Years ago, before I had Seamus and Gilbert and a real job, snow days were entirely different ways to spend time. My high school friend and I were reminiscing the other day about the big snows of ’92 and ’96, and how getting out of the house and to town was the ultimate goal of a snow day (or even if we thought a snow day might be granted the next day). The most important thing was to not get stuck in a house with parents who’d had no coffee and brothers who were bored.
When I lived in Oregon, there was no such thing as a snow day. It just…didn’t snow. It has since I moved, I hear, but it never did while I was there.
When I was unencumbered, snow days meant sleeping in, maybe going out for a snow walk, definitely drinking at noon, and then binge-watching some ridiculous TV show. We’ve had too many snow days this year. Even hot chocolate has lost its novelty for the boys. Monday and Tuesday, we got more snow. On Monday, they were just so glad to be home from our trip, that it felt like a weekend. They asked if they could stay in their PJs all day. They had a bath and played with all their toys, read some books, helped make food. It was Gilbert’s half birthday on Monday, so he got a big kick out of being 3.5 and did his happy dance a few times. By Tuesday, they were driving us bonkers. We finally dressed them in their snow gear and told them to go play in the backyard until we called them in for lunch. That actually went well. They came in ravenous and then promptly conked out for a nap.
Patrick and I’ve been watching True Detective, and I have to say, my big regret for the snow day is that we didn’t get to binge watch it and then rewatch it. I feel like I’m missing a lot, especially since I just discovered I can turn the subtitles on. When Matthew McConaughey mumbles, I’ll have him now!
Academic Leigh Speaking 