26 January 2000

Since just before 7, I've been calling the company's emergency information line, to find out whether our office is open today. The recording says, "This message will be updated no later than 6:30 am on Wednesday, January 26 2000." Um... Okay.

At 8, I called my dad to see when he was planning on coming to work. He's still debating whether he's going to even try. I think he thought there might be some meltoff or something. I'm trying to figure out how he thought that, since the weather forecasters have been saying that the temperatures won't rise above freezing until tomorrow at the earliest, but hope springs eternal, I guess. He thought it would be a goodly while before he even made his decision. I asked him to call me when he did.

Right after I called Dad, Matt decided he was going to take a stab at going in. I watched him clean off his car and rock it in the snow for a while. After I while, I thought if he just had a decent push, he'd be able to get over the one hump and get moving. I put on my shoes and coat and gloves and went out to ask if he'd like me to push. He declined and started his car back up. I started to head back to the house, feeling irritable. Did he think I was too stupid to know how to push in rhythm with a rocking car? Did he think it would look unmanly for him to have a woman helping him? (I confess, I'm still irritable. I hate having my assistance brushed aside for no reason.)

Almost immediately, a neighbor from down the street, who'd been sweeping the snow off his car, started coming towards us. Matt was too polite to turn down his offer of assistance, though I could tell he wanted to, and the neighbor, Rick, pushed from the front so Matt could back up, and then helped him get the car aligned in the ruts already formed on the road, and Matt's van wobbled down the street.

Now I'm worried that he's going to get stuck on the way to work, or at work - when he called in, he was told the streets were fairly clear but that the parking lot was a mess. Oh, well, nothing I can do about it now. I'll just hope he makes it there and back again all right.

I hope my dad decides to come in. I don't really want to think about trying to make up twelve hours of missed work, even if they give us a whole month to do it in. I'd been hoping to skip out early next Friday to get a headstart on our way to SheVaCon. Ah, well, the best laid plans...

Chances are good I'll post more later. Stay tuned!