Walking in Winter Weather

I was tempted to use the title of the Christmas carol, but I figured that was the last thing people wanted to hear in January. ;) As proof that it really is winter, here's what the balcony looked like this morning. (That's Mr. Ficus in the lower-lefthand corner.) Anyone want to hang out outside and have drinks? ;)

Eugene and I have become crockpot converts and try to use it every week. We did use it on Monday, but last night I found a recipe for pork chops that I really wanted to try. (Leftovers don't stretch as far as they did when I was single, so I keep looking for new ways to cook old standbys.) The only problem is that we didn't have some of the ingredients it called for. I didn't feel like driving on a side street with all the snow we got during the night, so I decided to walk to Jewel this morning instead. That way I could exercise and run an errand at the same time. I ate a bowl of oatmeal first, then set out. A few people were shoveling their driveways, and some of the sidewalk had been cleared, but it was easier to walk on the street instead of the sidewalk. The footing wasn't too bad, but I saw a car swerving around, so I'm glad I didn't drive. The sky was a beautiful, cloudless deep blue, the perfect remedy for the ominous cloud cover we had yesterday. It was only about a mile to the store each way, so the trip took between 40 and 50 minutes total. And now I have dinner slowly cooking and a loaf of bread baking. I installed the latest version of Norton Antivirus without any problems (for once), and the general apartment is picked up. (Still have to tidy my desk a bit, though.) Time to make a PBJ for lunch and get to writing/reviewing.