Sad sack

This weekend (including Friday) was sort of a mess.  The weather was a mess.  The roads were a mess. The school was a mess.  Messes everywhere.  Starting on Friday.  Despite having the rest of the week off due to weather, our district made a decision to have classes on Friday.  The wind shifted out of the north and we were under wind chill advisories for extreme cold.  I think the high Friday might have been 10 degrees.   It was a mistake to have school.  There were 5 buses in ditches.  There were buses late.  There were roads drifting shut. There was almost a panic among the people I came in contact with.  How would we get the kids home?   Well I wasn’t sure, but again, I wasn’t really given a choice in the matter.  It was made worse when I took Evie to catch her bus, and then slid on the ice and pulled my hamstring.  I told Jim I was walking down the alley. I would take 2 steps and then almost cry because it hurt so bad. But it was too cold to stop for long and I didn’t feel it was an actual emergency, so I wasn’t about to call for help.  

Saturday I had signed up for a long shift at the liquor store. I obviously wasn’t hurt when I put myself on the schedule.   I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but luckily I don’t have to be fast to work there!   I managed to get through the shift. I am thankful to Jim who drove me and dropped me off and picked me up 2 steps from the front door. I was more than a little worried about making it across any icy surfaces.  We picked up Mallory on our way by, as she is still waiting for her car to be done.  We had Saturday night dinner   rather than Sunday so that we could have a little goodbye for Preston who was heading back to school today.  Lucky for me, one of Preston’s favorite foods is pulled pork which I can do in the crockpot, and is not labor intensive.  We like simple things when I am not moving well.  I worried a little about madison and Andrew making it over, as the wind blew all day amd I kept getting reports from the township people about deteriorating road conditions, icy roadways, stuck road graders, and people sliding into ditches.  I called to warn them, but they were already halfway here.  

I loved having the kids here through the holidays and I really enjoyed having Preston here for the last month.  He helped Jim put new lighting in our basement, he built me bedroom shelves, helped with a few projects I had in the works, helped Jim with several things, worked for me at my office, and helped Quincy rebuild her transmission in her old car.  And those are just the big ones. He is great with projects.  I hope he enjoys the spring semester!   

Today, church was cancelled due to extreme cold.  I worried about Preston driving back to Manhattan.  He made it fine. Then I worried about Quincy and Jo driving into the TJ’s holiday party.  They didn’t make it, but not due to problems, just because they decided at the last minute to buy some snacks and come back here to watch movies.  Mostly because I told them going into Topeka,  in this weather, when you know roads are drifting is irresponsible.  They seem like they are having fun anyway, playing games, watching movies and playing cards.  I think it was a good decision.  

Tonight, my leg is much better, although not great.  I am sure I’ll survive,  it it slowed my projects down for the weekend. 

Tomorrow the kids and Jim have the day off.  I don’t, but I am happy they will have one more day to get the roads scooped out.  I am definitly ready for spring!