I'm not a native Virginian

Today I've been running some last-minute errands and it has been cold(ish), wet, raining, and generally miserable. This is not the day to run errands, and yet it would seem that every possible someone in my town has decided otherwise.

I am obviously not native to this area, because in many ways I find RAIN LESS THAN A WEEK before Christmas to be somewhat depressing. However, our 60 degree day last week was really nice (thank you weather!), and our "low" temperatures of 40 degrees are not unwelcomed, either. It is also nice to not have to worry about ice on the roads yet. With all these trees, ice out here tends to stick around for a very long time.

In other news, tomorrow we are headed to New York City! No, just Joel and me. What are we, nuts? We're leaving the kids at my parents' house. We'll be back in time for Christmas, and we'll certainly be well-rested with no whining--I mean, angelic--wake up calls.

We were hesitant to go since we are preparing for Grad school, but we decided that there might never be another time in our lives when we can drop our kids off with my parents and catch a 20 dollar bus to New York city, all without having to drive, fly, or hassle with city parking. Next year we'll be in Indiana and my parents will be back in Utah, and who knows where we will be after that. If there is ever a time to "seize the day" this is it.

I'm telling you all this so that if any of you decides to come rob us, you can rest assured that it will be a waste of your time. We have nothing of value in our home. Oh, you wanted our 30 year old couch and chairs? Well. . .I suppose. Our old TV and rabbit ears that won't even work in a few months without a converter box? My target brand jewelry? Our toilet plunger?

It's all yours, if you insist. It probably will be a waste of time to expend the energy to haul it all away. And actually, seeing as we're moving several states over in five (gah!) months, you'd probably be doing us a favor.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays, whichever you prefer. We certainly will. Seeing as our hotel room has free internet access, you might even leach a post or two out of me in the interim.