Weathering

It’s snowing. Again. It’s always snowing. Today’s snow is very pretty- all fat and falling in slow-motion, but it made my commute to work incredibly slow. I do love the snow, but I’m sick of it. It’s making things feel so hopeless. I think it would be different if I didn’t have to go to work, and I could just frolic in the snow, but driving adds a new poopy spin. At least the roads weren’t treacherous. I get myself so worked up when the snow is bad and driving is scary. I can’t sleep at all if I know I have to drive in the snow. Weather always has a very strong impact on me. Tornados and thunderstorms used to scare the crap out of me. I always went into the basement when I was little when there was just a tornado watch (not the actual warning). My dad, on the other hand, would sit with our front door open, videotaping. Today, in fact, is a school tornado drill. I am always freaked when we have drills. The worst is the “Intruder Drill,” because I always envision some horrible incident and me trying to save a bunch of children from a crazed maniac. The most annoying drills we have are fire drills. The kids don’t take the drills seriously, and neither do most of the adults. Everyone talks, and if it’s crappy out we have to stand outside in the crap. Kids are whining and throwing snowballs and jumping in mud. When I was little I really hated drills. I used to cry during fire drills because the buzz was so loud, and I hated the anticipation. I was so scared during tornado drills that I always put myself into the perfect tuck.

One of the members of my YALSA Audiobooks committee just moved to Alabama, and while she was out of town the terrible tornados came through. Her home was OK, but her dogs were in a kennel that got demolished. A day later, they found the dogs, who were a little hurt but doing fine. Thank goodness.

In non-weather news, it is Tuesday. Let the three-day Idol torture begin! Does anyone have any favorites yet?

Office Lowdown

So what does everyone think of last night’s Office? It’s weird, but I don’t think most of my friends watch the same TV shows that I do. I think it’s because they have mega cable, and I do not. I am not liking Jim lately. I used to like him a lot, and even had dreams with him, but he’s just a wishy-washy, camera-looking, sports-loving dude. We knew Pam’s guy (whose name escapes me) was a butt, and I liked his violent streak that made Pam leave him. It made sense. I hope he does kick Jim’s ass. He needs a little shaking up.

It’s supposed to snow again this weekend. I am happy it’s the weekend because that means I don’t have to drive to work and spend two hours each way in the car, but I still don’t want to deal. I’m ready for spring.

I’m excited to get Sunday’s newspaper (although they didn’t deliver it last Sunday. I didn’t call, though. I probably should have). It will have ads for sales on the new Sims 2 Seasons- out Tuesday!!! I’m very excited. I wish I didn’t have to work so I could play all day long. Next weekend, I suppose.

PS I wrote this before the weekend, but forgot to post it until Sunday night.

Snow Day!!!!!!

I knew it was going to snow today, and I knew it was going to snow during the morning commute. Therefore, I did not sleep last night except for a few fitful dreams about snow. You see, my commute is between 45 minutes and an hour without snow. With snow, it would be at least two hours, not to mention the awful anxiety and stomach pains the drive would cause. The snow reports said the snow would start at midnight and snow through noon. High winds and accumulation were guaranteed. I could not drive in this. It would not be worth my health and safety.

I was up at 4:30 am waiting for the TV news to begin. For over an hour, I watched the school closing reports run along the bottom of the screen. At first, all of the schools listed were the Catholic schools. I checked my district's website and kept the phone close to my head, in case they made the fateful snow day call. Matt was sweet and watched the news with me. Thankfully, he had today off. he takes every other Friday off to do illustration work (and works longer hours on his other work days). Finally, at 5:50 am the phone rang. I was already screaming with joy at the sound, and then came the funny recorded message from our superintendent. It is one of the best feelings in the world. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy a snow day :)

Glassy Assy

Yesterday I went to a Young Adult Literature Conference (as a librarian, not as an author). It was in Naperville, which, with no traffic, is an hour away from my house. About 3/4 of the way there, nearing a toll area, a rock flew from the back of a truck into my sunroof (which was closed). I looked up, and the sunroof was completely shattered. I closed the cover and crossed about 80 lanes to get to an oasis that was approaching (For those who don't know, an oasis is a roadside place with fast food, bathroom, gas station, etc. Very handy). I pulled in and looked at my sunroof, way frazzled. I was hoping someone would come over and ask if everything was OK, but no one did. There were some guys filling their truck with gas, so I went over and asked if they could look at the sunroof. I wanted to know if they thought it was still OK to drive. I don't know where they were from- they spoke to each other in another language, possibly Russian or French (I know, they sound nothing alike)- and one of the guys came over and said I would have to smash all of the glass in or else it would fall on my head. He wanted me to do this myself. When I made a face like I was afraid, he said he'd help me. So there we were, in my car smashing the sunroof out, shards of glass falling all over. When we finished the guy left, and he didn't even want any money. SOOOOO nice. I spent the next half hour vacuuming my car out. Then I cried. I was happy to have so much luck (for not getting hurt) and help, and it was really scary to think about all of the things that could have happened. So I went to the conference. But I wasn't in the mood. So I didn't really talk to anyone authorly people who I could have kibitzed with because my editor has worked with them, plus Matt just finished illustrating a book for one of the authors. When the reader's theater started, I decided I wasn't in the mood to hear a story and I drove home. And then it rained. All of the way home. Into my broken sunroof. It didn't get in the car, but it soaked the fabric. What a day.
Did you know there is caffeine in Jelly Bellys? I don't know if it's every bean or just the cappuccino. Crap. I better stop eating them in the evening.
Tomorrow is Yom Kippur, and I will spend the day revising the ending to my novel. I thought the process was over, but, alas, it goes on. I hope I do an OK job. I also hope I finish. I suppose it's a form of atoning?