- On phone with mom: “We got about a foot,” she said. “And now they expect freezing rain on top of that. I might have to four-wheel your dad in for dialysis tomorrow.” “We’re getting a few measly flakes,” I said. “It won’t amount to anything.”
- Out shoveling snow the next morning, glance across street when there is an expensive-sounding crash. A woman lost control of her car and drove it into a frozen snowbank along the sidewalk and got stuck. Front-wheel drive. The tires go “zzzzzz!” A man (passing? got out of passenger seat?) tells her she’s leaking coolant. He picks up her front bumper and puts it in the trunk.
- In-between shoveling the walk I listened to the news. Trucks blocking roads here and there.
- Shovel a few more times. It works like this: shoveled, then when finished the falling snow had pretty much covered things up again, start over directly or say the hell with it and go in for a coffee or something. Call in to work and say won’t be coming in. Monday was a “window day” here, which is what they call days wedged in between weekends and holidays (Tuesday, today, is a religious holiday here).
- Later, shovel more snow, sweep the cars clean, trudge through snow with family. Confess to wife that “I’m not a snow person,” but then realize that one, I’m not cold anywhere, being bundled up quite professionally and two I’m having fun. Make snow angel. Pull little one on sled.
- Shovel walk. Actually, when the snow is dry you can get away with sweeping it if it’s not too deep. Then go into town to try on ski boots. Being a neophyte, I have no idea how a ski boot is supposed to fit. Wife, being a true expert on this, knows far more than the salesman. I got carving skis for Christmas, you see. Occasionally I get this belief in gadgets. This gadget will change my life. Turn my life around. I felt like that when a great uncle gave me a wallet full of fishing flies when I was a boy, when I got my first camera, my first typewriter, my first word processor, this PC here. Now I’m putting my faith in skis and whatever flashy pair of skiboots my wife picks out for me.
Snowbound
Posted in Metamorphosism
OK, that kind of rules that the Epiphany is a holiday. Do you exchange frankinsence and myrrh? Wear cool purple cloaks and turbans? Ride camels?
(Did you get me anything? hm?)
http://www.peacedividend.com/archives/005320.php
Don’t forget to keep your knees loose.
We went sledding.
The snow glittered. Gamma dug that.
We did see three children dressed as the Wise Men walking around town yesterday, though.
I’m tired. I need to go to bed.
I forgot to say, cool skull thing. It would be neat to have one with a little creche inside, for Christmas.
Here in Portland OR there’s been snow on the ground for well over a week. Right now there’s about 6″ — 12″ everywhere. It’s not really cold (~+420 degrees F.)except that houses aren’t insulated. This is very unusual around here. Normally I’d love it except that I pulled a muscle walking on ice and furthermore, my shoes have no tread, don’t insulate, and get wet if it’s slightly warm out.
Trivia: -40 C = -40 F. Fact.
420 degrees F is definitely not very cold. I was talking to my mom recently (yesterday), who lives not all that far from Portland, OR, and she said they were getting a new blizzard. And then freezing rain, or something like that.
Next: toads or walking catfish.
OK, 20 degrees Fahrenheit
(At first I thought you might have meant 420 degrees Kelvin, but that still comes out warm at 296.3300264330027 Fahrenheit.)
http://www.metric-conversions.org/temperature-conversion.htm