As I sit here on the couch with The Kids resting comfortably around me and on me, each of them sleeping comfortably on or under warm blankets, I can hear the sleet falling heavily outside.  Our winter storm was a non-event for most of the day.  While we had freezing rain and sleet beginning this morning, it was hit or miss only.  It was sufficient to leave a healthy layer of ice on the roads (and everything else) by evening rush hour; it certainly was not the arctic tundra we had been promised.  The temperature fell throughout the day, and the wind made it intoxicatingly cold outside (most would describe it as bitterly cold, but that only demonstrates a limited vocabulary and lack of diversity in weather preferences).  Despite this, all of the wintry precipitation we heard so much about simply failed to materialize on the scale that was threatened.

That all changed in the late afternoon as the “second wave” appeared to get itself together and began making its move.  It has been sleeting (mixed with freezing rain) quite heavily for some time.  It continues to move over us in waves that are rapidly following one another.  This is more like it, although I would have preferred seeing it during the day.  At this rate, we should have a respectable layer of ice on the ground before it begins to snow.  As we may still get one to two inches of snow before morning, it will easily blanket the ice and make tomorrow morning quite interesting on the roads.  Whether or not I go to the office tomorrow will depend greatly on what happens overnight and what progress is made on clearing the roads before I dare venture out.  If the current situation is any indication, in addition to the threat of more snow overnight, I think I will be telecommuting.

Darn.  I hate it when that happens.  Of course, this is Texas.  It may clear up and just be cold a few hours from now.