Another 10 inches

What did Mindy want for Valentine's Day? Even while sleeping, I caught myself calculating the number of minutes I could afford to sleep in without putting undue pressure on my morning routine. The net result, I didn’t get up and head downstairs until 555am. But even after a good long night of sleep I was still unusually tired. Not sure why. I rustled up my exercise shoes then got busy with my sit-ups. Then, by the time I finished both sit-ups and push-ups the rust was pretty much shaken off. I was ready to get the day going. The weather forecast still called for lots of snow, but for the time being the sky remained dry. I knew for certain that Mindy and the kids both had the day off for President’s Day. So, to that end, I didn’t bother waking Mindy. It was after 630am by the time I finally got around to meditation and stretching. Both went reasonably well. I knew it was about 20 degrees. I bundled in my usual winter running garb. For the most part, the streets were dry affording me a care free run. However, the same two short streets that got missed by the snow plows two Saturday’s ago were still a little treacherous. It was just after 730am when I got back home to start my breakfast. I enjoyed my breakfast in quiet solitude. Mindy stirred just a bit when I went up for my shower. I did my level best not to wake her. But being on the other end of that a time or two, the noise associated with taking a shower is a lot louder than the one showering probably realizes. Mindy stayed in bed even as I headed downstairs, and the kids were still sleeping too. I went out to start the Trooper then headed back inside while it warmed. I left for work at 818am. Once settled in at work, I went to visit with my team. I ended up spending the day’s first couple of hours in the center. I met informally with my boss and peer. It must’ve started snowing around 10am but ever so lightly. It started coming down much heavier around 11am and quickly became a full-fledged snow storm. At times during the early afternoon it looked like a total white out. The forecast was now calling for upwards of ten inches by Tuesday AM – the third time since Friday, Feb 5th. I talked with Mindy mid-day. She and Bella were hanging out while Jacob went to the movies with his daddy. Judging by the current conditions and the forecast, we both figured school might be closed on Tuesday … again. She was making homemade chicken & noodles for dinner. Back at work, I let a few folks that live far away leave the office early in an effort to beat the traffic and hopefully any major delays. I stayed until 530pm or even a little after. There must’ve been at least 7 or 8 inches on the ground when I left the office. It took a while to get the Trooper cleared. Mindy asked that I phone her before heading home, but when I went to cell her, I found my cell battery dead. Oops! I could see that I-270 was slowed to a crawl. I decided to take the back way, even though I knew it could end up even slower. The roads were bad but manageable as long as one didn’t try to move along too fast or make abrupt maneuvers. I ended up behind a young lady in a VW beetle that was going extra slow. It was a tad annoying but also lent itself to a safe drive home. While waiting at the light at Scioto-Darby & Old Dublin Rd. I phoned Mindy via my Blackberry to let her know I’d be home soon. By the time I got home she had the driveway shoveled saving me lots of work. Thanks dear! Bella was inside playing, but had been out in the snow earlier. Jacob was still out there cruising our backyard hills on his snow board. Mindy said dinner was just about ready. Our house felt a little cluttered with all the snow gear scattered about, both from play and skiing. But short of hanging it in the basement, there aren’t a whole lot of viable options. The only thing of mine still out was my ski gloves resting upright on the hallway heating vent. Mindy called us to dinner after getting our drink orders. Jack & Coke for me! Kidding – I went with milk. I love homemade chicken & noodles, and today’s might’ve been the best ever. Often she’ll use leftover rotisserie chicken, but this time she boiled down a whole chicken. I think that made the difference - feathers and all. The mashed potatoes were delicious, too. It also didn’t hurt that I was incredibly hungry having snacked on nothing but nuts all day at work. I ate two large helpings. During dinner Jimaken phoned and told the kids that Hilliard schools were closing on Tuesday due to weather. During clean-up, Mindy double-checked online. He was right. No school. It’s rare for them to announce the night before. Columbus City schools also announced the same. The kids celebrated. For the time being, Southwestern City Schools hadn’t yet announced. However. that changed not ten minutes later. Mindy was elated – much like a kid in a candy store. The kids have had school only once (last Thursday) since last Monday. They won’t have school again until this coming Wednesday. Shoot, we could have taken another ski trip to NY. Mindy called a couple of her teacher peeps to share the good news. After my duties in the kitchen were complete, I spent some time on my PC updating my blog. That took no more than 45 minutes. At the same time, Bella played Wii in the family room and Jacob hung out in his room. Come 8pm, we all regrouped in the family room to watch the winter Olympics downhill racing – one of my favorite events. They hit some crazy speeds, just like Bella. And speaking of Bella, she actually watched from her room. I must’ve fallen asleep on the sofa around 830pm, or just when the figure skating, long program event was firing up. I woke around 930pm to head up to bed. Mindy asked that I tuck in the kids along the way. She was staying up to watch more of the Olympics. I don’t blame her. It was still snowing, too.