In which trek is on ice

Monday Afternoon Post-Funeral Bullet Points...

• The alarm clock did not sound this morning.



• This was not by design.



• We were supposed to be awakened by the dulcet tones of its gentle chiming. Instead, we were awakened by the not-so-sweet sound of Neatnik's bus pulling up to and then away from our house.



• Have I mentioned that the bus comes at approximately 7:17am?



• I appreciated the extra sleep.



• Due Saturday's snowstorm, my grandmother's funeral was moved back until today. I wasn't sure I could get a substitute instructor for this morning's classes, so we were going to send Neatnik to school and I was going to go to the college. I do not have the authority to cancel class and the family understood.



• Luckily, I got a late-night email saying that I got coverage. Combining that with the alarm clock glitch and not wanting to scramble to drive Neatnik to school late, she went to the funeral with me.



• Catholic schools are pretty easy about excusing absences for Rites of Christian Burial.



• It was a very good thing that I was able to secure professorial assistance seeing as how I was the lector of the day.



• I was heavily complimented on both my reading and on my singing. Very nice to hear.



• Neatnik was impressed that I got to go up on the altar for the readings. She asked me, "When grandma dies, can I be the lector?"



• Sure thing, kid.



• Note to self: don't tell my mother what my kid asked.



• We just returned home from the funeral repast and I noticed that we had mail.



• Did I mention that it snowed here on Saturday? It did. A lot.



• Did I happen to mention that I hurt my back shoveling said snow on Saturday? There's still ice on our driveway.



• I'm glad you can see where this is going because I did not.



• Which explains how I ended up on the ice on the driveway with a wrenched shoulder, bruised hip, and somewhat concussed ego.



• Whoever sent me a small envelope of Box Tops for Education, I thank you but the icicles on our eaves dripped onto our mailbox and the ink ran so I do not know who you are.



• Our mailbox is a bit leaky.



• I was very happy, however, to see that you have much greater foresight than I: you knew that the postal service lets nothing, not even heavy snowfall, interfere with their appointed rounds AND you have a firm grip on meteorological occurrences in my zip code; therefore, you wisely encased the Box Tops in plastic wrap, protecting them from the harshness of the elements.

We have another heavy snowstorm predicted to move into the area within the next 24-48 hours. Perhaps I should encase myself in plastic bubble wrap until the spring thaw.