epic fail

I know that every day we get up out of bed and can't control how the day turns out, but most of the time, when I have to get to campus and teach a class, teaching class is exactly what happens. (These mashed potatoes and gravy and long green beans are really scrumpy, btw.) Last night I made myself go to bed at 10:30 after working on editing for a couple of hours, knowing I wasn't finished and would miss the deadline by a day, because I had to get up early and finish the handout I wanted to use and tweak the standard quiz so it would fit, before first class at 8:00 a.m. The second that pink alarm clock squeeped at 5:30 a.m, I was standing up and saying to myself firmly, Go. Cold floor cold floor cold floor cold floor. Near 7:00 I drove out of the snow-covered uphill driveway as fast as I could to see if it was slick. No slipping at all. At -10C the snow feels like Velcro, even to the tires on an Accord. So I go shooting off down the curvy mountain road toward Ooltewah with nary a centimeter of sliding. How boring, methinks. The road is mostly dry and definitely not icy.

At 7:05 I'm pulling into the parking lot and see a couple of cars. That's a good sign usually. Desperately cold breeze blowing as I run the key card through the slot. Up the stairs, down the dark hall, no human beings visible, open the office door and light things up. After Outlook spends 30 minutes, no, that was 30 seconds, saying hello to the server, I see an email from the communication director: Southern is closed! No school. No work. Stay home. Because of weather conditions. What? Really, Ingrid? Oh, please.

It's 7:08 a.m.

Many trains of thought ran their course through my mind. I made a forceful effort to not share them on Twitter or faculty-net or Facebook or the Chattanooga News-Free Press. From the vehicles on the road (with 4-wheel drive, for heaven's sake) tottering at 22mph on Ooltewah-Ringgold speedway, to the dark, empty building in the early morning, to the anticlimax of having class material ready at the tip of the tongue for nothing. I had forgotten how I feel when I'm in a bad mood, it's been such a long time. It really has. But everyone sitting on their duffs on a perfectly good work day, man, I just can't stand it. Where are those pansies who can't look at a frost warning without flinching?

So I made handouts. I planned plans. I wrote emails and filled out papers and read a book. I ate lunch in the faculty lounge and got back at it. Then the editing work came back to mind and I walked out at 2:00. What a crazy, crazy day, a major letdown. We got stuff to do, people. Don't we? And the weather looks fine to me.