snowy days in the life.

So, we had a BLIZZARD Tuesday night!!!

Here's how it went down for me.

So Tuesday I had plans to go into the city to hang with Tamara. There's this completely wonderful part of adult life called, "PTO". Which stands for- are you ready- PAID TIME OFF. You know what that means? Exactly what it freakin' sounds like. I got paid to go hang out with Tamara. I KNOW right?!

So, Tamara and I had decided we dearly needed some time off from our jobs to have a day in the middle of the week with absolutely no agenda... other than enjoying life and each other. We both took the day off; I took the train downtown, and we chilled. We went out to brunch at an adorable place in her neighborhood and sat and talked and laughed for hours. Then we went to Borders and found piles of books and bought coffee and sat and talked and laughed and read. It. Was. Wonderful.

THEN, we looked outside and it had (as predicted), started snowing significantly. So we cut the day off a bit short. I bought a novel I had been wanting to read and rushed to Ogilvie to get the train back. The train station was PACKED. It was insane.

And here are my blizzard days chronologically.

Tues, 4 pm: Arrive at Ogilvie, push my way onto 4:35 train. During this time chunk, my BFF from work Lisa calls and tells me that we are OFF tomorrow. (Side note, Lisa rocks and I LOVE her and her husband Michael. And their kids call me Tia (aunt in Spanish) Emily. They make me really happy and are complicating my desire to move across the country for grad school).

4:10: Train leaves early because it's already full of commuters trying to beat the storm.

4:10-5: I start The Help and devour the first fifth or so.

5 pm: I barely notice that the train has stopped at my station because I'm so immersed in the book, but I do notice and get off. I start walking towards my house (3 blocks from train station) and then remember there had been some texting about a hot chocolate snow party (yeah!!) so I stop by the improv boys' apartment (exactly between my house and the train station- so convenient!).

(I am now completely making up the times, I don't know how it all happened).

5-6 pm: I love that apartment. Hang out with all the fun people there. Make a sandwich. Eat cookie dough out of a tub (I KNOW, right?!).

6 pm: People put on a movie. I can't remember which one now? That's because...

6-8ish: I curl up in the corner of the couch and read 150 pages of The Help.

More people are arriving. We are drinking hot chocolate. Every once in awhile someone will look outside and shout about how much snow there is (at this point, maybe ten inches?). People are speculating on whether or not they'll have work tomorrow (but I already know I don't!). It is a Blizzard Party.

9 pm: They put on ZOMBIELAND! I remember this one.

9-10:30: I read another 100 pages of The Help. People start noticing and making comments. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!! I am immersed. But I look up occasionally to half interact with people (love yall) or watch a particularly gross Zombie-eating-people scene. Really, you don't need to watch this movie, is my recommendation...

Rest of the night: I fall asleep on the couch with about 50 pages left. Steve wakes me up around 12. Alyssa and Laura are planning on staying over and I am invited to. One guy had just left to walk to his apartment, which is 2 buildings away in the same complex, and texted that it took him 20 minutes and I should under no circumstances try to walk the two blocks home. But my bed has flannel sheets. So I borrow extra hats and scarves and gloves and brave the now good 18 inches of snow...

OK, this is officially the most middle school esque and boring blog entry I think I've written since my high school Xanga. But it was a really fun night, what can I say. (And I stayed up and finished the book!)

Next day: Ryan, Kendra and I made cinnamon rolls, shoveled our driveway (in LAYERS. Like an hour to knock off the first third of snow, then an hour to knock off the middle part...), read, I walked back over to the boys' for a bit, work got cancelled AGAIN, and I made freaking awesome black olive and white bean soup for dinner.

Basically, I love friends, movies, reading on a couch, drinking hot chocolate, being with a bunch of people I enjoy, having nothing to do, cooking, my roommates, and in conclusion:

I love snow days.

Check out pictures of the snow insanity that was Wheaton in Josh's blog.

And read this book: