Snowed-in in the City

The following things may or may not happen to you when a freak storm decides to drop a foot of snow in the city and strand you for an extra night than you were planning.

~ You will plod your way through 6 inches of snow to get up to ABC Studios because you have a ticket to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan co-host Live with Kelly and you really don't want to pass that up even though your entire outfit is not snow-ready.  This will be the highlight of the snow day - everything will only get worse from here.

~ You will eat a tiny breakfast and dinner, and a huge lunch from Shake Shack, all from the comfort of your hotel bed because it's freezing outside and you're just so tired of being cold.  

~ You will fall not once, but twice embarrassing yourself in front of kindly strangers because you failed to bring appropriate foot attire and because you're super clumsy.

~ You will wear the same combination of clothes for 48 hours straight, because extra clothes are not a thing you needed when you were only going to be away for one night.

~ You will attempt to win the Dear Evan Hansen Lottery because surely with all this snow, there has to be some cancellations.  And you will still lose.

~ Since you lost the Dear Evan Hansen lottery, you will decide to brave the elements just to see if you can find some snow day sales on any show.  You will fail miserably at the TKTS line, and hit a home run at the box office for In Transit.

~ You will walk the 5 blocks in 30 degree winds just to see In Transit, and love every minute of the show, while also dreading the 5 block walk back.

~ Finally you will crawl into bed, building a fort of pillows to block the cold air that's seeping in the windows, to get all toasty and warm, and still think that NYC is the greatest city in the world - even if it's not so dreamy in the snow.

So much more to say tomorrow about the real reason I was there, but I've been mentally composing this post in my head for the last 24 hours since I was alone for all of that time, and I went a little stir crazy...

Another Monday, Another Snow Day

So I know it's winter and all, and I know snow days can be expected, but do they really have to happen on holidays?  Holidays in which I already had off and didn't need to go to work? Seriously, weather dudes?!  I would have much rather had the 50 degree temps they're expecting for tomorrow, today and the snow to happen tomorrow.  

Spending an already day off in the dumb house, all darn day, is not as fun as it sounds.  Not when you assume you'll be shopping or doing other fun things.  But I suppose these snow days have their bonuses like getting a chance to finish an awesome book ("Someday, Someday, Maybe" by Lauren Graham - So amazing!) or starting a new one or attempting to decipher who in the world all these people are that are walking the Grammy's red carpet.  
Literally, only watching for the Hamilton performance. 

Oh well, if spring would just come, I wouldn't have these issues...

Snow Very Grumpy

I'm not a selfie taker.  I'll take them when I'm with other people, sure,  just not completely by myself.  No one needs to see that many pictures of themselves.  It's just wrong. However, I did decide to document today with one seeing as it was the very first day in 72 hours that I had real clothes, and makeup on and actually did something to my hair beside wash it and immediately pile it on top of my head in a horn like ponytail. (It was a good luck let me tell you - I dubbed it Snowmageddon chic...)

Anyway, the discussion of my snowmageddon-induced hibernation makes me realize that I have no reason to be grumpy today.  I've been home for the last 4 days eating, reading, watching netflix, scrapping, cooking, and about 20 other things I enjoyed.  It's been lovely.  So why am I grumpy you might ask?  Well, I'm grumpy because it'll all end tomorrow. All of it.  I don't want to go back to work!  What's worse is that I'd assumed we'd cancel the class we had planned for tomorrow for good reason - safety concerns.  I had one last additional day to enjoy my hibernating ways. But, as it turns out, students are closer than I'd hoped and really should be able to get there on time - stupid pre-planning!  It kicks you in the butt every time!

I really am done with the snow, but why in the world should that mean I'm done with the snow induced vacation?  It's just not fair!

Enough Already!!

This picture was taken about 10 hours ago, and in those 10 hours it hasn't stopped snowing at all.  So you can imagine what my poor little car looks like now - as well as the rest of Maryland.  

I've scrapbooked, eaten, baked, cooked, eaten some more, read, finished the laundry, watched television, watched Netflix, looked at Facebook and Twitter, and now blogged.  I'm sort of done with snow now.  There's literally not a single other thing I can do, and I have a feeling I'll be stuck inside for another 2 days at least.  Enough already!

Friday Five

1. I adore snow days!  They are my new most favorite things.  Even today without the snow, just working in my pj's and just waiting for the snow to start, it was fabulous!

2. The Creative Faces Project: These photos are just gorgeous and so creative!  I love the idea of a twist on a classic portrait.  Not to mention, they're all Broadway peeps, so that makes them even cooler. 

3. Who knew the creatives at Pixar were so darn into classic movies? Some of these shots were a little bit of a stretch, but a lot of them are pretty amazing!

