck cashier in a fabric store correctly used the words cantankerous and minutia in a conversation with me that lasted less than two minutes. That is awesome.

Monday night Katie and I really wanted ice cream but the grocery store was closed. I stopped by a quasi-sketchy BP station and found they had three kinds of Ben and Jerrys. I picked up two pints and placed them on the counter. The cashier rang up the first then looked at me and muttered, "rich lady." I don't know either.

Ani Difranco is playing at the Orange Peel in March. Anyone? She's always good...

Friday night I met Cara and Margarita at Zambras for tappas, dessert and Spanish wine. A chill girls night out was necessary. Then Margarita and I stopped by the shop and drank moonshine with Adam and Brad while we talked about travel, pranks and whistles. Quite the jump in conversations and environments.

Women talk to themselves. A lot.

This is what my high school principal looked like. Seriously.

Now that I have my Sundays back I'm relearning them. I'm rusty at Sundays.

In a world so full of gadgets and high tech stuff, I love how much bright sunshine still has the ability to change things. So simple and yet so powerful.

For some strange reason, strangers feel the need to ask me what size I wear and then scoff, mock or make a snide comment when I answer them. I've actually had people become offended. Recently I've actually thought about lying and saying I'm bigger than I am. I don't understand this. I am the way I am, leave me be.

Yesterday my IT guy was wrapped in syran wrap by my coworker and they were giggling like little girls. Thank you for that.

CNY

Who drove to the Wegman's near Dulles Airport while home for a wedding to stock up on her CNY favorites which included Dinosaur BBQ sauce, State Fair Spiedie Marinade, Yancy's Fancy XXX sharp chedder, a six-pack of Saranac pale and a 30-case of Genny Cream Ale to save for the shiity beer contest?That'd be me.
Thank you, Wegmans. I miss you.
(Of note: I only lived in CNY for five years but I love their brands and food more than I do the ones I know from my 20 years in VA and two in NC)

Lovely

Last night Margarita, Nate and I met downtown for dinner at Bouchon for all-you-can-eat mussels and a refreshingly light bottle of muscadet before the chocolate mousse and chocolate crepes for dessert. We sat on the outside patio and Nate and I had at least two rounds of mussels and a typical lively conversation. It was one of the best nights I've had this summer, and it's been a summer full of great nights.

Blindfolded and Packin' Heat

I haven't been posting much lately, so most of the posts I do manage to get off are a spray of gunfire at the side of a barn; hitting and missing with equal ferocity. And thus I load and fire.

• Murphy and Caroline came down this past weekend for an extended stay and a Bad Idea Girls reunion. Things we learned:

We love to eat. Constantly.
We also enjoy quality beverages
Murphy is funny without trying
I have a molester cat that lives in my house
I steal the covers.
Muffin Top is in Tennessee

We visited Jack of the Wood, Heiwa Shakura, The French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Laughing Seed, Sunnypoint, Mayfel's, Barley's Taproom, Asheville Brewing Company, French Broad Brewing Company, Dirty Jack's, The Thirsty Monk, among many other stops. Wow. I can't tell you how I love those girls. They make living fun. They are so many of the best parts of life. And so what if we aren't necessarily good at darts, and Caroline is still bitter she didn't get to go to high school with Heath Ledger like Julia Stiles did in “10 Things I Hate About You”. It was a weekend so necessary for me—I needed a time of hosting and laughter. I don't feel like I've had enough of it lately. Gunticles. Giggle.

• Saturday night I was sitting in Dirty Jacks with Chuck, Kelly, Caroline, Murphy, Sara C, Margarita, Nate, Anthony, Kara, Doug and Patrick talking and laughing and in that moment I fell in love with this place all over again. This is my home, this is where I'm supposed to be.

• My Cranium calendar on Monday was a science quiz: “What word can be made out of the periodic names for the elements Sulfur, Oxygen, Carbon and Potassium?” and I love that Caroline answered it in less than 5 seconds. (Answer: SOCK)

• I have boy drama once again. How does this happen? I don't try for it, I promise. Things seem to be circling around. Just call me angel of the morning, angel. I appreciate honesty, depth, vulnerability and humility more and more. I used to think what I wanted was someone like me, now I believe it may be just the opposite.

• I'm in the process of re-tiling about half of the house. The back bathroom with vinyl tile, the kitchen, hall and other bath with ceramic tile. I love a new challenge and adventure, love honing skills and love an excuse to get another tool. I could be a very good handywoman. I don't feel like I've worked my brain much at all lately, so at least some physical labor makes me feel that at least part of me isn't spiraling toward atrophy.

• Team name “If Clinton Didn't Inhale Why Did He Come to Asheville High?” won the pitcher at Quizzo Monday night. Now I've been doing Quizzo since July and my team never won a team name until last week and winning it this week as well makes us a practical dynasty. Booyah. (for those who don't know, Bill Clinton came and gave a stump speech at Asheville High School on Saturday night as part of his campaigning for Hillary, hence our joke). Shout out to Jane for coming up with the name. I also won my 4^th shout out question. Ridiculous.

• I've been asked to write something and read it in a wedding in September. I've also been asked to consider becoming an officiant and actually doing a wedding in October. Both of these: totally awesome. I adore public speaking.

• Watched “Into The Wild” on Sunday—read the book back in 1998 or so, the movie was fairly true to what Krakauer did in the original text. Story of a boy with too much intellect to recognize when one simply doesn't know what he doesn't know. Sad. One downside of the movie: Eddie Vedder singing. I have never cared for him. Sorry to offend.

More in the List Department

#1: On Saturday, French Broad Chocolate Company had the soft opening of their new Chocolate Lounge, located very close to the corner of Lexington and Patton, around the corner from Salsa's. GO TO THIS CHOCOLATE LOUNGE. It may have changed my life for the better, and I don't even like chocolate that much. Literally the best chocolates I have ever tasted. Like the world disappeared and I was overwhelmed with flavors and ideas. Godiva is like drinking Boone's Farm and this is the best wine you can imagine. And they serve beer and wine, and a Pisgah Porter does wonders for some seriously good dark chocolate truffles. Plus, my friend Katherine's artwork is featured throughout the lounge. It's gorgeous. So go. Afterward we went over to my friend Ian and Tammy's and sat around in their hot tub drinking bourbon. It was as awesome as it sounds.

#2 From Asheville, plane tickets to Flagstaff cost the same or more than they do to fly to London. Go figure.

#3 I got into a conversation with my mom the other day about kids with parents that are split, and I felt like I got to say a lot of things to her that I needed to say and never could figure out how to say. For someone who has been married and divorced several times, she has no idea what it does to kids. Or how long the effect lasts.

#4 The Giants represented the NFC East well last night, and for that I'll no longer make fun of Eli Manning for looking like he's 13. I'll say he's 15. Also: I expected the Super Bowl to be a "if you drink every time a Peyton Manning commercial comes on you'll be hammered by the two minute warning of the first half" but alas, no Peyton commercials. Or should I say thankfully there weren't. But how great was Tom Petty? I mean really, the person who thought of that: kisses, pies and a raise! Looks like a child molester, sings like a child molester, but still manages to be fairly awesome. Well done, Petty. You keep runnin' down that dream.

#5 I'm in a lull. Don't feel I got too much goin' on.