Half A Snow Day
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 14:11![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dr_phil_physicsForecast Low For Wednesday, 14degF
That was the forecast a day or so ago. Actual low this morning was 5 degF. Impossible to tell how much drifting there is in the driveway. Not that much snow fell, but winds in the 20-30 mph range and gusting much higher -- you can never tell.
By 11pm last night I was pretty sure I wouldn't be testing the roads today. At 1:30am the Michigan State Police said Do Not Drive. And the power went off-on-off-on-off-on for a couple of seconds, but not enough to trip the backup generator, just reset a clock and the VCR.
At 6:30am Grand Valley State University joined the growing list of nearly 500 schools in the TV viewing areas to close for the day. A small voice from the bedroom cheered or said something -- not sure which. (grin -- Mrs. Dr. Phil works at GVSU) A stretch of I-96 near us reportedly had 50 cars in the ditch. Parts of I-94 were closed. Kalamazoo listed as dicey driving.
And Western Michigan University did not close.
Sigh
Well, I canceled my 11am class anyway, punted the 4pm joint seminar with the Honors Math prof to him, if he was going to be there, and told the PHYS-1800 people I'd miss the 10am lecture, where I was supposed to tell my Superman X-Ray vision story, and the 2pm Team Meeting.
Not sure if the new President at WMU thought that Kalamazoo and WMU had any clear concept of how to deal with bad roads -- they don't -- or whether they figured enough students lived within walking distance they might as well hold whatever classes they could. I do know when I tried to call the Physics Dept. at 10am, to confirm the e-mails I'd sent at 7am regarding putting up signs about canceling class and moving Exam 1 from Thursday to Friday, no one answered. Maybe someone just stepped out, but I suspect the dept. secretary might've wisely stayed home so the office was short-handed.
Anyway, we're both warm and toasty inside. Have not braved the below-zero wind chills outside. Oh, and the garbage will just have to sit in the can for a week -- I wasn't going to truck the can out to road and have the can and lid blown away where it can get run over again. (grin)
Later.
Dr. Phil
UPDATE at 3:45pm: Went out for mail and newspaper. Our road is east-west and though a bit icy is windswept (and COLD!). Our driveway is north-south and has some drifting -- but thankfully the stand of trees blocks some of the drifting while allowing some other snow to settle. Up to 6" in the trees, almost a foot on one side of the driveway by the "lawn".
It was sunny whilst I was out. Now the wind has whipped up again and it is dark and foreboding. (grin) Welcome to Mordor in January? (double-grin) Dr. Phil
That was the forecast a day or so ago. Actual low this morning was 5 degF. Impossible to tell how much drifting there is in the driveway. Not that much snow fell, but winds in the 20-30 mph range and gusting much higher -- you can never tell.
By 11pm last night I was pretty sure I wouldn't be testing the roads today. At 1:30am the Michigan State Police said Do Not Drive. And the power went off-on-off-on-off-on for a couple of seconds, but not enough to trip the backup generator, just reset a clock and the VCR.
At 6:30am Grand Valley State University joined the growing list of nearly 500 schools in the TV viewing areas to close for the day. A small voice from the bedroom cheered or said something -- not sure which. (grin -- Mrs. Dr. Phil works at GVSU) A stretch of I-96 near us reportedly had 50 cars in the ditch. Parts of I-94 were closed. Kalamazoo listed as dicey driving.
And Western Michigan University did not close.
Sigh
Well, I canceled my 11am class anyway, punted the 4pm joint seminar with the Honors Math prof to him, if he was going to be there, and told the PHYS-1800 people I'd miss the 10am lecture, where I was supposed to tell my Superman X-Ray vision story, and the 2pm Team Meeting.
Not sure if the new President at WMU thought that Kalamazoo and WMU had any clear concept of how to deal with bad roads -- they don't -- or whether they figured enough students lived within walking distance they might as well hold whatever classes they could. I do know when I tried to call the Physics Dept. at 10am, to confirm the e-mails I'd sent at 7am regarding putting up signs about canceling class and moving Exam 1 from Thursday to Friday, no one answered. Maybe someone just stepped out, but I suspect the dept. secretary might've wisely stayed home so the office was short-handed.
Anyway, we're both warm and toasty inside. Have not braved the below-zero wind chills outside. Oh, and the garbage will just have to sit in the can for a week -- I wasn't going to truck the can out to road and have the can and lid blown away where it can get run over again. (grin)
Later.
Dr. Phil
UPDATE at 3:45pm: Went out for mail and newspaper. Our road is east-west and though a bit icy is windswept (and COLD!). Our driveway is north-south and has some drifting -- but thankfully the stand of trees blocks some of the drifting while allowing some other snow to settle. Up to 6" in the trees, almost a foot on one side of the driveway by the "lawn".
It was sunny whilst I was out. Now the wind has whipped up again and it is dark and foreboding. (grin) Welcome to Mordor in January? (double-grin) Dr. Phil
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Wednesday, 30 January 2008 20:04 (UTC)Not said but certainly implied was "To HELL with you non-trad students and anyone else stupid enough to have a life and go back to school. We cater to recent High School graduates. Sucks to be you."
So we just missed out if our magic carpet was in the shop, or something. Wasn't THEIR fault we didn't live on campus.
Treat me good and you have a loyal friend and supporter for life. Crap on me and if I see you begging on a street corner some day... not my problem.
I got crapped on in enough ways while I was a student there that I hold no brief for them at all, and certainly don't feel any loyalty. I'm always very nice to the young ladies who call seeking donations from the Alums every year, but my thoughts run to "F**K you, A**holes!" Sorry if that seems a bit harsh, but it's the way I feel.
no subject
Date: Wednesday, 30 January 2008 20:41 (UTC)Right.
(Mumbles something about 154 miles of driving a day between here and WMU.)
(As a part-timer.)
(Sucks to be me.)
Dr. Phil
oh, shut up!!!
Date: Wednesday, 30 January 2008 21:34 (UTC)I'm the one that's having to get all dressed up for a job interview tomorrow (time TBD when HR calls me back in a few, we're playing phone tag and they're it) and go by public transportation probably in a cold rain...I'll look like a drowned rat. Loverly...
I'm praying the front slows down and the rain doesn't get here until after 6PM, but then, I'm not lucky.
Re: oh, shut up!!!
Date: Thursday, 31 January 2008 05:03 (UTC)So Shut Up!!! back at 'cha!
Dr. Phil
Re: oh, shut up!!!
Date: Thursday, 31 January 2008 05:20 (UTC)15 hours of heavy rain and strong winds are due to start about 2PM Thursday...HR & I played phone tag all afternoon today, don't know when the interview is yet. Sounds like the dept is trying to fast track me, now if I can just get out to the interview in one piece.
Oh, and one time about 20 years ago, I remember a storm that hit the Atlanta area and came up from the South. Ended up with over a foot of snow & ice. No one on the northside of town could understand why Clayton County was closing schools, government offices, the ROADS...the K-Mart district manager kept telling us to keep the store open. When the State Patrol announced the roads were closed in the county and most of dozen or so of us had to head south into the storm to get home, we looked at the one manager that was in the store and told him we were going home, he could keep the store open by himself if he wanted to. He told us we had 10 minutes to close it up. The only reason I got home was because I followed a police car that was heading to the jail, which was about a mile from my house.
Re: oh, shut up!!!
Date: Friday, 1 February 2008 03:56 (UTC)Dr. Phil