sNOw day

4:40 a.m. at the Davis's. Everyone's sleeping.

[scraaape.]

[Lucy barks.]

Ah ha, I think, the snow plow!

And with that, I was awake. I raced out of bed to glance outside, hoping that our expected 6-11 inches had arrived overnight and we'd have a snow day. (If the federal government closes, our offices are closed.) There wasn't much on the ground, but there was hope: it was still snowing.

Down to the computer I went, wondering if there had been an update. There had. The federal government was operating on a two-hour delay and "liberal leave" policies were in effect, neither of which influences us. Welcome to Monday as usual.

So I trudged back to bed for 15 minutes and then the alarm went off for our trip to the gym. The place was empty--and it was still snowing.

Maybe, just maybe, I thought, the federal government has changed its mind. It hadn't.

When we returned, I called Rachel to see if she needed a ride. Since the federal government closed four times the year before she moved to town, Rachel has made it no secret that one of the main reasons she came to DC was for the snow days. Since she's moved here, we haven't had a single one. "This was my one chance," she bemoaned. "We were so close!"

But instead, we're all at work. Except for Chad, who found out about 8 a.m. that his office operates on the strict federal schedule, so he doesn't have to be in until 11:00.