4. I love Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. It's almost annoying how witty and clever they are. Excuse the language in a few, but these thoughts on Life are 100% true.  What I wouldn't give to be able to say a few of these to random people on an everyday basis! Also, I'm thinking of using #11 in my Match.com profile : )

5. Every #Ham4Ham is amazing in its own way.  This one is doubly amazing!

Snowmageddon 2016

I am ordinarily a warm weather kind of girl.  I love summer and spring.  I love capris and flip-flops.  I get unnecessarily grumpy each and every cold day of winter. However, I'm uncharacteristically in love with snow.  I think it's the greatest!  Ok, let's clarify this, I think it's the greatest...in moderation.  

If I lived in Alaska where it snows pretty much every day for 9 months out of the year, I'd be an angry, angry person.  However, living in Maryland, where we get at least one minor to major storm each year has its perks.  For instance, you get to see the entire state - and in this case, the entire Eastern seaboard - freak out before a single flake has even fallen.  Schools have closed, activities have been cancelled, heck, even Garth Brooks decided to cancel his shows because it may start snowing some time around dinner tomorrow.  

But there's also an upside.  The upside being, we now have the perfect excuse to "work from home."  I know millions of people don't have this option, and I thank them for all their hard work and service.  But I can.  And I will use the heck out of this excuse when the opportunity presents itself. Like tomorrow, for example.  Before you call me a ninny for slacking on work, I'd like the record to show that everyone in my entire office made the decision to do so, before I did.  I had planned to come in - grumpy, but I was coming in.  But when the 6 people you sit in a room with decide to not come in, what's the point of sitting there all by yourself?

Last but not least, there's the chance to spend an entire weekend indoors because you just can't go out in the nasty weather.  Who doesn't love an excuse to sit at home and read, or scrapbook or just lay on the couch?  I'm telling you, this whole snow thing has its advantages!  

Now, after tomorrow into Saturday, the snow can head north for all I care, and we can head into early spring.  I'm good with that.  Because spring brings warm and that's what I love more than the white stuff.  But for now I'm going to enjoy my one little snowstorm I ask for each year.  Happy snow day!

Pretty Please!

Dear Snow Gods,

I know I've been hating on the winter weather since about the first day of winter.  And I also know that I've been not so secretly hoping, praying, & wishing for spring to be here quicker than you can say snowman.  When everyone started talking about the big storm heading to Maryland tomorrow.  I got a teensy-tiny little bit excited.  But I wasn't going to get my hopes up.  Then EVERYthing started cancelling before today was through, and I allowed myself to get even more excited.  Because, here's the thing. I'm now completely counting on a snow day tomorrow.  I have plans.  I have crafts.  I have snacks.  I have lots of stuff on my DVR to watch.  

So basically, here's what I'm saying Snow Gods: Please make it happen! Currently it's about 40 degrees outside and pouring outside. So I'm getting a little worried.  Get those flakes falling; at least a few before I hit the hay, just so I can sleep soundly on the fact that I can sleep in : )

Sincerely, 
Someone in desperate need of a day off

Snow Day...Again

Here's the thing.  This isn't Boston.  There isn't over 6 feet of snow on the ground.  The entirety of Maryland is not shut down and we're not in any Emergency level preparedness. However, enough is enough!  Since last Monday, it's snowed about 6 inches and the temperatures have hovered around 4 degrees.  Friday, schools were closed for COLD.  There was no snow on the ground at the time, yet, it was too cold to go to school.  Reykjavik, Iceland and Anchorage, Alaska were warmer yesterday than Maryland. 

I'm cold during a normal everyday winter.  I'm usually bundled, and gloved and scarfed and hat-ed. I wear flannels to bed with socks and at least 3 blankets.  I'm not sure how I can bundle up any more.  I'm going to need to invest in a snow suit if this continues, and I'm going to have to sell my car, just to afford the heating bill....

The only thing that's helping me get by is the promise of a summer trip to England in less than 6 months and a fall trip to Texas in 8 months.  It just has to be warm in those places, right?!

Done!

In 1 month and 1 week, it will be officially spring.  Why in the world is it arctic here then?  Last night it snowed out of no where.  And when I say snow, I mean SNOW.  In a matter of minutes there was almost 4 inches on the ground and roads were treacherous.  Today, it's currently 3 degrees outside, which you know, is bad enough.  But with 30 MPH winds, it feels like 16 below zero.  In other words, I'm living a nightmare right now.  I'm cold when it's 40 degrees, let alone sub-arctic temps!

Seriously, Maryland?!  I love you but you're making me crazy!

