Weathering

It’s snowing. Again. It’s always snowing. Today’s snow is very pretty- all fat and falling in slow-motion, but it made my commute to work incredibly slow. I do love the snow, but I’m sick of it. It’s making things feel so hopeless. I think it would be different if I didn’t have to go to work, and I could just frolic in the snow, but driving adds a new poopy spin. At least the roads weren’t treacherous. I get myself so worked up when the snow is bad and driving is scary. I can’t sleep at all if I know I have to drive in the snow. Weather always has a very strong impact on me. Tornados and thunderstorms used to scare the crap out of me. I always went into the basement when I was little when there was just a tornado watch (not the actual warning). My dad, on the other hand, would sit with our front door open, videotaping. Today, in fact, is a school tornado drill. I am always freaked when we have drills. The worst is the “Intruder Drill,” because I always envision some horrible incident and me trying to save a bunch of children from a crazed maniac. The most annoying drills we have are fire drills. The kids don’t take the drills seriously, and neither do most of the adults. Everyone talks, and if it’s crappy out we have to stand outside in the crap. Kids are whining and throwing snowballs and jumping in mud. When I was little I really hated drills. I used to cry during fire drills because the buzz was so loud, and I hated the anticipation. I was so scared during tornado drills that I always put myself into the perfect tuck.

One of the members of my YALSA Audiobooks committee just moved to Alabama, and while she was out of town the terrible tornados came through. Her home was OK, but her dogs were in a kennel that got demolished. A day later, they found the dogs, who were a little hurt but doing fine. Thank goodness.

In non-weather news, it is Tuesday. Let the three-day Idol torture begin! Does anyone have any favorites yet?