Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Snow Daze

Three weeks ago, it snowed.  A lot.  Eight inches of wet, heavy, heart-attack snow.  The kind that you can’t just push off the driveway with the shovel…this was the scoop-carry-dump kind of snow.

The piles along the side of the driveway were deep enough to tunnel through.  We also dug an igloo in the pile at the corner of the driveway.  By we, of course, I mean me.  The kids helped me along with their positive spirit and words of encouragement.  “Hurry up,” they said.

Last week, before a single flake of the first snow had the opportunity to melt, it snowed again.  Thankfully I was in Chicago so I didn’t have to shovel it.

It snowed in Chicago, too.  On Monday night I kept waking up to the sound of the snow plow scraping asphalt outside my hotel room window.  On Tuesday night in Chicago I woke up to a 4.3 earthquake.  I didn’t know that’s what it was at the time (4am), I thought it was the damn snow plow again.  Only it didn’t make any scraping noises, it just felt like the ground was shaking.  Looking back now, all I can say about that is “duh.”  After all, it was an earthquake.

I was happy to be back in Ohio on Wednesday.  I was not happy to dig my car out from under six inches of new snow.  Then it started snowing again Monday morning.  We shoveled the driveway Monday afternoon; roughly six inches had fallen, and we were only to the halfway point.

[INSERT FUNNY COMMENT ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING HERE]

If it snows again - as it is forecast to do next week - I will be lost as to where to put it all.  The piles at the end of the driveway are already six feet tall.  I buried the igloo and tunnel (NOTE: the kids were able to convince me to dig them back out, because I am a push-over.)

But why keep telling you, when I can show you a before and after picture of the igloo.  And I'll even invite you 'round back for a picnic...



19 comments:

Unknown said...

Would you be mad if I said I was jealous of you and your snow?

...or actually, I'm jealous of your kids and their igloo!

Stacy McKitrick said...

I'm sick of the snow, too. And of course, I'm the one shoveling it, since I'm the first one to leave for work in the morning.

If it snows again before it's melted, I honestly don't know where I can pile it!

Loved your pictures!

As for the earthquake - I grew up in Southern California, so I know all about those. They're kind of freaky!

Laurel said...

Whatev.

We had like, almost four whole inches of snow here in the Deep South. There was enough snow to make the biggest snowman of my life...taller than my five year old. It got really cold, too. Thirty or something crazy like that.

The snow was on the ground for almost a whole day. No big deal.

No earthquake, though. Just holding out for tornado season. Since we don't live in a trailer park we should be alright.

Rick Daley said...

Beth- if you can come here and move it, that igloo is yours!

Stacy- I think we're going to get whacked again next week, and the temp isn't supposed to get over 31, so we're in trouble.

I've been to California many times. No earthquakes. Go to Chicago, earthquake. Weird.

Laurel- I could have made a giant snowman with the first snow, but all of my time was spent digging the tunnel and igloo.

Eric said...

Yeah, after 38 years of living in snowy Colorado, I'm done. If I could retire and move to Arizona today, I'd be gone. And I'll pass on the snowy picnic out back, though your igloo looks cool.

Rick Daley said...

Eric- I may rant about doing all the work building igloos and tunnels, but in truth I enjoy playing in the snow as much as the kids do. It sure beats the typical central Ohio winter, which is 33 degrees and freezing rain...

Susan Kaye Quinn said...

We lived in Cincy for many years and I'll take heavy, wet snow any day over freezing rain that encases my car and turns it into the Fortress of Solitude!

I'm in Chicago now, and strangely the earthquake didn't wake me up. Pish. I guess growing up in California means it doesn't disturb me until it gets over 5.0.

:)

p.s. Dude! You need a snowblower. Just sayin'.

Rick Daley said...

I do need a snowblower. Then I could clear a path to the bus stop.

Teri said...

I can relate to this SNOW! I live in southeastern PA and we also got dumped on and we also were able to tunnel into the piled up snow banks. Only a few more weeks until spring. Let me count the ways. Oh, I mean days.

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Wow! I'm in Utah where it usually dumps all February, and we have nothing here this month. Sorry you're getting it all! Boo! Although I hate snow. I really don't want it here anyway.

Anonymous said...

Ready to visit Tampa??... The southern-most Daley

Rick Daley said...

Tampa sounds real nice right about now...

About Me said...

At least you have a nice igloo to show for all that snow :)

Rick Daley said...

Crimey- I dug the igloo, then it got buried in the next snow and I had to dig it out again. It's the opposite of a two-fer deal, I only got one igloo but I had to excavate it twice.

Anita said...

Wow, wow, wow...am trying to think of a positive spin on this...I may have to get back to you.

Rick Daley said...

Anita-

How about "at least it will flood when all that melts in the rain tomorrow night"?

Not positive, I admit, but highly likely.

Unknown said...

Wet snow and a large car transporter tried to combine to do away with me this week so I like snow even less.
It is great for bird watching at the bird table from the right side of the doubleglazing!

Rick Daley said...

Elaine, this makes me think of Scooby Doo:

"And they would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddling kids!"

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