A Snow Day

It's snowing outside, and has been for several hours. I had no idea it was going to snow today; the first I heard about it was this morning when someone from my husband's carpool called to say she wouldn't be going to work today because of the weather. The local schools and universities are closed, the federal government is closed, and most of the community centers are closed. The snow outside is already so deep I can't tell where the street begins. I haven't seen anything like this for five or six years.

I've been watching television sporadically much of the morning. It's curious how a storm like this trumps all other news; one would think there is nothing else going on in the world. The local station has reporters assessing traffic conditions at various intersections around town, measuring the snow with rulers, and trying to socialize with the determined few who have ventured out into the storm. This was interesting for the first half hour or so, but now it is becoming monotonous. How many times do these newscasters think we need to be warned against going outside unless we have an emergency?

Last week the Washington, D.C. area experienced two snow storms: a tiny one that caused no end of trouble, and a medium one that the city dealt with just fine. I wonder how the city will handle this one. So far the snow crews seem to be doing all right on the main roads even though the snow is still falling and the winds are rearranging the drifts. Unfortunately, in this case, I live at the end of a cul-de-sac so I don't think we'll get any snow removal in the next few days unless we do it ourselves. Some of our neighbors have shoveled a few paths this morning, but the continuing snowfall and winds keep negating their efforts. My husband and I haven't ventured out yet today, but I know we will have to start shoveling this evening if we are to have any hope of getting to work tomorrow. Perhaps we'll get lucky and have another snow day....

Although having to shovel snow is a pain, it's nice to have an unexpected holiday. If I had expected to have the day off today I would have slept in, but because I had so much unexpected time on my hands this morning after getting ready for work I was able to cook a moderately elaborate breakfast, clean the dishes, and do some writing. I felt like a real homemaker this morning. I wonder if I can trick myself into being this productive again some time. I guess it will depend on the weather....

So long as my heat, electricity, water, and phone keep working I'll be happy!