In a truly remarkable display of foresight on my part, the ice scraper and dog-friendly salt that I ordered two weeks ago "just in case" arrived yesterday afternoon.

Still no Internet, phone, or cable (what you see behind me is a local school; I'm sitting in the cafeteria in my winter coat getting some work done and giving the world's tiniest thumbs-up so as not to look like I'm sitting here taking PhotoBooth pictures), but I'll take it.

We're camped out in the city for awhile - at least until we get power back on our street, which could be some time (Monday at the earliest, I'd guess).