This will be quick because I got plowed!  I so needed it.  Insert immature humor.

METRO

On Tuesday, Metro system will open at 5 a.m. with limited service and may close early

OPEN GYMS

FunFit is open today for MOMS MORNING OUT until 12:30pm

Great Kids Village Silver Spring - 10am-4:30pm

Interactions Learn and Play in Kensington – Opening at 10am

Be With Me The Children’s Playseum in Bethesda is open at 9:30am.

The Family Room on Capitol Hill is open at 9am.

MUSEUMS & HISTORY

National Geographic Museum -  The museum will be open Tues. Call 202-857-7588 to confirm in case of early closure.

Mount Vernon – Open all day, but the evening music program is canceled due to impending snow.

The Newseum is open today from 9am-5pm

Sorry I was not able to do a “What Is Open on Monday” post today, the day you probably most need it with cabin fever insanity reaching record levels and with the kids all out of school.  To those of you that e-mailed or Tweeted me wondering where my 4-1-1 post was, I apologize that I was not able to personally get back to you with tailored activity ideas like I normally try to do.

You see, my road has not been plowed, and we are three city blocks of waist-deep snow from any major roads.  We’ve tried carrying the kids on our backs down to the highway, but they start hysterically crying and fighting with each other every time we try.

My husband (the one whose job pays the mortgage) was feverishly working from home today while I fiendishly tried to occupy the kids and keep any blood-curdling screams from reaching his conference calls to his team all morning. I also had to clean a disgustingly dirty house that four people and two animals have not been able to leave for 72 hours before our neighbors arrive tonight for a Snowmageddon drinks, dessert and more drinks party.

So those of you that wanted to know what was open, that means that your road has been plowed. It means you are able to leave and go somewhere.  Anywhere.

So while I am sincerely sorry I could not help you, I also ENVY YOU.

However, I obviously have power and Internet and thus I am well-aware that I am totally enviable and blessed myself.  My friend Jodifur in Potomac?  She texted today that she expects to be out of power until FRIDAY.  Other friends in Rockville just returned home from the Bethesda Marriott where they took refuge with their four kids for a few days and found  $300 worth of groceries rotten in their fridge.

These are hard times people. (Yummm, Hard Times, how I miss you.)

I’d suggest we all virtually hold hands and sing  Kumbaya around virtual fires, but at our house we ran out of firewood over here on Saturday.

But you know what we still have over here?  Heineken, La Crema, 10 pounds of frozen edamame and a huge box of World’s Finest chocolate bars that my kid is supposed to sell for a school fundraiser.  Things could be worse.

Yes my friends, I’ll be here all the week.  Try the veal.

Be With Me The Playseum Pass Winners are Harley, Kathy, Sarah S., AnnMarie and Ashanthi K.  I have some of your emails, but not all – please email me if you are listed!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7

Be With Me The Children’s Playseum in Bethesda is open NOW and serving free hot chocolate, coffee and tea from Starbucks!  They have just started having Sunday open play, but opened several hours early today to give the families without power a place to play!  Leave a comment here before midnight tonight February 7 to receive one of FIVE free admission passes, courtesy of Be With Me’s owner. With schools very likely closed some days this week, you’ll need it!

Great Kids Village Silver Spring is opening at 11:30am this morning and will stay open as long as people keep showing up (note:  regular hours are usually ’til 6pm, but they may close early if people stay away due to snow or Super Bowl.)

The Family Room on Capitol Hill is open 12-6pm.

The Newseum is open today from 9am-5pm as usual.  The staff all spent the night at the museum on Friday night so they could be open yesterday too.

We Love DC has a list of open restaurants in The District.

Know of a place that’s open for families today?  Mention it in the comments, help your fellow parents and be entered to win a free pass to Be With Me in Bethesda!

Are you reading this on your phone because you’re out of power or connection due to the snow storm?  Let me help you.  I wish I could provide you with a beer, some hot Thai takeout, a deep tissue shoulder massage after you shoveled out your front walk, but since I’m snowed in too, these are  the best virtual pressies I can provide.

