Windy

Not sure WHY we came back to Minnesota yesterday...as I write this, the wind is HOWLING outside my windows (and whistling through the non-existant insulation!), it's 22 degrees, and we've got a "smattering" of snow on the ground...it IS April, right??!!

The drive up yesterday was very windy and rough...went through about a tank and a half of gas...VERY bad gas mileage. I half expected to find semi trucks in the ditch on their sides...it was THAT windy. Stopped at an AWESOME gourmet grocery store at Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, did some antiquing at the mall in Story City, and stopped at the Russel Stover outlet for chocolate near Medford. Took longer to get back than I like, but "the journey" is the important part, right?!...and it was a good trip (aching arms from trying to keep the car on the road, aside!).

My digital camera has gone all "wanky"...I can't get the image in the LCD window to "unblur". I'm sure it has something to do with the battery dying while the camera lens was open, and not being able to close it until I recharged the battery.

Called the Olympus service center today, and, after going through some possible fixes with the AWESOME tech support woman, found that I'm going to have to send it to New York or California for THEM to fix it...great...

I'm having my taxes done this afternoon (if I'm BRAVE enough to go out into the whistling wind!). Fearing the worst (paying instead of getting a refund), but...we'll see. I need to pay a few bills, and now buy insurance and "package tracking" for my camera...can't go TOO long without it. Luckily, I kept my "filmer" for backup...so if there are any photo ops...they'll have to be taken the old fashioned way.

Duane is checking flights today to see if we can get to anyplace WARM for a few days...and even more importantly, if we can get back!