Snow Day!

Its been a busy week, so I will catch everyone up !! The week began with “Snow Storm 2010”…

First, let me say to my friends that live in cold weather places… keep your comments to yourself about how our snow storm isn’t really a storm. It was AWESOME and unlike any weather we get here.. Don’t take that away from us. :o)

The weather men had been forecasting snow for this week. However, if you have spent any time in Texas, you know to take the weather man’s word for what it is… a whole bunch of variables put together to figure out what may or may not actually happen. We have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, stick around a bit, it will change.” This is so true. (Two days prior to the snow day, it had been a beautiful day in the 70’s.) So, when my favorite weather man, Jim Spencer, was saying we could as much as 2 inches of snow in the Austin Metro area, I just smiled and went on my life. I have this adoration for Jim because he has been an Austin weather man for as long as I can remember. Also because he gets so excited about the weather… you can tell he lives for this stuff.

Tuesday morning arrived and it was C-O-L-D. As I got into my car to go to work, it was sleeting- heavily.

I made it to work carefully and settled in for the day. As the day progressed, I appreciated my window cube so much because this beautiful, soft white stuff fell from the sky for almost two hours straight. I felt like I was inside a snow globe. We were all like kids at an amusement park. A few of us ran outside and let the snowflakes land on our tongues. We snapped pictures and marveled over it all… snow in Texas. Not “flurries” but actual snow. Some of the snowflakes were the size of golf balls and the snow actually stuck on the ground. Snow makes the most beautiful sound as it falls and hits the trees and ground. Like tiny little footsteps. I just stood there, eyes closed, listening to the snow find it way down.

I wish these pictures did it justice. I took some video from my window and in our parking lot but it just doesn’t come across.

As the day went on, schools began to close early and my co-workers with kids started leaving. Even though the office was quiet, it was hard to concentrate on work. There was a show happening outside my window that continued on and off all day. At lunch, I went to the gym for my usual work out. As I was on the treadmill, I watched out the window as some of our Engineers had a Lunchtime Snowball Fight in the parking lot. Snow brings out the kid in all of us.

Eventually I was told I could leave early since we expected even more snow around rush hour. If there is one thing that IS consistent about this area and winter weather… we don’t know how to drive in it. We aren’t equipped to handle it or educated in the ways of wintery roads. It is best to stay home. I took my time driving, stopped at my favorite Greek restaurant for some of their yummy Lemon Chicken Soup and went home. I worked a little bit remotely and then curled up on the couch to watch Jim Spencer prance around and talk about the snow totals. Parts of the Hill Country got 4 inches! And in true Texas fashion… it was a beautiful day in the mid-60’s the next day. We certainly enjoyed it while we had it though! My roommate even made us a snowman!

Granted he only stood about a foot high, but we will take it!