happy new year

We drove up on Wednesday to kass and Yao's place for their New Year's Eve shindig. (Slightly delayed by a longer-than-expected appointment with the place where a lot of our stuff is in storage, but the less said about that, the better.) It was a good party and a good first couple of days of the year also. Himself did a good job with the large numbers of new people (most of whom I don't know well either, but at least I've met them before). His contribution to the pot luck was a hit. He had to telework from the hotel room on Friday, but that gave him an opportunity to turtle a bit as well. All in all, a success.

Drove back today and now we are home. It started snowing in New York and switched to rain in New Jersey and rained the whole rest of the way back, which kind of sucked. But on the other hand, that means we're sure the air isn't as dry as it was up in the mountains. :-) I know I am susceptible to my environment, but I don't remember the dryness bothering me that much so early in a trip to a cold place before. (That time I went to Grand Forks in January, yes, but it took a little longer to really start to bother me, I think.) Dehydration is a real thing. My skin minds it a little bit, but my sinuses mind it a great deal. Oof. And walking up to other people, or even brushing my hair! There is no static electricity in all the DC metro area, I said to kass, and it turns out coming all at once into a place where it is really winter is a challenge for someone who lives in a swamp.

So tonight we will sleep in our own bed and tomorrow we will wash in our own shower and I am always glad to travel and see my friends!, and I am also glad to be home. :-D