that last diet pepsi was probably a very bad idea...

I am awake and it's 2AM. On a worknight. Oops. Tomorrow is going to be HELL.

I'm happy to report that my SIL is out of the ICU! Baby Zach continues to be absurdly adorable and is developing in some ways even better than full-term babies. How's that for good news? My nephews are all prodigies, I'm not just biased!
Sarah and I had planned a pajama day of great sloth today, but first we did a round around Greenlake with Jeff so that we could feel guilt-less about it. The lake had all kinds of sections iced over. It was freaking cold out there, and Sarah read me a news report threatening more snow. Aaargh. Enough -- on with spring! At least it was a pretty blue day. This would all be much harder if it was bleak and grey.

Once home I started working on this crazy soup. Shredded beef with potatoes, served with a chimichurri dollop on the side. But it was taking decades, so we decided to make our dinner option for lunch. It was Matt's dad's flank steak marinade recipe, and it was spectacular. We had that with some asparagus and mashed potatoes. We never did eat the soup, since we did breakfast/lunch at 5PM. We were damn hungry by the time the steak was ready.

I also made fresh baguettes. My shaping's gotten much better, but I need to buy some vitamin C to dump into the flour. Apparently it helps with the differences between our flour and French flour.

And then we played a lot of Final Fantasy 12. Which was glorious. I really am enjoying it!

I called my neighbors and bowed out of tonight's condo board meeting, because it was at the same time that my brother had said I could come visit Emily in the hospital. I bought her four bunches of spring flowers and hauled some vases over to her room. She was so much better than the last time I saw her. She could sit up, eat solid food, and was just so much stronger than before. We're hoping she can head home at the end of the week.

The visit with Em was brief, and I returned to Sarah. We got to talking and pajama day turned into a slumber party, and she is sensibly asleep out there.

I have a French lesson tomorrow and I haven't done any homework or studying. I missed both of my Skype dates this weekend. I have loads of work coming at me this week. It's going to be a crazy week just trying to get on top of things!

So maybe I should sleep, eh?

a christmas miracle!

So, late last night, Sarah and I were fantasizing that the potential snowstorm reported on the news would actually happen, and we would both be trapped here and couldn't go to work. Despite the long weekend, we really wanted another day to lounge. And then we went to bed (eventually) and woke up to find that it's actually happened! Snow, snow, everywhere!

HURRAY!!!

I have my work laptop, so I don't have to try to be a stud and trek into work. Sarah's here. We have firewood, a big pot of homemade soup, and homemade bread.

We are completely giddy!
Sarah's going to sleep in a little, but I am way way way too hyper.

Jeff, of course, is going to work. He will stomp across the snowy hinterland in his big manly boots and actually do work. Grownup.

I can't get over the weather. I never thought Seattle would ever get this many snow days. It's so beautiful out there.

It's also supposed to dissolve into rainy mush by Thursday, but for now, the snow is falling very prettily.

fire pretty

fire pretty
Originally uploaded by catterz.