An Unexpected Gift

Today I received an unexpected gift:  A snow day.

Well, it was not completely unexpected.  I had a suspicion this would happen yesterday when they started trumpeting "Blizzard 2014", predicting a "wintry mix" of snow and ice.  And not that much either - which is not really the problem here in New Home.  Here, the problem really is ice - and the fact that people forget how drive when the ice is present, which results in crashes, traffic, and general unpleasantness.

The ante was upped last night as one by one the local school districts began declaring "delays" in opening, foreshadowing the cancellations everyone knew was coming but no-one could actually mention before the ice was on the ground. I had hoped that my employment would have made the same determination as well but they did; the matter was not even mentioned, a perhaps a sort of vain hope that the whole thing would go away.

And then, on arising, comes the glorious text:  "X is closed.  Notify your team".

And now, for the first time in a long time, I have the unexpected pleasure of an unplanned day.

Unplanned?  Yes.  This was a day that was supposed to be spent at work.  Instead, I have been given 10-12 hours to spend any way I choose with no repercussions of something else not getting done.  It is time without guilt.

What is somewhat shocking to me if I think about it is that this is such an anomaly.  I am presented with a short period of time that I can call my own with no prerequisites for use. This is the first time that this has happened in a long time.  Otherwise my time seems to be very carefully allocated and planned, set in stone for me weeks and months before I reach it.

I will enjoy the day,  watching the ice melt under the sun curled up with the luxury of Cafe du Monde coffee late in the day.  I will choose one or two projects that need attention - or maybe not.  Maybe I will just give myself the luxury of reading at home in a comfortable chair with no concern about having to go out.

Or perhaps more usefully, I will try to find ways to make days like this more common.