Vanessa Miller's Blog
2008 Mar 09 Living so far from home, (New England) I tend to get a little homesick from time to time. I have yet had the opportunity to travel up there by myself, and just spend a weekend with my friends and/or family.
Sometimes finances just don't allow such things, so I get stuck here in a rut. Well, it's ok, as long as I have my computer to exchange emails and instant messenges with, I'm good, and it keeps me content for a while. When winter rolls around every year, I get especially homesick because New England is in a "snowbelt" region, and I gften get really homesick, especially because we don't get a whole lot of snow where we're at in Ohio.
We live in a valley, and the majority of severe weather usually misses us. It usually hits the counties above or below us, in the case of tornadoes however, this is not such a bad thing, but winter time I get really home sick, cause any big snow storms hit mostly above us in the Cleveland area. To native Ohioans around here, that's just fine with them. It's NOT fine with me. I love snow, like I said in yesterday's blog, it's truely beautiful watching it fall, seeing it outline the tree branches and stuff.
Despite all the slippery roads, I still love it, and eversince Christmas, (which we had a green one, this last one)I've been wishing and praying for a really big snowstorm or even a blizzard to give us enough snow...well, this past weekend (Friday, & yesterday)the two storm systems we got, conjured up enough snow to satisfy me for a while.
Yesterday, before the second phase of the storm hit, we had 6" of snow on the ground. Plenty for the natives around here, but it was a mere dusting for me.
But when the second phase sent some more wonderful snowfall, I was lovin' it.
I was out in it, shovelling, cleaning off the car, driving around in it etc.
Just before going to work, I measured it again, and it measured 9", ok, more to my liking... then when I went to work, the heaviest snows had fallen, and my shoveling job was once again completely covered. I didn't re-measure, but if I went on today to measure, I can almost bet that the remaining snow that fell, left a total of 1ft. possibly 13".
NOW THAT'S THE KIND OF SNOWSTORM, I was lookin' for. There will be no more wishing on my part. I'm completely satisfied. If we don't get anymore snow this season, that'll be fine with me. If we do, great, but if we don't, I will not complain. People ask me at work, are ya happy now? I say yup. I'm satisfied.
2008 Mar 08 Well I have to say that this has been one heck of a snowy winter. The snowiest winter I've seen since moving from New England to Ohio. I've seen some good sized storms since I've lived here, but they were short lived, and the snow accumulations before and after were scarce.
But this winter I have to say has been much more to my liking. I love snow, I love to walk around in it when it's falling, I love to sit and watch it fall, especially when the flakes are big and you can almost see their shapes, I like to watch a snowstorm, with the wind blowing the snow around into drifts, and just watch it pile up, then go out with a ruler every now and again to count the inches. There's also something to be said of the site of trees, poles and buildings covered thick with snow, especially trees with the snow outlining their branches. Just a beautiful site. If I could only get my hands on a pair of cross countri skis.
It seems to be that we have gotten a fair amount of snow every week lately, and being only a few weeks (maybe less, I haven't looked at the calendar) till spring, I sit here looking out my window, while I'm writing this and see more of this beautiful, wonderful, white stuff. It was raining earlier, and we are supposed to be in the midst of phase II of a winter storm system that has already hit quite a few states, including the southern U.S., (which rarely see snow) It's absolutely breath taking, and it can snow all day and all night for all I care.
According to the National Weather Service, this is supposed to go on till 4am tomorrow morning. I don't know if it will or not, but I do know that where I live, there's already 6" on the ground from yesterday, which to me is not all that much, but the fact that it's still snowing, we are supposed to get about 8 to 10 more inches. That'll be cool with me, and if it doesn't snow any more after that, that's ok, I'm satisfied. We have gotten enough snow to satisfy my longing for it for at least.....oh the next 5yrs.
When winter first began, it came in like a lamb, a few flurries here, a few there, not accumulating much to any thing, or simply melting before it hit the ground. No snow for Christmas, which disappointed me greatly, and even after that, not too much snow. New Year's day it snowed really good, and from then on, snowed, at least once a week. My kid's "calamity" or snow days are all used up. Now here it is, the end of winter, and the snow has come in in huge amounts, and Old Man Winter is just reluctant to leave. He's goin' out like a lion.
But the one thing I've been wishing for is one big snowstorm or blizzard to ring in spring, and who's to say we won't get another one for Easter. I've seen plenty of those in my life time, Easter snowstorms. Not here in Ohio, I've only seen 1 of those here, but the fact remains, this season is definately a true testiment to In like a lamb, out like a lion, and ain't it wonderful.
Have a good day to all of you snowbirds like myself.
2007 Dec 31 Goodbye 2007, you have been a sucky year for the most part. I will be glad to see you go. I just hope that we can enjoy a better year in 2008. So much for lucky number 7. It's been changed to SUCKY #7. Goodbye Father Time, make way for the baby New Year.
Welcome 2008, I always liked those nice round numbers anyway..
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, HOPE IT IS HEALTHY, HAPPY & PROSPEROUS FOR YOU ALL.
2007 Dec 30 Well, only one more day of 2007 after today. This year has been a mixed bag for me. The sadness of the loss of my mother in late March, and then the happiness I finally found after my sister got married, then more happiness when my book finally got published. It's overwhelming. I'm curious to see what 2008 holds in store. There's not much else to say today, there will be more tomorrow. Until then...good day. 
2007 Dec 29 Well here it is, down to the last few days of 2007. I just hope that 2008 is better, well actually, we have to put up with Putrid President Bush for another year. But I won't get on the subject of him, I will go off on a tangent, a long, dragged out tangent.
