# A new way to get it to snow...



## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Sorry, had to share this:

Every time there's even a remote chance it will snow around here (near Annapolis, MD), our boys hope and pray there'll be enough to close the schools. They actually don't have to work too hard at it, I suppose, since the schools do seem to close as soon as there's a single snowflake sighted...

Anyway, I'm in the kitchen puttering around, and all of a sudden our 9 year-old dashes over to a cabinet, grabs a glass, then heads over to the refrigerator and dumps a couple ice cubes in it.

"What's up?" I ask.

"I'm getting some ice cubes," he says.

"Oh? Why?" (No water or other liquid was involved, so I was curious.)

"To put in the toilet," he replies, as if I should already have known this.

"Ummm, okay, I'll bite: why?" I ask.

"Because it'll bring good luck!" he tells me like I'm a complete moron. "It'll help make it snow!"

And with that, he zips over to the bathroom. I hear plunk-plunk as the ice goes in, then a long pause (I assume he's making sure that the ice cubes float, or maybe doing a bomb damage assessment after nailing the Tidy Bowl Man). 

Then he saunters out with a big grin on his face, apparently satisfied that he's gotten the edge over the weatherman and tomorrow will be a total school-free X-Box day...


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Kids do the cutest innocent things.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Don't keep us in suspense ... did it work?


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

If it works, I know who I'm hunting down!!!! How cute!

Is it supposed to snow tonight? I'm on the Eastern Shore....


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

lol.  I miss those days.  My ice cubes were Cheerios...  My son was toilet trained with a Cheerio.  I would put a Cheerio (cereal) in the toilet and say, "see if you can squirt the cherrio; aim for the cheerio."  He was trained in a week.  Put that in your toilet and flush it...lol.


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Well, all they had to go on was a rumor at school. And no matter how many times you say "It isn't going to snow tomorrow - it's cold but there aren't any clouds!", it doesn't matter. LOL!

And yeah, we used the Cheerio trick, too... ;-)


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

LOL, sjc.  I never had children, so I don't know "tricks of the trade".  That's a good one.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

That is sooo cute!! Kids are so funny!! My grandkids crack me up all the time... I don't think my kids were near as funny as theirs are!!


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

luvmy4brats said:


> If it works, I know who I'm hunting down!!!! How cute!
> 
> Is it supposed to snow tonight? I'm on the Eastern Shore....


My first two college years were spent at Salisbury State (now University). First winter I was there, we got a snowfall, maybe .5 inch. I was driving my Chevy Vega, still registered in NH, from my apartment to the campus, wondering why there were no cars on the road....no stores open...traffic lights flashing....
How surprised was I to discover, when I got to SSC, that all classes were cancelled, the town was shut down and the roads were closed to all but emergency traffic! That little of an accumulation didn't even register to me as a snowfall, but it was a major event to the residents!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

My daughter wrote this a year or two ago. It always cracks me up.



Memorandum

To:    My fellow students
From:  Hannah
Re:    Snow Day – Imperative!
Date:  Today

According to the weather report, we have the chance for significant snowfall tomorrow. Since snow days have been non-existent so far this year, this is an opportunity we do not want to miss. History has shown than even one student who deviates from the snow day ritual can jinx it for all of us, so I am sending this memo to remind you all of the protocol.

First, when you get home, complete all homework assignments. Better yet, finish all your work while you are still at school. Then, you can use the time at home to work on future assignments or extra credit projects. The goal is to be ahead. And complete. That means, even answering the 2 + 2 question at the bottom of the math paper. Have all your books and notebooks organized and packed in your backpack.

Second, the evening ritual is critical. Take a shower. Wash your hair. Boys, shave. When you get ready for bed, put your pajamas on inside-out.  Go downstairs and kiss your parents good night. Surprise them with kindness. Forgiveness is good, too. Make up with 1) your siblings; 2) your pets; 3) your parents; 4) your goldfish.

Going to bed is next. Make sure your alarm is set. Plan your schedule so that you have at least eight hours of sleep. Nine is better. Two key elements of the ritual occur at bedtime: you must throw an ice cube out of the window. Aim for the street. Next, put a spoon under your pillow. If you happen to have a spoon with a snowflake design on the handle, that is even better.

Don’t question any of these practices! They are all essential.

You may find yourself waking during the night to see if the snow has started to fall. That is fine, but don’t get out of bed to check the TV or radio until your alarm has sounded. Superintendents don’t make the snow decision until 6 a.m. anyway, so there is no point in losing any of your much needed sleep at 4 in the morning. This ain’t Christmas, folks, it’s a snow day.

That said, the minute your alarm rings, leap out of bed and rush to the nearest TV to scan the closings. A really awesome snow day will require patience at this point, as you must wade through various and sundry closings including day care centers and cancelled bowling leagues. Eventually, the schools will be listed. If you happen to live in Albion or Alfred, you are in luck; for those of us in Westbrook and Windham, the wait is
longer. If you happen to turn on the TV in the middle of the SADs and SAUs, you are….well, let’s just say, you need even more patience.

