Darn you, Mark Trail and your magical talking box! (Also, cute stories about my son.)

Wife and I were awakened at 4 this morning by Craig, when the National Weather Service decided that 4 am was the optimal time to activate its warning system for a winter storm warning. This is all well and good; Mark Trail and I love our NOAA All-Hazards radios ... but here's the kicker:

The winter storm was not yet bearing down on us; it only fit the loosest definition of "imminent." The warning was issued for 1 am tonight ... which gave me about 21 hours to get the cows and chickens into the barn. If, you know, I ... had ... cows and chickens. (I don't.)

(I get the feeling that winter storms are the Dutch Elm Disease of weather phenomena ... slow to progress and ultimately full of doom.)

(Mark Trail was always one of those comics I'd read growing up and wonder, "Why isn't this funny? It's in the funny pages." Much like "Rex Morgan," or "Mary Worth," or "Nancy.")

(Does anyone even call them "the funny pages" anymore?)

So, you know, I appreciate the lead time and all, but I'm thinking that there was about 9 hours too much lead time in this case. Especially when the alarm activates at 4 in the friggin' morning. Thanks, National Weather Service!

It didn't help that Wife has been thoroughly zapped by a particularly nasty case of the flu, which set in on Friday night and thusly ruined her weekend. She intended to suck it up this morning and go to work, and even got started on the right foot (early morning wakeup call from Craig notwithstanding). Then, after her shower, she came back into our boudoir and sat on the edge of the bed for about 20 minutes, trying to find the strength to finish getting ready for work. She mustered only enough to make it to the living room and was tapped out afterwards. On top of that, she spent a physically and mentally exhausting day with Son. She says she's going to try to make a go of it again tomorrow morning, weather and stomach virus permitting. I don't really foresee it happening - not because I doubt her inner strength or her overall work ethic, but because we are slated to get about 3 inches of snow in the overnight and another 3 in the morning. It's hard enough to drive on roads covered with snow and sleet and ice at full strength.

Son has taken to learning a new thing. He knows the word "no," but he doesn't really know the word "yes." It's very sweet; it's not a petulant "no" like you'd expect out of a 4-year-old or a teenager. It's more of an innocent, sweet "no":

"Son, did you have fun at the sitter's today?"

"No." (His voice lilts up at the end.)

"Son, would you like some more milk?"

"No." ... and then he gets his empty sippie cup and hands it to one of us to go get him more milk.

"Son, do you love Mommy and Daddy?"

"No."

"Son, do you not love Mommy and Daddy?"

(silence)

Anyway, it's the sweetest thing in the world right now.

Off to bed. I've shut off the alarm function on my weather radio; I don't need to be awakened at midnight to learn that snow is imminent. I know it's going to friggin' snow. Barn up the cows and chickens.