Well, here I sit at home once again as Mother Nature blows sleet and snow all over this totally unprepared city. Dallas schools are once again closed, along with eight million others in North Texas. I know all you Youth Todayers up North think we are a bunch of wusses down here in Texas, and we no doubt are!
Furthermore, I really don’t want to become a winter weather warrior. I live in Texas because I love warm weather, even hotter than hot weather. I HATE cold weather! When it gets below 65, I start getting grumpy. Imagine my state of mind today at 18 balmy degrees with wind chill at minus one!!
Last week, schools were closed for an unprecedented four days! I have lived in Dallas over 40 years, and that has never happened. And, of course, you all know the effect of the weather on the pre-Super Bowl activities. Thank goodness it did at least become beautiful in time for the weekend. But, geez, what torture leading up to the big game!
And speaking of the big game, what happened to the thousands of prostitutes that were supposed to be transported in? Promise House heard nary a peep from Dallas police, and to my knowledge, only one guy was arrested for bringing in underage girls. Did the weather keep them at home, or was the estimate totally overblown, as was opined by the Dallas Observer, Dallas’ alternative news source?!
And my poor direct-care staff. We should use the Post Office slogan…..neither sleet nor snow or whatever keeps them from coming to work…….because they HAVE to! Kids don’t disappear just because it’s snowing or sleeting. One of my morning staffers left her house at 3:30 a.m. to get to work at 7:00!! That is ridiculous!
We admit it. We have no clue how to handle this stuff!! Last Thursday I braved the streets to buy groceries for the shelter (I live only one mile from work so get elected to do all kinds of fun things), since the Food Bank was closed and no one could leave the shelter. In my brand new Jeep (which I wasn’t too keen about exposing to the idiots on the road) I did just fine, and you would’ve thought I was the Messiah when I brought in the over $400 worth of bounty, which by the way, lasted a whopping 2 ½ days (those kids can EAT!!)
I brought my trusty dog with me who I have nicknamed The Hulk, because he is a giant Golden Retriever, and when I left one of the guys said, “Thank you for bringing your dog and THANK YOU SO MUCH for bringing the FOOD!” It’s the little things.
My only saving grace out of this entire debacle is that this summer the joke will be on y’all. When it’s 103 up there in the North 40, you will be prostrate on the floor without air conditioning, and we’ll be cool as little cucumbers with our totally climate-controlled world. For that we ARE prepared!!
Stay warm.
