Snow!

We finally got a decent amount (for here) of snow today. I think it was between one and two inches, depending on where you were. I left work early because they were starting to close some of the roads over the mountains and I didn't want to have to take back roads to get home. The main roads weren't too bad, but the back roads really sucked. So we took the Gnomeslayer out to play in the snow for a while. The snow was too dry and wouldn't stay together, so we gave up on the idea of making a whole snowman - not from a lack of total quantity but because it just wouldn't stay together. So we made a snowman head instead. GS did *not* want to go back inside, but she was starting to look like Rudolph so we all came in and warmed up. Definately a good time to be in the house with a full pantry and a fireplace. :)

Chattanooga

During our long holiday vacation, one of our objectives was to go to the aquarium in Chattanooga. We have meant to go for a long time but never actually followed through. But having a week off and the Gnomeslayer's new fascination with Finding Nemo, we thought it would be a good time to try again. It is an hour and a half drive from here so it is perfect for a daytrip.

The trip went well, and we visited the Seahorse Gallery and the Ocean exhibit. We didn't want to do too much in one day. I got a family membership for the rest of the year, so we'll have plenty of time to go back for the fresh water exhibit. She loved the clownfish and the reef display, and seeing the penguins.

They really do have a very nice range of exhibits there. They have a beautiful butterfly house and tropical garden on the top story, and you work your way down to the bottom. There were sharks and stingrays, and a fascinating jellyfish exhibit. Visiting during a school break probably wasn't the best time to go because older kids were everywhere and it made it harder for GS to get a good view of some of the exhibits.

After we finished with the aquarium it was time to eat. I had picked out a place to eat, the Blue Plate. Unfortunately I didn't notice that they were closed on Mondays, and of course we went on a Monday. So instead we went to one of the restaurants in front of the aquarium, the Big River Grill, for a completely overpriced and forgettable meal. It was worsened by the fact that there was a guy at the table next to us with a kid that sounded like she had the plague. We really should have asked to get reseated, but instead we hurried to finish our food and left.

All in all it was a fun trip and I look forward to going back when it is warmer outside.