It’s true how much things have changed when it comes to breakdowns nowadays.

I crashed my car out in the middle of the desert 3000 miles from home, about 10 years ago. Thank goodness for road side assistance insurance. My car was a write-off (also a Subaru and I bent the frame after rolling it three times) but my insurance covered the car and the roadside assistance insurance covered two aeroplane flights, hotel accommodation in the middle and a limo from the airport to home. I hate to think what the situation would’ve been like few decades ago.

As an Australian, I’m totally over our stinking hot humid summers and, after living in North America for 9 years I’m so over living in the snow. I’m glad it doesn’t snow here in Sydney over winter. As a matter of fact, our winters are so mild that you’d just laugh if were here over winter when an Aussie complained about the cold.

Heh, It’s all relative! I have a friend who moved here from North Dakota and just laughs at our winters. You never see her in anything heavier than a sweater and she is well known for going out to get the mail bare foot in the snow. Blows my mind. I also got to see a poor exchange student from Puerto Rico live (just barely) through his first real winter in New England. I have rarely felt so bad for someone so obviously miserable.
-TP

If it was this coming weekend I might’ve been there, tho. I was thinking about spending the long weekend with family in Stowe. I have a black sweatshirt from there with brightly colored Fall leaves that is at least older than Scout if not older than my marriage. It’s hard to make that trek with little ones, which is why I ended up not going through with it this year. Maybe next.

I have to agree with nathaliewithanh, I much prefer sand and sun to snow and ice…and you can’t tell me you won’t break down at some point and take Short Stack and Lulu Belle to Orlando to visit the big rodent and his homies, even though it’s well north of the keys! I’m behind you on the tv and whatnot, pal, but that would just be un-American! Un-civilized even! We took Scout when he was seven when we were trying-to-get, but didn’t-know-we-were, pregnant with Lil’bug. One of the best times ever!

Oh, I’m actually looking forward to that, though I detest the city of Orlando with a passion seldom seen by the public. I had to go there several times for business and I can’t believe how geared that place is to simply syphon your bank account dry. A one week stay in norther Switzerland was cheaper then that last trip to Orlando. When we go, I’ll grit my teeth and just wait to see the look on my kids faces. That will make it worth while. Then I go knock over a bank to cover the taxi ride home and dinner out.
-TP

Just a few more days of fun and I’ll be back as me!

You are the cheese! (with an h). Ross is the Nathalie, (with a planet).
-TP

Eh, I’d say desiccated rather than congealed. I’ve seen it before, but not with a human, thank God. Not pretty, either way. As for Florida… meaning no disrespect to any Floridians out there, but if you are sending me to anywhere other than the Keys, thank you ever so much for offer, but I think I’ll just sit here in the snowbank and chew on an icicle. If I’m heading anywhere warm for the winter months, It’s got to have hills at the very least. Mountains are better.

As for driving through New England, if you’ve never done it, then you really need to. We all have a special place in our heart for the place we are from, (with the possible exception of Newark) but I think that Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have a beauty that is unparalleled. I may leave from time to time, but I always come back here.
-TP