Snowing Sideways and Liberal Leaves

Okay, so we finally have our first big snow day for the year. Strange that it is on March 2nd, but we will take what we can get.

Yesterday afternoon, as I was curled up on the couch watching Gods and Generals, I was hoping that I would look out the window to see the snow start around 2PM, as promised by the weathermen. Nope. 2:00, 3:00...6:00 PM - nothing but sprinkles. I was worse than a kid waiting for my school to close.

So, I decided to get my mind off it and went to the gym. I guess my run around the track could be considered the snow dance. I even thought of finding an old Christmas tune - Let It Snow. Silly, I know. By the time I left the gym, we had flakes. Not big flakes, but flakes all the same. So, I made some dinner, curled up with my new Kindle 2.0 and eventually dozed off. I woke up around 4:30 AM hoping to find the city blanketed with snow. No such luck. DC got about 4 inches. I huffed and puffed and got dressed to head into work. Of course I checked my OPM alerts first:

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are OPEN under a DELAYED ARRIVAL/UNSCHEDULED LEAVE policy. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 2 hours later than they would normally arrive, and employees who cannot report for work may take unscheduled leave.

Yep, that means business as usual. As I walked to the metro, I wondered how WMATA was going to handle the snow. Sure enough, trains on time. Job well done Metro. Glad to know you have so much enthusiasm for the storm: "As the region welcomes its first major winter storm of the new year, Metro is prepared and ready to go."

Of course when I emerged from underground in Arlington, the view was a lot different. They had several inches here and the winds were whipping. I hardly saw any cars and there was very little sign of life at 6:20 in the morning.

So, now as I stare out this window, it is only getting worse. 395 has about 6 cars on it. The roads are not getting plowed. What is the point when this snow won't stop till after 12 noon? And yes, it is snowing sideways. Reconsidering that liberal leave?

Maybe it is time for OPM to update its recommendation for 2-hour delay and Liberal Leave to "CLOSED." After all, I could use the day off.

Walking Backwards in Winter

Okay, this is going to be an easy one to write. Anyone else tired of this winter weather and having to walk backwards to shield your face from these ridiculous winds? Whether you are waiting for the bus like me, or walking your dog like your neighbor, these winter winds seems to cut right through you.

Is it just me or does it seem the closer we creep to Spring the more we are reminded of that silly mammal that lives in Pennsylvania with his shadow. Here we are in the last week of February and I wish we could just skip March and go straight to April. That would make Lent a lot easier.

Perhaps it is because I have not entirely thawed out from the Inaugural Parade - all 8 hours of standing outside in that cold. If you are asking, my answer is "Yes, it was worth it." And to quote a dear friend of mine. "The only way I will do it again is if I am in the limo." She has a point, but I still can't believe what a day that was. It was one of DC's proudest moments on this blog. They did such a good job handling the event. Of course, I saw the overtime cost to the city and the federal government the other day. Those numbers are are worthy of their own blog entry. I will get to work on that soon. Back to work.

Let It Snow!

The first snowfall of the year is upon us here in the Nation's Capital. Yes, I got to go home early today. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, but I find it a little ridiculous that half of my office had to leave to get home to the suburbs before "it gets worse.".

I find all this snow talk rather humorous. Every year this city goes through the same drill and freaks out when the winter weather rolls in. This year, the discussions started on the weekend. All that coverage of the midwest snow storms and how they were "coming our way." I guess that Boston got slammed and we just missed it. I did see a few flakes while watching the Patriots/Ravens game the other night. What was that all about? The Ravens need to tame some of their players and the short tempers. But, this blog is not about sports, so I should not digress.

So it is snowing and I am sitting comfortably on my couch having coffee and watching the History Channel. No, I am not scrambling to get milk, or bread or even salt for that matter. This yearly snow panic that comes over the city just makes me scratch my head. I lived in New England for years, and even lived in Europe, near the Alps...they never shut down due to snow. I mean if a post-communist, former Soviet Bloc country can clear their roads without fail then why do we have such a hard time doing it in the Capital of the "most powerful country in the world?"

I understand the danger aspect of everyone's commute. I think the danger comes from the fact that our terrible drivers in the metropolitan area become insane drivers when it snows. I am glad that I don't have to face those dangers on the road. My biggest fear is slipping on the metro platform tiles while in my snow covered Bostonians. No, I don't wear boots. I know it is silly, but I think they look ridiculous while wearing a suit. So, I would much rather risk frostbite and look presentable than run into a client or colleague in Lands End Boots and my Armani suit pants scrunched up on top of them. It just screams bureaucrat.

So my commute home wasn't that bad. I took both bus and metro, neither of which seemed to have a problem with the snow. Granted, I am a little cold and wet when I finally get home, but it is nothing a cup of joe and a hot shower can't fix. Now, we just wait for the news reports and the school closures to start - the official sign that winter has come to Washington.