So it's the end of January. Christmas is over. Credit Card bills have arrived (ouch :S), and for those of us in the North, we are dreaming of a long winter's nap. This can only mean 1 thing, right?
SPRING IS COMING!!!!!!!
Except for another thing: We are due for a few solid weeks of snowmageddon. That's right the inevitable, unapologetic week or 2 of -40 temps and snow dump, after snow dump, after snow dump.
Some of you from the south may think: NBD (No Big Deal), the world shuts down at that temperature, right?
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH NO. We wish!
We work. Other companies work. Schools shut down, but work doesn't.
"Well that sucks!" No worries, I have created a 'WHAT-TO-DO" list to make sure you are able to get into work and make dat money.
1. Arrange Childcare: School WILL be cancelled, and the kiddos will not have any place go, unless you work at Google (not endorsing them) or another top employer; the kiddos can't come to work with ya! In-Laws are awesome if you're OK with your kids eating Count Chocula and Mountain Dew all day. Put a plea out on Twitterverse or Facebook, see if anyone is willing to earn some extra cake during this snopocalypse - you'll never know the response you'll get. Co-Baby Sit with coworkers stuck in the same situation. Take turns staying home with the little's- still better than nothing.
2. Arrange Snowplowing: When we get a big dump of the fluffy stuff, sometimes we get "trapped" at home (with our xbox and warm bed- tough life). Unfortunately, unless you have multiple streams of residual income (affiliate links SHOULD go here), doing a home sleep apnea study, or are the world's greatest Madden player; ya wont get paid being snowed in. Lucky for you, if you live in the North, there's ALL KINDS of people on Facebook with plow trucks and shovels chasing that white gold- you'll be able to get out.
3.Prep/Arrange your ride: If someone drives you, call them to confirm they are coming, and relay the following information to them: Make sure you have antifreeze, and a good battery. Make sure you have a FULL tank of gas, this will keep your car from freezing. If you can somehow shield the front end from the wind, do that. Bring your "end-of-the-world-zombie" kits and a good Justin Bieber album....KIDDING (sort of)
4. Give yourself an extra 30 minutes: SET.YOUR.ALARM. and DO.NOT.HIT.SNOOZE ! Rushing, especially when the stake's are high, can lead to oversights and mistakes. Wake up, put coffee on, have a smoke (if you smoke, of course), START THE CAR- and if the car doesn't start, call someone- and get ready to go to work !! Allow 30 extra minutes so that you're not speeding down the ice road like those truckers on TV.
the next one probably isn't a problem for most of us, but.....
5. MAKE SURE YOUR CELLPHONE IS CHARGED !!!!!!! Now you're probably reading this and saying " "No Doiy, Sherlock" but I actually had a dead cellphone and dead car 2 weeks ago, and i was parked very remotely.....in Northern WISCONSIN. I am still alive, and am working on a Tell-All novel about my survival for those 30 minutes. But, my cell phone died, because...mother nature died. Seriously, It was so cold that all life forms had died, and my device was too cold to call.
Take these steps. You will get to work and probably get promoted to owner. Seriously
- Marc
