Venturing out once more into the wild wintry wilderness (gotta love alliteration), the roads are all clear. There is plenty of dirty ice in parking lots and in the shade of buildings. It's not pretty, but at least I don't have to traverse it!
Yes, wild adventures awaited! The most interesting person I met today was...a Hawaaian-born Kiwi (New Zealander) working in Taco Bell. In Oklahoma. In the sticks. Go figure. Nice kid, looked like a college student. He was too busy to have a heart-to-heart to quench my insatiable curiosity. (And you bet I would have done it, too!) Why was he - the fish out of water - here, of all places? Mystery!
My Walmart grocery run started off normally; a short list, no one to stop and chat with. I was just kind of piddling around the front, meandering toward the checkout line when an announcement came over the intercom: Everyone was to go to checkout immediately and then leave the store. ??? The reasoning was this (and I knew a bit about it going in because Ken had told me): when the power went out, Walmart Corp. brought in a huge generator on a flatbed for the duration. Apparently, however, the city had to disconnect their stuff and hook it up and today planned to rehook it back into the municipal power. On Monday, early afternoon, with lots of shoppers. I had no hassle getting checked out since I was already there, but people were grumbling all over about it...and there were people outside the doors who wanted to come in and were being held back by employees until the power was restored. Fun! The actual bother came in the parking lot, where chaos ensued as people queued up to exit at the light (the left turn lane is very popular since Walmart is on the northern-most end of town and nearly everyone lives south of it. Like me.). I think it took me nearly twenty minutes to get out of the parking lot on the road heading south.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Sorry, today is a boring, bummer day. Just normal stuff, lessons, chores, whatnot. Still getting back to the regular schedule, so my body insisted on a nap to make up for sleep. Wish I could be more exciting. But I'm not.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
A very gray day, today. I couldn't even see the sun rising on the clouds. It was all just gray. How is the ice supposed to melt without the sun? It's been nearly two weeks!
By the time I left to pick up Jonathan in the afternoon, the clouds actually decided to do something. Jonathan said it wasn't rain, but ice, but it was rain that built up into a real storm by the evening. Good thing I made soup for dinner!
I had hoped that the rain would melt the ice, but only a little bit. Problem is, the puddles will freeze tonight and I'll have to face the ice tomorrow morning.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
If I do not answer my cellphone when you call the following may have occurred:
- I left my phone at home or (very unlikely) I turned it off.
- It's on the other side of the house & I didn't hear it or get to it on time.
- It just didn't bother to ring and went straight to voicemail. Yes, I anthropomorphized it, but it's true. Some days my phone just doesn't want to be bothered.
Friday, January 8, 2016
My children made two Seminary observations of me today. I thought they were funny:
Jonathan - I always mention Seminary at least ONCE every day. The ironic thing is, often that's because HE or Ken will ask me how it went that day. So I don't see how that's MY fault (if it even is a fault!).
Analiese - I have an experience to relate for EVERY situation. We were practicing a song she's singing for an audition for the Spring Musical at the college. I made mention of an...experience...I had as a theater major in college. Thus, the comment. Frankly, I have found with my teaching I need to recall experiences to help the kids relate to and understand that these things happen to everyone, Real life. Lucky me, my life gets put on the line.
NOTE: I'm not always proud of these anecdotes and I have students who have a hard time believing I have ever done anything wrong, but it illustrates the need for all of us to improve. Including ME.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
I really dislike weathermen. They have no clue what's going to happen. The forecast for last night and this morning was a 30% chance of light snow from midnight or so until 5 a.m. I had a Seminary Workshop to attend in Norman (south of OKC) 2 hours away, so I was really hoping and praying that there would be no snow and the roads would be clear. Because icy, slick roads would be a no-go. Uh-uh, ain't happenin'. Bock-bock, I'm a chicken...but at least I'm a live one.
I got up at 5:30 and looked outside. There's a dusting of snow on the lawn, but the sidewalks, the driveway and the road looks clear. Good! It's cold, but I think I can handle this, so I get ready to go and head out the door at 6:00, giving myself an extra hour to compensate for any breaks or unexpected things.
