2 February – Becky Gets a Snowday

Five inches of snow and London is at a standstill. I am from the North East, so this is terribly amusing. Kindergarten wouldn’t be closed for five inches in Massachusetts, so the fact that we are living sans busses, trains and WH Smith is a bit odd. It meant that I had my first snow day in eons and made the most of it (that I dutifully checked work email on the blackberry goes without saying).

London is stunning in the snow. It’s a confectionary wonderland. We went for a walk, I found a hole on a bridge (well one leg did – fell in up to my thigh and I couldn’t be more pleased that I did not get stuck), walked along a grey^-scale river, made a snowman and went ooh a lot.

There were parts of the day that reminded me of favourite snow days and snowy days past* -  so here goes:

1. In 1995, I was home from college for Christmas. We had a wonderful snow fall and a bunch of us decided to go sledding and boarding at a local golf course. My friend suggested that we all stay at his house. This seemed a good idea at the time. Four days later, blizzarded in, marooned in a basement, having eaten his most patient of parents out of every bit of food, the 15 of us questioned the wisdom of this plan. It got a bit Lord of the Flies down there (my friend and I used the last $12 we had to buy a dominoes pizza – and we paid by check. There wasn’t enough for everyone – and there was no more money. We bribed his little brother – let us use your room and we’ll share the pizza. We were discovered (apparently the famished can smell pizza two floors away) hiding in the closest munching away. The pizza was – ahem – shared. This is not my finest moment).

I remember Kevin and Steve reciting poetry and Billy, Jim, Koz and Co. playing “Just Like Heaven”. I remember Steve’s immortality and mystical powers being reconfirmed by his having the only car in New England not snowed in. He brought us coffee (we should have asked him to bring us home – but we weren’t very bright, and it was only day two). I remember Kevin walking from Danvers in his robe and hand-fashioned snow shoes. It got painful towards the end, but I wouldn’t change those four days if I could.

2. Until Heather nearly impaled herself on a hidden tree gate (Snow Angels are far more dangerous than many suppose), the MLK Blizzard of 2003 was a quite a day. We all met up at the only open pub in Brooklyn – The Brazen Head. We allowed Eric sharp projectiles and played Scrabble with Chip. It took us a very cold hour to walk a mile – but when you have a goal – you do what needs doing. We slumber-partied that evening too – but at least this time I knew we could walk home if it came down to it.

3. During my junior year of college, my roommate and I were taken down by the fiercest flu I have ever known. We had been unable to move for days, and the five-floor walkup prevented even the notion of a bodega trip impossible. The two feet of snow outside did not help. Then we got the call. “Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard are at (I can’t believe I can not remember the name of the bar – we loved that bar). You have to come. It’s a wrap party for their theatre troupe”. Robert Sean Leonard’s House character has nothing on his actual healing powers. We dressed, descended, and walked the 2 miles. We made snow angels on Broadway – which should be on everyone’s 101 things to do before you die list – yes – the list can have simple things) and met RSL. I have long hearted RSL, and the fact that I certainly looked as good as I felt and oozed plague did not prevent me from meeting him. I still introduced myself and was deeply uncool. Profoundly so. Again – not my finest moment, but one of my favourite.

I love snow days. I love their ephemeral influence and how even the most mundane actions are infused with a magic. How we are all 12 on a snowday – very happy, very silly, very open, very free 12 year olds. I always laugh most on days like today.

^Yes – I know it’s spelled with an a – but I have always preferred the look of gray with an e. It seems much more like the colour.  I don’t know why I do – but I do. So there.

*I have a feeling this one will be remembered too – it has the makings – a bit random – a bit of physical comedy – and spent with very good people, who were also dutifully checking email and keeping any non-work related activities to a sober minimum. Except when we made the snow man of course.