This column was delayed by 18" of snow...

Snow day 1 (Saturday): Snow! Yay! Six inches and more is falling! Streets impassable! Hike over to the hospital and sled for three hours! Drink lots of hot chocolate and then settle in at a neighbors house for dinner and drinks! The kids do something else! Everyone heads home by midnight.

Snow day 2 (Sunday): More snow! Sixteen to 23 inches everywhere! Streets are somewhat plowed! School is called off for Monday! Drive over to the middle school for lots more sledding! Lots more hot chocolate. Neighborhood party at our house! Lots of food, drink and (occasionally) missing children! Everyone clears out by eleven.

Snow day 3 (Monday): No snow. Streets icy. More sledding. More wet clothes. School is called off for Tuesday. No neighborhood potluck, but the ladies head off to an already-planned solstice party and some of the dads gather for MNF. The Redskins manage to fall behind 24-0 at halftime without benefit of a turnover. Everyone heads home at 10.

Snow day 4 (Tuesday): No snow. Streets still icy. School called off for Wednesday, so no more classes until January. Last minute Christmas shopping and general tedium. Sushi for supper, since we hit the road tomorrow and don't want any leftovers.

Snow day 5 (Wednesday): No snow day for us. We're off to N.C., where we'll have an inch or two of rain and 40-degree temperatures for Christmas. Beautiful.

Jon Worley loves white snow. He likes yellow snow, but the gray snow (with black chunks) really makes him queasy.