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.