Hypothermia Hotline – If you see a homeless person, calll 1 (800) 535-7252 IMMEDIATELY

PepCo – Report an Outage 1 (877) PEPCO-62, Report Downed Wires (202) 872-3432

PepCo Stormcenter – Shows areas out of power

BGE -  1-877-778-2222

Dominion - 1-888-667-3000
Allegheny Power – 1-800-255-3443

Montgomery County Plowing of Roads - Highway Services at 240-777-6000, FAQs

“Plowing and salting major county roads. All crews will continue this process until all precipitation stops and all major county roads and primary neighborhood streets are cleared. After a 24-inch snowfall [stops falling], our crews should complete the work in about 48 to 60 hours.”

Metro Service – No above ground service or Metrobus running, below-ground service active until 11pm, modified service schedule here . Glenmont to Forest Glen service running in Silver Spring. Yellow Line – Pentagon to Crystal City, Red Line – Medical Center to Union Station and Glenmont to Forest Glen, Orange Line – Ballston to Stadium-Armory, Green Line – Fort Totten to Congress Heights, Blue Line – Ballston to Stadium-Armory.

Report Downed Trees

In The District – call 311 for downed trees, Montgomery – 240-777-6000, Prince George’s – 301-499-8600, Fairfax – 703-383-8368.

Locate a Towed Car in The District – You may have been blocking the plow.  Call (202) 727-5000.

Washington Gas – Customer Service for interuptions in service  (703) 750-1000

“To avoid the possibility of an interruption in gas service, Washington Gas would like to remind its customers to clear any accumulated snow from their natural gas meters and regulator vents as well as any appliance exhausts using hands, a brush or broom.”

Comcast – 1-800-COMCAST (1-800-266-2278), Live Chat with Customer Service

Verizon -1-800-VERIZON (1-800-837-4966), Live Chat with Customer Service

Cox -703-378-8422, Live Chat with Customer Service

Reminder: It’s every resident’s responsibility to shovel out his/her entrance to his/her residence, sidewalk and driveway.

Snow Ice Cream recipes

Scrabble domination strategy tip, for those of you in family board game land: save your “S” tiles to simply make plural your adult opponent’s best high-scoring words.  Do it even if you could score higher using your own tiles.  It ticks them off so much it messes with their strategy and mires them in self-doubt.  Also, hoard your A, E, I, N, R tiles for maximum chances at using all seven of your tiles for the 50 point bingo bonus. (These tips are from an anonymous devoted but devious wife and The Imperial Valley Student Scrabble Tournament Champion, 1988 and 1989.)

Trivial Pursuit best guesses: Your first instinct is usually right, don’t overthink it. Say only last names, because if you only have the last name you’re right, but if you verbalize an incorrect first name, you’re out.  Stumped?  Always guess, never pass.  When in doubt, guess Muhammad Ali for all-around sports stuff, Ted Williams for baseball, China for country questions involving technology or population, Japan for country questions about weird practices, Stephen Sondheim for Broadway/musicals/songs, Katherine Hepburn for Best Actress.

How To Win at Monopoly: Buy all railroads, skip the utilities, never sell a much-needed property to your opponent no matter how sweet the deal, get hotels on the purples by Go and the oranges by Free Parking.

Good night and good luck!

Schools are closed today, and you can only do the “let’s watch Sesame Street in our jammies” thing for so long.  And after exactly 20 minutes of snow play (not including the 30 minutes to get outfitted in the snow gear), the kids are soaking wet and cold.

So here are some indoor play options that are open today to help you kill the snow day – call a friend and get to playing!

FunFit – Open gym in Rockville is starting at 11:30am-2pm.

Interactions Learn and Play in Kensington – Open gym from 12pm noon – 5:30pm.

Great Kids Village in Silver Spring and Columbia – Both the new Silver Spring and former-Playwise Kids Columbia locations, 10am-5:30pm

The Little Gym Silver Spring – Opens at 11am, regular classes as scheduled.  Call 301-681-7005 to take a free trial class. 11:30am Funny Bugs for 3-4 years, 4:30pm Funny Bugs/Giggle Worms for 3-5 years, 5:45pm Beasts/Super Beasts 19 mos-3 years, 6:30pm Giggle Worms/Good Friends 4-6 years.  Again, call first to make sure they have room for your child and to reserve your space for one free class.

Silver Stars in Silver Spring and Bowie – Both the Silver Spring and Bowie locations have Open Gym today from 12-1pm.  In Silver Spring the age range is 7 and UNDER, in Bowie it’s 12 and UNDER.  Bowie also has Open Gym from 2-3pm today.