December 2nd

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Greetings from Burlington, VT.

I am seriously getting the commute up here down to a science. It took me exactly 5 hours to get from home to the Essex Ferry, and that was with three potty breaks and snow for the last 15 miles. Let me tell you, it was very strange riding the ferry across Lake Champlain at night. As I said, it was snowing, but it was also raining and foggy, and just plain spooky. Even the sound of the boat's engines were muffled by the fog.

So, I’m currently sitting in the common room at the dorm working on the blog because I didn’t want to wake up my daughter or her roommate, and I’m a little distracted. Two fire trucks and an ambulance just pulled up to what I think is one of the dorms half a block up the street. I can’t really see what’s going on because it’s still dark, but I don’t see any flames, so that’s a good thing! It’s too dang cold and slippery for me to walk up the hill for a better look, and the last thing they need is a lookyloo anyway. If I can see anything before I finish, I’ll give you an update.

Okay, update. They all just turned off their flashing lights and drove away. Perhaps a hot shower set off a house alarm. Who knows? All that matters is there was no one hurt and a dorm didn’t burn down.

I guess you can say my distraction this morning was quite literally a shiny object. LOL.

I plan on taking my sweet old time getting home today. They are calling for snow showers, and I think we got a little more snow last night while we were sleeping. The roads are clear, but they look wet, and it is SO cold, I’m sure they are icy. Route 22, which takes me from the ferry to Route 87, is a twisty windy secondary road, and I’m sure it won’t plowed as well as the highways, but I’m only on it for twelve miles, so if I take it slow, all should go well.

It’s starting to get light now, at 6:55. Yesterday at 3:55, my car lights kicked on because it was getting dark. Really, we’re only getting nine hours of daylight, three weeks before the winter solstice? YUCK!! I’m sure it’s the same every year, but for some reason, it just seems worse this year. Maybe if I look at it like in nineteen days, the days are going to start getting longer…  Nah, didn’t help. I know we’re in for a long, dark, cold, snowy winter. Again, YUCK!

Lys’ roommate Rhea has a class at 8:00 this morning so she should be up soon, and I’m kinda hoping she wakes Lys while she’s getting ready, so I can say goodbye and get on the road before the first snow squall goes through. I was up early, as usual, and I packed up my stuff and put it out in the car. Hopefully Lys will realize I’m downstairs and I haven’t left already without saying goodbye. I think if she sees her ID badge isn’t where it is supposed to be, she’ll figure it out.

Well, the house is coming to life as kids are starting to leave for class, so I should probably sign off because I won’t be able to concentrate anyway. I hope you have a fantastic day and happy writing!