One of the things I found most confusing when I moved here from Flroida back in February 2007, was the "inner" and "outer" signs in relation to I -440, or what I soon learned should be referred to as "the beltline."

I wrote a blog about it back then, and my friend Dave Sweeney explained the whole concept of "inner" meaning clockwise and outer meaning counter-clockwise. That is essentially how I've managed it to date. I found it quite bizarre and I've always wondered why it wasn't simply "east" and "west." 

As a newcomer, that was quite frustrating but I did learn to manage.

Given that the beltline is actually a circle, there are ultimately instances when you are traveling "north" and "south," so maybe that's why the "inner" and "outer" came to be in the first place--the avoid all of that potential confusion. 

So,...

As a former Florida resident and one who ultimately fled the heat, I am having awful flashbacks thanks to this record heat wave.

The inability to breathe and the feeling that my skin is being cooked and my hair is on fire is quite familiar, and I can't say that the memories are fond ones. 

As I sat inside with my daughters pretty much all day on Sunday, it made me realize that I allowed myself to be a slave to the heat in South Florida. 

That epiphany did not send me outdoors however, BUT it did make me realize that extreme heat is okay in small doses.

Because, now that I've lived here in North Carolina for more than a year, I have fond memories of beautiful fall weather, low humidity and even scattered snow flurries. So, I know that this too shall pass.

Is it hot? Yes. But it could be worse. Trust me.

You could be a slave to the heat for seven months out of the year, down in South Florida. And believe me, there is no fun in that.

It's been a little over a year since we made the move from Florida to our North Carolina home.  I'm still adjusting, but I've learned a lot, and I'm happy to announce that it's beginning to feel like home.

I know that last summer was very hot to the natives, but it wasn't "South Florida hot" by any means, so to me it was a welcome relief. 

But  after living in Florida for 8 years, I'd forgotten about the fact that the temperature could drop 20, even 30 degrees in a 12-24 hour period. That is taking some getting used to once again, and my children (having only lived in Florida) are quite baffled by it. 

When you think about it, it doesn't seem logical that you can see your breath on the way to school and wish you were wearing flip-flops by the time you hit the playground at lunch? It just doesn't seem right.

But as crazy as it is, I am happy to experience it. Moving to North Carolina has brought back memories of my childhood, growing...

Amazing.

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan (just blocks away from the Detroit River) and walked to school in mountains of snow. I'd never known anything during the winters, BUT snow (until I moved to Florida in 1998, of course), and I have never heard of this snow cream everyone is talking about.

We did eat the newly fallen snow as kids, but you never brought it into the house unless you were going to try to save a snowball to pull out during the summer.(Which I was never able to pull off because it ultimately turns into an ice ball.)

I find it truly amazing that this isn't regularly practiced in places where it snows all the time, and here it's pretty much a given.

I've been looking at some of the recipes posted on GOLO and mentioned throughout the comments area on the big snow story on our home page and I am in awe that there is a real recipe that involves snow. I'm telling you, I've learned something new at least every other day, since becoming...

You know, I thought I was a pretty good driver, until I began driving on some of the dark two-lane roads around here.

I've mentioned before that I learned to drive in Michigan, and have held a license in Ohio and Florida, and now North Carolina. I even had to take a test to get a license here, and I did very well, I must say.

But I never realized how much my evening travels were dependent on streetlights and well-lit areas that gave me a false sense of both security and, well...light.

What does it take to get used to the sheer darkness? And how do you not shudder when a car is coming toward you, (with blinding lights) knowing that if they go too far left-of-center it could be catastrophic for you both?

I have to drive in the dark simply because I don't get home until 6pm and my girls have evening activities. And the truth of the matter is, I can't avoid driving at night because I enjoy being on-the-go.  But I don't like it at all, and I'm wondering if this...