Friday, February 4, 2011

After the Storm...


Whew! We made it...so far, anyway, because it looks like the thaw is going to be a long time coming. First of all, city, county, and state road crews deserve major kudos for the unbelievable job they did in clearing the streets and highways.   Then there are the unsung heroes out there with snow blades and heavy equipment who volunteered their time and resources to aid in the snow clearing process. If not for them, many people, including me, would still be stuck at home. (Someone is getting home-baked goodies.) Many people learned many things from this event, or at the very least were reminded of many things they had long ago forgotten. Here is my list:

1.                  Snow days are supposed to be about eating bacon on the couch, and watching movies with a warm, buttery bowl of popcorn on your lap, and sledding, and snow ball fights, and snow men, and warming up with a mug of homemade hot chocolate topped off with a great big ol’ marshmallow.

2.                  I’m not sure how it feels about me, but as far as I’m concerned our snow blower is my BFF. I’m thinking about letting it have Anna’s old room.

3.                  Clearing your driveway of 20 inches of snow matters not when you are met with the same amount on the street. 

4.                  A snow blower with one tank of gas can clear a two car driveway four times, finish off half the neighbor’s driveway twice, make a path from the front doors to the mailboxes of two more neighbors, dig out the end of the driveway after the snow plow has been through, and still have gas left for another day.

5.                  Snow blowers are just not practical on stairs or decks.

6.                  Say what you will about living in the sticks with no one around for miles, but there are advantages to having neighbors.

7.                  No amount of yoga can prepare your body for the after-effects of a day and a half of snow clearing. Those after-effects don't really kick in until about day 3. (I'll be fine if I remember not to make any sudden movements.)

8.                  The National Weather Service warned of the possibility of becoming disoriented and lost during blizzard conditions, but they made no mention of the same danger while trying to navigate parking lots which have become mazes of mountainous barricades of snow.

9.                  Even at sub-freezing temperatures solar gain is a beautiful thing.  

10.              Frigid temperatures don't scare menopausal women. In fact, there's not a whole lot that will scare them.

11.              Two feet of snow is the amount at which an Australian Shepherd can become stuck. However, with enough enticement (think impertinent little rodents with swishy, bushy tails), they can bulldoze their way through.

12.              Starlings are evil little bastards.

13.              Creative driving becomes an art form as two lanes of traffic, without warning, become half a lane.

14.              One little incident can make a person ice-aphobic for life. (Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that little and the proper term for it is pagophobic, but I like my word better).

I'd post pictures...but I DON'T HAVE A CAMERA (birthday hint, Honey).

Why can't I get the song, "The Morning After", out of my head???
(I've got you singing it now, too, don't I?  You're welcome!)

3 comments:

ggminton said...

Filling the bird feeders can be a challenge with snow on the ground, but nothing is prettier than colorful birds against a backdrop of lovely white snow.. yes, there are some nice things about tons of snow..

what kind of camera do you want?

You dreaded mother in law...

pharmgirl said...

No camera in the phone, chicka?

Lisa said...

Yes, I do have a camera phone, but it's not a smart phone and doesn't download to the 'puter. Pictures taken w/ my phone stay on my phone.