2.15.2007

The Day from HELL

It started when I walked out the door to the freezing rain. You know the kind. It sounds like rain, then you walk outside and almost bust your head open on the concrete? Yeah that happened to me. Three times in the 20 steps from the front door to my car. Then I got to the car and there was a layer of ice on top of the inch or two of snow that had fallen since I'd come home from work earlier in the day. Got to the car, had to yank open my door because it was iced shut. Curses!!!

I spend the next 15 minutes scraping the ice and snow off of my car. New laws here give hefty fines if snow or ice from your car flies off causing an accident. Then I see the pile of snow behind my car from the snow plows coming through last night pushing it all to MY SIDE... and it also has a layer of ice on it. I try to drive over it anyway. I get stuck but I'm able to pull forward and almost slide into my dad's car. I pull back up into the space and call my job. "I can't get out of my driveway and its freezing rain." I already have the shovel out trying to scrape something out. I'm on the verge of tears because I'm frustrated and I'm scared I'm going to kill myself trying to get to work.

My news director tells me to wait a few minutes and try again. So I go back in the house and sit down for a few minutes but I can't relax because I'm like I've gotta go. (It's the news disease. The news has to get on the air regardless. We don't get snow days. We're just as bad as mail men and we don't get Sunday off either). Then I see we're going on early at 4:30 so I get in the car and leave. The road near my house was pretty bad. The main roads were ok though. I get to work in 45 minutes instead of my usual 30 and they were just glad I was there.

The morning shows were a combined 4 1/2 hours of news instead of 3 to get all the snow coverage in with lots of running around. It was how you picture a news station rushing to get you everything you need to know RIGHT NOW. Very dramatic.

I'm supposed to get off at 10 but we have more extended coverage so I stay to help. In between this, I'm getting updates from Kyle. His 630am flight was cancelled because the airport was closed. They thought they would be able to get it open by 830 and he would now be connecting in Minneapolis instead of Detroit and his flight would get here at 430p instead of 1130a. About 1045a, I another call telling me he is STILL IN HARTFORD!!!!!!!! and his flight will get there around 7pm. #$%^&*()_!$%^&*(?!%&*

I'm like that's ridiculous. We'll have a day together instead of a full 48 hours!!!!! And we haven't seen each other in more than a month and that was for 15 minutes. So I ask him to see if he can get a different flight for next week since he has the same off days. It was just about seeing each other, not about Valentine's Day.

He checks with the folk. They say no dice because he'll have to travel on days when he's not available and has to come by next Wednesday. WTF?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!

#$%^&*(#$%^&*()$%^&*()!&^%#$%^&*

I cut a line in my car to loosen the ice so I can start it up. Then I trudge home in the snow to take a nap until he gets here and I get an update. He calls me... I say do you have an update? He says yes, but it's not good. What? They're closing the airport. I'm not coming. I'll try to come in two weeks.

I'm too exhausted to cry. I'm disappointed and sleepy. AND I HAVE CRAMPS. He's sleepy, its cold, he's driving in bad weather. We talk later in the day and I feel better. But overall? Not a fun day. When you comment, do not say awww. Or its ok. Or feel better. To keep up with Madam, I do not want to hear that. Encouraging words are not going to be appreciated right now.

AI started a list of things she likes EVERYday, not just on the unnecessarily maligned V-Day. So here are some of mine.

1. Telling me you love me. I could hear this all day long.
2. Getting a lot of comments. It really makes me jolly.
3. Wearing red, pink and other bright colors.
4. Looking fly. This is why I'm hot.
5. Going out to eat. Speaking of which, did you know baked potatoes are the greatest source of food bourne illness at restaurants? It's because its almost impossible to keep them at the internal temperature they're supposed to maintain once they've been cooked. So skip the baked potato. Learn something new everyday, right?
6. Getting cards. There is something joyous about seeing a colorful extended rectangle with your name on it.

Today on the Record Dish: Luda shouts out Oprah at the Grammy's. You know how I feel about Oprah. This is a must read.

23 comments:

The Very Reverend Ace Clemmons, Jr. said...

wow. i had NO IDEA about baked potatoes. Good info!

the very.

Ladynay said...

Hmmmmm can I say that I'm glad your made it into work? LOL

Big J said...

Perhaps you should get All-Wheel drive...

Jameil said...

medium sized j... perhaps i should move away from the snow.

