Tuesday, January 16, 2007 | by nathan

WTMF?

So. We all know about the ice storm by now, right? And, if you live in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area you probably know that the kids are out of school today. My memories of high school - which I have mostly repressed - are that school was only canceled if, say, a meteor struck the superintendent’s house, or if the snow was piled up higher than the school buses. The rule, I was told back then, was "If the buses can make it, we stay open."

Which is dumb, because there are a lot of people who don’t take the bus. So I guess either the rule has changed or the buses can’t make it today, because all the public schools in the area have called off class. Methinks this is a wise decision.

But is MY work canceled? No. Fine, whatever; it’s a college campus, everyone walks, blah blah blah. It’s fine; I’m not too lazy to go to work. What I don’t like is that when I get there, all the spaces on the side of the building have campus police safety cones in them so no one can park there. SO, not only do we make everyone risk life, limb, and car to get to work, but then we make sure that everyone has to park far, far away from their office, ensuring that they fall not once, but TWICE on the three-block walk from the closest parking lot? Where they will probably get a ticket for not having a campus parking sticker, because they don’t want to pay $200 of their hard-earned money every semester for the privilege of parking in a lot right next to the baseball field, where baseballs regularly rain down on their poor, unsuspecting cars?

No, no on icy days we’ll block off the free parking next to the building, ensuring that NO ONE CAN PARK THERE and that you will bust your ass trying to get to your office. I left my house at 7:45 and got to the office at 8:15. It takes me 12 minutes or so to ride that distance on my bike. That’ll teach me.

We shouldn’t even be here today. 

Tuesday, January 16, 2007 | by nathan

86 - Cameron

Sports junkie with the ability to be chums with anyone. One of those friendships wherein you find yourself completely able to open up. I miss him.

Monday, January 15, 2007 | by nathan

“We Gots To Get Out Of This House”

So the minor ice storm that people freaked out about all weekend - it seems to have trapped us in our house since Friday. We went to the corner grocery store Friday afternoon and stocked up on food a little, not because we were scared that we were going to be trapped in our house, but because the only things we had in the house were one can of clam chowder, a tupperware thing full of Hershey’s cherry cordial kisses left over from Christmas, and some powdered sugar. Yum.

So we stocked up, and Jaye and Laurie came over on Friday night for a sleepover. What I remember of it was hella-fun, though I did decide the next day that drinking is just not as much fun for me as it used to be, not in the least part because I can NOT play board games while drunk. But, that’s a story for my own secret shame.

Still, it rained ice and snowed all day Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday, and we thought it would be better not to go anywhere if we didn’t have to. Brian fired up our kerosene heater to keep our heating bill down, and we spent a lot of time reading, playing video games, and I got caught up on Heroes. 

That’s better than my mom, who was trapped in Chickasha all weekend. 

Now it’s Monday morning. Brian’s office is closed because of the ice; mine is closed for MLK day. We’re sitting here watching the Price is Right, and I’m thinking we need to get out of here, STAT. I love him, I love Sam, I love our house, but cabin fever is seriously setting in, and if taking the chance of wrecking my car is the price, then so be it.

Monday, January 15, 2007 | by nathan

85 - New Haven Walgreen’s Pharmacist

While you filled my prescriptions I winced and pulled two chunks of glass out of my knee. I like to think you still tell that story.

Sunday, January 14, 2007 | by nathan

84 - Alex

I couldn’t have hand-picked someone better to marry my friend. When I see him with kids I know that their baby is in four good hands.

Saturday, January 13, 2007 | by nathan

83 - Colin

Trust-fund baby. No clue how to live when daddy pulled the plug. When a roommate sold his clothes we road-tripped to Boston to steal them back.

Friday, January 12, 2007 | by nathan

“Somebody’s Having A Flying Lesson!”

So, there’s this minor ice storm hitting Oklahoma right now. Out the window of my office it looks like the tiniest little bit of snow has fallen. No big deal, right? Right. Okay, so people are FREAKING OUT.

On the news last night they were telling people to stock up on food for three days and to make sure they had plenty of blankets, and propane, and a good generator. Like we’re going to war. My church, which I love and adore, sent an email with the subject line, "WILL WE CANCEL CHURCH?"

Calm down, Oklahoma. Just calm it on down. Yes, we’re all getting off work early and this is nice, but drive slow and don’t panic. Don’t stock up on food, because you will not be trapped in your house by two inches of ice. Don’t go outside and turn off the gas. Just calm it on down, we’re going to get through this. Step one is to breathe, and to make sure not to watch Channel 4 anymore. Or Channel 5. Or Channel 9. Just turn off the news, because they’re trying to freak you out so you’ll keep watching. Until very recently I taught broadcasting classes, so I know this to be true. We’re going to be okay. Stop being stupid; you’re making us look bad. Or rather, you’re making us look worse.

The upside of all this is that I get to go home at noon, and Brian got off already, so that’ll be nice. Drinking, playing Nintendo, and bumming around at home the rest of the day.

The downside? I have finally decided once and for all that broadcast news is one of the great evils of our time. Maybe not nationally broadcast news, though that is pretty bad, but local news? Awful. Don’t watch it.  

Friday, January 12, 2007 | by nathan

82 - Hunter

One of the best pastors and orators I’ve known. A large part of why I went to Ireland, and I’m sad things got weird between us.

Thursday, January 11, 2007 | by nathan

81 - Josh

High school’s golden boy was bested in every way – especially personality. Despite his free state-school education, I couldn’t get scholarships because everyone had already endorsed him.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007 | by nathan

80 - S.

Some advice: don’t wait until you have someone seduced and ready to go before you tell them about your STD. Especially after a year of flirting.