Back in Miami

I'm trying to be prompt about posting for once. I am back in Miami, we flew back in last night. Alaska Airlines has changed their flight times, so the flight back isn't overnight anymore, which is actually kind of nice, I was always trashed after the red-eye.

Here now is an Xmas recap. We left Miami the day after finals ended. It was a bit crazy shopping, packing and taking exams but we made it. Rumor had it on the weather that there was going to be a lot of snow. Couldn't tell from the air.



When we landed however, it was snowing. It was snowing a lot, especially for Seattle. Seattle does not do snow, they don't have enough plows, they have big hills. Seattle is a mess in the snow. Pretty though.




That last photo was taken from the deck of the Ferry. It was still snowing, over the ocean, which was pretty cool. We started our visit on Bainbridge Island. Snow was so bad no one could get out to pick us up from the Ferry (they tried, it didn't go well) so we got a city bus, but the Bus was on Snow Route so we walked our luggage a few blocks, luckily Bainbridge is a really friendly place and another passenger at the same stop offered to help carry. It was a winter wonder land, and we had a lovely cozy visit being snowed in.





Christmas eve was the first big Christmas event, a festive dinner party, after which we were whisked off for the next visit, this time in Woodinville. In Seattle and the lowlands the weather had warmed a bit and even rained a little. Woodinville had kept snowing. Driving up one of the local roads, it snowed hard. And continued to snow. We got our second luggage snow walk, my parents driveway is really steep, and they couldn't get the cars up. We had another cozy snowed in visit.





It was nice to see families, and we also got to spend some time with friends, though this was limited due to being snowed in. I did enjoy the snow, it was a rather pleasant change from Miami (though winter in Miami totally redeems summer). I am increasingly ready to move back to the Northwest, it just feels like home. Got some reading and lots of knitting done. I knit two hats, one for Russell and one for my mom, and started some mittens...which will have to wait a year to be really useful.

On the research front. Planning for the winter field trip is in full swing. I am going to wait until my lovely labmate Kat arrives to leave. Then its off to Texas, Louisiana and Alabama. Should be wacky. In the mean time, I have lots of data to analyze and another experiment to finish up, so I will be busy busy in the lab. All the major work is coming together right at the end so it will be a busy few months.