Snow Daze

When I was a kid, I used to look forward to snow days in winter. Who didn't? My gosh, a whole day, all to yourself with no school, to go play in the yard, build snowmen, go sledding then sit inside and drink hot chocolate and read a book. Mmmmmm...

Now, as a teacher, I have mixed feelings about snow days. I hate to miss a day of school - lest my students "get behind" - behind what, of course is the real question. Sure, I would love a "day off" from work. But that day off, as rare as they come in college, is usually spent catching up on papers and homework that I would otherwise be spending my weekend time or evenings completing. Or, it's spent doing all those household chores that tend to get conveniently ignored with 12-hour teaching days as an "excuse" - including cleaning the cat box, scrubbing the tub, clearing the inch of dust off the television and REALLY mopping the floor - not just using one of those Swiffer deals.

And of course, for overachievers such as myself, there's all the Suzie-homemaker goals to achieve - baking cookings, creating a new and exciting dinner entree, and whipping up some exotic chocolate dessert with a name that can't be pronounced without sounding completely stupid to those speakers of the native tongue.

But this time, I feel different. As I watch the snow come down tonight, and the winds gust, and the college having closed early today, I know exactly where I'll be tomorrow should a snow day be called - 1) sleeping in until *heaven forbid* 8:00am; 2) drinking coffee and writing at my table while looking out over the snow-drifted lawn; 3) on the couch reading one of the many novels I have started and have yet to finish; 4)napping by 2pm; 5) maybe a light workout by 5pm; 6) microwave dinners by 7pm, assuming my husband has braved the roads to go out and get a bottle of wine. If not, then it's beer and nachos.

Ahhh...snow days...