Hello from the burrrrr-gh

No kidding; my toes are still numb... and I'm wearing three pairs of socks. with slippers. under two blankets. Think about that.

...

Are you thinking about me in bed? Creep.

This Florida girl was certainly the opposite of prepared for the type of cold that Pittsburgh became shortly after I arrived. It is unreal. When I got here on the 20th it was in the 50's. I was all, "no biggie, what was all the fuss about?" And so it remained that way for a few days, until one day I woke up, dragged myself (past like 60 windows) into the kitchen and prepared a bowl of cereal (directly in front of a window), until I finally sat down at the table with my rice krispies to look up and see snow all over the place. I went bananas. I have never seen snow like this since I was the wee age of 3. No longer did snap, crackle, or pop mean a thing to me. I left them for dead to get soggy beyond edibility and just waltzed right out onto the deck in my t-shirt and sleep shorts, barefoot, to check it out. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I stayed out there for a pretty good bit too. Obviously, I was in a pure state of bliss that wiped out all rational thought processes. Then I got sick and have been ever since. It is now the 2nd of January so that would mark 2 weeks that I've been sick because of my silly idea to dance half naked in the snow. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

I can't feel an inch of my body but I'm holding snow, so who cares.

Fully clothed after I finally stopped acting like a lunatic. My first snowball :o

I've gotten used to having no feeling whatsoever in my toes.

My artsy fartsy photography of the snow.

and the face of confusion/constipation(?) I was probably making as I toyed with the dslr settings...

I'm learning, okay?

check out my sweet kitty ear warmer my mother got me for christmas before I left.

In case you were wondering why exactly I'm in Pittsburgh, (although you shouldn't be because I've mentioned this in a previous blog post and I just know how important they are to everyone) I am visiting my best friend, Haley Moffatt. She moved here in August and I missed her so dearly that I decided to ditch out on Florida for 2 1/2 weeks to have a ragin' Moffatt style Christmas and New Years.

The infamous Haley Moffatt and yours truly about to head out for a night on the town shortly after I arrived in the 'Burgh.

It would be a lie to say I haven't been at least a little homesick and heartbroken over missing Fibby (and everyone else, I guess). In fact, I was considering taking the little fur-ball with me but she wasn't prepared, physically nor mentally, considering she apparently doesn't have the right vaccines to legally fly or something like that and not to mention she is sure one stressed out feline. She's got anxiety through the roof. If she were at an altitude of 30,000 feet she might just explode.

She tried her darndest to convince me though.

I definitely do not regret coming here for the holidays because thus far it has been a blasty blast super duper fun time. Sho' nuff this southern bubba gump brunette has officially crawled straight outta' the swamp to the twinkly city lights and I am loving it, I tell you. Luh. ving. it.

just standing on a cliff over-looking the whole city.

did I mention I'm afraid of heights?

♥

Christmas in Pittsburgh was almost like coming home for the holidays. almost. I wouldn't go farther than to say it feels like a second home. I love these crazy people but blood is blood, let's just be honest. In all seriousness though (don't worry it'll only be a minute before my mind wanders back to my never serious self), I have been surrounded by the most caring and loving people I have ever met in my life. Haley's parents, family, and friends have all bent over backward to make me feel welcome and it doesn't go unnoticed. There's nothing like being primped and pampered and staying in what feels like a five star hotel with nothing asked for in return. To keep it short and sweet, these people are fantastic.

and her mom even got us matching hello kitty footie pajamas... score!

Merry Christmas from the sexiest Santa Clause in existence.

and the second sexiest.... just kidding ;)

New Years was even better than Christmas... Isn't that something? As a kid Christmas morning felt like pure ecstasy, as if there was some magical happy dust that was sprinkled in every kid's nostrils bright and early every 25th of December until you reach the ripe old age of 8 or so (... or you know, 13 in my case... I was a very protected child). But I'm a big kid now and new years is where it's at these days. Nothing like pretending all the big kid problems you had from one year never existed as you wipe your slate clean instantaneously at the ringing in of a new year. We all went downtown to Station Square for the big shebang... well actually we went 500 miles from Station Square and Haley and I walked in hells, oops I mean heels, all the way to Station Square while the boys pointed and laughed and took turns giving us piggy back rides.