When your school cancellation is announced, you must throw your hands in the air and say, “Oh, yeah,” with reverence. The goal now is to not jinx a potential second snow day. The possibility of that is remote but it has been known to happen when everyone cooperates.

At this point, however, you are allowed to relax. Return to your bed for a minimum of two hours (it doesn’t matter if you have already slept for nine, the objective is to sleep in). When you finally get up, look out the window, say  “Oh yeah,” again, and don’t bother getting dressed. This is key…clothes on, you might get roped into shoveling the driveway. Or worse, you might be tempted to go out and make a snow angel. That is so second grade!

At approximately 4 p.m., begin the ritual again, by double-checking your homework, your backpack, your alarm, your jammies. Don’t forget the ice cube or spoon. If we all work together, we might not have to go back to school until April 1st.

If you have any questions, send me a note, via ice cube.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie and Kreelanwarrior, love both of those!

I'm going to try flushing an ice cube...it never hurts.  Would love to have snow here!

Betsy


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## oddsoxx (Oct 28, 2008)

Leslie,

Hannah's memo is very funny...obviously she's a smart one!

I think the kids at my son's school must have gotten a similar memorandum a few years ago during Christmas vacation. It started snowing on January 2nd, the day before the little sweethearts were to go back to school. And it snowed...and it snowed and then, just for fun, it snowed some more. We eventually ended up with well over three feet of the white stuff and the kids didn't go back to school until the 10th! Ohhh...had I only known to throw the ice cubes down the drain and hide all the spoons!

Linda


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

We don't get snow days here.  We have major-hurricane-has-just-blown-off-my-roof days or tropical-storm-has-flooded-the-streets-two-feet-deep days.  

We had snow days in NJ, but it had to be pretty deep.  I went to Catholic School and they were always the last to announce closings.  I used to stand in front of the radio, chewing my lip while I heard all the other schools announced over and over again before finally getting to my school.  I think that led to my first ulcer.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

They've gotten much more liberal about closing school, at least it seems that way to me, comparing it to my youth. And frankly, it's fine with me because it's safer. Keep the buses off the road, leave the parking lots empty to they can be plowed properly...I have no problem with snow days at all.

L


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## Wisteria Clematis (Oct 29, 2008)

In another month I will be able to send snow to any of you who would like some. I'll even pay the postage myself   We actually have to get up and shovel the snow off our roof top during the winter....otherwise it gets too heavy up there and bad things happen. And don't even get me started about what it is like to walk the dog in the morning when there is four feet of snow on the ground and the dog is a shitzu.


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## Wisteria Clematis (Oct 29, 2008)

Wisteria Clematis said:


> In another month I will be able to send snow to any of you who would like some. I'll even pay the postage myself  We actually have to get up and shovel the snow off our roof top during the winter....otherwise it gets too heavy up there and bad things happen. And don't even get me started about what it is like to walk the dog in the morning when there is four feet of snow on the ground and the dog is a sh**zu.


The board censored me!! Wow. That's never happened to me before and its sort of cool. I'm talking about the little dogs that look almost like lasa apsas but whose name starts with the 's' word. Lol.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Wisteria Clematis said:


> The board censored me!! Wow. That's never happened to me before and its sort of cool. I'm talking about the little dogs that look almost like lasa apsas but whose name starts with the 's' word. Lol.


Hahahahah....shitzu, shitzu.... Funny!


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## Jen (Oct 28, 2008)

Wow, and I complain about the snow in Ohio!!  4 feet sounds just awful to me!  

(Wisteria, did you notice you're now a Jr Member?  Two stars!  )


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## Wisteria Clematis (Oct 29, 2008)

Jen said:


> Wow, and I complain about the snow in Ohio!! 4 feet sounds just awful to me!
> 
> (Wisteria, did you notice you're now a Jr Member? Two stars! )


I got my second star on kindle's birthday! How amazing is that


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

WOO HOO Wisteria!  2 stars and working on 3.


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Oh, that's rich about the shitzu! LOL!

We used to have a Westie and then an Aussie terrier. In the winter we usually get one or two storms that really lay it on us, maybe two to three feet of snow. When that would happen, I'd have to go out and dig a trench for them to do their business. The first time, before I did that, our Westie went out and simply disappeared as he sank into the snow, his tail whipping about like a little periscope...


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## Wisteria Clematis (Oct 29, 2008)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Oh, that's rich about the sh**zu! LOL!
> 
> We used to have a Westie and then an Aussie terrier. In the winter we usually get one or two storms that really lay it on us, maybe two to three feet of snow. When that would happen, I'd have to go out and dig a trench for them to do their business. The first time, before I did that, our Westie went out and simply disappeared as he sank into the snow, his tail whipping about like a little periscope...


