Can't Wait...

for spring, and this!!
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Freezing Rain

The weather calls for freezing rain. IT's raining right now. Dunno if the freeze will be later in the day. Here's the forecast anyway:

The Weekend is Here...

Another one week bites the dust. Tomorrow (it's actually today; it's 1:37 am now) is the Saturday I was looking forward to. It's the day of the week when I just chill to the max. And just do what I feel like doing. I think this time I will box some unwanted items lying around the house. I'll begin with some old textbooks that I don't use anymore. That would be a start.

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Celebrating The New Year of the Boar...

In Malaysia, schools are closed for a whole week for the CNY. In the US, the weekend is all we have for the day. A few days before, I had called up Ken and Chee, the two brothers, to wish them well for the new year. Ken replied my voicemail, and I asked him if he'd spend the Sunday for an outing with me. So, today, we hooked up at eleven at Ken's place. Unfortunately, Chee was not able to return to Indiana from NYC. Ken's roomie, Soon, came along. We decided to go to Sun Penang in Squirrel Hill.Getting there was okay except for the blizzard conditions the last 20 miles. But Subie didn't seem to notice it. Stopped at BP in Bloomfield for fuel before going to Oakland and Squirrel Hill. Free parking in the rear on Sundays. Good! It was about 12:40 when we were finally seated in the restaurant. I liked the atmosphere.The piped music was bluesy jazz and only four tables were filled. When the menu arrived, I asked Ken and Soon for help, since they'd been here a few times before. We finally settled for rice and three dishes; dry curry chicken (#64), Seafood Combination Delight (#104), and Sizzling Japanese Tofu (#124). Dessert was Bo Bo Cha Cha, and our drink was Malaysian Milk Tea (Coffee for Ken). Whle we ate, we talked about things Malaysian. I also ordered two packs of Char Koay Teow for Pah and the kids back home.After the meal, we went to Walnut St in Shadyside. Whaffor? Well, it's the Apple Store there..and I'd always wanted to visit it, and Soon knew the way. It looked like the other Apple Store -- this is my second after the one in Boston. I like it, and will be back when I have some money to spare. By three, we were back on the road towards the Squirrell Hill Tunnel, and Indiana. At 4:10, I was taking a water break at Ken's, and as I left the parking space, I saw Ayman transporting Kamal and his daughter to his house. Ayman invited me in, but I had to be home, and thanked him.
At home, I handed Pah the koaytiow. Wasil and Pah finished one pack, and saved the other for the kids since they'd just had lunch. My verdict? Penang at Boston had better food. At least, for this round.

Gong Xi Fa Chai!!


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* Please click on image for larger view. The boar image was from http://www.malaysiasite.nl/images/boar.gif.

Missing Lisa's Memorial...

It was Lisa's Memorial service at CCAC, and at the same time, I had to run a friend to the Pittsburgh Airport. Nevertheless, I drove past Jones Hall with my friends just to be around; it was about 2:20 PM and the parking was full, as if it were a regular school day. I saw Sue Rader crossing the road, and wished I could be doing the same. But the flight was at five, and he really wanted to be checked-in by 3:00, it being an international flight to Jordan via Chicago.
We got there by three, and by 3:20, were waving Tariq goodbye. And drove back after a lunch at Salem's -- to be back by 6:00. Knowing Lisa, she would understand.

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On My Way to Work...

I was on the road for two and a half hours!! For a sixty-seven mile trip, that's just too long. But I have pictures...just in case they ask...
Jam behind me...

Jam in front of me..snowplow and salt truck combo caused the slowdown...

Bad 28...

It's frozen snow on all fronts

Even approaching Butler...there was ice on the freeway...

Three cars veered off the road...into the snowdrift..

The view of the crash from rear view mirror...

The road crew team...

Salt truck..

And plow..

When I arrived at CCAC, I had to be extra careful for the parking lot was covered with a layer of ice!


And yes, I was late and missed my eleven o'clock class.. :(
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Another Delay

Two Hours Later...

How things look like after two hours of fun...
Taking cleaned-up subie for a spin...

Main Street USA..

Ice sculpture wrapped around the grapevine...

Our Big Tree..

Subie back home...


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Frozen Vehicles...

The freeze is incredible. Just look at the ice on vehicles. We had to chip away the ice off the glass, even after having the heater and defroster full blast.
Here's the L-guy showing an ice chip off subie...

The ice from inside Subie..

Icy screen...

Here's how thick the ice is.. thicker than the glass!!

Subie with icy coating all round...

Even our van had a mini-glacier on its hood...


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Snow Day Off

It was a snow day off for all of us.
First, Wasil and I helped Easom get his car out of his driveway...

Hamzah with a chilly smile...

M-guy with a huge slab of ice dug from under the snow...

Hana looking for rabbits...

Panoramic scene...

Powdery L-guy with an icy projectile


All, except Wasil, who had to play WoW the whole freakin' day...
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LEGAAAAAA..

This is historic! IUP, IASD and now, CCAC closed on Valentine's Day!! It's probably the Perfect Valentine's Day!!!

Right!!

CCAC followed my advice :)

And now this:



And IASD followed suit:


There may be more news to come...

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Have Subie, Will Travel (Short Distances)

We got about six inches of snow today. I waited for it to clear but by four, it looked like it just wouldn't let up. Pah and I got ready for the snowy flight. Before we went out, we needed to showel some snow first. And dust off Subie from the accumulated white stuff.The best thing about being snowed in is having a Subie to go where you have to go, especially if it's a short distance from home. Drive a Subie with confidence!
Handles better than any pickup truck!!
Food for the goldies, and the humans, too, needed some milk.
It was a short trip.
The path we made earlier proved to be useful for getting back to the house with the groceries.
Guess what else? IUP is closed for the whole day tomorrow. They say that it is gonna be even uglier. I am glad I have only an evening class on tomorrow. I should go, but should take my time. Maybe I should stay in Pittsburgh for the night after class?
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