snowpocalypse of doom
Feb. 1st, 2011 10:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
floatingleafThere is a raging blizzard outside. It's supposed to keep raging throughout the Midwest until tomorrow afternoon, at least. My workplace closed early today, and they have already sent out a voicemail to all employees anouncing that it will also be closed tomorrow. Now, this is no small potatoes. Our office is never closed. The lady who retired last year told me once that in all 30+ years she had worked there, this happened maybe once or twice. So I am still in a state of mild shock over this... lol. As well as IMMENSELY relieved that I DO NOT have to go outside tomorrow. My windows are rattling something fierce right now. I took public transportation to work today, because the thought of driving in a blizzard was giving me hives - and let me just tell you that the commute back home wasn't fun. If I were just a few pounds lighter, I might have accidentally learned to fly on my way from the bus stop.;) But I think I made it before the worst of the storm. There's not a living soul to be seen outside by now. I think pretty much all the schools/businesses in the area will be closed tomorrow - including the O'Hare airport (I know, because a coworker's husband works there). I'm not sure about grocery stores - but luckily I don't have to visit one until next weekend. The one thing I'm worried about is a possible power outage - but my heating is not electric, so even if I do lose power, at least I will not freeze to death (there is a major Arctic front expected tomorrow, in addition to the storm). Which is definitely a comforting thought. *shivers*
Now, the question is whether I will be able to use my car on Thursday morning. It's out there on the street, covered in snow, and will most likely be a frozen little pile of junk metal by then. Not that I necessarily want to be driving it on icy roads either - but if it doesn't start/gets stuck in the snow etc., I will have a problem. God, I so want that car off my hands, I can't even. *sigh*
Anyway... since I'm here and my internet is still working (yay!), I might just as well do another installment of the nearly-forgotten 30-day meme.:)
Got up at 6:30 a.m. (blergh) Left the apartment at around 8:00. Got to work a few minutes past nine (by car, it takes about 30 minutes, but the bus/train commute is tricky, since I have to transfer twice). Did some actual work, but mostly chatted with people and speculated about the upcoming storm (when will it actually hit, how bad is it going to be, will the office close early etc.). At 10:30 we had a meeting on the progress of this whole disgusting phone call project. I was a little bit nervous, because everyone else on the team was asked to make about 50 calls, and in comparison it felt like I didn't really do anything - plus, I hadn't actually CALLED anyone so far - but the boss only asked about my success rate in obtaining the information we need, which wasn't bad. We also talked about those stupid self-assessment forms we have to fill out; you know, company policy, objectives, personal development, what each person acomplished for the business in 2010 etc. BLLLERRRGHHH. Everyone hates it, but it's mandatory, and the more detail we provide in talking about our acomplishments, the easier it is for the boss to give us a good rating. Anyway... the forms have very small font with weird spacing, so the word "self-assessment" actually looks more like "s elf-ass ess ment". I kid you not. Of course, it could be just me, seeing "elf ass" even where there is none.:P But then you have "manager assessment", which, if you don't look too closely, might slightly resemble "ranger ass". Yes, I am past all hope, I admit. Or it could be just mental escape when looking at something that bores you to death. But I digress.
