Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Snow was forecast for today. Keith set his alarm for early, in case he needed to blow snow before I left for work at 7:20, but woke up even earlier. Today is day two of my temporary full-time job and I was under the covers, hiding… wondering why I had thought this was a good idea. It is way easier to get up and go to work when the outside is hospitable. Keith woke up and went to use the bathroom before I showered and reported that there was no snow. I hid for 5 more minutes, then surrendered to reality. On my way past the window, I looked out and asked, “Did snow just suddenly appear (obviously not) or did you just mean it wasn’t worth plowing?” The ground was white everywhere and snow was coming down fast. “No. There’s no snow yet.” Mmm. Apparently, it started to snow, and snow hard, in those 5 minutes. I guess it had to start some time.
First hour I have 11th graders, and many of them drive themselves to school. As they trickled in late, they had tales of horror – for many of them this is their first winter driving – slipping, sliding, hitting curbs. I was happy they all were arriving safely, if jostled. Gretchen came in last, offering her explanations and I said, “Hi. I am glad you are here safely.” She said she had hit a pole in a roundabout and bent it all the way over. There was a ding on her bumper, but no other damage. Then she walked to the back of the room and handed something to Parker. He said thank you – in a very confused way. I asked (because I am nosy) what it was. It was his driver’s license. She found it in the snow when she got out to assess damage on her car. He hadn’t even known he’d lost it.
As Alexander would say, “Heavens to Betsy, what are the odds!?”
I have to ask: Did Parker get out of his car at the roundabout, too? Or did Gretchen wait to check for damage until she got to the school parking lot? I should probably take the latter for granted, but I have Twilight Zone music in my head imagining a roundabout that mysteriously calls to teenagers and makes them regularly stop and get out of their cars.
Maybe I should stop watching so much TV.
Oh, my goodness, that is making me laugh. I THINK she found it in the school parking lot. She did not get out of her car at the roundabout – she ran away. As you would if you hit a pole and are 16, I think. Also, it turns out her name is Kayley, but I often think she is Gretchen. I have had the two of them all year….
The snowmen look very happy in a snowy environment. What is the temperature?
Good luck with your new temporary full time job.
They look so much happier in the snow, don’t they? The temperature is about 20F, about -7C, so cold, but not terrible. Thank you. It has been challenging getting organized this week, but it is getting there.