So let's see. I move to Washington, just in time to live under terror alerts and be told to buy duct tape and gas masks. And then ... this friggin' storm.

My God, the snow. At least a foot when I left the apartment this morning at 11, probably at least a foot more by tonight. Of course I had to work, and of course calling in "snow" wasn't an option. Geoffrey tried to drive me to the Metro station, but no go. Looked like there were cars going by on Route 1 outside our apartment complex, but there was an 8-inch or so mound of snow outside the parking garage that we weren't too sure either the Saturn or the VW could clear, so we had to head back.

Plan B was to walk to the Metro station. It's a 30-45 minute walk on a clear day, but we didn't quite factor in how a foot of snow on the sidewalks would slow us down and wear us out. So maybe an hour, hour-and-a-half to the Metro station. A cold, snow-in-the-face and jammed up in your socks hour, hour-and-a-half. Metro was being poky, so another wait there but at least indoors, and finally I got to work, where I am now. Looks like the U.S. government (thank you, taxpayers!) is going to spring for anyone who wants to to stay at the swanky Marriott next door so we can all show up at work tomorrow without having to brave the elements again. Think I'll take them up on that, luckily I brought some extra undies and my toothbrush.

Geoffrey, meanwhile, rode in on Metro with me so he could hang out with our friend Ed (as in Sealover), who is in town for a newspaper conference. Ed was scheduled to leave town today out of Reagan National Airport, which of course is completely shut down. Luckily, though, Ed's hotel is going to put the conference kids up another night, so he's all set. And since Geoffrey is with him now, he might be staying there, too. Though he just called me to say he's going to try the long awful walk back to our apartment. No talking him out of it. I'll divvy out his CDs and XBox games to his close friends if he freezes to death, but back off, you vultures, I get first dibs. Ahem...

The roads are really nasty, not expected to get any better anytime soon. Amazing how shut down the town is. Nothing is open here near the White House, not even McDonalds! Pretty much a ghost town. Probably kinda pretty, but I'm stuck inside and not too keen on going outside again now that I'm just regaining feeling in my backside.

So there's our latest adventure, more to come, I'm sure. Think warm thoughts for us! :)