It's Official... We are in the South!

**This is a test of the EMERGENCY MOCKING SYSTEM... this is only a test... if this was an actual emergency... I wouldn't be mocking it... If this test works... you will be ROFLYBO (translation for my MIL--oops, I mean mother-in-law is "rolling on the floor laughing your butt off")... Don't worry... the southern people are of the strong sort who like a good ribbing... remember this is a test of the EMERGENCY MOCKING SYSTEM and this is ONLY A TEST**

So if you ever wondered if those rumors about people in the south being mesmerized by inclimate weather were true, then I am here to set those rumors straight. It has been my experience, this last week, that people in the South have NO IDEA what winter weather is, nor do they know how to prepare for it. It has been quite amusing, actually, to watch the news and their coverage of "Storm Watch 2008." As if over-hype in the media wasn't enough entertainment, it has been interesting to hear rumors of schools closing, actual school closings/delays and then the icing (pun intended) on the cake being the rumor of church closing. And since tomorrow is Sunday and it takes me a few weeks to update my blog, I guess you won't know if they actually do cancel church tomorrow for a while.

And what, you may ask, is the cause of all this excitement and facility closings or delays? You might think or expect several inches of snow with winds causing drifting and a wind chill well below zero. Now if that is, in fact, what you think, then you would be wrong. But don't worry, being wrong in this case means that you are a totally normal, rational person. It is the southern folk that have a strange and irrational idea of winter weather.

Let me explain. You see on Wednesday of this past week (1/16) there was talk all over this town I've inhabited about winter weather coming in that night. It was to produce icy rain, slick roads and maybe even... GASP... SNOW! So keep your eyes and ears posted for closing announcements. Now, it was pretty chilly on Wednesday, I would say about a high of 40 degrees (now that's Fahrenheit). It was supposed to dip below freezing over night and ice up the road ways. It was supposed to precipitate icy rain and even snow in some parts. Be advised that this creates dangerous weather (rolling my eyes and getting nauseous just thinking of the ridiculous seriousness of everyone). So I check the internet sites of local news stations and low and behold, Abby's school is on a 2-hour delay for the next day. Let me just tell you that this is the night BEFORE the weather is SUPPOSED to hit. Up until this announcement there has been no wind, no precipitation and no below freezing temps. But as a precaution, they will put the schools on a 2 hour delay...WHATEVER!

So, when I get up in the morning, I'm expecting sheets of ice falling from the sky, trees down, snow or hail covering the ground. I was prepared. I knew where our camping stove was with fuel, I've got my 1/2 ton of stored wheat in the garage and a 50 gallon barrel of water outside. I'm all set for this monstrous winter weather. I gaze out my window and what do I see? RAIN. Not icy rain, not sleet, not hail, not snow, but misty rain falling. I look at the temperature. At 7am, it is 34 degrees outside. I look at the internet school closings list and see that Abby's school is still on 2 hour delay and other schools, businesses and church activities are canceled or on delay. YEP, they've nearly shut down the whole town for... RAIN. I decided then and there that all those years of waking up with 10 feet of snow on the ground, listening to the radio and hoping that school was closed was the greatest weather-related education I could ask for. For in my childhood did I learn the value of closure announcements AFTER the weather hit... not before. So the consequence of this badly planned system was that I had to take Abby to aerobics with me because she couldn't go to school until 11am. So I should count my blessings that she could go at all... and I do.

Now onto the church portion. Today it actually did snow and it was a sight. Big, beautiful flakes falling to the ground was the picture I saw out of my window. Again the TV banners spouted off that there was a winter storm warning for our area. Prepare for precipitation accumulation to be (now can you handle this?) 1-3 inches. LOL!!! ROFLMBO!!! HA HA HA!!! Winter storm warning for 1-3 inches!! I mean, aren't they embarrassed? Anyway, moving on. So we agreed to baby sit some kids so a couple in our ward could go to the Duke basketball game tonight (Duke won BTW). So they bring the kids in and we chat a little and discuss how the chili cookoff was canceled tonight because of the "weather". Then Natalie mentions that they might cancel church. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? CANCEL CHURCH?!? This is just too much. So, I guess we'll be waiting for some announcement from someone about church tomorrow. You, of course, will be waiting a bit longer!

So here are a few pictures of the "weather", and a picture of Abby in the 2008 glasses that some friends sent us to celebrate the new year which I promised to post. She really likes the glasses, the hats and the noise makers they sent. We like the glasses and hats, but the noise makers will live a very short life. But grateful we are to have such great friends who think of us and spoil us with fun toys!

Enjoy the pictures, and I would love to hear your comments on the dire weather circumstances we are facing. Do you have advice for preparing and keeping ourselves safe on the roads or in our house in case we can't walk down the porch steps because they might be slick? TIA for any help you can give us.