VA gets snow

So when we moved to Hampton VA we thought that it didn't snow here because we are so close to the water. Well on Jan 30 2010 we got snow. Not just a little snow but a good amount. Of course I wasn't excited about the snow being in healthcare. I didn't get to just sit around and enjoy the snow, I was on call (the entire weekend). It started to snow at 5 AM on Sat (jan 30th) and my shift started at 730AM. On the way into the hospital, there was about 2 inches of snow on the ground and and nice layer of ice on the roads. I packed everything I needed for the weekend... dvd's, books, snow clothes, food and shower stuff. ( I was planning on staying the whole weekend and Greg had gone out on Friday to get me some food for the weekend) By noon, there was about 4-5 inches on the ground. At the end of the day, we got 7 inches of snow and i got a full weekend at the hospital and Greg and Macgruber got a weekend alone.

(my footprint in fresh snow... about 4-5 inches)

trying to get a picture of the thickness of the snow... this is 2 days after the snow, when I was finally able to make it home from work.

our steps leading up to the back of the house... you can barely tell that there are steps here

steps slightly uncovered

back deck

macgruber ready to run. He was very unsure of the snow. He basically had to hop to get from one place to another. He would step out side, pee on top of the snow and come directly back inside. Greg had to put him on the leash and walk him around for him to go further than a few steps outside. Greg and Macgruber were stuck at home alone while I was stuck at work. It definately was not a fun few snow days!

the base covered in snow. The base was closed down and only open to essential personel (too bad I was considered essential)
my snow angel at work, none of the nurses or techs wanted to play with me. I had to play in the snow by myself!

more pics of the base. Ill have to take some daytime pics of these spots so you can see what it is supposed to look like.

the road coming into our ER.

ice on the roads.. a very scary thing for me to drive in.

Audi gets jealous

As soon as we get a new car, the audi decides that it wants to act out. Greg took it into the shop to have his check engine light repaired and his washer fluid leak to be fixed and we came out with a nightmare. About 2-3 days after it came out of the shop, he didn't have heat, it smelled as if it were burning something and it seemed to be leaking some unknown fluid. Good thing he didn't have to drive back and forth to work or else we would have been working with just one car to get to and from places. On the way back in to the shop, the audi starts billowing smoke from the underneath the car. I'm not saying a little bit of smoke but a lot of smoke...like I was looking for flames from the hood. ( I was following Greg to the shop so that we could just leave it there and have it looked at again). Good thing I was there! Greg was flagged down from a nice man in a truck who said that he shouldn't drive his car anymore because he thought he would do more damage to it. So here we are on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck to come get his car and take it to the shop.

the tow truck arrives....

they are looking for some clip to connect the chains to on the car
up it goes... Greg was worried that the front end was going to scrape the truck because it was lowered

at the shop without any problems

such a pretty little car and a very jealous one at that! the audi is now fixed but still needs an allignment, new tires, and shocks. This might wait until the spring.

UPDATE for prior post - Greg's new tv was taken back to the store because it had this odd stripe in the picture that went from the top left corner to the middle of the tv. We are still searching for a new one.

Greg gets a new toy

Well after much debate, Greg bought a new toy - a 55 inch Vizio LED/LCD tv. He has researched and researched multiple tv's and supposedly this one is the most bang for your buck. He is fascinated with it. I have to admit, it has a very clear crisp picture but the thing is huge. We are still trying to decide if we should keep it ( it has a small swirly streak in the screen - not quite sure it this is normal- might be taking it back). Here are some pics of it...

the box it came in, filled up the entire back of my car

this box looks as tall as the couch in the background

notice that the tv is bigger than the tv stand and it fills in the space between the windows (the other tv did not fill up this space)

watching trailers...

the old tv (42 inch plasma, anyone interested in making a purchase for their home?)

the end of a decade and the start of a new one

Okay so what we have all been waiting for, pics of my new car. This was my christmas present from Greg. We have been trying to get this car for 4 months. Needless to say, it is in high demand and Greg and I were trying to get the right price. I call it my "mommy" car ( and no I am not pregnant). It is a 2010 Toyota Highlander. It has everything I wanted in a car and then some. I retired my old Toyota 4-Runner after 11.5 yrs and got the highlander. I plan on driving it for a decade as well.


Silver and limited (I only wanted grey, black, silver, white or red) Silver is what I got.

Such a beauty...

Ash leather interior with heated seats. Sunroof, buttons on the steering wheel. Bluetooth capability... when people call their voices come through the speakers.

This console is huge. I sometimes feel like I am driving a boat. This is supposed to be smaller than the 4-runner (new style) but I think it is bigger than my old 4-runner. It rides very smooth.

The back seat is very spacious. It also has a third row that folds up and down very easily. This way no one will ever have to sit in the back of the trunk (which was either my sister or I or both)

So here it is, my pride and joy (of course after my husband and MacGruber). Greg drove it back from SC on Thurs Dec 31st b/c I had to come back early and work. I had never seen my actual car before Greg brought it back to VA. I am very pleased and hopefully it will last as long as the 4-runner. Thanks Greg!!!
:)