I’m one of a few people I know who actually doesn’t mind the snow.  Maybe it’s the 10 years of living in northern New England that’s helped; you put your boots on in October and take them off in May–you get used to it.

Like most 9 to 5’ers today, I was outside pushing and pulling the snow off my car before I could drive home.  The “dusting to an inch” turned into more like 4 or 5 inches of heavy, wet snow; and is poetically described by many Facebook friends who are cursing out the weather man from the local TV station.

As I was wielding my snow scraper back and forth so that my windshield wipers would work well under the continuing snowy conditions, I thought…”where is Raymond?”  Raymond who?  Well, Ray — the guy I used to work with, who would go out about half an hour before anyone was due to leave, and clear off all of our cars!  On days like this I miss Ray!

Not only on snow days do I miss Ray, but on days when there’s a mouse in the office, or a painting to be hung, or a bookshelf to put together, or a box full of donated books to be carried into the office.  Ray, who always had a hammer, a screwdriver and duct tape handy.  In an office full of women who, frankly, knew if they asked him, he would do anything.

Ray was, and I’m sure still is, a gentleman.  He was always polite, held doors open, pulled out chairs, picked up the yucky stuff off the floor–you get the idea.  I’m sure his current co-workers are worthy recipients of his tremendous gentlemanly and all-around-nice-guy efforts! Ray gets the shout-out of thanks today!