Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Snow Day - NOT

5:45 a.m.   Alarm goes off and husband gets up.  Roll over to find glasses and remote and turn on tv to check snow day information.

5:50 a.m.   It is clear that, per usual, every single school in our area is closed except those at which daughter and I have to put in an appearance.

6:20 a.m.   Hear husband taking dog out.

6:25 a.m.   Snow-covered dog lands next to me.

6:35 a.m.   Drift back to sleep.

6:40 a.m.   Daughter's alarm goes off.

6:50 a.m.   Check tv again, just in case.  No such luck.

7:00 a.m.   Daughter comes into my room to complain about everyone else having the day off just as phone rings -- son calling to say he has arrived safely in Paris and made it to the train station. I can't really hear him over daughter's indignation but at least I know he is on the ground.

7:05 a.m.   Call down the hall to ask daughter if there is gas in her car.

7:10 a.m.   Pull jeans and coat on over pajamas and head out to clear 6" of snow off daughter's car.  Discover that her gas is at a solid EMPTY.

7:15 a.m.   At gas station across street, discover gas cap cover and trunk are now frozen in open positions.  Gas guy helps me pry gas cap cover open. 

7:20   Tell daughter not to leave for school until sun comes up.  It's still snowing and our side street is always among the last to be plowed.  It's not really a side street but the city likes to pretend that it is.

7:30   Watch some news and listen to daughter mutter over the fact that the school next  door to hers is closed.

7:50   Daughter decides to leave.  Tell her that it doesn't matter if it takes her an hour to get to school and that she should watch out for the trunk lid flying up when it thaws.

7:55   Curl up on couch in damp pajamas and realize I am not going back to sleep.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Y'know...I moved away from the midwest twenty years ago.  The scene you describe is charming and classic...but one of the things I definitely DO NOT miss about living in Illinois!  Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

In 8 years of living in Minnesota we have only had 1 snow day and 1 "cold" day (yes, they cancelled school one time because it was just too frickin cold, 40 below with windchill)...once in awhile they'll have a delayed start, but that's as far as they willingly go. I hope your daughter got to school safely today.

Anonymous said...

Just to make you feel better ( I hope)  my neck of the woods in FL is under a freeze warning for tonight :-)

Anonymous said...

That stinks.  Did they at least let her out early?  What about you?  Did you have to go in to work?

Anonymous said...

we had big snowflakes all afernoon, the size of nickles at least...but not a bit of sticktivity......love making up words.

Anonymous said...

oh, I loved snow days.... judi

Anonymous said...

My kids do not go to school in our district, and our school is 8 miles south of us.  What a difference 8 miles makes in weather -  the difference is between a 1 hour delay and school being closed.  Many unhappy faces :-(