The biggest snowstorm in recorded history (…or not) descended on Tacoma our very first week of school. After it snowed more snow than anyone could remember, everything froze so there two inches of ice on top of everything. Among other things, the chaotic weather led to several creative monikers being thrown around on the Internet to describe our unrecognizable town, such as the Snowpocalypse, Ta-SNOW-ma, Snowcoma, etc. As a result of the snow, during the first week of my last semester as undergraduate, I went to exactly one class and then spent approximately thirty six hours sitting on my couch, stranded in my own house. It was basically like getting an extra week of vacation.
This is a sample of the things I did to pass the time.
1. sleep. It’s surprising how doing almost nothing all day except showering, eating, and watching copious amounts of television can make you ready for bed at ten forty five.
2. eat an entire bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup miniatures.
3. watch ¾ of season 4 of The West Wing.
4. do all of my homework for Monday.
5. watch Ever After with my friend and critique the historical premise of the film.
6. read all the books in my house.
7. read my car manual. Now I know everything there is to know about anti-lock brakes.
8. stand outside for ten minutes trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue.
9. take approximately twenty five pictures of the frozen tree in front of my house.
10. listen to the snow sliding off the roof of my house.
Needless to say, this was the least typical first week of school I’ve ever experienced in my life. Eventually I freed my car from its eight-inch prison of snow and ice and could move about again and the Snowpocalypse ended.
And that was the last first week of my undergraduate career—the only first week I’ve ever had where there was five inches of snow on the ground and I spent more time sleeping than doing anything else. As first weeks go, this may have been one of the best ever.
See you soon!
the frozen tree in front of my house