Unbagging the Cats 1

Unbagging the Cats 1

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Sunny Outlook Wearing Thin. Stop.

Since mid-November, hope has sprung eternal in my human breast. Hope for that high-demand teacher-catnip, the ever-elusive snow day.



Have I been rewarded? I think not. I sent my hope springing, like a hopped-up springbok across the sands of the Kalahari, seeking some respite from routine. But unlike the mighty pronking springbok, my hope has withered, unrequited. Two meager snow days. The sole reward for my fountain of hope.

We are rushing at the speed of fifty-degree January sunlight toward the midpoint of winter. And what could Mr. Punxsutawney Phil possibly have to tell us next week? That we will have six more weeks of winter? Ooh! Don't scare me now, Mr. Phil, with that threat of balmy, mild days. Perhaps he will predict an early spring. If so, perhaps he can delineate the difference between winter weather and spring weather.

Because I seem to have forgotten.

It's now or never, Winter. Poo or get off the poo receptacle.

7 comments:

stephen Hayes said...

That teacher catnip line is a treasure. I'm laughing as I write this.

BECKY said...

If you had sunlight and 50 degrees today, I want to come and visit you! I need sunshine! I need sunshine! I don't even care if it's below ZERO, as long as the sun it out.!!

BTW, where the heck have I been?? I just noticed I've missed reading your last few posts! Did you make them invisible to me, just to mess with my already goofy head?!

Linda O'Connell said...

Oh you backroads teachers have all the fun. We city private school teachers hardly have snow days. Ah, but we can fit in the professional development days. Those staff development meetings end up being potluck parties.

Sioux Roslawski said...

At least you've had two so far. I've had none. Can you count that far? NADA.

I am going to continue to pray to the gods of snow days...What shall I use to bribe them? I'm sure you have a suggestion, Val.

(By the way, the word verification thingy is "cheardog." The dog definitely cheers when I have a snow day, because then the day becomes "all-day party on the couch and on the bed.")

Val said...

Stephen,
Garfield lives for weekends, teachers live for snow days. Because on weekends, we have our regular household chores. But SNOW DAYS are free days!

***********
Becky,
Okay. So we had ONE day that was not 50 degrees with sunshine. But all the rest were.

Well. You're onto my secret. I hide my posts from as many people as possible. Actually, it is not a grand conspiracy. It just works out that way. Perhaps because I post around 9:00 p.m. CST. Some folks are probably in bed by then. And I get bumped down the updates list by those bright-eyed, bushy-tailed folks who post in the morning. Or at least schedule their posts to appear in the morning.

Here's a little secret. I post every day. So if you don't read one a day, you're missing one of your vital daily intellectual requirements.

**********
Linda,
Yes, we here in Backroads have cornered the market on fun. City folk need not apply. The fun is all used up. You'll have to check eBay for some used fun at a reasonable price.

If it makes you feel any better, we spend our professional development days sitting on our ample behinds on uncomfortable plastic cafeteria chairs, listening to less-than-scintillating speakers. And our potlucks occur at Thanksgiving only. They consist of 15 desserts, one too-small turkey, a loaf of bread, a bag of frozen corn left in the freezer of the Home Ec room, hot wing dip, and some kind of Asian salad with chow mein noodles that nobody eats.

***********
Sioux,
TWO! TWO! Bwah ha ha! And they were consecutive! On a Thursday and Friday! Read that and weep.

Of course I have a suggestion for your snow dance. But I will address it in a special post. Because I can.

You and your cheardog need a case of Cheerwine to double your pleasure on a snow day. And some Cheerios to use as washing-down material.

labbie1 said...

Okay--I say this winter is payback for LAST winter when snowmageddon threatened to inundate us! Give me 50 degrees any day!

Val said...

labbie,
But I have higher stakes. Snow days kind of depend on SNOW.