January in 5 Words

I love Twitter for all it's insanity.  Every day I go online, open up Twitter, and proceed to peruse the ridiculous things that have trended in the last few hours.  Usually it's things that are in the headlines, like Marshawn Lynch or Snowpocalypse.  But other times it's crazy ideas that people have created that have caught on like wildfire.  Some in the last week have been RedneckaBook and MakeaMovieSmarter.  Some people are just way too creative for their own good!

That brings me to today's trending topic.  I loved it especially since I was able to think of something clever to go with it (in my humble opinion, that is : ).  So here it is: My January in 5 Words

Holy Cow, It's Cold Outside!!!

This January, we've seen snow, sleet, freezing rain, wind and single digit wind chills.  I have only one question: When will summer be here?!

Snow Day 2015

Gotta love the first snow day of the year.  It's definitely the first of 2015 but it's also the first of this winter.  Usually, snow makes me grumpy, now that I don't teach and get snow days off.  However, here's the thing.  While I hate using PTO on a snow day, I will do it at least once a season.  And most often the first snow of the season.  It's just too good to pass up! Warm and cozy on the couch is always better that cold and wet at my desk.  Of course, when the sun comes out about 3:00pm and melts most of the snow, I get a bit depressed.  Is there any chance we could hope for some more white stuff tomorrow? I'm coveting just one more lovely snow day to recuperate from all the relaxing I did today... : )

Happy Snowy St. Patrick's Day!

For each petal on the shamrock, this brings a wish your way, good health, good luck and happiness for today and every day!

Monday Fun-Day

Contrary to my earlier feelings about snow in general (I hate it and it needs to die), for the last week or so, I've been quite excited about the prospect of one last snow day to end the season right.  There was a bit of time there last week, when we were expecting quite a bit of the white stuff, but that fizzled quite quickly.  Today, on the other hand was another story. Based on the news reports, we were going to get hammered by up to 14 inches of snow, ice, freezing rain and wintry mix, starting yesterday afternoon and heading into this evening.  

Now, by noon, I had pretty much had my heart set on having today off.  However, I did go get gas just so I didn't jinx myself.  Though, since I insisted on staying up an watching the interminable Oscars telecast last night, I was pretty much resigned to the fact there was going to be no snow day for me.  But somehow I got the miracle I was hoping for and was able to spend a warm and cozy day inside crafting and baking.  It wasn't quite the all out assault they were calling for (about 4 inches as opposed to 14), so I'm pretty sure I'll be at work tomorrow, but it did the trick for today.  Thank goodness!  Though I do have a teeny tiny message to whoever's up there controlling when the white stuff falls.

To the weather gods: While I love the snow day fun, I'm not such a fan of the whole 5 degrees outside thing, so while I hate to be picky, if you could just warm up a bit now, I'd be a much happier camper, thanks.  Also, it's March now and spring will officially be arriving in less than 3 weeks, so now that we've all had our fun with lots of snow days, it's time for tulips, and sunshine and birds singing and all other wonderful hints of spring. I don't want to tell you how to do your job but, you need to be getting on that!

Snow Day!

Isn't it pretty?  I happen to hate snow usually, but based on all the news reports that were guaranteeing the blizzard to end all blizzards, I was very much counting on a snow day.  Had it not snowed, I would have been quite grumpy, but thankfully it did.  Of course, there was lots of eating, lots of warm beverages, lots of Facebooking and the one thing I hadn't thought about (for some unknown reason) lots of shoveling. Aside from the shoveling, it was a perfect snow day! Now only one more day of work, then a 3 day weekend.  Woohoo!

Snows a' Coming...Yet Again

Things that make me sad about the impending Snow Storm:

It's even colder than the usual cold which increases the number of blankets and layers I'll need to stay warm.
I'll have to use my PTO to get the day off rather than get a free day off like when I was teaching.  Seeing as though I'm still making up time from the last snow day, this is irksome to say the least.
Shoveling will be necessary and required.
My car will once again change colors from Sizzling Crimson Mica to a fairly ugly shade of gray due to salt from the roads.  And will most likely stay that color for weeks based on the darn car wash not being in service because of the temperature.


Things that make me happy about the impending Snow Storm:

A day off, is a day off no matter how you shake it. This means lots of warm drinks and fun foods, a chance to play with the new laminator  and watch all sorts of Olympics coverage.


Snow sucks but now that I think about it, bring it on!  Warm and cozy, beats boring and busy any day!

Snow Day Slug

As I said yesterday, I'm secretly a fan of snow days even though I'm forced to use my own time.  Quite honestly, when I finally pulled myself out of bed at 7:30, I could definitely have made it in to work.  The storm didn't drop as much snow as I thought it would.  But my heart was already set on a snow day, so I was going to enjoy it; British television, fast food, cookies, warm clothes and all.  A fabulous way to spend a Wednesday.  Now it's off to work in the morning - ugh!

