Snow Days (a blast from the past)

This is an older blog entry from 2/2010. It came to mind as I listened to the school closings this morning. I hope you enjoy it, snow days are excitement for kids but not for their parents whose work places don't close. Stay warm if you can!

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Laying in bed, listening to the wind I hear my Father’s alarm going off.

5am: I slowly pull my head and shoulders out from under my blanket to peer out the window, careful not to let the morning’s frigid air slip into my cocoon. With eyes barely open I squint to see in the darkness.. Snow, yes it snowing but is it enough? Quickly I slide back into the warmth and lay there anticipating, hoping, wishing.

5:30 am: the shower goes off and still I lay there hoping.

5:45am: he heads down the stairs as I lay there with my eyes screwed tight in prayer.
The smell of coffee rises up to me, the pans make noises in the kitchen. I hear the front door open as he brings in the paper. Please oh please let it be true.

6am: my brother’s alarm goes off. WCMF blares loudly once then twice. He’s up, it’s my turn soon. My prayers become frantic, I make promises both God and I know I’ll never keep. I’ll be good, I’ll do chores I’m not even told to do, I’ll do everything…anything.
Again the shower shuts off, it’s almost time. I peek out the window again, seeing nothing but darkness and the barest hint of light.

My turn now, I linger in my room. Slowly I make my bed, get dressed, pull my books and homework together. I head down the stairs defeated. I slump into the kitchen while my Father turns on the radio. WHAM comes to life. The newsman drones on about the President’s trip, about countries I never gave thought to. Then it’s time. The list. The list we never seem to make.

Eating my oatmeal I listen and think bad thoughts about the ones in charge.
The list is read off “Albion, Aquinas, Batavia, Brockport” It’s unfair, it’s not right, it never happens for us. “Churchville, Dansville, Elmyra” Why do we have to suffer, why are we always left out in the cold waiting for the buses that always seem to show up on time? “Fairport, Geneva” It’s just not fair, they hate us “GREECE” We look at each other, our spoons in midair. “did he say what we thought he said? Can it be true??

We jump to our feet, we yell and we scream. A snow day, a snow day!!! How lucky we are. The phone starts to ring as our friends call with the news “we finally have a snow day, what shall we do”