Where's the snow??!!

I'm so peed off that I want to blog before I do my admin and other more "important" stuff.  Have been in a foul mood the whole day, but that's only on the inside.  Nobody was to see it, especially not pupils.  What have I been upset about?  The bloody snow!  Or lack of in fact!!

I woke up at 8:15am and expected the great outdoors to be totally white like on Monday or Tuesday of last week, but was only greeted with a brief twenty minute sleet/snow shower that melted as soon as it landed and turned into rain basically.  During those twenty minutes I was on the computer checking the weather forecasts from both BBC Weather and Met Office but both now changed their story and claims sunshine through the day with low temperatures.  What the heck... where have all the stories and reports and rumours and the scare-mongering gone?  The whole nation was talking about this snowfall which was due back Thursday and Friday this week with a vengeance.  But why did the sleet/snow stop??  So should I teach today or not?  If I teach, will I have enough time to get through my lessons before the snow comes?  If it snows during lessons will my pupil(s) be able to handle it?  Will we be stranded somewhere?  All these sorts of questions ran through my head as I sat at the computer between 8:30am-9am.  I then decided to call my 10-11:30am pupil and asked her what the weather in Anniesland was like and she said was fine.  So I said I'd meet her.  Off I went to get ready for work: shower, get changed, sort out the day's paperwork and have breakfast - all in half an hour!  I hate rushing!!  =(

I had a driving test scheduled for 1:03pm today at Anniesland as well.  So I reminded my pupil to call the test centre this morning to check if the test was going ahead.  At the end of my lesson I checked my phone expecting a text saying it was off (all of my driving tests since 28th Nov have been postponed due to this fricken weather).  But the text message from my pupil this morning said "Yes they said the test is on!".  So since his test was 1:03pm it meant I had to meet up with him 12pm.  The car wasn't washed, there wasn't enough fuel and I had no lunch!!  Was expecting to go to the gym after this first lesson, even had my gym gear in the boot!!  So, although surprised at the news, I set off to get the car washed, fuel topped up and grabbed a snack and get back to the west end, all within half and hour!! The snack that I got was a Boost bar duo and a Mars Refuel.  Not exactly healthy I know but really my stomach was really empty and was on the verge of growling which later would result in stomach cramp if I didn't get any food in.  Boost bar is full of glucose which would have provided me with some instant energy to last a while and of course Mars Refuel is a chocolate energy drink thing, looked "healthier" than a Yazoo! milkshake anyway.  I hate rushing!!  =(

Total disappointment

The driving lesson hour before the test went as it usually does.  Whilst driving around I commented how certain parts of the roads were still quite icy and definitely not suitable for manoeuvres, but it was still a good thing we had this chance to sit the test despite so many cancellations thus far.  My pupil was psyched up for his test and we both hoped this would be a nice early Christmas present.  So after we prayed together we walked towards the test centre.  On route we found certain parts of the pavement very icy and resorted to walking the 100 yards or so on the road.  I joked saying I wondered how the examiners would walk to the tuition vehicles and if they found it slippery etc.  As we approached the stairs leading up to the DSA building we were greeted with three people who walked back down the stairs and whole told us the driving tests were cancelled!!  Noooo!!  So we walked towards the office and an examiner told us they conducted the first two tests this morning (0820hrs and 0917hrs) but when it came to 1044hrs a driving test candidate slipped and fell on the pavement and hurt her knee.  Although the sun was out the temperature dropped and the moisture on the floor turned to ice.  So they decided to call off all tests because the was some black ice on the roads as well when they took a drive around certain routes.  Sigh... imagine the disappointment on the faces of my pupil and myself!!  We were so looking forward to this test and thought today was the day we sit and pass the test against all odds, but in the end it was not meant to be.  Sigh!!  I didn't charge my pupil for that one hour lesson cos I felt sorry for him and myself.  After I dropped him off home in the west end at 1:17pm I was faced with a dilemma.  Go to the gym then have some food before my 4:30pm lesson?  Or go home and have a proper sit down lunch without rushing and relax before next lesson?  In the end I chose the latter, but I was very frustrated at the waste of time and rushing around between 11:30am-12pm for NOTHING!  Also, at 1:17pm I felt I would not have been able to relax and enjoy my workout without thinking of my next lesson if I'd finish with enough time to go back home for something to eat before lesson in east end.  I don't like feeling "lost".  I like things in order!  =(

