MAN ABOUT TOWN: Everybody Needs a Snow Day

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Falls Church Times Staff

The snow gods are toying with us. First they gave, then they took away.

What they gave us was an incredible snow day – all the excitement a 6^th-grader could ever dream of. Then they doubled that to two unbelievable snow days.

But then – they did it all on a weekend.

What a waste. Because there are few life experiences that rival the joy of a school day canceled due to snow.

My best memory is from elementary school, sitting in class about 9:30 a.m. Weather predictions weren’t so accurate back in the dark ages, and nobody even knew for sure that it would snow. Suddenly a sentinel (every class has one) spoke in a stage whisper, “IT’S SNOWING!” and sure enough, there were the first wispy flakes blowing around.

That of course ended any concentration on whatever our teacher was trying to convey that morning. And even better, within 30 minutes we were watching a blizzard through the windows. The principal came on the loudspeaker to announce that school was over as soon as parents and buses could be marshaled to get us home. Ecstasy!

Of course, many would argue there’s an even higher pleasure – to awake to the miracle of deep-fallen snow, hear that school is canceled, and turn over in bed for a few more hours’ sleep.

So a Friday-night blizzard, followed by a Saturday-night blizzard, is just doubly unfair – not only to the students but the teachers as well.

In my case, I was sleeping deeply to the tune of new-fallen snow about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday when my wife awakened me, reminding me that our daughter needed a ride to the EFC parking lot at 7 a.m. where she was meeting up with friends to go snowboarding in Pennsylvania. So much for sleeping in. Instead we were sweeping off the car and doing all the other things so familiar to readers without garages. But the reward was a beautiful drive through the City’s streets of virgin snow.

On Sunday, word came down that school was canceled on Monday. A few hours later we learned that Federal employees had the day off as well. So the snow gods gave something after all – although City employees had to report at 10 a.m.

We’re quite technologically advanced at the Man About Town’s house: we rely on the alarm clocks built into our cell phones to wake us up. And these are “smart phones” – they know not to ring on weekends. So, although we went to bed Sunday night peaceful in the knowledge we could sleep in on the morn, our “smart phone” was not so smart. Nobody told it about the snow day, so at 6 a.m. Monday we awakened to loud music coming from my wife’s pocketbook on the other side of the bedroom. Oh well.

Anyway, I’m very happy for Nicole Mitchell and her fellow students in the City Schools. I don’t know Nicole, but I read her column in the George Mason High School “Lasso,” the school newspaper. The headline reads: “School on the 23^rd? Absurd!”

Nicole writes:

In my seventeen years of life on this earth, I have never had school on December 23. Not even when I was in kindergarten did I have to attend class. I have always had the luxury of sleeping in late to the afternoon, waking up as I please and then enjoying the day that marks my birth.

This year however, I will not have that same luxury. Instead of celebrating my birthday in complete comfort, I will be going through my usual morning routine of striking the snooze button a couple times from my annoyingly loud alarm at the crack of dawn and forcing myself to wake up. Then quickly showering, and ineptly rushing out the door in an attempt to make it to school on time.

Nicole, that is such a bummer! It’s bad enough to be born on December 23, but spending the day in school is adding insult to injury. Whose idea was that? Christmas week should be a school holiday – what were they thinking?

So – I think the snow gods are on your side, Nicole. You got the 21^st off, and I’m hoping you’ll get the 22^nd and the 23^rd as well. It’s only right.

And maybe whoever the school system Grinch was who came up with the dumb idea to hold classes on December 23 will have learned a lesson:

Don’t mess with the snow gods.