How to make friends.

Another January in Flagstaff with...

snow




snow




snow (6' fence)




and more snow



Me an' my snow blower (A.K.A. my mistress)



On my way to the neighbors to pimp out my mistress.

It's not delivery - It's homemade!

Our daughter wanted a pizza for dinner, but knew we could not order one because the weather was lousy and delivery was not an option. She didn't even want to deal with driving a mile down the hill to the Mountainaire Tavern to pick one up. She was quite upset until I pointed out that we could make one. She even helped. And what a help she was.

A Very Good Day

It would seem that I have been stressing over clearing the roof of snow and the driveway of ice before the next storm hits given the ever shortening window of opportunity. The stress increased during the past couple of days because I knew our daughter wanted to spend today skiing, causing me to miss a day to accomplish the tasks. This was despite my knowing that if I went to the slopes, the remaining snow on the roof, and ice in the driveway would cease to matter. How a ten year-old came to be so smart is beyond me. When one is cruising down a snow covered slope with their child on a windless sunny day, the roof and driveway don't matter. Wait--it gets better! I decided the driveway is such a lost cause I should not stress over it, and Kim got tired early so I was able to get on the roof before sunset and spent 30 minutes to remove the remaining snow from the roof. It gets even better. While I was schussing away the Vikings (one of my 3 faves) killed/embarrassed/trounced/decimated, etc. the Cowbows (a team I refuse to acknowledge as more than slime mold) 43-3. This was icing on the cake - or better yet, the chocolate ruffles/shards on the "pain in the ass cake."

I realize this should have been posted nearly three weeks ago, but it wasn't so live with it. Anyway this is a U.S. Airways DHC Dash 8 being de-iced at the Flagstaff airport on Christmas morning. The temperature was somewhere between minus 5 and minus 10 creating a super cool cloud of mist. I also thought it was cool that the person doing the de-icing was 1) A woman, 2) the person who was at the ticket counter in the lobby, and 3) the person at the gate. Nothing like working at a small airport, no?

Packing Frozen Boogers In A House Of Cards.

So this afternoon I was chillin' in the recliner not watching the Penguins of Madagascar with my daughter when one of them reported "The temperature is minus seventeen degrees Fahrenheit; the freezing point of snot." I find no references to the freezing point of phlegm, and I doubt I would find such in the CRC handbook, but this seems to be what I hace experienced. Boogers freeze somewhere between minus 10 and minus 20 Farenheit. If anyone has a reference to the real freezing point of snot, post it!

I was watching this insipid program instead of the Cards/Packers game for two reasons. 1) It was on and the recliner was too comfy for me to leave to get the remote. 2) I like both teams and didn't want to watch a team I like loose. 3) This is a bonus - The team I like more was down 31 to 10 at the time of this posting.

How To Flip Lefse

Kim demonstrates how to flip lefse. That kid has some Norskie in her - and from both Mom's and Dad's side of the family. It sure shows.

Oh, Crap!!

It is with great sadness that I report that Dakota passed away today. I do not know what happened, just that Dakota seemed fine yesterday. Kim is taking it appropriately, and even the dogs seem a tad out of sorts. The thing in the vivarium is no longer there. I found the ground too hard and frozen to dig, (believe me, I tried) and flushing Dakota or tossing her(?) in the trash was also out of the question. The solution came to be to take her to the vet for cremation - it may be a lizard, but it is a pet - and pick up the remains in a pretty little pot in a week or two. Don't ask how much it will cost. I'll leave it at this - more than a tank of gasoline, and less than a 19" or 20" flat screen TV. Kim has decided to get a new beardie within a week or two. I'll keep you posted on the name. The front runners are "Zamboni", "Colorado" and "Lefse."