Tuesday - Ice storm ?? and hot chocolate

It is Tuesday January 27th in North Texas. The temperature is miserably cold: 28 degrees with a windchill of 24 degrees 100% humidity. The meteorologists are calling for an ice storm this evening. In recent years, I have been rather lackadaisical about winter storm warnings. See, in my experience, when the forecasters make a big deal about it - it is a big let down. I find the opposite to be true too: the forecasters say not to worry and we get slammed.


This morning when the alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. as it always does on a week day, I immediately turned on the TV to see if schools were closed. As typical, our district is OPEN while many others are NOT open. No surprise there. Off to shower and shampoo and put on some make-up.


So, Syndi once asked me to write about a day in my life. So, I will start with dressing for crossing guard duty on really cold days is pretty much a drag. I always wear cotton pajama pants underneath my heavy sweat pants. I wear 2 layers of socks with my tennis shoes. I wear a long sleeve shirt. What I wear over that shirt depends on the weather. If it is just cold - but not wet - I just wear a scarf and my new heavy brown coat. It is faux suede and has some sort of warm fur kind of stuff inside. It has a great hood too. If it is WET and COLD - then I don a hooded sweatshirt over the long sleeve shirt and then put this other coat on that is not as warm - but can take the wet weather.


From about 630 to 7:00 I make two school lunches, pour milk for the kids, fix my breakfast. If Megan wants oatmeal, I fix that for her. My boys won't eat oatmeal. From 700 to 715 I try to peek at email and the online version of the newspaper including the obituaries. I eat breakfast while I do this. If time permits, I check out my bloggy friends to see what everyone has posted.


At 7:10 I start fussing at the kids to get their shoes on, teeth brushed, faces wiped, coats on etc. This, of course, should already have been done - but never is.


By 7:20 we should be backing out of the driveway. Today I had a phone call at 710 from a neighbor requesting a ride for their daughter. So, we stopped and picked her up.


Typically by 7:25 we are at the school and I am getting on my safety vest and whistle complete with my gloves and my Hot Hands2 in my pockets.

Last year I didn't know about the HotHands2. I suffered a lot last year. This year - I am a HUGE fan of these things. I find that if my fingers and hands are warm - I feel warmer in general. I have put them inside my gloves, but I prefer to grip them between my fingers and my palm with gloves on. This picture shows them at a cheaper price at in internet site - but I have been getting the package like this that contains 2 pair - for $1.24 at Super Wal-Mart.

Anyway - so crossing guard duty ends roughly about 8:10. Sometimes a bit later. It just depends on how many parents haven't made the return trip through the crosswalk.

Today, I left guard duty and went to Wal-Mart for a few essential supplies just in case the ice really does arrive tonight. I stopped at 7-Eleven on the way home. By 9:00 I was doing up a load of dishes. By 9:20 I was at my desk ready to work, only work wasn't ready for me. So, I checked a few emails, blogs and facebook. By 10:00 work was up, only to go back down briefly. I have to say I was distracted today. The folks are selling one house and buying another and there are a few weird things happening there - but all should be fine. The weather reports were also distracting me. None the less, I got some work done until it ran out about 1:00. Mike didn't get home for lunch today - but I ate some Frito's with chili and cheese and watched ATWT.

At about 2:15 I put on my warm clothes again and got ready to return to crossing guard duty. I walked out and check the mail, and also checked to see if the pavement was dry or wet. It was mostly dry. The grass in the yard is frozen and crunchy. The Fat Brothers also saw me outside and began their insistent quacking for my attention and some bread. They are really cracking me up. They are really, really greedy these days. Expectations are HIGH. If we are out, they want bread. And, they want it NOW. It is not surprising if they 1) snatch bread from my hand 2) nip my thumb or finger or 3) vertically leap about 2 inches trying to get the bread.

I got to crossing guard duty about 2:25 and parked up close to the 3-way intersection and kept the heater going. About 2:45 my first walker was approaching, and at the same time today - a lady pulled up in her SUV and brought me a jumbo sized cup of hot chocolate! WOW!!! I am really blessed! I don't even know who she was, but thank you!

It was pretty cold out there for about 25 minutes, but I got the kids crossed and sent home. We dropped off the neighbor girl at her house. All the evening after school activities have been cancelled in the district.

Normally on a Tuesday I would rush to have dinner ready before 6:00 p.m so that I can make my bell choir rehearsal by 6:30. However, the director cancelled practice due to the weather. So, we will have a more relaxed dinner and then be ready for American Idol tonight.

Tomorrow morning, assuming school isn't cancelled, things will be much the same only after guard duty, I am meeting my folks at their **almost** new house for the inspection. Then back to school to pick up Megan at 9:30 to go to the orthodontist. Then back home for my typing job and then afternoon guard duty.

This sounds pretty boring. Later this week, Mike has a work obligation after work on Thursday, then Friday after school begins the high school baseball team tryouts. These will continue on Saturday too. Saturday is Jason's 15th birthday. Unreal.

I guess that I am banking on severe freezing rain tonight. I just have a funny feeling about it. I just hope that not too many people lose their electricity with downed power lines. We would not have heat here if that happened. We have gas heat - but I guess you still need electricity. We WOULD be able to use the gas fireplace which is a good thing. I wonder if you can roast hot dogs on a ceramic log set?

Where ever you are - stay warm and drive safely!

***UPDATE*******it is 10:55 p.m. and I have seen on the news that our school district has CLOSED. Also, I had the official call from the office lady too. I am glad I thought to ask them to include me in their phone tree. It is currently sleeting here. Our north windows all over the front of the house a glazed over with ice. Ryan's west window is also glazed over. I am really, really hoping that Mike's work closes their office tomorrow. Typically - because of his responsibilities - he usually has to go in and apply IceMelt to the sidewalks and stuff. But if they close the office - he might not have to - or at least could maybe way until later in the morning.