Thursday, February 07, 2008

I Was Right.

Well...about being wrong, that is.  To be fair, I was really and truly right about a couple of things yesterday.  There was, in fact, quite a wallop of snow dropped upon our poor, hapless heads last night.  And, in an off-blog prediction, I declared to no one in particular that I doubted the plows we pay to remove that snow from our parking areas would arrive in time to make it all go away.  And I was right about that, too.  

But, since none of you heard that one, you'll just have to trust me.  I really did say it.  And they didn't come.  Which was unfortunate.

Because I was also right about my World Famous Ability To Predict Snow Days being on the fritz.  My inklings failed me. 

Now, the process of calling a "snow day" in our part of the world falls squarely upon the shoulders of the superintendent of schools in each district.  He does not, as one might think, get up, look out the window and pronounce, "I wish to stay home and watch cartoons, hence I do dub this day a Snow Day!!!  Come, Court Jester!  Bring me pancakes and my fluffy bunny slippers!"  The superintendents sometimes even have to go into work when school is called off so it doesn't always benefit them like it does the rest of us.  

Usually, they make a lot of phone calls and try to get a little insight into the weather conditions.  It's different for each school department, but they might call people like the transportation directors, local police, public works departments, or the custodians who are already at the schools and trying to clear a path for us.  And, sometimes, they call other superintendents just to compare notes.  

I don't know exactly who might be on the receiving end of our superintendent's morning phone calls, but I do know that the status of the district next to ours is a good indicator of whether we will be going to school on any given day.  And, when I saw that they were having a two hour delay rather than a snow day, it was clear to me that I had a short circuit in my inklings.  

I wasn't happy about it.  But, to be fair, the worst was over, especially given the delayed start time.  Certainly there were one or two moments where I debated whether it would be more prudent to pull over and make out my will or if that would only increase the chances of my getting smooshed by a snowplow.  In the end, though, everyone made it in safely and then home again in a similar state.  But, I wasn't happy about it.  Not one little bit.

Of course, come June when we don't have to make up this day and get to go home for the summer, I shall probably give the superintendent a hug for his decision.  It'll most likely be one of those inappropriate sorts of hugs and of an awkwardly lingering nature.  But, I shall probably be feeling guilty for all those bad things I said about him this morning and tossing out some unwelcome physical advances will seem like the least I can do at that point.  I'll let his lawyer and my lawyer work it all out.  

My latest weather related inkling is a sure thing, though.  The next storm, which is bearing down upon us as we speak, will not result in a snow day.  Of this I am sure.  There is no way the superintendent will be making all his phone calls on that day.  I trust the inkles this time.

The next storm is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.  I'm giving my inkles and the superintendent of schools the day off.  

In anticipation of my needing to find things with which to amuse myself, I will be breaking out the hooks again.  I found a message waiting for me on Ravelry yesterday from Noolie in which she kindly (and, let's face it, generously) complimented my Bullet Proof Crocheted Baby Sweater.  She also asked if I'd consider sharing the pattern.  Which I would gladly do...if I had the slightest idea what I done.  But I don't know quite what I done even though I'm the one what done it.  

So, since I don't have anything on the needles right now that is amusing me on any real level, I shall see if I can't do it again.  And this time, I'll even write down what I done.  For what it's worth, nothing I done was all that hard.  This is me we're talking about after all.  I'm pretty sure I can do it again.  

This time, however, I think I will do it in cotton.  It will be less bullet proof, but the new mother will be able to lift the baby when he's wearing it and that might come in handy every now and again.  It is considered bad form to use one's child as a doorstop.  You don't have to have kids to know that.

Maybe I'll crochet one up for the superintendent of schools while I'm at it.  That seems like the right thing to do.  A Bullet Proof Superintendent's Sweater might protect him from that upcoming June hug and all...

SA

16 comments:

sheep#100 said...

Did you wear your jammies inside out??

Anonymous said...

Actually, the head of transportation has the biggest say, If the busses can run, then school is on. If the busses are in danger, the school is off. It would be nice if all the others you mentioned had a say, but it is totally the safety of the children that determine if your "inkles" are correct or not in most districts.

Roadside Manners said...

Hey sis, I'm in No Carolina, 70 degrees and blue sky day...Enjoy your snow! Heading to GA tomorrow. he he he!

Kath said...

Hmmm....where I live it's usually NOAA that gives the best weather indications! And I'm lucky in that from my own home I can see if there are flags up signaling small craft advisories, gale storms, and other such fun stuff.

Anonymous said...

You all keep getting hit over and over with these storms! Good thing you have yarn around you.

mehitabel said...

I just wish you'd inkle some of that snow over here--then I could stay home curled up on the sofa knitting and not feel guilty about it! Instead I have to make a long boring drive all by my lonesome to visit my poor ailing daughter in the Big Medical Center Across Town, sigh. Snow would be soooo good! Not that I don't love the girl, you understand--I just don't love that drive!

Anonymous said...

Just read your brother's comment - he's mean!

Thanks for making another Bullet Proof Baby Sweater so that I can have the pattern :-)

Mia said...

I'd comment but I'm too busy reading under my desk.. hehehe.

Anne P said...

We here in the west are doing our part to keep sending those storms your way. And you thought it would be a warm, dry winter? (She says after the 4th straight day in a row I had to shovel to get the gate to the pasture open.)

Anonymous said...

It's always a hard call which is better: the snow day now or getting out of school that one day earlier in June.
Karen
http://nothingbutknit.blog-city.com/

Donna Lee said...

I am still waiting for one snow day. Even though we are a health care institution and don't close unless there is a "state of emergency" (we did have one once several years ago 36 inches of snow), I would totally take a snow day. But when you have 70 degree days in February your chances of snow are fairly slim. Just one. I want just one.

Army_Wifey08 said...

well at least your super dude in charge isn't a nazi like south.portlands was. She Made us go to school if there were babies falling from the sky and would always send us home 5 mins early when we had snowstorms that were white out conditions and students were getting into accidents in the parking lots.

On a good note it's 65 and sunny, but it also snowed here last week.

Yes it snows in califonia

Future SIL said...

I just realized that between Mom sheep, Dad sheep, Baby brother sheep, and niece sheep, we are the only two of the sheep family in cold weather. What is up with that?

Next winter everyone stay home while we go to Bora Bora.

Yarnhog said...

You got me to laugh, and since I just spent the past hour dealing with fighting, crying, generally un-peaceful children who think I am a mean, nasty, uncaring mother who is out to ruin their lives, that's saying something.

So, what do you want us to wish for--snow or no snow? I'm getting mixed signals, here.

Knitting Linguist said...

Driving in snow -- not my favorite thing. It's a lot like driving in tule fog, only slipperier. I hope that you get a relaxing and safe weekend making the Bulletproof Baby Bunting ;)

Ms. Mitz said...

Hi, Ms. Mitz here...Mr. Cheddar and I want to know when Persephone will be making an appearance? We prefer cat news ok!!! My meowmie likes all the news but thats another story.

Headbonks to Persephone!!