Friday, February 04, 2011

Snow Day for Texas!

I've been taking a beating from my friends in the north over my Facebook postings about our cold snap. Today, I'm sure I'll be taking a beating over the pictures I've posted of our snow day.

Since humans are such one-uppers in nature, we've always seen scenarios where you say something and someone has to start out, "That's NOTHING," and launches into how their similar experience was more intense, more scary, more wonderful, more SOMEthing. It has always driven me nuts. Especially when they have to go the scary route. It's like, hey, here's the most wonderful news of my life! I'm getting married/having a baby/whatever and then some competitive Debbie Downer has to pipe in with horror stories of the worst pregnancy or emergency c-section or someone having a heart attack at their wedding. Seriously?

So now with all these social networking sites, everyone can lob their competitive negativity from the comfort and safety of their couch, bed or armchair. Which has spurred me to invent an app where I can punch them in the neck from the safety of MINE.

Texas has been having a cold snap. It has been cold by anyone's standards. I'm a 20 year Boston veteran and a 4 degree wind chill still makes me think, Yah, that's pretty damned cold. I totally get that there are other parts of this world where 4 degrees is downright balmy and they'd be putting on the shorts and tank tops. But in TEXAS, people - where I LIVE now - that is the kind of cold most people are not prepared for. If you're a transplant like me, you have a nice sub-zero LLBean jacket, about 3 pair of snow boots and a myriad of hats and gloves. But lots of folks down here suffer through the few really cold days layering hoodies. Why spend the money for just a few days a year? So when we get a few weeks of below freezing weather, that's shocking. Especially when the day before saw near 80 degree warmth.

So for all my northern friends that love posting their "Suck it up, you big pansy" comments, yah, I got it. I wouldn't trade your 952 feet of snow for my cold snap for anything. That's one reason I moved down here. (Well it was housing prices but I've grown to love the mild short winters here.) But I have some friends in Canada that would love to post similar snotty remarks on your snow whining posts. But I digress into snotty land.

Roll your eyes or not, we got SNOW today. And underneath it, there was ice. I don't care where you live, smart people don't drive on that stuff if they don't have to. Or unless they have the vehicles to tackle that. So schools are closed. My state agency is closed. We got ourselves a real honest to goodness snow day! Only the second one due to snow that I've seen in the 5 years I've been down here. We had ice storms that close things. But only 2 snow days.

When you live somewhere that never gets something, it's a huge deal when you finally get that something. Even a tiny bit of that something. We are loving it. And as a former Bostonian, I'm glad it's just small enough to not have to shovel anything.

The Boy lovin' the snow (wearing some of my Sorrell snow boots)
My thick Mickey Mouse PJs and my Timberland boots
A cute, cold and happy Lil'Bro
The back of my house
Frozen and about to come back in

6 comments:

C. Beth said...

Yeah, well, our snow was...uh...WHITER than your snow! :)

I'm glad as a Bostonian you say it's been genuinely cold. I always figure I think it's cold because I'm an Arizona wussie but boy has it felt FRIGID around here!!!

Sarakastic said...

If there was a neck punching app on facebook I would use facebook a lot more, just saying. Enjoy the snow!

JYB said...

Awesome! You kiddos must have been loving it. Was there enough to attempt sledding?

Allie said...

Well, it's summer here, so I can be suitably impressed! Looks like a lot of fun! Lil'Bro is very cute in his snow-excitement!

LEstes65 said...

@C.Beth - Ha! Well mine was . . . SNOWIER!
@Sarakastic - No kidding.
@JYB - not many sleds around these parts. Probably could have sledded, though.
@Allie - enjoy your summer! Ours will be here soon enough.

Jane said...

I think your new app should be a punching bag called "The Buzz Killer"...ha!

I love that you got a little snow in Texas. Here in Philly we can't get rid of the dirty white stuff! Still, we don't have as much as other parts of the county and that's a blessing :))

How much snow have your kids seen prior to this? My cousins grew up outside of Orlando. One cousin has been in a wheel chair all his life (he's now in his 40's) and he recently experienced his first snow at my aunt and uncle's house in TN. Apparently they strapped him to a saucer and he loved every minute of it. Brought a few tears to my eyes.

Happy Saturday and stay warm!

PS: did I let you know my blog moved? http://thepaintedhousestudio.blogspot.com