Driving east towards Lawton (must go past to head toward OKC/Norman) I encounter a little bit of dusty snow in the air, but the roads still look good. I am suitably cautious - no lead foot today! And then, I get past Lawton.
At first, I was happy because the sun was starting to come up and I could see better. These roads, presumably highways, are not well lit as you go through the countryside and the slight precipitation wasn't helping. But with the black-lightening-to-gray sky came MORE snow. We're talking serious windshield-wiper, slow down Jack, there's stuff out there and my tires are not skid-resistent, at least not in this stuff. Oh yeah, those weathermen really called it!
It is at this point that I learn what that sign I see all over means: BRIDGE ICES BEFORE ROAD. Yeah, slick, right at the top. Once again the rule against braking anyway but gently comes into play. And suddenly, I've become the Little Old Lady on the Road.
Did you know there is a minimum speed limit? On the highway going toward OKC, it's maximum 75 (which I usually glory in) and minimum 50. Today, I felt like a rebel. There are points where I serious drop below 50...mainly because my life is at stake.
The not-so-halfway point in my journey is Chickasha (shay). Just past the city there is an oasis between the lanes going either direction that houses a very large gas station (it can accomodate rigs), a convenience store to match, and a McDonalds. Being on edge (and drinking a DP) have made it necessary to stop. So I took a "nerves break," watching the snow drift lightly down - but not sticking to the car.
If anything, conditions got WORSE between there and Norman. Despite the fact that it was getting closer to the workshop start time, I was in less and less of a hurry. I learned quickly that when someone in front of you is driving cautiously in a snow storm, there may be a good reason why. I certainly feared changing lanes, besides the slushy, icy road the winds picked up! Seriously, I felt like a giraffe on ice skates.
I made it (obviously, or I wouldn't have this tale to tell). I sloshed up the sidewalk to gratefully into the OU Institute Building. Was it worth it or not? Only time would tell because I was at that point thinking I was either quite courageous or enormously stupid for having made the trip...and knowing I had to make it back as well.
I think it was worth it. The workshops are always full of the Spirit and I love to hear everyone else's ideas and experiences. Presenters walk us through different ways to approach the scriptures and exhort us that we're really doing the right thing and hang in there! Plus, since my stake is all spread out (even our monthly inservices are online), going is a great way to get to know them...and the other five stakes and not feel so alone in the calling.
However...all the time we were listening & learning, I would wonder about the weather in the back of my mind. Occassionally I would look at the window. Sometimes I'd see a little wind shaking bush branches or a little light snow. At my lowest point, though, I saw big flakes and clumps of snow and swallowed nervously. How would I get home?
The Lord understands my not-so-irrational fear (this one, at least is not). After we'd had lunch (a lovely lasagne soup with salad and French bread), I ventured outside to get some clothes I wanted to change into for the ride home (had to make a stop in Lawton). To my wondrous surprise, the sidewalks and roads were free of snow! The ride back was so uneventful...that I won't say a word about it! I was so grateful!
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Yesterday evening, shortly after arriving home, I received a text message from the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Teacher. She was ill and would I substitute the next day? I love her class, I love that we're reading the Book of Mormon, and I love teaching. How could I say no?
Obviously, I had little time to prepare, but some of the things discussed yesterday in Norman were easily adapted to call into play as we studied the first few chapters of First Nephi. I used the approach of #1 - Identifying doctrine and principles (which actually meant a few minutes defining the two), #2 Understanding them (which most in the class did without hesitation), then - MY FAVORITE - #3 Feeling the truth and bearing testimony of them, after which we would #4 - Apply them to our lives.
I am pleased to say, that it worked in practice as well as theory. Better than, really. The Spirit was so strong that I wished we had more time for everyone to relate to and bear testimony of their assigned scriptures. It was so inspiring to see how as one person would relate an experience or bear testimony that others would be able to recall their own and reaffirm theirs. It was almost a shame to wrap things up, but I guess we HAD to have Relief Society and Priesthood meetings.
I think I loved it most because, while I had to instruct and prompt at first, they (the students) and the Spirit took over. My lack of lots of prep didn't matter, I didn't even have to be a marvelous teacher...they learned for themselves. Awesome!
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