Snow Day

It is cold here today. So cold I want to sleep, hibernate like a bear, until spring brings better weather. My sister’s school was cancelled this morning but that didn’t stop my father from going into her room and waking her up at 8:30. You see she worries about everything including her highly coveted perfect attendance record at school. When my father woke her this morning she went into sheer panic that she was late for school. Oh the horror!

I was just the opposite of my sister. I didn’t worry about missing school. I worried if it was too soon since my last absence to use the stomach ache, period, food poisoning, or headache excuse. You have to keep track otherwise you are labeled a liar (which you are but just don’t want to labeled as such) by both parents and teachers. I cannot think of one single solitary time we had a snow day when I was her age. Or ice storm day. Whatever they’re calling it on the news.

When I went off to college I had lots of snow days. Not necessarily school sanctioned. These were more self imposed snow days. I know my limits. If there was a class I really liked I would brave the weather to attend. I had this system worked out where I would skip from building to building, entering one side then exiting the other, until I arrived at the one housing my class. I was a sight to behold in fifty layers. Long johns, jeans, wool socks, boots, long john top, long sleeve t-shirt, sweater, coat, gloves, scarf, hat. Not an inch of skin showing means not an inch of frostbite.

Speaking of frost bite, I have never understood people who will purposefully put themselves in this kind of weather and worse. To add insult to injury they chose to add physical exertion to the mix by climbing a mountain where oxygen is in such rare supply and the air is so thin a rescue helicopter can’t even land. Why? I know you will say it is to test their limits, expand their horizons, or the great sense of accomplishment they feel but I will never understand. I am perfectly happy to test my limits by seeing if my feet sting if I go outside barefoot for just a minute in this weather to get the paper. As for my horizons, if there is a new restaurant in town with a big, toasty fire I am willing to expand my repertoire. Oh, and I came to work today despite the temperature so I already feel a great sense of accomplishment. Aim low my friends and you will never disappoint.