18 Jan 24

    I finished my Vision Board on Monday, and the week has continued with a few good things.

    The second winter storm hit Monday with about 2" of snow throughout the day.  It did not let up until early morning Wednesday and we got almost 4" total.  We hadn't gotten snow like this since January of 2021.

    There is another storm coming in tonight that will last until Saturday sometime, but I'm not sure if we will get much snow with that or just the freezing temperatures and winds.  Although the forecast is now showing snow tonight from 9p to about 10a, with the weekend of below-freezing temperatures.

    I did offer the roommates the full West Virginia winter cultural experience of being able to shovel snow.  Only Christian was willing to take me up on the offer (Charlie supervised for a little while).  But first, I had to send him in to put on socks and gloves in the below-20F temps.  Otherwise, his next cultural experience would have been frostbite!

    He and Aila later did a super cute reel on Facebook (<link) of them going sledding for the very first time on pieces of cardboard in the park behind the house.  They are two of my five roommates from the Philippines.

    🎉Tuesday I got an offer for the job I interviewed for last week and accepted it.  It is a healthy pay increase that makes my "put down roots" goal closer to a reality.  I start on the 29th of this month.🎉

    The Jeep that my nephew was in when he went missing was found on Wednesday ... in a Utah National Forest.  However, he has not yet been found.   Utah is a long way away from Kentucky, and I thought maybe he was heading to California, where my ex's widow still lives in the house Justin used to spend summers with Jay and me before we divorced.  I think those times were some of the happiest of his childhood before their family fractured with injuries, divorces, death, and his little brother becoming paralyzed ... 

    ... just like how Germany is my magical memories place, I think that house was his.  I called the detective working the case from Kentucky and gave him the address of where he might be heading.  I also filled him in on some of the family history and what his frame of mind might have been.  I don't think Kim (Jay's widow) has kept in touch with him or is aware of what has been going on, and if Justin was able to reach out to her and convince her to let him come visit (his pattern when he is using meth and out of money and options), he might have tried to get there.  The detective was going to reach out to Los Angeles County law enforcement authorities and see if they could follow up at that end.

    Wherever you are in the world ... or in life ... remember to hug the ones you love (2 or 4-legged) and also remember that no matter how dark the night gets, the sun will always come up tomorrow.  There is nothing, nothing, that doesn't change or get better.  You are loved.

    Stay warm.  Stay cool.  Stay strong.            💚 Ci