It could just be me, but yesterday I read ‘DAY OFF’ on the school website and got slightly scared. December had some surprisingly warm days during this El Niño season, but while a snow day sounded good in theory, I honestly had no idea what to do with myself. The weather people promised four feet, but with the dusting we just received, I felt a little limited in my options. None of my friends felt like venturing out for quick jaunt through twenty-two inches of fluff because their shoulders hurt from shoveling. (There’s this new invention called a snow blower, but I hear only people who trust weathermen take a chance on the investment.) It’s probably not possible to contract cabin fever at this point, but for those itching for something more fulfilling than an excuse to sleep in, I’ve got you covered.

1. Get the band back together. Or your siblings, or those pesky neighbor kids, or anyone else who happens to be within walking distance and is not afraid of fresh air. I’m telling you now, staring at the same four walls for three days with the windows shoveled over probably doesn’t exactly do wonders for mental stimulation. Find a group crazy enough to see the value in a good old fashioned snowball fight, and make the stakes high. Bragging rights are a hot commodity during these horrid road conditions, meaning you’re likely to only see these same kids until April, if the sun ever decides to come back with a purpose.

2. Build a snowman. I don’t care who you are, but Princess Ana had it right. A pristine yard free of tracks looks nice and all, but the true testament to a successful snow day are the footprints that lead to nowhere in particular. There is nothing more deserving of pride than a four-tiered snowman that almost made it to the middle of your yard. Sometimes that bottom layer gets too big to push, but be not ashamed. The best and brightest snowman builders had to start somewhere too, even if that somewhere was slightly off-center. And what do with all of the old snow clothes that fell out of your closest while you were on a quest for the other matching glove? You could leave them on the floor for you mother, OR you could decorate your snowman! It gets cold out there at night; don’t make your creation yearn to be a puddle inside just because you neglected to give it layers.

3. Critique this year’s snowplowing. It’s like people watching… but for snowdrifts? That is, of course, if you can see around them because you definitely can’t see through them. The plowers certainly had to get creative because it seems we managed to get all of the snow we missed in December in one shot. “Look boys, mailboxes! Pack ‘em tight! Same for trashcans! It’ll melt in a week, right?” In all seriousness, it’s not as if Lansdale is full of wide open spaces to shove heaps of snow, which was so terrifyingly on display when Five Points became four points and a half. The good news is that if you don’t like your neighbor, you probably won’t see them for another two weeks while the six foot snow banks melt. Thanks, Mother Nature.

4. Perfect your hot chocolate recipe. The age-old debate between using milk over water can be easily solved by taking the time to test the value of both. If you use water for your mix, you can add cold milk to help it cool down, but it will still be slightly watery. If you use milk, it will be hot and creamy, but there’s no point in adding more milk to cool it down because it will result in warm chocolate milk which is blasphemous. Are you a marshmallow person or do you drink it straight? Personally I add cinnamon, and I feel like a whole new person.

5. Finish homework…? I don’t even know why I bothered, honestly.

With snow many possibilities out there, North Penn, I should hope none of you find yourselves completely and utterly bored. If you do, I have failed as your designated survival columnist, but will most likely return next week if I’m not snowed in again. Best of luck creating, concocting, and critiquing – not necessarily in that order – and here’s to hoping for another six inches on Thursday!