Snowmageddon 2

Ok, so it's not nearly as crazy as the freak storm from a few years ago that completely shut down the state of Maryland by blanketing it in feet of snow.  But it seems that most parts of the state are treating it that way.  Before a single flake fell this morning (starting around 8ish am) all school districts had closed - some as early as 8pm last evening.  By mid-day most agencies, and shopping areas had also closed.  That's a little intense for a storm that has only dropped a few inches of snow so far in the last 12 hours.  

However, you can't really complain when it just looks so pretty!  I know, now that I'm not teaching and have no guarantee of a day off when the snow comes, I'm supposed to be grumpy at the very mention of flakes.  But I can't be.  I secretly love snow days and pray for a big storm at least once a year.  It sucks having to use my own time to take the day off but it's offset by staying inside where it's nice and warm and doing absolutely anything I want - like drinking tea curled up in bed with a good book or catching up with crafting.  Usually, I'm a good girl and set the alarm just in case it's gotten better over night.  But with projected temps around 9 degrees over the next 24 hours, that alarm was long since turned off and the "I'm taking the day" email has already been sent.  Of course, I can hope that maybe, just maybe my office will follow suit and close with the rest of them but I'm really not holding my breath.

For now, I'll just deal and enjoy a nice and cozy, warm and fuzzy day of my own.  Long live the snow day!

Friday Five

1. This interview is pretty much flawless.  It's how I imagine myself conducting an interview with pretty much anyone on the planet: entering with loads of intelligent questions and flailing as soon as the interviewee arrives. Though, I must say, I'm in love with all of the Sherlock love that's being shared around the web these days (#SherlockLives!!!!), but this interview takes precedent above them all.

2. Collect App: I was reading about this app in an article on Project Life.  Now I know I've come out against the whole Project Life craziness, but I can't help but be impressed with some of the gorgeous albums I see on Pinterest.  Apparently, a lot of Project Lifers use this app to keep track of when photos are taken.  You can create different albums then upload the photos you take onto a calendar.  You can also label them in a variety of styles.  The best part is it reminds you when you haven't taken a picture on a particular day so if you are trying to complete 365 pics in a year, you have that little push you need when other things get in the way of remembering.

3. I never really bought into the whole right brain left brain thing but after reading this article, I'm convinced I'm right brained. It's actually quite creepy how accurate these depictions are except the whole not knowing the grammar rules thing.  I rocked out Language Arts in elementary school : ) (PS: Excuse the language on #9, it's a little risque..)

4. Unexpected Snow Days: Based on the weather forecasts for the last week, you'd think we here in the NorthEast would have been prepared for the storm of the century.  But the last time the storm of the century was coming, we received not one single snowflake and yet all schools, government agencies and churches were closed long before they realized NOThing was happening.  So when it started snowing yesterday, and snowing, and snowing and snowing, we were pleasantly surprised.  It wasn't the storm of the century but it was enough to look gorgeous on the trees and close enough down to give us a pretty nice 3 day weekend.  Now if it would get above 8 degrees tomorrow, I'd be a much happier girl!

5. Travel Planning: Not only has next week's trek to DC to see Frankenstein been shored up, but also the Summer trip to NYC to see Cabaret (with Alan Cumming!!!!) has been booked and tentative dates for Boston are set.  Things are looking up in the travel department!

Snow Day Bust

Based on every news report yesterday, we were in for quite a storm.  I had visions of a nice relaxing snowday home and warm.  At 3:30 this morning when I woke up and it was raining, I was slightly grumpy.  But I had high hopes, that if I made the trek into work, which was to be quite easy since every school system and all government agencies closed, that I would at least have a half day since it was going to start snowing mid-morning.  Unfortunately, that was never to be.  Because it NEVER started snowing.  There were a few flakes here and there but zippo snow laid and I still worked a full day.  Epic fail!

Off the Top of my Head

1. It's snowing outside and all I can think about is blizzard conditions keeping me from work tomorrow.  It's literally just started and it's not even laying but the elementary schooler in me is just begging for a snow day!

2. It's Valentine's day tomorrow and I once again have to deal with the fact that I do not have a Valentine aside from a very adorable niece.  This whole 30th year thing hasn't exactly started as I had hoped...

3. I've gone weeks without having any ice cream whatsoever but now that Lent has started and I've given it up, it's all that I'm craving. 

4. I'd really like to enter this travel contest but having to put myself on film is an absolutely terrifying thought.  I'm sure I'm not interesting enough to fill a 3 minute video. But oh my goodness I'd give my right arm to travel to the places this trip promises!