F-f-f-f-f-f-fu** You, Al Gore!

Oh.my.goodness it was cold on the road! I loaded up the truck in my black T-shirt, but needed my medium winter jacket and gloves as I gassed up just past El Paso... and throughout Texas and Arkansas. Only took one short nap in East Texas (draped my Goretex -- ironic, huh? -- Titans jacket over my legs) as I zonked out in the Ranger Motel. The next day, I'd nap east of Knoxville, in Bristol, every I-81 rest stop but one in VA, WV, and just across the PA border to greet the sun. The sun seemed to stop my nap attacks.

At the I-78/81 split (where 81 climbs the PA Alps), I ran into the only visible snow since Tucson's Mt. Lemmon. Of course, most of Hoofytown is at a similar elevation, so I've been in a Winter Wonderland since. They're calling for freezing rain tonight and some tomorrow. Oh, Joyeaux Noel.

If you don't hear from me for a few days, I'll be spending the holiday toting meltwater to flush the toilets during the power outage.