Freezing-cold fun
t's not fair.
I remember a day when two magical words could turn my mood from dour to delighted. Those words? Snow day.
But now, when I see the little ticker flash "Hillsboro" alongside all the other school closings on TV, it's just not the same. I finished my schooling three years ago, and in the working world, there's no such thing as a snow day.
(Note to boss: There should be.)
I've been through many a school snow day. Here's an important fact: Snow days in the Deep South just aren't the same as Kansas snow days.
Here it takes some seriously snowy conditions for the superintendent to cancel school for the day. But down in Greenville, South Carolina, all you need is a few flakes and the entire city shuts down.
That's probably a good thing, too — Southerners can't drive on ice.
Even though I'm a member of the American workforce, when I hear of the school closings and see tons of snow blanketing my lawn, it still feels exciting. Even if it doesn't affect me directly.
Here's my recipe for a great snow day.
— Sleep in late. Really late. I don't mean "8:30" late or "hit the snooze button twice" late. I'm talking 10:30, 11:30, or noon. No earlier than 10 a.m., for sure.
— Hang around the house in your pajamas. There's no rush to get dressed, so why not stay comfortable for a while longer? Grab a bowl of cereal — preferably something sugary and completely non-healthy — and enjoy a leisurely morning.
— Watch daytime television. It's probably something you never get to see otherwise, so you might not know what's scheduled. Flip through the channels and catch some "Oprah" and whatever's on the Cartoon Network. If you're a girl, camp out at The Learning Channel all day and watch A Wedding Story, A Baby Story, A Dating Story — enough sappiness to last you until the next snow day.
— Watch a goofy movie. Something funny and completely uneducational. If you're unsure of a title, anything with Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, or Jim Carrey will do. "Dumb and Dumber" is always a great choice, even if you've already seen it 20 times. (Yes, I speak from experience.)
— Enjoy the snow. You'll go stir-crazy if you stay inside all day, so go outside and play in the white stuff. Go sledding at Reimer Field; make snow angels in your backyard. Take your dog for a walk and watch him try to jump over the stuff and/or eat it.
— Do some extra studying or homework. (OK, just kidding. I put that one in for the teachers.)
So for the next snow day — whenever that may be — have a great day of loafing around. Don't worry about me; I'll have a great time scraping my windshield.
— JENNIFER WILSON