Exactly! You've pinpointed the problem all right. Digging trenches so the dog can poop during a blizzard is absolutely no fun. Plus during our first winter living here I would take the dog for walks out on the road because it was at least plowed, but when the temps got to about 15 below zero it would only take seconds for her little paws to start freezing to the ground. That was when I discovered that pet stores actually sell little snow boots for dogs. I kid you not! I remember asking my husband what kind of place had he moved us to

My entire life I have romanticized snow but now I am beginning to rethink all that.


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## supermom (Nov 19, 2008)

We have to shovel paths for our maltese to go potty in the winter too, and if the snow gets too deep we have to tie a ribbon on them so we can find them in the yard.


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

> My entire life I have romanticized snow but now I am beginning to rethink all that.


Yeah, that's why we're going to be moving to the southwest when I retire. I'm from Arizona (Phoenix area) originally, and I'm much more comfortable with desert heat than snowy cold!! Brrrr...


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Wisteria Clematis said:


> My entire life I have romanticized snow but now I am beginning to rethink all that.


I have always lived in places with snow so I'm just used to it. Three months of snow (mid-Dec to mid-Mar) doesn't bother me too much. It's when it seems endless...like last year--November to April, 6 months -- I start pulling my hair out.

L


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Here, they used to be stingy about days off for snow...now, I'm sure they will give them away; because last year many students were stranded on buses in gridlock for hours and hours while frantic parents had no clue where their children were.  One child walked home.  Parents were LIVID...now I'll bet you school will be dismissed at the first or second flake.


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

*Not too many snow days here in NYC...we are just so darn efficient when it comes to snow removal ;-p

DH does have to shovel the patio and a path in the grass for Max & Jonni....lets not forget that they're mini Dachshunds and have legs only 2 inches long *


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *Not too many snow days here in NYC...we are just so darn efficient when it comes to snow removal ;-p
> 
> DH does have to shovel the patio and a path in the grass for Max & Jonni....lets not forget that they're mini Dachshunds and have legs only 2 inches long *


Hey Chyna!! I haven't seen you posting much. You have been missed!


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## tecwritr (Oct 28, 2008)

When we get snow it's cleared off as soon as we get a couple days above freezing.  They do not clean the neighborhood streets in Wichita


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Well, I have to say I was surprised the other day: I looked out the window at work (hey, my first time in 20+ years that I've had a window to look out!) and it was *snowing*. Nothing was sticking yet, but it was coming down pretty good right then. I thought for sure they'd have an early release from the schools ("HEY! I SAW A SNOWFLAKE!" <followed by sirens wailing>...but nothing.

So now we're just cold. I'm sorry, I'm a desert rat - this cold and snow stuff ain't for me!!

Mike


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

Angela said:


> Hey Chyna!! I haven't seen you posting much. You have been missed!


*I've been battling bad headaches on and off for the past week...I think it got too cold too fast. I think Mother Nature forgot to send us some Fall weather here in NY ;-p I was totally out of commission most of yesterday....eeks. Feeling better now though...thanks for missing me )*


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *I've been battling bad headaches on and off for the past week...I think it got too cold too fast. I think Mother Nature forgot to send us some Fall weather here in NY ;-p I was totally out of commission most of yesterday....eeks. Feeling better now though...thanks for missing me )*


We missed Fall here in SoFla, too. Not that we ever have a REAL Fall, but there's usually a transition period. It went from high 80's to 40's overnight. That kind of sudden drop plays havoc with my breathing.


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## ScrappingForever (Nov 26, 2008)

I don't think Mike realized there was a continuation of the ice cube story. 

About a half hour later, Ben's older brother got home from school. This is his first year in middle school, and I don't know, maybe they don't have bathrooms at the school, but almost every day, he comes tearing in the door, drops his back pack on the floor and high-tails it to the bathroom. You can just hear the AHHHhhhhh. (Hasn't gone ALL DAY! LOL) 

So, he comes home that day and does his usual fling and run to the bathroom. When he comes out, Ben asks him, "Did you see the ice cube in the toilet?!? It's gonna snow!" Samuel's like, "Huh?" LOL I had to explain to Ben that the ice cube has long since melted, and even if it hadn't, it would have by the time Samuel got done with it! LOL

Kids! Gotta love 'em!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I love those names! If my daughter Hannah had been a boy, she was going to be Samuel Benjamin, named after an ancestor (Hannah Catherine is also from an ancestor--Samuel's wife).

L


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *I've been battling bad headaches on and off for the past week...I think it got too cold too fast. I think Mother Nature forgot to send us some Fall weather here in NY ;-p I was totally out of commission most of yesterday....eeks. Feeling better now though...thanks for missing me )*


Glad you are feeling better! Cold fronts moving in tend to give me headaches too! I am ready for summer!! lol


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