December 21st, 2008

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More snow

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Hey there everyone!!!!

I’m sitting here with my mom, it’s 10:50 PM on Saturday, and we’re watching “Frasier”/the beautiful snow falling outside the windows. We had a wonderful afternoon with Gobind and his mom, Kamal. She came in yesterday afternoon, and the photos of Mount Rainier are from on the way to the airport…unfortunately, by the time we picked up Kamal, it was too cloudy and you couldn’t see it anymore! What a fickle little peak. :) Unfortunately, on the way to the airport, we noticed two buses near our exit off of Route 5, hanging out over Route 5 from a street up on Capitol Hill. It made me feel nauseous to even look at!! I took some pics and tried to fix them up as best I could, but they’re very bad quality. Here’s a link to the news so you can see some better footage. Luckily, it sounds like there were only minor injuries.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/18319558/detail.html

Thank goodness everyone was OK. because obviously the situation could have been quite tragic. I love the snow, but not when it’s so dangerous. On our trip to and from the airport, we just took it easy and had no problem. We spent a wonderful afternoon and evening with Kamal. She brought gifts galore from English Hills–it was like Christmas morning!!!! Thank you so much everyone. I was touched by your thoughtfulness…and Kamal, thank you for carrying everything out here!! Really, you have all been amazing, and I always knew I grew up in a special community, but you have gone above and beyond for our family these past few years, and we appreciate everything. AND my mom and I look forward to seeing you when we get home!!!!!

Kamal brought me several special gifts. She had previously given me some beads and a scarf that were blessed in India on a mountain at 15,000 feet! In October, she went to Nanded, India, which is a sacred place for the Sikh religion. There was a 300-year celebration, and visitors came from all over the world to be part of it, and she got me another scarf. Both scarves were blessed by a leader in the Sikh religion, and I keep them safely by my bedside for blessings and prayers. And she brought samosas!!!!!!!!!!! Gobind, I can’t believe you told her not to bring them!! Thank goodness she did!! If you haven’t tried a samosa, you need to try one!!! They are delicious.

Today we bundled up and headed out late in the afternoon with Gobind, Kamal and my mom to enjoy “Carol and Julie’s Way” in the snow. Boy, was it beautiful!! As you can see from the photos. And you know, it’s not easy to get those pics for ya!! First I have to take off my mitten, then I have to touch the cold camera and make sure everything is ready and then I take the shot—then I review it to make sure it’s halfway decent. It can be a hassle, I tell you, but I love doing it (for me as well as you!).

The snow has been falling for half the day, and I would say its about 3-4″ now. Did I write previously that our shuttle driver says this only happens about every four years?! Glad I can be here to see it. Along our walk, we went into “Vivace’s” and warmed ourselves up before heading over to REI. On the door to REI, they posted signs that read “Due to weather, the Seattle REI will be closing at 6″…this is the flagship REI, and there are four inches of snow on the ground (or something like that)….crazy, huh? Just kind of ironic. But the feel inside this REI is what was cool. People weren’t walking around to get skis for one fancy trip, or just picking up a coat so they look cool in the most stylish outdoor jacket…these people only wear the best layered outdoor clothing, reasonable foot attire, they were practically running through the stores to grab everything they knew they needed for whatever trip they were planning! It was an exciting feeling to be part of.

We all split up and spread throughout the store, checking for clearance items, browsing, and just generally exploring the hugeness of the place. It was also nice to warm up by the fire. I noticed lots of people coughing and sniffing though, so I was pretty much in constant movement, trying to avoid any of those people! When we left, we saw some people stopped in the hiking path, putting on these little cagey looking things that cover your shoes (see: http://store.jharlen.com/32nortstablicer.html?gclid=CJqGoNqv0ZcCFQsQagodYlCDBw) or this one (http://www.activeforever.com/p-2002-yaktrax-pro-ice-snow-traction-device.aspx) to help you keep traction in the snow…apparently that couple got the last ones ’cause we tried to look for them when we were there!!…some other people walking in heard it was the last pair, and they couldn’t hide their disappointment.

It’s just crazy…it just seems the equipment all goes to use immediately. I don’t see Seattleites as the types to pick up some outdoor gear from REI and go stuff it in their closets. They are hardcore! It was funny this morning because I guess they had someone on the news who couldn’t get to work in time due to transportation issues, so he ran!!!! Um, can you picture that in DC? Maybe some people, but I don’t think so! I think it would definitely be a vacation day for him/her! I think Seattlelites relish a challenge, but they would rather be out playing around in it than driving in it…they all seem like adventurers.

Stepping outside was a shock after sitting by the fire for so long, but we enjoyed the walk home in the snow. We spent the rest of the evening in….good conversation, delicious food, and great company. It was a great day.

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about “Angel Carol, AKA Mom”. We always knew she was an angel, but lately she’s been showing up in just the right places to help people get around Seattle. Yesterday, she met a woman in the grocery store, and this lady had walked to the store and had yet to go visit her friend in the hospital….yup, she was gonna walk! So my mom offered her a ride (it was so cold yesterday!), and off they went. When she discovered there were some patients at the Pete Gross House (a couple we only met recently) who were trying to move out and get to the airport, she offered them a ride too because the taxis weren’t running. She’s always in the spirit of giving, but she really helped make someone’s holiday week a lot better just by reaching out and taking advantage of the fact that we have a rental car.

By the way, check out this article…http://www.paddlermagazine.com/people/features/beat-by-a-woman.htm…this is the lady my mom met at the grocery store and drove to the hospital….pretty cool, huh?!

Well, it’s still snowing out there and you know I’m loving it! But think good thoughts that Laura arrives without any problems tomorrow. I love having all this company here!!!

Looking forward to another beautiful, snowy day tomorrow.

Love you lots,

Julie