The Snow Blues.

I would give up so much for a snow day right now... I know we had one on Monday, but I was so banking on having one today. Woke up at 6am to an icy backyard and sidewalk, but no school closing. Robert said he continued to check even after I left because he couldn't believe we actually had to go today. I know- I shouldn't be whining about a dusting of snow when up north they go even if there's a foot outside, but I think one of my students put it a good way today. She said "He (the superintendent from Boston who is new this year and evidently unversed in the South Snow Day) just doesn't understand us Southerners. We rarely get snow. We have to savor it when we do!" I'd definitely agree with her.

The weather reports are killing me too. It said no snow all day and yet it has never stopped flurrying with varying degrees of severity. Now it says 40% chance of snow showers from 1am to 6am tonight, but there's literally NOTHING on the radar. I'm so sick of these stupid predictions! They're never right! I think I'm going to just to boycott the weatherman and mentally prepare myself that we might be out of snow days for the year. Two is better than none I suppose, and maybe I can convince myself that means spring is coming soon.

Robert and I had our last dining out experience tonight since we are giving up eating out for Lent. I'm also giving up meat for 40 days, so I guess tonight was my last chicken breast too. I had a chicken caesar salad with real caesar dressing and a huge hunk of bread with olive oil. It was so good! We also had a coupon for a free dessert so I ate half of our chocolate lasagna with incredible marscapone cheese filling. So yum! About the no-meat thing though, I'm kind of hoping that once Easter gets here I won't want to go back to being a carnivore. It'd be a lot cheaper, especially since I really don't like the idea of eating meat from farm factories, and free-range can get pricey. It's not like I feel sorry for animals that end up as dinner or anything... Don't get me wrong, I love animals, but I'm a biologist- I know we're on top of the food chain. I would never fault a lion for taking down a zebra, so eating meat is a "circle of life" thing. I do find issue with flaunting our "special superiority." As in, crowding chickens into windowless barns and pumping them so full of feed and chemicals that they break their legs when they stand. I also have issues with raising cattle knee-deep in their own poop on a high corn diet because it's cheaper, ignoring the fact that they are supposed to eat grass and the corn increases the instance of e.coli since America needs it's fix of Big Macs. Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch Food Inc. It will change your life.

I think after Lent I'll be a flexitarian. My husband loves to hunt and fish and we put his trophies to good (and delicious) use. And I really don't feel bad eating wild game or fish because you really don't get much free-range than that. Plus, they had a chance to get away- circle of life again in my opinion.

I'd like to find a local farm that raises cattle and chickens the way they should be- with a bit of dignity. That's one of my projects this summer, to find ethical meat, so if you know of anywhere near Knoxville or online that's not ridiculously expensive- I'd love the tip. :)

I guess that's all I've got for tonight. I started weight watchers pretty hard core today, so hopefully this time I can finally shake those last 10 pounds. Wish me luck!