Today, Doug turns 38. He's younger than I am, yes. I know. I'm a cradle robber like that. I met Doug when he was 18. And twenty years later, I'm still the happier for it. Tonight we'll trundle the kids out to a restaurant. Doug will eat his choice of dinner... the birthday haver always gets to pick the restaurant; even if everyone else objects it is where we go. Before he left today for work he made a hint as to his choice for the meal and I'm happy with what he's picked. I'm really looking forward to it. In fact, I plan on leaving work early so I can grab him a little gift and get home and head out to eat before it gets too late in the evening.
The biggest birthday gift that Doug could have received was the Steelers Victory over the Denver Broncos last night. Apologies to Nance. I can't believe they spanked the Broncs as badly as they did... it seems as if the Broncos didn't even show up to play. They must have exhausted themselves last week beating the Patriots. Jerks. I would have loved a Pats/Steelers AFC championship game.
But, whatever. Doug was thrilled with their game, how great they played... and he's looking forward to the Super Bowl with great glee. I knew the Seahawks were going to make it into the Super Bowl after the beginning of the season -- they're unbelievable. This should actually be a good game.
My hips hurt really bad (no, not my lips. I'm not Napoleon Dynamite and I don't need my chapstick) from the walking. I think I'm just miserably back out of shape due to the lack of real exercise over the past few months. Hopefully they'll start feeling better as the spring progresses. If it progresses.
Another sure sign that it is Doug's birthday is the fact that we're sure to get sleet or snow on the 23rd. "It wouldn't be my birthday without a blizzard" says Doug. And he's right. Last year at this time we got 30 inches. Today, we're only going to get about 1/10th of that, but still... it's snowing. You can set your calendars to it in these parts.
I just got back in from taking Geoff to the bus stop and man is it coming down. At 6am, when they make decisions to close school, there was a scant dusting of snow. We now have 2 inches. And it is coming down to beat the band. I could barely see walking back here.
When the bus came, she was going about 4 miles an hour, much to the joy of the people behind her I'm sure. When she approached the stop, she applied her brakes 20 to 30 ft away from our stop and slid the rest of the way forward. She's a great bus driver, she's been doing it for years and years... and she knew in order to get the bus to stop AT the stop she needed to apply the laws of large yellow bus vs. wet slick icy asphalt. She did it perfectly, but it was really scary to watch a bus just skate down the street. While I know she has mad skill, I don't feel at all well about kids being on busses in this type of condition.
But they decide based on the forecast, and the forecast is that the snow will start getting heavy around 9am (liars) and will stop around 3 and hopefully all the roads will be cleared before the busses need to roll (not bloody likely), and expected accumulations were to be 3-5 inches. We already have 2 and it is just getting started. If we get an inch an hour between now and say noon, that's another 5 inches for a total of 7. It doesn't look like it is letting up.
Seeing the situation as it is, I would have liked a snow day or a delay of start by 90 minutes. There isn't enough really to plow, and everyone is trying to get to work and you know they're running late and being behind a big yellow bus going 4 miles an hour makes them upset and drive faster.
But the schools are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Had they cancelled class and the snow stops at 9, with 2 inches on the ground, parents would freak. So this time they don't cancel class, and it is snowing like it's its job. And parents (like me) are not happy.
Screwed comin' and goin'.
My neighbors both drove their kids to school, with adds to the insanity because now there are 10,000 cars dropping their kids off and the busses can't get into the driveway.
I'm glad I put the boy on the bus. I just hope it's safe and alright, and if they mark him tardy (the bus arrived at the time school is supposed to start, so I guarantee they got there 15 minutes late) I will be displeased.
Oh -- Jess was happy school wasn't cancelled today because they post the cast list today. We find out what role she got... after school. She told me she wasn't going to call me and that I'd have to wait. Pfth. Big Blue Meanie!
And now I need to go drive to work. Pray for me. I want to come home and go out to dinner tonight.
Have a good, safe day.
No comments:
Post a Comment