Southerners & Snow

2 weekends ago we had a snowstorm. I think we had a couple inches in our neck of the woods. If you lived in NC, you may have thought the world was coming to an end. The grocery store was sold out of all of the essentials: bread, milk, eggs, frozen pizza. Schools were closed or delayed ...all week long. Virtually no one had to go work. No one left their homes (including us!) at the risk of being on the roads that were (a) unplowed & unsalted & (b) shared with folks who had no experience or business driving in the snow. The tickers at the bottom of the local channels were showing church cancellations (this is when I knew I was in the South). It was craziness.

At the risk of sounding like a snotty northerner, I empathize with southerners. Heck, I grew up in Florida! Southerners don't have the resources or know-how to handle the snow. Plus, it's a novelty...NC gets a dusting & folks are buying sleds & building snowmen.  

Perhaps my 6 years in Illinois desensitized me to winter weather. Three years ago this week, I walked to class in arguably one of the biggest snow storms central Illinois has seen in decades, only to have classes at the U of I subsequently cancelled that morning for the first time since 1979! (That's me in the snow-->)  My professor's reaction - "let's finish class, we're all here anyway." Nevermind trudging back home in all that snow. So while my roommates slept in, we chugged through corporate tax. Thanks, Professor Sternberg. I don't know where I'd be without a firm understanding of accumulated earnings & profits.

I guess I shouldn't complain too much about our recent brush with winter weather. I stayed inside all weekend in my pjs and watched chick flicks while Matt studied. And...I started this blog!

One more tidbit. Our 2007 snow storm conveniently fell on Valentine's Day weekend. Matt rode his bike to Schnucks to buy lobster for V-day. My roommates/ BFFs, Jenny & Courtney, had some fun with the (live) lobsters before we ate 'em. I stumbled across this photo & just couldn't resist. Happy Valentines Day!