Nothing pleases me more than express my opinions about that pinhead, but it won't serve a purpose here on this blog. He'll never read it. So I'll leave by saying, I can't wait for this year to be outta here, I want to do things different ly, start the new year off by doing good things (not that I've done bad things before)but good things for other people, and to stop being so negative and synical. I guess it's a good news years resolution.
2007 Dec 27 Hi all,
Well, here it is 2 days after Christmas, I had a nice one, quiet, sat around and watched movies all day. The one thing I wanted for Christmas didn't come. SNOW. We got a snow shower on the 23rd, and I was hopeful it would return again on the 24th or 25th, but nothing. in fact, the snow we had from the week before all melted away, talk about your disappointments.
Other than that, my Christmas was as good as could be I guess. I say it like that cause it's the 1st Christmas without my mom. I was a little depressed, but I didn't want to spoil it for everyone else so I just went on as though she were still around. I had to work on the 24th, it was cool though, we had plenty of people closing that night, and I had help mopping in the dining room. I could get spoiled I thought. The one thing I couldn't believe was that even after we were closed, people kept coming through the drive thru. HELLO! IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE PEOPLE!!!!! GO HOME AND SPEND IT WITH YOUR FAMILY!!!!! WE WOULD LIKE TO GO HOME TOO IF YOU DON'T MIND!!!!
Finally we all left at 8pm, and I was the last one to pull out of the lot. Just as I was backing up, somebody pulled in and drove around to the speaker, I followed him and watched him, he sat there yelling into the speaker...HEY I WANT TO ORDER SOME FOOD, IS ANYONE GONNA TAKE MY ORDER?! I sat there trying to control this incredible urge to go slap the crap out of him, so instead I just sat there laughing. I finally yelled over to him...HEY STUPID, THEY'RE CLOSED!!!
DIDN'T YOU NOTICE THERE'S NO CARS IN THE PARKING LOT?! IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD, THEY HAVE FAMILIES TOO YOU KNOW.
He hollered back, well you must have thought they were open too! I yelled, I CAME TO MAKE SURE ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES HAD A RIDE HOME IF IT'S ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!! I didn't tell him I worked there.
I just can't believe how many stupid people there are. We'll have to deal with them once more on New Years Eve. We close at 8, we'll probably get out at 9:00 or 9:30. At any rate, I'm sure we'll have to put up with stupid people once again. Then again, maybe not.
We shall see. Well, that's it for today's entry.
2007 Dec 23 What a gloomy day, it is pouring down, on the day before the day before Christmas, it it's raining. The only good thing though, it's cold outside. And from what I'm hearing on the news on the radio, we are supposed to get snow on Christmas Eve, no telling how much, but I hope it starts late so it's still snowing into Christmas day.
It just doesn't seem like Christmas without it. Right now the wind is blowing like crazy and the rain is somewhat horizontal. I will just pray really hard, and cross my fingers and toes. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring some snow, turn this terrible rain into snow.
I suppose it is as good a day as ever to some extra cleaning before our company comes on Tuesday. Sure we have tomorrow, but I have to go to work a little early tomorrow 2pm (which is the earliest I've ever gone in)and work till close. 7pm, or 8 depending on how fast we work. Anyway...that's it for today.
Merry Christmas everyone, I probably won't write in here tomorrow or Christmas day.
So from the famous words of Tiny Tim (from Dickens, a Christmas Carol)
GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE!
2007 Dec 21 The kid's Christmas vacation began today. My husband gets to spend this very evening making cookies with 3 teenage girls. Our daughter has 2 of her best friends over and they're gonna probably be here the majority of the day tomorrow.
They'll probably watch movies and/or play board games. I have to work tonight so I probably won't be home until 1 or 2am. I like having 2 days off, the only problem is, I get spoiled and don't want to go back.
Anyway, that's all that's going on today. At least I finished my Christmas shopping.
2007 Dec 18 Lovely cold morning this morning. Probably 25 degrees, no humidity, so it's the kind of cold that chills your bones, and God help you if you have any kind of arthritis. I have it in both knees (well, let's just say it feels like it anyway, my knees ache like hell whenever it's cold like this) and also my right pinky finger that was broken a while back.
Got a lot of stuff to do today, laundry for one, Christmas shopping, 2.
To be totally honest, I'm not really in the mood for shopping. This is a tough time for me this Christmas. It's the first one w/o my mom. She passed away Mar. 30th. Granted she lived 800 miles from me, but I talked to her at least once a week, and I was doing ok for a while, even during Thanksgiving, but as Christmas draws near, more things remind me of her.
For starters, there's one particular sad Christmas song that I keep hearing, and I bawl when I hear it, then one day at work a saw this woman who (except for her dark hair, my mom's was white) looked just like her. I had to fight tears then. So I just have to pretend to be in the mood so I won't ruin it for everyone else. It's killing me, but I'm doin' it. Other than that..
Just another day in Paradise
2007 Dec 17  Hello Everyone, just 7 shopping days till Christmas. I haven't gotten any shopping done yet.. what am I waiting for? I don't really know. As far as being a newly published author, it's kinda strange. I don't feel any different really. I don't really feel like advertising it. I think it's for two reasons, I'm not a real good saleswoman. I don't like to be pushy. I'll tell people about it, and if they feel like buying it, great, if not, that's ok too. The very fact that it is published is a big accomplishment for me. I rarely finish things I start. There is a book out there with my name on it. I hope to write some more, either on the subject of autism, or something different. Until then, I will sit back and enjoy the fact that I finally got published. That's it for today.
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Print: $10.00 Download: $8.00 Story of one family's trials and tribulations of the day to day activities with an autistic person.
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