Auntie Em Auntie Em It's a twister!

Jeez, y'all. We are having a windstorm and no lie. It snowed yesterday. A bit wet floppy snow. Now the wind is howling and the result of fast hard wind on snow is that the snow gets shaved down and compacted into...ice. We've got wind gusts up to 60mph! Probably it's a good thing it's winter and the trees don't have leaves and there is not much stuff left outside to blow around, otherwise there would be alot more damage than we are getting.

Joy.

What is also interesting is that the weather here has been oddly paralleling the weather in the States lately....at least, the Texas part of the States. Because El Nino? Affects the weather in Norway as well. It's all jet stream related. So y'all have been having a warm winter, as have we. And now you get an ice storm? Yep, check. In fact, this week it will be colder in Austin than it is here.

Welcome to Winter!

We've had a busy weekend. Friday we went to the pub for a beer, which in my case ended up being, like, 8, and then I decided to introduce some newbie Americans visiting here to aquavit. Even *I* knew that was a bad idea.
Anyhow, Rich ended up leaving the bar because he was tired and I sort of partied on for a while. I'd never been there without him and was curious what the "nightlife" at the bar is like late at night. (It's a fairly popular late night spot though I could never figure out why.) So I hung around with some friends who also were staying later and then I learned why the bar is popular: TOTAL pick up joint. Very flattering for the old ego, lemme tell you, as, being an old married lady, getting hit on in bars does not happen to me much because I'm usually with the man. And nothing dampens the ardor of someone trying to hit on you than a 6'7" husband glaring at them in a definite "buggger off" sort of way. But, it seems from my two experiences in bars this year when by myself (in London in August and on Friday) that I still have got something that is pick-upable. So, that made me feel good. I told the husband all about it and I don't think he is going to let me be at the bar without him anymore......

Then last night we went to Hanna's house for a drinks and games night. To say I was off my game is an understatement. Oy. My brain just would NOT work. So I was unfortunately not the life of the party. We had a nice time, even with my slug self. There was a lovely fire and good conversation. We girls DID kick some boy ass playing Pictionary, I swear we were almost psychic with the guessing and the communication. And it snowed on the way home, which was nice as it covered the ice and made walking alot easier. And it was beautiful, too. Never forget the beauty.

Today I am going to make some soup, recreating a recipe we had in Tallinn for vegetable soup with tiny little meatballs in it. Rich is watching some sci fi movie or other and I am about to curl back up with my book.

The wind still howls and pounds on the windows.