Today is a snow day for many of the Georgia schools and the hocus pocus that led up to this wonderful occurrence was almost epidemic, what with the flushing of ice cubes down toilets and wearing PJs inside out and backwards for good blizzard karma. Some prayed to the snow gods and others promised the Real God better behavior if they could just have this One Day.
And if you think I’m talking about kids here, you're wrong. I’m talking about the teachers.
Teaching school isn’t a glamorous job. After all, we work with children and working with children, while often fun and entertaining, isn’t something that you hear about on E!. I can’t imagine Lindsey Lohan doing it or even George Clooney (although I wish he would and that he would do it at my school). The pay is okay and the holidays are a bonus, but the days are pretty grueling, starting out early and ending just when you think you are going to pass out.
But every once in a while we get a Snow Day and a Snow Day trumps martini lunches and expense account dinners every time. But we teachers must do some work first to earn our Snow Day. The afternoon before, as the weather prognosticators are wooing us with their predictions, we must high five each other and say things like, "Hope I don't see you tomorrow!" and "Call me when you find out for sure even if we are three feet deep in snow." Then, as afternoon moves toward evening, we have to get on Facebook and do some minor bitching about our system and our superintendent and how we are always the last to have school called off. My favorite post from last night was this by an unnamed teacher who happens to teach across the hall from me:
"2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits a bucket..... If we don't get a snow day, APS can suck it!!!!"
We finally heard the good news around nine pm and the raucous rejoicing could be heard all over greater Atlanta, some of which actually emanated from the kids.
And so, I haven't changed out of my pajamas today, although they are now on right-side-out and frontwards. I slept late and took a nap and, so far, my electricity and cable are intact (knock wood). There's a chance we will have to make up this day some time in the future, but I'll worry about that later.
Wait! The news people are starting to to announce closures for tomorrow so I need to get back to Facebook.
On a sad note, I did get an email from a retired teacher friend, who said that, although she enjoys not having to work anymore, she sure does miss having a Snow Day.
