{"product_id":"2940014010252","title":"Summer Snow Storm","description":"_Snow in summer is of course impossible. Any weather expert will\u003cbr\u003e    tell you so. Weather Bureau Chief Botts was certain no such\u003cbr\u003e    absurdity could occur. And he would have been right except for one\u003cbr\u003e    thing. It snowed that summer._\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was, as the expression goes, raining cats and dogs. Since the Weather\u003cbr\u003eBureau had predicted fair and warmer, the Weather Bureau was not\u003cbr\u003eparticularly happy about the meteorological state of affairs. No one,\u003cbr\u003ehowever was shocked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUntil it started to snow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis was on the twenty-fifth of July in the U.S.A....\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHalf an hour before the fantastic meteorological turn of events, Bureau\u003cbr\u003eChief Botts dangled the forecast sheet before Johnny Sloman's bloodshot\u003cbr\u003eeyes and barked, \"It's all over the country by now, you dunderhead!\"\u003cbr\u003eThen, as an afterthought: \"Did you write this?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes,\" said Sloman miserably.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSlowly, Botts said, \"Temperature, eighty degrees. Precipitation\u003cbr\u003eexpected: snow. _Snow_, Sloman. Well, that's what it says.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It was a mistake, Chief. Just--heh-heh--a mistake.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The prediction should have been for fair and warmer!\" Botts screamed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But it's raining,\" Sloman pointed out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"We make mistakes,\" said Botts in a suddenly velvety voice. Then, as if\u003cbr\u003e_that_ had been a mistake, bellowed: \"But not this kind of mistake,\u003cbr\u003eSloman! Snow in July! We have a reputation to maintain! If not for\u003cbr\u003eaccuracy, at least for credulity.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes, sir,\" said Johnny Sloman. One of the troubles was, he had a\u003cbr\u003ehangover. Although, actually, that was a consequence of the real\u003cbr\u003etrouble. The real trouble was his fiancee. Make that his ex-fiancee.\u003cbr\u003eBecause last night Jo-Anne had left him. \"You--you're just going no\u003cbr\u003eplace at all, Johnny Sloman,\" she had said. \"You're on a treadmill\u003cbr\u003eand--not even running very fast.\" She had given him back the\u003cbr\u003equarter-carat ring tearfully, but Johnny hadn't argued. Jo-Anne had a\u003cbr\u003estubborn streak and he knew when Jo-Anne's mind was made up. So Johnny\u003cbr\u003ehad gone and gotten drunk for the first time since the night after\u003cbr\u003ecollege graduation, not too many years ago, and the result was a\u003cbr\u003enationally-distributed forecast of snow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChief Botts' first flush of anger had now been replaced by self-pity.\u003cbr\u003eHis red, loose-jowled face was sagging and his eyes became watery as he\u003cbr\u003esaid, \"At least you could have double-checked it. As a member of this\u003cbr\u003eBureau you only have to fill out the forecast once every ten days. Is\u003cbr\u003ethat so hard? Is there any reason why you should predict snow for July\u003cbr\u003e25th?\" His voice became silky soft as he added, \"You realize, of course,\u003cbr\u003eSloman, that if this was anything but a civil service job you'd be out\u003cbr\u003eon your ear for a stunt like this! Well, there are other ways. I can\u003cbr\u003epass over you for promotion. I _intend_ to pass over you until the\u003cbr\u003ecrack of doom. You'll be a GS-5 the rest of your working life. Are you\u003cbr\u003esatisfied, Sloman? Snow in July ...\" Chief Botts' voice trailed off, the\u003cbr\u003eChief following it.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47157416329456,"sku":"2940014010252","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014010252_p0.jpg?v=1763598994","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014010252","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}