Oh No – Snow!

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I have a confession. I’ve become a bit of a weather wuss!

We’ve had this unbelievably gorgeous fall and I’ve gotten spoiled. Now tonight I watched the weather and the forecast started with “big changes in store…..” and that’s never a good sign.

I grew up in a mountain town at just under 5000 ft elevation. It snowed – a lot! Now I’m at just a little over 3000 ft and I’ve gone soft. I get spring a bit earlier and a longer fall and suddenly I cringe at a couple of inches in late October? Growing up it wasn’t really Halloween unless we had lots of warm clothes under out costumes. And snow boots. Always snow boots.

I remember one year when I was in 1st or 2nd grade and made the mistake of taking a paper treat bag. Probably that’s what we always had – unless we had especially high hopes and took a pillow case. Now that was a haul. Anyway, we were in snow up to our knees and as we were making it across the yard to come home, after God knows how long, and my wet bag had finally had enough and the bottom broke out. Obviously it scarred me for life since I’m bringing it up here. Moral of the story, paper treat bags + deep snow = bad idea!

Anyway, I grew up with winter from October to May. I skied, ice skated, went sledding, built forts. All those things you do when you’re outside in the winter. I loved it! Winter was all about blue sky, sunshine and snow!! If anyone wanted to find me, the first place they checked was the ski hill.

Then I moved away and found out that’s not how it is everywhere. Not everybody has enough snow to build tunnels through the snowbanks in the front yard. Some places, they even name their winter storms and cancel school. I’d never heard of such a thing! Really? You don’t have to go to school because it snows or it might snow? I had no idea! I remember an early out in Jr. High because they didn’t think the buses would be able to get through the drifts but that was only an hour or two. Once.

And then I came back, sort of, and I’m cold. Or maybe just old. I get those two confused.

Suddenly I have a bit more understanding for the “snowbirds” who winter in places like Arizona. Before, I could never imagine why anyone would want to leave the winter wonderland! Now, we have 2 to 3 inches on track for Tuesday morning and I’m thinking I might check the flights.

My name is Annie and even though I still love a good storm, I’ve clearly become a candy ass!

It’s Good to be Red!

I heard on the radio this morning that it’s the 50th anniversary of the Flintstones and I immediately thought of Wilma. I’d just like to thank her for being one of the few cool redheads of her time.

Growing up it didn’t seem like there were many of us on TV so I remember the ones who were. There’s Wilma who could really rock those beads:

Only a redhead could keep Fred in line!

And Lucy, who made it ok to be a lunatic:

Plus, she's gorgeous!

And let’s not forget Pippi who gave me (and now my daughter) years of halloween costumes:

If anybody called her carrot top she'd have taken them out with a braid!

But, my all time favorite came along when I was in grade school. The day after she showed up on Happy Days I was a little more cool at school. Hey, if the Fonz liked redheads they can’t be all bad! Here’s to you Pinky:

Aayyyy!

 And a few other things I want to mention ~

To my friend’s father who told me (in elementary school), “I’d rather be dead like a bump on a log than red in the head like a dick on a dog”: FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!!

To that sweet boy on the field trip bus in 6th grade who told me my hair in the sunshine was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and who recently told me he’d married a redhead because I’d ruined him for blonds and brunettes all those years ago: Thank you! A million times thank you! You finally made it ok to be a redhead that day.

To the little boy in my daughter’s 4th grade class who told her her hair was “beautiful – like spun copper and gold”: Thank you too! She already appreciates having “different” hair.

And finally to Science Guy who married me despite his mother also being a redhead: Thank you and I love you!

Now if I could just get it to grow back!

Hold a Grudge Much?

It’s raining today – not just raining but dumping buckets. Days like this always bring back memories. Not of jumping in puddles or singing under my umbrella as I merrily skipped my way to school. 

I remember that on mornings like this, my mom always got in the shower right as it was time for me to leave for school instead of giving me a ride. I walked to school – several blocks. Or might have been 10 miles – uphill both ways in the snow. That part is a little hazy.

But my mother’s horrible betrayal and refusal to give me a ride in the rain? THAT I remember. Clearly. Ah, the eyes of a child. A bitter wet little child on her way to school in the pouring rain – likely to get pneumonia and die in the street. I wondered where my kids got the drama.

In truth, it might have only happened once or twice but to me it was always. Sure, she usually had homemade baked goods for me after school and in my lunch. She may have stayed up late to make me a new dress the night before my 2nd grade program because I didn’t tell her about it until bedtime. Like I said, the other details are hazy. My cold lonely shivering walk in the rain is not. Why? Because the  bitch made me get wet a couple of mornings in middle school. Or was it jr. high or high school? Who knows, but it trumps the cookies and new dresses in the mind of a child, or was it moody adolescent?

In the mind of a parent however, as I shove my kids out the door into the rain to stand at the bus stop 10 minutes before it gets here, it all takes on a little different perspective. The water is good for them and D2 has the kind of hair that looks best when it gets rained on a little. That’s why they have rain coats.  Geez, that coffee isn’t going to pour itself you know and I need to get in the shower – I have a lunch date with friends in 3 hours.