![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snowphobia
This southern Pennsylvania attitude toward snow continues to baffle, amuse, and aggravate me.
Last week I had 2 classes canceled - one Thursday afternoon, the other Friday morning - for what was *maybe* 5 inches of snow. Today, it's barely started snowing, they're predicting ONLY 3-5 inches, and already they've canceled afternoon classes, AND extended the deadline for our briefs - they were due tomorrow morning at 8:30, they're now due a full 24 hours later.
Schools call a snow day the night before at the mere MENTION of snow, people freak out at the THOUGHT of snow, and god forbid you try to drive anywhere if there's a flake to be seen - you'll be traveling at 15 mph, max, regardless of whether or not the driving conditions are at all hazardous. (Because, people, snow does not AUTOMATICALLY equal trecherous driving! Driving in snow is NOT that hard! I've been doing it since I was 17! I'm not dead yet!)
Genuine blizzards are scary. Freezing rain is scary. Black ice is scary. Driving in the rain at night in places that don't understand the concept of painting lines on the road is scary. Moderately falling snow in full daylight is just NOT that scary.
I realize I don't have the best perspective on this, growing up in a place where it snows more than just about anywhere in the country that isn't at an insanely high elevation. 5 inches wouldn't even be cause for a school delay. It wouldn't even be worth commenting on. The weatherman would call it a "brief flurry." We'd all brush off our cars and go about our day. But I've lived in other places, where there's not as much snow, but still a respectable amount, and I'm certain my New Englander friends would be equally perplexed by the rampant snowphobia around here.
I'd even understand it if snow were something rare around here, but come on, it's snowed at least a half dozen times this winter, possibly more, and I've heard no indication that this is an abberation. It makes me think that surely that would be enough to get people over their terror and to realize it's just not that big a deal. But then I realize - how could they? It snows, and everything closes! No one ever HAS to learn how to deal with the snow!
Anyway. It is kind of nice to have yet another class canceled, this close to spring break. Kind of nice to have the extension, too, although I don't really need it - but another revision definitely wouldn't hurt.
My kitty is away for the day, off at the vet getting spayed. The poor thing was in full-blown heat last week, and while it was kind of amusing to see the way she'd stick her rear up in the air for anything that moved, it was clear she was uncomfortable. Kind of possessed, actually. Then thankfully she went out of heat, and now we'll never have to go through it again.
She was very annoyed with me this morning - she woke me up by nuzzling my face as usual, which is terribly cute but not so much when you consider why she does it so persistently - she knows it gets me out of bed, and she knows the first thing I do once I'm out of bed is feed her. So this morning, she bounces out to where her food bowl usually is - and of course it isn't there. She just sat there, looking confused, and totally pleading. I have such a weakness for this cat, and spoil her so thoroughly, it actually broke my heart to have to deny her something. And now the apartment is very empty without her. When I got home from class there was no meow-meow-meow of Libby running to greet me, no cat flopping on her side at my feet so I'll get the hint that she wants her stomach rubbed. I know she'll be home tomorrow, and I know I'm pathetic, but I miss her! Plus I'm still terrified of the whole undergoing-surgery thing - sure, her being in heat was annoying, but it was really only the high risk of unspayed cats developing mammary cancer - a much higher risk than of the surgery going awry - that pushed me into doing it. It does not matter that her vet is wonderful and I trust him implicitly. I will worry until she's home and safe and recovered.
Last week I had 2 classes canceled - one Thursday afternoon, the other Friday morning - for what was *maybe* 5 inches of snow. Today, it's barely started snowing, they're predicting ONLY 3-5 inches, and already they've canceled afternoon classes, AND extended the deadline for our briefs - they were due tomorrow morning at 8:30, they're now due a full 24 hours later.
Schools call a snow day the night before at the mere MENTION of snow, people freak out at the THOUGHT of snow, and god forbid you try to drive anywhere if there's a flake to be seen - you'll be traveling at 15 mph, max, regardless of whether or not the driving conditions are at all hazardous. (Because, people, snow does not AUTOMATICALLY equal trecherous driving! Driving in snow is NOT that hard! I've been doing it since I was 17! I'm not dead yet!)
Genuine blizzards are scary. Freezing rain is scary. Black ice is scary. Driving in the rain at night in places that don't understand the concept of painting lines on the road is scary. Moderately falling snow in full daylight is just NOT that scary.
I realize I don't have the best perspective on this, growing up in a place where it snows more than just about anywhere in the country that isn't at an insanely high elevation. 5 inches wouldn't even be cause for a school delay. It wouldn't even be worth commenting on. The weatherman would call it a "brief flurry." We'd all brush off our cars and go about our day. But I've lived in other places, where there's not as much snow, but still a respectable amount, and I'm certain my New Englander friends would be equally perplexed by the rampant snowphobia around here.
I'd even understand it if snow were something rare around here, but come on, it's snowed at least a half dozen times this winter, possibly more, and I've heard no indication that this is an abberation. It makes me think that surely that would be enough to get people over their terror and to realize it's just not that big a deal. But then I realize - how could they? It snows, and everything closes! No one ever HAS to learn how to deal with the snow!
Anyway. It is kind of nice to have yet another class canceled, this close to spring break. Kind of nice to have the extension, too, although I don't really need it - but another revision definitely wouldn't hurt.
My kitty is away for the day, off at the vet getting spayed. The poor thing was in full-blown heat last week, and while it was kind of amusing to see the way she'd stick her rear up in the air for anything that moved, it was clear she was uncomfortable. Kind of possessed, actually. Then thankfully she went out of heat, and now we'll never have to go through it again.
She was very annoyed with me this morning - she woke me up by nuzzling my face as usual, which is terribly cute but not so much when you consider why she does it so persistently - she knows it gets me out of bed, and she knows the first thing I do once I'm out of bed is feed her. So this morning, she bounces out to where her food bowl usually is - and of course it isn't there. She just sat there, looking confused, and totally pleading. I have such a weakness for this cat, and spoil her so thoroughly, it actually broke my heart to have to deny her something. And now the apartment is very empty without her. When I got home from class there was no meow-meow-meow of Libby running to greet me, no cat flopping on her side at my feet so I'll get the hint that she wants her stomach rubbed. I know she'll be home tomorrow, and I know I'm pathetic, but I miss her! Plus I'm still terrified of the whole undergoing-surgery thing - sure, her being in heat was annoying, but it was really only the high risk of unspayed cats developing mammary cancer - a much higher risk than of the surgery going awry - that pushed me into doing it. It does not matter that her vet is wonderful and I trust him implicitly. I will worry until she's home and safe and recovered.