First Post of 2010

So Coherent, You'll Swear I'm Not Hopped Up on Cold Meds

It is January 3, 2010 and here in PA, our biscuits are bitterly cold. 7 degree wind chill, my friends.

If I was feeling Jane Eyre-ish, I would say that the wind is howling over the moors and buffeting our castle in a most disconcerting way. Instead, (in the land where tractors are sexy), I might best describe the wind as "a-hootin and a-rattlin hard enough to blow the tin roof off a chicken coop." Which it woulda done, had our coop much of a roof after the last time our heights got to a-wutherin. It did keep me up all night, thinking the house was breaking, and blow our recycling across the street and into the neighbor's treeline. (Balls!)

New Year's Eve was fun, you guys! Carl and I left Wendy with Erin and a tag-team of grandmas, and drove to a house party in Ocean City. Note: that is Ocean City, not Ocean, NJ, which, for you who only know the Jersey Shore from the show, happens to be two hours NORTH of Ocean City. Thank you, Garmin GPS of crapitude for robbing us of two hours of baby-free partay.

Really, we who have become reliant on technology to get us places, we are to blame. Carl and I have both been to Ocean City many times. We knew where we were going, we just allowed ourselves to be led astray. By a smooth-talking English accent in a box.

Anyway-the fun part. This is a great group of people. Low drama, a full bar (complete with a bitchin'-awesome bartender) and *excellent* food. We brought a pot of turkey alfredo stuff. I was a little daunted, bringing this to a party where people are known to bust out pepper-encrusted beef tenderloins and complicated gumbos and stuff. However, my pot of stuff was devoured in five minutes, because, duh. Drunk hungry people don't really care what they eat.

The house is right up the street from the boardwalk, so we had a great view of the fireworks. I stayed up til five in the morning. Someone (not me) peed on a car. Happy New Years fun for all!

And now, a moment of girl-talk:
Steph gave me black leggings for Christmas. I wore them to the party, along with sparkly boots borrowed from my aunt and an over sized white sweater. I had a very long conversation with a similarly attired girl there, regarding the perils of declaring loudly in front of witnesses that you will never ever help to bring the 80's back. Ever. My outfit also included big gold hoop earrings.

See what horrors you have wrought, Steph? DO YOU SEE?


No, you don't. What? Do you really think I'd take pictures of this thing I said I'd never do? I didn't vomit or kiss any married people or show anyone my boobs. But I did wear leggings. And Sweet Baby Jesus forgive me, I liked it.


Once we were both awake and properly caffeinated, Carl and I bundled up and took a walk on the beach. We held hands and watched the seagulls and picked up shells. We breathed the ocean air, and had a few moments of quiet gratitude, together.

Happy New Year, all. Let us be the change we want to see in 2010.