SNOW DAYS

last week the entire southeast was shutdown. shutdown due to a massive winter storm. winter storm leon impacted nine states. even florida got snow! however, many will say us southerners "overreacted" to a "few inches of snow". those people are also known as the rest of the US. in my little town we got 1" of ice with 4.5 inches of snow on top of that. that is a big deal. mainly because we do not have the resources to deal with that kind of winter weather. we have three snow plows. three. i am sure the city of new york has three snow plows for one city block.

i know that winter weather makes southerners act ridiculous. let's just get that established and out of the way.

we are not well versed in snow. my town's average annual snowfall is 2.5 inches. the national average is 23 inches. so yeah, snow is kind of a big deal. snowfall = snow days. hell, just the threat of snow equals a snow day. it's ridiculous, yet true. the reason this happens is because...

we are unprepared for snow. sure we have some salt to put on the roads. but we ran out of salt during leon. we had none [how does that happen?]. however, in our defense, we really have zero motivation to be prepared for a snow storm. again, our annual snowfall 2.5 inches. it's not much. and typically those 2.5 inches occur over many light snow storms and flurries. so there is no need for a plow or salt. and the best news about snow in the south? it melts two days later. why? because it is now 60 degrees, that's why. we can just let mother nature clean up our snow and ice. we don't have snow storm on top of snow storm on top of snow storm. we slept with our windows open last night. insane.

so, yes, snow makes us ridiculous. we don't claim to be experts in it. snow makes us feel childlike. because snow happens so rarely down south, it is fun for us. it is not an inconvenience. we don't miss too much work or struggle getting around town. it goes away as quickly as it came down. we don't "learn" how to drive on ice and snow pack [because it's dangerous and stupid], but also because we don't have to. by the time we even think about driving in hazardous road conditions, it is already melting away.

needless to say, winter storm leon [yes, they have names now] was fun and exciting for us. most people missed between 2-4 days of work. leon was a different storm. it was a BIG storm. the snow only really started melting because it rained on saturday. 4.5 inches of snow?! wow!
keith and i enjoyed a mini, unplanned vacation. we played in the snow with the dogs. walked the neighborhood many times. watched movies. i completed several projects. on friday [when the roads were clear], we went out for dinner. it was nice to relax at home for a few days. ahhh....i feel rejuvenated! thank you, leon. 

i know people who live in other places will find all of this a bit silly, but when snow is not part of the everyday, it is exciting, debilitating, enjoyable, hazardous, and thrilling.

when things become a part of the mundane, everyday they lose their sparkle. so i guess you could say, in the south, the snow still sparkles.

xoxo,
ks

unconstitutional.

i am going to start this blog by stating that i will probably say some things some people won't like and i may curse, but i will try my hardest to remain objective. however at this time, i still have freedom of speech. so i am going to use it.

i am hot. red hot.

why?

because i am disgusted and disappointed in the state that i live in.

amendment one passed today. banning marriage rights from homosexuals in NC. this also impacts civil unions between same-sex couples and straight couples. meaning, it's gone.

let me tell you the story of two high school sweethearts. you know how it goes: they meet and fall in love. no one ever thought their love would stand the test of time, which we all know is high school and college. those years of raging hormones. then one day this sweet couple decides "let's get married!!"

OH WAIT. we can't. but "i love you...and you love me...so let's get married and commit our lives to each other!"

OH WAIT. we can't. but "i love you and want you to be protected just in case anything ever happens to me."

OH WAIT. we fucking can't. sorry, sorry, that isn't very objective. but that is how i would feel if i couldn't marry the person i loved most in the world. how would you feel if that RIGHT was taken away from you?

hot. red hot.

these are my thoughts on love and marriage:

last time i checked, in regards to love, you don't choose who you fall in love with. our societal "norms" have defined A LOT of who we are supposed to fall in love with for us: man and woman relationships, some one kind, some one in our social class, some one with money, blah, blah, BLAH.
but, sometimes, people break out of social norms and fall in love with an unexpected gem. someone they never thought they'd love. someone who is, in fact, soooo perfect for them.

but because they don't "fit the societal mold"....no marriage for you.

since when did the government make it's rules based on religion? marriage isn't about god or the bible or whatever religion you have faith in. marriage can be. however, in order to be legally marriage you and your partner have to have a legal ceremony performed by someone who is legally allowed to do so. and guess what? judges and magistrates and perform marriage ceremonies too. and i guarantee you ceremonies performed by them have NOTHING to do with religion.
i have a perfect example: keith and i are legally married. and there was nothing religious about our ceremony and nothing religious about our marriage. but yet, we are married. anyone gonna take that away? NOPE. would i be devastated if they could? you bet your fucking ass i would. and i would fight like hell to get it back.

and even if this issue isn't about religion, but more about "the gays". SO FUCKING WHAT? do they deserve any less human rights than a straight person? if so, why? tell me why. are they less of a person because they are gay? NO. that is the only answer to that question.

america was founded on freedom. freedom of religion, actually. this law looks a lot like christian doctrine, but whatever. having christianity in state law isn't very "freedom of religion" if you ask me.
so, if our country is based on freedom, shouldn't the basic freedom we all have be human rights? and if one group/race/ethnicity is granted a right to something, shouldn't everyone be?

why do we continue to breed hatred and discrimination? our country has been a melting pot of races/groups/ethnicities since it's very beginning. it is completely mind blowing that after 236 years we still teach each other to hate those who are different than us. OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. why can't we use those differences to learn from each other. to grow and to teach each other tolerance and acceptance of others?

differences are what make america so freaking amazing. that is why people wanted to come here: freedom and a chance at success.
guess what? at the rate we are going, people are going to stop coming. and i just might follow them on their way out. 

LOVE. it is what is. no matter who it is.

xoxo,
ks