“Ice Storm Aftermath – 2014” – Photo by L. Weikel

Snow Day?!?

Oh, how I would normally be loving this evening’s weather forecast! I’ve not yet reached that place of bah-humbug-ism that gets cranky over a potential snow day, and if I haven’t by this late date (read: age), I probably never will.

But I do find myself lamenting the fact that I cannot revel in the anticipation of a day of unexpectedly being forced to stay at home. My revelry is stifled by the need for me to be in the very heart of Philadelphia tomorrow morning. By 8:30 a.m., ideally. That’s early.

Winter Storm Warning

It’s early considering how every time I’ve driven there over the past couple of weeks I’ve hit nearly standstill traffic just about eight miles outside the city. I’d be trucking along, making great time, and wham. All of a sudden, everything slows to the closest thing to being a stop without actually stopping. It is maddening.

But now, drastically complicating matters, there’s a Winter Storm Warning in effect from now until midnight tomorrow night. And under the heading “Precautionary /Preparedness Actions” the Weather Alert states: “A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow, sleet and ice will make travel very hazardous or impossible.”  The emphasis is mine – all mine.

Ordinarily, I don’t mind driving in snow. In fact, I usually relish the challenge and special effort it takes to navigate well in snow. (Ice, as they say, is another matter entirely. Nobody “drives” in icy conditions. Rather, they get behind the wheel and hope there’s no one else anywhere near them when they have to brake or turn a corner, for momentum is everything on ice. Let’s face it: ice can result in some scary shit.) But I don’t even have my own car to drive tomorrow. I have a loaner from my mechanic because my beloved Prius is having “coolant issues.”

Not My Car

I’d make a crack about her having hot flashes but they’re actually cold flashes and I wouldn’t find it amusing anyway. The poor car has 306,540 miles or so under her belt. She’s allowed to have thermal regulation anomalies. She’s earned her pecadilloes!

Much as I don’t usually mind driving in snow, (a) we could have up to 2/10ths of an inch of ice lurking under the snow tomorrow; and (b) I’m obviously not as ‘connected’ to the loaner as I am to my Prius. I prefer, if I”m going to be driving in snow, feeling like the car I’m driving is an extension of myself. And after logging over 306,500 miles in my car, I can safely say I know my car and how to maneuver her in dicey weather. I can’t say quite the same for the loaner.

Septa, Oh Septa – It’s Been a While

Of course, my other option is to take the train. That would be a trip down memory lane! When I commuted to Center City during the four years I worked at the Women’s Law Project, I adored my train, the Septa R5, and the extended opportunity it gave me, morning and night, to either write in my journal or read lots of books.

But alas, in order to get to my course on time, I will have to catch either the 6:30 or the 7:00 a.m. train. That’s early. And from the sound of the forecasting, it’ll be the in the think of the storm. Did I mention I’m not a morning person? Ha – yeah, I think I did.

Whatever tomorrow morning has in store for me, I need to get to bed now if I’m going to face it with any equanimity whatsoever.

Here’s hoping you’re reading this from the warm coziness of your home, having decided to stay home today and enjoy a good old fashioned “Snow Day.” Indulge your senses, whether they’re taking in the crystalline beauty of the precipitation as you take a walk outside or melting into the snuggly goodness of being wrapped in a blanket and losing yourself in a book for a few hours.

And even if you have to go to work, give yourself permission to tap into the excitement you know lies deep in your heart – that “Snow Day!” exuberance we all felt as little kids.

(T-1019)