Friday, February 10, 2017

Snow Day


Why yes, that is ice encrusted upon the window through which I took the photo on Thursday. Not wanting to let the Arctic into our humble abode, I didn't try to open the window for a clear shot of the blizzard raging at that time in Little Rhody.

So Thursday morning I awakened at my normal time, rather hoping for two things, the second depending on the first. Oddly enough I was hoping to see that it was snowing (that would be the first thing). As I was feeling like a grand deluxe blivet*, if it was snowing I might perhaps work from home. Obviating the need to shave and make myself presentable.

It was most assuredly not snowing. In fact, it was raining. A quick check of AccuHunch (a tip of the hat to Rev Paul for that gem) revealed that the predicted start time for our latest snow storm had been pushed back to 1000 from the original start time of 0600. Sigh...

As it wasn't snowing, there was no need to check for an email from the boss (out in Sandy Eggo, where I can assure you there was no threat of snow) to see if I might work from home. The roads were clear, I could haul my not insubstantial derrière into the office for to make a personal appearance. I needed his chop mark on an email authorizing me to work from home so that my line management (which means something entirely different in civvie street than it does in the military) could authorize my working from home.

(Apparently our department is made up of anti-social, computer game playing infants. Oh wait, it is the software department. Never mind. In my defense I didn't become a "bit whacking wienie" until I was well into my thirties. Prior to that I had an active social life and... Hhmm, perhaps the less said about that the better. But I digress...)

Drove to work at the usual time and noted that most of the denizens of Little Rhody had decided to hunker down in their domiciles and not venture out into the "the storm's not here yet" weather. In truth, those folks had chosen wisely.

Fired up the computational device (which I had taken home with me in breathless anticipation of perhaps needing it) and noted that my out in Sandy Eggo boss had not sent me a reply to my humble request for his blessing to work from home. Nada, zilch, bupkis. Ah well, it wasn't snowing anyway.

As the day wore on the radar picture showed it snowing in most of Little Rhody, except for Aquidneck Island (where I labor) and Bristol Neck (where I dwell). I thought that rather odd but then again, it's New England, as far as the weather goes in these parts, one can have two different systems within spitting distance of each other. That large body of salt water lying off the coast does strange things to the climate. And algore has naught to do with it. Just to clarify.

Around 1100 local, I returned from the cafeteria (which was minimally manned, ["person-ed"?]) and cast my gaze out upon the Bay of Narragansett. "Hey, look! It's snowing!" The little boy in me was thrilled, the adult which controls my "normal" behavior was a bit pissed that now I would have to go out in the storm to get home. As I hadn't received special dispensation from the Pope of my tasking, I would, needs be, use some of my valuable PTO. (Yup, that's on the Acronym Page, proof is left to the reader.) I made the judgement call that I was not going to risk life and limb in order to stay at work.

Returning to my office (it's really a former computer lab) I fired up the computational device for to perform an orderly shutdown and lo and behold, there it was, the email granting me dispensation to work from home. Off I went, a song in my heart and a smile upon my lips. Until I hit the great outdoors.

The wind did blow and the wet snow did fly, invading every opening in my winter attire. After cleaning off the car, off I went. Sometime later, I arrived at Chez Sarge, changed into my comfy clothes and set up the work computer in my lair.

And there I worked, fending off feline wave attacks, and sniffling and sneezing and coughing like there was no tomorrow. Yes, je me sentais misérable. The condition, not the very long novel by Monsieur Victor Hugo. Said lofty personage actually has a monument to his own self upon the battlefield of Waterloo. Why?

Well, he wrote about it in Les Misérables. The battle that is. Was he there? No. But I guess he got the monument because he was a great novelist, he was French, and the French lost that battle. I guess even in those days everybody got a trophy.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Or as Buck might have said, "It's always sumthin'."







* You'll want to check the urban dictionary for a definition of that term. While I will use it in these spaces, I do not have the temerity, nor the gall, to define it herein or on the Acronym Page. At least not in the full glory of that word.

18 comments:

  1. Glad the Cats had a play pal yesterday. Hope you feel more human today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After a solid 12 in the rack I feel much better. Not FMC yet but I'll get there. Took Friday off this week in lieu of next week so I'd have three full days in the hangar.

      Which usually does the trick.

      Delete
  2. Perhaps your boss's tardy response was due to sun stroke. If so, surely you are sympathetic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh he did indeed comment upon the gorgeousness of the weather odd yonder in Sandy Eggo. I can't blame him really.

      I would have done the same.

      Delete
  3. Following my recent significant trauma ordering veterinary supplies from the interwebs (I caught a glimpse of what a certain non-ranching segment of society uses said supplies for), I'm going to pass on looking up the term. I'm feewing vewy vuwnerable.

    I hope the weather abates so that you can view the Snow Moon in all its glory, and maybe get a peek at the comet. And dig out.

    And I hope your immune system is smashing the invader with a muscular coalition that includes whiskey. Seriously, get well soon.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Right now it's sunny, in the 20s, with a bit of wind.

      Like I told Juvat, 12 hours of rack time did wonders for both my morale and my condition.

      By Monday I expect to be up and FMC.

      Delete
  4. Work from home sounds really good right now.
    Some things, particularly those related to volunteer stuff, aren't conducive to that.

    Sometimes, when it comes to clarifying definitions, discretion is best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Discretion is, after all, the better part of valor. Or so I'm told.

      I have often volunteered to stay at home. (I know, I know, it's not the same.)

      :)

      Delete
  5. Thanks for the link/reference. We have more trouble getting permission to stay home on a snow day, because then we'd miss at least one day per week. While that's not a bad idea, it's hard to justify since we're all (or mostly) running snow tires, four-wheel-drives, and are generally more equipped for winter weather than folks living farther south. Prepping for winter is just good sense, in these parts. But I wouldn't mind missing the 20-mile commute in a blizzard, once in awhile. Glad you made it home safely.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Here snow is rare enough that we're not as well equipped to clear the highways and byway as some states are.

      The drive home yesterday was very sloppy, the snow being heavy and wet. No fun, no fun at all.

      Delete
  6. Snow day?! Maybe your wife will make you hot cocoa with marshmallows after you make some snow angels outside! Ok, maybe some coffee will be left after you shovel the driveway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a guy who does the driveway. I have a guy who does the lawn.

      At my age I am content to sit back and play the lord of the manor.

      Ooh, hot cocoa with marshmallows sounds good!

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Hahaha!

      If you really wanted snow you wouldn't have moved to Texas, would you? (Though I can attest to Texas getting snow, I drove through Amarillo in the winter of '87 after they'd just got a boatload of snow. So it happens. At least "up north" in Texas.)

      Delete
  8. Happy to read that you are ( relatively ) ok. That answers the question I asked yesterday. Stay warm and DO NOT SHOVEL THE DRIVEWAY YOURSELF. Be good now, y'hear.

    Paul L. Quandt

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I remarked to Tuna, I have folks I pay to do the driveway and the lawn.

      Feeling much more fit today.

      Delete

Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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