This is what happens when I move South

Boone Abandoned

On my first trip to Boone, I dressed up as Winter for a Halloween party. You know...white glitter, vanilla eye shadow, white lingerie that my mother later found in the good will bag, held up by one finger and hollered MELINA WHAT IN HELL IS THIS!

Good people, bad decisions

Anyhow, the town seems to remember me, because I drove North with a fierce winter storm chasing me, as if attached to the antenna of my car like a tremendous kite. The moment I pulled into the driveway, the storm settled in after me.

It's been hailing, icing and snowing for days. The weather is throwing a serious temper tantrum. The grocery stores are closed, the schools are closed, even the bars are closed....and in Appalachia, that means something.

Moving in to my new place has been going less than snappy. My new home is on top of a long, steep, winding driveway, which is one of the things that drew me to the place to begin with. However, the town has not budgeted for plowing, and certainly not plowing nonhazardous private driveways. We will have to wait for it all to melt, then hack apart the fallen trees with a chain saw, before my subaru, Tobias, loaded up with my material life, will make it up. This will probably take a few weeks.

Will and Hometeam descending the driveway from my house

Which means in that for now....is that I'm literally camping in my own house. Sometimes I have power, sometimes I don't. I've taken whatever I can carry from the car- sleeping bag, radio, dog food, and my socks. (I have this thing about socks.) I made a pot of tortilla soup my first day here, and Will and I have been eating off of it for nearly a week now. Yesterday, unable to face the site of it in the bowl, I found all the vegetables in the house, diced them, threw them in the oven and ate those for dinner. Next up is the tortilla chip crumbs, followed by chewing on our leather belts. Good thing we'll be able to soak them in chicken broth first.

Today's look on the bright side equation:
Totally stuck (-) food (-) a way out (-) open grocery stores open =fabulous figure!
(Oh, and it's perfect weather for writing.)

I still can't figure out how I left VERMONT, home of the 'furious and forever' winter, drove 15 hours SOUTH and landed here....not just winter, but pure winter TURMOIL. At least in Vermonters plow the road and are handy with the salt bags!