The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Snow has returned to Kent (and seemingly everywhere else in Britain). With it comes a depressing reminder of age and responsibility. When you're a child, snow is one of the most wonderful things in the world. It means days off school, snowballs, snowmen and all those brilliant things. When the snow came in in my penultimate term at Royal Holloway last year, it still technically meant all of those things (albeit being excused from a two hour seminar that I'd later have to make up rather than a day off). But one of the reasons why snow was so enjoyable was because it was rare. I think there was a period of about seven years when it didn't snow in this area of Kent at all.

But now I'm out in the real world, or at least trying to be, more than a day or so of moderate snow becomes a sizable inconvenience. When I see snow for the first time in a while now, I think 'Ah, that looks nice' followed soon after by 'I want it to go now'. The experience just before Christmas of being stranded four miles away and having to walk for three hours to get home was enough. And I'm a man who enjoys the occasional long stroll. I've been confined to the house for much of today and sadly must join the rest of the adult world in hoping it buggers off soon. And that the local news programmes stop showing photos sent in by viewers of the snow and labouring under the misapprehension that they are of any interest to anyone.

Unfortunately it looks very much like the snow's going to keep falling for the rest of the week. It's particularly annoying as it looks like the weather might play havoc with my family's travel plans. My sister is going back to university in Nottingham and my parents are heading up to the northeast to attend a friend's daughter's wedding in County Durham at the Beamish Museum. If you ever get the opportunity to go then I suggest you do, it's really good. The Beamish Museum I mean, not a wedding. Although they're normally nice occasions. It's strange to think that the period of seeing my contemporaries getting hitched might be starting soon as well. I'll be the one standing at the back of the reception, exhibiting signs of the three Bs, booze, bitterness and belligerence. Perhaps. Anyway, fingers crossed things will work out. In regards to both the weather and the pessimistic view of my future self.