December 9, 2008

It's a "Snow Action Day" here at the University of Wisconsin.

As the first commenter here puts it: "All the pomp and circumstance of a snow day but none of the canceled classes. Er… cool?"

At the Law School, it's exam time. The students have been told that exams will go forward, unless campus is closed and that virtually never happens.

You may imagine that Madison is a place where government nannies coddle the populace, but when it comes to facing winter, we are hardcore northerners. No whining. Be tough. Deal with it. We don't submit to Nature. We're having a Snow Action Day.

22 comments:

10ksnooker said...

errr, uhhh, ahhh -- Winter hasn't started yet.

Bissage said...

It is difficult to imagine the man dressed in mukluks and a parka, wearing a ski cap and big mittens, but he fully addressed the topic, as follows:

There's no action.
There's no action.
There's no action . . .
Every time I phone you I just wanna put you down.

-- E. Costello

Funny how his relationship problems crept in there somehow.

Ron said...

Crack that whip!
On Donner! On Blitzen!

Original Mike said...

I'm in my office. I bet MadisonMan is too.

ricpic said...

Park in clear areas? I don't even know what that means.

Craig Landon said...

Is that like a Sun Action Day in Arizona?

Hoosier Daddy said...

How can you have snow days when we have global warming and the ice packs are melting?

Tibore said...

Everything I needed to know in life I learned from cartoons. And the one thing that's applicable here is that all you need to do to make time when the snow is deep is burrow underneath it.

Just don't miss that left turn at Albuquerque, or you'll meet this huge white fellow who'll hug you and kiss you and love you and call you George...

ricpic said...

Park in clear areas. As opposed to what, park in snowbanks?

Tibore said...

"ricpic said...
Park in clear areas. As opposed to what, park in snowbanks?"


You know, the funny thing is, I see people with Jeeps and 4 wheel drive pickups do exactly that. The funniest thing I remember was in the parking lot of Wal-Mart (Hey, I said I couldn't stand them; never said I could successfully avoid them, especially when they have some things no one else does), where the plows made a no-kidding, no-exaggeration storey-plus tall snowpile. And perched on top of this 10 foot plus snow mound was a Jeep CJ, big-ole fat, knobby tires and everything.

Basically it was some yahoo showing off. But it was funny as hell. I should've taken a picture.

Darcy said...

Hee, Tibore. I love that Bugs episode!

kjbe said...

Can O'corn. I'm a townie and work on campus, but am new to the "Snow Action Day". Seems to mostly involve parking restrictions.

This time of year, we travel with a snow shovel, sand and an extra layer of clothes, just in case. We know the drill - take your time and bundle up.

Chip Ahoy said...

[ +"nikon digital camera" +"cold weather" ]

Useful discussion here.

john said...

Is that like a Sun Action Day in Arizona?

Well, FWIW, we are having a wind action day here this morning, and a bit chilly, to be followed by a partly cloudy action afternoon, thence into, of course, an action evening.

Finally, forecasters are predicting a dark action night. We will plug in our outdoor Christmas lights since it might be too dangerous to travel otherwise.

rhhardin said...

Snow days are only declared if it will inconvenience parents.

Tibore said...

"Darcy said...
Hee, Tibore. I love that Bugs episode!"


Oh yeah. Who doesn't? That's one of the iconic Looney Tunes episodes of all time.

------

Just as an aside, I think Abominable Snowman's got unresolved issues:

"Just what I always wanted. My own little bunny rabbit. I will name him George, and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him... ...and pat him and pet him and... ...and rub him and caress him and..."

Borderline creepy, yah? :D

chuck b. said...

I once tried to fly out of Atlanta with a light dusting of snow on the ground and noone was having it. The city basically shut down. It was ridiculous. The snow was all they could talk about on the news.

Darcy said...

Probably more than borderline, yah, Tibore! ;-)

Courtney said...

Oh please, please post pictures! This UW alum is desperate to see a flake, and there is nothing here in DC. Not one. Please, show me Madison covered in snow!

Anonymous said...

Snow Action Day? Huh? Is snow now an aggrieved form of precipitation that demands it's own Action Day during which its plight may be protested?

Only in Madison.

MadisonMan said...

Sorry, Original Mike, I stayed home with the kids today.

A Snow Action Day means that the employees are supposed to shovel snow if they see it near a building entrance. And take the bus in to work. As if the buses run on time on a day like today.

Richard Fagin said...

I'd be out cruising in the convertible with the top down, wearing my Burger King crown and sunglasses.

Nothing like doing donuts in the snow in a big, empty parking lot.