BRRRR!!!

Well, it’s official – down here in the south, we don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout driving in winter! We so seldom have any kind of winter problems, usually once a decade or so. It doesn’t make sense to maintain a fleet of equipment and personnel for something that only happens once every 10 years – but that means, when it DOES happen, it literally shuts down Atlanta. We were blessed beyond belief to have snow on Christmas Day – I cannot remember the last time that happened. But that snow came – was pretty for a day – and then it was gone. This time (just over a week later) it started with snow on Sunday evening, then switched over to ice – sleet – freezing rain. It has not been pretty – not at all. And because we do not have the resources to deal with it – either equipment/sand/salt or people – Atlanta has officially been closed for the last two days. On our side of town, we saw more ice than snow – and we had ¾ inch of the ice, on top of the inch or so of snow.

All of the major highways – I-285, I-75, I-85 and I-20 – were completely closed in various spots. And if the highways were bad, the secondary streets were far worse. I stayed home in my pajamas on Monday and Tuesday, but came into work today. It took us nearly as long to get to work AFTER we got off the highway (maybe three miles) as it did to come all the way from the south side (something like 30 or 35 miles). And there seem to be two kinds of people driving in Atlanta today – the people who are really, really scared, and driving 10 miles an hour on the highway – and the people who think they are safe no matter what – and insist on passing everyone and driving like there is nothing wrong whatsoever. Both kinds of people are dangerous.

Two pajama days in a row are a rare treat. I knew I wasn’t going anywhere – so it didn’t matter if I stayed in my warm pj’s. I must confess, though – by the end of the second day – I was getting cabin fever. I didn’t see anyone except for Dave and the cats – and though I love them all – I need to occasionally be around other people.

It has not been so good for my weight, either. I used the excuse of the snow and the ice to stay pretty sedentary – and that is NOT a good thing. No great harm done, but no advances made, either. Just being at work means that I will be more active – and being more active means that I will be burning more calories. (And I have question that no one seems to be able to answer: We totally ignore the meteorologist when he says anything here in the south, until he mentions the “s” word – and then we go into a panic? WHY???)