The Simple Pleasures of a Snow Day

This was how the East Coast of the U.S. looked yesterday, as a blizzard hit. Given the forecasting abilities we now enjoy, most sensible people stayed home from work/school, and one of those gifts that we all cherish came along--a day in which we had nothing to do except hang around the house. For those who had families, it (hopefully) meant sledding, snowman-building and snowball fights, for others watching DVDs or reading or listening to music.

The term "comfort food" has come in vogue to describe those dishes, like macaroni and cheese or meatloaf, that remind us of our childhoods, either made by mom or served in the school cafeteria. A snow day is pretty much the same thing. For those who grew up in northern climates, sitting around the radio or TV on the morning of a heavy snowfall, breathless in anticipation of hearing our school was closed, was one of the great moments of education. "Such-and-Such Elementary School is closed," were perhaps the greatest words of childhood, rivaling the last day of school of a particular year, but increased in giddiness because of the randomness involved. We could all look to the last day on a calendar, but a snow day was a freak of nature.

That feeling never really leaves us. For some, the decision to not go to work because of weather is left up to us, as it was to me--my place of work did not officially close, but I was repeatedly told not to come in if I felt it was a danger. I arrived this morning to find out only the bosses came in, and they promptly called others and told them to stay home. I got up early, took a look outside, and saw a few inches on the ground and fine sleet falling. I could have easily driven in, as a walk to the supermarket revealed the roads were in decent shape, albeit empty of traffic. But the weathermen were united in their grim forecast of a blizzard, a thing that doesn't occur all that often in New Jersey--we're not like Dakotans, who are probably used to it. I called in and left a message early and, my decision made, could kick back and enjoy the day off.

The only drawback is, since I'm a temp, I don't get paid for hours I don't work. I'm hoping that if I can ever get through to unemployment I will be able to make a claim, since I will have worked what is considered part-time for the week. I still enjoyed the day, though, wandering outside in the middle of it all, as evidenced in the picture above. Someone commented that with the combination of snow and lampposts, it looks like Narnia. True enough, though I saw no talking beavers.