Leela said...

too many close calls on the colorado winter roads have made me extremely nervous when it comes to driving in bad conditions. so be careful!

btw, nice plug for the record dish :)

Dreamlover said...

Can I say SUCKY??

Thanks.

"Sucky!!"

;-)

Southern Girl said...

I'm glad you said something about baked potatoes...you do learn some new ish everyday!!
" This is why I'm hot."~ this should be your mantra, bc when I heard of this song...your were the first person I thought about:)

Adei von K said...

surprised abt the potato fact! where did u get that from??

Rell said...

Sorry about that -- it sucks but hopefully you'll get to see him soon.

dreamyj said...

damn man, you make me want to take my post back about wanting it to snow so i can get off work back. now i see where the bitterness in your comment came from.

keep your head up though, you'll see your man. =)

Anonymous said...

thanks for the shout out ... readin your list i need to go back in and add one ... specifically about me likin to dress fly and look hot too ...lol... have to say youre day sucked ... and well this isnt any consolation ... but aunt flo decided she wanted to come and visit me on v-day too aint that a mo fo?!

La said...

Boooooo. Just boo alllllllll the fuck around.

That pact is lookin' reeeeaaaal good right now.





Hey! Look at me all commentin'! Yay!!!

La said...

Boooooo. Just boo alllllllll the fuck around.

That pact is lookin' reeeeaaaal good right now.





Hey! Look at me all commentin'! Yay!!!

Jarrod said...

Don't you just love covering weather all day?? How about this...when Tropical Storm Ernesto hit the Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Hampton are I came into work at 2:30 am...I left at 2:30 pm. I know about the snow all too well, I'm from Jersey son.

TrinaBeingTrina said...

I won't offer words of encouragement. I'll just say that I'm pissed off you had to still go to work in that kind of weather. I'm pissed off that you didn't get a chance to see your boo. But most of all I'm pissed off about the baked potatoes. You have no idea how much I love a good baked potato! hahaha

Ms.Honey said...

Darn that snow

Madam DLBG said...

*&*@&#@)&#(@)&#@&#()@#&@(&#@)#&(&#@(*

So far that's me, LA, and you...

Who else are having bad days/weeks? It's like we're all connected... We hate life right now..

HEY LIFE, FCUK YOU...kiss my azz and MAKE IT RIGHT!!!

ok, I go now.

Veronica Marché said...

Lawd, I wish we could get snow days.

Tis a luxury I may never experience again.

And that sucks.

Discombobulated Diva said...

dang girl, sounds like a rough day... lucky for me i don't have the news disease, cause as soon as i looked out my window (on my way to the bathroom at like 5am)and saw the snow/freezing rain, i returned to my bed and turned off all my alarms and proclaimed a self snow day (who care if the office was open... i wasn't gonna risk my life for them)...
anyways, hopefully Kyle can come in two weeks... and you can make up for lost time...

~DD

CNEL said...

Loving that resolve to get to work, I told people being in a newsroom gives you an adrenaline rush of sorts, they don't believe me.

Now you know I love me some carbs: bread and potatoes, but won't be ordering me no baked potatoe any time soon.

P.S.

I love how you give us parameters on what to say, and what not to say in our comments. Only you J I'm convinced would do so.

Lola Gets said...

Girl, I got stuck in the ice that day also. But mine was worse. I work at the tv station at night. So, I arrive back at my house around 12:45. All the good, "cleaned" spaces are taken, so I try to back into a space with a large ice barrier. Well, I get stuck. And Im half legal/half illegal. I left my car there, saying "itll be ok, its an accident." WRONG.

I leave my house the next day, see a ticket on my car. Plus, I STILL couldnt move it! Man, I had to get AAA to come and pull me out! The tow truck driver says "you know, if you had some sand, you wouldnt have needed me." Damn.

When I finally drove off, I went straight to the hardware store to get that sand! Took me three tries, but I finally got some!
L

Miss McLaughlin said...

That sucks. But at least you didnt fall and hurt yourself. And I'm sure your presence at work was MUCH appreciated!

4EverJennayNay said...

This post reminded me of Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It's been a few days so I'm guessing (and hoping) that you've recovered from your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I don't eat baked potatoes, btw.

I plan to move to VA in the next year or so. I'm not going any further north than Baltimore. I can't get with that snow crap.