Snow Daze

So I ended up leaving early Wednesday to drive Daddy's truck home. And I must say this just to get it out there...not so fond of driving Daddy's truck. Got nothin' against driving trucks, as a rule. I used to love driving his truck. But it needs new shocks. And the transmission is testy. And it's dirty, smelly and littered with manly hunter-ish paraphernalia. And his brakes are weird. But I drove it 45 minutes to home. In the SNOW.

Yup. By the time I actually left, it was snowing. Not hard, but snowing, nonetheless. By the time I got home it was snowing so hard I couldn't hardly see. Unheard of phenomenon 'round here. Freaky weather, ya'll. Freak. E.

So needless to say, once I got home I snuggled down in my pj's with the Devil Pup and watched TV and read a book. Mostly read a book. The TV was just on for background noise. Every now and then I'd look out the window and stare at the freakishly heavy snow. It was swirling and covering everything. In the span of about 20 minutes the entire yard was covered in white. Weird.

And ya'll, unlike last time this was actual honest to goodness snow. Not some uber stiff crunchy mix of snow and ice. Pure. Fluffy. White. Big fat flakes. Snow.

It snowed and snowed and snowed all afternoon and all evening. Finally stopped around 9:30pm until the world (as far as I could see, anyway) was weighed down and deliciously covered in the stuff.

The university was hedging it's bets, though, refusing to call a snow day on Thursday. Finally just before I went to bed they sent out the message that there would be a delay in opening but that we were to report at 11:00am. So though I was happy to be able to sleep in, I was sad for no snow day.

However, I'm thinking when the officials woke up and saw a version of this...

They changed their minds because they declared us closed for a snow day.

Yay!!

So me and the Devil Pup read another book and watched crappy daytime TV and ate snacks and danced to Lady Antebellum and talked to Sis2 and Mama and just generally were lazy.

We did get out and play in the snow a bit. Ya'll who're used to snow might find this a dull observation, but there was a novel difference in the texture of this pure snow than that of the snow/ice mix we had last time. It was lighter. Fluffier. Felt more magical. Still cold and wet but more powdery than stiff.

And there were drifts of it. Tufts of snow. And the trees...ah, the trees were gorgeously laden with the stuff.

Am I the only person who is in love with snow on pine trees? *swoon*

And all you snow connoisseurs...can you tell which of these shots was taken with the snow and which one was taken in the snow/ice mix? Same bush, in the same angle...

One

 Two?

Anyway, enough rhapsodizing about snow! Sheesh!

So the snow was mostly gone by Thursday evening. And Friday we had temps in the upper 50's. Total turnaround, for sure. I took Friday off to spend the day with Sis2 and the kids since I had to work Saturday. I didn't take my camera to take pictures but you can just imagine all the fun we had.

We took the kids to Micky D's for lunch to let them play in the play place and they had an absolute BALL. Lyssa went all the way to the top of the play structure...a feat she'd never conquered before. Mostly because the last time she went to Micky D's to play in the play place she was closer to Efan's age and couldn't go very far at all. But she was proud of herself.

Efan didn't play with much beyond the little fire engine thing but he had a blast, too. The bigger kids kept wanting to carry him around, though, and kept interfering with his play. Aggravated me and him both!

Of course we had to bribe both kids with ice cream to get them to want to go home. lol

Friday night I read some more (I really miss Medium!) and rocked out to Kelly Clarkson and ate a frozen pizza. I have such an exciting nightlife.

Saturday after I got off work I drove across town intending to go to the Chinese place for lunch. But town was terrible with traffic and a crush of people and the parking lot was slap full. So I crossed the parking lot to the Micky D's next door but IT was jam packed. So I cruised on down the highway to the Sonic and just by the hair of my chiny chin chin found a spot there. It's amazing how much better a bacon cheeseburger and a java chiller can make a girl feel. By the time I got home I'd almost forgotten about my little unpleasant email.