Took lunch at one-ish, and barely managed to finish sipping my afternoon tea when we got the email about the office closing at 3 p.m. due to extreme weather conditions. It was just starting to snow at that point, but things escalated pretty quickly - we walked out of the building into a swirling mass of white coming from all directions. Traffic was moving with excruciating slowness, and the bus was PACKED (it's a suburban route, and it's never packed - I guess more people weren't too crazy about driving today). Train was pretty crowded too, and the other bus wasn't much better. By the time I got off at my final stop, the wind was REALLY picking up. But the snow on the sidewalk wasn't too deep... yet. Thursday will be a different story, I am sure.:/
Anyway... got home, peeled off wet clothing, made myself a big mug of hot tea, then did some cooking. I had planned to do it tomorrow, but since I was home early, I decided I might just as well get it done tonight. Afterwards, I had meant to take a long, hot shower - but then they sent us that voicemail about the office being closed tomorrow... so I can actually reschedule that for tomorrow morning. My hair looks ten times better if I can wash it in the morning. Of course, I can't do that on regular weekdays - I barely have enough time in the mornings to brush my teeth and splash come cold water on my face, lol (as I have said countless times before and will probably say again, I am NOT a morning person). Besides, it wouldn't do to go outside with wet hair in this weather, anyway. But when I wash it in the evenings and then go to bed, it just gets flattened against the pillows and looks icky (I don't use a blow-dryer - if I do that, my hair refuses to curl and resembles an old, shaggy broom; I have to let it dry naturally, and not lay down while it's still damp, if possible). So I try to wash it in the morning at least once a week (on those mornings when I don't have to be anywhere on time - which usually means Sunday only).
That's it. My entire fascinating day.:) Now I think I'll have a snack (since dinner was pretty early and I'm hungry already) and read some slash. Btw, I'd be thrilled if someone could recommend me a long, plotty, sophisticated angst/adventure/romance fic with a happy ending. Aragorn/Legolas or Viggorli, preferably (did I even need to specify that?... *snort*). Great sex is a bonus, but not absolutely necessary. I just want something engaging, well-written and psychologically plausible (as in, no damsel-in-distress Legolas, thank you very much). A gripping, multi-chapter story I can get lost in for a while. Hurt/comfort is perfectly fine, as long as the main focus of the story is on the comfort/healing, not on the hurt (especially if one of the lovers does the healing for the other one, lol). This is the type of fic that sustains me best of all when life gets shitty. I have probably read most of the really well-known ones - but throw something at me if you can, and it just might prove to be a new discovery. Or a happy re-read, at any rate.
***
Okay... I just heard thunder outside a while ago. THUNDER. During a snowstorm. That's a new one. O_O What's up, weather? Please to be getting yourself under control. Arctic fronts and tornadoes don't go together. Or at least they didn't use to - until we humans fucked up the planet Earth to epic proportions.:/ I have a feeling planet Earth is not amused, and is going to be pulling a number on us pretty frequently from now on. And she probably doesn't give a shit whether we call it global warming or Armageddon. Either way, we did it ourselves, and we are going to have to deal with the consequences. Or the consequences will deal with us, so to speak. *shudder*
Anyway, it's high time to end this post. Please keep your fingers crossed for my electricity/internet to remain in working order throughout tomorrow, and I'll do the same for you (since pretty much everyone across several US states is dealing with the same shit right now). Stay warm and cozy, and have a good night.:)
Now, the question is whether I will be able to use my car on Thursday morning. It's out there on the street, covered in snow, and will most likely be a frozen little pile of junk metal by then. Not that I necessarily want to be driving it on icy roads either - but if it doesn't start/gets stuck in the snow etc., I will have a problem. God, I so want that car off my hands, I can't even. *sigh*
Anyway... since I'm here and my internet is still working (yay!), I might just as well do another installment of the nearly-forgotten 30-day meme.:)
Got up at 6:30 a.m. (blergh) Left the apartment at around 8:00. Got to work a few minutes past nine (by car, it takes about 30 minutes, but the bus/train commute is tricky, since I have to transfer twice). Did some actual work, but mostly chatted with people and speculated about the upcoming storm (when will it actually hit, how bad is it going to be, will the office close early etc.). At 10:30 we had a meeting on the progress of this whole disgusting phone call project. I was a little bit nervous, because everyone else on the team was asked to make about 50 calls, and in comparison it felt like I didn't really do anything - plus, I hadn't actually CALLED anyone so far - but the boss only asked about my success rate in obtaining the information we need, which wasn't bad. We also talked about those stupid self-assessment forms we have to fill out; you know, company policy, objectives, personal development, what each person acomplished for the business in 2010 etc. BLLLERRRGHHH. Everyone hates it, but it's mandatory, and the more detail we provide in talking about our acomplishments, the easier it is for the boss to give us a good rating. Anyway... the forms have very small font with weird spacing, so the word "self-assessment" actually looks more like "s elf-ass ess ment". I kid you not. Of course, it could be just me, seeing "elf ass" even where there is none.:P But then you have "manager assessment", which, if you don't look too closely, might slightly resemble "ranger ass". Yes, I am past all hope, I admit. Or it could be just mental escape when looking at something that bores you to death. But I digress.
