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There’s no original thoughts left for today. No real post here but four new ones on Where To Go – Travel USA. Need to read – you know where to go.

Planning a Road Trip

Looking to the Southwest

February 2009 starts with plans for a road trip to New Mexico and Arizona. Bob started seriously talking about the trip while I was in Florida and we’ve planned his cataract surgery so that we can make the trip before he needs to be close to home for a couple of weeks.

Being in Phoenix for the annual Heard Museum Indian Fair was the number one planning factor. We each made a list of activities or places we wanted to do in Arizona then started plotting our time in each locale. So far I’ve made reservations for three nights in Phoenix at the downtown Holiday Inn using reward points. The location is about 2-miles from the Heard with the new light rail system within one block of the hotel. Hope the hotel meets my expectations and standards and turns out to be as convenient as it seems.

Also have a call in to Water Street Inn to see if we can get my favorite Room 4 for the first three nights of the trip taking advantage of the 3 4 2 deal. Hopefully they’ll call back in the morning. Looking at their website, bookings seem very slim for February. I suspect Santa Fe is really feeling the down economy.

Super Bowl Aside: The Arizona Cardinals almost pulled off the upset of the decade but lost in the last 40 seconds to Pittsburg. Naturally I rooted for Arizona – got to stick with the West and the underdog. After all I grew up with my father being a Cub fan. Talk about underdogs.

Spokane Snowfall

It’s Official!

Tammy reports as of last night the official December snowfall at the Spokane airport  totalled 59.8″. That’s an all time high since they started keeping records in 1881. The South Hill, where they live, is quite a bit  higher than the airport and usually gets more snow. Their best guess estimates around 70″ at their house in the last two weeks.

The good news is they purchased a new snow blower before the storms hit. It is now well broken in – a fact much appreciated my many neighbors.

This morning when I checked the current conditions on the Internet the report was 23 degrees and “freezing fog.” Doesn’t that conjure up images? More snow, 2-3″, is in the forecast for this evening and overnight. The next series is due in News Years Day and Friday. Are they in a rut? One can only imagine how rutted the roads are.

The picture wasn’t taken in black and white that’s simple how their world looks at the moment.

Roofs, including one at a major grocery store, are collapsing. Firetrucks, police cars and city buses are stuck. Body shops will be busy for months. The amazing thing is that for a city just over 100 miles from the Canadian border they seem ill prepared to deal with the white stuff. I don’t know about Spokane but in Denver such inept handling of heavy snowfall has instigated major changes in city leadership.

 Steve and Tammy spent two winters in northern Wisconsin. They know snow and cold can be handle efficiently and life goes on. Apparently not in northeast Washington. When I talked to Tam last night (after 10″ had fallen during the day) she admitted to being a bit cranky, not so much from cabin fever but from how hard it was to get around. Her morning conclusion was, “We have TOO much snow!

One Week and Counting

It’s time to get serious about the coming event known as Christmas. A week from today filled stockings will welcome family members who gather for gifts, games and goodies.

Only one decoration can be found at our house, this years carving by Bob – a shelve Santa – sits atop the piano. Finally the pumpkins and pilgrims are packed away. Hopefully tomorrow will see a basic cleaning and decorations finally appearing. I did start playing the large collection of Christmas CDs tonight, Bing, Frank and Nat crooned classics and a few songs that never earned popularity.

All the out-of-town packages are now shipped. Eric’s was the last but should certainly be there in plenty of time. Spokane is experiencing a major snowstorm. With their poor record of plowing and road clearing I wonder if our packages will get to them on time. One was mailed Wednesday and the other Thursday plus there are several items ordered to be shipped directly to them. They may be opening presents on New Years Eve.

Tomorow I’ll do food prep for Saturday’s brunch at Bill’s. I hope to find time for some cookie baking as well.

Baby It’s Cold Outside!

Sunday night the bottom fell out of the thermometer with Denver reaching a frozen -18-degrees. Yesterday’s high was  -2. Blessed with blue skies and sunshine, it didn’t feel as bone chilling as it does when one has to deal with steely skies, high humidity or whistling winds. If you’re going to life in a four-season climate Front Range Colorado is as good a place as I can think of. We’ll get into the 20′s today and praise the sunshine.