2.25.2011

Winter Kills

Sigh.  Another snowstorm has hit the area.  This one was a little different than all the others we've had this winter.  First of all, none of the local newscasts would try to predict what this one was going to do.  That's kind of scary because they tell us what they think every storm is going to do, whether they're right or wrong.  This one, as of last night, was still a big mystery.  It was already snowing when I got up this morning at 5:30.  It must have just started because by the time I left for work, we had maybe only an inch on the ground.  The roads were slick, but passable and the snow was coming down pretty hard.  People started talking about leaving around lunchtime today, so at 11am, I checked the news again.  I've never seen such a varied forecast before.  Our local NBC affiliate said we were going to end up with 3 to 5 inches of snow.  CBS said 5 to 8 and ABC said 8 to 12.  ABC is looking like the winner.  We've got a lot of snow again.  And another reason this storm is different is it's the first one all winter where the snow is the heavy and wet variety.  I've got to tell you what a joy it was to shovel this afternoon.  I snapped a bunch of pictures today that I'm going to share now.


This is the view out of my office.  I'm at the back of the building and it's not really the nicest view, but at least I'm near a window.


I left work at noon and waited an hour before my bus finally showed up.  That was a real joy.


Another bus stop shot.


And another.


And another.  The one thing I really love about this kind of snow is how it sticks to the trees.  I think the way it sits in the trees is really, really pretty.


I snapped a couple pictures while driving.  Probably not the brightest idea, but it's so pretty out there.





When I got home, the snow was plowed too high at the base of my driveway for me to get my car in.  I had to park on the street while I dug out.  It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to shovel the driveway.  I had about two shovelfuls of snow left when Ken got home.  Naturally.


Another shot of the back yard.  I keep saying it, but I just love the way the trees look with all that snow.



And because I'm a glutton for punishment, shoveling wasn't nearly enough for me.  I was home long enough to eat lunch and then I went to the gym.  Shitty roads be damned!!  I did learn a valuable lesson, though.  Never eat as big a lunch as I did and then go to the gym.  While I only had salad for lunch, it was massive and didn't have a chance to do anything but sit in my stomach while I worked out.  I had to stop a couple times because I thought I was going to lose my lunch all over the elliptical.  But I got my workout in and now have the rest of the evening to do whatever I want.  I believe what I'll be doing is....


...watching this.

1 comment:

wcs said...

Very pretty, even though it's a pain in the ass. I like your view! I always like the way the plaza's lights looked in a dark snowstorm. I have a memory burned into my brain of standing on Washington Ave. (at the bus stop opposite the north entrance to the capitol) at dusk while snow was falling. The lights inside the windows of the AESmith building made the moment magical. We're talking late 1970s here and I remember it like it was yesterday.