Wednesday, February 10, 2010

More snow pros and cons



Pro: luckily, our city is good with snow removal. We don't usually see these backhoes, but actually picking up the snow and moving it elsewhere is necessary when you get this much. Below is our usual snowplow/salt/sander.

Con: as the snow on the roof melts, it drips onto the front porch. Each morning, there is literally a 2 inch thick layer of ice. At this point, it is nearly impossible to find ice melting salt or sand anywhere, even if we wanted to use some. Although we do have 4 distinct seasons in Maryland and get a dose of snow every year, people around here still go crazy and raid the stores of bread, milk, eggs, etc. It's really unnecessary. In addition, people don't know how to drive on the roads, either driving dangerously fast or dangerously slow. Though our city limits is good with plowing, the main roads and highways are not always plowed logically - 3 lanes will suddenly need to merge into 1 as a wall of snow will halt traffic in lanes. The big pro of living in Rhode Island (we lived in RI for 4 years) is that they really know how to deal with snow. Roads are salted and plowed promptly and properly. I guess the big con is that the potholes in RI are notorious and something serious to contend with after the winter season!


Below, you get a sense of how it's necessary to literally dig your car out.


Though shoveling on a calm, brisk, afternoon can be exhilarating, a cold wind that blows snow/ice into your face doesn't feel so good. After finishing the front, we moved onto the next task - shoveling the perimeter of the house. Why? Because (con), one year there were a few warm days after a big snow that caused the snow around the house to quickly melt and flood our basement!


Other thoughts:
Pro: being in pajamas for a week straight now.
Con: being a kid and having to cancel a sleepover.
Pro: being a kid who doesn't have school for the next several days and being able to reschedule for tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, or the next day...
Pro: actually paying attention to the needs INSIDE the house (as opposed to neglecting the house for the garden). How come I hadn't realized our wall hangings were outdated? Or that we could really use a new couch? Or that the storage space is at a minimum in this house? Or that the kids' broken dresser really needs to be fixed or replaced?
Con: being out of my gym/work routine, and being stuck in the house means I'm eating just because I'm bored and have probably gained 5 pounds this week. I think I ate 100 cream puffs this week (just went to Costco and was going to bring these to preschool for my little one's birthday).
Con: CABIN FEVER. If you've ever been snowed in, you know what I mean. Family is great and all, but...
And the biggest CON: my sister, BIL, and almost 1 year old niece who has JUST learned to walk were supposed to fly in from North Carolina today. This is too sad to leave you with so I'll think of a final pro...
Pro: I got to hit Blockbuster before this second storm. It was funny because as expected, it was busy, but every customer had about 5 or 6 movies, bracing for another snow-in. Though I rarely have time to watch movies, not working means I don't have to get up at 5am, and that means I get to stay up really late (I am a night owl). I've had a Grey's Anatomy (DVR'd) marathon, watched Truman Show and Remember the Titans, watched The Wrestler last night (still can't get that out of my head), going to watch Julie and Julia tonight, and The Lady in the Water tomorrow night.

8 comments:

  1. I know you guys have really been slammed this year with snow. We (Michigan) finally got our first real snow this year and it was only 8 inches, but my son got a snow day.

    I love that you got to have a movie marathon. Would you recommend The Wrestler? You will love Julie and Julia. I think it was my favorite movie from 2009.

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  2. Wendy~~ Your post was really entertaining. At first I thought your title was "More Snow PEAS" Must be your header photo and the association. LOL

    I can't buy those Costco cream puffs. They are so damn addictive!! Especially when they're just slightly frozen and with a cup of coffee. Yum.

    Funny as I was reading your post I was watching Brian Williams shivering outside Times Square. I guess he felt like he needed to be where the news is. Talk about a winter for the books! Your photos really tell the story. My fingers are crossed that you don't lose power.

    Did you like The Truman Show? It's one of my favorite movies.

    Darn I was going to comment on a few more things in your post but the format on your comment page doesn't allow me to go back to your post and reread it. I know I'm really stupid and there is probably a way to get to it but I wonder if you couldn't pretty, pretty please change it to a pop up instead of a whole page. Sorry if I'm being a pain in the arse.

    Oh I remember. I'm sorry your sis's flight was cancelled. Hopefully she can come in the spring and help you in the garden. :)

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  3. Grace, I will make it a point to figure it out! When I respond to something, it just pops up though...I'm so tech stupid, but I'll try. Yeah, partially frozen cream puffs. I think there are still about 15 left... The Truman Show is awesome. I have literally seen it like 40 times. I used to show it to my 8th grade English class after our unit on Utopia - we read The Giver, Animal Farm, and great short stories. No more snow peas is more like it!

    Lindalou - I LOVED The Wrestler. There was a very gory part that I averted my eyes for (and I'm a tough girl). It was VERY thought-provoking. You could analyze the hell out of it if you wanted. At it's most simplistic level, it was extremely interesting. I found it very depressing - and I believe you don't like to be depressed, but I do, so I really enjoyed it. OK, off to watch Julia and Julia now!

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  4. wow that is a lot of snow. You have really worked on pros and cons of big snow fall. So the inhabitants of warm climates like me just happen to see the snow on blogs and pretend some shivering that's it . Our spring just started and new growth is sprouting. I hope spring will reach you soon.

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  5. That's a giant shovel! I mean the snow removal truck :-D Now you all can relax. Have fun staying in and playing with snow ok.

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  6. There is a scene in Remember the Titans where all these big, tough footballers are kinda dancing along, singing "We are the Titans, mighty, mighty Titans..." that just tickles my funny bone. I would watch it over and over, or maybe just back up to replay that scene. Any little bit of weather around here takes over the news. Sorry, but it is gratifying to me to learn that even the pros are sometimes stymied by the white stuff.

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  7. Loved Julie and Julia, and I hope it made some of the deep sorrow lift as a result of the canceled trip. :( I lived in Montreal for five years and learned to really not love the snow that lingers for six months, you know? A little, okay. A lot is just a pain. But as you say, those Northerners know how to deal with the snow, and they clear the roads lickety-split. Down here, it's possible to be snowed in. (We are bracing for a possible snow this weekend, and in our little hollow, on a one-way lane, it is quite possible to get stuck!) At least you have power and can watch vids. :)

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  8. Meredith - the thought of being snowed in is always awesome - until the reality of cabin fever sets in!!

    Muhammad and Steph - yes, lots of pros and cons! Everything is sort of dicey!

    Ricki - I've seen that movie like 40 times at least b/c I used to show it at the end of the year when I taught 8th grade. I think the unit was called friendship and it was the perfect movie to show! It's so funny, serious, important, and powerful.

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