Redartz: Greetings, everyone! As I'm writing this, our area (and much of the continental United States) is locked in an Arctic deep freeze. Although we haven't had any snow locally, the temperatures are hovering around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. As I told my wife, we're getting the worst of Winter without the benefits (that is, no snow- yes, I love the white stuff).
Which brings us to today's topic: think back to those carefree (or less-careworn, at any rate) days of our youth. Remember listening to the radio in the morning to hear if the weather resulted in delay or cancellation of school? And the same sense of anticipation holds true in adulthood; the possibility of an unforeseen day off from work due to the weather!
The biggest snow day I ever experienced occurred due to the 'blizzard of '78'. Our town in central Indiana had about 16 inches of snow, drifting as high as our roof. The schools were closed for over a week. But as fate would have it, there was also a coal strike going on, which made it impossible to heat the schools. So, we were out of school for almost a month! But heavy snow and wind chill didn't stop me from pursuing my comics; within a few days of the blizzard I walked (quite a task, I'll admit) through drifts and ice all the way across town to get to the comic store. My parents thought I was nuts. They may have been right. 
Of course, there is another way to get a day off: the sick day. Not any fun, granted; yet still capable of prompting a few fond memories from youth. Way back when I was 9 years old, I came down with pneumonia. This meant two weeks off from school: and really, I didn't feel all that poorly. It was certainly comfortable enough to read some dinosaur books and comics, and spend the day on the couch under blankets, watching cartoons (especially Bugs Bunny) and game shows and sitcoms. All the while, being brought soup, crackers, ginger ale, and so on by my patient, saintly mother. Another standout memory from that episode: I recall one afternoon a school friend dropping off a stack of homework to catch up on, along with a pile of get-well cards: all the kids in class had made cards for me; it was a hugely touching gesture to a kid who wasn't what you'd call popular. So what memories do you have of weather related freedom? Were you unfortunate enough to have suffered sick days, but lucky enough to have found some enjoyment therein? Think back, and chew the fat...
