New York, Ohio and Georgia

New York welcomed us with a bit of sunshine this visit--something rather rare for December. We've driven up here from Ohio and had some nail-biting drives through Erie, Pennsylvania's "lake effect snow", which means sudden squalls of heavy snow and slick roads for a thirty mile stretch. This time we had only slightly damp roads from the melting piles of snow that had been pushed to the side of the road by snowplows a couple of days earlier.

Our grandkids are 15, 11 and 5, so it was the littlest one who awaited our arrival with the eager anticipation of gifts, but the older ones were also anxious to show us what they had already received and curious to see what might be in the new pile of presents under the tree. The teen and preteen both wanted gift cards to Kohls, which they got, but I have to admit I really don't like giving gift cards. To me, it doesn't show any forethought and care in buying something specifically for that one person, but I guess I'm just old-fashioned. The kids seemed happy and have plans for what they'll buy with the cards so I guess I'm going to have to go through an attitude adjustment here and stop being an old curmudgeon. Note to self: work on that in 2008.

Our plans today are to have the kids come to the motel to swim in the indoor pool, which means grandma gets to play in the water with Kara. Then we'll put together some sort of meal at Steve's house and the grandkids and I will make some chocolate bark as our new treat. There's nothing like loading the kids up on sugar and then leaving town so their parents have to deal with the after effects, right?

Friday morning we drive back to Ohio to pack our things, take down the Christmas tree at my mother's house and prepare to drive back to Georgia on Saturday morning. Whew, it's been a busy week. But the call of the road is strong upon us and it's time to turn the truck's nose towards Florida and the friends who await our arrival there.