Alabama...WE HAVE SNOW!

So, its been a while since I have posted. No I still don't have my apartment completely set up the way that I would like it, but...I have with about 6.5 hours to go to complete my first on-call 3 day weekend with snow. Including driving in it every single day at least twice. I have attempted to snow shovel for the first time. My neighbor who is originally from Idaho makes it look so simple and easy. I can attest that it is a great workout and will get you sweating. I haven't yet made snowmen or had a snowball fight but...soon enough ( with the way my weekend has been going it would be my luck if I got to do either one I would be called in and have to go in covered in snow). Here are some of the sparkly shiny snow images from out of my front door. I truly never realized that fluffy snow tends to look sparkly and shiny like glitter until travelling in tonight from a call into work. It kind of looks like someone sprinkled glitter everywhere...albeit difficult to turn in but looks like glitter no less. Here's to hoping I can finish out my weekend on call with no more calls.

Forgive the heavy breathing from me...I forgot my snow brush.
Once you walk on snow it becomes ICE!

I also made it last night to attend the annual Parade of Lights here in town (for most of us Bama folks it would be a Christmas parade) which was quite a cold but fun experience doing it with a friend (Alicia) and her family. I now realize most things here happen early since the snow is here to stay and will only be getting worse (or better- if you like more snow than is seen here) and the temperatures are set to drop below zero this week. They tell me that chances are good that around the new year that temperatures will be closer to -1 to -30.  I still am not sure about all that.

As well as all the snow fun I have had, last weekend a few of the ladies from radiology made sure that I was not alone for Saturday evening . We had a girls night out over in Steamboat Springs. We started out the night at Mahogany Ridge then travelled on to Sake2U. We were hitting up the happy hours especially for the yummy appetizers.

We had an absoulte blast that night! 

For thanksgiving I went to the hospital for the Thanksgiving meal there since most people were busy with their own families ( I won't have to worry about this for Christmas though) and spent some time talking with family and friends throughout the day.

That about sums up my last several weeks. 

Out and about

Well after not doing so much the other weekend, I decided last Sunday...since I was on call on Saturday and spent several hours at work...that I was going to get out and explore once I got up and was moving around.

I headed into the ski resort town named Steamboat Springs which is about a 45 minute ride east of where I am living. The drive is absolutely stunning, I can only imagine what it looks like during the snow season. There was some snow on top of some of the taller mountains, but none to speak of at the "lower" elevation a.k.a. in town.

I spent my afternoon wandering in and out of shops in Steamboat, spent no money (tourist-y trap that is way more expensive than what it is worth) walking along the Yampa River.
Finally about 3 pm MST I decided that it might be a good idea to eat something. I wound up eating at a place called Sake2U. I had their Steamboat Crunch sushi roll which was delicious. They do serve other things but...I wanted sushi so that was what I got.

My view while eating my sushi :)

Well after I ate since it was getting later and getting colder I drove back to my place. With the colder weather here (think Alabama during December/ early Jan) comes the deer. Although I have seen so many more deer out here than I think I have ever seen in my life, there definitely is a difference in the "town" deer versus deer just 5 miles south of "town". The "town" deer don't seem to care just how close a vehicle is, if it is moving or whatnot. They just tend to stay to the side of the road as far as I can tell from what I have seen.

Over the last week or so we have had threats of getting snow but as of yet we have not gotten any. There is a place just south of town called Trapper Mine- which as you might guess is one of the coal mines here in the area- and behind a coworker/friends house up on the hill had snow on Thursday morning if memory serves me correctly. They keep changing the weather so I don't know when we will get snow...but it should be just any day now.

On Thursday night I went and helped to decorate the local elementary school for a fall festival that they were putting on for the local community Friday night. I didn't think ahead enough plus my phone died during decorating to get any photos. I was told the next morning at work by one of my coworkers Alicia that the children loved it when they walked in. As far as I know things went well for them Friday night with the fall festival. I have only seen the photos in the local paper of people enjoying themselves at the fest.

Yesterday morning since I was lazy and didn't want to cook or do dishes, I had a brunch meal at a local eatery called the Cool Water Grille and had a sausage omelette which was covered in a white pepper gravy (so good and I forgot to take a picture of it). On my way back out to my vehicle I saw three "town" deer munching on someone's grass. They were literally one street/alley off of the main drag in town.


Well that about sums up the fun I have had over the last 7 days.