Ted’s Snow Adventures and Family Fun in the Cold

Hey there! So, the big talk last week was definitely the snow, right? It seemed like the entire East Coast got hit with storms. It was kind of wild. Honestly, I don’t usually follow the news or weather very closely—it’s just not something I think about day-to-day. So, I had no idea anything was coming until I walked into the office and heard people talking about it. Everyone was asking, “What’s the game plan for snow and ice?” And I was like, “What are you even talking about?” That’s when I found out that snow and ice were on the way—not just here in Atlanta but all the way up in Charlotte too. It really seemed like the whole region was bracing for a winter blast.

We decided to play it safe and made a plan for the office. Thursday was fine; the weather held up, and everything stayed normal. But the forecasts were saying that snow might start falling early Friday morning, around 7 or 8 in Atlanta, and then later in the day in Charlotte. Sure enough, when we woke up Friday morning in Atlanta, there was snow on the ground. It was such a strange sight!

We told everyone on our team that if they felt uncomfortable with the road conditions, they should stay home. The safety of our staff always comes first. So, we ended up running on a skeleton crew. The same thing happened in Charlotte, where a lot of our staff have kids in school. With schools closing, we wanted to make sure everyone could take care of their families and stay safe.

It seemed like the snow moved in waves across the region. By the afternoon, it had made its way up to High Point, North Carolina. I think it started snowing there around 3 or 4 p.m. It didn’t snow for very long in Atlanta—probably until 10 or 11 a.m.—and we didn’t get a huge amount. But it was enough to create that classic “snowstorm panic” where people rushed to the grocery stores. Holly went out at one point and said the shelves were just ravaged. People were stocking up like we’d be snowed in for a week—grabbing eggs, milk, bread, and all the usual staples.

Holly and I tried to make the most of the snow day. We went outside to enjoy it a bit and even tried to get Ted, our dog, involved. But let me tell you, he was not impressed. He looked at the snow like it was the worst thing he’d ever seen. My sons'’ dog, Robin, felt the same way when the snow finally hit High Point later that day. It’s funny how some animals love snow and others just don’t want any part of it.

I kept up my usual routine, even with the snow. That included my morning cold plunge in the pool, which was extra cold because it’s not heated. We keep it just above freezing to protect the pipes, but that means it’s practically icy. Let me tell you, jumping into that water on a snowy day is an experience you don’t forget—it wakes you up, that’s for sure!

The rest of the weekend was pretty low-key. Saturday was quiet—just me and Holly staying warm and cozy at home. On Sunday, we went over to my parents’ house for a family dinner. We had chili, which is a staple for cold weather, and paired it with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made with apple jelly. It might sound like an odd combo, but it’s a family tradition, and it really hits the spot. It was just the four of us—me, Holly, and my parents—hanging out and catching up. It was nice to slow down and enjoy some quality time together.

While we were warm and safe, we couldn’t help but think about the folks in North Carolina dealing with flooding from all the storms. It’s such a tough situation, and our thoughts were definitely with them.

The snowstorm threw off the rhythm of the week a bit. I thought it was going to be a full workweek as we got back into the groove after the holidays, but Mother Nature had other plans. Even with the snow day, we still managed to get most of the week’s work done. It felt like a three-day weekend for a lot of folks, but since you couldn’t really go out, it wasn’t the most exciting one.

Oh, and there was a UFC card over the weekend. I didn’t watch it live since there weren’t many fighters on the card that I follow. I’ll probably catch a couple of the fights on ESPN later. But I’m looking forward to the pay-per-view next week—that one should be a lot of fun.

So, that was our week in a nutshell! Snowstorms, cozy days at home, and easing back into the swing of things after the holidays. Hope everyone is staying warm and safe—it’s still pretty chilly out there!