Directional terminology and other such things

I stopped to do an errand uptown tonight. I only had a vague idea of where the store might be and when I found it there was a sign on the door that said "We have moved 2 doors down". So I walked down the street and into a realty office. (I was hunting for the Pet store) I was very confused when she told me yes it probably was 2 doors...just go the other direction, north, not south. Well. Someone has used the wrong term then. The sign should have read " We have moved 2 doors up" After all, North is up. South is down. Don't ask about east and west that doesn't fit here. So speaking of uptown-what makes it UPTOWN and not DOWNTOWN? I think Ill 'Google' that and see if I can get some answers.....

OK, I'm back: The difference between formal and informal. (from just language blog)
Uptown is classier and more expensive and more white-collar businesses; downtown is a little grittier and more active and poorer and where the real action happens. (From Yahoo)

And here's a directional term I've heard several times since moving to Dutch country that I've never heard anywhere else except in a single Dutch friend who is from this area originally. "I am going to go be by my mom's (sister's, cousin, dad's etc) this weekend." What in the world kind of sentence is that? Either you're going to be WITH your mom, or going TO your mom's but "be by" makes me think you're going to stand outside the house for the weekend. It's just not right.
Amazing what difference can be had by the use of a mere preposition!

The (winter)Commute

oooh I had a ride home yesterday. The forecasters said it would be really bad. I don't always believe forecasters, but in yesterday's case I would have done better to have paid closer attention to that. I left early enough so that light was still available. That was the only good thing about the drive. Otherwise one worries about all the other crazy drivers out there. You know, the trucker that's driving his way bigger than me semi at the speed limit (65mph) past me in the snowy icy left lane, the pick up ahead of me that's going 20mph even though he probably has 4 wheel drive, the cars already in the ditch...oh yes, and all I can see is what's immediately in front of me. That would be the pickup going 20mph and hs 4 way flashers. The closer to OC I got, the worse it was. Now see, I promised myself at least 20 years ago after one particularly horrible drive in a blizzard that I would NEVER drive in a blizzard again. So rightly I should have parked myself in LeMars for the night. The pull of comfortable home could not to be ignored. Silly really. It would have been worse spending the night in the ditch in the cold. So. I will NEVER drive in a blizzard again.

Reading Resolutions (It's Still January. I can make these right?)

I love to read. I haven't had as much time for it as before. I like making resolutions, though I do about as well with those as the rest of the general population. But against all odds here are my 2009 Reading Resolutions:
1. I will read from a genre I don't usually try. (Time for Terry Brooks, Bill)
2. I will read a book from the year I was born. (would you believe i might have to read Catcher in the Rye)
3. I will reread a book from my childhood (Diary of Anne Frank might fit here. Or should I try Wuthering Heights or a Trixie Belden book?)
4. I will read one mystery forcing myself NOT to look at the end of the book before i finish.
5. Ok, I would do 5 things, but i can't think of anything else that i might really try here, so let's quit at this . I have a whole year to do this right? And I'm sure, since I'm a librarian, working on my reading habits will benefit everyone as a whole. (yeah right) But I can see, my attitude right now might set me up for failure. Please ask me about this in a couple of months.