Snow Day...

My hair was still wet from just getting out of the shower.  The coffee was brewing (yes, I have failed yet again in my attempt to go caffeine free -- but that is perhaps a story for another time) and I was ready to relax for a couple of hours before the Chiefs game came on.

Tera, however, had other ideas.....

Over night we were hit with about three inches of snow and, despite the fact that it was only eighteen degrees outside, Tera was bound and determined to go frolic and play in the frozen white stuff.

Initially, I wasn't terribly excited about going outside.  In fact, the older I get the less I like winter.  Of late I have been dreaming of a winter home perhaps in Playa Del Carmen or Cozumel......

Just remember, I told myself as I layered up, you're creating memories.

I was almost ready to go when Tera brought me this:

Bear....Sort of...

"You can wear this, Dad."  Tera said as she skipped across the house with, well, whatever you wanted to call this thing.

It was originally supposed to be a lion's mane for a school play that Tera was in.  When Karla made it and asked me what I thought of it, I answered the question with ill-advised brutal honesty.  "It looks more like a deranged beaver than a lion"....Bad move, Otis.

So, Tera did not wear the mangy beaver for her play....But she did keep it and scribbled "Go Cubs" on the inside of the fuzzy head piece.  Apparently in Tera's eye's it was a bear's head.  She even went so far as to tell me, "Dad, when you take me to Wrigley Field you can wear this to the game!!"

Yeah, I don't see that happening....But I was ok with wearing it outside to go sledding....Especially since I let Toby borrow my ear muffs before he left to spend the night at his cousin's house.

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There are certain situations when a beer tastes really good.  Now, while I love partaking of a bottle of suds after mowing the lawn on a hot day, it simply doesn't compare to the taste of a beer after it has sat out all night in the snow.....Man, my mouth just started watering.  Anyway, I made sure to grab a brew before we got rolling.

Bear.....with Beer....

Tera and I hit the hill with our runner sled and we were having a ball:

Without a wind swirling around it actually didn't feel too bad outside and, what do you know, the bear hood was doing a fairly decent job of keep my ears warm.

About twenty minutes into our frolicking in the snow, Karla came out to join us.

Now when Tera and I see snow we think: sledding, snow forts, snow balls, and snow angels.

Karla, Miss Workaholic, sees the winter wonderland in a very different light.  She stepped out the door, put her hands on her hips, and surveyed the situation.

"Ah, shit," I said.....I knew what was coming.

"It looks like we need to clear out the patio, sweep, shovel, and throw salt down on the stairs.  Then we need to clean off the cars and scrape them off.  After that we need to dig out a path for the dogs so they won't be be going to the bathroom right by the front door."

That's it, dear.....Just drop a turd in our winter wonderland punch bowl.  Thanks.

But, growing up on a dairy farm and being the daughter of a workaholic father, she comes by it naturally.  We could be on a beach in Hawaii and while I'm enjoying the sun and drinks with little umbrellas in them, she would be talking about work....That's just the way Karla is --- and it occasionally drives me crazy. Like now, for instance.

"Really, Karla?"

"Well, do you want to do it now or tomorrow morning before leaving for work?"

(SIGH)  "Shit...."

It wasn't that I didn't agree with her about the need to take care of some things around the yard, but couldn't she at least sled for five minutes or make a small snowman before making up her work list?

Quite simply, no.  Karla was raised with a work first mentality, and that is never going to change.  So, grumpy and mumbling under my breath, I grabbed a broom and got to work.

Bear does work.....Dammit.....

I do have to admit, though, that Karla's workhorse mentality is the perfect compliment to my "it can wait 'til tomorrow (or next week, or month, or if I ignore it long enough it will take care of itself)" attitude.

Yes, the grasshopper had married the ant.....and I'm alive and very, very, very, very, very well prepared.......

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As soon as the work was finished, Tera and I talked Karla into going to the park with us, where there is this really cool slide that, when covered in a sheet of ice, is really fast.

There was something about hearing Tera giggle, scream, and laugh as she flew down the slide that was infectious. Karla and I just had to get in on the fun:

WEEEE!!!

Bear on slide....

We had a blast.  The time flew and before I knew it, it was only about twenty minutes before the Chiefs game.  We called it a day, Tera got hot chocolate, I got coffee, Karla was working again, and all was right with the world.

Then I watched the Chiefs game....and it sucked really bad...Man, we should have stayed outside.