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12/19/2008

The Storm on the News

As I write this it is Thursday evening. Late. The news is on and all they are talking about is the storm that is slowly sliding across the Chicagoland area and how bad it's going to be by rush hour in the morning. Ice in the south. Where I live. Snow in the north. Where I work.

Tomorrow is the last day of work for me before Christmas, and the last day but one before January 5th. I don't particularly like the idea of contending with Mother Nature - invariably, when we have these little jousts, I usually win and get to where I want to go, but she DOES manage to extract her pound of flesh - but I DO want to make it to work tomorrow because I am THAT guy. The one who tries to do the best he can. The one with the sense of responsibility and obligation. The man pays me a good salary. I owe him the best I can do. I should at least make the effort.

But I just know I'm going to regret getting up and making that effort. Oh well.

Anyway - almost the weekend. Almost "get the house ready for the stuff that's going to happen on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day". Almost. Just gotta get through today.

The next paragraph is our daily push for traffic into Zoeyjane's site for the purpose of raising money for charity. A good charity. So don't stop now. Click.

Zoeyjane of Mommy is Moody is DOING something. She is donating all the revenue from her advertisements on her site, for this month, to To Write Love On Her Arms. Go to Zoeyjane's site and read This Post. She gets paid by 'Impressions'. Just going there helps. Click on her ads - and help more. Click through to To Write Love On Her Arms and see what they do. Just doing that will help, too. This paragraph is going to appear at the end of each post, each day until the end of the month. As a reminder. Just click through. And help. Save the women and men and boys and girls that don't need to live without love, that don't need to suffer addiction and depression, that don't need to die.


What follows I learned from Tash. It is an African proverb - it means, "Where I go, I am wearing you." I have also seen it translated as "As I go, I am wearing you." In any case, you have all left your handprints on me.

Ndinombethe.

27 comments:

Jientje said...

I hope Mother Nature behaves, and that you get there, and back again safe and sound AND without loosing too much time.
OR that it's absolutely impossible to drive in which case you get to stay home one day earlier. Anything in between and you'll be on the road ... for hours and hours again!
If you HAVE to go, return safe?

Ndinombethe said...

Well as I said in my email, I'm watching the news now and Chicago is looking rough. Drive safely if you do venture out

Christy said...

Yes, good luck! We apparently lucked out, it is 53 degrees here right now!

Shadow said...

oooh, we had a lightning storm, wind and rain last night of majestic proportions... nothing like you there, 'cause this morning it's back to blue skies and sunshine. i don't know whether to hope you got to work or got to stay at home.... ha! yes! the christmas countdown. somehow everythings working out beautifully here too. best of all. i'm having a good time doing it. i hope you will too!!!

Michael said...

My last day today too until 5th jan, good feeling isnt it, just had fish and chips.
Last few weeks aint been my best, I cant sleep just lately, I feel really moody, I fly off the handle over the least little thing.
I keep praying but I think I am ready for the break, ill be back in a bit when Ive been to Zoey Janes site....

Michael said...

Hey thanks for asking about me btw, its good to know that someone out there in the blogosphere misses me, ive left a post and clicked on some of the adds on your friends blog.

Unknown said...

The key to loooong, snowy, icy drives into work are NOT HAVING TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. But you knew that. I hope you made it safely this morning and get home perfectly find this afternoon.

Honeybell said...

We down here in NE Kansas seem to have escaped the ice, but it's COLD!

Stay safe my friend!

Anonymous said...

We live on the border between the ice and snow line. It keeps changing over. I expect my driveway looks like a sandwich. Ice/snow/ice/snow/ice/snow.

Wait. What? said...

Hey Lou - it took me an hour and thirty this AM via the 147 down lake shore - yikes - that trip normally takes about 35 minutes... but the good news was it looked like most everyone stayed home! The bus was not packed and I did not have to stand or feel like a a sardine in a can!

Happy Friday my friend!

Cat

MissyBoo said...

Hope you made it through the day without Mother Nature giving you too much grief!

Emily/Randomability said...

Just a few hours south of you, we got our ice storm, but much later than predicted.

Little Man didn't have school, but Baby Girl's daycare was open. The roads weren't bad, mostly slushy.

hockeychic said...

Hope you are safe and sound. We got a dusting of the storm yesterday, most of it hit the mountains.

Just hoping that everything went well and you are safe.

Unknown said...

Jientje: She did her best but she could NOT keep me away, today, my last day before vacation. Mother Nature, that is. It took me half an hour longer - that's all.

Tash: I did. I do, always.

Christy: Warm in St. Louis. Wow. 53?

Shadow: Thank you, V. I got to work, successfully, and by the time it's time to go home, the roads should be clear.

Michael: Thank you, Michael. I worry about you when you don't post. Take care.

Hyphen Mama: I will, Jenny. I will and thank you.

Ree: Hard to shovel that. You'll need a pickax.

Cat: Happy Friday to you, too. And a nice trip home on the 147.

M+B: Well, so far so good.

Emily: Same up here at 5:30 this morning. But the further North I got, the worse it got.

Hockeychic: I AM safe and I thank you for thinking of me.

Red Lotus Mama said...

I was in Chi-town a year ago today for one of my best friend's wedding. She always dreamed of a snowy winter wedding and did she ever get it! It is dang cold there, but I did love being in snow for once in my life!

Momisodes said...

I've been glued to the Weather channel, and I'm hoping you have a quick, safe and easy commute today. It's coming down here in Boston and everything is closed!

Jennifer said...

mother nature is being a bitch here... no ice this time but LOTS and LOTS of snow... which they said could acumulate up to about 16"... i hope they are wrong OR that she feels pitty on us and knocks it off.
i had to be out on the roads today and they are HORRIBLE. of course the other people on the roads that drive like morons don't help but that aside they were pretty bad.

i hope if you did head out to work that you made it there safely or that you turned around and made it back home safely... i guess instead of all the rambling i could just say that if you are on the roads this cold snowy, stormy day, i hope you are safe. :)

anyway... it is nap time.. thank God, and i'm going to wrap some presents finally, thank God. so i better get my behind up off this darn chair or none of it will get done. :)

have a great day! stay warm!
xoxoxo

Jennifer said...

PS that saying is really beautiful and i feel that way about you... where I go, I'm always wearing you.
like where ever i am, you are too, b/c you are in my heart so true!

xoxox <3

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you made it in okay. Is the wife excited to have you around for two weeks?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you made it in safely. It can be such a tough call. I hope you enjoy all those wonderful days off work!

Cathy said...

I hope you made it in ok! God, there's nothing worse the Chicagoland traffic. Have fun on your time off. :)

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Isn't it lovely today? My kids went out to play and simply stood UPON what they thought was snow. It was ICE.

Though, they had a blast with the screwdrivers and butter knives.... Odd kids.

Tara R. said...

I hope you and yours enjoy the holidays and that you all don't get too badly snowed in. Merry Christmas!

Vikki North said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Vikki North said...

Hi Lou,
(Deleted my comment and corrected my spelling.)

I've been seeing your snow storm on the news here also. Our weather has dropped into the 50's in So. Cal. We never get that cold here. I'm well aware we have nothing to complain about, by comparison to what you're dealing with.

Please take great care driving.
Vikki

Holly said...

Of course you are That Guy, Lou. Anyone who reads your blog can tell. :) I saw the storm on the news. So much snow! I sure hope you don't get stuck in it. Take care!

Joyce-Anne said...

Well, as I watched the weather from my sickbed yesterda, I couldn't help but think of you and wonder if you made it into work. I'm sure you did because you're a lot like my husband and I know he would have gone in.