Life Matters

A wonderful snow day

By LINDA PETERSEN
Posted 2/20/19

The fact that the amount of snow predicted for Monday was less than expected did not diminish the fact that it was a day off work. As I sat in my flannel pajamas of smiling piggies, sipping my steamy Chai tea, the scene outside of our picture window was

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Life Matters

A wonderful snow day

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The fact that the amount of snow predicted for Monday was less than expected did not diminish the fact that it was a day off work. As I sat in my flannel pajamas of smiling piggies, sipping my steamy Chai tea, the scene outside of our picture window was spectacular. Tree branches were dusted with a fine layer of snow, looking more like the fake snow thrown about during the holidays than the actual cold, icy stuff. House roofs and lawns were also covered in white, as were the many automobiles, evidence that, like me, many people had not left the house. In those few driveways where a car was missing (the confirmation being a down to the pavement rectangle shape in the driveway) footsteps could clearly be seen walking from the house to the spot where the car was.

What was the plan for the day? My daughter, Dinora, took her excited children to the “old” Gorton Junior High School grounds for a brisk day of sledding. With the temperature being mild, they did not have to risk the usual frostbitten toes and fingers that sometimes come with this sport. Instead, they wore themselves out dragging their sled up the hill and then joyously heading downwards. It was the type of activity where hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows would await them at home, and a night where they would go to bed early because of exhaustion.

My youngest son, Angel, the manager of a Chinese Restaurant, went in to work early in anticipation of the homebound choosing to have Chinese food delivered so they wouldn’t have to travel in the midst of the “storm day”. Christmas and snow days tend to be their busiest days, and he was not about to miss a minute of it!

My middle son, Steven, had been lucky enough to work as a snowplow driver, and snowy days were his favorite! Like a real life video game, he drove the truck in and out of driveways, pushing aside the miniscule amount of snow (that no doubt would be melted by the end of the day). What fun!

Hubby, of course, tends to travel to work in any type of weather, and Monday was no different. Marie and I sat home in our jammies, watched Netflix and ate popcorn with extra butter. It is always a challenge to find a movie the two of us like. She is heavy into scary shows and I am heavy against scary shows. Sometimes she will watch CSI with me as long as there are blood and guts visible. I, in turn, close my eyes during the more gruesome parts, but can still enjoy the story line.

What should I have done on this rare day off? Laundry comes to mind, and dishes, and vacuuming, and dusting. (I just purchased a fancy duster from Job Lot in order to get at the top of the ceiling fans and in the corners of the ceiling where spider webs often lurk. Sadly, the dust and webs still sat there as the duster still sat in the plastic bag of purchase.) Doing our taxes could have been accomplished, an activity for which I need an extra oomph of energy. Theoretically that would be possible on a day off except for the presence of snow, which makes me extra sluggish. We could have actually dusted off the car and GO somewhere, possibly to the pool for some exercise or to the movies, but my body remained inert. Watching Netflix and a bubble bath later in the day sufficed because my body was in snow day mode; relaxed, in a Zen state when looking at the snow, and quite happy to just be doing nothing.

It is with appreciation that I enjoyed the snow day. The only thing that would have made it better were it an actual snow day, and not a regular day off work, President’s Day. Having a snow day on a special day off work is counter-productive. Who knows what I could have done on that one day off were it not for the snow.

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