i still want my snow day

the mere mentioning of the possibility of a snowflake falling from the sky puts north carolinians in a frenzy. they can be found filling their carts at the grocery store or joining a long line of cars at the gas station. you'd think the state was preparing for lock-down. i make these observations in a comical yet endearing way, for even though i spent my four college years in a snow globe, i too can be intimidated by the stuff.

yet last night i wasn't. last night i gingerly wiped the thick layer of soft snow off my car, all the while serenading myself with sinatra's sweet words (how lucky can one guy be...i kissed her and she kissed me...). i've noticed that since returning from the harsh climate that is upstate new york, snow has become more of a friend to me than an enemy. now that i don't have to drudge through it on my way to class--the windchill turning my hands and face numb--i can appreciate it for the truly romantic, tranquil element that it is--at least, that it is here in the south. let's not get carried away and say that snow always falls in inches rather than feet. truth is, i like to experience snow like i experience the display case at a bakery: from the other side of the glass. which is why when i woke up this morning i was a little stunned to see a landscape of wintry white fill my window, followed by a rush of warmth and comfort once it registered that i was on the safe side.

so what did my mom, dad, brother and i do today? we declared it a snow day of course! from morning up until this very moment we have just been vegging out in our sweats...watching t.v. shows, brewing coffee, and driving eachother nuts most of the time. we also did the productive and crafty things that we all complain we don't have the time to do, like install a much needed dimmer light-switch in the dining room (thanks dad).

honestly, i've always yearned for a true snow day. being born and raised in california clearly inhibited this opportunity, which is why i thought attending college in new york would finally give me that chance. nope. closest i got was valentines day of 2007-a day that my classmates and i will probably talk about at reunions for years to come. over two feet of snow and still classes were not canceled. i was robbed.

my senior year, still clinging to my dream, i circled a day on my calendar and declared it "snow day". the plan was to skip all my classes and pretend that i couldn't even go outside because the weather conditions were so unbearable. ever see that one friends episode where new york city has a blackout, forcing the gang to entertain themselves all night in
the apartment by candlelight? that's the kind of scenario i imagined playing out in my head, but after failed attempts to rope my friends and roommates into this genius plan of mine, i backed out. looking back though, i should've made a stand. even though today was a fun experience-acting like we were all on house arrest-it isn't really a snow day unless you are free of all commitments. oh well. i'll have my snow day one day, you just wait and see.