The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time....

Well, the federal government was closed in the D.C. area today.  So after over 48 hours of being trapped inside this hotel, I ventured out to the mall, about a mile away.  Thankfully, many of the sidewalks had been cleared....

But apparently, no one thinks it is important to clear the sidewalks at intersections, so when I got to the end of each block, I was faced with something that looked like this....

I had a grand time doing some mountain climbing to get around these piles of snow.... but eventually, I made it to a nearby shopping mall.  Many of the stores were closed, so I just walked the mall for a while and then decided to be brave and let a stranger cut my really-in-need-of-a-cut hair.  I am pretty happy with it and hope that I will feel the same way after I wash it!

By the way, taking a picture of yourself in a mirror is not as easy as you would think..... or maybe all of this blinding white snow is really getting to me!!!

I got a terrific care package from my sister today filled with movies and snacks, so I am going to spend the rest of today watching a movie or two.  I suspect we will be back to work tomorrow - but we are expected to get 5 to 10 inches on Tuesday night, so who knows what will happen after that!  My only real wish is that I will still be able to leave on time Friday night, and I don't care what happens between now and then!