Snowpacolypse 2010 Aftermath

We had three winter storms in ten days. This was taken after things thawed out, just a bit.

I have a funny feeling that I’m still going to be looking at that pile of snow in April.

Stupid Groundhog

So, the groundhog saw his shadow, which supposedly means six more weeks of winter. Bah!
At least the New York groundhog (Chuck) fulfilled a long-time wish of mine and bit someone (not just anyone, New York’s Mayor Bloomburg!)

Remember when I said that I didn’t much care about the snow and ice that was forecast for us? Well, I lied. We got it, it’s still around, and I hate it. But I am still taking some solace in my cheerful little Shamrock’s reemergence.

Spring Arrives (in my kitchen)

I have a potted shamrock that I received as a birthday/Saint Patrick’s Day gift a few years ago. It thrived in my kitchen window, producing blooms almost continuously. Back in September, though, it seemed to be becoming less vigorous and I decided that maybe it needed a rest. Being essentially a bulb (actually a rhizome, I believe), it made sense to me that it might need a dormant period, so early in November I snipped off all of its leaves and flowers, stuck it in a paper bag and tucked it away in the back of the refrigerator.

After I did this, I did a bit of Googling and discovered that apparently I should have withheld water until it died back on its own, then put it away for a nap. I really worried that I might have killed it with my impulsiveness, but I stuck to original plan and hoped for the best. I took it out just after Christmas and started watering it. A few weeks went by and nothing was happening, reinforcing my fear that I’d killed it. Then, last Friday, I thought I detected new growth, but feared it was just wishful thinking. Suddenly, Sunday, three leaves shot up! Hooray! I’m hopeful that this means it will begin producing blooms in time for my birthday, as per my plan.

There may be a winter storm warning in effect through Wednesday and we may get another six inches of snow, but I don’t care (much). It’s Spring in my kitchen!

Winter Arrives

There’s my car!

Just for the sake of clarity here’s my car minus the bizarre cloak of wind-driven snow.

What has that snow done to my car?

Apparently, it’s mutated it into some sort of abominable snow wagon.

I could go outside and get a better shot, but I’m not going to. Looks like I “picked” a good weekend to be off work.

Like I Needed Another Reason To Hate Winter

So, I’m driving home from work today, and as I come across one of the speed-bumps by the park, the whole goddamned exhaust falls off of my beloved Maxima. Well, not off exactly, but down, as in ’suddenly my car sounds like my idiot neighbor’s far-too-loud-to-be-legal-jackass-mobile’ and I can hear shit dragging the ground.

Crawling under the car upon arriving home, I discover that that the intermediate pipe has rusted completely through (thanks, road salt!) and the resonator is now dragging the ground. At a minimum, everything downstream from the catalytic converter will have to be replaced. Oh, joy! Looks like the new bike will have to wait. Thankfully the money that I had saved up for the new bike should just about cover it. Let me just say:

Snow

Thankfully, the foreboding forecast was a bit off, we only got an inch or two, it scarcely stuck to the roads and sidewalks at all, and it had all melted by Wednesday.

For those commentators (Hi Jon, hi Fishy!!) and others also battling the evil white scourge, let me remind you of my favorite snowy day marching riding cadence:

I do not like it when it snows
I do not like it no, no, no!

If that’s a bit too ‘Dr. Seuss’ and not enough ‘boot camp’ for you, you can also spice it up with curse-words. Sometimes I do!

Yet Another Post Whining About Weather

So, today is the first day of Spring and tomorrow we’re under a winter storm warning. Sleet, freezing rain, and snow with an accumulation of 3-5 inches.

I shouldn’t complain, we’ve had much less snow than “average” this year, but… I’m going to anyway. Bitterly.

It Didn’t Work

So, despite my concentrated efforts, it snowed. We got about six inches of the dreaded white stuff… it’s like a freaking winter wonderland (of horrors). Bah! Humbug!

Stay Away, Evil Snow!

So, I’ve been concentrating really hard in an attempt to will away the impending snowstorm.

So far, it’s working! Notice the bubble of good will over my immediate area (right around the “o” in Dayton).
(map courtesy of The Weather Channel)

More of that horrible white stuff

So, we got a little snow today (an inch or two, barely more than a dusting). The thing that gets my goat is this; “They”* promptly hit the streets with the snow-plow/salt-spreaders.

Even as the snow on the street melted of its own volition, they were spreading salt on my street. That’s all fine and well, but where were they when we got all that snow at Christmas-time?

I’ll tell you where they weren’t - spreading salt on my street!

They came once and esentially levelled the snow off, leaving behind a very well packed 8-10″ base, and not so much as one grain of salt was put on my street, ever. Not once during the entire almost two weeks that it stuck around.

*They: You know, the ubiquitous “them”.