But then it did come back to me later on Saturday night and I actually cried. I'm such a depressing sap. I realize I really just need a big ol' heaping helping of "get over myself" but in the interest of being honest, I did cry about it. Like full on tears.

In the cold light of a Monday morning, though, I confided in a trusted colleague about it. I was basically told that what was mentioned in the email is actually something that has been a problem for her and a couple other people for a long time now. They had discussed it. Just no one ever felt the need to enlighten me. And how, pray tell, am I supposed to know that I need to change a particular behavior if no one tells me? I thought the issue was fine because everyone seemed fine with it! And to wait until someone with less tact calls me on it to then say something? Not as nice as it would have been if someone had just gently pulled me aside and told me to my face that they'd rather I not persist with it would have been much kinder than a slightly harsh and out of the blue email.

So I teared up a bit again this morning because I felt so foolish and wondered what else people think about me and talk about behind my back that I don't know about. And I don't know anymore how I feel about anything or anyone here. Which is a slightly dramatic way of saying I need another big heaping helping of "get over myself already!"

Anyway, more about today later. Let me back up to Sunday. Sunday was...omigosh. So 1990.

Guess who came to church Sunday?? My first childhood crush! His mom has been coming back to our church for about a month or two now but he never has. And then Shazam! There he was shaking hands with our interim pastor (who he went to private school with...bunch of snobs. lol) And suddenly he's walking towards me! And he comes over and says hi! And amazingly I don't say anything stupid! Well, nothing too terribly stupid anyway. I was actually fairly cool. I smiled and we chatted for about three point five seconds before he said, "It was good to see you. Tell Mark (my cousin and his long lost childhood best friend) hi!" Mostly we talked about my cousin. He's obsessed with Mark a bit. They lost touch after Mark and his family moved to AL a few years ago and now anytime R sees anyone Mark's remotely related to he asks about Mark and whines about how they lost touch.

I told Daddy that I think he has a guy crush on Mark. Daddy thought I meant he was gay. *shakes head* But you know what I mean, right? He idolized Mark when we were kids and he still carries that idolized version of my cousin in his head.

Anyway, after he walked away and I finished setting up the sound equipment I went and grabbed my pew and ya'll...my hands were shaking so badly I had to just give up trying to read my bulletin. LOL And yeah, he had his wife and son with him. And yes, I was pitifully distracted all during church. All panic-y about "what will I say to him after church or should I say anything at all? And what if I say something stupid?"

Honest to goodness, ya'll. It was like I was 12 again and he spoke to me, dear diary! He actually spoke to me! *shakes head and groans*

I am happy to report that I did go up to him after church and introduced myself to his lovely wife. And their son is so adorable. And I managed to sound only slightly dorky. I know that I dipped into dorky once or twice because his eyebrows would do that whole dipping thing like he couldn't quite make sense of what I was saying.

And then I sailed out of the church with a bright, "It was so good to see you!" and giggled all the way home.

Yes. I probably need medication.

And in Valentine's Day news...Oddly enough, this year?  I couldn't care less. I'm not depressed. I'm not determined to make the day special. I'm not gagging at all the love junk. Not making excuses about how I love myself. Not resentful of happily Valentined couples. I'm oddly pretty much indifferent. Half the time I forget what day it is. It's a rather nice feeling, actually.

It doesn't hurt that I'm feeling particularly loved today. Daddy got me this card that made me tear up and almost cry in the car this morning. And although Mama signed it, Daddy picked it out, bought and inscribed it which is hugely significant. And the fact that he went for sappy instead of funny makes it all the more poignant. Daddy doesn't do sappy cards.

Well, here. Let me "read" it to you. Click on the image to read it better.

And as sweet as the card is, it's the inscription that made me cry.

He wrote it, not Mama and it says "Love you just as you are so very much."

*sniffle*

And that's all I can say about that right now.

Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll.