Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Crying Wolf

One of the truths I hold to be self-evident as a kid born, raised and colleged in Texas is that when the local meteorologist starts talking about snow, you can't get your hopes up. You really need to get your hope down, in fact.

I cannot tell you how many mornings I woke up as a child after being lulled to sleep with promises of freezing precipitation on the news, only to wake up and find a bone-dry driveway out my window and not a flake in sight. Snow in Texas means that regular schedules cease completely. People don't know how to drive in it and we are ill-prepared for temperatures below 32 degrees.

I know better now than to dream of a day off, but if you think the possibility of an inclement weather day is not just as enticing now, as a full-time working adult, as it was when class was cancelled in elementary school, you are mistaken.

Last night the murmurings of "weather" started, but my friends and I went about our business, celebrating our friend KR's birthday unhindered by the rain and the freezing cold. This morning my mother called while I was still in bed and it was still dark outside, which would typically mean emergency because why on earth would anyone call before 7 AM? She reported that it was snowing at my parents house, 30 miles from me, and was it snowing at my house? I hopped out of bed with the enthusiasm of my younger self, only to find that no, it was raining.

I continued to get ready and did not open the blinds in my room, I was so annoyed by the false hope I had allowed myself. Keeping with my normal routine, I walked downstairs an hour later as usual, turned on the coffee machine as usual, and opened the blinds... as usual. Only then was I taken aback by the scene in the window above our kitchen sink: snow. Huge flakes of beautiful, white snow. Very few moments in life are poignant or breathtaking, but that was one of them for me- when a normal day was made surprisingly beautiful.

It was not sticking to the ground, so after walking in the backyard to be awestruck for a moment, an effect snow has always had on me, I had to leave.

Oh well, makes a normal Wednesday that much prettier...


Loralei Gilmore: The whole world changes color; flakes flurries swirls crystals. whatever form it comes in- I'll take it. We go back, snow and me, we have a beautiful history.
-Gilmore Girls

5 comments:

Caitlin said...

Oh I'm jealous! Last year was the first year we got a real snowfall and I'm hoping it happens again this weekend, but like you, I'm not getting my hopes up.

And I love the Lorelai quote!

Erin said...

I stepped out of the movie theater last night to a surprise dusting of snow on the ground and flurries still coming down...not so unusual for Colorado, but exciting all the same (especially where I live...we don't get nearly as much snow as the rest of the world seems to think we do)!!

Wonderful quote, by the way.

erin - heart in ireland said...

yay! that is exciting to get snow in an area where you normally wouldn't!

i remember how excited my irish friends would get at the thought of snow!

it was flurrying here on monday, i thought my students were going to explode!

Bluebelle said...

Ooooooooooooooh! Snoooooow! It looks so pretty!

Andhari said...

Jealouuus tooo. How I so wanna live somewhere like that. Not too heavy snow and breath taking colors :) And i love that Lorelai Gilmore quote, you remember she opens the window and she can breath the snow or something? Awesome. One of my favorite episodes.