In anticipation of the weather

We were at a party of school folks last night and Regis said the collective consciousness there anticipating snow worthy of a late start or cancellation, was like a vortex. I peeked out the window this morning and didn't see much snow yet and the radar looks like it might be moving on. He thinks we're being lazy when we wish for snow days; I say it's just one of the things we at work for fun. Everyone in education has been doing this since they were five years old: wishing for a snow day. You don't give that up when you become an adult just because you've grown a work ethic.

In a conversation at the party, I was visiting with a couple friends who, I realized, have well-developed BS detectors. See the geiger counter at the top of the page. In the presence of someone who, let's say, blows smoke, both of their needles go boing boing boing. It's good to see that in your colleagues. Sometimes I'm afraid we're in danger of being smothered by intellectual flatulance.

At my school, we are in danger of the real thing. I was gone the other afternoon and Joanne took a complaint of the odiferous kind from the bus driver, who was the only one who smelled it. She did a thorough investigation and interrogated multiple suspects to no avail, then decided enough time had been spent on the errant fart and closed the case.

Sometimes these are worthy investigations. We have students who decide that dropping the mother of all farts in a closed environment is a way to be obnoxious. Those are usually cleared up pretty fast; someone in the vicinity of the perpetrator will squawk. The subtle ones are more difficult. And sometimes accidental, I suppose.

Regis borrowed a gps unit from #1 Son in case we go anywhere this weekend. We planned to go to Canby but the weather looks forbidding. In any case, I've been driving between here and there since 1970 so I don't need a gps to get there. We're going to Rochester on Monday and we pretty much know that path, too. I guess the gps is just a toy.

Here's the weather report for the weekend:

Last update: Friday, December 19, 2008 3:53 am

Latest (NAM) model: .10" of liquid precipitation Friday AM storm: translates into 1-3" of new snow for metro area

Winter Weather Advisory: metro area. Winter Storm Watch posted for far southern MN late Thursday into Friday morning, includes Rochester and Mankato. 5-8" new snow possible far south, lesser amounts for MSP metro, but still enough to shovel/plow, probably

NAM computer model: plowable, 6"+ snowfall potential for MSP and much of southern MN Saturday PM into Sunday. Turning bitterly cold again Sunday through Christmas Day

Friday: Weather Advisory. Periods of light snow, slippery roads. 1-2" expected, more south. Winds: NE 5-15. High: 20 Saturday: Storm Watch Heavier snow likely, 3-6" by Saturday night. High: 21 Sunday: Much colder with snow tapering to flurries.

Keep your mittens on today, Miles!