Well, looks like the big NE snow storm is over. If you got caught up in it, I hope you emerged unscathed and can get where you were going. There are still delays and canceled flights at Boston, JFK and Newark as airlines try and catch up (I guess they don’t have the world’s largest snow plow, the way some of us do; and it’s orange, too, I might add). On the plus side, business at the Holiday Inn Express at the Syracuse airport is booming. Didn’t look like all that much snow to me, but then of course you can’t really tell unless you’re out there in it; video and pictures just don’t do it justice. Nothing here but a lot of wind and cold, and it’s actually supposed to be relatively warm (though still windy) today.

No snow is good snow, though I’m a bit disappointed that, barring another six inches or so between now and midnight Friday night, it looks like we won’t set the local record for the snowiest month ever. Oh well, better luck in January, I guess.

Much as it sucks to have to go to work this week, the commute has been great with at least half the cars off the road (that is, not traveling, as opposed to off in the ditch; for some reason, when there are cars off in the ditch, people seem compelled to slow down and look at them. “Hey, ma, lookee there! A gosh darn car in the dang old ditch! There’s sumpin’ ya don’t see ever’ day. Get a pitcher wit yer walkie-talkie phone so’s we can show the young’uns).

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day for me. I got a $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card back in June or so, for my 20 years of service to my employer (50¢ a year – not bad, especially since I actually had an eight-year gap in there. Just don’t tell anyone), that I haven’t actually used (I mean, I was living 2 minutes from work before, and while there was a DD nearby, it was farther from work than home, and in the opposite direction, so I didn’t see the point). But now I’m, like, 25 miles from work, and there happens to be one right on the way.

I’ve driven past it for a while, but always passed up the opportunity to stop in (because it also happens to be near the County Sheriff, and a Dunkin’ Donuts to cops is like shit to flies – note to my friends in law enforcement: I kid!).

Anyhow, yesterday it looked pretty empty and I was out and about a little early, so I figured what the hell. I went inside and got a nice stainless travel mug for $3.99 – and the coffee was free! On top of already being free, what with the gift card, and all.

My only question is, now that I have the mug, can I use the drive through? Or must I go inside. I hate to throw a monkey wrench into the drive through process by asking for something special (plus, I have no idea what size it’s considered), but then I don’t really like going inside and having to talk to humans in person, either (though they apparently staff the place with cute young girls – probably from the nearby Community College – so that’s a plus, except for the fact that they remind me that they’re young and vital and have their whole lives in front of them, and I’m, well, none of the above – not to mention invisible to them).

See, this is why I hadn’t used the damn card before. If I could just order it online and pick it up, I’d be all set. Even worse, somebody gave me another $10 gift card for Xmas.

Oh well, I guess I have a couple of hours to figure it all out.