I'm joining Mrs. 4444 for this week's installment of Friday Fragments. Everybody join in now.
As my post title suggests it is cold outside. That's really the first time I've said that all winter. We've had a mild one but the last two days has been cold and snowy. It doesn't take much to get us excited when it precipitates of any kind. Everyone was taking snow pictures yesterday.
I know it doesn't seem like much but it was so pretty...big fluffy flakes. And then it rained and melted it all away. :( Although I am not unhappy about the rain just that it made the pretty go away.
So that was Wednesday. Thursday brought sleet (yuck). They ended up delaying work by 2 hours, cancelling all the public schools because it hit right around 6:30-7:00. There was no way the buses could go anywhere. By 10 when I drove to work, the roads were pretty good.
Instead of stupid criminals this week, I bring you stupid legislation. Someone in my state introduced a bill that would make married couples unable to divorce for "incompatibility" if they had been married for more than 10 years or if there are children in the home. Now I'm all for marriage but you can't tell people they can't get a divorce because they've been married too long. Really? I'm hoping that this dies in committee.
Joining up with Joyce for this week's hodgepodge questions.
1. This week marks the beginning of Lent...will you be giving something up or adding anything to your life during this season of the year?
I grew up Catholic and I remember having fish on Fridays. But I never gave up anything for Lent. I still don't. I'm not Catholic anymore but my church will do occasional fasts and I'll do those but it never is for 40 days. Last time I gave up wine for a week.
2. The day before Lent is Shrove Tuesday... tradition states you eat pancakes on this day. In some parts of the world Shrove Tuesday is actually known as 'pancake day'. How do you like your pancakes? Or don't you?
I like pancakes but I don't make them very often. I would make Whitney "Mickey Mouse" pancakes. You know ones that are connected and look like the mouse head.
3. I'm sure there are many, but what's one love song you really love?
Time to date myself. I like Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up. Horrible video but I love my 80's music.
4. What are some things you do to let others know you love them?
Doing things that are nice for others without them asking you to do them.
5. Roses...red, pink, or do you prefer another color? Can you recall the last time someone gave you flowers? Given your choice would you like to open the door and see a dozen red roses, a dozen purple tulips, or a dozen pink peonies?
I like purple and pink roses. Last time I got flowers was probably last fall from Dan. And I would rather see a dozen red roses than those other flowers.
6. President's Day will be celebrated in America next Monday. Does US Presidential history and trivia interest you? Many Presidential homes are open to the public and offer guided tours...Monticello (Jefferson's home), Mount Vernon (Washington's home),Montpelier (James Madison's home), Hyde Park (FD Roosevelt's home) and The White House (home to the sitting President) to name just a few. Of those listed which would you be most interested in touring? Why?
I've actually been to four of five of those (never been to Hyde Park). I've even been to others not listed like Calvin Coolidge and Harry Truman. My funny story about Montpelier is when we went there in the 70's I remember they were painting it for a paint commercial. And the story about how Jefferson designed it and made the kitchen door short so Madison would have to bow down every day he left through the door to Monticello (they are near each other).
7. Are you good at keeping secrets?
I think I am good at keeping secrets. I don't think I have any at the moment to keep but I could if needed.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
It rained/snowed here on Tuesday. Big news in a drought state. It was big wet snowflakes that looked very pretty from inside my office. Of course my pictures didn't turn out too well.
So it is day three of being snowed in. So far I've changed the sheets, done as much handwashing I could fit on my sweater dryer, cooked dinner, surfed the internet, worked on a budget, taken many phone calls from my boss, discussed my settlement from a car accident last April and need to get a lawyer now, finished the financial aid form and tax forms. What do I do on day three? Hopefully getting out of the house will happen today. Whitney said she needs to talk to someone other than her parents. I feel like I'm starting to waste time. I have no books to read in the house. I could start a puzzle but the two I have don't inspire me. I could bake cookies but I really don't need three dozen cookies in a house of three. I could organize files but really I don't want to do that. Maybe I'll clean out my closet although it really isn't bad since I have no clothes.
Hopefully we will have work and school tomorrow. Although the thought of Whitney driving on slick roads is scary, I know she is going to have to learn to do it. And I will need to make sure my car won't get stuck in a drift since it is lower to the ground.
So the first "ice storm" of the season hit us overnight. It really wasn't much of a storm, the roads really don't look too bad. And we did get a little bit of snow to cover the ice. But at 6am first Dan's cell phone rang. I wondered who would be calling that. Then the house phone rang and I knew it must be school. And it was the automated voice "Due to icy road conditions, all school activities are canceled". Ah does that mean school or just the activities? At 6am my brain isn't quite working. So I logged into the news sites and it meant both. OK, go turn off Whitney's alarm. She was set to get up shortly after that and was awake but at least she knew she could stay cozy in bed. I went back to bed and figured I would just stay there and go in late to work.
About 6:45 I decided to get up and just take another look at the closings. There it was, my work was closed. Woohoo! I could get stuff done today. So I waited for our automatic phone call system to let me know we were closed. I waited for my email to say we were closed. It is now 4 1/2 hours since it was made official and I have received no emergency notification from work. The system failed. What makes this even worse, is yesterday we received our practice emergency email about how great the phone/email system would be in cases of emergency. Four emails of the exact same thing.
So it worked super good yesterday in the test. Probably the test broke the system. Epic FAIL!
