Snow Day

Well, it appears as if Seattle and the Puget Sound area where I live and work and dance has been hit with the great winter storm of 2012 or so the news people are calling it. Much of the surrounding Seattle area has received 6-8 inches of snow in the past couple days so the world as I know it has come to a grinding halt. Roads are icy and covered in slush, trees are down from the weight of the freezing rain and snow, power is out all over. It's complete chaos. Not really but we're not used to this type of weather up here in the rainy northwest so when we get any trace of snow, we freak out.

You know what the interesting thing about this week is?

It's that just last week I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and afraid that I had yet again over-committed myself to activities or obligations after firmly resolving to abstain from doing that to myself any more. I was thinking that perhaps my schedule of happy, healthy, wonderful, fun things was a bit  more than it needed to be. Then blamo!, we get the great winter storm of 2012 which covered all appointments and obligations in a layer of icy snow.

All dance classes have been cancelled this week either because most of the students have communicated their unwillingness or inability to attend due to the conditions or the school has closed to keep the staff and students from braving the icy roads. Either way, there is no ballroom dancing this week.

My 3 personal trainer appointments every week? Cancelled.
My physical therapy appointment for the stupid chronic back pain? Cancelled.
Arthur Murray dance classes? Cancelled
Washington Dance Club class? Cancelled
French class? Cancelled
Guitar lesson? Cancelled
Every work meeting on my calendar? Cancelled

Perhaps the universe decided that I may have had the right idea about having too much to do and decided to help me out with it, A.

So you know what I've been doing instead of all those things? I've spent the week working from home in the comfort of my jammies and fuzzy slippers. And since I've had so much time on my hands (after I'm done with all my work of course) this week, I decided to put my hands to a different kind of work. I've been knitting. Yes, that's right, I knit. My grandmother taught me just a couple months ago. Since then, I've made a dish cloth that is less than attractive, 3 fuzzy scarves, and now I've decided to try to make a slouchy beret hat by knitting in the round. After starting and pulling it out 5 times, I think I finally figured it out on the 6th try.

And for my activity? I've been walking in the snow. One of my favorite things to do is to take walks in the rain and even better in the snow. I wait until the sun goes down, then I bundle up and head outside for a nice long walk. It's best when it's dark outside because you get that perpetual dusk feeling with all the street lights and the moonlight reflecting off the snow so it's very comforting on the eyes. Plus, after the sun has gone down, people are typically home and settled in so there is no hustle nor bustle out and about. Perfect calm. Also, the snow deadens the white noise of the world so you get a sweet silence that you can't really get any other way.

Last night, hubby and I ventured out for a long walk. 2 hours later we returned home chilled and happy. We changed clothes and warmed ourselves on a nice hot cup of tea by the fire. I can't think of a better way to spend the evening after a snow day.