8 to 10 Feet

Well, it’s snowing. And I’m home for the day, mainly ’cuz I had to leave work early to pick up the little ones from day care, which closed at 2.

I really laughed this morning: We are an easily whipped people. Easily frightened, easily intimidated. Granted, Sandy probably beat the heck out of us more than anything I’ve ever personally experienced. But still … it’s not like it doesn’t snow every year. Couple times a year, in fact.

Weatherman says we’re getting 2 to 4 inches today, followed by 8 to 10 inches overnight. That’s inches, not feet. By Saturday afternoon, the roads will all be plowed and the sidewalks all shoveled. Stores will be open. Gas will be available for purchase at gas stations.

On the way to work this morning I marveled at the lines of cars waiting to gas up. Three or four deep, at 7:30 a.m. I stopped at the local grocery store (my reward ritual – I pick up a soda, a bag of chips, and a roast beef sandwich for brown-baggin’ it all week) and it was packed with over a hundred people! I mean, me and a half-dozen seniors are usually the only ones there at that hour during the week.

But truth be told, it is nasty out there and getting nastier. The old Impala slid out twice, once going down a hill to a red traffic light, the other time rounding a curve and nearly curbing itself. So I slowed down, 20 mph max, incurring the wrath of SUVs and four wheel drive pickup trucks everywhere. One such jerk decided to drive eighteen inches off my rear bumper for a mile or so. Crazy idiots everywhere.

But now we’re home. The girls are eating kettle corn watching the Spongebob Squarepants Movie. The wife is en route from NYC, due in about an hour, burritoes in hand (her idea, not mine). I look forward to a relaxing day putting some mileage on my two books, Battle Cry of Freedom (a third through) and The Maker of Universes (haven’t offically cracked it yet).

Oh, and Isaac Asimov’s Nine Tomorrows came in the mail today. Joy!