Snow day

Yes, it's a snow day for MOST of the schools in the area. Now, let me tell you, we didn't have an abundance of snow, just about 3/4 of an inch. Three-quarters of an inch? And the schools are closed? Well, duh! It's so cold the salt isn't working, but apparently tires do work to melt snow, which immediately freezes causing all kinds of problems, and kiddies can't be in buses where there's a probability that an accident might occur (not possibility, as that could be any time).

So, I'm looking out my window at the third day of "puffs" of snow. The roofs are white, the street is white, the car is entirely white, and the grass is buried. It's still puffing.

We are to get these "puffs" for the rest of the day and the temperature is not to get above 20 degrees, which means: snow, tires melt the snow, ice. I'm glad I can stay in most of the day.

Tonight, however, both Alan and I HAVE to get out to the annual community board election. Neither of us is running, but we need our "faves" to win, right? And if there is not a quorum (said number set in the deed of the community) present, there will be no election. I don't know what happens then. Do we have a board with only two members? Do the non-disposed members stay on until we can have a duly held election? In all the years we've been here, even for changes to the master deed, we have not had an election canceled or not enough people attending.

In fact, election night at Chardonnay is really a party night. We gather for desserts prepared by the ladies of the Chain Gang (known for two hours as The Happy Hookers). The Chain Gang are ladies who meet on Monday afternoon, every week, no matter what the weather, to crochet or knit, and gossip. I used to go "religiously. Why did I stop going? Well, Monday is my catch-up day -- I do all the things I didn't do on Saturday and Sunday, and by the time I'm finished doing all those things, it's past time for the Chain Gang. And, I just can't get out of the habit of the Monday-after clean up and put away syndrome.

So, tonight is election, and we'll see if they (1) have it; or (2) postpone it because most of the residents are over 65 and our bones are brittle and slippage and lack of balance is a common ailment for the gray-heads in our community -- of which I am chief!

That is, I'm chief slipper, and my hair is gray, well, white really.

I was thinking as I lay in bed this a.m. and radio alerted me to the school closings by saying that I should check the station's website to see if my school was closed, of how things have changed since I was a kid. And really this should be in Runnemede Remembered.

When I was a child, since I was in a community where everyone walked, including most of the teachers, we rarely had a snow day. However, as the town grew and buses were added for those children who lived outside the 2-mile radius of the school, we had more snow days, especially when I was in high school.

I recall the high school being closed and my brothers and sister having to attend school because Runnemede schools were open, but I digress. I was remembering vividly sitting in the warmth of the kitchen waiting for our school to be announced as closed. It was still dark out -- I do recall that -- so it must have been pretty early in the morning when I was listening to the old Stromberg-Carlson radio which was a feature of our kitchen. That same radio that each evening at 6:45 p.m. would blast the news to us as we finished our dinner at the kitchen table.

Mom was always very busy while we children sat glued to the radio, all ears so to speak, hoping and praying we'd have a snow day. Alas, they were infrequent and we'd have to wait until after school to go sleding or ice skating. I, who had dreams of becoming an olympic ice skater -- yes, in my dreams -- would find a place to skate as often as I could. I was certain that as soon as I learned to spin and/or skate backwards, I was olympics bound. Again, in my dreams. I don't even remember where I ice skated, but I know I did, and it was probably some place where the snow had melted and refroze into a small pond. I mean, you don't need a lot of room to practice spins.

So, on this snowy morning, I'm in my office cocoon getting ready to update Runnemede Remembered with another tale, not related to snow days.

ttfn