merry fiddlyfart

The husband now has the bug.
But it's Christmas. We're not going to dwell on the negative. So here we go... even though Brad and I got the bug, I'm incredibly thankful Noah has been protected. Even as I lay in bed the other night, I kept praying that Noah wouldn't get it. Not now. Not for Christmas. So far so good. Thank you, Jesus. I'm also thankful that Brad has slept almost all day and hasn't been as sick as I was. He had a mild fever, but I'm hoping the Tylenol and lots of rest will do. Unfortunately, he still has to work. There's no way out of it. They "have a double tonight", which means if he doesn't show up, the whole place may be in shambles. He can't call out. I've instructed him to hide in his office and only come out in an emergency. Nobody wants him spreading this stuff around. And as soon as the coast is clear, he's to leave early and go straight back to bed.

I need him to be well. Not just because I really want him to be, but also because I have plans tomorrow night.
My mom completely surprised my little sister and I with tickets to see Amy Grant and Vince Gill. They're doing a Christmas Tour, and we get to go! I've loved this woman since I was tee-tiny. My mom has a recorded tape of me when I was 4 singing El Shaddai. And really, I have to say I did pretty good getting some of those words right. Hebrew at 4 is tough. :)
So yeah, the husband has to get well, because I have to go.
My mom has offered to be a back-up in case he's not well enough yet. I might take her up on it, just to make sure Noah doesn't have too much contact with Brad. But you know? He's been exposed to it by now. I'm doing my darndest to protect him, though.

***

I was going to be all neighborly and make treats for our friends that live around us for Christmas... but I think that may have to wait. Sorry Dani. :) But I'm pretty sure you don't want truffles with a side of germs for Christmas. I had good intentions.

***

We got snow today!!
It actually stuck for awhile, but it didn't last long enough. There seems to be a debate going on whether we'll see white stuff for Christmas or not. Fyi, I've only seen flurries on Christmas once. So this would be a big deal for me. :)

People from out West and up North that either move here or visit during the winter seem to really get a kick out of us. They laugh and poke fun at how our entire state shuts down for 2" of snow. If that. I get it. I think it's hilarious too.
But to be honest, it would make me sad if the weather channels didn't do a "round the clock WINTER BLAST 2010 report". My favorite is when the guy goes out back with a cookie sheet, holds it out while trying to juggle his mic, and waits to see how much accumulation he gets in 5 minutes. Or when they stand on the side of the road at 10 o'clock at night and explain that "in just a few hours, this perfectly green grass may be covered in treacherous ice". It's makes me smile.
Every city/state has something that makes it quirky. Something that if it went away, it wouldn't be quite right anymore. Well, this is one of those things for me. The crazy weather meltdowns. Panic in the grocery stores. Someone may have a craving for a milk sandwich (people stock up on milk and bread).

Want to hear my defense, though? I know you do.
We natives have been scarred. Back when I was about 5, we got this massive dump of snow. I think it was about 2 to 3 feet (which is unheard of for here). We were all snowed in, and nobody was prepared. This was before the population was out of control here. Everyone who lived here, for the most part, was native. And as far as I know, I don't think the forecasters were expecting that much snow.
Anyway, people weren't able to get to the grocery stores... excuse me... store. Even if they somehow managed to, it was closed. Driving was impossible. And it was a blast. My uncle owns a grading company, so he drove one of his tractors over to our house and helped my dad and I build a snowman. I went sledding on trash can lids with neighborhood kids. Nobody was freaking that they couldn't get to work. Nobody was dumb enough to try and drive. We don't know how to drive in snow down here. Why should we?? We never get any! And actually, the good ol' boys (like my uncle) just drove their tractors around if they were desperate (or looking for something to do). And really, back then, just about everyone owned some kind if farm riding equipment.
As for the people that still try to drive in it now? I can't explain much of that (although, maybe I should mention that in the last 10+ years, we've had a lot of people from other states move here lol). Our neighbors to the west of us in the mountains can probably drive just fine. They get snow on a regular basis. I do have to say, when it snows here, it also includes sleet and freezing rain... which means lots of ice. Ice is bad here, because it never fails that someone's power goes out. That part stinks. But the rest of the people that just have to get out and drive? They know they're taking a risk. Maybe it's just the culture we live in now. Nobody can slow down and just enjoy it. Go play with your kids. Get some hot chocolate, sit in your pj's, and watch the news reports... it's really entertaining. Work will be there when it melts, which will most likely be in a day or so. Sure, it's inconvenient. But what'reyagonnado? Complaining sure doesn't make it melt any faster. Might as well enjoy it. :)

***

I'm excited for Christmas. Brad has the whole weekend off (which is amazing), and I'm SO looking forward to it. This whole avoiding-eachother-like-the-plague-until-we're-well-again thing isn't much fun. And I'm pretty sure Noah would like both of his parents to hang out with him at the same time again. He's happiest when we're all together (no, I'm not just being super cheesy... he really is).