My Corner for Education

I have gone out to shovel the driveway twice this morning. While I was clearing the snow off the driveway, I joked with my retired neighbour next door who was doing exactly the same thing because we were worried that the snow would get too heavy to lift later on. I made a comment that I would pray that the street plower (the truck with a big pusher in the front) would be “kinder and gentler” today. We both laughed and shook our heads after I said that. Of course not!

 

The plowers seem to time their arrivals every single time. They always, I mean “always”, show up right after I have cleared the snow off the property and then dumped the snow from the street back onto the driveway again, which, of course, blocks the entire entrance to every single driveway on the street. If you were out when that happened, you wouldn’t be able to drive back in. If you happened to be in the house, you wouldn’t be able to leave your house with your car. YOU WOULD BE TRAPPED!

 

After my first shoveling this morning, I left for an emergency doctor appointment, I came back home an hour later and sure enough, my driveway was blocked. Thank Goodness that I had shoveled and piled some snow onto the front yard before I left. At least, the load would be lighter. So, back to square one, I had to shovel it all over again.

 

I have been enjoying the snowy view from the comfort of my home for the whole day. The old man winter has returned and it is still lingering as we speak. It seems that the snow does not intend to leave. It has been snowing solid for the entire day. My inner voice tells me that I should go out and do some shoveling again and forget about my Yoga class. But, DO I HAVE TO?

 

The only good thing came out of today was that I had a snow day. All schools were closed for the day. Oh, I could not even imagine driving to school and back in stormy winter weather like today. Often, the school district would only cancel school buses for students but schools would still be open for students who usually walk to school, which means that teachers still have to report to school for duty. Teachers often say that if it was too dangerous for school buses to take students to school in a stormy snowy weather, why on earth would it be all right for the teachers to risk their lives to drive to school? We drive on the same city streets, don’t we? Why don’t they close all the schools instead of cancelling buses only? Are teachers’ lives not as valuable as the drivers’ and students’? (It is a logical argument but it is kind of petty. Hehehe…)

 

Realistically speaking, whenever the school buses are cancelled, not too many walking students would show up in class, either. They would rather stay home to enjoy a snow day as well. A class of twenty would end up with 5 to 10 students on average. So, with such a small group of students, what’s the point to have any instruction for the class at all? You might as well call it a glorified babysitting service by the teachers for those days.

 

Anyway, my down-filled winter coat has been air dried from this morning. Now, after my whining to the whole world on my blog about the snow storm, I think I should be heading out to shovel again.

 

Attention, Friends and family! Snow may look pretty like a novelty to all of you but IT IS NOT FUNNY when you have to lift the heavy load off the driveway like lifting sand piles. It may be cute to see kids who enjoy sledding, tobogganing, skiing or making snow angels. However, it is not a pretty sight to see a petit woman (maybe a bit chubby) sweating profusely with a snow shovel in her hands. It is no laughing matter when any poor suffering, whining and complaining adult like me still has to go out and do the dirty (actually white) work! Cheers to all of you who are in the comfort of your home waiting for the Chinese New Year to come. (Somehow, I have the vision of a steamy hot pot.) Yeh….. Woo…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is this too much whining? Sorry, I am usually quite sensible. I guess frustration finally got to me.