I often find myself wishing that an earthquake, bomb, explosion or freak accident of nature would close the office for a day, a week or forever. I’m not asking for much. It doesn’t have to be a big accident. A small one will do. I’ll settle for a power outage. Anything that will result in being told to stay home, and keep the internet and phone lines clear for emergency personnel only.

I never seem to luck out, not even in my youth. As a child, I always hoped I would wake up in the morning and find ten inches of snow had fallen overnight and that school would be cancelled for the day, allowing for extra sleep as well as an afternoon with friends building snowmen and snow forts, throwing snowballs, ice skating, sledding, and enjoying a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows.

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