More snow

Now I'm home and stuck here because of heavy snow between Grand Rapids and Big Rapids. Oh, how tired I am of the snow and ice and cold! We're under yet another winter weather advisory, and because white-out conditions terrify me like almost nothing else, I decided to wait until tomorrow to drive back. That will make for a long day, but I just did not want to make that trip this afternoon. Tonight is the Super Bowl, and though I don't care AT ALL who wins, it still seems almost like another holiday where I'll have to be separated from my husband.

We had a wonderful dinner out last night at Papa Vino's. It's like Oliver Garden, except local (as best I know). We had not eaten there in some months, and the only reason we chose it last night is that we suspected that Olive Garden would be as busy as it was yesterday at lunch. (We'd tried to go to Olive Garden for lunch, and the parking lot was full of cars and snowbanks.) We wound up being quite happy that we had gone to Papa Vino's rather than Olive Garden, though. There was a nice crowd there, but not one full of screaming children, the way one often finds at O.G. The food and service were excellent, and we even had dessert, something we almost never do. We'd been avoiding this restaurant because when we ate there last, the service and quality had really gone downhill, but someone decided that it was time to pick up the pace. The menu had expanded, and both of us had wonderful dishes to savor.

Yesterday was the dreaded Stocking Up on Groceries Day. Esteemed Spouse lets the larder grow quite empty while I'm gone. Old Mother Hubbard's dog would have been pretty hungry. So I forced him to go with me to the grocery store, and we bought staples like meat. Tonight I'm making an Asian stir-fry dish for our Super-Bowl supper, thanks to our having stocked up a bit.

I continue with my readings and have an author to report that I enjoy very much. He's been dead for over 100 years now, and chances are, hardly anyone out there has ever heard of him, though he was tremendously popular and quite famous in the late 19th century. Robert Ingersoll was a noted speaker and agnostic/atheist, and he puts forth the best arguments against collusion between Church and State that I've ever read. He aspired to public office, but because of his views, he was not successful. Imagine how he'd be treated today, when people who don't utter "I'll pray for you" every other breath are considered suspect.

I'm a bit worried about Simon. He's scratched his head raw. We need to bring him in to see the vet. It's always food allergies with Simon, though.

Time to cook now.