Old Weathermen, Kids, And Hillbilly Mom Whine

We are at Day 5 of the unscheduled days off this year. Four were for snow/ice, and one due to lack of water at Elementia and Newmentia. Oh, and Friday we were sent home at 2:00 due to unannounced 'flurries' that coated the roads in 30 minutes. With only an hour left of school, I wondered why we bothered. It was announced at 1:10 that students who drove could leave, and the rest of us would get out at 2:00. No skin off my nose. I thought about asking to leave right then, as my plan time had just started, and I wouldn't be having another class. But I really needed that plan time to grade papers, by cracky! So I waited. I didn't get home until after 4:00 anyway, because I had several errands planned. By that time, it had almost stopped snowing.

Funny thing, Friday. The weathermen on all three channels showed the day clear and sunny. One said that there would be some flurries over around Kansas City, but they would stay there because of the high pressure system over us. We took off for school before sunrise, as usual. About 10 minutes into our drive, we get to see it. The whole sky was red. The Pony said, "Red sky at morning, sailor take warning." I told him that saying must not always work. The snow was going to stay out west, and we would be clear and sunny.

I checked the regional radar once I got to school, and I saw a swath of snow that was up in western Iowa that looked like it was going to slide right over us. But that high pressure system was going to keep it out, so I didn't get my hopes up. Around about noon, the flakes started to fly. They did not look very impressive. The kids got all wound up. I told them that it was just flurries. It barely was noticeable on the grass out front. Then I stood up, and saw that the whole drive and parking lot were covered. Still, I told the kids that this late in the day, they would just keep us until the regular time, figuring that the roads would have been cleared by then.

Then the 5th hour bell rang, and two minutes later that announcement was made to make me a liar. Today it snowed all day, and the kids were wound up. "We're going home!" they shouted in the hall between 1st and 2nd hour. Nope. All flurries, all day long.

Sometimes, kids and weathermen get on my last nerve.