Snow days rock.

We got snow last weekend, but it all melted yesterday. They had been saying since two days ago that more snow was on its way, but all it did was snow in every single part of western Washington but Seattle. And then they said the snow would start yesterday in the afternoon, then the evening, then around 10. I went to bed at 1:30 am and still nothing, and the clouds in the sky were patchy, so I closed my blinds and prepared myself to wake up and head in to work (after a stop to mail presents that will all be too late for xmas.)

This morning, I couldn't even bring myself to look outside, for I didn't want to face the disappointing green scenery. But Anne told me it had snowed and she wasn't kidding. A little more chipper, I headed out to run my mailing errands, and was gladdened by the thought of going in to work a little late, even though I didn't sleep in. I kept hoping that they would call and say work was canceled but the call never came. After a romp in the snow with the cats, I figured I would call my supervisor just to make sure, and I'll be damned if the office was closed and no one called to tell me. Great job with the phone list Maria! I have a copy of it too, and my name is on there and my phone number is correct. A snow day is still a snow day regardless.

So, the best part of the snow day has to be taking the cats outside. I took pictures and even some video, and now that I don't have to work, I actually have time to upload them. I have time. Holy crap. It's a wonderful feeling.

Mish was the first. He seemed tense but very alert. He loves to be outside and I wish I could let him be an outdoor cat but I'm too afraid he will get hurt or get fleas or someone else will realize what an amazing creature he is and just keep him for themselves. I dropped him in the snow and the first thing he did was run over to the big evergreen, under which there are a few blades of grass on which he proceeded to munch. I took pictures and at one point when my back was turned, he slipped off, which only made me smile because I knew he was off exploring happily and flea-free.

I came back in for Thomas who really doesn't like the idea of "outside." Even the balcony scares her. She is definitely very content inside. We started on the balcony, and she was very tense. There was a rustle from the tree the neighbor cats use to get to our balcony and when we looked down, there was big ol' Mish trying his darndest to get up the way he could in the summer, which more branches and less snow. He was very helpless, but I could do nothing but laugh warmly, while Thomas hissed. She forgets who he is when he goes outside. It will be another three or four days before she remembers him. Or forgives him. I'm not sure what is going on.

After that, I slowly walked down the back stairs with her to the yard. I could feel her grip on me growing stronger and after only seconds in the yard, she climbed up on my shoulders and began to fill the neighborhood with howls of fear. I finally managed to get her into the snow, and she took a few terrified steps in random directions unsure how to escape this cold white hell I'd brought her into. I finally scooped her up when it looked like she was going to try to run away from it all. At that point, one of my neighbors (not the assholes who live in the building, but on from the house next door) came out to find the poor abused cat. Thomas was back on my shoulders again, and the neighbor got to see what the hell was going on. We laughed and I brought the little one back upstairs. No sooner had I opened the door than she flew off me, landing poorly and tearing off to the opposite end of the apartment. Poor traumatized baby. See, Liz, this is why I didn't bother to microchip her.

I headed back to check on Mish's progress, of which he'd made none. He had climbed down before but was back up and then had to go back down. I went out to the front and called him, and he came trotting over and without my doing anything more, continued to trot right up to the front door as if he were a well-trained dog.

We are all tucked inside now, and Thomas is keeping a look out for the strange bad evil cat that I allowed in from outside. The strange bad evil cat groomed all the snow out of his coat and went off to nap, so worn out was he by the fifteen minutes outside.