Took lunch at one-ish, and barely managed to finish sipping my afternoon tea when we got the email about the office closing at 3 p.m. due to extreme weather conditions. It was just starting to snow at that point, but things escalated pretty quickly - we walked out of the building into a swirling mass of white coming from all directions. Traffic was moving with excruciating slowness, and the bus was PACKED (it's a suburban route, and it's never packed - I guess more people weren't too crazy about driving today). Train was pretty crowded too, and the other bus wasn't much better. By the time I got off at my final stop, the wind was REALLY picking up. But the snow on the sidewalk wasn't too deep... yet. Thursday will be a different story, I am sure.:/
Anyway... got home, peeled off wet clothing, made myself a big mug of hot tea, then did some cooking. I had planned to do it tomorrow, but since I was home early, I decided I might just as well get it done tonight. Afterwards, I had meant to take a long, hot shower - but then they sent us that voicemail about the office being closed tomorrow... so I can actually reschedule that for tomorrow morning. My hair looks ten times better if I can wash it in the morning. Of course, I can't do that on regular weekdays - I barely have enough time in the mornings to brush my teeth and splash come cold water on my face, lol (as I have said countless times before and will probably say again, I am NOT a morning person). Besides, it wouldn't do to go outside with wet hair in this weather, anyway. But when I wash it in the evenings and then go to bed, it just gets flattened against the pillows and looks icky (I don't use a blow-dryer - if I do that, my hair refuses to curl and resembles an old, shaggy broom; I have to let it dry naturally, and not lay down while it's still damp, if possible). So I try to wash it in the morning at least once a week (on those mornings when I don't have to be anywhere on time - which usually means Sunday only).
That's it. My entire fascinating day.:) Now I think I'll have a snack (since dinner was pretty early and I'm hungry already) and read some slash. Btw, I'd be thrilled if someone could recommend me a long, plotty, sophisticated angst/adventure/romance fic with a happy ending. Aragorn/Legolas or Viggorli, preferably (did I even need to specify that?... *snort*). Great sex is a bonus, but not absolutely necessary. I just want something engaging, well-written and psychologically plausible (as in, no damsel-in-distress Legolas, thank you very much). A gripping, multi-chapter story I can get lost in for a while. Hurt/comfort is perfectly fine, as long as the main focus of the story is on the comfort/healing, not on the hurt (especially if one of the lovers does the healing for the other one, lol). This is the type of fic that sustains me best of all when life gets shitty. I have probably read most of the really well-known ones - but throw something at me if you can, and it just might prove to be a new discovery. Or a happy re-read, at any rate.
***
Okay... I just heard thunder outside a while ago. THUNDER. During a snowstorm. That's a new one. O_O What's up, weather? Please to be getting yourself under control. Arctic fronts and tornadoes don't go together. Or at least they didn't use to - until we humans fucked up the planet Earth to epic proportions.:/ I have a feeling planet Earth is not amused, and is going to be pulling a number on us pretty frequently from now on. And she probably doesn't give a shit whether we call it global warming or Armageddon. Either way, we did it ourselves, and we are going to have to deal with the consequences. Or the consequences will deal with us, so to speak. *shudder*
Anyway, it's high time to end this post. Please keep your fingers crossed for my electricity/internet to remain in working order throughout tomorrow, and I'll do the same for you (since pretty much everyone across several US states is dealing with the same shit right now). Stay warm and cozy, and have a good night.:)
