Hi!

    It is really freezing around here! The temperature varies between the single digits and the 20-30 degree marks, but with the wind it feels MUCH colder. Last Thursday's snow is still with us, although the weathermen are calling for rain/freezing rain tonight and tomorrow so perhaps some of it might disappear. Thursday's snowstorm, of course, came when Dale and I were traveling to the BWI Airport. Luckily Dale's 4-wheel drive Ford Explorer had no problems at all, so we arrived at BWI at around 9:30am only to endure hours and hours of delays and cancellations. Dale's Northwest Airlines flight was cancelled immediately upon our arrival and rescheduled for 5:55pm. My Southwest Airlines flight was cancelled but I was quickly re-scheduled on an "earlier flight that had been delayed". Hoo boy, are we lucky (we thought!). Thousands of travelers were stranded because Southwest Airlines gave away their de-icing liquid, probably thinking that they had plenty. After 1.5 hours sitting on my second flight attempt, we were ordered off the plane because "no de-icing" and the airport was closed for three hours. I finally flew out at 11:25pm, arrived in Los Angeles close to 2:00am their time, with no luggage, the rental car booths closed, etc. Dale had been picked up hours earlier by Susan and Dany (Thank you, kids!) I did find a car and at 3:30am I was racing along the Los Angeles freeways (Routes 105E to 110N to 101N) with minimal traffic. Probably the only time of the day that one can drive "normally" in LA.

    So, after all, Dale and I had our quick weekend with Susan and Dany in Los Feliz, California, a very pretty little suburb of Los Angeles, with a clear view of the Griffith Observatory from their front window, Sunset Blvd just a few blocks south, the Hollywood sign in the hills just down the road, and tens of little shops, restaurants and cafes with outside tables, umbrellas, seats, etc. While the East of the USA was freezing, we were enjoying the sunshine for at least a few days! I loved it, short though it was. We also went out to dinner with old friends from our England days (1969-1972) who live in LA. It's experiences like these that make me want to "really retire" and be able to extend visits, see all the sights, etc. (Don't worry, Kids: we'll rent a place for a month or two ;)

    Unfortunately, I had to return to the snow and close-to-subzero temperatures of Maryland, while Dale abandoned me, continuing ever westward to the balmy Hawaiian Islands, where she will stay with Tracey and Alana until 8 January (Oh, the life of the truly retired).

   Luckily my local travel agent did find me a flight to Hawaii on 23 January for less than my life's savings. I get to use my freebee Southwest Airlines ticket to get from BWI to Los Angeles and then to San Jose, where I will await an American Airlines flight to Honolulu some 4-5 hours later. I'm not complaining! I will return on 01 January, departing Honolulu a few minutes before midnight, so I get to spend the whole of New Year's Day at Tracey's, probably recuperating from the island parties ;-) I'll get home sometime in the evening of 02 January, go to work on Friday the 3rd, and then I'm off to Saudi Arabia for a while.

    The cat is paranoid and won't leave me alone for a minute. She has figured out that whenever the suitcases come out of storage she is going to be left alone for a while. She is so happy to see anyone when we return that she doesn't let them out of her sight. I wake up in the middle of the night with a weight on my chest and a cold nose poking me in the face. I guess she's making sure I am really there.