So I got home and had a lunch of leftover pizza, reheated boiled rice and reheated baked beans, all dumped ito a plate and devoured with fork and knife in front of the tv whilst watching The Apprentice through BBC iPlayer.  During this time my HTC Magic prompted me to install the latest software update for the phone.  It was it's third notification of the day as I ignored previous two in the morning.  After pressing Install Now the phone restarted and it started doing it's thing.  However, after like twenty minutes or so the phone looked different and almost everything ran really slowly.  The sync'ing icon appeared at the top of the phone and stayed there for another half an hour or so as the phone attempted to bring all my data, emails, text messages, contacts, photos etc all up to date.  For a moment I thought I broke the phone or installed a virus or something and it had me worried.  Fortunately shortly after The Apprentice and a shot of the PES 2009 the phone managed to run a little smoother again though it has a different look to it.  It looks not bad actually, though texting takes some getting used to.  By 4:05pm the weather had gone really dull and gloomy and I was expecting the snow to fall any second as I drove to my pupil's place for 4:30pm lesson.

As you can tell, there has yet to be anymore snow fall after the initial sleet/snow shower in the morning.  Inside I feel very disappointed and even a bit angry at the new Transport Minister for talking a lot of crap saying we're getting prepared for the heavy snowfall.  Actually, no, come to think of it, it's not exactly his fault.  He's just acting on information given by the Met Office and BBC Weather etc.  Those "weather people" who seems to know it all, actually know jack all!  I wish they would give us accurate information for a change and stop messing up people's lives.  Argh!!  It better snow tomorrow and snow really badly!!  I mean it.  People should deliver what they promise.

Why?

Why am I ranting so much?  It's only snow right?  I should be happy I was out earning and not snowed in, right?  Well, yes and no.  I tell you why I am feeling this way and why it has affected my mood the whole day.  I feel all this hype or sh*te about snow really pressed up the nation.  It made everyone really scared and started to think how they'd avoid being caught out by it.  Let's not talk about other people, let's talk about me.  I feel to be told for a bloody week, "It's gonna snow on Thursday and Friday" and "The snow will be back with a vengeance.  Will be worse than the previous two weeks." that has put fear and terror into my head.  In my mind I was ready to sit at home today hibernating, resting, doing my chores and going through my list of To-Do (I had already planned what I'll do when snowed in, right?).  But when I woke up there was no snow?  How crap is that?  Utterly terrible!  Here's how I can describe my feeling...

It's like being told by a doctor all week, "An illness is going to bestow upon you on Thursday and Friday and you'll be bed-ridden.  You can't escape this.  Be prepared."  So hearing this everyday through the news, media, word of mouth, it really makes you unhappy, but you come to terms with it and finally sleep on Wednesday night expecting to fall ill badly on Thursday morning.  But through the whole day there has been no illness at all!  Not even a cough or sneeze!!  But it might come anytime!  So... What's the bloody point in saying that?????  Just tell the truth or apologise for getting people confused!!  I have been hanging on edge all day, frequently checking the weather and looking out for the snow but nothing appears.  The bloody Met Office keeps sending emails telling me there will be Icy Conditions today, tomorrow and next few days through till Monday.  And there's meant to be Heavy Snow a few of those days as well.  However, I don't even know if I will believe their crap anymore, you know.  Just totally disappointed guys.

Sorry if I have surprised anybody with my rant, but this weather crap has really gotten onto my nerves.  I think I will unsubscribe from Met Office emails as they are not realiable.  I'll just take each day as it comes...