Onward to the Great North!

Santa came early! These will be greeting me in Connecticut by December 24th when we return from Vermont (not exactly good timing but whevs)

LOVE!!!!!!

and Fiance and I finally settled on our gifts to each other….

While I wanted an iPhone, we figured it out and because I’m not elligible for a contract and to avoid paying double, we decided on this….

a 16GB ipod Touch

and for him…

Too bad, I have not yet finished my shopping. We did not finish packing till 1am. We were up, out the door by 9am. Had the dog at her Kennel by 930a. And were at the airport by 10am.

Our flight left at 1230ish. We did some shopping in Danbury. Holy…craziness.

Then got a call from my mom, dad, and the Future Inlaws -

New England is about to get hit with this crap. It’s New England telling Mother Nature to “Hit me with your best shot.”

Dear Heidi, Here’s your white Christmas! Have fun! Xoxo Mother Nature. (all while smiling and giving me the finger)

You see, this is the first year I’ve not spent Christmas with my family. We’re driving to Vermont tomorrow, and driving back to Connecticut on Wednesday (which btw, is when we’re supposed to get ANOTHER storm. My FMIL wants us here by 4p for dinner. Talk about getting screwed out of Christmas Eve with my family. Since the plan was to be able to spend Christmas Eve in Vermont and drive back to make midnight mass and Christmas day with the in-laws. Apparently she wants us for dinner on Christmas Eve. And all this other crap. *sigh* Compromise…compromise….compromise. Right? Right.)

I’m glad, however, that we weren’t traveling last night. Horror stories on the twitter-land. We ordered Chinese (for the fourth night that week. The guy knew us.), packed, and lazed about. Hanging out with our pup (whom i miss dearly already!!!)

Now we’re here. My Christmas shopping not yet done. Not even close. (Crap) Nothing that I do have wrapped (sigh), and us about to drive into that crap. The weather alert?

6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE ACROSS THE SAINT LAWRENCE VALLEY… THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS… AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL VERMONT DURING THE WARNING PERIOD… WITH 10 TO 15 INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VERMONT.

SNOW WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST TO FALL BY THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY… WORKING QUICKLY FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. SNOWFALL WILL BECOME MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES BY THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. AS THE SURFACE LOW BEGINS TO LIFT INTO THE CANADIAN MARITIMES BY SUNDAY NIGHT… THE CORE OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION WILL SHIFT TO MOSTLY NORTHERN AREAS OF VERMONT AND NEW YORK. GUSTY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL ALSO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT… RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW INTO MONDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO VERY HAZAROUDS TRAVEL ACROSS THE AREA DURING THESE PERIODS… WITH LOCALIZED WHITEOUT CONDITIONS LIKELY.

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL… KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

… ANOTHER WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE NORTH COUNTRY SUNDAY INTO MONDAY…

.A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION AND MOVE SLOWLY EAST TOWARDS THE COAST SUNDAY MORNING. AS IT DOES… A COASTAL SYSTEM WILL FORM AND LIFT NORTH AND EAST TOWARDS THE NEW ENGLAND REGION. WITH A COLD AIR MASS ALREADY IN PLACE OVER THE NORTH COUNTRY… SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR AS MOISTURE STREAMS IN FROM THE ATLANTIC. THE INTENSITY WILL PICK UP BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON… ALLOWING SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO BEGIN TO ACCUMULATE OVER THE ENTIRE NORTH COUNTRY. THIS WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY NIGHT… THIS WILL PUT THE MAIN FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION OVER NORTHERN AREAS OF VERMONT AND NEW YORK INTO MONDAY. IN ADDITION… INCREASING NORTHWESTERLY WINDS LATER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW… WHICH WILL COMPOUND EXISTING HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ACROSS THE REGION.

Awesome. Thanks mother nature.

Yeah so those boots I ordered? Would have been awesome if I had ordered them…a week ago. They’ll be waiting in Connecticut when we return on Wednesday. Unfortunately, they got a foot of snow at Mom’s last night, and are expecting another 10-16″ as you see tomorrow. On top of six inches they had before then. Greeeaaatttt. *sigh*

Next time Fiance and I talk about wanting to move north – which we really really do – remind us about this weather. Because really? Really. Just…yeah. I don’t remember the last time I had a winter like this. The last one I remember was my sophomore year of college and after that my junior year when I was interning in DC. So, it’s kind of been a while.

Oh well?

(To my chicago freaders – I know your pain. Trust me. I grew up with this.)

Anyhow, boots or no boots, we’re bringing a triple a card, a four wheel drive vehicle, and some blankets in the car just in case in hopes of making it to my dad’s for lunch and my mom’s for dinner. In normal weather conditions? Bennington is three hours from Fiance’s family’s house. And Mom’s is three hours from dad’s.

Who knows what time we’ll make it up there. Who. Knows. Let’s just hope it’s in one piece.